Venus Touch

Chapter 1 -- Living Life

Before the breakup 6 months ago, I regularly visited this cute massage studio that goes by the name Venus' Touch. Once a month, sometimes twice I liked to get a full body massage. I can't say that I needed it for any medical purpose, I just liked how it helped me relax. I was a regular at the place and I enjoyed talking to Serena, my massage therapist. We didn't know each other outside of our meetings on the massage table, but catching up with her was always fun. Despite not being friends technically, I felt a bit guilty for not having talked to her for so long. When a regular client just disappears without saying anything,... that always sucks. You wonder whether you've done something wrong or whether something happened to them. I just didn't want to do much after the breakup, but still, I could have called and told them that I wouldn't come for a while. Anyway, I had recently decided that I wanted to start living again and that included treating myself to these relaxing massages that I had abandoned while wallowing in self pity.

As I entered the place, I saw a familiar face. Just as it had been 6 months ago, Julie was manning the counter. I was the only client there. I had decided to come here on a whim. Venus' Touch would close in about an hour and normally there would be no chance to get a massage without making an appointment. I just wanted to make an appointment for next week and since I hadn't been there for so long, stopping by on my way home from work felt more appropriate than to call. When Julie saw me, her face lit up like she saw her favorite person.

"Amelia?! No way, how are you? Do you have an appointment?"

I gave off a little sigh, then I smiled back at her.

"Hey Julie, I'm fine, thanks. And no, I was actually coming by to make an appointment for next week?"

Julie always seemed so easy to please. Every little thing excited her. It could be quite charming. But I find that people with her level of energy quickly tire me out.

"I am sorry, I just got to ask. Just tell me if it's none of my business, okay? I was worried about you when you suddenly just stopped coming. I thought about calling you, just to check in... But Katherine said that using your number for something that's not work related is not professional..."

Her worry seemed genuine. I didn't want to share much about what happened, but seeing the relief on her face, I felt like I owed her an explanation.

"It's not a big deal. I went through somewhat of a bad breakup and I... just didn't feel like doing much of anything. It had nothing to do with you guys here, I promise."

I thought that I could hear Julie's heart break as I looked into her face. She walked around the counter.

"Oh, come here, girl."

She just hugged me. That was a little much for me, it's not like the breakup happened yesterday, and Julie and I weren't close by any stretch of the imagination. But I knew that she meant well.

"The bastard never deserved you anyway!"

She didn't know him at all or what happened for that matter. But I guess girls got to stick together, right? I put my hands on her shoulders and applied some gentle pressure, urging her to take a step back.

"I'm really okay, or I wouldn't be here today. Uhm, so about making an appointment for next week. As long as it's after work, I'm actually fine with any day of the week."

Julie hurried back behind the counter.

"Hmm, let me see, booking an appointment next week in the evening might actually be difficult..."

Julie was quickly clicking through the user interface of whatever software they were using to manage their schedule. I could hear the clicking of the mouse.

"So, business has been well then?"

I let my eyes wander around the room.

"Oh yeah, about 4 months ago, Katherine made some changes and they've been paying off."

Katherine is the owner of Venus' Touch. As I looked around the room, I saw a flier near the entrance that explained at least one of the changes they made. Originally, Venus' Touch was a massage studio that only hired female massage therapists. Apparently, that has changed. Given the name of the establishment, hiring men might be in conflict with the branding. But I thought, it was a good move nevertheless. I mean, why shouldn't Mars help out Venus once in a while, right?

I had once recommended this place to my ex, knowing that he enjoyed a good massage as well. I was a little offended when he didn't even want to give it a try. Ultimately, he confessed to me that he was worried that he'd find a woman's massage more exciting than relaxing and that he wasn't comfortable with getting an erection under these circumstances. I had thought that most men would jump at the opportunity to feel a woman's hands all over their body. But there seemed to be a market for men to get their massages from male massage therapists because they felt less awkward about it. Katherine must have come to the same conclusion and started hiring men.

"So, just as I thought, next week will likely not work. I could give you a call if somebody cancels, but I wouldn't bet on it."

