Lotus Spring Salon 1

Author's Note: If issues of race, class, or coercion make you uncomfortable, you should skip this story.

This is a modified version of a story I wrote a few years ago. At the time, I was a little iffy on releasing it due to the behaviors and attitudes expressed on the part of the main character. Although my stories are taken from events in my life or from people I know, this story was written as an exploration of attitudes I've been on the receiving end of in my life rather than from any one specific event. I can definitively say that the main character is not based on me.

After I released the previous version of this story, there was mixed reaction. The story received a lot of positive feedback, but there were many people who, rightfully so, found the main character to be wholly unlikeable. But worse, some readers attributed the main character's views to me. Needless to say, that was an incredibly strange place to find myself, and ultimately, I had the story removed.

I recently began work on another story loosely based on my time working at my aunt's spa and was reminded of this story. After a period of self-reflection, I returned to it and reexamined it. I considered completely deconstructing and rewriting it, but that would've defeated my purpose for writing it in the first place. Still, I was uncomfortable with some elements of it and the previous reactions to it. In the end, I settled on making several minor changes.

As before, some of you will enjoy it, and some of you will not. Although I'm still uneasy about some of the attitudes expressed within, I decided to turn it back over to you, the readers.

As always, thank you for reading.

*Honk! Honk! Honk!*

"Where'd you learn to drive!?" Rachel screamed at the blue Toyota as she accelerated past.

It was a pointless effort since both the Toyota's and her own windows were up. She swerved into the Toyota's lane, cutting the other driver off and hoping they had to slam on their brakes. She mashed the gas and glanced at her car clock. She was already twelve minutes late for her manicure and massage session. Her morning meeting had run long. The new junior vice president had taken the time to rub her new promotion in everyone's faces, especially Rachel's. The only reason she'd gotten it was because she was black. It was a position Rachel had broken her back for and had rightly earned. And she thought she had sealed the deal by sleeping with that disgusting pig of a man in human resources. The recollection of the experience made her skin crawl.

His fat belly slapping against her over and over. Him wheezing in time with every thrust of his tiny dick. The way his eyes bulged out of his head and his tongue hung out of his mouth when he came. He fell down on top of her when he was done and, for a moment, he'd stopped breathing and Rachel had silently hoped he'd collapsed and died of a heart attack. She took two showers when she got home.

But in spite of all her hard work, the junior VP promotion had gone to that black bitch.

Rachel made a hard right turn into the parking lot of Lotus Spring Salon, squealing tires and ignoring the pedestrian who scrambled to get out of her way. She jumped out of her car and moved as quickly as her high heels would allow. An east Asian woman in her 20s greeted her with a smile as she pushed her way through the front door.

"Hello, welcome to Lotus Spring. Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist said.

"Yes, with Lynn," Rachel replied.

The receptionist turned and punched several keys on her computer's keyboard. She turned back to Rachel, frowning. "I'm sorry, that appointment was at 1100."

Rachel shrugged. "And? I'm only a couple minutes late."

"Well, as you know, there's a ten-minute grace period regarding appointments. If a customer is more than ten minutes late, they forfeit their appointment slot."

"First of all," Rachel brought her index finger up in front of the receptionist's face and jabbed the long nail at her, "don't tell me what I know. I've been coming here for four years. You've been working here...four weeks?" Rachel lifted another finger. "Second, it's only," she paused and consulted the time on her iPhone, "it's only 11:14."

"I'm sorry, ma'am but--"

"No! I don't want to hear about any 'buts.' I want to hear: 'Yes, ma'am. Happy to see you, ma'am. Right this way, ma'am.'"

The receptionist shifted her weight from leg to leg. "If there was anything I could do..."

Rachel flung her hands in the air. "Well, you'd better do something!"

The receptionist hesitated for a moment then left the desk and walked out onto the salon floor. Rachel craned her head around the corner. The receptionist walked up to a middle-aged Asian woman and began speaking, but her voice was too low for Rachel to hear. She gestured wildly and pointed back towards Rachel. When the other woman stepped clear, Rachel recognized her as Lynn, the person her appointment was scheduled with. And her chair was open.

Rachel raced out onto the salon floor. The two women stopped their conversation and turned to look at her as she approached.

