After locking my photo album back in my safe, I sat down with a beer and thought about the last several years. The collection always made me think about those good times. That's when I decided to write it all down. I guess it's a confession of sorts even though I have no regrets about how things turned out.
I didn't start college until I was twenty. Before that, I moved from one worthless job to another. Delivering furniture, driving a fork-lift, and I even tried driving a big rig but didn't care for the long hours even if the pay was good. So, eventually, I realized I needed a college degree to get a good job.
I'd been going to the same health club since high school to lift weights and stay in shape. I guess eventually they got tired of me always being there and offered me a job as a trainer. It worked out with my class schedule and also let me work out for free.
It wasn't big money but enough that I could keep my little studio apartment. Between a few loans and eating very little I was getting by okay. Things got a lot better when the owner of the club stopped me one day and asked if she could talk to me.
Ms. Lee was an Asian woman somewhere in her thirties I'd guessed. She was tiny maybe a hundred pounds with long black hair and dark brown eyes. A good looking woman but was all business. Whenever I'd seen her in the club, she rarely smiled and ran a tight ship. I was surprised when she led me to her office upstairs in the club to talk to me.
The office was rather significant, and I was surprised that the whole upstairs was actually where she lived. The club was large (5000 square feet) and she had all that room like the top floor of some hotel. I sat down in a padded chair across from her big desk as she looked at me and smiled.
"Ethan, I suppose you wondered why I asked you up here?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
She laughed, "You can call me Tami. I wanted to offer you a different job here if you are interested."
"What kind of job?"
"Have you ever thought about being a masseuse?"
"A what?"
Tami grinned with white teeth that looked perfect, "Someone who gives massages."
I knew the club offered massages, but they were out of my price range.
"No, I've never thought about it," I told her.
"One of my guys is quitting in the next couple of months, and I need to find a replacement."
"I can train you to pass the license test," she added.
"I don't know if that's for me."
"Not even if you make big money, and get to massage naked women?"
That got my attention. With school and working out I hadn't had a steady girlfriend for a long time.
"Or do you prefer boys?"
That caught me by surprise, "Girls."
"Can I trust you to keep a secret?" she asked.
"Sure."
"We have some special clients we cater to. Rich ladies with more money than they know what to do with."
I wasn't following her yet.
"That's nice."
Tami smiled at me like I was a dumb child, "They pay a lot for special massages."
I still wasn't following her but was starting to get what she was hinting at.
"How much do they pay?"
"I won't tell you, but if you are good, you will make excellent tips plus what I pay you."
That really sounded pretty good to the little bit I made as a trainer.
"Okay, I guess I'll try it."
"First you have to pass an interview."
"I thought this was one."
"No, I just wanted to see if you're interested first before we go further."
"Okay, when is the real interview?"
"Now if you have time," She smiled, "If not we can set up an appointment."
I really didn't have anything going on, so I told her now was okay.
"Good, come with me."
I got up and followed her to another door that led inside her sizeable top floor apartment. She poured herself a glass of wine and gave me a beer.
We sat down on a huge "L" shaped sofa facing a glass wall that looked out over a vast deck and the city. I had to admit this was the strangest interview I'd ever been on and drained my beer. She brought me another and refilled her wine glass.
She sat down next to me looking me up and down, "You are a good looking young man."
"Thanks," I said feeling a bit uncomfortable the way she was looking me over.
"Are you modest?"
"A little I guess."
"I won't bite, would you stand up and let me look at you?"
"Why?"
"I want to see you better," She smiled, "Our special clients pay a lot for looks and performance."
I stood up and was wearing my work out sleeveless shirt and shorts with sneakers. I stood up and let her look at me as I turned around slowly for her. It seemed weird, but a job is a job.
"Take your shirt off."
Wanting the job I took it off.
"Nice you have abs and well-toned muscles."
I was a little embarrassed but liked the compliment just the same.
She stood up and came closer, "Can I feel your abs?"
"Sure."
She ran her warm palm over my flat tummy and then up to my pecks, "Yes, you will do nicely."
Her touch sort of turned me on, it had been a while since I'd felt a woman's touch.
"Okay thank you and have a seat," She told me, "Excuse me for a minute and have another beer if you'd like."
I grabbed another beer from the little beer cooler refrigerator by her bar. I looked out the window as the sun was going down. It looked great, and I figured she'd gone to the rest room, but I was wrong when she came back.