Single Wide Female: The Bucket List Mega Bundle - 24 Books (Books #1-24) (46 page)

As I walked to the spa, I thought about all of the times in my life that I’d wished I had a little more time to relax. When I was in college the hours I kept were ridiculous. Now, with the bucket list demanding my attention, I tended to overdo it a bit.

Relaxation needed to become more important to me—to give me room to breathe and explore my thoughts. I was looking forward to getting plenty of that at the spa.

A buzz from my phone interrupted my thoughts. I glanced down to see a text from Max.

Please steal me a robe. Please. Seriously. I need a robe. A nice fluffy terry-cloth robe. If you love me, you’ll do it.

I laughed and shook my head. I paused a moment and texted him back.

I do love you, but stealing is wrong. So you’re just going to have to stick to pajamas.

A split-second later he texted me back.

You are a cruel and heartless woman, but I still love you.

I smiled wistfully. If only he meant that as more than just a friend.

I forced the thoughts of Max out of my mind and started walking again.

I really didn’t know what to expect—just an idea in my head. I envisioned a serene environment filled with fluffy furniture and people who whispered. I imagined that there would be glowing lights everywhere and that when people walked they might as well be floating.

When I reached the address of the spa, I saw a simple sign on a glass door. It was not what I’d hoped for, but I went inside anyway. Right inside the door were a few chairs, and a few feet from them a large wooden reception desk. The woman sitting behind it looked like any other receptionist. I was feeling more disappointed as I walked up to the desk.

“Is this Spring Spa?” I asked.

“Yes, it is. Take a seat.” She cleared her throat.

I frowned and walked over to the chairs. I started to wonder if I should just get up and go. The receptionist did a few more things on her keyboard, then stood up and waved to me.

“Samantha?”

“Yes.” I smiled.

“Okay, they’re ready for you. Just head through that door.” She pointed to a plain white door.

“Is this—like a real spa?”

“What do you mean a real spa?”

“I mean, is it for pampering?” I stood awkwardly in front of the door.

“Trust me, you’ll enjoy yourself. Go on in.”

I felt a little wary but I was already there so I opened the door.

The moment I opened the door, I was stunned.

Chapter 2

The plain exterior of the reception office did nothing to give away the luxurious interior. There were fountains everywhere I looked. Plush couches dotted the spacious main area. Three hallways jutted off the main room and seemed to promise to lead to even more luxury. Beautiful paintings adorned the walls. There were several different kinds of plants in full blossom throughout the room.

I breathed a sigh of relief. This was much more like what I had been picturing.

“Samantha, welcome.” A woman walked toward me. She had her perfect white blonde hair in a perky ponytail. Her petite frame was encapsulated in a flawless uniform. I might have mistaken her for an angel if she didn’t have the name of the spa printed across her chest.

“Hi.” I took a step farther into the room. “This is very nice.”

“Oh, yes. We keep the front room pretty bare. It discourages drop-in traffic. We prefer to schedule by appointment.” She smiled and handed me a folder. “My name is Amanda, and I will be hosting your day of relaxation. Here is your menu. Please take your time and select all of the services that you would like to enjoy today.”

“Oh, I get to pick?” I took the folder from her.

“Everything is listed on the menu. Just check off the items that you’d like. I’ll give you a few minutes.” She gestured to one of the fluffy couches and then walked away.

I sat down—or rather, sank down—into the plush couch.

I looked at the menu with some confusion. It was created to resemble a menu at a fine restaurant. Which was creative, but it was also making me a little hungry. Not only that, but the fancy writing made it difficult to decipher what each service included.

I was going to stay away from anything that included the word wax. I wasn’t interested in anything being torn off my body. I did check off a facial, as I’d only ever had the kind that I gave myself. There were some interesting things involving hot rocks, but I was a little nervous about that too.

When I reached the massage section I relaxed a little. A massage was something I understood. It would be difficult for me, though. Just the thought of a stranger touching my naked body made me uneasy. But that was exactly why I had to try it. I checked off the basic one-hour massage. Then I moved on to reserve some time in the hot tub. I was looking forward to that. I hadn’t been in a hot tub for a long time.

