Single Wide Female: The Bucket List Mega Bundle - 24 Books (Books #1-24) (47 page)

“Well, they are very bright.” I raised an eyebrow.

“Just like you, Samantha. You seem like such a vibrant woman.”

“Vibrant?” I liked the sound of that.

“Yes. I hope that you enjoy the rest of your spa day.” He stood up and helped me to my feet.

I now had cotton wedges between each of my toes to keep the polish from smudging.

“Thanks again.” I smiled at him. “I hope your nose is okay.”

“My nose!” He grabbed his mirror again and began checking for injuries.

I felt terribly guilty as I stepped out of the room. I hoped that I hadn’t ruined his perfect slope.

I was still a little dazed from the sensation of my face burning, although it had calmed down into a subtle tingling. My shirt and hair were drenched from my attempt at self-drowning.

“Samantha?” Amanda walked toward me with a shocked look. “What happened to you?”

I didn’t want to get Carter in trouble. He seemed like an eager kid that just didn’t quite know his trade yet. I also didn’t want to be thrown out for punching him in the nose.

“I slipped in the sink and—well, this happened.” I laughed as if it was no big deal.

“Okay.” Amanda furrowed a brow. “Well, maybe it’s a good time for your massage then?” She smiled, as perky as ever.

“That sounds great.”

“Now, Alex is busy at the moment. We do have another masseuse working, but I’m guessing you’d rather wait for Alex.”

“Alex?” I raised an eyebrow. It was one thing to have a female rubbing my nude skin; I didn’t want the added pressure of having a man doing it. “I don’t think I want Alex. Who is the other masseuse?”

“Well, Ashley is available, but usually we like to—”

“Ashley sounds perfect.” I smiled.

“I’m sorry, but we do like to keep things as neutral as we can between our guests and our staff, so we prefer to book our guests accordingly. However, if you really want to have Ashley work on you I guess that we can make an exception.”

I stared at her with disbelief. What kind of spa forced women to be massaged by men and vice versa? I wondered if this might be one of those places that offered happy endings with the massage. It seemed a little high-end for that, but then again, the rich were sometimes kinky. I frowned.

“I think I’d feel much more comfortable with Ashley.”

“Okay.” She laughed a little. “So would I, truth be told.” She winked at me. My eyes widened. I wondered if she had now made the assumption that I preferred women? I didn’t really care, but I was starting to think that this place was a little too strange for me.

“You can go right in if you like. Room three. Have fun!” She wiggled her eyebrows.

I stared back at her. What was I supposed to do? Wiggle my eyebrows back?

“Thanks.”

I felt very out of place as I stood up. I had to walk on my heels for fear of accidentally scraping my wet toenails against something. I was certain that I must resemble a penguin waddling along.

I walked up to room three and knocked lightly. When no one answered, I opened the door. The room was set up for a massage, but there was no masseuse inside. I assumed that Ashley would be along after I got settled.

I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me. Now was the truly awkward part. I had seen massages on movies and read about them in books, but I’d never actually had one myself. From my previous knowledge, I was pretty sure that I was supposed to undress completely for the massage.

I hadn’t been intentionally naked around anyone in quite some time. My spa day wasn’t just about pampering myself, it was also about embracing the beauty of my body. With that in mind, I slowly began to shed my clothes.

There was a small cart beside the massage table. It seemed to be the only place to put my clothes. I folded my shirt carefully. Then I started to take off my pants. This proved to be a problem when it came to my toenails. I stumbled as I tried to tug off my pants without smudging my nails.

I reached up for the slim counter that held an assortment of oils and candles to support myself. However, the counter had a thin sheen of oil on it. One of the bottles must have been spilled earlier in the day. My hand slid right across the counter, and I went flying straight for the massage table.

As I slammed into it, I wondered if it would be sturdy enough to catch me. I didn’t have to wonder long, as the entire table tipped over with the force. I landed half on top of it and half on the floor. I braced myself. I fully expected the door to swing open because of the noise. Luckily no one seemed to have heard the disaster.

