My hands curled into fists, but I didn’t know if it was to keep my fingers from shaking or because I wanted to punch him. Maybe a little of both.
As soon as he saw me, he showed me his palms. “I owe you some money,” he said, “and an apology.”
When I didn’t threaten to call the cops or shout for one of the others to come up front, Alec carefully walked toward me, a disarming smile on his face.
“I had the name of this place wrong,” he said. “The place I was told about was called Relief Bodywork. I didn’t realize you guys wereReal LifeBodywork until after you rightfully kicked me out.”
That wasn’t the apology I’d been promised, but it wasn’t nothing either. Still…
“That’syour excuse?” I asked, crossing my arms and giving him my bestno-more-shit-from-youexpression
“It’s a reason, not an excuse,” he said. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a wallet. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, lass. Nor to leave without paying.”
It was good of him not to blame me for kicking him out before getting his money, even though that part was my fault. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t still a sleaze for coming into a massage parlor for sex in the first place. Okay, notsexper se, but something sexual in content.
“I don’t want you getting in trouble with your boss.” He opened his wallet and pulled out some bills. “What do I owe for the Swedish massage? Full price, of course.”
A part of me wanted to snap back that, of course, he owed full price. We’d only been a few minutes from the end in the first place, and it’d been his inappropriate question that had caused things to end early.
Another part wanted to tell him to get lost – and a few other choice phrases – but I wouldn’t make the Jins suffer for my mistake. I could humble myself enough to smile and give him the correct amount.
He pulled out enough money to cover the cost of the massage, and then threw a hundred-dollar bill on top.
“I don’t think you heard me,” I said, gritting my teeth.
“Aye, I did. The rest is yours.”
“You don’t need to apologize with money,” I said stiffly. “Bit too much like a pay-off, in my opinion.”
He shook his head. “The money isn’t the apology. It’s your tip. Earned fair-and-square before I made an arse of myself.”
I picked up the hundred and prepared to throw it back in his face. “I–”
“But I hope youwilllet me apologize by buying you dinner some time.”
What was that? I froze, holding his hundred-dollar bill in the air. He couldn’t be this brazen, could he? He must have been joking.
Except the look on his face told me he wasn’t.
Fuck it. The money was mine. I earned it; he’d even said so. But his “apology” wouldn’t fly.
“I’m not for sale,” I said firmly.
He regarded me evenly, his previously bright eyes guarded. “Then a verbal apology will have to do.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, lass…I mean, Lumen.”
Then, without changing his expression, he turned around and walked out of the store, moving slow enough that I wondered if he was waiting for me to change my mind, but he didn’t stop. The bells on the door jingled and then, when the door closed, it was like he’d never come back. Except for the hundred in my hand and the now balanced book from last night.
I put the bill in my pocket, unsure how I should feel. Fortunately, Lihua just then made her way into the greeting area, her oil-covered hands held aloft.
“I heard the doorbell,” she said. Her eyes narrowed as she looked around for the new customer.
“He just left,” I said. “It was the guy from yesterday. He paid his bill.”
Lihua looked at the money that was still on the counter and smiled. “Good, good! Then there is nothing more to think about.” Her smile flipped into a frown. “Did he make you uncomfortable again?”
I shrugged, putting the money in the cash register and punching in the correct transaction. “Sort of. He gave me a huge tip and then asked me out. But I turned him down, and he left right away.”
Lihua laughed in her rusty sort of way. “Good for you, Lumen. I hope the men who ask you out at your next job will treat you as you deserve.”
