Perspective: The Mother
Kathleen arrived at the location, and since it was near her home, she invited her son for an education.
"Listen and learn," she reminded her son. "You'll probably find this to be tedious, but it's a great career. Who knows, maybe when you're done with college I can get you an internship or entry-level job with me."
Each location for the Spa & Gym franchise was sprawling, so re-opening them was a serious task. Employees were hired back and extensive cleaning procedures were implemented so they could welcome their clients safely.
Quality control meant everything to this franchise so strict regulations were important. With a clipboard in hand, Kathleen and her son greeted the branch manager for a tour. They'd met before and maintained a great working relationship over the phone for years.
From the start, she was pleased with what she saw and heard. It's always good to see managers taking initiative.
Her son observed from the sidelines. This was Ben's introduction to the business world as a 20-year-old college student. It was also a chance for them to do something interesting together. Ever since her promotion years ago, Kathleen traveled to various locations around the world, which was a sacrifice to her home life.
"You've done well," Kathleen said to the manager, nodding at how spotless the gym section looked. "I have to admit that the standard here is higher than other locations I've been to recently."
Ms. Sanjani smiled, holding her head high. "I can only thank my employees. Their dedication has resulted in this."
It took nearly 30 minutes to do a full inspection of the gym, yoga, and cycling rooms. Everything looked up to par and beyond what the corporate regulations required.
Then came the spa room. It looked like a dream. The standard was above other locations of this franchise, particularly because this location was much newer. There were additional features here, such as advanced treatments and specialties which have yet to debut at other locations.
The spa area was vast, with rooms for saunas, hot tubs, and massages. There were custom-made recliner seats for facials and body massages. There were tables filled with all sorts of beauty products and natural herbs. The aromas were like stepping into the garden of heaven.
It had been a while since Kathleen had a spa treatment of this caliber. Just looking at the facility made her body crave for fingers digging into her flesh, cleanses and exfoliates applied to her face. Feeling the steam across her skin.
But work was work. She remained focused and steadfast.
"Ah, you see something you like," Ms. Sanjani said with pride. "The rollout of new treatments are ahead of schedule. Our employees are fully trained and what we offer is exclusive to this location."
"Is everything fully operational for the re-opening?"
"100% operational. I've had the pleasure of having two of the new treatments this past weekend. Let me tell you, there's nothing like it. Bliss. I'm a new woman."
Kathleen smiled, "I know what that's like. It's been far too long since I've had a massage."
"Can I offer both of you a treatment? Consider it part of the inspection."
"Oh, no, I can't. Not while I'm working."
"Then after the inspection is complete. I'm incredibly proud of our updated spa service and I insist that you try it. What you see here is excellence at its finest."
It was such a tempting offer, which Kathleen appreciated, but she had to decline to maintain professionalism. Getting a spa service during an inspection felt wildly inappropriate. Especially with someone of her corporate stature.
However, she may have had to carve a small exception for her son, whose eyes marveled at the luxury facility. This place was fit for celebrities and elites. Turning down the experience seemed like a travesty.
"I prefer to keep working," Kathleen said politely. "But I get the feeling that Ben may be interested. Are you?"
They looked at her son, who was put on the spot.
Ben shrugged. "I've never had a spa treatment before. And I don't want to delay your work."
It was amusing for Kathleen to see the expression on her son's face. Ben truly was a virgin when it came to spa treatments, and part of her felt bad that her son never had the pleasure. In her opinion, there's nothing like it, except for sex and love.
"Consider this work," Kathleen offered to her son. "Give it a try. When you're done, tell me how it was. Then I'll put it in my report."
"Are you sure? It might be weird if I was the only person doing this."
"I'm serious. I have administrative work to discuss and you'll be bored senseless. Go ahead and I'll come back in an hour to get you."
Ms. Sanjani added, "It's a fantastic offer because you'll have the spa to yourself, which is a rare indulgence. All you have to do is strip naked and relax. My employees will handle the rest by giving you a deep-tissue massage."
Being naked while female employees use their soft hands? Every young man's dream come true.
"I guess that could work," he said, hiding his interest.
Ms. Sanjani nodded. "Wonderful. Do you have a preference for additional treatments? Deep cleansing face and body scrub? Sauna and massage? Or perhaps our new
Aphrodisiac Goddess
treatment?"
The manager gave a playful wink, to which Kathleen laughed and brushed it off, while Ben was left blushing. The name
Aphrodisiac Goddess
is self-explanatory for what it's meant to do.
"Give him the standard skin and massage treatment," Kathleen said. "Just the basics to nourish his body. The last thing we want is Ben with a... nevermind."
The ladies were amused and explained to Ben how the process works. Kathleen practically had to push her son inside of the changing room to get naked. With the curtain closed, it took a few moments before Ben came out wearing only a towel around his waist.
Ms. Sanjani snapped her fingers and called out for two female employees to enter the spa. Both employees were young, perhaps early 20's, and both followed standard operating procedures for skin and massage treatment. The employees gathered towels and the necessary rubs. It was a testament to the training they received.