First and foremost, my apologies for the first version. New writer, little nervous. Here's a more finished product, enjoy!
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Waking up somewhat on the early side, grumbling with frustration, and with the taste of several different flavors of alcohol on the tongue was never a good way to start off the day. After a strong cup of coffee and a very long hot shower, Pslyder left a note for PJ on the door to her room and headed off to the salon, deciding a walk might do him some good. Work some of the kinks of last night's fist-fighting tournament out and such.
He arrived at the salon where he was starting his first day as a masseur in relatively short order, and noticed Kaja Adair, his boss, just getting ready to lock up. "Hoi, Kaj'," he mumbled with just a hint of frustration in his voice, "leavin' already?"
"Yeah," she said, noting said his frustration but too busy to comment on it, "Tic's still sore'n such, so I'm gonna take tha day off ta take care of 'im. I left a note fer Alicia an' you, but if yer already here, I guess you c'n take a few clients t'day. Up ta y'all." Ticallion Carter was Kaja's fiancΓ©, and Alicia Mulland was her aide de camp in terms of making women feel better about how they looked. Her talents with hair-styling were rapidly becoming legendary.
Muttering something bordering on an apology while on her way out the door, Pslyder watched Kaja ride off on her bike, and then went inside to prepare for whatever clients might happen to come his way. He made a couple of phone calls to acquire more furniture for his studio, and was just about ready to wait for customers o arrive when the door swung slowly open.
Hearing a female voice call out, "Anybody here?" with some concern, made him believe the opportunity to meet Alicia would be happening sooner than he'd thought.
Psly knew that Alicia was a huge fan of his from all the televised tournaments and such, and went along with Kaja's plan to shock the living hell out of her by working here at Bella Sera's Salon. He wondered just how shocked she would be. Hearing footsteps, he guessed he wouldn't have to wait long to find out.
Psly chuckled softly under his breath, and changed his voice slightly to reply. "Yeah, 'm here."
"That you, Tommy? The worrying tone was becoming increasingly evident in her voice. "Where's Kaja? What's going on?" Looking around the waiting room, Alicia started to search for something, anything to possibly defend herself with. Things were looking pretty strange: Kaja's bike wasn't in its usual parking space and it wasn't like her to leave the door unlocked like that. What the hell was going on.
When Psly slowly walked out of his office, dressed in his 'uniform', white tank top, tight blue jeans, soft boots, and hair down, he struggled manfully to reply to the stunned female in standing in the waiting room, holding what appeared to be a bottle of ...wine. It took a lot for him not to laugh at Alicia, who looked, now she'd given him the once over, like she was going to faint. How could anyone lose it just by looking at him. And what was with the bottle she was clutching like a club?
"She's gone home ta take care'a Tical," he said trying hard to hold in the emerging grin. "He's still a might sore after tha tournament las' night. Looks like it's just you'n me, chica." His southern roots were evident in his speech, but his pointed ears spoke volumes about his heritage.
While Psly was a study in male eye candy, standing a good 6'5" tall with even skin tone, long black hair, and piercing eyes just this side of sky blue. Alicia was a complete contrast: 5'4," maybe 100 lbs., chocolate brown hair and smoky gray eyes, which were quick to take in everything around her.
"Tom...? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed. "You're not Tommy! You're . . .you're . . .AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!
Wincing somewhat from the assault on his ears, he took up a lean against the wall. "Y'know. . .yer gon' go hoarse screamin' like thaht. . .Yes, Ah'm 'Tommy'. Part'a mah middle name, y'scan? Kaj' thought it'd be a right fun joke. Ah'm tha new masseur here." he said with a wry smirk.
Pslyder: a.k.a. Frederick Thomas Alexander. Former enforcer and bodyguard, with several cybernetic enhancements, that although mainly intended for combat, were serving a much more relaxing purpose here in this world he'd found himself working in.
"Oh. . .my. . .GOD!!!! No way! No way in hell! YOU'RE working HERE????"
Chuckling softly, he said, "Yup. Ah guess ya ain't heard yet 'bout tha 'company employee benefit program.'..."
"OhmygodohmygodohmyGOD!!!"
With an exasperated sigh, he slid a chair over to her. "Spirits, toots, cop'a squat before you pass out or somethin'. . .You're actin' like Ah'm some kind of big shot or somethin'. . .makin' me nervous. . ." Psly couldn't help but smile at that: him as Mr Bigshot, a guy who could stun women into silence..
With Alicia slumped down into the seat, eyes wide and staring. Psly noted, even for a half-fairy, that wasn't healthy, and to cap it all off, she was starting to hyperventilate. Taking the bottle she'd been holding, he stepped over to the mini-fridge, asking her if a glass of wine would help settle her Somewhat. Taking her lack of response as an affirmative and the evidence of several similar cold bottles, he poured her a large glass of Chardonnay. He actually had to place it into her hand; she appeared to be still in that much shock.
"Here. Drink. Be calm. Ah don' bite...much."
After another chuckle at his last comment, Psly went back into his studio, so that Alicia could recuperate And relax. Hoping that some time alone would give her a chance to become accustomed to his presence. It was clear that he flustered her...a lot. He didn't want to be impressed by that, or become big -headed, but it felt good to know that he could make a girl speechless. Okay, he conceded to himself, so maybe he was big -headed and that being the case, was it really a bad thing. Whistling to himself, he got down to work.
"Ok, get a grip, girl. Yes, he's working here. You're working here. You get to stare at that ass all.. .gah..." It had taken Alicia about ten minutes and frequent gulps of the wine Psly had poured her, before she felt coherent enough and steady enough to stand. Shakily, she got herself another glass of wine, gulping that down too, certain that the alcohol was helping her calm down.
What didn't help her stress levels, was reading the note she'd just found whilst walking back to her chair. Kaja's cheery note stating the new masseur had started, and if it wasn't busy, employees got free massages. That set off a whole new level of giddiness, and Touch of tingling to boot.