The Rub Down

by Gina Sheldon

“Yeah, I get it. We’ve worked too hard to let some chick steal it away from us.” Danny closed his eyes and reclined against the wooden bench. “That’s when we decided we would never date a client. Protect our assets.”

  “That owner still swears he did nothing wrong outside of dating those women. Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t, but the accusation alone shut his doors.” My shoulders tensed with frustration.

  “Yeah, his dick just happened to somehow fall in them while they were on the table.” Danny opened one eye to leer at me. “Dude shoulda been more careful.”

  “True, but we’ve never had to deal with a situation like that.” I poured water over the hot rocks and watched the steam billow. “Dating a client has never been a problem for us.”

  The unspoken until now hung in the air between us.

  “Well, then,” he said, “if it were me, which thank fuck it isn’t, I would just be friends with her. Hang out more, but keep it strictly platonic. Maybe she’s wicked annoying and clingy.” He smirked at me. “Not to sound like a damn chick, but friend zone her and see where the connection takes you.”

  “I guess I could, but I’m done talking about this.” I opted to change the subject before I gave into the urge to hit him. “What did you think of Alexa’s friend, Addison?”

  “She’s a cool chick. She had me laughing at the café while you were rubbin’ up on Alexa. By the way, what the hell was that?” Danny asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me. “You never take your work home with you?”

  Fuck, my deflection backfired. I gave him a look that reinforced I was done with the Alexa topic, and he finally dropped it.

  “Can we talk about the spa for a second? I need you to post an ad for a new esthetician tomorrow. Elle fired Tiffany today.” I told him about the issues with her drinking and being late. As I knew he would be, he was relieved Elle took care of the termination.

  “We also need to hire an assistant for Elle. She’s at the spa sixty plus hours a week. Between her own clients and managing all the girls, she needs help. What do you think?” I hoped he was on board because I hated seeing her so tired when we spoke earlier. Asking her to give up her clients to just do admin wasn’t an option if I wasn’t willing to do it myself. “She called me multiple times while I was in Philly. She’s overwhelmed, and I hate seeing her like that.”

  “Absolutely. But why didn’t she come to me? I’d do anything for her.” Danny looked hurt by the news of her calls, but quickly shook it off. “Do you want an esthetician student, looking for experience, who could work ten to fifteen hours a week with Elle?” Danny wanted to work with the schools to get the good estheticians before anyone else had a chance to scoop them up. “Then, if she’s a good fit, when she graduates, we can move her into a permanent esthetician position.”

  “Perfect. Can you put an ad for that, too? I promised Elle she would have the final say in who we pick. That cool?”

  “Of course. She should have the final say since she’s the one who’ll have to work with her. I’ll post first thing tomorrow, and hopefully, we’ll get some hits before I leave for the day. Maybe we can set up interviews this coming week,” Danny said, excited to get fresh blood in the spa. Switching gears, he asked, “What are you doing tonight?”

  “I haven’t decided yet. I may just lay on my couch, be a lump, and get a good night’s sleep.” A yawn hit me, and I stretched my arms above my head. “I’m exhausted from last night. I’m getting fucking old, dude. You?”

  “Not a clue, but I need to go out. I laid around all day, and cabin fever was starting to set in before I got your text to work out. Maybe I’ll call the guys and see if they want to grab a drink and watch the game.” Danny hated staying in on a weekend night, but I had no problem with it. My down time was essential to me, and I could use it after the last few weeks of travel and work.

  “All right, I’m out of here. I’m starting to melt,” I said, dripping wet from the sauna. Danny agreed and we walked into the locker room to gather our stuff.

  “Have a good night, man. Catch up with you tomorrow.” I couldn’t wait to lay low. A quiet night was what I needed.

  Chapter Ten

  Luke

  After my shower, I threw on sweatpants and a t-shirt, planted my ass on my soft, comfortable leather couch, and turned on the Celtics game. My thoughts turned to how I wanted to proceed with Alexa, and I decided to ask her if I could run with her. It was a friend-zone approved activity. If she seemed uncomfortable, I would tell her it was so I could tailor my therapy around her stride, or some other bullshit.

