“That makes a lot of sense. I’ll do the same, thanks.”
They each grabbed some fresh fruit and yogurt; Rob snagged a chocolate croissant while Ben opted for a lemon danish. They returned to their table and began eating.
Rob pondered for a moment before saying, “You mentioned that you got a special package deal at the spa. What does the package include and just out of curiosity, how much does it cost?”
“It includes a one-hour massage and a thirty-minute facial along with self-paced use of the mineral-spring pools and saunas. The last time I did something like this, I was there for a little over three hours. I did the massage first, followed by the facial. Then you can relax and take your time moving between the pools and sauna. The package price was one hundred forty-nine euros.”
Rob looked surprised, “That’s an amazing deal. It’s what I would expect to pay for only a massage. I think I’d like to get the package too, if they still have availability.”
Ben grinned. “Yeah, over the years I’ve found that many European cities have some great spas that aren’t outrageously priced like they can be in the States. There are certainly places that cost more, but why pay more when you don’t have to?”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
Once they had both finished eating and were enjoying a second cup of coffee, the server stopped by to ask if they needed anything else. Ben and Rob each handed over a card they had received at check-in—this confirmed that breakfast was included with the room.
Ben glanced at his watch and said, “It’s five minutes past nine. I’m going to call the spa now.”
They rose and walked to a quiet corner of the lobby where Ben pulled out his phone, searched for a number, and dialed. As he spoke, Rob thought he caught the words ‘friend’ and ‘reservation,’ but that was really all he could understand.
Still on the phone, Ben said,“Sí, gracias.”He looked at Rob, smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.
“Gracias, hasta luego.”Ben ended the call and said to Rob, “You’re all set. I was able to get the same package that I have. And someone called yesterday afternoon to cancel a massage this morning, so your massage will be at ten o’clock, too.”
“Excellent. Thank you so much, Ben. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem. I’m glad it’s all working out. I’m going to go to my room and grab my stuff.” He checked his watch, “Do you want to meet back here in about twenty minutes?”
Rob looked at the time on his phone and said, “Sure. You said I just need a bathing suit, right?”
They started walking toward the elevator. “Yes,” said Ben. “If you have a pair of flip-flops, bring those, too. But if you don’t, they have some disposable ones at the spa. And the locker rooms have soap, shampoo and towels, so you don’t need to worry about any of that.”
They got off the elevator and headed to their rooms. “See you shortly,” Rob said.
* * *
Once in his room, Ben brushed his teeth and thought back to breakfast. Rob was definitely pushing all the right buttons for him. His Henley really made his blue eyes brighter and as he followed Rob into the restaurant, he’d taken the opportunity to check out his ass in those tight chinos and he definitely liked what he saw.
Well, we’re going to a spa together, so hopefully I’ll get to see a bit more of him.
With that happy thought, he grabbed his flip-flops and bathing suit, tossing them into his backpack. He paused and thought a moment, then added his Kindle. He didn’t know if he’d have time to read, but better safe than sorry.
He checked his phone messages, but there were no texts and just a couple of emails that he quickly deleted. Grabbing his backpack, he headed out the door and down to the lobby.
Ben didn’t see Rob anywhere in the lobby, so he sat in a chair which would allow him to keep an eye on the elevator door while he waited.
* * *
Rob's bathing suit was already tightly stuffed into a ziplock bag, so he tucked it and his flip-flops into the mini-backpack that held his AirPods and Kindle. He never went anywhere without that bag.
After brushing his teeth and using the facilities, Rob stepped off the elevator ready for a day of relaxation and fun with Ben. His date—or not date—was sitting in the lobby waiting for him with a big grin on his handsome face. And it was aimed straight at Rob.
Oh my God, his eyes really light up when he smiles. Could he be any more handsome?
“Ready to go?” Rob asked aloud, ignoring his thoughts.
“Yeah.”
As they walked out the door Ben looked around for a taxi. “This is a busy neighborhood so finding a cab shouldn’t be difficult,” he said.
