Paws for Love

Chapter 3 - A Whole New You

Saturday had come and the three ladies had arrived at the spa for a day of pampering. Beth discovered that Gen booked them for manis/pedis, body scrubs and massages, and new hair styles. When she tried to protest that it wasn't necessary and hint that she couldn't really afford the upscale salon, Vika informed her that she was not to worry about the costs and just enjoy the day.

The attendant instructed her to remove her robe and slippers and lie on the table face down. "Millicent will be in shortly for your treatment."

"Knock, knock!" a female voice called, before entering the room. "Elizabeth! Hi, I'm Millicent! I'll be doing your full body scrub and massage today! I see you have a full day booked, wonderful! "Let's get started!" Millicent's enthusiastic way of speaking, amused Beth and somehow relaxed her at the same time.

The body scrub wasn't as embarrassing as Beth imagined, mostly due to Millicent's explanation of what she was doing and how long Beth had to wait until she could wash it off. Once Beth was ready to rinse, Millicent led her over to what she called the Vichy shower. Once Beth was lying down, she positioned the shower heads to rinse away the scrub. The warm water cascading over her skin and relaxed even more. When instructed she turned over and let the water wash her back.

All too soon the water disappeared and she was wrapped in a towel and escorted back to the treatment room. The lights had been dimmed considerably and soft relaxing music was playing in the background. "I have a lemon balm and lavender oil heating, since you didn't state you had any muscle ailments."

Beth had never been more relaxed in her life! She never knew anything could feel this good, she was so sorry to have it end and told Millicent so. She laughed and said, "I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I'm sure you're going to enjoy the rest of the day as well! I'll take you back to the relaxation room to wait for your next appointment. Oh! Don't forget to drink some water! Now that we've revitalized your skin, you want to keep it hydrated!"

Beth sat there smiling when Genevieve walked in and said, "Look at you, you're glowing! You look so much better than when you arrived." She touched just under Beth's eyes and said, "The circles all but disappeared!"

Beth laughed and said, "After that massage, I'm hard pressed to be stressed out about anything!" Turning serious, she told her friend, "I can't thank you enough for everything. I'm not sure..." she broke off when her eyes filled with tears. Gen hugged her tight and said, "You're family, you needed to come home!"

Vika walked in and saw the girls hugging and Beth with tears in her eyes. "My Darlings!" she cried, "What on earth is wrong?"

Tears streaming down her face, Beth cried "It's stupid! I don't even know why I'm being so emotional!"

Vika wrapped her in her arms and rocked her from side to side. "It's not stupid, it's completely understandable love! I know how hard you try to stay strong, especially at the holidays. You are missing your parents, and with the stress you've been under coupled with quitting your job, you're allowed to be emotional." Vika let Beth sob without shushing her or murmuring useless nonsense. The girl always held herself in too tight of control, in her mind, this release was needed. When an attendant walked in, she waved her away. She always knew what her girls needed even if they didn't, and right now Beth needed a good cry.

Finally she sniffled and took a deep breath. Vika smiled at her and asked, "How long were you holding that in?" Beth snorted and Gen handed out tissues and they all composed themselves. Beth took a long drink of water, her throat felt parched.

By late afternoon Beth had been scrubbed, rubbed, and polished until she gleamed. Now she sat with her hair down in the stylist's chair. Michael ran his hands through her hair that fell to her waist and asked, "I've never seen hair this long with very little damage. What is your haircare routine? What products do you use?"