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Somewhere in your city, there are people experiencing gratification that most of us could never understand.

There has been a lot of talk about sensual massages lately, yet nobody around here seemed to be able to tell us exactly what happens during one of these ‘erotically stimulating’ sessions.

Perhaps it’s the mystery of the taboo that drew us in, but since we are relatively open-minded to new experiences, and like a good mystery, we decided to go check it out ourselves.

We figured that Justin and Jamie from Hot Night Out would be the perfect people to question about where we might locate a service like that, without having to meet a sketchy-looking guy with a purple fur coat somewhere in a back alley.

This description gave Justin a chuckle, and after pointing out that we don’t live in a 1970 Martin Scorsese movie, he invited us down to Massage Nation studios in Cape Town CBD.

As it turned out we were wrong about the back alley, as well as the purple fur coat. The entrance to their studio resembles that of a bank, and a smiling lady at the reception let us into the building, where we took the elevators up to their studio.

On the seventh floor, I passed several businesses that shared the building –  a travel agency, lawyer’s offices, and accountants – definitely not back alley vibes.

We get to their studio and take a deep breath, and then open the door…

I’m not sure what we expected, but their reception area is much nicer than any run-of-the-mill dentist’s office, and the lady who greets us at the front immediately makes us feel welcome. There was none of that questionable ‘vibe’ that one would expect when entering a place dedicated to ‘sensual experiences’, and we couldn’t help but feel some of our tension disappearing.

Justin had let the therapists know that we would be coming by, and the welcome we received made us wish they could manage customer service at our local bank, or any shop for that matter. The people are friendly and professional and after we explained that this was our first time in a ‘sensual massage parlour’, they were delighted and insisted on answering any questions we might have.

It is this honesty and joy in what they do that struck us the most about the day. Most of the therapists working here are aware of the stigma that surrounds their industry, yet they have a sense of pride in what they do.

“And exactly what is it that you do?” one of us asked nervously. Their answer is quick and earnest.

“We make people feel better about themselves.”

We ended up chatting with several of the ladies working there but it was Keekee, the most experienced of the group that really summed up the world of sensual massages.

“It’s not about sex. In fact, most people won’t believe you, but there are strict boundaries that we all stay within. There will be no pomping or BJs, that’s not what a sensual massage is about. The people who come here are in need of intimacy, affection, they want to feel the loving touch of another person and often an embrace is good enough.

The clients are from all walks of life and it’s not just men, but women who come here as well. Sometimes it’s couples who struggle to connect intimately with each other. Not everyone is lucky enough to have someone special in their lives, and sometimes you just want to be touched tenderly and feel desired. That is what a sensual massage does – for a little while you are the absolute centre of someone’s universe. They touch you in a way that makes you feel wanted, admired, and yes, even safe.

We get judged enough. When you walk in that door we don’t judge you based on how you look or what you do for a living. When you come here, you are already enough. We just remind you of how special you are, and what it feels like to be touched with tenderness.”

And yes, all this touching does get erotic.

“Sensual massage is the art of touching that allows you to give and receive pleasure. It enhances communication because your hands speak for you and encompass all your senses – sight, sound, touch, smell – and intimacy.”

Despite not taking them up on their offer for a full treatment (hey, we were working), we nevertheless left the studios feeling happy and optimistic for the day. We’re glad we got over our prejudice and went to check it out for ourselves.

Exactly what a sensual massage entails is perhaps a secret only those who experience it will understand, so until you try it, it might be hard to understand it.

There are a lot of victims within an industry that deals with the sexual side of humanity, but walking to the front door we realised that there were no victims here, only people who genuinely care about making people feel better about themselves.

We all just want to feel something special, even if it is just for an hour or two. Being in the company of the ladies at the studio definitely made us feel special.

We can only imagine how we’d feel if we weren’t there on business, but there is always next week…