I scrambled to my feet. I wasn’t hurt, but I was sure ready for my massage. I tried to set the table back upon its feet. But the floor was wooden, so when I tipped the table upward the legs on the other side only slid forward.

My panic increased, as I just knew that with every failed attempt someone was going to walk in and demand an explanation. There wasn’t much I could say, shirtless with my pants around my ankles. Finally I kicked my pants off. I grabbed the table and lifted it up off of the floor entirely. Once it was on all four legs, I sighed with relief.

In just my underwear now, I knew that it was time to decide.

Chapter 5

Was I going to be one of those prudes that kept their panties on or was I going to set my body free?

I was determined to prove to myself that I had nothing to be ashamed of, that my body was natural and beautiful. I took a deep breath and then shed the remainder of my clothing.

Once it was all folded up neatly on the cart, I felt very strange. I was standing in the middle of the room without a stitch of clothing on.

I quickly hopped on to the table. It seemed to be common sense to lie on my stomach. Then I struggled to pull the sheet on top of me. I pulled it right up to my neck. Once I was covered, I breathed a sigh of relief. It still felt weird to be lying there naked, but at least I wasn’t in full view.

With my toes hanging off of the end of the table, I waited for Ashley to make her arrival. While I waited, my mind drifted. I thought about all of the things I’d been crossing off my list. I was lost in thought when the door to the massage room swung open.

I froze. This was the moment. There was no getting around it. I was going to have a massage. Soft music began playing. I heard the sharp click of a lighter being struck. A lovely aroma began floating through the air. I willed myself to relax. This woman was a professional, and she was used to seeing naked bodies. I heard a few more subtle movements, then hands gently folded the sheet back from my shoulders.

Finally I began to relax. This is what I’m here for, I reminded myself. It’s time to treat my body with love and accept it with love. I took a deep breath and released it very slowly. As I did, I thought about what would happen when someone else began to put their hands on me.

I’d never been nude for a massage. I’d never even been lying down for a massage before. In fact, the only person who had ever really rubbed my shoulders was Max. I’d let that go only so far, as I tended to read way too much into it.

This woman was a perfect stranger. Normally I would be overly paranoid about the look of my body and whether the other person was judging me. But I was determined not to fall into that trap. This was another female, part of my same tribe, who knew what it was like to feel insecure about different parts of her body. What woman didn’t?

As I felt strong broad hands roll across my shoulders I was a little confused. When the person massaging me spoke, I nearly lost the contents of my bladder.

“I’m going to take good care of you today.”

His voice was deep and as smooth as silk. I gasped and nearly fell off of the side of the table in an attempt to wriggle away from him.

“I’m sorry, you must have the wrong room!” I glared at him. “I’m supposed to be getting a massage from Ashley!”

I was furious. Had Amanda planned this? Had she insisted on my being seen by Alex even though I had requested Ashley? What was her obsession with male masseuses?

“I am Ashley.” He offered me a small smile and guided me back down on to the table. It didn’t help that he looked like he had walked off the front of a magazine. “This is the right room.” His hands ran along my shoulders in slow steady strokes. “You requested me.” He leaned down and smiled at me. “Thanks for that. Some of the women that come in here are a little shy about working with a male masseuse.”

I closed my eyes as I realized my mistake. No, it wasn’t common for a man to be named Ashley these days, but it did happen. Apparently I’d happened unto the one male Ashley in my corner of the world.

I knew that I could stop the massage and just explain the mistake, but his hands had already made my shoulders feel so good. I wondered if he had some kind of supernatural knowledge about how to get me to relax.

“I’m sorry, Samantha. Are you uncomfortable?” He took a step back. “If you don’t want me to continue, I won’t.”

“I’m fine.” I mumbled my words.

I was very grateful for the little hole in the top of the table to hide my face in. I didn’t want him to see just how embarrassed I was.

“Are you sure?”

His voice was so soothing that I just wanted to snuggle up to him. I forced myself not to vocalize that desire, and made a mental note that it really was time to get out and date more before I began accosting perfect strangers for cuddle time.

“Yes.”

I tried to forget about the fact that I was naked. I tried to forget about the fact that I had requested a male masseuse. I tried to relax.

