Lou stopped by my desk just before the end of the day. I tried to look friendly but somewhat pressured by time, since I had to leave right at five to get ready for the massage and really didn’t want another assignment just now.
Happily, he didn’t have one for me.
What he did have was something of an announcement.
“Just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate your having come in every day. It made all the difference in getting all those rush jobs done.”
“Thank you,” I said, surprised.
“I think we can handle having you go back to part-time now. Is that OK?”
Is it OK? Gee, let me think. Is it OK to have two weekdays off to shop, visit the museum and the art gallery, and just generally lounge around?
“That’ll be just fine, Lou.”
#
Larissa picked me up ten minutes late. I was only just ready, since there’s no point in being ready on time for her. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Tim Horton’s and then headed to the spa.
We arrived at about seven o’clock, and were in our robes and lounging in the waiting room by ten after. There were several other women waiting as well.
Larissa began telling me, in a low voice, about the cute new guy at work who’d just joined the company yesterday. He was a hairdresser, and so all the other girls had just assumed he was gay, but he didn’t exactly give Larissa the gay vibe.
“He’s absolutely got the cutest little butt, and his hair is black and so shiny.”
“What else would you expect from a hairdresser?”
“And he wears his jeans very tight, and it looks like he’s got quite the package to deliver, if you know what I mean.”
We snickered. She was about to speak again when I heard a ‘hmmph’ sound from the older woman sitting behind Larissa. I glanced at her and she frowned at me.
Larissa must have heard her too, because she launched into her favourite anti-eavesdropper technique.
“Anyhow, it doesn’t matter anyways. Once my baby’s daddy gets out of prison, I won’t be able to date any more. My lawyer said he’ll try to get me a shorter sentence ’cause I’m pregnant again but he doesn’t know if the judge’ll go for it since I tried that with the last three babies too.”
The older woman’s eyes were bugging so far out of her head I was afraid she’d drop them on the floor. She got up and moved quickly to the farthest corner of the room.
Larissa smiled in pure triumph.
“You are evil,” I hissed at her.
“She shouldn’t have been listening in. Not my fault!”
We both giggled.
“Larissa?”
A woman stood at the entrance to the room, and Larissa said, “Bye!” and headed over to her. Just as they left the room, I too was called and led off for my massage.
#
In the car on the way home, we discussed our experience.
Larissa said, “My girl was really good, actually. I’m pretty fussy about massages, but she did a great job.”
“Mine too,” I agreed. “I got really nervous when she came out with the towels and said she was going to wrap me up with the oils for a while first, but I didn’t get stressed and itchy at all. Now I feel all loose and tired.”
“You have learned to mellow, grasshopper,” Larissa said with a truly horrific fake Karate Kid-style accent.
“Now I can be the best fighter in the world!” I said, being careful to move my lips a bit before and after I spoke. We’d once spent an afternoon watching badly dubbed Japanese movies and it had taken us nearly a week to stop pretending to be dubbed every time we spoke. Ian had threatened to sell us both on eBay.
For sale, two insane women. Cheap. Bargain at half the price!
“Seriously, though,” Larissa said, “I’m glad you liked it!”
“I really did. It just felt so… nice.”
Nice didn’t begin to cover it. I’d felt so relaxed that at one point I’d nearly fallen asleep. Lying there in a dreamy haze, feeling the woman’s strong warm hands working the tension out of my neck and back, I’d finally understood what I was supposed to feel during the wrap.
I might need to get massages more often.
Daily, perhaps?
We continued to chat on the way back to my place, but I was starting to feel guilty. She still didn’t know that I’d told Ian about the whole Kegan mess. I just couldn’t figure out how to break it to her that I hadn’t followed her advice. What if she got mad?
Well, then she got mad. I had to tell her.
When we arrived at my house, I said, “Come in for a minute?”
Larissa looked surprised. “I thought you were tired.”
“I am, but I have to tell you something.”
She parked her nice little Honda Civic in my driveway behind my stunningly gorgeous Tiburon, and we went inside.
I made coffee while she played with Ninja, and brought it out to her. I fed Ninja and then sat down beside Larissa.
“OK, spill,” she said, “What’s going on?”
I took a deep breath. “I told Ian.”
“You told… oh. You did? How’d he take it?”
“Really pretty well.” I paused, then said in a rush, “He sort of had to.”
“Oh? Why?”
So I told her the whole sad story. She listened in silence, patting Ninja absently, until I was finished.
The silence continued until I couldn’t take it any more.
“What do you think?”
“I’m stunned, to be honest. I wouldn’t have thought Ian was the type.”
I let this sink in for a moment. I could see several interpretations, none of which I particularly liked. Was I the type? Was Ian just not good looking enough to get another girl? Wisely, I decided to ask for clarification instead of just jumping to conclusions.
Larissa said, “I just know he loves you, that’s all. I’m surprised that something like that would have happened.”
“Yeah, me too.”
We sat for a few minutes, the only sound Ninja’s purring, until I said, “Do you think we’ll be OK? Ian and me, I mean?”
Larissa said slowly, “I hope so.” Then she nodded her head decisively. “Yes, you will be. You both made a mistake, you both had the guts to admit it, and so yeah, I think you’ll be fine. It might be a bit awkward at first, but it’ll be OK.”
“Do you think I should have told him?”
Larissa pondered some more. “Honestly, I don’t know. I definitely wouldn’t have, but it seems like it’s worked out OK. There’s no real point discussing that, is there, though? You’ve let the cat out of the barn, as they say.”
“They don’t, actually, but whatever, I get your point.”
Larissa smiled, drank the last of her coffee, gave Ninja a hug, gave me a hug, and departed.
I gathered up the coffee cups, put them in the sink to be washed later, and carried Ninja up to the bedroom.
Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, I realized I hadn’t emailed Ian. I dragged myself out of bed and did the deed, then snuggled back down with my lovely furry bed-warmer.
I wanted Ian to come home but I was so nervous about it too. What would we do if the spark was gone when we saw each other again?
#
To: ianw@buildaid.com
From: ninjacatrocks@hotmail.com
Subject: Last email!
It’ll be weird not emailing you tomorrow, but you’re right that there’s not a lot of point since you have to pack up all your stuff. So this is it! I got the fax you sent to work with the travel info, so I’ll be there right on time (or maybe even early!) to pick you up.
Love,
Candice