“Someone will be with you in just a minute. Have a seat and get comfortable.”
As I looked at the small space, I doubted whether I was going to be able to do either. I slid inside the room and managed to wedge the door shut. I had to lift one foot and swing my leg over the side of the chair in order to get into it. When I did, I lost my balance halfway across and landed lopsided on the chair. It was harder than it looked.
When I finally got settled in the seat, I wondered why they had left so much space in the main room and squashed their guests into a tiny facial room. I didn’t have too long to think about it before the door opened. I slid as far as I could over on the chair.
A tall thin young man walked into the room. He wore a white lab coat with a splash of color on the lapels.
“Hi-hi.” He smiled. His voice sounded like a chirp. “I’m Carter and I’m here to make you glow!”
“Sounds good.” I smiled back at him.
“Let me just get this.” He reached above me.
I naturally followed the path of his hand with my eyes. I immediately regretted that when the bright light above my head switched on and burned right into my eyes.
“Ouch!” I gulped.
“Oops, so sorry. Here.” He slid a flimsy pair of disposable sunglasses over my eyes. “The light is good for the skin treatment we use.”
I frowned, but I did my best to relax.
Chapter 3
A moment later I felt a warm towel running across my face. This actually was very relaxing and comforting. Just as I began to relax, he applied a cold cream to my face. The icy blast was enough to nearly make me jump out of the chair. My foot caught between the chair and the wall as my body jerked. I ended up half-sliding off the top of the chair in an attempt to escape the cold cream that was already liberally applied on my face.
“Oh, too cold?” he asked. He grabbed me by the arm and elbow and heaved me back up onto the chair.
I was out of breath as I lay back against the chair once more.
“A little.”
“Don’t worry, this next part will warm it up.” He smiled at me.
Normally I would have smiled back, but I was beginning to think that he was taking pleasure in torturing me.
“Okay, but I’m just looking for something mild. I’m not sure how my skin will react to different things.”
It was a bit of a lie. My skin was not very sensitive. But I’d lost a little faith in his ability. I wanted him to be careful with whatever else he would be putting on my face.
“Just relax. This will be warming—and relaxing.” He smiled.
He smiled a lot. I wasn’t sure if it meant that he was friendly or that he had some kind of injections in his cheeks.
“It would probably be best if you closed your eyes.”
His voice was so smooth that it was almost hypnotic.
I settled back against the chair. My mind drifted as his fingertips swept slowly across my cheeks. I felt little patches of warmth, like the sun on my skin. My muscles began to unwind.
My mind filled with thoughts of Max and how he might react to my rejuvenated face when he picked me up for dinner. Then my mind shifted to candlelight. Yes, candles on the table. Glowing, flickering candles. Then suddenly I didn’t see candles anymore. I saw flames!
“Oh, my God! Hot!” My words came out as a shriek. I started to claw at my face.
“What’s hot? Your skin?” he asked. He looked around wildly.
“Get it off! Get it off, please!” I tried wiping it off with my hands but that only seemed to make it worse. My face felt like it was engulfed in flames.
“Let me get some water! I’ll get it washed off right away!”
I was between him and the sink. He had to crawl on top of me to turn the faucet on. I was trying not to scream at the top of my lungs. He managed to get the water on and a moment later he was splashing cold water on my face. It cooled the burning to some degree, but it wasn’t enough. When he splashed me in the face again, I growled.
“Stop it!” I shoved him away from me so hard that he slammed into the door.
I dove for the sink and shoved my face right under the faucet. I hadn’t really thought my action through; I just wanted whatever was burning me off my face. However, I also managed to nearly drown myself.
When I came up for air, he had a towel waiting for me. I tried to grab it in the same moment that he tried to wipe my face with it.
“Ow! My nose!” He stumbled backwards.
I stared at him in shock. I had just punched the happiest man on earth.
“I’m so sorry! It was an accident. Are you okay?” I tried to peer past his hands, which were covering his face.
“I think so.” His voice shook as he spoke. I felt as if I had scarred him for life. “My nose is a tender area for me. It has a perfect slope.” He slowly lowered his hands. “Is it ruined? Be honest.”
I looked at his nose. It just looked like a nose to me. There was a small red spot, but other than that it looked fine to me.
“It’s perfect.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” He sighed and offered me the towel again. “I guess you are sensitive to oregano.”
“Did you think I was a pizza?” I frowned. “Why in the world would you put oregano on my face?”
“Take a look.” He held up a small hand mirror.
I looked into the mirror expecting to see big red burns all over my face, as my skin was still hot. Instead, I saw a big change in how I looked. My skin was smooth, my cheeks were pink, and it looked like I hadn’t aged a day past sixteen. The treatment had been torturous, but the result was amazing.
“How did you do that?” I looked past the mirror to him with awe.
“It’s a deep clean. It’s amazing how much dirt is hidden, and when it’s cleared the natural skin tone can emerge. You have beautiful skin.” He touched his nose self-consciously. “I’m sorry about the drama. I’m new at this. I should have tested a small amount on you before applying it to your face.”
“It’s okay.” I wasn’t so sure if it was okay, but I couldn’t argue with the outcome. “I’m sorry about your nose.”
