by K. Anderson
Douglas had actually known John from college and they had been good friends before they parted ways. He had been good friends with Anna as well. He was heavily muscular and looked impressively intimidating. Douglas knew he would never look quite like that, but at least he knew he was being trained by someone who was more than qualified.
“Good morning,” Douglas said as he approached the other man, and the two shook hands.
“Morning,” John gave him a small smile. “How you doing today?”
“Pretty good,” Doug nodded.
The two men seamlessly sank into their routine. It was strenuous enough to keep Doug progressing, but it also allowed for the free flow of conversation between the two men. Douglas thought it was the perfect balance.
“So how’s work been going lately?” John asked.
“Oh, like hell,” Douglas answered honestly, his breath coming short huffs as he did his ab workout.
“Well, sounds like work,” John chuckled as he looked over Douglas’s body to make sure he was in good form.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Douglas agreed. “I’ve been having a lot of migraines these days though.”
“More than usual?” John raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, definitely,” Douglas grunted.
“Probably working yourself too hard,” John shook his head.
“Yeah, as usual,” Douglas chuckled as he moved toward another machine. “But hey, being the boss isn’t easy. We all know that.”
“That’s true,” John shrugged. “But you’ve got to take care of yourself as well. You can’t run the company if you’re incapacitated all the time.”
“Yeah,” Douglas nodded his agreement. “And you know, the pills work and all, I’m just having these damn things so often I’m going through a bottle twice as fast as usual.”
John grunted.
“You’ve got to get this thing sorted out,” John said lowly, briefly readjusting Douglas’s grip.
“Well, Anna did talk about massage therapy,” Douglas mentioned. “I have a meeting today after work with a therapist that she found. Does that seem legitimate to you? I mean, massage therapy.”
“You know, I’ve never done it myself,” John mused for a moment. “But I actually have a couple of friends I served with who swear by it. One of them actually says he goes to get help with PTSD.”
“Oh wow,” Douglas blinked. “And he says it works?”
“Yeah, like a charm,” John nodded.
“Huh,” Douglas mused.
“It can’t hurt to give it a shot, anyway,” John shrugged. “Especially when you’ve got money to blow.”
It was true, Douglas did have more than enough money to pay for a massage therapist.
“Well, I guess I’ll see how the meeting goes today,” Douglas huffed as he finished up his last set on the machine. “Then I’ll let you know how it all goes.”
The men finished up the workout without much further comment. Douglas allowed his mind to linger on the idea of massage therapy, and to dwell on how he felt about it. He still harbored some doubts, but if massage therapy could help John’s friend with his PTSD, massage therapy could most certainly help his migraines.
After an hour long workout, the two men went their different ways, and Douglas fetched up his keys and phone from his locker, then moved back out to the parking lot and got into his car. Eager to take a shower and get out of his sweaty workout clothes, he headed back home to get ready for work.
Chapter 4
Once he arrived at home, Douglass immediately made for his room and went into the bathroom. He stripped out of his sweaty clothes and hopped into the shower. His morning showers were quicker by far than his evening showers. He quickly rinsed off the soap from his body and toweled off. He put on a fresh pair of boxers and an undershirt.
He moved back into the bathroom and lathered on some shaving cream. He shaved off the bit of stubble that had grown in over the night and the past day. His beard was thick and grew fast, and if he didn’t shave every morning he would look like a ragged mess. He carefully ran his roar over the contours of his face. Then, he rinsed off the remnants of the lather and patted on some aftershave.
Satisfied with the state of his face, he moved on to his hair. He took up a small amount of mouse and ran it all through his hair, then neatly combed it off to one side. He vaguely acknowledged that he was probably due for a haircut soon. He would probably get his secretary at work to schedule one for him.
With his hair done, he moved back into his room and headed for his closet. He rifled through his collection of suits until he easily decided on a dark dray selection. He picked out a white shirt and buttoned it on, then donned the pants and the jacket. Once he was dressed, he sprayed on some cologne, and moved out of his bedroom.
He headed straight for the kitchen, where he could already smell coffee brewing. He caught sight of Anna sitting at the breakfast bar, a small book in her hand, and her bags strewn across the bar.
“Good morning,” Douglas smiled at her as he moved toward the coffee maker.
“Morning,” she gave him a polite smile.
“Are you going to drive Kathy or is she getting you?” he asked as he stirred some milk into his coffee.
“She’s going to pick me up,” Anna answered, closing the small book she had been reading and tucking it away in her bag.
She collected her plate and fork and moved over toward the sink as Douglas put a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster.
“And just so you know,” Douglas said. “I haven’t forgotten about the meeting with the massage therapist this afternoon. I’ll be sure to leave work on time and get here at five-thirty, just like you said.”
Douglas could see relief and a little surprise cross her face.
“Great, thank you,” she said, blinking. “I’m glad you’re being so optimistic about giving this thing a go.”
“I talked to John about it,” Douglas said. “He seems to agree with you.”
