The Massage Guy

Nina had a massage guy.  She had been seeing Kevin weekly for a year, had started because she wanted to spoil herself and had never really been into mud and wraps and everything else they did at a spa.  And because her feet were too tickly for pedicures.  Massages were what worked for her.

Kevin the massage guy was straight.  That had been a little odd at first, but Nina got used to it.  It was like going to a male hairdresser, except she was naked and had his hands all over her.  Kevin talked about his girlfriend sometimes, enough to stop Nina’s little fantasies about hitting on him.  She suspected was the point.  She told him not to worry once, that she was happy at home and just wasn’t going to.  It was true.  She wasn’t going to, as much because she worried he might turn her down as because she was happy at home, but she had been happy at home.  She made a point of taking about Joe, and how Joe made her happy, when Kevin talked about his girlfriend.   Joe didn’t mind her seeing Kevin.  He knew Kevin was a guy, and rubbed Nina all over her body, but had seemed to trust Nina and not to care. 

It had all seemed to work quite well. 

After six months, Nina and Joe broke up.  It wasn’t anyone fault, they just turned out not to work together as well as they’d hoped.  After the break-up, Nina realized her whole life had revolved around Joe, and what he expected, and what he needed.  He had been almost everything to her, except that hour with Kevin once a week.  That and work.

She promised herself that wouldn’t happen again.

Nina was single for a while, and kept on seeing Kevin, and thought a little more about making passes.  Not thinking seriously, because she knew he had a girlfriend, and had noticed that now Kevin talked about her even more.

After a few months Nina met Aaron, and liked Aaron, and started to get involved again.  Joe hadn’t cared about Kevin, so Nina just assumed Aaron wouldn’t either.  Aaron, it turned out, cared quite a lot. 

The first time she realized this was one morning when Aaron asked if she was busy later on, and she said, “Yeah, oh, no, wait.  I have my massage guy.”

“Your massage guy?”

“Yeah.  My massage.  To relax.  From a guy.”

“Why a guy?” 

That was probably trouble right there.  Nina hesitated. 

Why a guy was because she was insecure enough she cared.  She didn’t want another woman looking at her and judging.  And because she’d tried four other massage places before she settled on Kevin.  Kevin could rub her feet in a way that made her shiver and melt at the same time.

She didn’t really think Aaron needed to hear that. 

“Why not,” she said.  “His hands are stronger.”

“He’s gay though, right?”

“Of course not.”

Aaron looked surprised.

“No,” Nina said, wondering what was going on.  “I mean, not of course, no reason it should be of course, but no, he isn’t.  He has a girlfriend.”

“And you’re naked.”

“Well, mostly.  I have a towel over me.”

“But under that you are?”

“They tell you to leave your undies on, but I stopped.  They got in the way, and it felt a bit weird.  I’d rather just be naked.”

“Shit, Nina.  And he touches you?”

“Shit, Aaron, yes he does.”

“But you’re naked.”

“Kind of how it works, Aaron.”