  I had just dozed off when my cell buzzed with a text.

  Jeff: I need a HUGE favor.

  Me: What do you need man?

  Jeff: I need you to run with Alexa tomorrow.

  Was he kidding? Why would he pick me to run with her? And why, when Jeff just handed me my date on a silver platter, was I pissed?

  Me: Why can’t you do it?

  Jeff: My mom had to be rushed to the hospital for shortness of breath and chest pains. I need to drive to Syracuse tonight.

  Well shit, I couldn’t be mad at him for that reason. I would just have to come up with another kind of date that didn’t scream date.

  Me: Sorry to hear that. Of course I’ll cover for you. Where should I meet her? How many miles tomorrow?

  Jeff: Meet her at the Frog Pond at 8am. You’re doing 15.

  Me: 15? Oh fuck! I haven’t run 15 in a long time.

  Jeff: Don’t embarrass yourself. Thanks guy. I owe you.

  Seriously, I hadn’t run that far since it started to get cold out in November. It was mid-March. That was five months on the treadmill running ten miles at the most. I had to pull on my big boy pants and push through. Speaking of pants, it was still too cold to run outside without the proper clothes.

  Me: Dude, you home or you out already?

  Danny: I’m out. Wanna join us? We are at Paddy O’s.

  Me: No. Jeff bailed on Alexa and I need to run with her, but don’t have the gear. Can I steal your running tights and cold weather running jacket?

  Danny: Yeah, third drawer down in my dresser.

  Me: Thanks bud! Pray for me. We’re doing 15 tomorrow.

  Danny: LMAO

  Asshole. He was more than likely doubled over laughing. I was a wuss when it came to the cold. Danny still ran outside, snow permitting, in the winter, and when the weather was nice, we usually went together.

  I threw on a fleece jacket and slipped on my flip-flops with my socks, grabbed my keys, and walked across the street to Danny’s place.

  As I passed the desk, I waved at Katie, the concierge on duty. Since she knew I was an approved guest, and I had a key, I didn’t have to wait for security to let me in. I took the elevator to the eighteenth floor.

  Danny’s one-bedroom unit was a total bachelor pad. Like my place, his had floor-to-ceiling windows in every room, but his view overlooked Downtown Crossing and Emerson College rooftops. Because he refused Jessica and Elle’s interior design help, his house was lifeless. In the living room, a brown leather couch on one wall faced a mounted sixty-inch television. The only other piece of furniture was a nasty, blue La-Z-Boy recliner from our college days he refused to throw out. I hated that thing and would rather sit on the floor than on it. It was probably growing its own sexually transmitted disease after countless people used it over the years.

  Our homes were complete opposites. Mine was spotless, almost compulsive. His place was always in a state of disarray.

  I walked down the hallway and into his disheveled bedroom. Clothes littered the floor, leaving only a small path from the door to his bed and to the en suite bathroom. On my way to the dresser, I kicked stuff out of my way. Surely he didn’t bring girls here when it looked like this, but it would explain why he never kept a girlfriend for long. Everything I needed was right on top when I opened the third drawer. Against my better judgment, I gave them a sniff to make sure they were actually clean. I had enough time to wash and dry them if necessary, but
thankfully, my best friend wasn’t that gross.

  With that problem solved, I headed home and crawled right into bed, knowing I needed as much rest as possible for my run.

  *****

  I woke up insanely early for a Sunday morning considering I didn’t have to work. Since we were meeting at eight, I had time for food. Needing some carbohydrates, I ate toast with nut butter and a bowl of oatmeal before warming up my body. I didn’t want to cramp or pull anything.

  After I finished my breakfast, I headed to the Frog Pond in the Boston Common. In the winter, it was an ice skating rink, and in the summer, it was a wading pool for little kids. I wanted to beat Alexa to our meeting site, and wondered if Jeff told her about the change in plans. Sometime in the middle of the night, he emailed me the route he planned to use. It was a straight shot to Chestnut Hill and back, and I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to keep up with Alexa.

