I laughed nervously, wondering what sorts of benefits she received.
“I can see why Ms. Thomas is investing so much time in getting you ready for tomorrow,” Sandra whispered conspiratorially.
“What do you mean? Isn’t this standard treatment of all the new hires?”
“No. I mean all the new hires and even the girls who’ve been working here awhile utilize the spa. But she never calls here with specific instructions—she isn’t usually this involved. She usually lets my staff decide what’s needed and what the girl wants. She must think you’re pretty special.” A warm smile adorned her lips.
“Thanks, I think.”
She wrapped a towel around my hair and helped me up. “Right this way.”
We entered a room filled with soothing candles and diffusers. A padded table stood in the center of the room.
“Undress and climb up on the table please.” She patted the center of the table.
I shucked the robe and moved to climb up.
Sandra stilled me with a hand on my arm. “Completely undress. We’ll polish every inch of you.”
My skin flushed a deep red in embarrassment. I’d never been nude in front of anyone besides my doctor. I took a deep breath and remembered my motivation for this. I reached behind me and unclasped my bra, letting it fall to the floor. I hastily shoved down my plain cotton panties. Then I climbed up onto the table, fighting every instinct to cover myself with my hands.
“Lie on your stomach please.”
I rolled over and settled onto the comfortable bench. It was more comfortable than my bed . . . back when I had a bed. It was certainly more comfortable than the backseat of my SUV.
Sandra poured something silky and warm onto the skin of my back. Her strong hands worked it into the flesh of my shoulders and back, making me moan in pleasure.
“If that’s how you sound when you’re being pleasured, they’re going to love you and want to please you over and over,” she whispered in my ear.
Despite my fear and inexperience, her words excited me. I sighed as she continued her ministrations down my back to my narrow waist.
“This oil will make your skin supple and soft for weeks. It’s my special recipe.” The chatter helped to ease my nerves.
She poured more onto my buttocks and worked it in. I tensed up initially, but soon the sensation had me relaxing. She worked her way down my thighs and calves.
She opened the door and called for someone to come in. I should’ve felt awkward—lying there exposed with another stranger coming in—but I was too far adrift in a sea of relaxation to care. Sandra pressed a button at the foot of the table to open the table up wider at that end.
“Spread your legs, Celesta. My helpers, Kaye and May, are going to work on your feet. Soften the soles, rub the oil all over and then paint your toenails. Some of the vampires really love feet—you know, sucking toes and all—and we want yours to be beautiful just in case.”
“OK,” I agreed with a murmur.
“I’m going to work on a more delicate area. I promise I’ll be gentle, and you have nothing to worry about.”
She grabbed a bowl and set it on a tray with some other items, then she rolled it next to my torso. Each foot was grabbed by small, soft hands. They stretched my legs out farther to the side so they could work on them better.
Sandra pressed something warm into my butt crack, and I tensed up. She ran a soothing hand up my spine. “Just a little wax to clean all the unwanted hair away. Whoever wins you will want to be able to see every delectable inch of you. They won’t want hair in the way of seeing or tasting wherever they desire,” her voice was soothing though the prospect of what she was planning to do was anything but.
I swallowed hard and tried to relax as she laid down strips. I stifled a shriek when she ripped the first strip from my untouched skin.
“Just a few more,” she murmured.
My skin tingled and burned a little when she finished tearing the wax strips away. I watched what she was doing at my side, trying to distract myself from the discomfort or prepare myself for more, I wasn’t sure which. She poured some of the oil that she’d massaged into my skin earlier into the palm of her hand. Then she grabbed an unlabeled tube and added a few drops to the puddle of oil she was cupping.
“I added another ingredient to the oil that’s specially formulated to soothe and comfort sensitive areas. It’ll take away the burn you’re feeling now. Is that OK?” she asked with a wink.
“Yes, please.”
