LYNX OPENEDthe door to her apartment, smiling as she beckoned her visitor inside.
“Hello, Ms. Lincoln. I here for treatment today,” the woman said in broken English.
“Yes, Sari, come in,” Lynx said, closing the heavy door behind her.
“We go to your room.” Sari headed toward the back of the apartment, lugging a folded table behind her.
“Let me help you,” Lynx offered.
“No! You must not. This not your job,” Sari said firmly, shaking her head.
Resigned, Lynx led the woman to her bedroom, decorated in varying shades of pink and gold. Small candelabra lights were lit above her bed, casting a soft glow on the satiny rose-colored bedspread and the deep cranberry fabric-covered walls.
Sari plugged in the canister of already warm wax, reheating it quickly while setting up the table. The tiny brown-skinned woman spread a long blue blanket on top of the table and plugged that in also so the sterile surface would be more comfortable for Lynx.
One long window was open a crack, allowing a hint of the sea breeze to waft inside, reminding Lynx of other happier oceans. She inhaled deeply, the salty tang calming her as she undressed with no shame. She didn’t wear a bra, so she slipped off her red thong and climbed onto the semi-warm table.
She lay on her stomach first, baring her new tattoo, a series of purple-tinted waves cresting across her lower back. It had only been a few weeks since she’d had it done overseas, but thankfully, it wasn’t tender anymore. With Sari’s visit, she knew she’d have no room to complain in the coming days.
“Interesting,” Sari said, running a finger along the tat. “Has Mr. Zayid seen this?”
The woman might be small, but she wasn’t stupid.
“Yes, he sent the men with me when I had it done.”
There was nothing to hide, except for the inscription hidden deep within the rolling water. Inside the finely detailed design on her darker skin were the wordsCASH OUT. So small, most likely unable to be seen by the naked eye, the tattoo artist had to use a magnifying glass when he inserted them.
“Okay, hold your cheeks, spread them,” Sari instructed.
Lynx reached back and grabbed her own ass cheeks, opening them so the woman could coat her lower lips and ass crack with an apricot-scented hard wax. Lynx preferred the sea smell to the fruity scent, and her nose searched for the tranquility of the ocean air she so desperately needed.
Then she felt Sari fanning her ass, hastening the drying of the wax before pulling it off with no mercy. A few more tugs and pulls and she heard, “Turn over.”
And she did, automatically bending her knees to the side and letting them fall flat, leaving her spread wide open. Sari didn’t talk anymore, just diligently cleaned up Lynx’s crotch, ripping the patches of hair that had grown in and plucking any loose hairs left behind until she was as smooth as the day she was born.
The scent of lavender filled the room as Sari wiped a soothing antiseptic over Lynx’s now well-groomed most intimate parts, ready for visitors. Grabbing her hands, the little brown woman ran the same healing tonic over Lynx’s palms, privy to the damage Lynx had inflicted there.
Closing her eyes and willing herself to relax, Lynx continued to lie still, her only movement straightening her legs. She knew what was coming last, but not least. Her thoughts went back to her tattoo as she felt a quick pinch in her arm. After two deep breaths, the sting of her birth-control injection faded. Sari lifted her other arm, tying the tourniquet tight above her elbow. Another prick, and Lynx felt the blood drain from her vein into the small glass vial.
She was required to stay clean, especially if she wanted to ever follow the words now inscribed on her skin. The simple words had come to mean so much to her. She was trying to cash out. But she couldn’t just yet.
It wasn’t just the insane access to money she’d grown accustomed to—she needed to do what she set out to do and find what she came for. Sadly, she hadn’t done it yet.
“Okay, all done,” Sari said, breaking Lynx from her thoughts.
Scooting off the table, Lynx wandered into the bathroom to clean up, and didn’t come out until the other woman was long gone.
Not the right time to cash out yet.
