by Pepper Pace
“Oh baby, I’m sorry. Something came up, it was kind of spur of the moment.”
“Cell Phone?”
“I’m sorry, baby. It just slipped my mind.” I thought about it and shrugged. He exhaled a relieved breath and grinned.
“Call me later.” I said while shutting the door in his face.
It felt good to be done with Dean but I still felt mopey, and because of it the rest of the weekend was ruined. I found myself thinking about all the fun I’d had at Club Ritz and how it’s always fun when you are hanging with someone who is a friend. Take Tony, for instance. He and I honestly laugh together, unlike with Dean who is not even half as fun. I wished that I could find a guy like Tony; someone who is a friend first and smart, easy to talk to and of course being totally sexy like Tony wouldn’t hurt. I guess that skinny Asian girl is having all the fun with him now.
I couldn’t wait for Monday. At least I’d have something constructive to do. I saw Tony in the break room and my mood suddenly perked. I sat down next to him.
“Hey, how was your weekend?” I asked.
“Good. Yours?”
“Fine. What’d you do?”
He shrugged. “Nothing much, went to the gym. I hooked up with your cousin and the guys. We played a little basketball-”
“Yeah.” I interrupted. “Dean came over with a walnut sized hickey.” Tony’s lip curled in a peculiar way that wasn’t quite a smile. It was really kind of cute, actually.
“How are you and Dean doing?” He asked timidly. I met his eyes and hesitated.
“Fine.” I finally answered.
He flexed a muscle in his arm and it was pretty impressive. I couldn’t help myself by giving him the once over. Tony is a cutie pie. His hair is cut into a choppy, unruly hairdo that only an expensive barber can make look so good. His body was chiseled and hard, even more so from living in the gym lately. Sometimes I have a hard time taking my eyes from his. His almond shaped, brown eyes reminded me of warm chocolate. I have to admit that there are times where I wanted to touch where his eyelids didn’t exist, and then touch where mine did. We were so different physically but I sometimes forget because on the inside we are very much alike.
The next day I put aside my usual heels and dug out a pair of flats. I put on a linen pants suit and clipped on my afro puff ponytail. When I stood next to Tony I reveled at the fact that he was only about an inch and a half, maybe two inches shorter than me, which made him about 5’8”! Hell, I was on an easy six feet in heels. Maybe I’d give them a rest for a while.
Jackie came up to me at the copy machine. “Have you been noticing how good-looking Tony’s been getting lately? I mean he was handsome before but now he’s VAVOOM!”
I laughed, uncomfortable. I knew Tony liked black women…and obviously his Asian girlfriend. But would he ever go out with someone like Jackie? She was the whitest woman in the world.
“You’re friends with him do you know if he’s seeing anyone?”
“Uh, well I’ve seen a woman driving his car.”
“Really? The Jag? It must be serious.” Jackie went back to her copying and I realized that I was jealouse.
TONY
Playing basketball with the fellas was the first time I got out of my funk in weeks, especially when I went up for a lay-up and my elbow went down hard on Dean’s head.
“Oh my bad, man.” I said casually. He was hip to me and I didn’t get to jack his nuts with my knee. But still it was a good day.
NIKKI
Dean has been blowing up my phone. I don’t know why he’s been pressing me after 3 weeks of mediocre sex. Most times I won’t even answer the phone, and the one time I did he ended up saying, “So you want to break up with me?”
“Fool, we weren’t together in the first place!”
“You fucking T-baby?” I slammed the phone on him. Crazy, stalking, mutha-fucka! From being stressed my neck and shoulders were in knots.
In my office I crossed my arms and rubbed my neck, eyes closed in concentration.
“What’s wrong?” Tony was frowning at me. I jumped and he held up his hands. “Sorry your door was opened.”
I sighed and relaxed. “Stressed out.”
Tony put my cases on my desk. “Over what?”
“Tony.” I admitted. “Dean has been stalking me.”
“What?!” His eyes narrowed.
“I haven’t seen him in weeks. But he won’t stop calling me. Truth be known, I didn’t even think that he was all that into me in the first place—but since I was the one who put on the breaks it’s like his ego can’t take it.”
Tony stared at me intently his fist clenching and unclenching. Finally he took in a shaky voice. He smiled at me. “I’m sure it’ll be okay. Dean is a nut but he’s not completely crazy.”
He gestured to my shoulders. “May I?” I shrugged and immediately winced at the movement.
“Sure.”
He moved behind me and gently rubbed my neck and shoulders. My eyes closed again, this was heaven. Abruptly he stopped. I tried to glance at him over my shoulder but my tight muscles stopped me.
He sighed. “I’m a licensed massage therapist.” I gave him an open mouthed look but he just held up his hand. “I know, I’m a jack of all trades. Look Nikki, you’re wound too tight. I can get you loosened up no problem but it would take longer than two minutes in your office.
