Chapter 51
So he scheduled something at noon, when he thought Daryl might be at lunch. He took a personal day off work and tried to psych himself up for the massage. This isn’t cheating,he told himself, though he kind of thought it might be. This is seeing what Daryl does at work. It’s not with a guy so I won’t even get off on it.
At least, he hoped he didn’t. If he did, they’d have a lotto discuss that evening when Daryl came home.
The spa was an anchor store in a strip mall not far from their home. Mitch left his car at the opposite end of the parking lot to keep Daryl from seeing it. With his hands in his pockets, he tried to appear casual as he strode the length of the sidewalk towards the spa. Everyone he saw enter was female, and he had the strange feeling he was going undercover on a sting operation. His muscles felt tense, his nerves jittered, and he doubted an hour would be enough time to calm him. Many people enjoyed the treat of a massage, and here Mitch felt like he was going to meet his doom.
Inside the spa, the air was moist and perfumed with an odd scent he couldn’t place. The women behind the counter greeted him with smiles, as if he weren’t the only man in the waiting area. “I’m here to see Erin,” he said, taking a quick look around. He didn’t see Daryl, which was good. He didn’t want to blow his cover.
Thinking like a cop,he chastised silently. Gotta stop that and chill out, man. I’m paying eighty bucks to relax, so relax already!
There was paperwork to fill out, and then the receptionist quizzed him on areas he wanted the massage to target. He didn’t know. “Just sort of an all-over kind of thing,” Mitch told her.
She nodded as if she understood. “Great. Why don’t you go through that door there and have a seat in our quiet room? Take a moment to unwind, close your eyes, and when Erin’s ready, she’ll come get you.”
The quiet room was a darkened room with soft music playing through recessed speakers and a giant, flat-screen TV showing crashing waves on a deserted beach. The sofas were too padded, and when Mitch sat down on one, he almost sank to the ground. After a few minutes, the ceaseless surf made him need to pee. The faint odor of incense filled the air, and if he breathed in too deep, he got a little dizzy. With difficulty, he extracted himself from the sofa and chose a sturdier chaise lounge instead. He sat on the edge of it, not willing to lay along its fur-covered length.
He hadn’t even met his masseuse yet and already he was dreading the decision to come.
* * * *
Inside the employee break room, Erin peered around the door, then let it swing shut. Turning to her coworkers, she let out a little squeal. “Yay! Hot guy at noon for me,” she said, her voice low so it wouldn’t carry into the quiet room. “You should see him. Woo! Sexy.”
Daryl and Manny were at the table, eating sandwiches Manny had picked up for the three of them. Erin’s was half-eaten nearby. The two men exchanged an amused glance. “I think you got my noon appointment by mistake,” Manny teased.
“Let’s see this hottie,” Daryl said, pushing back his chair.
As he passed, Erin grabbed his shirt. “You got a man, Dar. That one’s mine. Leave him alone.”
“Just because I got a man doesn’t mean I can’t look.” Daryl eased open the swinging door and glanced into the quiet room. At first he thought it was empty, then he heard a quiet cough. Something about the sound was familiar, and he ducked his head out farther…
Then the door swung shut with a slap. “Shit!” he cried, eyes wide. “That’s my Mitch!”
“He’s minetoday,” Erin countered. When she saw the look on Daryl’s face, she asked, “No, wait, for real? That’s your guy?”
Daryl looked again, and this time Erin pushed in front of him to look, too. Manny’s chair scraped as he came over to look, as well. “That’s Mitch,” Daryl whispered. His lover looked so incongruous perched on the edge of the chaise lounge, obviously ill at ease. “I wonder why he’s here.”
Erin elbowed him and he stepped back, letting the door swing shut again. “Well, duh,” she said. “He’s obviously here for a massage. With me, I might add.”
Manny’s brows furrowed together and he asked Daryl, “You don’t give him private sessions at home? Man, if I had a guy like that in my bed, he wouldn’t have to ask—”
“I do,” Daryl insisted. Mitch’s presence in his workplace bothered him slightly. What wasMitch doing there? And why hadn’t he requested Daryl as a masseuse? Unless…
Daryl had it. A sly grin spread across his face. “I know what this is about,” he told his coworkers. “Mitch thinks all we do is dole out cheap thrills all day long.”
“Cheap?” Erin cried, rolling her eyes. “Does he even know we expect a tip? Because if he stiffs me—”
“No, let him stiff me,” Daryl said. At her frown, he quickly explained, “You know how it is when you’re massaging a lover. Mitch thinks that’s what we do all day long. He doesn’t realize the special treatment I give him at home is reserved for him alone.”
Erin shook her head. “Well, if he thinks I’m getting freaky with him, he has another think coming.”
“That’s just it,” Daryl said. “You take him back and get him set up. When you leave the room, dim the lights and tell him to undress. Then we’ll tag-team. I’ll go in and do the massage for you. He won’t know at first, and when things turn a little intimate—”
“He’ll think he’s right.” Manny leered. “A taste of his own medicine, eh? I like it. Too bad we can’t watch.”
Erin grimaced. “If you’re going to get like that, I’m leading him to your room. I don’t want to have to clean off the table when you’re done.”
“That’s fine.” Daryl’s blood surged at the thought of stealing time alone with his lover on the clock.