There's a message on my answering machine and I know it's from her.
I don't know what it was that made me decide to invite her to come with me. I only knew her through the office and we chatted often enough, maybe once a week, but it was always small talk. We weren't really friends.
The company had organised a reward weekend for its top sales agents and I had originally intended on going alone, having just recently split up with my boyfriend, I thought that it might be the best idea. This year, however, the conference was going to be on a cruise ship, for three days to the Bahamas. Since I had surpassed my sales goals by 50%, I was able to bring someone along with me, and at the last minute, I called her. I guess it was because she had once suggested that we might vacation together that I even thought of her at all. Anyway, she was so excited by the idea of going away that I began to look forward to leaving as well.
At first, leaving for three days, four actually, as we wouldn't get home until late Monday afternoon, was the last thing that I wanted to do. I had so much work that had to be completed that being away from the office was only going to set me back. Even though this was intended to be a "work-related conference," attendance at the various functions was actually optional; after all, it was intended as a reward. Still, I knew that I wouldn't be able to relax as my mind would be stuck on unreturned phone calls, unfinished projects and so on. Even now, I'd rather not think about all the work I have to finish. Joanne's excitement about our little holiday together though was contagious and I began to think maybe I will be able to have some fun.
I had stayed at the office really late on the Thursday night before leaving and consequently did not get much sleep as our flight left very early Friday morning. So by the time we arrived on board the ship and into our cabin, I headed for the nearest bed, the one on the left, and claimed it as mine. Joanne bounced onto the other bed. I only wished that I had the same level of energy.
"I can't believe that we're finally here," she said, bending her legs towards her chest and then stretching them out again.
"I'm exhausted," I mumbled and then yawned as I rolled over onto my stomach.
"You've been working too much lately. It's good that you're here... to relax," she added, getting up for a moment to look through some of the material the cruise line had left on the desk. "Don't they have massage facilities on board? And a sauna?" she asked, leafing through the various documents.
"I'm sure they do. That would feel real nice," I replied softly.
She turned to me suddenly and offered me a free rub right then, if I wanted. Suddenly, my mind filled with the memory of that one time I was in her office and I had mentioned to her that my neck was sore. She then promptly sat me down in her chair and brought her fingers to the back of my head and along my shoulders and gently began to massage the muscles up and down my spine. The memory of that moment alone caused my whole body to just loosen up. This time, however, before I could even say a word, she was already sitting beside me, on her knees, on the bed, as she gently placed her hands on my shoulders once again. Slowly, she worked her fingers into my skin.
"You are tense... just relax," she instructed me as I tried to loosen the muscles all over my body. Her touch was immediately soothing.
"Oh... that feels really good," I said and it did.
I could feel the smile in her voice as she said: "I'm glad that I can make you feel better.
"You know," she added, very slowly, "it might be easier if you were to remove this shirt so that I can really work my fingers into your skin." I leaned up slightly and she helped my to remove the jeans shirt that I was wearing. I had a white T-shirt on underneath.
She then stretched her hands down from my neck, sliding them under the collar of my shirt and rubbed her thumbs deeply onto my skin, across my shoulders.
"How's that?" she asked.