“Well that’s good,” Anna nodded as she rinsed off her plate.
They both heard a horn honk from outside.
“That’s Kathy,” Anna said, and moved across the room to gather up her things.
“Any idea when you’ll be home?” Douglas asked as she crossed the room.
“Late,” Anna answered. “Ten or eleven. You’ll be on your own for dinner.”
“Okay,” Douglass nodded. “Have a good time.”
“I will,” Anna replied. “Let me know how the meeting goes.”
“I will,” Douglas said.
With that, Anna left, closing the door securely behind her. Douglas took another drink of his coffee, and then turned his attention back to his toast, which was about to be done.
Once the toast was cooked, he opened up an avocado and sliced it up, arranging the slices neatly on top of the bread, and then he ate his meal. Afterward, he cleaned and put away his dish, leaving the kitchen just as he found it. He filled up the remainder of his coffee in a thermos, and then moved into his study to collect his briefcase. Then, he locked up the house and moved out to the garage, getting in his car and heading to work.
Once there, he had yet another stressful day. His coffee was close to the only thing keeping him alert, as he was overwhelmed with everything that he was supposed to be taking care of. He was both parts relieved and aggravated when at last the clock read five o’clock. True to his work, he did not stay late. He packed up several files in his briefcase and left, locking up his office behind him.
Douglas was in quite a sour mood as he drove home. The last thing he wanted after a day like this was to have a consultation with some massage therapist. But he knew he had no choice. This whole thing was for his benefit exclusively, and he knew he couldn’t just blow it off. He reminded himself that Anna had gone through the trouble of arranging this whole meeting, and the least he could do was do his part.
Douglas rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath as he pulled into the garage. He parked th
e car and stepped into the kitchen. He got his customary glass of water and washed out his thermos, leaving it beside the sink so that he could fill it up before he left for work the next morning. He then put his briefcase in his study, and resisted the urge to cram in some work in the fifteen minutes before the therapist would arrive.
Douglas managed not to give in, and instead moved to sit in the living room and just unwind a little bit so he could conduct this meeting in a calm and even fashion. He knew that he would likely be going over financial terms and agreements, and he conjured up some numbers that he thought would be acceptable in his mind.
He was just thinking up a weekly rate when he heard the doorbell ring. With a sigh, Douglas rose from his seat on the couch and crossed the room to answer the door. He opened the door with a warm smile, only to have his mouth go slack as he saw who was standing on his doorstep.
Standing before him was a gorgeous young woman, no older than twenty-five. She was small, no taller than five foot two, and she was slender, but with delightful curves and very well proportioned, perky breasts. Her tight top and pants did little to conceal her figure, and Douglas found himself immediately distracted.
“Can- can I help you?” he managed to get out.
“Hello,” the young woman said with a polite smile. “My name is Nicole Forest. I have a meeting scheduled at this address for five-thirty with Anna Price.”
Douglas took a moment to gather his thoughts.
“That’s my wife,” he said vaguely. “She’s out with a friend. My name is Douglas.”
“Oh, she’s already told me all about you,” she smiled up at him. “We can go on with the meeting without her.”
Douglas wondered just what Anna had told her. He saw Nicole looking at him expectantly, and suddenly remembered that she had come here for a meeting.
“Right, well, come in,” she said, still feeling a little off balance with the whole situation.
“Thank you,” Nicole said politely, and stepped into the house as Douglas stepped back to let her in.
Douglas could not help but look down at her firm buttocks as she passed him. She shook his head aggressively as he shut the door behind her, schooling himself to get a grip. For some reason, he never imagined that his massage therapist would be so young or so attractive. He suddenly had a lot of trepidations about this meeting.
He looked into the living room and saw that Nicole had already settled down on his couch. He took a deep breath, and then moved into the living room.
“I have to admit,” Douglas started with a chuckle. “I’ve never had a meeting about anything like this before.”
“That’s okay,” Nicole said easily. “Let’s start off with basics. You have migraines, right?”
“Yes,” Douglas confirmed settling down in one of the chairs in the living room.
“And none of this was your idea, correct?” Nicole pressed, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, no,” Douglas smiled sheepishly. “It was all Anna’s idea.”
“She told me as much,” Nicole nodded. “Don’t worry, a lot of men don’t think of massage therapy as a legitimate form of treatment.”
Douglas couldn’t help but shift in his chair. She already knew he was skeptical.
“I talked to my trainer,” he said. “And he told me that a few of his friends had benefitted from massage therapy. So I’ve been steadily warming up to the idea. It’s just when Anna first suggested it, I thought it was sort of… you know, feminine.”
Nicole laughed, and Douglas smiled uneasily.
“You’re definitely not the first man to think that,” she said with a nod. “But I think you’ll change your mind after the first couple of treatments. Which is why I am going to work out a free trial period with you for two weeks.”
Douglas frowned at the word free.
Chapter 5
“I’m sure that wouldn’t be necessary,” Douglas said. “I mean, the trial period- yes. But I insist on paying you at least your standard rate.”
