by Dark Angel
She works her way up my arm briefly, then switches to my other side. As she works on me, I start to lean back into the seat, letting the heat of the chair work its way into my body.
She pulls me up once she finishes.
“If you’ll come this way, please?” The attendant says. “Sven will be giving you a facial today.”
“He’s going to what?!” I yell, my mind immediately going to the wrong place.
She simply giggles and lets the realization set into my mind rather than embarrassing me. I’ve done that enough to myself.
They both lay me back in an incredibly comfortable chair and have me close my eyes before laying a warm, wet towel over my face. I let them do to me what they will, and I let my mind mull over its own thoughts.
This place is definitely nice, but I feel like they could do a little more to have an inviting environment. Sure, it’s great for people that are very familiar with visiting places like this, but what about first timers? It’s so intimidating!
What would work better, I wonder? Maybe a separate area? Or a little more secluded one?
I guess that isn’t very doable, but still, I’m sure there’s something they could do. If I’m a customer, then my feelings on that can’t be too off-base, right? I’m sure I’m not being completely unrealistic.
I’ve always been called high maintenance—or fucking crazy, in one case. I’ve only had a handful of boyfriends, and none of them could really handle my nature. As soon as I didn’t give them the attention they wanted, they would start freaking out on me, and I just sent them packing.
I didn’t see a great reason to keep them around anyways; sex was occasional and somewhat interesting, but really nothing to write home about. I thought maybe it was just my first boyfriend who wasn’t very knowledgeable, but when next two were just as clumsy and mostly just worried about their own dicks, I realized it wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I tried to explain this to the last one, but he took it very personally and got really rude to me because of it.
So, here we are, 6 months later. I’ve been able to focus more on my business, and it’s been doing better than ever. I know for a fact that my ability to not be involved with silly distractions like guys is what has propelled it forward astronomically.
Once Sven is done with the facial—which, I must say, was actually incredible—he sits up my chair and begins to massage my shoulders.
Oh, no. I have yet to be touched like this without nearly freaking out. His hands are fantastic, and he very obviously knows what he’s doing, but it’s a little too much.
“Could you…uh…” I begin, but he starts to put a little more pressure. It feels great, but I’m starting to lock up.
My shoulders start to tighten up. He obviously notices, because he starts to apply even more pressure in an attempt to get me to relax.
“Ouch!” I yelp.
“Ah, my apologies,” he says.
“If someone is obviously uncomfortable, why is the solution to push harder?” I yell. I don’t even know why I’m upset, but I can’t really keep myself from lashing out. “And why is everything here so bright? It’s hard on the eyes, especially for someone who’s not even used to this!
“And the scheduling system is so difficult to navigate!” I continue nagging. “It took me ages to get an appointment block! You can’t really expect me to believe this place is booked solid like that, with how many spas we have in New York City. I think you guys are really just trying to create an illusion of desire so you can seem so exclusive and get all kinds of attention and press for free!”
“Sven, no worries. Give us a few minutes, would you?” I hear a calm woman’s voice say from behind me.
I look up to see Sven shrug and walk off, no worse for the wear.
“What’s the issue here, ma’am?” the woman says after Sven has left the room.
“Issue? It’s disorganized and uncomfortable, the smells are overpowering, and why is everything so goddamn bright?” I continue on my tirade. “Ugh. I’m not going to sit here and repeat myself! Who’s the owner around here anyways?”
“As a matter of fact, that would be me,” she says. My eyes widen, and my face turns a bright red flush in embarrassment.
“I…um…” I stammer.
“Nicole,” she says, extending her hand. “And judging by the appointment time, you must be Julia.”
“Ahem. Yes. And I’m very sorry about my…outburst there. That’s not usually how I am, and I don’t know what came over me and—”
“Sweetie, stop,” she says, putting one finger in front of my face. “You’re fine, I get it. And maybe you have some real points. But the real question is, why are you so worried about it when you’re supposed to be relaxing?”
I stare blankly at her. In my mind, I knew this was all about relaxation, I really did, but it took her calling me out for me to really question: what the hell am I doing?
“There’s time for business talk. There is, and I would love to do that with you sometime,” Nicole says warmly. “But how about we have some nice private time?”
“Private time?” I say, blushing. “I’m not…I don’t…”
“A sauna, love,” Nicole says, laughing. “Just a sauna. For one, I’m spoken for. Now, I know it’s not what you paid for, but fuck it. Why own a place like this if you can’t do favors for people, right?”
She holds out a hand to me. I hesitate to take it, but she’s incredibly warming as a person. She seems to have herself so put together. I envy that.
And maybe a sauna is just the thing I need.
Chapter 3
Julia
I cringe and cough a little as I am led through a wooden door into the sauna, the scents and moisture in the air entirely unfamiliar to me.
“Ugh!” I exclaim, wrinkling my nose.
The spa attendant looks up at me with a frantic look on her face.
“Relax, dear,” Nicole says, smiling. “It’s a little different, but you’ll get used to it.” She turns to the attendant. “No worries, Brian. It’s just her first time.”