“What I’ll do is come over to your place tonight after work. And then I’ll rub the kinks out of your neck and back.” He said it so matter-of-factly that I just nodded my head, stunned. He
left the office closing the door after him. Now that was strange; my supervisor coming to my house to give me a massage. But Tony is more than that; he’s my friend and he happens to have a girlfriend so I guess I was cool with it. Although deep down…I’ll admit to having a jitter of excitement at the thought of Tony touching me.
After work I was nervous. I showered and changed into sweats, then shorts, and then finally a t-shirt and khakis I mean, what does one wear when getting a massage by ones supervisor/friend?
When the doorbell rang I hurried to answer. He was holding a small bottle of massage oil.
“Hey,” He said after walking in and admiring my home. “Nice.” It was the first time he’d been inside. I have modest apartment which I’ve turned upscale with nice furnishings.
“Thanks. Would you like a drink?”
“No.” He said simply, walking past me and heading towards the bedroom. He glanced over his shoulder at me. “Ready?”
“Yeah, I guess.” He seemed impatient so I followed him into the bedroom.
“I need a towel; a bath towel.” I handed him one from my bathroom.
“Yeah, now lay on your belly,” he said gesturing from where he was standing by my bed. “I need you lying flat.”
What the hell am I doing? I thought as I lay down fully dressed. I felt Tony leaning over me as his fingers kneaded my neck and shoulders. I sighed immediately relaxing. Soon his fingers began to rub deeper into the knots and I hummed sleepily. Then his fingers began to play over the straps of my bra.
Absently he pulled them down over my shoulder and rubbed the grooves that the straps had cut into my flesh. He ran the heel of his hands down my spine inch by inch, and when he reached the clasp of my bra, I felt him reach under the bottom of my shirt and quickly unhook it. I held my breath but the heel of his hand continued its journey down my spine and truthfully it felt much better without the confining bra.
Half an hour later my muscles were liquid and I was as close to sleep as one can get and still be conscious.
“Nikki, take off your shirt.”
“Huh?” I asked fully awake.
“Take off your shirt.” He showed me the bottle of oil. “I don’t want to ruin your shirt. And the towel is to cover you.”
I sat up slowly and Tony put the towel up to me since my bra was loose across my body and no longer holding my breasts.
I clutched the towel to my chest and s
tared at him. I was not about to take off my shirt! But he surprised me when he just stared at me right back. Finally, I just felt plain foolish because I was making this into an issue and he wasn’t. He’s a legal masseuse and they do massage naked skin.
When he knew he’d won the challenge he turned his back giving me a brief moment of privacy to remove my shirt and bra. Then I lay back down and tried to cover my back with the towel. I felt Tony adjust it then he rubbed something fragrant into my shoulders and neck. This time the massage was deeper- almost to the point of being painful. My neck popped and I sucked in a surprised breath, still not moving.
Tony stopped abruptly. “Did that hurt?” His voice sounded husky.
“No.” I murmured. “I could never crack my neck or back on my own… felt good.”
He slid the towel down and I caught my breath again until I felt more of the silky oil and his firm fingers kneading the knots out of my lower back. “Tony that feels wonderful…” I had to admit.
“Shhh.” he whispered.
“But you do this so well.” I murmured.
“I did this for a living for several years.”
“Really? Why in the world did you stop?”
“Because…although there is potential to make good money, nobody takes this career path seriously. Now relax. Your back is still in knots.” Firmly he pressed his thumbs into the dimples right at the swell of my buttocks just beneath my belt.
He paused again and I heard him crack his knuckles, then he focused on where my lower back curved up to my butt. I felt him move the towel and lay it across my butt. Then quickly he slid his hand underneath me and just as he had unfastened the bra he undid the button on my pants and efficiently folded it down a bit until I was exposed to the crack of my ass.
I folded my arms underneath my head and lazily watched him work. In the back of my mind, now that I was completely relaxed, I wondered rather selfishly why I’d known him all these months and I was just now getting a massage.
“Who massages the masseuse?” I asked sleepily.
Tony chuckled. “Unless Wu-tang gets fingers, nobody.”
“Not even your girlfriend?” He looked confused.
“Girlfriend? I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“What about the girl who drives your car sometimes?”
“Oh,” he chuckled again. “That’s my cousin. She details cars, and was doing some work on mine for me.” Well, that mystery was easily solved. Somehow hearing that made me feel even more relaxed.
He ran his fingers up my side and I giggled. “Ticklish?” He smiled when I nodded. “Let me show you something.”
He rubbed more oil into his hands then gently stroked my back from neck to ass with his fingertips and nails. I shuddered, my nipples suddenly hardening. It was so tantalizing.
“Feel good?”
I peeked at him; my arms were covered in goose bumps. “I guess.” I admitted reluctantly.