"I'm here for my appointment," Rachel said as she made a beeline for Lynn's chair.

Lynn stepped in front her, blocking her path. "You were late, so someone else took your time slot."

"But there's nobody here." Rachel waved her hands at the empty chair.

"They're on their way," Lynn said.

"But--it was like ten or fifteen minutes. I've been coming here for years, and you're going to screw me over a couple minutes?" Rachel was getting louder with each word.

"I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do. It's the policy," Lynn said. When she said 'sorry' it sounded more like 'Sorry I'm not sorry.'

"Where's May?" Rachel asked, referring to the manager.

"May's out of the shop today," Lynn said. She turned and stepped away, considering the matter settled. She sat at her station and began sorting through the cosmetic supplies to prepare for her upcoming appointment.

Lynn's smug look was making Rachel's blood boil. She clenched her fists and seriously debated thumping Lynn on the back of the head, forcing her down to the tiled floor and making her drink nail polish remover until it burned a hole in her throat.

Their exchange had already drawn glances from other customers, and Rachel decided to spare herself any further indignity. It was fine. She'd make a special trip back to the shop tomorrow when May was back and deal with Lynn then. In the meantime Rachel would try to salvage her time at the salon.

Rachel took a deep breath and let it out. "You know what?" Rachel lifted her voice and tried to disguise the rage still coursing through her veins, "my nails look good already anyway." She fanned her fingers out in front of her then buffed her nails on the bottom edge of her blouse. "I'll just skip the 'mani' and go straight to the massage."

"With Ming right?" Lynn didn't stop organizing the bottles on her counter as she spoke.

"Yes, that's correct," Rachel replied.

Lynn stopped straightenng and looked at her watch. "She's busy right now." She reached for a bottle of bright red nail polish and turned it over in her hand.

"What do you mean she's busy?" Rachel was losing control again. The receptionist took a step away, eyeing Rachel like a dangerous dog that might lash out and bite anyone nearby.

"I mean, she's busy," Lynn spoke again without looking up. "You weren't scheduled for your massage until after your manicure...which you were late for. She's in with another customer right now."

Rachel was about to go through the roof. An older woman in the middle of having her nails done was completely turned around in her chair watching her. Rachel closed her eyes and counted to four. It was as close to ten as she could manage at the moment.

"So what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" Rachel said.

Lynn shrugged. "Wait, I guess."

The receptionist decided to make a run for it and scurried back toward the front desk.

Rachel rubbed her temples. It wasn't just the inconvenience of how this had all unfolded, it was Lynn's nonchalant attitude. Yes, Rachel would definitely be back tomorrow to deal with her. She would have Lynn fired before all was said and done.

Lynn stepped back from her station, eyeing it and then deciding the nail file needed to be a little further to the left. She flinched when she turned around to see Rachel still standing there. After composing herself, Lynn titled her head to the side and looked up as if accessing a mental file. "You know," she said as she wiped off her hands, "if you're that impatient, Young-jin is free right now. He could see you."

Young-jin was one of the other massage therapists at the salon. Rachel had seen him around before, lumbering through the shop like a gorilla in a t-shirt. She'd never been in with him. She had never had a massage from a man before...at least not one that she'd had to pay for. The very idea of it was absurd.

Rachel folded her arms. "No, I'm quite sure that won't work for me."

"I bet I can guess why." Lynn waved her hand dismissively at Rachel. "Ok, never mind. Go have a seat." Lynn turned and began walking away.

Rachel practically ran after her and grabbed her by the shoulder to get her to stop. "Excuse me?"

Lynn let out a long sigh. "Look, you can either take the massage or not take the massage. If not, there's some magazines over there somewhere. I'll let Ming know you're here, and she'll see you when she's finished."

Rachel had never been talked to in this manner, much less by someone who painted nails for a living. As much as she wanted to make her eat her words, she knew eyes were on her. She pushed past Lynn without another word and started toward the back of the shop where the massage rooms were located.