She’s already got a monogrammed towel with an incredibly elegant golden letter ‘N’ wrapped around her body, ready to hop in with me.
“It’s not that easy for me,” I tell her with a small frown. “I’ve really never been to one, and I just don’t see the necessity. There’s work I should be doing right this second.”
“In my opinion, doll, you can’t think of a spa day as a way to slack off. Everyone needs some mental release,” she counters. “And if it makes you feel any better, just imagine it as work research.”
“When you handle as many venues as I do—and as many problems as I do—you just never get the chance to let anything slide.” I let out a little sigh. “Think about it. One bill falls through, and I could lose that resort. One client review goes uninvestigated, and hundreds of people could read it. We could lose thousands of dollars in business. I can’t afford to—”
“Isn’t that what your employees are for?” Nicole retorts, rolling her eyes at my reaction. “You do have departments to handle things, right?”
“Of course I have fucking departments! But who’s there when they make an error?” I pose.
“Department heads?”
“And when they fuck up?!” I say, practically screaming.
“Your controller. You have one of those, right?” she asks, only half-jokingly.
“Yes, I have a goddamn controller!” I shout.
“Then what are you so worried about?” she returns, matching my volume. Her tone, however, is much more sincere and playful than mine.
I realize I’m incredibly worked up, getting angry at her even though she was just trying to help me.
Nicole shakes her head. “You do realize you have these people in place to help your business, not hinder it, right? I mean, think about it. If they mess up, they’re not getting paid, either.”
I try to relax, dropping my shoulders and letting the tension roll off. “Yeah,
I guess you’re right. But I just don’t know how to let any of it go. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t go through my financials line by line to match my own records.”
“My god, Julia. You need to trust your staff a little more to do their jobs. You can’t operate like that. They’ll just wonder why they even have a job if you’re doing it all.”
I absolutely realize that Nicole has good points here, but I still kind of hate her for it. She owns this spa, but she doesn’t need to even run it.
Yet...it’s doing beautifully. And she’s told me she comes here to relax—and only relax—and to make occasional executive decisions when it’s absolutely necessary.
I just can’t fathom not being involved in every facet of my business. Every review, every delayed flight, every missed hotel booking…I need to know what goes on every time.
I don’t know why, but it’s just the ‘me’ I’ve come to know in the business world. If I’m on top of everything, nothing will ever come as a surprise, right?
“I’m a little worried about you, Julia,” Nicole admits.
“Are you? Am I that bad off, really?” I ask, seeking some reassurance that I’m not some monster.
“Honestly, yeah. And a spa day isn’t going to solve it.”
If a place designed for relaxation can’t fix me, what can?
“What would you recommend, then?” I pry. “I want to be able to look back on my own experience when I’m planning a resort of my own one day.”
“Well, I know this awesome bunch of guys. We were on their yacht with Cameron, Adam, and Chase, my partners at our political firm. They each own resorts. Together, they also run a business similar to yours. Go to their office. See what you’re missing. And just fucking relax.”
“And why exactly would I go meet my competition?”
“You’ll get some insight on what they might be doing that you’re not. So, it’ll be like you’re doing work research.” She smiles at me. “Or at least that’s what you can tell yourself while you’re getting…to know them.”
“I guess so. Maybe getting some competitive insight will give me the edge I need,” I say aloud, trying to rationalize the entire idea.
“You’re so weird, Julia. There’s more to business than competing to be the best,” Nicole says with a light chuckle. “At the very least, you should check out the resorts you send your own clients to.”
“You just might be right, Nicole. Look at you. You come in here and sit in the sauna with me. I would never just be able to do that, even if I did see you in any of the resorts.”
“Exactly. I love this place. I can come in, decompress, and go on with my day. I want that for you, too. You need to improve your quality of life, chick.”
I take a moment to reflect on our conversation. Somewhere inside me, I know I want things to change. I’m sick of constantly having knots in my neck, my back, my shoulders, my feet, my hands…
Fuck, I’m a mess.
I don’t even know what I’m wearing today. I just get something appropriate out of my closet every morning—on autopilot.
Nicole, meanwhile, is so put-together. She obviously planned her outfit for the day. She recently just came from a hair appointment, too. And she probably spends an hour or so putting on makeup. She even got a manicure and pedicure before we hit the spa.
That level of self-care is important to her. She seems like a happier person for it. I don’t know if I could ever put so much preparation into myself, but I could at least stop shoving it aside to get X amount of work done first.
X is an ever-changing variable, and, if I keep it up, I’m really never going to have time for myself.
“Excuse me, Miss Julia,” the sauna attendant says as he walks in.
“Yes, uh…Brian?” I respond, reading his nametag.
“I do hope I’m not interrupting your conversation, but I wanted to make sure you get the best spa experience today.”
Brian has curly black hair, a cute smile, and adorable cheek dimples. Nicole did a good job staffing her spa with gorgeous people, and I internally applaud her for that.
“Okay, yeah. I’m having a good time,” I lie.
Nicole is staring at both of us back and forth, entertained.