“How are you doing, Samantha?”

Cheerful blonde Amanda walked back over to me. “Did you find anything you liked?”

“I’ll start with a facial, then I think a massage and some time in the hot tub.” I smiled at her. Then to my horror I realized that I did not have a bathing suit. “Oh, wait. Never mind about the hot tub. I didn’t come prepared for that.”

“We have suits in all sizes if that’s what you’re concerned about.” She smiled. “But is that all? We have so many other services to choose from. I bet you would really enjoy some raindrop therapy.”

I looked at her with a tight smile. Not even I was foolish enough to pay for something I could get for free by waiting for the next rainstorm. “Just the facial, the massage, and the hot tub, please.”

“Okay, you can always add more later if you decide to.” She took the menu from me. “Let’s get you to your facial.”

She was so cheerful that I felt like skipping. I was fairly certain that she had to be on some kind of mood-altering substance. Then again, if I spent all day in such luxury I might feel that way too.

“You can just step in here.”

She opened a door to a room that was not much bigger than a closet. There was a chair to recline in, a small sink, and a narrow counter. The only other thing in the room was a stool on wheels. It would have looked like a doctor’s office were it not for the painted walls that resembled a tropical sunset. There was a sound machine simulating waves rushing to the shore.

“Someone will be with you in just a minute. Have a seat and get comfortable.”

As I looked at the small space, I doubted whether I was going to be able to do either. I slid inside the room and managed to wedge the door shut. I had to lift one foot and swing my leg over the side of the chair in order to get into it. When I did, I lost my balance halfway across and landed lopsided on the chair. It was harder than it looked.

When I finally got settled in the seat, I wondered why they had left so much space in the main room and squashed their guests into a tiny facial room. I didn’t have too long to think about it before the door opened. I slid as far as I could over on the chair.

A tall thin young man walked into the room. He wore a white lab coat with a splash of color on the lapels.

“Hi-hi.” He smiled. His voice sounded like a chirp. “I’m Carter and I’m here to make you glow!”

“Sounds good.” I smiled back at him.

“Let me just get this.” He reached above me.

I naturally followed the path of his hand with my eyes. I immediately regretted that when the bright light above my head switched on and burned right into my eyes.

“Ouch!” I gulped.

“Oops, so sorry. Here.” He slid a flimsy pair of disposable sunglasses over my eyes. “The light is good for the skin treatment we use.”

I frowned, but I did my best to relax.

Chapter 3

A moment later I felt a warm towel running across my face. This actually was very relaxing and comforting. Just as I began to relax, he applied a cold cream to my face. The icy blast was enough to nearly make me jump out of the chair. My foot caught between the chair and the wall as my body jerked. I ended up half-sliding off the top of the chair in an attempt to escape the cold cream that was already liberally applied on my face.

“Oh, too cold?” he asked. He grabbed me by the arm and elbow and heaved me back up onto the chair.

I was out of breath as I lay back against the chair once more.

“A little.”

“Don’t worry, this next part will warm it up.” He smiled at me.

Normally I would have smiled back, but I was beginning to think that he was taking pleasure in torturing me.

“Okay, but I’m just looking for something mild. I’m not sure how my skin will react to different things.”

It was a bit of a lie. My skin was not very sensitive. But I’d lost a little faith in his ability. I wanted him to be careful with whatever else he would be putting on my face.

“Just relax. This will be warming—and relaxing.” He smiled.

He smiled a lot. I wasn’t sure if it meant that he was friendly or that he had some kind of injections in his cheeks.

“It would probably be best if you closed your eyes.”

His voice was so smooth that it was almost hypnotic.

I settled back against the chair. My mind drifted as his fingertips swept slowly across my cheeks. I felt little patches of warmth, like the sun on my skin. My muscles began to unwind.

My mind filled with thoughts of Max and how he might react to my rejuvenated face when he picked me up for dinner. Then my mind shifted to candlelight. Yes, candles on the table. Glowing, flickering candles. Then suddenly I didn’t see candles anymore. I saw flames!

“Oh, my God! Hot!” My words came out as a shriek. I started to claw at my face.