There was a short hallway at the back of the main floor that led to a small waiting area with a tacky, grey faux leather couch. Clients were usually led back to this room and offered bottled water while they waited for their massage therapist to greet them. Beyond the waiting area was another hallway with doors to the three massage rooms. Rachel continued through the waiting area to the massage rooms. The first door she came to was where Ming usually worked. The door was closed. Rachel walked to the second room and found it empty. Young-jin suddenly came out of the last room as she approached, startling her.

"So sorry, ma'am. I did not mean to alarm you. I heard someone in the hall," Young-jin said, slightly bowing. He spoke with a heavy accent that Rachel struggled to decipher, and his voice was an octave higher than she would've expected, given his size. He was a little over six feet tall and was solidly built. He was dressed in a black t-shirt and black pants, but his broad shoulders and thick biceps stretched the limits of the shirt. He looked to be in his late 20s or early 30s, but it was hard to tell. He could just as well have been in his late teens or early 40s. His dark hair was too long in the front and hung over his eybrows in a haircut that was far too effeminate for Rachel's taste. He wasn't ugly but then, she wasn't attracted to Asian guys anyway.

Rachel looked him up and down but didn't speak as she walked past him into the room.

"You're here for massage?" Young-jin asked.

"Uhh...yeah. Why else would I be here?" Rachel replied.

"Sorry, I do not get lots of customers."

Rachel turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

"No, not because I am bad." Young-jin chuckled. "Most women like massages by women."

"Yeah, well, I guess today's your lucky day." Rachel walked toward the chair in the corner, kicking off her high heels as she went. The room was dominated by a massage table in the center of the room that was covered in white towels. In addition to the chair in the corner, there was a counter with a stack of towels and a glass-door cabinet which held scented oils and lotions. There was also a box containing hot towels. A digital clock with a large green readout sat on an end table next to the chair. Rachel reached the chair and began unbuttoning her blouse before pausing to glance over her shoulder. She cleared her throat.

"Oh, excuse me," Young-jin said. "You get comfortable. Take your time." He backed out of the room and shut the door.

"Perv," Rachel muttered.

She removed her blouse and hung it on one of the hangers above the chairs. She laid her skirt over the back of the chair and unhooked her bra and laid it with the skirt. She started tugging her panties down her legs but then reconsidered. She usually fully disrobed for her massage sessions, but this time, it was a guy providing the service. She didn't need him getting any ideas. She pulled her panties back up and retrieved a towel from the counter. She draped it over her back and laid on the table. She reached up to let her long blonde hair out of its bun and pushed it out of the way as she put her head into the face cradle and closed her eyes.

Young-jin knocked at the door several minutes later and waited until Rachel told him to come in. Rachel heard him moving items around in the cabinet.

"Do you like oil or lotion?" Young-jin asked.

"Oil," Rachel said. "And non-scented." No need to go back to the office smelling like jasmine, green tea, or bamboo.

She tensed up when Young-jin came and stood next to her.

"It is fine," he said, apparently sensing her nervousness.

Rachel was pleasantly surprised when Young-jin touched the back of her shoulders. Despite his delicate mannerisms, his hands were as strong as they looked. And while Rachel had worried that his hands might be cold, they were warm, bordering on hot, as if he'd dipped them into a bucket of boiling water before he came back to the room. His hands heated the oil as he worked it across her skin.

Rachel felt her stress being squeezed away as Young-jin kneaded the flesh on her back. His fingertips pressed deep into the muscles and tissues, caressing away every knot. He moved from her back to her arms. Rachel resisted when he lifted her right arm. Lying the way she was, Young-jin would undoubtably be treated to a good view of her side boob.

"It's the closest he'll ever get," Rachel thought as she surrendered her arm.

Young-jin's hands worked up the back of her arms to her neck. She found herself lifting her head out of the cradle to meet his hands as he pressed his thumbs into the back of her neck. He gently guided her head back down to the cradle and continued to press his fingers and thumbs along her skin. When his fingertips traced along her jawline to her ears, her whole body shivered.

"Are you cold?" Young-jin asked. "I will get you another towel."

"No I'm fine," Rachel said sheepishly. That had never happened during any of her other trips to the salon.

Rachel's neck began to feel limp as Young-jin ran his fingers under her chin and framed her cheeks with his hands. She had to stifle a moan when he pinched and tugged her earlobes and was both grateful and disappointed when he removed his hands.

