3-CHRIS

"Follow me this way, Mr. Royce," a petite brunette said, leading me through an Asian themed hallway.

There was a small waterfall of porous stones that protruded from the wall at the end of the hall and a mixture of smells that made you feel transported as if you were floating, add to that the instrumental music that came from ceiling speakers.

"We’re here, sir," we stopped at a closed door.

I realized she was looking at me with some fear, making me feel uncomfortable at that fact.

Maybe if I told her how much I had in my bank account she would see me with some interest and not fear that I would slip some of her Chinese ornaments into the pocket of my ridiculously short robe that made me feel completely exposed.

"You're not Helena," I said hopefully, "Are you unoccupied then? You could make the change?”

The girl looked at me confused and then smiled at me with amusement.

"I'm Candace," she answered still smiling, "And I don't do massages, I'm just the pedicurist and manicurist, Helena is inside waiting for you, sir. I'm just showing you around.”

"Yeah, I see," I growled feeling the hope leaving me.

"Excuse my curiosity and daring," the girl whispered to me, "Are you a professional wrestler? It's just that this is the first time I've seen such a big person...”

That made me really laugh.

"No," I said when I calmed down and could speak, "I work in the construction area, maybe that's why I’m this big."

The girl's hopeful gaze changed to one of disappointment.

"Oh," she sighed without encouragement, "I guess you earned this trip and you're making the most of it right? Who knows when you’ll have this opportunity again.”

Openmouthed, I looked at the girl realizing what she was saying, her appreciation of me changed at the thought of me just been a lucky hireling and not a famous wrestler.

"Exactly," I said sarcastically but the woman didn't flinch, she had already turned around and was walking back to the reception.

I don't know why, but this frivolous and superficial attitude annoyed and disappointed me on the same level.

With a resigned sigh, I opened the door and entered with a little fear without knowing what was in store in that place.

The room was dark, there was only a table lamp with a dull yellow light pointed towards a wall.

“Mr. Royce?”

I froze in place without really knowing what to do or without knowing where the hell that voice was coming from.

"Yes," I mumbled looking that voice came.

"Okay, I'm heating the oil, sir. Lie face down on the table and I'll be there in a minute, there's a hook on the door where you can put the robe.”

I nodded like an idiot and did as she asked, realizing late that she didn't see my answer.

"Okay," I mumbled laying down carefully on the table, fearing that with my weight it would collapse.

But seeing it was holding up well, I tried to relax and put my head in the hole and stared nervously at the floor, forcing my body to relax.

I heard the sound of a folding door opening and closing again and then I sensed the presence of the woman.

"Oh my, I think I'm going to need more oil," she said with real surprise in her voice.

But even more surprised I was when I laughed at what she said, relaxing me in the process, since her voice showed only surprise and not displeasure.

"Yes, you are huge, sir," she murmured, approaching until I could see her toes before my eyes. "No offense."

"You only told the truth," I muttered hoarsely.

"I knew from your voice that you were someone big, but I was waiting for...”

“What?” I asked tensing again.

"For an old man in his fifties, morbid and pot-bellied," she answered in a confident tone. “You even left your underwear, I thought I would have to call security to get you out of here.”

"I don't know how to feel about the fact that you say I have the voice of a disgusting old man," I responded surprised at the joke of that woman.

"Well, now that you're less tense, sir," she started to say, "What massage would you like to receive today? And don't say the one with a happy ending! During office hours we don’t offer those services.”

“Oh?”

Her laugh reached my bewildered ears and later I realized that woman was teasing me again with her jokes.

"I'm sorry, it's a joke I usually say them to relax the atmosphere, don't think I didn’t notice your tense shoulders, sir."

"My name is Christopher, you can call me that or Chris," I said trying to release the tension from my shoulders. "You calling me sir makes me uncomfortable."

"Okay, Chris," she murmured touching me for the first time in the center of my back and making me tense again. "Relax, I don't bite on the first date, okay? What kind of massage would you like to receive?”

"Well, I don't know, I've never had one actually," I said honestly.

I heard Helena make a surprised sound.

“What a sacrilege!” she exclaimed, "Massages should be a commandment. You won’t steal, you won’t kill, you’ll receive a weekly massage, you won’t commit impure acts...”

That made me smile.

“I'm not a very religious person,” I replied amused.

“Oh, me neither, I mean, those are the only ones I know, the others are too long for my brain to learn them...”

Her hands took my arms that were above my head and brought them to the sides of my hips and then partially covered me with a towel in that area.

I heard something open and the sound of a small jet echoed in the silence of the room, the smell of cinnamon invaded my nostrils and the aroma immediately relaxed me.