She dripped the liquid along my crack and began to massage it in. Normally, I would’ve squirmed uncomfortably at someone touching me in such a carnal way, but the relief was instant the moment the liquid touched my burning skin. I sighed as she rubbed the burn away. I hadn’t realized I was signing up for all of this. But this was a small price to pay if I got what I wanted.
I tried to focus on the girls working on my feet to distract myself from Sandra’s intimate touch. After a few more moments, she patted me on the bottom and stood up. She washed her hands at the sink.
She took more of the original oil and massaged it into my arms and hands, taking time to rub each finger. I was sinking back into a pool of relaxation.
She patted my shoulder. “OK. Time to roll over.”
The girls stepped back from my feet. Sandra helped me sit up and roll over. My mortification at my nudeness seemed to have disappeared. Maybe the oil had some secret intoxicating ingredient in it to take away my nerves. My arms lay comfortably at my sides. Sandra released something at the head of the table, allowing that end to open like the foot did. She took my hand and stretched my arm out to the side. She leaned over me and did the same to the other arm. My legs were positioned in a matching fashion by the helpers.
One of the helpers asked, “What color polish should we use?”
“Celesta, do you know what color you’ll be wearing tomorrow?” Sandra asked.
“No, Jacque is bringing several options for me tomorrow afternoon.”
“OK, girls, let’s go with a classic French manicure, but use a blushing pink for the base to add a tad bit of color. Then do a thin line of silver above the white tips.”
Sandra waxed my underarms before she started massaging oil onto my neck and upper chest. As she moved down to massage the fullness of my breasts, goosebumps broke out on my skin.
“Are you cold, Celesta? We can turn up the heat.”
Embarrassed by my body’s response, I answered, “A little maybe.”
She turned the thermostat up a few degrees then went back to kneading my breasts. She massaged them thoroughly all over, working in slow circles from the outer edges inward. By the time she reached the middle, my nipples had formed hard, turgid peaks.
“Your breasts are very responsive. Another plus. Vampires like to be able to see evidence of the arousal they bring out in you.” Sandra beamed at me like it was an accomplishment.
“Ms. Thomas also said their responsiveness was a good thing.”
Sandra continued to rub oil onto my flesh. “She knows what she’s talking about. To my knowledge, she’s never had a dissatisfied client or employee.”
“That’s good to know.”
She moved to my abdomen and dribbled some of the warm oil onto my skin.
As she rubbed it in, I asked her, “Why doesn’t the oil have a scent? Don’t they want me to smell a certain way?”
“Part of the secret. There are scent enhancers in the oil. When we’re done, I’ll give you a series of scents, and you can mix and match them. You’ll rub them into your skin at certain places after a shower. The oil treatment we’re doing now will work with the ingredients of the scent mixture to enhance the aroma. The scent will last until you shower it off. Your body’s reactions will also diminish or enhance the scent.”
I turned my head. “What do you mean?”
“When your blood flow increases, it sends warmth to your skin. That warmth will trigger a stronger scent. So, that means as you becom
e aroused, the scent will increase. If you’re cold or fatigued, your scent will diminish.”
“That’s so cool.”
The girls were done with my toes. “What do you think?” they asked. I leaned up and smiled when I saw the sparkle.
“I love it.”
They rolled their stools around to each of my hands and began to clip and file my fingernails. Sandra finished massaging my waist and torso.
“Since your legs appear to be smooth, I won’t wax them today.”
I nodded in appreciation of being spared that pain this time.
She moved to my hips and rubbed the oil deeply into my skin, paying special attention to my heart tattoo. She progressed to my upper thighs, and a moan escaped as she worked a knot out of my left thigh.
“Why so tight?” she asked.
“I didn’t realize I was tense. Must be in my own mind.”
She tsked at me. “Well, relax. No harm will come to you.”
I really hoped that was true. But I feared if part of my true motives was discovered, Victor would kill me. Though it was a risk I was willing to take.
Sandra had moved down to knead each shin. At this point, there was only one critical area that had yet to receive any treatment. To say I was concerned about that would be putting it mildly.
