Author’s Note: The opinions and attitudes of the characters within are theirs and do not represent the views of the author.
*****
‘Honk! Honk! Honk!’
“Where’d you learn to drive!?” Rachel screamed at the blue Toyota as she accelerated past.
It was a pointless effort since both the Toyota’s and her own windows were up. She swerved into the Toyota’s lane, cutting the other driver off and hoping they had to slam on their brakes. Rachel mashed the gas and glanced at her car clock. She was already twelve minutes late for her manicure and massage session. Her last morning meeting had run long.
The new junior vice president had taken the time to rub her new promotion in everyone’s faces, especially Rachel’s. The only reason she’d gotten it was because she was black. It was a position Rachel had broken her back for and had rightly earned. And she thought she had sealed the deal by sleeping with that disgusting pig man in human resources. The recollection of the experience made her skin crawl.
His fat belly slapping against her over and over. Him wheezing in time with every thrust of his tiny dick. The way his eyes bulged out of his head and his tongue hung out of his mouth when he came. He fell down on top of her when he was done and for a moment he’d stopped breathing and Rachel had silently wished he’d collapsed and died of a heart attack. She took two showers when she got home.
But in spite of all her hard work, the junior VP promotion had gone to that black bitch.
Rachel made a hard right turn into the parking lot of her nail salon, squealing tires and ignoring the pedestrian who scrambled to get out of her way. She jumped out of her car and moved as quickly as her high heels would allow. An east Asian woman in her 20s greeted her with a smile as she pushed her way into the Lotus Spring Salon.
“Hello, welcome to Lotus Spring. Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist said.
“Yes, with Lynn,” Rachel replied.
The receptionist turned and punched several keys on her computer’s keyboard. “I’m sorry,” she turned back to Rachel frowning, “that appointment was at 1100.”
Rachel shrugged, “And? I’m a couple minutes late.”
“Well as you know, there’s a ten minute grace period regarding appointments. If a customer is more than ten minutes late, they forfeit their appointment slot.”
“First of all,” Rachel brought her index finger up in front of the receptionist’s face and jabbed the long nail at her, “don’t tell me what I know. I’ve been coming here for four years. You’ve been working here, what? Four weeks? ” Rachel lifted another finger, “Second, it’s only,” she paused and consulted the time on her iPhone. “It’s only 11:14.”
“I’m sorry ma’am but-“.
“No!” Rachel interjected. “I don’t want to hear about any ‘buts’, I wanna hear: ‘Yes ma’am, happy to see you ma’am, right this way ma’am.”
The receptionist shifted her weight from leg to leg, clearly uncomfortable with the exchange. “If there was anything I could do…” the receptionist said.
“Well you’d better do something!” Rachel flung her hands in the air.
The receptionist hesitated for a moment then left the desk and walked out onto the salon floor. Rachel craned her head around the corner. The receptionist walked up to a middle aged Asian woman. She gestured wildly and pointed back towards Rachel. When the other woman stepped clear, Rachel recognized her as Lynn, the person her appointment was scheduled with. And her chair was open!
Rachel raced out onto the salon floor. The two women stopped their conversation and turned to look at her as she approached.
“I’m here for my appointment,” Rachel said as she made a beeline for Lynn’s chair.
Lynn stepped in front her, blocking her path. “You were late so someone else took your time slot.”
“But there’s nobody here!” Rachel waved her hands at the empty chair.
“They’re on their way,” Lynn said.
“But-it was like ten or fifteen minutes. I’ve been coming here for years and you’re gonna screw me over a couple minutes?” Rachel was getting louder by the moment.
“I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do. It’s the policy,” Lynn said.
Rachel noted that when she said ‘sorry’ it sounded more like ‘Sorry I’m not sorry.’
“Where’s May?” Rachel asked, referring to the manager.
“May’s out of the shop today,” Lynn said.
Lynn stepped away and began sorting through the cosmetic supplies at her station. Her smug look was making Rachel’s blood boil. She clenched her fists and seriously debated thumping Lynn on the back of the head, forcing her down to the tiled floor and making her drink nail polish remover until it burned a hole in her throat.
Their exchange had already drawn glances from other customers and Rachel decided to spare herself any further indignity. Fine. She’d make a special trip back to the shop tomorrow when May was back and deal with Lynn. In the meantime Rachel would try to salvage her time at the salon.