“It’s fine.” He shrugged. “Anyway, just make sure not to use soap on your face for the next few days, as your skin will be very sensitive.”
“Okay.” I started to step out of the room.
“You know I feel so terribly about all of this. How about a mani-pedi?”
“Oh, no thank you. I only want a few things today.”
“It’ll be on the house.”
He looked so eager to please me that I found myself turning back toward him.
“You can do that?”
“Oh, yes. I can do your fingernails and toenails.” He smiled.
“Oh, okay—well, I guess that would be nice. But just the toes, please. There’s no point in doing my nails.” I shook my head. “I spend all of my time with hands in laundry soap, and you would not believe how fast that wipes off nail polish. I just keep my nails trimmed and don’t bother polishing them.”
“I understand.” Carter nodded. “Then let’s see those feet.”
Chapter 4
I slid my shoes off with some hesitation. I hadn’t expected to get a pedicure, but I wasn’t going to turn down a free service. When he grabbed my feet I had to bite into my bottom lip to keep from giggling. It tickled when he ran his hands along the soles of my feet. I noticed that he was giving them a gentle massage. It felt awkward at first but when he began tugging at my toes, I actually found it relaxing.
“What color would you like?” he asked.
“Oh, any color will be fine. You know, nothing too crazy.” I smiled and stretched out in the chair.
I closed my eyes. Now that my face wasn’t burning as much I could barely remember how badly it had hurt. Carter chatted to me while he worked on my toenails but I barely listened. I was zoned out from the adrenaline that had rushed through me and then faded just as abruptly.
“There we go.�
� Carter sounded as if he was quite proud of his accomplishment. “Take a look.”
I drew my feet up into the air slightly to look at them. My toenails were painted with a bold lime-green color.
“Well, they are very bright.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Just like you, Samantha. You seem like such a vibrant woman.”
“Vibrant?” I liked the sound of that.
“Yes. I hope that you enjoy the rest of your spa day.” He stood up and helped me to my feet.
I now had cotton wedges between each of my toes to keep the polish from smudging.
“Thanks again.” I smiled at him. “I hope your nose is okay.”
“My nose!” He grabbed his mirror again and began checking for injuries.
I felt terribly guilty as I stepped out of the room. I hoped that I hadn’t ruined his perfect slope.
I was still a little dazed from the sensation of my face burning, although it had calmed down into a subtle tingling. My shirt and hair were drenched from my attempt at self-drowning.
“Samantha?” Amanda walked toward me with a shocked look. “What happened to you?”
I didn’t want to get Carter in trouble. He seemed like an eager kid that just didn’t quite know his trade yet. I also didn’t want to be thrown out for punching him in the nose.
“I slipped in the sink and—well, this happened.” I laughed as if it was no big deal.
“Okay.” Amanda furrowed a brow. “Well, maybe it’s a good time for your massage then?” She smiled, as perky as ever.
“That sounds great.”
“Now, Alex is busy at the moment. We do have another masseuse working, but I’m guessing you’d rather wait for Alex.”
“Alex?” I raised an eyebrow. It was one thing to have a female rubbing my nude skin; I didn’t want the added pressure of having a man doing it. “I don’t think I want Alex. Who is the other masseuse?”
“Well, Ashley is available, but usually we like to—”
“Ashley sounds perfect.” I smiled.
“I’m sorry, but we do like to keep things as neutral as we can between our guests and our staff, so we prefer to book our guests accordingly. However, if you really want to have Ashley work on you I guess that we can make an exception.”
I stared at her with disbelief. What kind of spa forced women to be massaged by men and vice versa? I wondered if this might be one of those places that offered happy endings with the massage. It seemed a little high-end for that, but then again, the rich were sometimes kinky. I frowned.
“I think I’d feel much more comfortable with Ashley.”
“Okay.” She laughed a little. “So would I, truth be told.” She winked at me. My eyes widened. I wondered if she had now made the assumption that I preferred women? I didn’t really care, but I was starting to think that this place was a little too strange for me.
“You can go right in if you like. Room three. Have fun!” She wiggled her eyebrows.
I stared back at her. What was I supposed to do? Wiggle my eyebrows back?
“Thanks.”
I felt very out of place as I stood up. I had to walk on my heels for fear of accidentally scraping my wet toenails against something. I was certain that I must resemble a penguin waddling along.
I walked up to room three and knocked lightly. When no one answered, I opened the door. The room was set up for a massage, but there was no masseuse inside. I assumed that Ashley would be along after I got settled.
I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me. Now was the truly awkward part. I had seen massages on movies and read about them in books, but I’d never actually had one myself. From my previous knowledge, I was pretty sure that I was supposed to undress completely for the massage.
I hadn’t been intentionally naked around anyone in quite some time. My spa day wasn’t just about pampering myself, it was also about embracing the beauty of my body. With that in mind, I slowly began to shed my clothes.
There was a small cart beside the massage table. It seemed to be the only place to put my clothes. I folded my shirt carefully. Then I started to take off my pants. This proved to be a problem when it came to my toenails. I stumbled as I tried to tug off my pants without smudging my nails.