She pulled away and I stopped looking at her feet and then felt her hot, oily hands move from my hips to my shoulders.

"I hope you like cinnamon, it's my favorite essence... What do you work on?" she murmured pressing on my neck and making me feel like I was melting on the table.

"In a construction company," I whispered breathlessly as I felt my neck being released from the tension, "I usually do desk work, but I like field work...”

I was horrified when a groan left my mouth as Helena put pressure on my shoulders.

"Ah... a restless man, well, that explains this..."

I gasped when her thumbs went down my spine and pressed lightly on my tailbone, then back up to my shoulders; she repeated the process several times in a row.

Good grief, that was incredible...

"That feels amazing," I said breathlessly.

"That's what you said last night," she murmured.

I let out a laugh that was impossible to bear when I heard her say that.

“Oh, God,” The laughter heard in my voice “You are amazing...”

“You were saying that too last night...”

This time we both laughed together, she really was amazing, her voice, her laugh, her hands, and her sense of humor were incredible, refreshing.

"Thank you," she said pulling me out of my thoughts, "I really appreciate that you like it, even knowing that you didn't want me to touch you forty minutes ago."

"Yes, well, I'm not very adept at contact," I replied, embarrassed.

"Christian Gray," she whispered almost voicelessly now working my legs.

“What?” I asked confused, "Who’s that?"

She gave me one of her laughs again.

"He's a fictional character from a book who doesn't like to be touched because in his childhood someone put out cigarettes on his chest," she explained, pressing my right calf, "Did someone put out cigarettes on your chest, Chris?" She asked mockingly.

They turned off my illusions, Did that count?

"I don't come from a loving family," I answered uncomfortably.

“And do you like sadomasochism?” she asked a few seconds later.

“What?!” I exclaimed stunned at her question.

"The guy likes to punish his submissives with whips and belts and rules and other things... Do you like them brunettes and virginal, Chris?"

“Do you talk about these things while doing massages?” I asked uncomfortably, "From disturbed and fetishistic literary personalities?"

“Well, no. But...”

"Wait," I said, interrupting her, "Is that the kind of reading you like to have? If so, now I would like a new masseuse...”

"The book isn't that bad," she said sounding defensive, "And I was just kidding with you... Unless you do like those things..."

I bit my lip trying not to laugh when I heard her comment and see that she was silent waiting for my answer.

“So?” she asked moving her hands to my thigh and taking my breath away when she began to massage the inside of it.

“So, what?” I murmured trying to normalize my breathing and trying not to think where her hands were.

“Are those things of punishments and beatings for your like?” She asked stopping the massage.

"You may be disappointed in my answer, but I am not in the least interested in punishing a woman, much less hitting her simply because the act turns me on," I answered serious, "I like the woman to participate as much as I do in the lovemaking act."

Her hands were a few more seconds without moving on my thigh before she moved them again laughing with amusement.

“Lovemaking act?” She said mockingly, "What century did you come from, my friend? From the 18th?”

"I don't want to disrespect you," I said surprised that I was having so much fun with this weird conversation. "And I don't like bad words either."

“Bad words?” she said with surprise, letting go of my left leg and coming back up to my back to massage it gently, "I don't think you look like anyone I've ever met before."

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or a tease...”

"Oh, it's definitely a compliment, trust me... what else you don't like?"

"Well..." I hesitated before continuing to speak. "I don't like crowded places or loud music."

“Then you don't go to concerts or bars or use the subway...”

“Oh God. No... none of that, I think they'd get me out of there dead.”

I groaned again when her hands returned to my shoulders and began to apply pressure again.

"You have a lot of knots in this area," she murmured, "Please don't be scared by what I'll do now, okay? Just relax...”

“What...? Oh!”

I ended relaxed on the table when she pressed both hands on my spine and there were several creaks in the process.

“What the hell was that?” I asked scared by the sound, "Are my bones okay?"

“Of course, they are,” she answered placing herself before me so I could see her feet again “I was lining up your back, what you heard was the decompression of the air between your bones, the only way a bone sounds is because it broke.”

“And does a masseur do that?” I asked not caring if she crippled me as her hands began to rhythmically caress my scalp.

"I'm actually a certified and studied physiotherapist," she replied with a soft laugh, "But the pay is really good in this place, so here I am... your hair is beautiful. Did you know?"

"Thank you," I mumbled feeling myself blush.

“I envy the natural waves and how soft it is… it's not normal to see a man grow his hair out.”

"I don't have it that long," I said defensively.

Or maybe it was? It only went up to my neck and I hadn't made an appointment to have it cut.

"Relax, Chris," she said running her nails across my scalp, "I said I liked it, not the other way around..."