Rachel took a deep breath and let it out. “You know what? My nails look Maltepe Escort good already anyway,” Rachel lifted her voice and tried to disguise the rage still coursing through her. She fanned her nails out in front of her then buffed them on the bottom edge of her blouse. “I’ll just skip the ‘mani’ and go straight to the massage.”
“With Ming right?” Lynn said but didn’t stop organizing the bottles on her counter.
“That’s correct,” Rachel replied.
Lynn stopped straightenng and looked at her watch. “She’s busy right now,” Lynn said and went back to cleaning up, as if the matter was resolved.
“What do you mean she’s busy?” Rachel was losing control again. The receptionist took a step away, eyeing Rachel like a dangerous dog that might lash out and bite anyone nearby.
“I mean she’s busy,” Lynn spoke without looking up. “You weren’t scheduled for your massage until after your manicure…which you were late for. She’s in with another customer right now.”
Rachel was about to go through the roof. An older woman in the middle of having her nails done was completely turned around in her chair watching her. Rachel closed her eyes and counted to four. It was as close to ten as she could manage at the moment.
“Well what am I supposed to do in the meantime?” Rachel said.
Lynn shrugged, “Wait I guess.”
The receptionist decided to make a run for it and scurried back toward the front desk. Rachel rubbed her temples. It wasn’t just the inconvenience of how this had all unfolded, it was Lynn’s non-chalant attitude. Yes, Rachel would definitely be back tomorrow to deal with her. She would have Lynn’s job before all was said and done.
Lynn stepped back from her station, admiring her work. She started for a moment when she turned to see Rachel still standing there. “You know,” Lynn said as she wiped off her hands, “if you’re that impatient, Young-jin is free right now. He could see you.”
Young-jin was one of the other massage therapists at the salon. Rachel had seen him around before but had never received work from him. She had never had a massage from a man before…at least not one she had paid for. The very idea of it was absurd to her.
Rachel folded her arms. “No, I’m quite sure that won’t work for me.”
“Oh right, I should’ve figured…,” Lynn waved her hand dismissively at Rachel. “You know, never mind. I figured you’d be afraid to try him which is why I didn’t bring it up.” Lynn turned and began walking away.
Rachel practically ran after her and grabbed her by the shoulder to get her to stop. “Excuse me? Afraid? Afraid of what?”
Lynn let out a long sigh. “Look, you can either take the massage or not take the massage. If not, there’s some magazines over there somewhere. I’ll let Ming know you’re here and she’ll see you when she’s finished.”
Rachel had never been talked to in this manner, much less by some stuck up wannabe jade princess. She knew eyes were on her and she wasn’t about to back down. She pushed past Lynn without another word and started toward the back of the shop where the massage rooms were located.
There was a short hallway at the back of the main floor that led to a small waiting area with a tacky, grey faux leather couch. Clients were usually led back to this room and offered bottled water while they waited for their massage therapist to greet them. Past the waiting area was another hallway with doors to the three massage rooms. Rachel continued through the waiting area to the massage rooms. The first door she came to was where Ming usually worked. The door was closed. Rachel walked to the second room and found it empty. Young-jin suddenly came out of the last room as she approached, startling her.
“So, sorry ma’am, I not mean to alarm you. I hear someone in the hall,” Young-jin said, slightly bowing. He had a noticeable accent. It wouldn’t matter. Rachel rarely talked during her massage sessions as there was little she had in common with these people.
Rachel looked him up and down but didn’t speak as she walked past him into the room. Like the other providers, he was dressed in a black t-shirt and black pants. He was rail thin and looked to be in his late 20s or early 30s but it was hard to tell with Asians. He could just as well have been in his late teens or early 40s. His dark hair was too long in the front and hung over his eybrows in a haircut that was far too effeminate for Rachel’s taste. He wasn’t ugly but then, she wasn’t attracted to Asian guys anyway.
“You’re here for massage?” Young-jin asked?
“Uhh, yeah, why else would I be here?” Rachel replied.
“Sorry, I not get lots of customers,” Young-jin said.
Rachel turned to him and raised an eyebrow.
“No, not because I’m bad,” Young-jin chuckled. “Most women like massage by woman.”