  I didn’t know how to act around her in this new environment after our time together Friday night. Our relationship status was foggy at best. We started as therapist/client, and then hit friendship level on Friday while hanging out at Caffe Vittoria. And by Sunday, my feelings were closer to romantic territory, even though I couldn’t act on them. So out of my comfort zone, I had no idea what the fuck I was doing.

  All my other relationships started in the romance category. Boy met girl, boy and girl liked each other, and then boy and girl had crazy sex. Done. There was no questioning of anything. Yet with Alexa, I questioned everything.

  It was seven forty-five when I arrived at the Frog Pond. As I approached the still frozen pond, I saw her using one of the frog statues to stretch. Her ear buds were in her ears, so she didn’t hear me approach. I took the opportunity to watch her. She really was gorgeous. One of her legs rested on top of the frog’s head. From my angle, I had a great view of her hot as hell ass. Black running leggings molded to her body like they were painted on. A simple, black running jacket, with the Nike Swoosh on the sleeve and reflective stripes along the back, hugged her torso. Watching her tight body in action excited me. Her long, blonde hair was in two braids, and a bright blue beanie sat on top of her head to keep the heat in and her ears warm.

  My ensemble was almost identical, except for my red beanie for my near bald head. We looked like twins.

  After I stared at her for a few moments, I decided to stop being a creeper and get this show on the road.

  “Morning,” I yelled to get her attention in an effort not to scare the crap out of her.

  She looked up and took her ear buds out, turning her head in my direction. “What are you doing here?” A look of complete confusion covered her face as she lowered her leg off the statue. Jeff apparently did not inform her of the switch.

  “Jeff had to head home to New York late last night for a family emergency, so he asked if I would stand in for him this morning,” I answered with a huge smile on my face, trying to set her mind at ease. I took a few steps toward her, wanting to go in for a friendly hug.

  “I hope everything is okay with Jeff’s family, but you don’t have to run with me. I could have just gone by myself and run with him later this week,” she said, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

  I wanted to pull that lip between my teeth and taste her. God, the simplest things she did took my breath away.

  “It’s no problem. He asked, and I wanted to. He sent me your route, and it’s pretty straight forward,” I said, trying my hardest not to stare at her perfectly shaped mouth. “However, besides checking out your gait, I’m more of a running partner than a trainer today.”

  “Sounds good. I need to finish stretching, and then I’ll be ready to go. Have you stretched yet?” She seemed nervous, which I hated. But she lifted her other leg onto the frog.

  “Yes, I stretched at my house since it is so close. Do you need help?” I asked, hoping she did so I could touch her. My hand itched to be on her body. Something about her drew me to her, and the desire to simply be in her presence was stronger than anything I had ever felt before. There was no instant bang when we touched, but more of a slow simmer through my body. I was getting greedy for that feeling.

  “Not right now, but I’ll probably need your help when we finish.”

  She gave me the sweetest smile I had ever seen. I stared at her mouth for a few seconds longer than I probably should, but her lips were distracting.

  “Do you use Spotify or iTunes when you run?” I asked, pointing to the iPhone wrapped around her bicep. I loved running to music, and I wanted this peek inside her head. Music was a way to look into someone’s soul to see what drove her, what made her tick.

  “I use Spotify. I have a few running playlists. Wanna follow me so we can run to the same tracks?” She stretched her arms over her head.

  “Sure, but if your music sucks, I’m making you listen to one of my playlists.” I nudged her shoulder to show I was teasing her.

  “My music kicks ass. You won’t need yours.” Alexa gave as good as she got, and I loved it. “Ready?” she asked, hopping from foot to foot.

  I finished following her on Spotify on my phone and put it in my protective arm cuff.