When I felt his fingertips touch my shoulders, I willed myself not to wiggle. It was so hard not to. I wasn’t accustomed to a stranger’s touch on my body.

“You’re so tense.” Ashley said from above me. He began to work his fingers in a firm circular pattern along my shoulders. “You need to relax, Samantha. Just relax.”

Chapter 6

Relax, Samantha, I told myself. I really tried to. The only problem was, his touch was more than just soothing. The way he stroked his hands across my bare skin was sensual and lingering. I hadn’t been touched like that in a very long time. I started to relax, but I also started to get aroused.

No, no, no, Samantha! I shouted in my head. This is a professional massage. Do not embarrass yourself!

I wanted to listen to myself. I really did. But then Ashley’s hands glided down even further along my back—and under the sheet.

“Oh.” Ashley sounded surprised. “I didn’t realize that you were completely undressed.”

My body tensed right back up. What did he mean by that?

“I thought I was supposed to get undressed.” I whispered my words, too horrified to speak any louder.

“Usually our guests keep their underwear on.” Ashley continued to stroke and rub at my back. “If this is how you are comfortable, then it’s just fine.” He sounded like he was trying to reassure me, but he didn’t seem very comfortable himself.

I was absolutely mortified. It was clear to me that Ashley was not used to his clients getting totally naked. I felt ridiculous for stripping off all of my clothes. But that discomfort quickly faded as Ashley began to go deeper into my lower back. Lifting all of those laundry baskets had really put a strain on my muscles lately. Ashley seemed to know just where to find the tender spots.

I closed my eyes and tried not to think about the fact that I was naked. I let the way he was turning my skin from stiff and sore into warm churned butter ease my mind. Within a few minutes I was so relaxed that I began to get sleepy. The soft music seemed much louder. It seemed to be tugging me into slumber.

I felt Ashley begin to work on my legs. I knew that I should stay awake, but I couldn’t help it. I must have fallen asleep at some point because when Ashley began rubbing above my knee, I was so startled that I woke right up. Not only did I wake right up, I threw my head up, kicked my legs, and released some pent-up gas all at the same time.

“Hey, watch it!” Ashley complained and jumped back.

I had narrowly avoided kicking him in the jaw, and had likely given him a very clear view of what was underneath the sheet.

“What are you doing?” He coughed a bit, on what I assumed was the rancid cloud of scent that had overtaken the lovely candles.

“I’m so sorry! I fell asleep, and then you touched me—”

“I didn’t do anything inappropriate.”

“I know you didn’t. I’m sorry. It’s just that I was asleep, and I forgot where I was and—uh, I had a spicy omelette for breakfast.”

I stuck my head as deep into the hole in the table as I could get it to go. I heard Ashley take a deep breath, as if he was trying to calm himself down. Then he cleared his throat. I heard the sharp click of the lighter as he lit a few more candles as well as some incense.

“It’s okay. It happens. It’s perfectly natural.”

I could hear how hard he was trying to be convincing, but I wasn’t sure if it was me he was trying to convince or himself.

I could barely think straight, I was so embarrassed.

I waited for Ashley to begin the massage again. He did, but it was a little rougher. I assumed that he was doing his best to keep me awake. I also noticed that he didn’t go near my legs again. He worked on my back, my shoulders, my neck, and even my arms. He was very skilled at what he did, but I was so humiliated that I found it very hard to relax.

I kept my eyes wide open, as I was afraid that even a subtle blink could turn into another noxious disaster.

Finally when he was done he turned the music up a little bit louder.

“I hope that you enjoyed your massage Samantha. I’m glad I had the chance to work with you.”

I was going to ask him if he was being sarcastic until I realized that it was probably just part of a speech that he gave to all of his clients to talk up a tip. I was already planning to give a large one to make up for what I’d done to him.

“Thanks, Ashley.” I didn’t lift my head out of the hole. I hoped that I would never have to look him in the eye again.

“I’m just going to clear a few things out of the room. Then you can relax and take as much time as you need. When you’re ready, you can come out, and I’ll show you to the hot tub.”