Ch. 04 - New Horizons
This story is the final part of a series and will make more sense if you have read the prior parts, but can be read on its' own. This final segment is inspired by a story I heard from a lovely lady I met through Lit. I hope you enjoy! -AlanProject
Instead of trying to deal with the hassle of calling the spa, Lisa decided to take advantage of the spa's free hot tub and saunas in person, and confirm her massage reservations for later this evening at the same time.
Heck, they may even have an opening for me now, I don't feel hungry after that late lunch. Maybe they can move it up a bit.
Lisa changed into her two-piece rose-colored bikini, covered herself in a terrycloth bathrobe and brought a thick white towel, a book and her room key with her down to the spa.
It was a large building on the opposite side of the extensive property from the ocean, surrounded by the dark coastal pines and landscaped grounds.
It has a nice feeling of seclusion. I bet it is deliberately there to help people relax and forget about the outside world.
Lisa walked through the tinted glass doors into the foyer, and was surprised to find herself the only person inside besides a middle-aged female receptionist standing on the other side of the waist-high counter. Lisa could see that the hot tubs and saunas were unoccupied, which struck her as very curious. The woman chirped professionally at her, so Lisa moved forward and began explaining the details of her reservations. It soon became clear that a corporate group had rented out most of their slots, but had not arrived yet.
In the midst of their discussions an attractive young woman with shoulder-length blond hair above a spa-logoed polo shirt and matching shorts and lithe tan legs stormed out into the foyer. She began to complain to the woman, whom Lisa now gathered was actually the manager of the spa. "Jeannie, this is absurd! I come all the way out here for the entire weekend to service one 'important' corporate client with several appointments, at your request, and their entire group just called and canceled on me! I don't care how important they think they are, my time is damn valuable and I don't like wasting it. I'm going to charge you for my normal fee, just like they all had come here! There's no way I'm eating this cost!"
"Calm down, Hanna. So they called you to cancel, did they? That is..." The phone rang at the desk, and the two women exchanged a look. Jeannie picked up the phone and answered with a professional welcoming greeting. "Oh no, that is too bad. I am sorry to hear that... mmm, that is difficult... of course, we understand... yes, yes, and I also hope that your group will book here again ... yes, well, we can talk about that when things are calmer for you ... unfortunately, I won't be able to carry forward any credit for your payment for the current reservation to that, but I am sure we can work something out ... well, per our cancellation policy, we need at least 72 hours' notice for there to be a refund... mm hmm, I understand, and I hope you understand that we have turned away reservations and paid staff to be here, and that notice provision is to avoid situations just like this, where one of my best employees, Hanna, has come away from her family for the weekend to support your reservation and deserves some compensation for her time... yes, well, I am sorry to hear that and I am glad you understand our policy. Best of luck in dealing with your current crisis! Good day."
Hanna had a wry look on her face. "So it's off for real, eh? I hate coming all the way out here from El Cerrito for nothing."
Jeannie nodded towards Lisa, who had been listening with curiosity to the conversation. "We have a lovely non-corporate client, Ms. Lisa, who was just inquiring about moving up her appointment. Amanda won't be in for a few hours, so would you be willing to take her on?"
Lisa felt vaguely self-conscious as Hanna seemed to give her a more-than-typical amount of scrutiny. She was suddenly aware that the bathrobe was open at the top and that she was showing a decent amount of cleavage, although her bikini top remained hidden.
"Sure. Miss, my apologies for interrupting your conversation with Jeannie, and I would be happy to make sure you receive the kind of treatment you deserve here at our spa. Would you like to soak a bit before you begin? If you do, I recommend avoiding getting dehydrated," Hanna said, shifting into a more professional tone.
"No, thank you, I was only going to do that to kill time. I am a bit sore and would really appreciate your help." Lisa said with her best winning voice. It worked better with men, but she could usually get her way, and she didn't want the opportunity to move her appointment up to slip away.
Hanna smiled back at her, then nodded. "Well since my calendar is suddenly very clear, Jeannie, how about we upgrade Ms. Lisa to a full Hollywood Pampering appointment with the optional Swedish Rock Therapy at the end? When we do have a customer, let's treat her right."
Jeannie's smile froze for a moment, then expanded with a quick nod. Lisa realized that Jeannie had hoped to upsell her for a longer treatment from Hanna, since she was apparently a top provider, and had lost the opportunity with Hanna's statement.
"Oh, thank you so much Hanna, I would love to experience that, and thank you so much Jeannie, what a lovely treat! This is truly the best vacation I've ever had!"
Sugar and a smile gets you more than sourness...
Lisa's enthusiasm seemed to take the edge off of Jeannie, and Hanna smiled at Lisa's positivity. Hanna gestured towards the right side of the lobby, where a hallway with gentle yellow lights led away. "The women's locker room is just down there, where you can take a quick shower to feel clean - I recommend it highly at the beginning of your experience. You can bring your robe and valuables into the room with you, I will be waiting for you in Room 2, where we won't be disturbed the entire time. See you soon!"
Lisa wondered if she heard an odd emphasis on "won't be disturbed" but dismissed it from her mind. Hanna walked away down the same corridor in front of her while Lisa finished the paperwork with Jeannie, gave her another thank you, and then went down the hallway herself. The locker room was well-outfitted, with granite floors and marble countertops, and private wooden doors for individual changing areas. The entire locker room was empty, but it did not feel uncomfortable, just private.