The Formula 1 Series - Part I: Liz & George

Smoothing tensions

George and I were still standing there and watched her leaving. He then turned around and started walking. "Come on. Let's go to Anna's room. She won't come back until 3PM." He said and moved through some tight passageways until he pushed open a door and let me go in. It was a tiny room with only a physiotherapeutic bed and a small desk and chair.
"How often are you here?" I asked. This is awful. I hope he did most of his physiotherapeutic work somewhere else.
"Well, a lot. The "building" we are in moves with us. Samantha and Lewis have another room. Lisa uses them sometimes. She will probably show you tomorrow or later when we are gone." He said while closing the door and then sitting onto the bed. He looked at me.
I took a deep breath. "Look George. I am so sorry. It was completely irrational how I behaved yesterday. I was just feeling ashamed I guess."
He looked at me for a while but then a smile appeared on his face. He opened his mouth but closed it again. His smile turned into a grin. "Can you start with my neck now? It's awful today. I have had a bad night. And you are the cause so it's just fair you cure it." His eyes were sparkling. I couldn't believe it. Was he serious? I apologized to him and he brushed it off like that? But maybe he wanted me to suffer before accepting my apology. Or maybe he doesn't accept it at all? But he was way to flirty to be done with me. I guess I deserved the uncertainty. And true. I was here alone with him. If I did not work with him, what was I doing instead? Nothing that had its value during working hours. "Okay fair." I put hand sanitizer on my hands and walked around. "But my hands are cold and I hope you have a high pain tolerance." I said warning him.
"Must I be scared?" He asked.
"No don't be." I placed my hands onto his shoulders from behind and started to feel his muscles. His body was warm and the feel of his muscles under my hands felt different as with all other patients I had so far. I cleared my voice and demanded my mind to be professional. I started to massage his trapez and look out for resistance. I worked my way up to his short neck muscles and then anterior. I took his head into different positions and tried to find the tense muscle groups. His fasciaes might play a role as well, but his scaleni muscles were indeed just as tense as the Trapez and slightly more tense on the left. I thought about his sternocleidomastoideus as well and felt these muscles on both sides after one another as you are not supposed to work with them simultaneously.
"Why do you touch only on side now? Shouldn't you feel the comparison as before?"
"Are you supervising me?"
He laughed. "No just curious. I have never been as aware of physiotherapy as now. It's a whole different thing when you do it."
"I did not do any therapy so far. I just try to find your problem."
"I have many."
"Oh, try me." I mumbled while going back to the scaleni. I massaged them for a while.

"My biggest problem is this girl I have told you about yesterday." My movements stopped for a second before I continued. I will just be professional and continue working. I talk about personal stuff with many of my patients. So, this is not unprofessional.

"Yes, she sounds like a crazy one."

"No, I don't think she is. She probably just wasn't treated right so far."

I thought about it. This was not how I would put it. At least I have never thought so. But again, as I realized earlier, how he put it, it really sounded not good to say the least.

"I just hope she trusts me with my intentions."

"I think she probably realized what you meant earlier today and tried to call you a few times for that reason."

"My phone is off."
"I know." I said. "Did you shut it down because of me?"

"No. I often do on Saturday and Sundays. I hate all the texts coming in on race weekends." He paused for a second. Then I could see his cheeks lifting from behind and knew we was grinning. "Please tell me you left a voice mail?"

"No, I didn't. Why?"

"Oh, too bad. That would have been cute. You trying to talk about last night. It would make a good alarm. I would wake up with a smile every day."