“Celesta, now for the last wax treatment. It’ll burn like your backside did, but then the oil will take the sting out. OK?”
I swallowed nervously and gave a slight nod, granting her permission to continue. She rolled her tray closer, and her request came out soft. “Let your legs hang off the side of the table so I can maneuver better.”
I let my legs fall open as I shifted them off the table. My feet found purchase on a small ledge on either side, so my legs weren’t just dangling.
“That’s good,” she encouraged as she spread the hot wax all over my crotch.
She firmly pressed and removed strip after strip against my very delicate skin—I lost count of the strips after five. I bit my lip until I tasted blood. I couldn’t believe women routinely did this to their bodies. What was wrong with them?
I released the breath I was holding when Sandra announced she was finished. Her cool fingers traced across my burning skin.
"Just making sure there aren't any stray stubbles," she said, explaining her touch.
After a couple of light strokes, she turned her attention to her work tray. There she mixed up more soothing oil. As she mixed, I glanced down to see my now bare nether regions. The skin was a bit red and angry-looking. It seemed strange to have no barrier blocking my most private area from the draft in the room or from any eyes seeking to look. Sandra caught my examination. She opened a drawer and pulled out a mirror, then placed it between my thighs so I could see myself better.
"See how delectable you look without any interfering hair?"
I nodded in agreement.
"It’ll look even better after the oil treatment."
She set the mirror aside and filled her palm with the warm oil. She drizzled a generous helping of the cooling agent into the shimmering pool. Then she squeezed a third ingredient into the mix. "Aloe. It’ll help with the burn and redness even more."
She swirled her finger to mix the puddle then let it rain on my bare center. The relief was instantaneous. She began to rub it in over my pubic bone, then in the creases between my thighs and core. Her soft fingers slicked down my outer lips, bringing a welcome coolness to the burning skin. Her fingers slipped slightly in to soothe the skin that had been waxed on the interior. Another few moments and the last inches of my body had been massaged with conditioning oil.
Maybe women willingly endured the waxing on a routine basis in order to get the reward of the aftercare. It just might be worth the pain and sting.
Sandra positioned the mirror back between my thighs. The redness was gone. I looked so soft and smooth, but I resisted the urge to trail my fingers over my newly exposed skin. I definitely drew the line at touching myself in front of strangers.
The girls had finished my nails. They looked so elegant as if they belonged to someone else, not a girl sleeping in her car.
"Now, we wash the treatment from your hair."
Sandra helped me climb down and held open my robe for me to slip into. She stuffed my undergarments into the pocket before leading me back to the salon chair.
I closed my eyes as she ran the warm water over my scalp and used her fingers to work the oil out of my silky strands. Then she squirted a generous amount of shampoo onto her hand and worked it into a lather. I caught the heavenly scent of strawberries before I closed my eyes and drifted off.
It felt like mere moments had passed before Sandra was wrapping a thick towel around my hair and giving it a squeeze. "Just a little more work to do, Celesta." She eased the chair into an upright position.
I padded behind her to another room. She exfoliated my face, then put a face peel on.
She leaned my seat back and bid me to relax for a few minutes.
All this pampering had reduced me to a pile of mush. I happily closed my eyes and let myself drift to happier times, back before I was alone in the world. Before I needed to get in bed with monsters, literally, in order to clear my dad's name.
Sandra returned after a while. Once she removed the face peel, my skin felt tight and clean. She rubbed a creamy lotion into my skin.
"This lotion has some of the same oil in it you now have all over and a few other ingredients that bring out your natural glow. Now, let's dry your hair."
When she was done, my hair hung in a dark, straight sheet. She walked me into a room with a floor length mirror and positioned me in front of it. My face was bright and glowing. She unbelted my robe and parted the terry cloth.
"Look at how luxurious you look."
♪ Beautiful by Smashing Pumpkins
I was awestruck at how my skin shimmered in the low light. "You did a great job making me look wonderful and feel pampered."