I was a little annoyed that just as I had decided to reclaim some parts of my life from before the breakup, life decided to throw a wrench into my plans. But no matter, let's make it two weeks then.

"That's fine, I know I'm here on short notice. What about the week after?"

Julie took a quick glance at the screen.

"Yeah, that would work. Or, you could go for a massage right now, actually. Just before you walked in, I've got a call with a last minute cancellation. So if you're not in a hurry and in the mood, you could take that free spot."

For some reason, my first instinct was to refuse the offer. Some part of me still just wanted to go home and follow what I had planned for the evening. But what good reason did I actually have to decline her offer? I was forcing myself a bit here, but I thought that it was time to leave that cocoon I had spun around myself.

"You know what? Why not? I just took a shower after working out in the gym, so it should be fine, right?"

I gave her a shy smile. She beamed back at me without a care in the world. Then she clapped her hands together.

"Perfect! Then just go down the floor, around the corner and go into room 104 on the left. You know the drill, right? Have fun!"

I gave her a slight wave goodbye and then followed her instructions. I grabbed my earphones from my purse, started my favorite playlist from my smartphone and walked towards the room. There was still enough time to listen to a song or two while I undressed and until Serena showed up. In this moment I decided that today would be a great day.

I had this Friday evening planned out: After this spontaneous massage, I would go home, put on some comfortable pajamas, start watching Richard Linklater's Before Trilogy starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy for the millionth time and shove an unreasonable amount of spicy Indian takeout into my mouth while doing so. These movies always helped me restore my faith in the idea of romantic love. And as far as the Indian curry is concerned, I am usually not the kind of girl that cares much for spicy food, but the Indian cuisine somehow makes it work for me.

As I got closer to the room, the faint smell of massage oil entered my nose. I had never been in room 104 before, but I expected it to look just like the others. As I opened the door, it turned out I was right. The massage table was placed in the center of the room, the place was dimly lit, there was a small screened off area for changing, some scented candles here and there, everything like I knew it from the other rooms. As fate would have it, the playlist jumped to Kathy McCarty's song Living Life that would play during the credits of Before Sunrise. This was just what I was in the mood for.

As I started to undress, I was humming to the music, quietly singing along.

"Hold me like a mother would

Like I′ve always known somebody should, yeah

Although tomorrow, it don't look that good"

The rhythm of Kathy McCarty's guitar compelled me to move. It would have been a discourtesy to the word to call this dancing. It was more like a gentle swaying to the music while I took off my clothes. The first thing gone was my jacket that had kept me warm on this late autumn day.

"Well, it just goes to show

Though people say we′re an unlikely couple

I'm seeing double

Of you"

The next piece to go was my top. While I pushed it over my head, I could feel the tension in my shoulders. An involuntary painful moan escaped my mouth. I really needed that massage.

"This is life

And everything's all right"

Trying to keep moving to the music while taking my shoes and pants off was not a great idea. I tripped but caught myself before falling over. Amused by myself, I giggled a little between the words of the song, while forcing myself to stand still to remove my pants. I was in a really good mood.

"Oh, hope for the hopeless

I′m learning to cope

With the emotionless mediocrity

Oh, of

Day-to-day living"

Next, I unclasped my bra and removed the hair tie, freeing my hair from the pony tail I had forced it into. I could feel my blond hair reach my back below my shoulders. One defiant strand of hair fell over my right shoulder to the front, causing the hair tips to come to rest between my small breasts. Being a little ticklish, I brushed them back behind my shoulder where they belonged.

"How can I help, but be restless, when

Everything seems so tasteless and

All of the colors seem to have faded away"

I took one big step towards the sheet intended to cover my body on the massage table, but that step turned into a little jump as the music propelled me forward. I threw the sheet around myself almost like it was a cape but then wrapped myself in it pretending to be a normal person.

"Hold me like a mother would

Like I've always known somebody should, yeah

Although tomorrow, it don′t look that good"

I wriggled my panties from underneath the sheet down my legs. But instead of stepping out of them, I kept them around my right ankle. I looked at the chair where I had dumped all my other clothes already, took aim and...