"I'm sorry..." Wao! That felt great.

“Hey, cat man, you're purring...”

"I’m not," I said widening my eyes in embarrassment.

"You definitely are," she said running her nails down my neck again. “You just did it again... it's sexy.”

Wait what? Sexy?

“Are you flirting with me?” I asked surprised without being able to resist the question.

"It depends," she said slowly, "Are you married? You don't seem like the type of person who would hide that information.”

"I'm not married," I said feeling my heart beat fiercely in my chest.

"Good," she said simply and went on to grab my right arm and start massaging it.

When her fingers intertwined with mine and exerted pressure to stretch them, an electric current passed through my entire body making me shudder in surprise.

“Good what?” I questioned breathlessly when I managed to control the impression of her touch.

“What?” She said sounding startled.

“Were you flirting with me, Helena?” I asked shuddering when She moved to my other arm and began to massage it.

"Oh..." She laughed in amusement before linking her fingers with mine and making me feel the same again. "Yes."

I didn't say anything else.

I mean, how could I answer that? She had answered me and I didn’t know what to do with that answer.

I was still lost in thought when Helena let go of my hand and gently stroked my hair before pulling away from me.

"Done, big man," she said, "I hope you feel like new...”

“You finished?” I asked surprised raising my head so I could sit down.

She made a displeased sound as I spoke.

"You know, you not noticing if I finished says a lot about you, Chris," Helena said sounding serious.

I sat up straight at the table, trying to focus my gaze on where she was and decide if she was serious or not.

“Are you kidding?” I asked embarrassed, "I didn't mean to sound like I did, I'm sorry, I...”

Her laugh cut off my words and made me relax instantly.

"You take everything very literally," she said going to the door where I had entered and she stood there. "I'm going to turn on the light, okay? Be careful with your eyes...”

While she was talking, I had gotten up and was going in her direction to find the robe when everything lit up, so I stopped halfway when she turned around and our eyes met.

I mean, wow!

“Wow!” She exclaimed when she saw me, her eyes wide with shock as them traveled from head to toe several times. "Man... You're giant!" She said with her gaze locked in the middle of my body over my black briefs.

My heart began to pound wildly once more as I watched her pupils dilate and her tongue lick her lips.

"And to think that almost all of that was caressed by these bad girls," she said mockingly raising her hands, "I should have asked you to turn around, right?"

"I... uh, could I get my robe?"

"You can take whatever you want, baby," she replied teasingly, but at least she moved away from the door so I could take the robe and put it on.

Turning around, I found her watching me while biting her lip.

Well, this was definitely new to me.

"I didn't know men blush nowadays," she muttered in surprise.

"Well, I'm not used to being seen as a merchandise about to be bought," I said uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry," she said looking a bit embarrassed. "It's the first time I've run into a man so... So."

And what was that supposed to mean?

“Are they real?” she asked getting closer to get a better look at me.

“The what?” I cleared my throat as I felt her scent hit all my senses.

"Your eyes," she murmured fascinated, "They really look like cat eyes, green with some black lines... they're beautiful."

"I don't think I can put a piece of plastic on my retina," I said, backing up until I hit the door with my back.

“How tall are you?” she questioned looking at me with those eyes like the color of whiskey, attractive and dilated.

God... she was really beautiful, and to my surprise, she wasn't as short as most women.

"Six-three," I muttered, swallowing hard. "What about you?"

"Almost six." I watched as one of her soft and kind hands lifted up and approached my face.

At the first touch of her index finger with my nose, my body completely bristled and I noticed how she inhaled air in surprise.

“What happened to your nose?” she asked softly as she slowly strokes my bent septum up and down. "It looks painful."

"A kick," I replied coming out of my trance and moving to the side, "I have to go, I... I have a diving lesson and... and... Goodbye."

I opened the door in a hurry and I left that place like a soul the devil was searching and without caring that I was in a robe and my clothes were in a locker, I left the spa and didn’t stop until I was struggling to open the door of my room and then remembered in the process that I had to ask for the key in reception, so I had to return and deal with a young man.

"Tell me, sir," said the boy attentively.

"My key," I said clearing my voice, "I left it here a while ago...”

The boy smiled at me when he gave it to me when I said the room number, then I thanked him and almost ran to lock myself in and be able to let out the air that my lungs until now refused to release.

What just happened?

What had all that been?

Where had this peculiar, outgoing and indiscreet woman came from?

And why had I answered every question and fallen for her game?

"I need a bath," I said in the solitude of my room taking a deep breath and heading to the bathroom.

I needed to get the cinnamon smell off me.

I would never taste that spice again and not think of Helena.

I think I would never stop thinking about her, and I barely dealt with her for an hour...