“Yeah, well, I guess today’s your lucky day.” Rachel walked toward the chair in the corner, kicking off her high heels as she went. The room was dominated by a massage table in the center of the room, covered in white towels. In addition to Maltepe Escort Maltepe the chair in the corner, there was a counter with a stack of towels and a cabinet which held scented oils and lotions. There was also a box containing hot towels. A digital clock with a large green readout sat on an end table next to the chair. Rachel reached the chair and began unbuttoning her blouse before pausing to glance over her shoulder. She cleared her throat.
“Oh, excuse me,” Young-jin said. “You get comfortable now, take your time.” He backed out of the room and shut the door.
“Perv,” Rachel muttered.
She removed her blouse and hung it on one of the hangers above the chairs. She laid her skirt over the back of the chair and unhooked her bra and laid it with the skirt. She started tugging her panties down her legs but then reconsidered. She usually fully disrobed for her massage sessions but this time it was a guy providing the service. Rachel pulled her panties back up and retrieved a towel from the counter. She draped it over her back and laid on the table. She reached up to let her long blonde hair out of its bun but decided to leave it up and out of the way. She put her head into the face cradle and closed her eyes.
Young-jin knocked at the door several minutes later and waited until Rachel told him to come in. Rachel heard him moving items around in the cabinet.
“Do you like oil or lotion?” Young-jin asked.
“Oil and non-scented,” Rachel said. No need to go back to the office smelling like jasmine, green tea, or bamboo.
Rachel tensed up when Young-jin came and stood next to her. “It is fine,” he said, apparently sensing her nervousness.
Rachel was pleasantly surprised when Young-jin touched the back of her shoulders. Despite his slim frame, he had strong hands. And while Rachel had worried that his hands might be cold, they were quite the opposite. They were warm, bordering on hot, as if he’d dipped them in a bucket of boiling water before he came back to the room.
Rachel felt her stress being squeezed away as Young-jin kneaded the flesh on her back. He was getting into the muscles and tissues as well as Ming or any of the other workers. He moved from her back to her arms. Rachel gave slight resistance when he lifted her arm. Laying as she was, Young-jin would undoubtably be treated to a good view of her side boob.
“It’s the closest he’ll ever get,” Rachel thought as she surrendered her arm.
Young-jin’s hands worked her neck next. Rachel found herself actually lifting her head out of the cradle to meet his hands as he thumbed the back of her neck. Young-jin gently guided her head back down to the table and continued to let his fingers play along her skin. When his fingertips traced along her jawline to her ears, her whole body shivered.
“Are you cold?” Young-jin asked. “I get you another towel.”
“No I’m fine,” Rachel said sheepishly. That had never happened during any of her trips to the salon.
Rachel’s neck began to feel limp as Young-jin ran his fingers under her chin and framed her cheeks with his hands. She had to stifle a moan when he pinched and tugged her earlobes and was both grateful and disappointed when he removed his hands.
Young-jin shifted the towel higher onto Rachel’s body, exposing her legs four inches below her butt. Rachel heard him moving around and felt him drape a towel over her left leg. His hands came down on the back of her right thigh, plying the muscle. His hands only touched the back and outer side of her thigh, staying far away from her inner thigh. The other providers had always massaged her entire thigh and Young-jin’s oversight was distracting. Rachel chalked it up to him being afraid of being accused of being unprofessional. Even still, it felt like she wasn’t getting a full massage.
Young-jin continued down her leg to the back of her knee. Rachel giggled when he touched her.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to tickle,” he said.
“No, it’s fine,” Rachel said. “I’ve always been sensitive there.” She was surprised with how comfortable she was starting to feel with him. Any reservation about having a male masseur was gone.
Young-jin didn’t linger on the back of her knee and moved to her calf and foot. When he was done, he moved the towel covering her left leg to her right one and began to massage the back of her left thigh. As he worked, Rachel parted her legs slightly and shifted to the left, hoping he’d do the entire leg this time. As with the right leg, he stayed on the back and outside of her thigh.
Rachel spoke up when he moved toward her knee. “Hey, you missed a spot.”
“Huh?”
“You missed this entire area,” Rachel reached back and patted her left inner thigh. “Both legs actually.”
“Yes, most customer don’t like me to touch there,” Young-jin said.
“Well I’m paying for a full massage so I expect a full massage.”
“Yes ma’am,” Young-jin said.