“I am just trying to express to you how confident I am that my services will help you, and in a short amount of time,” Nicole said.
“Well, then let’s start with the first thing first,” Douglas said, his mind whirling a bit. “And that would just be your payment for the two-week trial period.”
“Alright,” Nicole said, crossing her legs in front of her, her manner becoming businesslike. “I propose to offer you half my standard rate for the trial period.”
“No,” Douglas said flatly. “I offer you the full rate, and then if I am still happy after the trial period, I will increase it yet further. That way, you will not have lost money on the trial period.”
“Well, if you can afford it, I won’t argue,” Nicole shrugged. “For your symptoms, I would recommend five one-hour treatments a week. You could, of course, select the days. I was thinking I would give you your first treatment today.”
Douglas’s mind whirled.
“Today?” he stammered.
“Yes, today,” Nicole confirmed with a smile.
“So, will I go to your office, or…” Douglas gesticulated for a moment, moving to stand.
“No, we can do it here,” Nicole said. “I have a table and everything. I have an office too, but I also offer in-home services. Mrs. Price said she thought you would prefer that. She also gave me the okay to start today if you like. She said you might have some reservations. But I think you’ll find that the results are pretty immediate.”
Douglas was quiet for a while. On one hand, he wasn’t sure he was completely comfortable with the idea of having this incredibly attractive young woman touch him in any way. He was already feeling more stimulated than he had felt in years. He could only imagine what it would be like if she started touching him.
“You know, hold on,” Douglas stood and began to pace nervously. “What… what are your qualifications?”
“I’ve had my massage therapist license for seven years, and I’ve own my owned practice for four,” Nicole said with a smile. “I’m more than qualified to treat you. Your wife went through several therapists before and after me. I’m the only one who made the cut. She’s a competent woman, you should probably listen to her more often.”
Doug felt a flash of anger.
“You can’t- I listen to…” he uttered, huffing in his frustration.
He was suddenly beginning to wonder if this was all just a very bad idea.
“Look,” Nicole stood, and approached him, holing her hands out in front of her. “Let’s do the first treatment today. And then we can figure out the rest of the schedule for this week, okay?”
Doug’s mind was reeling, and he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He kept catching glances of her figure, and it was certainly not helping him to make any educated decisions.
“Look, I don’t- I just…” Douglas stammered, looking around desperately as if help would somehow magically come to him. He looked at Nicole, and his eyes ran up and down her body of their own accord. He mentally berated himself, and suddenly he had a great idea.
“I have to call my wife,” Douglas said resolutely. “Right, I have to call my wife.”
“Take your time,” Nicole smiled gently, and sat back down on the couch. Douglas watched as she crossed her long legs yet again. He shook his head, and immediately moved out of the room. He went all the way outside to stand on the porch.
Douglas took a moment to shake his head and try to clear his thoughts. He pulled his phone out of his pocket with shaking hands and selected the redial button, and held the phone to his ear. The phone rang three times before Anna answered.
“Hello?” she said.
“Honey, hey, hello…” Douglas said, trying to come up with a way to drag out this phone call. “How’s it going? How’s Kathy? You two having fun?”
“Yeah, we’re great Douglas,” Anna said, her voice seeming somewhat bored. “We’re about to get some dinner.”
“Oh, that’s great!” Douglas said, mayb
e a bit too excitedly. “Where, ah, where are you going to eat?”
“What? I don’t know,” Anna said, confused and irritated. “What are you talking about? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m fine,” Doug laughed, and paced up and down the porch. “I’m just checking up on you, you know?”
“What?” Anna stammered, perplexed. “Doug, this is weird. You never call. What’s going on?”
“Nothing nothing!” Doug laughed again.
“Douglas,” Anna sighed. “Did you miss the meeting?”
“What? No!” Doug shook his head. “I am actually taking a break from the meeting right now!”
“Oh, wow,” Anna said, surprised. “Well… wow. I’m impressed.”
“Thank you!” Doug exclaimed.
“Well how’s it going?” Anna asked, genuinely interested.
“Well, um, it’s…” Doug huffed, and raked his hands through his hair. “It’s going well, I think… maybe.”
“Maybe?” Anna asked. “What does that mean?”
“I just, I…” Doug searched for words. He certainly couldn’t just come out and say that he was afraid that she was too attractive for the job.
“You know, she just seems really young,” Doug shook his head. “I honestly just don’t know if she’s the right choice.”
“Doug, trust me,” Anna insisted. “She really is the best available. She comes highly recommended, and she has a lot of experience.”
“How much experience can she possibly have?” Douglas scoffed. “She can’t be older than twenty!”
“Doug, that’s just your age showing,” Anna sighed. “Look, she’s the best choice. I wouldn’t set you up with someone if I thought they were going to do a bad job. Why don’t you just trust me on this one, okay?”
Doug released a long sigh. He had no way that he could possibly explain his major issue with Nicole without making himself sound like a complete pervert.