Young-jin shifted the towel higher onto Rachel's body, exposing the skin on her legs until he stopped moving the towel when it was about two inches below her butt. Rachel heard him moving around and felt him drape a towel over her left leg. His hands came down on the back of her right thigh, plying the muscle. His touch was enough to make most of her leg tingle. But his hands only touched the back and outer side of her thigh, staying far away from her inner thigh. Rachel chalked it up to him being afraid of being accused of being unprofessional. Although she appreciated the fact that he hadn't been so forward, it felt like she wasn't getting a full massage.

Young-jin continued down her leg to the back of her knee. Rachel giggled when he touched her.

"Sorry, I do not mean to tickle," he said.

"No, it's fine," Rachel said. "I've always been sensitive there." She was surprised with how comfortable she was starting to feel with him. Any reservation about having a male masseur was gone.

Young-jin didn't linger on the back of her knee and moved to her calf and foot. When he was done, he moved the towel covering her left leg to her right one and began to massage the back of her left thigh. As he worked, Rachel parted her legs slightly and shifted her body to the left, hoping he'd do the entire leg this time. As with the right leg, he stayed on the back and outside of her thigh.

Rachel spoke up when he moved toward her knee. "Hey, you missed a spot."

"Huh?"

"You missed this entire area." Rachel reached back and patted her left inner thigh. "Both legs actually."

"Most customers do not like me to touch there," Young-jin said.

"Well, I'm paying for a body massage, so I expect a body massage."

"Yes, ma'am."

Rachel was pleased to feel his hands traveling back up her leg. He slid them along the back of her thigh a few times before moving his fingers toward the inside. He traced his fingertips over the skin and pressed his palm flat but only kept it there for a moment before he moved to the back of her thigh. He continued doing the same thing all the way up her leg, never daring to go more than an inch or two inside and never staying there for more than a few seconds.

Rachel was actually getting a little annoyed. It was great that he wasn't trying to molest her, but he needed to do his damned job.

She sat up on her elbows and turned to face him. "Are you afraid to touch me?"

"I do not want to be unproper," he said.

"Improper," Rachel corrected him. "I'm not paying for this massage if you're going to do a shit job." She laid her head back down.

His hands started over at the top of her thigh. She let out a long, exaggerated sigh when she felt him doing the same tentative back and forth routine. He stopped for a moment and then returned to the top of her thigh. This time, as he brought his hand over her thigh, he continued around her thigh until his hand touched the table between her legs. Rachel felt a fluttering in her stomach as his fingers pressed along her skin.

Young-jin moved quickly and was done far too soon. He moved the towel from her right to her left leg and began redoing the massage on her right leg.

"A little slower this time," Rachel said. "And you can go a little higher."

His hands moved about a half inch up her leg and then back down. She let out another loud fake sigh. Young-jin moved his hand back up until he was at the edge of the towel covering her back. He lingered there for a moment and then moved his fingertips beneath it. Rachel felt a jolt of electricity as his fingers stroked the skin. Having his warm hands so high on her legs almost made her want him to keep going up. Due her recent work obligations, it had been far too long since a man had touched her there. She parted her legs a bit more but instead of up, Young-jin moved his hands down her leg.

"You may turn over now," Young-jin announced when he finished. "I will turn around."

Rachel propped herself up and rolled onto her back. She positioned the towel over her torso, just above the top of her breasts. Young-jin offered her a towel to place under her head and then draped towels over her legs. He then moved in and began running his fingers over her neck. It felt more sensual this time around, being face to face. Rachel kept her eyes shut as his palms slid over her throat. His movements were smooth and slow, and Rachel once again felt herself being drawn up toward him.

Young-jin's fingertips followed one another under her chin and then up to her lips. His hands smelled a little like cinnamon. She kissed his fingertips before she even realized what she was doing. He continued moving them over her face, gently pressing against her cheekbones, temples, and forehead before moving his fingers back down over her lips. He traced them along her upper and lower lips, and Rachel parted her lips and kissed his fingers again. She flicked her tongue out and tasted them. They tasted as good as they smelled and sparked her taste buds. Maybe the rest of him tasted just as good.