Rachel was pleased to feel his hands traveling back up her leg. He passed them along the back of her thigh Escort Maltepe a few times before moving toward the inside. It was only there for a moment and then it moved to the back of her thigh. He treated her leg like this the entire way, never daring to go more than an inch or two inside and never there for more than a few seconds. Rachel was actually getting a little annoyed. It was great that he wasn’t trying to molest her but he needed to do his damned job.
She sat up on her elbows and turned to face him. “Are you afraid to touch me?”
“I don’t want to be unproper,” he said.
“Improper,” Rachel corrected him. “I’m not gonna pay for this massage if you’re gonna do a shit job. Now come on,” she said and laid her head back down.
She felt his hands start over at the top of her thigh. She let out a long, exaggerated sigh when she felt him doing the same tentative back and forth routine. He stopped for a moment and then returned to the top of her thigh. This time, as he brought his hand over her thigh, he continued around her thigh until his hand touched the table between her legs. Rachel felt a fluttering in her stomach as his fingers pressed along her skin. He moved quickly and was done far too soon. He moved the towel from her right to her left leg and began redoing the massage on her right leg.
“A little slower this time,” Rachel said, “And you can go a little higher.”
Rachel felt him move about a half inch up her leg and then back down. She let out another loud fake sigh. Young-jin moved his hand back up until he was at the edge of the towel covering her back. He lingered there for a moment and then moved his fingertips beneath it. Rachel felt a jolt of excitement as his fingers stroked skin. Having his warm hands so high on her legs almost made her want him to keep going up. She parted her legs a bit more but instead of up, he moved his hands down her leg.
“You may turn over now,” Young-jin announced when he finished. “I will turn around.”
Rachel propped herself up and rolled onto her back. She positioned the towel over her torso, just above the top of her breasts. Young-jin offered her a towel to place under her head and then draped towels over her legs. He then moved in and began running his fingers over her neck. It felt more sensual this time around, being face to face. Rachel kept her eyes shut as his palms slid over her throat. His movements were smooth and slow and Rachel once again felt herself being drawn up toward him.
Young-jin’s fingertips followed one another under her chin and then up to her lips. She kissed them before she even realized what she was doing. He continued moving his fingertips over her face, gently pressing against her cheekbones. His hands smelled a little like cinnamon. He gently massaged her temples and forehead before moving his fingers back down over her lips. He traced them along her upper and lower lips and Rachel parted her lips and kissed his fingers again.
He withdraw his fingers and patted her gently on her head. “All done, I let you get dressed. Water?”
Rachel opened her eyes and looked around the room. Everything looked hazy. Young-jin was moving toward the door.
“Wait a minute,” she called out to him.
Young-jin turned to face her, looking puzzled.
Rachel bit the inside of her cheek, not sure if she wanted to ask what she was about to ask. She had reached an understanding with the other masseuses. Although the manager would surely frown on it, Rachel tipped generously and in exchange, at the conclusion of her massage, they would massage her breasts as well. She wasn’t into women and didn’t get off on it, but having them handled always put the punctuation mark on a good session and sent her back to work stress free.
“Do you umm…do you do any other massage?” Rachel wasn’t sure how best to frame her request.
“No Swedish, just Asian,” Young-jin said.
“No what I mean is, do you massage anywhere else?” Rachel could feel the heat rising in her cheeks.
“Massage else? Massage where?” Young-jin said, still clearly not understanding where this was headed.
“Do you uhh…,” Rachel cleared her throat. “Do you…could you massage here too?” she made a circular motion above her chest with her hand.
Young-jin’s eyes went wide. “Ohhhh, no, we not do that kind of massage.”
Rachel felt like the opportunity was going to slip away from her. She sat up on the table but kept the towel pressed against her chest. “No it’s fine. I’ll tip extra.”
“I’ll get in trouble,” Young-jin said.
“No, you won’t, I won’t tell anyone,” she motioned him over. “I just need a little bit.”
Young-jin stood motionless by the door, seeming to consider her proposal. “Just a little bit,” he raised a finger to accentuate his insistance.
Rachel grinned and laid back down on the table. Young-jin walked back over and stood at the head of the table, behind Rachel. After seeming to think it over again, he brought his hands down on Rachel’s upper chest, just below her neck. It was a full minute before he slid his hands down to the edge of the towel. He placed his fingertips at the tops of her breasts and massaged them with a circular motion. He moved the towel slightly lower and pressed into her flesh with more confidence. His fingers touched the outer edge of her breasts and then back to the top.