Chapter 1 - Loona the Guest
Cell phone reception was hard to come by in the little, Colorado, mountain village my wife was at for a writer's retreat. I missed her but it was something we'd always dreamed of her doing. It would give her the inspiration and spark she needed to start writing passionately again. The timing worked out, too, as that week I had to travel to western Texas for a special work assignment. Once or twice a day, I would receive a cute, thoughtful message when she walked with fellow writers to the canteen and into cell-service area. I would send back messages that she wouldn't be able to see until the next day.
Because I was alone out in the desert, I did nothing but work and lounge in my hotel room. Tired of the professional interactions from the day, I was happy to be quiet and still in my hours alone. On these monthly trips to the arid plains, I would sometimes go get a massage from a run-down, strip mall from a Chinese lady who went by Annie. The parlor probably thinks I'm a cop now. I'm just cheap.
I had been offered a happy ending when I went, but after calculating costs, I think I would get more bang for my buck for an hour of not moving and enjoying the massage per session. Two hours of a decent massage was better than 55 minutes of rubbing and a 5 minute handjob. Plus, it would be hard to text my wife in that moment, "Hey, are you cool with this 55 year-old Chinese lady getting me off?". The offer added stress more than anything else; the antithesis of a massage.
I could just go back to my hotel room and give myself a handjob. Or I could blow up some more balloons I brought with me and take out the tension, frustration, and stress to pump my troubles away.
Arriving back to my downtown hotel room, I immediately removed my slacks and dress shirt. Three pink balloons that I brushed by on my way that I had blown up the night before. I didn't get to play last night, as I fell asleep before I could have my fun. Still feeling irradiated from the stress of the workday, I didn't feel so much as a twinge of excitement. Disappointing.
I sunk into the couch and propped my feet on the pleather ottoman. I turned the TV on for weather reports tomorrow. A gusty storm was supposed to roll through, lows in the morning at 45 degrees. Finally, some relief from the unusually hot Spring. Glancing down at my phone I see a few messages from my wife from four hours ago.
Wife: I love you! I can't wait to see you! π
: I am having a great time out here and getting a lot done. There aren't any mosquitoes!
: I haven't made any friends, but I feel like I found something better π
: I can't wait to see you tomorrow! π
See me tomorrow? It was Wednesday. I was supposed to pick her up from the airport on Saturday. She must have been typing quickly while being distracted. I appreciated her sentiment regardless. She was certainly in a bright mood.
Me: Any moment where I'm not working, I'm thinking about when I get to squeeze you again!
: I'm looking forward to seeing you very soon!