A woman from New York has turned hugging and cuddling, which used to be a comforting gesture of companionship between friends and lovers, into a business.
Jacqueline Samuel opened The Snuggery last month, a place where, from upwards of $60, clients can snuggle with the petite Master's student in a strictly non-sexual context.
Sessions of up to 90 minutes take place in a private room while friends and family members mill around the house offering protection from any over-enthusiastic clients.
For customers interested in Jackie's services, most of whom are men, she admits, a series of FAQs provides information about what clothing to wear and what kind of behaviour is appropriate.
"This is not about sex, and I'm really straightforward about that," the Daily Mail quoted her as saying during an interview with 9WSYR.com.
"I always liked to snuggle, it seemed pretty simple to me," she said.