"It was my pleasure. I’ll help with your hair and makeup tomorrow. Rest well tonight so you’ll look radiant tomorrow," she instructed.
She handed me a bag. "There are various scents in here. Choose one and add a few drops to a spoonful of this lotion.” She grabbed my hand and traced a circle around my palm, indicating how much lotion should fill it. “Rub it on your neck, behind your ears, your wrists, between your breasts, upper thighs, pubic bone and your buttocks."
Mentally, I made note of the locations she specified. Then I gave her an impulsive hug and thanked her as she ushered me out of the spa.
I walked down the hall, only mildly self-conscious to be wandering around dressed in only a robe. When I got to the receptionist, she did a double take. "You look great. Ms. Thomas said for you to come right in when you got back."
"Thank you," I murmured before I moved and softly knocked on the closed door.
"Come in," she called from the other side.
I opened the door and stepped in, shutting it softly behind me.
Circe got up from behind her desk and walked around. Her face lit up with a smile. "You look lovely, dear. And so relaxed. Do you feel relaxed?" she asked.
"Yes, thank you. I’ve never been pampered before. It was just divine." A contented sigh slipped through my lips just reliving it in my mind.
"I have every confidence that pampering could become a normal occurrence for you. Take off your robe."
With only a slight hint of hesitation, I unbelted the robe and shrugged it off my shoulders. The inspection began as she walked a circle around me. Her fingers brushed and squeezed here and there as she muttered in approval. "Your skin was soft before, but now it’s like satin. I know you’ll have several offers to choose from tomorrow night." Her assurance filled me with pride.
Circe handed me a bag. I expected my clothes to be in it. Instead, I pulled out a pair of hip-hugging, black jeans and a purple, silk blouse. At the bottom of the bag was a pair of strappy sandals. A black lace thong and matching bra were the las
t items to be removed from the bag.
"Jacque wanted you to leave looking as amazing as you’d feel after the spa treatment, so he went shopping. Enjoy, dear." Her smile was almost motherly, which was odd because she was probably only a few years older than me.
My eyes burned with emotion. It had been a long time since anyone had done something nice for me. "Thank you. I’m speechless."
"Just do me a favor, don't ever put those plain cotton undergarments next to your gorgeous body again. Even if you aren't dressed sexy on your outer layer, you should always be sexy underneath."
"OK."
I quickly pulled on the clothes. Circe shoved my other clothes into the empty bag along with the robe. She stood in front of me once I was dressed and placed both hands on my shoulders. She gave them a reassuring squeeze. "You’ll do amazing tomorrow night; I just know it. You’ll have your tuition money in no time."
"Thank you for everything. I’ll see you tomorrow at one." Despite my misgivings, I was excited too.
“Before you go, I need to take a couple of pictures for your file.”
“OK.”
She snapped several photos before ushering me out the door.
Once I got in my car, I drove to a cheap hotel. Renting a room might have been a foolish expenditure, but I really felt like I needed a good night's sleep, so I’d have all my wits about me before I tried to dance with the devil tomorrow.
Safely shut away in my clean but sparse room, I went into the bathroom to examine the girl in the reflective pane. She had my eyes, my nose and my mouth. She had my bottled hair color of the moment. She was still me, but she was different. I was different. Loss had altered me. The need for justice had changed me. And Sandra had transformed me.
I decided a shower was in order, and then I’d play around with the scents Sandra gave me so I could figure out one that would entice a vampire. I gently removed my clothes and folded them for tomorrow. I enclosed myself in the small bathroom and turned on the taps.
While I waited for the water to heat up, I examined my body in the full-length mirror. I’d never really scrutinized myself before. But seeing myself now and knowing what I looked like this morning when I dressed in the bathroom at the local YMCA, I had to admit the difference was startling. I liked what I saw now—I felt pretty and sexy. It was a new feeling, an empowering feeling. I guess at least one good thing came out of this experience.
Blood Song: Prelude (Blood Song Series Book 1) Page 5