I reached up for the slim counter that held an assortment of oils and candles to support myself. However, the counter had a thin sheen of oil on it. One of the bottles must have been spilled earlier in the day. My hand slid right across the counter, and I went flying straight for the massage table.
As I slammed into it, I wondered if it would be sturdy enough to catch me. I didn’t have to wonder long, as the entire table tipped over with the force. I landed half on top of it and half on the floor. I braced myself. I fully expected the door to swing open because of the noise. Luckily no one seemed to have heard the disaster.
I scrambled to my feet. I wasn’t hurt, but I was sure ready for my massage. I tried to set the table back upon its feet. But the floor was wooden, so when I tipped the table upward the legs on the other side only slid forward.
My panic increased, as I just knew that with every failed attempt someone was going to walk in and demand an explanation. There wasn’t much I could say, shirtless with my pants around my ankles. Finally I kicked my pants off. I grabbed the table and lifted it up off of the floor entirely. Once it was on all four legs, I sighed with relief.
In just my underwear now, I knew that it was time to decide.
Chapter 5
Was I going to be one of those prudes that kept their panties on or was I going to set my body free?
I was determined to prove to myself that I had nothing to be ashamed of, that my body was natural and beautiful. I took a deep breath and then shed the remainder of my clothing.
Once it was all folded up neatly on the cart, I felt very strange. I was standing in the middle of the room without a stitch of clothing on.
I quickly hopped on to the table. It seemed to be common sense to lie on my stomach. Then I struggled to pull the sheet on top of me. I pulled it right up to my neck. Once I was covered, I breathed a sigh of relief. It still felt weird to be lying there naked, but at least I wasn’t in full view.
With my toes hanging off of the end of the table, I waited for Ashley to make her arrival. While I waited, my mind drifted. I thought about all of the things I’d been crossing off my list. I was lost in thought when the door to the massage room swung open.
I froze. This was the moment. There was no getting around it. I was going to have a massage. Soft music began playing. I heard the sharp click of a lighter being struck. A lovely aroma began floating through the air. I willed myself to relax. This woman was a professional, and she was used to seeing naked bodies. I heard a few more subtle movements, then hands gently folded the sheet back from my shoulders.
Finally I began to relax. This is what I’m here for, I reminded myself. It’s time to treat my body with love and accept it with love. I took a deep breath and released it very slowly. As I did, I thought about what would happen when someone else began to put their hands on me.
I’d never been nude for a massage. I’d never even been lying down for a massage before. In fact, the only person who had ever really rubbed my shoulders was Max. I’d let that go only so far, as I tended to read way too much into it.
This woman was a perfect stranger. Normally I would be overly paranoid about the look of my body and whether the other person was judging me. But I was determined not to fall into that trap. This was another female, part of my same tribe, who knew what it was like to feel insecure about different parts of her body. What woman didn’t?
As I felt strong broad hands roll across my shoulders I was a little confused. When the person massaging me spoke, I nearly lost the contents of my bladder.
“I’m going to take good care of you today.”
His voice was deep and as smooth as silk. I gasped and nearly fell off of the side of the table in an attempt to wriggle away from him.
�
�I’m sorry, you must have the wrong room!” I glared at him. “I’m supposed to be getting a massage from Ashley!”
I was furious. Had Amanda planned this? Had she insisted on my being seen by Alex even though I had requested Ashley? What was her obsession with male masseuses?
“I am Ashley.” He offered me a small smile and guided me back down on to the table. It didn’t help that he looked like he had walked off the front of a magazine. “This is the right room.” His hands ran along my shoulders in slow steady strokes. “You requested me.” He leaned down and smiled at me. “Thanks for that. Some of the women that come in here are a little shy about working with a male masseuse.”
I closed my eyes as I realized my mistake. No, it wasn’t common for a man to be named Ashley these days, but it did happen. Apparently I’d happened unto the one male Ashley in my corner of the world.
I knew that I could stop the massage and just explain the mistake, but his hands had already made my shoulders feel so good. I wondered if he had some kind of supernatural knowledge about how to get me to relax.
“I’m sorry, Samantha. Are you uncomfortable?” He took a step back. “If you don’t want me to continue, I won’t.”
“I’m fine.” I mumbled my words.
I was very grateful for the little hole in the top of the table to hide my face in. I didn’t want him to see just how embarrassed I was.
“Are you sure?”
His voice was so soothing that I just wanted to snuggle up to him. I forced myself not to vocalize that desire, and made a mental note that it really was time to get out and date more before I began accosting perfect strangers for cuddle time.
“Yes.”
I tried to forget about the fact that I was naked. I tried to forget about the fact that I had requested a male masseuse. I tried to relax.
When I felt his fingertips touch my shoulders, I willed myself not to wiggle. It was so hard not to. I wasn’t accustomed to a stranger’s touch on my body.
“You’re so tense.” Ashley said from above me. He began to work his fingers in a firm circular pattern along my shoulders. “You need to relax, Samantha. Just relax.”
Single Wide Female: The Bucket List Mega Bundle - 24 Books (Books #1-24) Page 37