"This is life

And everything′s all right

Living, living, living, living, living, living, living, living LIFE!"

... I kicked them off the ground, watching their trajectory with bated breath, my right leg frozen in mid air for a second. I was filled with an unreasonable amount of joy when they landed on the chair exactly as intended.

"Woo! Yes!"

I snapped my fingers in celebration of myself. Then, my victory celebration was interrupted.

"Ugh, hmm!"

As the music faded out towards the end of the song, I could hear a man from the doorway demonstratively clearing his throat. Before even turning around to look at him, I had tightly grabbed the sheet that covered my body with my left hand, while the right tried to hide my reddening face. I just wanted to sink into the ground and never return to the face of the earth.

Chapter 2 -- Meeting

I stopped covering my face and turned around. I saw him leaning with his back against the door frame, his hands hidden in his pockets. With a mixture of amusement and embarrassment, he was demonstrably not looking at me. Comfy blue shorts and a loose white t-shirt made him look very casual. I wasn't a small woman, but he was clearly taller than me. I guessed that he was 2 or 3 years younger than me, 22 or 23 maybe? I liked to guess people's age, but most of the time I was wrong. I addressed him, trying to hide my own embarrassment as best as I could.

"Sorry... Can I ask for how long you've been there? And am I... in the wrong room?"

I gave him a nervous smile.

"Uhm, I tried a few times to speak up but you didn't seem to notice because of your earphones."

He took one of his hands out of his pockets and pointed towards his ear while speaking.

"I thought about tapping you on the shoulder, but seeing your current outfit, I wasn't sure whether this was appropriate."

An insecure smile adorned his face. He reminded me off a timid school boy trying his best to ask a girl to go out with him. He was cute.

"And whether you're in the wrong room... Well, I was expecting a Mr. Anthony Robertson and something tells me that you're not him."

And he was a bit of a smartass. For the first time, I saw him looking at me, even if it was only out of the corners of his eyes. I could only try to explain myself.

"I talked to Julie earlier. She told me that there was a last minute cancellation and that I could take over that free spot. She told me to go to room 104. This is here, right?"

He nodded along as I explained myself.

"I see, then I guess we're both in the right room and Julie simply forgot to tell me about Mr. Robertson's cancellation. That airhead..."

He smirked. I couldn't blame him. Julie forgetting to inform him was something I could totally see happening. He turned his head towards me, made a few steps into the room and reached out his hand to me.

"I'm Ryan. I'm your massage therapist for today. I assume this is your first time at Venus' Touch?"

I took his outreached hand and shook it. His hand was warm and his grip firm, but not too strong. I have a bit of a thing for hands and his... were beautiful. For a man, his hands were outright lovely. They were clearly bigger than mine and could in no way be mistaken for a woman's hands, but his palm was soft to the touch and his fingers long and slender. These weren't hands meant to carry bricks or heavy furniture. They were meant for more sensual tasks. I'd imagine them gently playing a piano, leading a brush over a canvas or caressing a baby's head. For a moment, I wondered what places these fingers might be able to reach. The good thing about having a thing for hands is: even when you stare a little too long, nobody really questions you like they would were you to stare at someone's butt, crotch or boobs. With probably a little blush on my face, I looked back up at him.

"Hi Ryan, it's nice to meet you. I'm Amelia. I don't mean to be rude, but I was actually expecting Serena for the massage...?"

We let go of each others hands and I took a step back, still painfully aware that I was wearing barely anything in front of this complete stranger. He had a confused look on his face.

"Serena? Ah, her! I don't know her very well. She quit shortly after I started working here. I think she moved to another city. Heard she was very good though."

So Serena had moved, huh? And I missed it. I looked down at my feet contemplating whether I should try to reach out to her or whether it didn't matter anymore. Ryan kept talking.

"But I think I get it now. You were a regular some time ago back when Serena still worked here. And when Julie offered you this spot, you didn't know that she left nor do you know about the policy changes at Venus' Touch. And now you're standing in front of a man you didn't expect to see covered only by a massage sheet and... I'm clearly making you uncomfortable. I'm very sorry."

