Nothing special about this one. A young woman with dashed dreams is lifted from despair by an unexpected and un-sought encounter. I don't intend this to be a series but she has more to discover and I could visit the character again some time in the future.
*****
Another endless Friday afternoon. Made more endless because April had nothing to look forward to. No plans for that night, not plans for the weekend.
No friends. Crappy job. No life.
The twenty-two year old sat behind the reception desk and just stared sightlessly. She worked on autopilot; printing out new membership cards, calling trainers out to meet clients, directing anonymous gym-goers this way and that.
She'd been crying herself to sleep a lot lately. Alone in her tiny studio apartment.
She handed a well put-together woman in her forties a replacement card and then slumped back into her chair. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She looked down at her body.
To outward appearances, it looked fantastic in the blue leotard with pink running shorts. 5'4" with a dusky complexion that could either be Latin or a great tan. Tight everywhere. Well, tight by most standards. She'd lost a tiny bit of muscle definition in the last year. And actually grown about a cup size as well.
But her body was a traitor. It was broken. It had let her down and now she didn't know what to do with the rest of her life. She had no prospects.
What does a would-be Olympic gymnast do when she never quite made it? She'd spent her entire life training and she fell short. And all she had to show for it were vividly stark x-rays detailing all the reasons she had to give up competition.
"Hey April! April!" The gym's manager had to shout to get her attention. She looked up at him. He tossed her a set of keys. "Open up the massage room. Tanner is bitching again. I need you to give him a rub down."
She looked vaguely down at the keys for a moment, brain not in gear. "What do you mean give him a rub down? I'm not a masseuse."
"You're barely a receptionist" he retorted. "Just get him on the table and do what he tells you."
April rose more or less without thinking and headed toward the back rooms of the gym.
Stu's Gym and Fitness was a decent enough place. Diverse clientele but mostly upscale. Everything was clean and well maintained. The front was dedicated to your standard ellipticals, rowing machines and treadmills. The back was broken into several different weight training rooms and a couple of studios for classes like yoga and Tae Bo.
Just before reaching the spacious locker rooms and showers at the back of the building there were a few small special-purpose rooms. Two of them held massage tables.
Stu's hadn't actually had a masseuse on the payroll for several years. The rooms occasionally were used by clients meeting with private measures but since that could usually be done in the home, that was rare. It was entirely possible neither room had been used in a month or more.
April unlocked one of the rooms and flipped on the light. It was clean at least; almost sterile looking.
One shelf held a few bottles of lotion and oils; the selection seemed pretty slim. But another shelf was stuffed full of towels of every size.
April Martinez stood looking around the room for a good two minutes. She had no idea what she should do... just leave and maybe lose her job? She didn't know how to give a massage and didn't want to try. It was the sort of thing that should be beneath her. But now... what did she have to be proud of? Who was she to look down on anything?
Of course it didn't help that it was going to be Tanner. Bud Tanner, to be specific. He was one of a handful of micro-celebrities that frequented the gym. He was just a minor league ball player but he'd spent a bit of time in a majors. As one of the gym's VIP's, he could do things like demand a massage and get it. And he was big enough an ass to do exactly that.
Another small part of April crumbled as she sighed and pulled a big towel from the shelf. She spread it out on the table. She really had no reason to refuse. She'd do whatever Tanner wanted.
April was a bit sheltered, of course. Olympic caliber training didn't leave time for a social life. Road meets sometimes had the girls teams quartered very closely with the boys teams so it wasn't as if she hadn't been around randy, virile men... in fact, she had probably been around them too much. Their behavior and advances had mostly turned her off.
It was also this proximity that ensured she had seen her share of pornography whether she wished to or not. Many of them had seemingly been watching porn constantly and often thought it was funny to get the girls to watch.
At any rate, she wasn't a virgin but two dorm room grope-and-pokes involving vodka and a big team win hadn't really lit her fires.
She should have been at least a little aware of exactly what Tanner might want of her.
She'd left the door open so the client could find the room easier. She didn't really hear him so much as sense him in the doorway. She turned quickly and stifled a gasp.
Tanner made a very intimidating sight, at least in that first startled moment. 6'2", frosted hair nearly to his eyes and shoulders nearly too wide for the door. As he lifted his eyes, April realized he'd been staring at her ass. "What, you're going to give me my rub down? Aren't you the receptionist?" His tone was dismissive but his eyes were roving over her body keenly.
"My name's April," she said, thankful her voice remained steady. "We don't have a staff masseuse. Mr. Kline asked me to help you out."
April found herself studying Bud's body in return. Tanned chest lightly dusted with sun-faded hair, impressive pecs and biceps. Her eyes went irresistibly downward to take in his faintly defined abs. Her own had once been even more sharply chiseled but these days they only showed if she tensed them.
He had a towel lapped around his narrow waist, obviously nude beneath. They were close enough to the locker room that that wasn't completely inappropriate but still a bold move.
Bud Tanner watched the girl's reaction and smirked. She did have an awesome, tight little body. Those tits seemed to still be budding. To his eyes she looked like a highschooler but he knew she had to be older than that. He closed the door of the massage room. "So do I get on the table or what?" he asked impatiently.
Kat's mouth was dry but she nodded, "Yes, please. What kind of massage..." she trailed off, her mouth left hanging open as Bud dropped his towel.
He didn't quite pose but he gave her several seconds get a good look at what he had hanging between his legs. Still smirking, he climbed onto the table and laid on his stomach, placing his face in the horseshoe-shaped pillow extending from one end.
"What..." She tried to ask the question again. It shouldn't have shocked her so much. In fact, she had half expected it when he saw that all he was wearing was a towel. But his nudity was having a powerful impact on her.
"uhh... what kind of massage would you like?" She finally asked.
Silently laughing at her discomfort, Bud said. "Shoulders and back of course. Really get in there good, girl."
