For the next several weeks Rory worked and lived as if nothing had changed. But of course everything had. His income had been cut by over a quarter, but for reasons he couldn't yet fully comprehend he still felt as if he had come out ahead of the game. This was not only due to his Friday afternoon reward, which continued to be as electric as the very first, but also be because Rhianne began gifting him with longer conversations and more frequent smiles. Of all varieties.
He was becoming more wired every day that he was there, and more on edge whenever he wasn't. Almost of necessity he continued his now even more vigorous couplings with his regulars, and having to spend ever more frequent 'special' times with his one hand, especially on Friday nights after he would leave.
One Friday afternoon, about a month into their new arrangement, after he had completed his day's work washing and drying, then ironing, folding and putting all that week's laundry away, he sat on the edge of the living room hassock anxiously but patiently awaiting her arrival for his weekly reward. When she finally entered he was surprised to see her in her exercise outfit, having apparently just finished a work out, which she rarely did in the afternoons and never before on a Friday.
"Rory, I'm sorry," she began, "I had a very important deadline to meet for my work today so I pushed my workout back to this afternoon, completely forgetting about your reward, and now I'm sweaty, tired, and my feet ache because I ran a lot longer and harder on the treadmill today than usual. So if you'd rather postpone your reward until Monday, I'll understand."
"No!" he exclaimed ... "Please Ma'am, I'd rather not." He paused a moment. "But if your feet ache, I'd be more than happy to help out and massage them for you first."
"Why, what a lovely idea." she acknowledged with one of her dazzling smiles. "I think I would like that very much."
She immediately made her way over to the sofa, sat down and settled back into it and extended one of her legs out in his direction, parallel to the floor. He scurried off the hassock onto his knees in front of her, unlaced and took off first the offered running shoe, and then bent down and did the same for the other. He followed that by removing both of her sweaty socks, and took her first foot back into his hands. It was indeed warm and damp. He began to slowly knead her sole firmly and deeply with his thumbs, beginning with her heel, working his way all around and into her arch, then to the ball of her foot before paying prolonged and special attention to each of her toes. He then performed the same service to her other foot, alternating the deep circular pressure of his thumbs on her soles, with lighter strokings with his other fingers along the tops.
During the entire time Rhianne lay back comfortably with her head resting on the back of the couch pillow and remained silent except for some contented sighs and murmurs as Rory continued the process a number of more times with each foot. Finally, after about thirty minutes, she sat up, placing both of her feet on the floor.
"That was truly heavenly, Rory. I think I would very much like to have you do that more often."
"It would be my very great pleasure any time Ma'am."
"I do believe I'm going to take you up on that on a regular basis." she responded. She then leaned back and lifted one of her feet in front of his face, that bottom facing him. "Take as much time as you wish with your reward tonight, houseboy. You've earned it."
Rory hesitated only a moment before burying his face into her sole. He found that her foot's normal scent, now mixed with her workout sweat, while different, was every bit as intoxicating as always. Holding it pressed there for more than a few seconds he then followed the pathway of his massage, placing his lips softly around her heel and slowly kissing and lightly licking his way up the side and instep to the ball, and then offering his adoration to the bottoms of each of her toes. He continued his homage around to the tops of her toes and foot, and then paid the same veneration to her other foot.
Finally, overwhelmed and overwrought and unable to speak, he took his leave from her in silence, barely able to acknowledge her parting 'goodnight'. Upon arriving home that night he had to spend more than one 'special' moment with his hand. He didn't know how much longer he could continue on like this, only that he must.
Rhianne's foot massages became a regular and ritual beginning to Rory's weekly Friday evening reward, and while the massages remained as extensive, his reward returned to its original form. She never again exercised immediately before but she enjoyed having her feet massaged nonetheless, to help relieve the stresses of her work week she would say. There was rarely any conversation as he went about his ministrations. She would just lean back, close her eyes and relax as he worked his tactile magic. One afternoon however she surprised him just as he was beginning his task by asking him about himself.
"You've been working here for me for over half a year and I hardly know anything about you." she explained pleasantly
As elated inside as he was at her interest, he was trying to be honest when he replied, "There isn't much to know Ma'am."
"Oh I can't believe that. Tell me about your family."
He bowed his head for a moment and then looked up at her. He had never discussed this with any of his clients. "I was adopted from an orphanage at age ten. I've never been able to find out anything about my real parents. I think my adoptive parents looked at me as a way to rekindle some interest in their own marriage without any of the messy work of taking care of an infant." He let out a breath. "Anyway, it didn't work out. My adoptive mother left when I was twelve and I've never seen her since."
"Rory, I'm so sorry."
"There's no need to be. There was never much between us. After the divorce my adoptive father kept me with him. He wasn't a bad sort, just that his work took up most of his time, so it kind of fell to me to take care of the house for us both. That's how I learned to do everything that I do now, so I guess it turned out okay. He died just after I finished high school, but he left me enough money to put myself through college."
"What did you study there?"
"I graduated with a degree in finance but afterwards I had little interest in the field except in managing my own business, and as housekeeping was one thing that I know how to do very well, and even liked, I decided to give it a go as a livelihood. And so far ..."
"You've done very well with it. Which is no surprise because you're so very good at it."
"Thank you Ma'am"
"It's only the truth." she stated emphatically. "Anyway then, what about a girlfriend?" she asked, changing directions completely and causing his heart to skip a beat. "Is there anyone special out there?"
"No" he admitted truthfully as he continued to rub her feet. "I've never had one."
Her lips curved up in a smile.
"That's even more difficult for me to believe. I suspect that you have to fight off women all the time."
His heart skipped another beat. Maybe this was the opportunity that he had been waiting for so long. To let her know that he was available to her for any more intimate activities that she might desire other than housework. Was that where she was leading this? He just had to take the plunge.
"I do have some more personal arrangements with a few of my lady clients." he began cautiously.