He did it again and my clitoris quivered, and I gasped.
“Stop doing that!”
“Sorry.” He grinned.
“How…how’d you know how to do that?”
“Do what?” He asked mischievously.
I rolled my eyes.
“Ancient Chinese secret.” He finally spoke.
“But you’re not Chinese.”
“Ahh, you remembered. Most people think all Asians are the same. That technique I learned from an erotic massage class.”
Oh no he did not just lay some erotic touch on me! “Well, Warn me before you do anymore erotic massage!”
He resumed kneading my lower back, still, my clitoris didn’t stop quivering.
“Are you still doing it?!” I tried to sit up before remembering I couldn’t since I was shirtless.
“No,” he replied surprised. “Relax, you’re getting tense again, Nikki. Breathe normally.” I couldn’t. I was horny. I started shaking my foot. He put his hand on my ankle. “Stop.”
I inhaled and relaxed but when he started kneading my muscles again I becamed more turned on than ever.
“It’s okay,” he whispered, his lips magically right by my ear. “Stop trying to fight it. Let the massage take you where it’s going to take you.”
I closed my eyes and took Tony’s advice to go where the massage was taking me. His fingers moved to the nape of my neck and I groaned. They moved over my shoulder and upper arm and I quivered. They glided over my sides, across the swell of my breasts and my breath got stuck in my chest. There was a soft kiss on my shoulder blade, first one then the other and I sighed.
Then Tony was kissing my neck. Oh god, I wanted to explode right then and there. I turned to him, forgetting about being shirtless and then Tony was kissing me, his mouth hungry over mine as if he had held back for a long time.
As urgent as his kisses were, his powerful hands were gentle as they cradled my face. “Nikki…” he moaned. I felt him gently thumb my erect nipple. My clitoris, leaped as if there was a direct connection between clit and nipple. It was the most delicious feeling, just his gentle tugging on my nipple and his mouth and tongue on mine.
I pulled back and looked at him. “Tony…” I was confused. He moved his hand from my nipple to stroke my face. In his eyes I saw something I’d never seen in Dean’s or any other man’s eye. I
could see his need for me. Lightly I let my fingertips glide down his face then across his brow.
He closed his eyes and I touched where his lids should be.
While his eyes were closed I lightly kissed them and he breathed in a surprised breath. “I’ve wanted you for so long.” His mouth sought out my lips and he kissed me less urgently and more sensually. It was the best damn kiss I’d ever had!
Then there was a bamming on the door and I could hear someone yelling outside.
“T-baby! I know you’re in there! T-baby!”
“Dean!” I said leaping to my feet. Tony stood trying to adjust the bulge in his pants. He cursed, and then hurried from the bedroom.
“Tony! What are you going to do?” He ignored me and I quickly pulled on my shirt, no time to bother with the bra.
TONY
After all these months I was finally living my fantasy. To be able to put my hands on Nikki’s body, to freely explore the silkiness of her skin, the fullness that a masseuse likes to feel in a client--not bones beneath skin. No, I hadn’t planned the erotic massage. All I’d wanted to do was to work the knots out of her muscles…and yeah…to touch her.
I did not expect to be kissing her and I was totally blown away when she kissed me back. Then Dean showed up, right when it was getting heated. Nikki didn’t want me to do anything which left me confused. Did she still have feelings for Dean? Did she think I could not protect or defend myself? I opened the front door where Dean was angrily pounding on it.
“What the hell are you doing? This is a residential district- not some strip club!”
Dean pointed to the driveway. “I saw your car; I knew you were fucking her!”
For a minute I was struck dumb. “Man, you’re drunk!” He smelled like a distillery.
“Fuck that bitch then!” I punched him in the mouth and before he hit the ground I was on top of him slamming him into the grass with a fistful of his shirt in my hands. I was enraged; enraged that he could be so disrespectful!
“I told you at the club how I felt about Nikki and you went for her anyway. Now you want to call her out of her name?!”
I slammed him angrily again. “Well she’s with me now! The knot I put on your head ain’t nothing compared to the one I’ll put in your ass if you come back around here again!”
He pushed my hands away weakly. “Shit, Tony.”
I climbed off him and he lay there rubbing his chin.
I was about to walk away but then stopped. “Why’d you do that, man? I thought we were friends?”
He sat up slowly and then laughed bitterly. “In high school all the bitches wanted to get with you. I don’t know how many of them hoes kept coming
up to me to introduce them to you. Fuck that! I kept all them hoes for myself, and the ones that didn’t get with me, I told them your moms would call them names in Japanese!”
My eyes were wide. Dean had been blocking? I couldn’t help it, I just started to chuckle. This fool was for real?
“Well you weren’t lying about my moms. She called you names all the time.” I shook my head. “I can’t believe you man. You’re doing this over something that happened in high school?”