“Wonderful. How would you and your friend like a hand in your relaxation? We also specialize in more bodily release, strictly as a more therapeutic sexual experience.”
“Excuse me?!” I exclaim, my eyes widening. “Uh, no, thank you! I’m really not looking for anything like that.”
The thought of a guy touching me is the furthest thing from my mind right now.
“Excuse me?” Nicole herself pipes up.
Brian looks up at her. He immediately recognizes her and gulps.
“I-I’m so sorry, ma’am. I didn’t recognize you there,” he explains. “No disrespect meant; I, uh, just felt it was the best way to relieve her current state of tension…”
“We can finish our session alone, Brian,” Nicole responds.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Nicole keeps her eyes on Brian the entire time till he walks out of the sauna. She waits until the two hallway doors close before bursting out in laughter.
“You thought that was funny?” I ask.
“Fuck, yeah! I get propositioned all the time myself. It’s part of the spa experience. But I get more than my fill from my men at the firm.”
Nicole looks over at me and sees my shoulders locked, my hands balled into tight fists against the bench of the sauna.
“Jesus Christ, Julia. Why are you more tense now than when you walked in here?”
“Because of that guy!”
“Come on. How did he do that to you?”
“I don’t know. Just the whole ‘hooking up with a stranger’ thing. How absolutely repulsive. I can’t wrap my mind around the idea of just trying to get off with someone. Shit, I mean, sex in general to me is overrated. I don’t really understand the hype!”
Nicole smiles at me and nods. “Listen, Julia. Please go check out that firm. I can’t recommend these guys enough. I know they’ll give you plenty of…insight.”
“I’ll think about it. I definitely could use some for my business right now,” I say with a sigh.
“That’s not—well, okay. I know you’ll be in good hands with them,” she says, shaking her head, a strange smirk on her face.
My time here with Nicole is really making me consider it. I guess I’ll go back to my B.O.D. with the idea and see where it goes.
I’ve been needing an edge, and here’s the opportunity. Although…I don’t know. I guess I’m still a little unsure of going to a competitor just for ideas.
I get up from the bench and head for the sauna door. “Thank you for spending some time with me, Nicole. I really think I have a direction at least.”
“Anytime, Julia. You take care now!”
I pull myself together. Once I’m dressed, I make my exit from the spa and head back to the office to talk to my team.
Here goes nothing.
Chapter 4
Spencer
Leaning back in my office chair, between the sounds of the ocean and Tibetan drums playing through the surround sound speakers, I could easily fall asleep.
Nothing in the world right now can disturb my inner peace. When I think about all those 9-to-5 jobs out there, I know they will never rope me into that kind of life. I already traded suits for a pair of quicksilver shorts and flip flops years ago.
I remember the conversation with my father about my future supposedly going nowhere.
“Dude, you got to chill. Find your chi,” I said.
My father’s eyes darkened, his face turned red, and he definitely lost his cool.
That wasn’t the first time we had that conversation, though. He was the typical CEO who was working himself into an early grave. After his first heart attack, I knew I could never walk in his stuffed-up leather footsteps.
“You’re just like your uncle—a good-for-nothing bum who wo
uld rather pass out on a beach than own one.”
I shrugged him off. My father couldn’t be further from the truth.
Now I have my own resort, and my employees work hard and play harder. I keep them happy, and they make sure the guests have a five-star vacation every visit.
I shake these bad vibes from my head. Gotta stay chill, man.
I push the intercom button to ring my assistant.
“Heeey…I need a massage. Send in Kiana, and tell her to bring the coconut oil I like.”
It’ll be about fifteen minutes before she arrives, which gives me plenty of time to stretch my legs. I prop my feet up on my desk, and images of Kiana’s tight ass flicker through my head.
That little island beauty has it bad for me, and who can blame her? Just look at me!
I let my eyes close a little, blocking out the view of my cluttered office. I should probably get housekeeping to come in and clean up, but I like it this way. I can always find what I need.
Usually.
Sure, it’s a bit messy, but why waste time cleaning? It’s only going to get dirty again, right?
Buzz. Buzz.
Ugh. That intercom is so annoying. I’ll never get used to that thing.
“Babe, just send Kiana in. She knows that she doesn’t have to announce herself. We’re all family here,” I say, not even opening my eyes.
“No, Spencer, you have someone here to meet you,” a soft whisper comes from the idiot box on the desk.
Huh. I don’t have any appointments, and it’s the time of day I nap. Everyone knows I never see anyone between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.
Except Kiana. Or Ashley. Or…well, never mind that.
I peek over at the calendar on the desk and give it a once-over to make sure. Nothing. Not even a vendor is written down in there.
“Send them away with some macadamia nuts, and tell them to make an appointment. I don’t see anyone without an appointment. Plus, I need a nap.”
I close my eyes again, but the buzzer goes off almost immediately.
Ugh.
Buzz. Buzz.
“Spencer, Nicole recommended her to come here for a business talk with you. She seems…very serious. She wants to speak to you—and the others. May I bring her in now?”