He made an apologetic gesture with his hands and quickly took a few steps back until he was back in the doorway, trying to give me some space. He was so considerate in his reaction that I felt a little bad for him in return. I liked him.

"No, no, everything is okay. I just didn't know about Serena quitting, that's all."

He shook his head and had reverted to not looking at me while talking with me.

"No, it's not. That kind of miscommunication shouldn't happen and is completely on us. Listen Amelia, tell you what. I see three options here. A, I give you the massage you're here for if you're fine with that. And really, no pressure if you're not. B, I get Katherine for your massage. She is still busy with another massage right now, but I'm sure that she'd be more than willing to work a bit of overtime for a returning regular like yourself. You might have to wait for about half an hour though until she's ready. And C, you reschedule with Julie for another time. In either case, we'll give you a 50% discount. How does that sound?"

I was impressed how he was handling this. I wondered whether handling situations like this was part of his training for his license as a massage therapist or whether Katherine had drilled this into him. Either way, he was good at what he was doing. I felt at ease.

I considered the options in front of me. I really didn't want to reschedule now that I had decided to go for this spontaneous offer and was already undressed in front of the massage table. And waiting half an hour for Katherine, ugh... She knew what she was doing with her hands, no doubt, but the woman either didn't talk at all or she was all business. Ryan seemed like fun to talk to. I couldn't deny that some part of me got a little worried at the thought of letting a man I barely knew so close to my mostly naked body. But what of it? Had I not considered my ex's concerns over getting a massage from a woman silly? I wouldn't chicken out like he did. Also, it's not like I wasn't curious what these long, slender fingers would feel like on my skin.

"You don't know this about me, Ryan, but today is the day that I decided to discover my spontaneous side. Let's go with option A. And if you screw this up, I won't be too disappointed because I'm paying only half."

Ryan laughed.

"That's the spirit. Then make yourself comfortable on the table, I'll be back in a minute."

Before he left the room, he had one more thing to say with a grin on his face.

"Oh, and by the way, behind that screen over there, that's where people normally undress."

Smartass. It's not like I didn't know that. With Serena, this simply hadn't been necessary. I saw him leave the room. I lay face down on the massage table and covered myself with the sheet that I had abused as a makeshift cape and robe. I was getting comfortable just lying there before the massage had even begun.

Chapter 3 -- Flirting

When he reentered the room, he gave off an energetic aura.

"Okay Amelia, what are you here for today? I was prepared for a full body massage, but that was for Mr. Robertson."

He was walking around the room with quick steps, grabbing a few things.

"A full body massage is good, but I think my shoulders need some extra attention."

He came to a rest standing next to the table.

"Okay, then I think that's where we'll start. Anything else you'd like to mention beforehand? Maybe there is something that Serena always did that you liked?"

I couldn't come up with anything specific that was special about my past messages.

"Hmm, I don't know. She tried a few different massage oils in the beginning, but we settled on coconut oil at some point. I just like the smell a lot."

"If the lady wants coconut oil, the lady gets coconut oil. Good choice, I like it too. Let me see what I'm working with here."

For the fist time, I could feel his warm hands touch my body. He put them on my shoulders. I could immediately tell the difference between his hands and Serena's. They were similar in the care and gentleness they exuded. But the sheer size of his hands gave them a different feel. Whatever they were touching, wherever they were applying pressure, they were enveloping part of my body. His hands were moving slowly over my shoulders towards my neck, feeling my skin and the muscle underneath. He'd stop for a moment, apply a bit of pressure to an area and then moved on a little further.

"I see, those are tense shoulders indeed. How does that feel? Too much pressure, too little?"

It felt good. I only realized how much I needed this and how much I had missed this now that I was back on the massage table.

"It feels nice. A little more pressure wouldn't hurt though."

He fulfilled my wish immediately. He kept repeating his earlier motions but with ever increasing pressure until he believed to have found the sweet spot. Whether he based that on some feedback he felt from his hands or on the first soft moan that escaped my mouth, I don't know. But I was more than happy to feel him continue like this. I loved his hands.