Suddenly, I wished we stayed open later. I couldn’t lie. Even if I wasn’t such a horrible liar, he could easily see the closing times on the door, and I’d be busted.
“Until ten on Fridays.” Except…what the hell. “But we offer half-hour Swedish massages.”
“You don’t sound Swedish,” he said.
I froze, unsure what I was supposed to say. And then I realized he was joking. He’d been smiling the whole time, but it took me a couple seconds to catch up. Then our eyes locked and a shiver went down my spine. I’d never been lost in someone’s eyes before, but his were just so deep and clear, like a mountain lake.
Heat flooded my face when I realized I was staring. “Um, no, despite the blonde hair and blue eyes, I’m not remotely Swedish. Well, as far as I’m aware.”
He grinned. “I’m Alec, by the way.”
“Lumen,” I said. “Lumen Browne.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lumen.” He held out his hand and I shook it gladly. He had nice hands – not too rough but strong. Damn. I almost wished our positions were reversed and I could ask him for a massage.
Shit. I needed to stop thinking that way. What had gotten into me? I wasn’t a loud, out-going person, but no one flustered me. No man, especially.
“Now, lass, pretend I don’t know what a Swedish massage entails,” he said.
Good, I could switch to a rehearsed script now. “It’s actually one of the most common Western massage types, based more on anatomy and physiology than energy work or zen lines in Asian massages. If you haven’t had a massage in a while, it’s a great place to start.”
When he smiled this time, it was a slower curve of his lips, drawing my attention to them in a way that made my stomach tighten. “You know, that sounds perfect. It’s been a bit of a tense evening.”
“Of course,” I said, still in customer service mode. I set out the appropriate sign on the desk to let anyone else know that the place wasn’t empty, then motioned to Alec. “Please follow me.”
As I led him to one of the therapy rooms, I tried to catch my breath. My boss, Lihua, had left at nine, leaving me to close up alone since we rarely had walk-ins this late. That meant I was the only person here to actually do the massage. I’d been flustered enough just talking to him.
How was I going to handle touching bare skin, knowing the only thing between my hands and his entirely naked body was a towel? Just the thought made my legs wobbly. At least he’d be facing downward and wouldn’t see how red my face was sure to get.
We reached the therapy room, which Lihua had prepared before she’d left. A spa bed, several towel rolls, soft glowing lamps and candles, and a countertop with a sink and all the necessary oils. It was quite lovely, but I barely noticed the serene surroundings.
“Before we begin, I need you to please fill out a bit of paperwork.” I handed him a clipboard containing the questionnaire and consent forms each customer was required to complete and sign. “When you’re finished, please undress and lay face-down on the table here. You may place a steamed towel over any area you wish to be covered. I’ll be back in a moment. And don’t worry, I’ll knock first.”
All rehearsed lines. I tried not to think about what I’d do if he forgot the towel or if I walked in early. Or if he simply decided that it was no big deal for me to see his ass.
Shit.
I closed my eyes for a moment as I adjusted a towel that didn’t need adjusting. Was it too much to hope that something under that suit could be so unattractive that it’d make this whole process easier? I wasn’t superficial enough for a lot of things, but maybe he was a secret Nazi. Yes, a giant swastika on his butt could keep my hormones in check.
I walked toward the door.
“Does that mean you’re the masseuse?”
I stopped at the doorway and looked over my shoulder at him. He didn’t have a creepy smirk or anything. He was genuinely curious.
“I’m a fully licensed massage therapist,” I said blandly, giving him the proper title.
“Sorry, lass. Massage therapist,” he corrected himself. Not that I’d been offended by the term masseuse.
“Is that all right with you?” I asked.
“Oh, aye. Yes, yes, of course. I was just wondering.” He frowned, but I got the feeling that it was directed more at himself than at me. He’d blurted out an answer that he’d probably wanted to sound much smoother.
Before my burning face could betray me, I shot him a final smile that probably looked more like a grimace and left. Once safe, I shut the door behind me and let out a breath. It was just a half-hour massage, I told myself. No different than any other one I’d done a hundred times before. And it’d be my last one too. That was what I needed to focus on.
Half an hour. Then I could go home.
I returned to the greeting area and locked the front door to prevent any other walk-in clients from coming in. I switched the open sign to closed, satisfied that I’d followed all of Lihua’s checklist, then headed back to the therapist area to wash my hands and tie back my hair.
