Cuddle Up To Me

Have you ever found yourself going through a particularly rough patch, when all you wanted was a hug, a cuddle, or a bit of human contact, yet for any number of reasons had no one to ask? Well, thanks to a new "cuddling shop", you'll never have togo without the human touch again.  Samantha Hess, an author who also calls herself a "professional cuddler", has opened what just might be the world's first professional cuddling shop. For just $60 an hour, lonely customers can curl up on a sofa or in bed with Hess and recieve what she says is "the level of human contact that we want or need in order to be our optimal selves." Think a crazy idea like this is doomed to fail? Guess again. Everyone needs a little contact now and then.  "This business has taken off," Hess told Fox 12. "I've gotten as many as 10,000 emails in a week." In fact, business is so good, that Hess recently hired three employees, each of whom had to undergo 40 hours of "cuddle training". "The training program goes over what types of positions are appropriate for this service, how to guide sessions, how to get the right instincts about who the right client is for us," Hess told Oregon Live. The shop, called Cuddle Up To Me, offers hour-long sessions that include hand-holding, spooning, and hair stroking, to name a few. But don't try any funny business. Hess says that her business is strictly PG rated. "I was at a place where I thought paying someone to hug me and not have ulterior motives sounded like a great idea," she said. "I decided why can't this be a thing that we can easily and safely reach for?" If you just need to have a good cry and a cuddle, Hess insists that talking is optional, but she recommends that customers come dressed in the most appropriate cuddle-wear possible: pyjamas.  Need a good dose of human contact from a professional cuddler? Cuddle Up To Me is located in Portland, Oregon (of course), and open every day but Sunday.