Photos: Meet Samantha Hess: For $60/hour, you can cuddle up with her. And yes, it's legal

She’s trying to fix the unemployment rate one cuddle at a time.
Portland’s professional cuddler is looking to expand her warm and fuzzy empire by adding a brick and mortar location and six full-time snugglers.
“I'm working 80 to 90 hours a week,” cuddling connoisseur Samantha Hess, 29, told the Daily News. “I literally can't keep up with it. I'm scheduling for Feburary right now.”
Hess, who is releasing a book on the science of touch in February and is in talks on a reality TV series, has already been flooded with inquiries from people who like to nuzzle.
Applicants can anticipate a rather rigorous vetting process from the girl who gets paid by the hour to lay in bed — in a completely pluntonic way.
“It really requires a lot of intracacies,” she said. “My training program is 40 hours long.”

One of the key requirements is to be comfortable wrapping your arms around all walks of life. Hess’ mostly-male client base run the gamut of old, overweight, and even people with debilitating diseases, she said.
“You have to be able to look those people in the eyes and let them feel accepted and unconditionally loved,” she said.
The job interview may be the only of its kind where touching is not only allowed, but heavily encouraged.
Hess said she adheres to a daily regimen to make her body optimized for spooning. She shaves her legs daily and lathers her skin with coconut oil.
But what separates this petite woman — she barely surpasses 5-feet and weighs 115 pounds — from the legions of amateurs who love to spoon?

Hess' snuggle sessions with women are few and far between. Almost all of her clients are men.

Professional cuddler Samantha Hess with her boyfriend Rob Ems (right), known in Oregon as 'Free Throw Guy' for his vocal commitment to the Portland Trail Blazers. 'I am lucky he is not the jealous type,' said Hess.

Hess doesn't allow any funny business during the spooning sessions. She said she only touches men above their collarbone and if the client tries anything funny, they're out.

Professional cuddler Samantha Hess (left) of Portland, Ore.,on relaxes with musician KaiKani Seven Vanity. Business is so good for Hess that she is looking to open up a snuggle store and hire six employees.