I had been feeling particularly stressed over the past few weeks. Very little work had been coming in, and when my job is slow, I don't get any money. I've already had a tough time keeping up with my medical bills, I didn't need to start missing payments. On top of that, things have been rough with the family. Mom and dad have been arguing about stuff. Who knows what exactly. Things haven't been going well with my boyfriend either. That spark just wasn't there anymore...
I had to take all of this stress and release it somehow. The tension was building and thick enough to be cut with a knife. My friend suggested yoga, but I'm in no shape to be doing that kind of stuff. On the other hand, my mom suggested a massage. She had recently gotten one and felt like heaven for the next few weeks. I thought it was a silly idea, but my mom is a smart girl.
So I scanned the newspaper for advertisements and offers. Ling Wu Massage Parlor had a special going, 50% off their usual price. I didn't like the idea though, so I kept searching... searching. Kooky Cuts Salon and Spa! I've heard lots of good things about them. I clipped out the coupon for 30% off an appointment and called in.
A few days later, it was time for my appointment. I arrived and the place had a rather unique theme to it. A bunch of neon colors mixed with a jungle and safari theme. It sure was "kooky" in there. I sat in the reception area, waiting for my number to be called. I wondered who would be doing my massage as I looked at each of the employees. Would it be the ditzy blonde girl who didn't know how to close her mouth when chewing her bubblegum? The confident and overbearing brunette named Ingrid? Or would it be the other brunette? The red head?
My name was called out by the receptionist. I approached the counter and filled out a little form as the receptionist rushed to retrieve my therapist. I was a little surprised to find out that it was none of the women I saw earlier, but a man. He looked to be in his late 20s, brown, silky short hair. Green eyes like mine. He seemed like a nice guy with that warm smile across his face.
As he led me to our room, I wondered. I had never gotten a massage before, let alone from a man. What was it going to be like? Was he going to take advantage of the situation? No, he wouldn't! He must have when he first started his career, but now? Never. He seemed like a strapping young lad, a nice guy, a person you could trust to watch over your sick friends or family. I came up with all sorts of rationalizations to tell myself that he wouldn't pull any funny business.
As we entered the small, candle lit room, he told me his name. "Good afternoon, Cindy. My name is Derrek."
I couldn't help but reply with a shy 'Hi...'
"I'll give you a moment to get ready." he said, twisting the door knob and opening the door. "See you shortly." he said as he left.
'Get ready? For what?' I thought to myself. I'd never had a massage before, so I didn't know what I was supposed to do to get ready. I'd seen it in movies though. I unbuttoned my shirt and slipped it off, neatly folding it and placing it on the chair in the corner of the room. I unbuckled my belt and undid my jeans, folding them up as well. It felt kinda weird, standing there in a strange room in nothing but my bra and panties. I approached the table in the middle of the room and climbed on top, placing my face into the hole at the front of it, waiting for Derrek to return.
A moment passed by and I heard the door open again. "Ready?" he asked? He then followed up with, "Oh, uh... You'll have to remove your bra, too."
That seemed a bit shady, but after I thought about it, it made sense. I'm sure it would get in the way of the shoulder and back rubs. Without breaking contact with the table so he wouldn't see much, I struggled to reach for my bra clips, but to no avail. I sat up, but didn't look at him, then easily unlatched my bra. Without thinking, I hopped off of the table and placed it on my jeans and shirt on the chair in the corner of the room. I turned around to see him looking at me, a giggle forming deep within him.
"I should have specified before I left." he said with a bit of a chuckle. "Don't worry, I've seen enough to have seen them all."
I thought that was a little weird, but put it out of mind as I climbed back onto the table. The leather of the table was terribly cold against my now exposed breasts, causing me to shiver lightly.
Music and ambient noise turned on. It was a soothing island theme, mixed with the sound of crickets and faint ocean waves. I already felt relaxed. Without a word, his hands grasped my shoulders and began to work their magic. "Is this your first massage?" he asked.
"Mhmm." I mumbled as I lifted my head out of the hole and rested it down like I was laying on a pillow. I don't know why, but I kept my eyes closed. Perhaps it was his entrancing and silky touch that made my eyelids heavy.
His hands worked their way down to my back. He rotated his thumbs around my shoulderblades as he grasped just under my arms with the rest of his fingers. They felt dangerously close to my breasts, but they were sandwiched between me and the now warm table, so I put it out of mind. Then, he asked. "So tell me a little about yourself. What has you stressed and in need of a massage?"
I wasn't sure if talking was common during a massage, but I rolled with it. "Umm... well, I'm stressed about a lot of things... work, family, getting my bills in on time and my newborn daughter, mostly."
"You're a mother?" he asked. "Congratulations. It must be difficult, I know I was for my parents." he joked. "How old is she?"
"About a month old now." I replied. He was right, it was a difficult situation, but my thoughts about my daughter eased my mind and made me relax. Then I had a thought which brought me out of my relaxation. On the form I filled out for him, I listed my age, 19. What was going through his head? Was he judging me for being a mother at such a young age? Or did he not care?
His hands moved downward to my lower back and our conversation continued. We discussed which hobbies of mine make me feel most relaxed and at peace. We talked about long walks on the beach. As his fingers did their job, I felt like I was melting, like I was dripping off of the table. This was really relaxing and really made me feel much better about my admittedly mediocre life.
His hands moved even further down to my thighs. It was a strange feeling as he rubbed gently away, a stray finger finding its way to my inner thigh every now and then. "I feel a lot of tension here." he said as he rubbed a stiff muscle. "Have you been doing a lot of exercise lately?"
"Yeah." I said. "I've tried losing some of the weight from my pregnancy already. I think I ran about four miles yesterday."
"Impressive." he said with a tone of admiration. "You seem to be doing a good job, but you're putting a lot of unneeded strain on your legs." he said, rubbing down to my calves, then back up to my thighs. He seemed to spend a lot of time on my upper thighs, working out the stiffness and soreness. His hands vanished for a moment. I opened my eyes to see why, and he had walked over to a shelf. He grabbed a fluffy white towel and handed it to me. "Cover yourself up and turn around, I think I may need to work on the front of your legs as well.
I did as he asked. I draped the folded towel over my chest and turned around, laying down on my back. I closed my eyes again before his hands returned. As he continued his magical touch, from my lower thighs to just below my panties, dirty thoughts entered my mind. I tried to ignore them, but they persisted and grew stronger the longer he worked on my thighs.
I opened my eyes and looked down at him. He had his eyes closed as he rubbed away. The thoughts continued and I said, "I'm feeling a bit of stress elsewhere, too."
He ceased his massage and looked towards me. "Where?"
I pulled the white towel off of my chest and dropped it to the floor. "Here." I said.
His look changed to a mixture of puzzle and shock. "There?"
I nodded silently.