  “Yup, let’s go. We’ll run down Beacon Street for an obscene amount of time, then we’ll loop around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, and then back in on Commonwealth. The shitty part is we’ll have to run up Beacon Hill to complete the fifteen miles.” Beacon Hill was brutal on a good day, but after almost fifteen miles, it was going to be hell.

  “Will I have to carry you to your house, or will you make it?” Alexa giggled and her smile reached her Caribbean blue eyes.

  “Screw carrying me. Just call an ambulance. I’ll be dead,” I said, laughing even though I was as serious as the heart attack I was going to have. “Let’s do this.”

  And with that, we placed our ear buds in and were off.

  *****

  About five miles in, I got my stride and started to enjoy the run. Alexa’s playlist did kick ass. I had never listened to dance music while running, but I was into it and feeling good.

  She was a natural runner with smooth strides like a gazelle, her gorgeous long legs, and perfect running form. Every so often, I would fall back a few feet so I could watch her ass in action. Then I realized getting a hard on while running was not a great idea, and I caught up to her. At one point, she slowed down so she was behind me, and I wondered if she was doing the same to me. The thought that she was appreciating my ass made me happy. One time, I gave my ass a good shake, and I heard her giggle. Score.

  We didn’t talk much for the first half, but we sang classic songs like “No Diggity” and “Eye of the Tiger” at the top of our lungs. Once we headed back into Boston from Chestnut Hill, we were both tired of music and chatted more.

  “Tell me why you’re running this year?” I asked Alexa between breaths. Experts say if you can carry on a conversation while running, then you are going at your perfect pace.

  “Well, I ran last year, but didn’t get to finish.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  The bombings at the finish line last year were such a delicate topic, and I was torn if I should push the issue.

  “Were you there that day?” Alexa asked before I could inquire more. Her clipped tone indicated she didn’t want to talk about it further.

  “No, but I was at The Rub Down a block and a half away. It was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever heard and witnessed.”

  At 2:49 pm, two backpacks containing shrapnel packed pressure cookers exploded twelve seconds apart at the finish line. The bombing created mass chaos as runners were still trying to finish the race, and thousands of innocent spectators lined the streets. Three people lost their lives, and hundreds were injured. The police shut down a twelve-block area around the site to investigate, which closed The Rub Down for days. The horror etched on the faces of Boston’s citizens was a sight I would never forget. Boston showed the world we were strong. The police, firemen, and EMTs were truly heroes,
as well as other outstanding citizens. Many of the runners who were stopped blocks away from the site, and weren’t allowed to finish the run, went to the nearest hospitals to donate blood. The fear continued for days until the terrorists were finally found.

  “I was in a treatment room when it happened. I felt the ground shake, and honestly thought it was an earthquake. Jessica ran upstairs and alerted me to what was happening. Danny and I did our best to get our clients to safety.” I remembered feeling helpless. I wanted to help the emergency personnel, but needed to do my duty to my clients first.

  Our pace dropped as we remembered the horror.

  “I’m sorry I brought it up. It’s so hard to think about. Let’s talk about something happier.”

  “Did you need massages last year toward the end of your training, too?”

  “No, I guess I’m just getting old, and my body hates me,” she said and chuckled. “Seriously though, I probably should have, but I was new and didn’t use a trainer. I used the good old World Wide Web as my guide.” Her smile was contagious.

  I couldn’t stop myself from grinning at her outdated name for the internet.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re taking care of yourself this year. Running can be so hard on a body.” I reached out and gave her shoulder a small tap.

  “My turn for a question. Tell me what you like to do when you don’t have naked women in your bed.” I snapped my head in her direction and saw the pink flaring up on her cheeks.

  “Well, first of all, let’s call it a table. And I have men naked on it, too. However, they’re not as enjoyable to massage,” I said, giving her a wink. “To answer your question though, Danny and I play in a basketball league at the sports club attached to my building. I hang out with my sisters a lot, too.”

  “Jessica’s so nice. She’s always smiling when I come in. You have another sister, right? I think I’ve seen her once, but didn’t get a chance to talk to her.”