“What’s hot? Your skin?” he asked. He looked around wildly.

“Get it off! Get it off, please!” I tried wiping it off with my hands but that only seemed to make it worse. My face felt like it was engulfed in flames.

“Let me get some water! I’ll get it washed off right away!”

I was between him and the sink. He had to crawl on top of me to turn the faucet on. I was trying not to scream at the top of my lungs. He managed to get the water on and a moment later he was splashing cold water on my face. It cooled the burning to some degree, but it wasn’t enough. When he splashed me in the face again, I growled.

“Stop it!” I shoved him away from me so hard that he slammed into the door.

I dove for the sink and shoved my face right under the faucet. I hadn’t really thought my action through; I just wanted whatever was burning me off my face. However, I also managed to nearly drown myself.

When I came up for air, he had a towel waiting for me. I tried to grab it in the same moment that he tried to wipe my face with it.

“Ow! My nose!” He stumbled backwards.

I stared at him in shock. I had just punched the happiest man on earth.

“I’m so sorry! It was an accident. Are you okay?” I tried to peer past his hands, which were covering his face.

“I think so.” His voice shook as he spoke. I felt as if I had scarred him for life. “My nose is a tender area for me. It has a perfect slope.” He slowly lowered his hands. “Is it ruined? Be honest.”

I looked at his nose. It just looked like a nose to me. There was a small red spot, but other than that it looked fine to me.

“It’s perfect.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” He sighed and offered me the towel again. “I guess you are sensitive to oregano.”

“Did you think I was a pizza?” I frowned. “Why in the world would you put oregano on my face?”

“Take a look.” He held up a small hand mirror.

I looked into the mirror expecting to see big red burns all over my face, as my skin was still hot. Instead, I saw a big change in how I looked. My skin was smooth, my cheeks were pink, and it looked like I hadn’t aged a day past sixteen. The treatment had been torturous, but the result was amazing.

“How did you do that?” I looked past the mirror to him with awe.

“It’s a deep clean. It’s amazing how much dirt is hidden, and when it’s cleared the natural skin tone can emerge. You have beautiful skin.” He touched his nose self-consciously. “I’m sorry about the drama. I’m new at this. I should have tested a small amount on you before applying it to your face.”

“It’s okay.” I wasn’t so sure if it was okay, but I couldn’t argue with the outcome. “I’m sorry about your nose.”

“It’s fine.” He shrugged. “Anyway, just make sure not to use soap on your face for the next few days, as your skin will be very sensitive.”

“Okay.” I started to step out of the room.

“You know I feel so terribly about all of this. How about a mani-pedi?”

“Oh, no thank you. I only want a few things today.”

“It’ll be on the house.”

He looked so eager to please me that I found myself turning back toward him.

“You can do that?”

“Oh, yes. I can do your fingernails and toenails.” He smiled.

“Oh, okay—well, I guess that would be nice. But just the toes, please. There’s no point in doing my nails.” I shook my head. “I spend all of my time with hands in laundry soap, and you would not believe how fast that wipes off nail polish. I just keep my nails trimmed and don’t bother polishing them.”

“I understand.” Carter nodded. “Then let’s see those feet.”

Chapter 4

I slid my shoes off with some hesitation. I hadn’t expected to get a pedicure, but I wasn’t going to turn down a free service. When he grabbed my feet I had to bite into my bottom lip to keep from giggling. It tickled when he ran his hands along the soles of my feet. I noticed that he was giving them a gentle massage. It felt awkward at first but when he began tugging at my toes, I actually found it relaxing.

“What color would you like?” he asked.

“Oh, any color will be fine. You know, nothing too crazy.” I smiled and stretched out in the chair.

I closed my eyes. Now that my face wasn’t burning as much I could barely remember how badly it had hurt. Carter chatted to me while he worked on my toenails but I barely listened. I was zoned out from the adrenaline that had rushed through me and then faded just as abruptly.

“There we go.” Carter sounded as if he was quite proud of his accomplishment. “Take a look.”

I drew my feet up into the air slightly to look at them. My toenails were painted with a bold lime-green color.