"Don't act like I didn't think about it," Jenna huffs, annoyed as she pushes past her. "But changing our treatments would mean they would have to call the booker-slash-card-owner to confirm the alterations. And then Camila would see we changed it to a normal package from a couples package, and then we would be interrogated. And I don't know about you, but I'm not in a good enough mood today to deal with my family's bullshit."
"I guess," Dahlia sighs, walking over to grab a robe. "You don't think we have to actually get, you know... naked naked, do you?"
"I think underwear is optional, but the rest has to go," Jenna tells her, shrugging.
"Okay," she breathes out, peeling her shirt off, then her shorts. She's just in a bra and underwear, and she's been this naked in front of Jenna so many times now that it barely even bothers her anymore. Barely. "This robe is so comfy and fluffy."
Jenna looks over at her with a tiny smile and a shake of her head, before she takes off her t-shirt, then pulls off her shorts and lets them fall to her feet. Dahlia looks away, trying to give her privacy.
"Seriously, Dahlia? Baby much?" she shakes her head, reaching for her robe. So she turns back around, trying not to look at her.
"You get mad when I do turn away, and you call me a creep when I don't. Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it," Dahlia sighs, leaning back against the wall.
Jenna sighs before walking out and knocking on the door on their left as advised by the receptionist. Dahlia can vaguely hear a few other couples talking in their own rooms, as a worker opens the door.
"Face masks and pedicures are right this way," a woman approaches them and smiles, before turning and leading them through another door. "Unfortunately the customers before you are still in the process of their treatment and they have about ten minutes left. We have a steam room right through that door if you would like to wait there; that's what most customers like to do!"
"Yeah, that's perfectly fine," Jenna nods, grabbing Dahlia's arm. "We don't mind waiting."
"Great! I'll be back to get you when the other couple is finished," she tells them, before walking away and letting them go to the steam room.
They walk in and are immediately hit by a wave of moist heat. Dahlia takes in a stuffy breath, walking in behind Jenna.
"Aren't we doing this again after the pedicure thing?" Dahlia asks, following Jenna's lead by taking off her robe, setting it beside herself, and then sitting down on the bench. Half naked right next to a half-naked Jenna.
"Saunas and steam rooms are different, but it'll be a lot like this, yeah," Jenna replies, already sounding calm as she relaxes her shoulders and lays back against the wall, closing her eyes. Dahlia follows suit, sitting back and closing her own. "This one is going to be wet because of the steam, but a sauna just gets super hot and makes you sweat."
"And we want that why?" Dahlia asks, peaking her eye open to look at her.
"Sweating is good for you, and it loosens your muscles, genius. Now shut up and relax." Jenna tells her, shifting slightly, before breathing in deeply and letting her own shoulders relax as she breathes back out.
So Dahlia does. Well she tries, at least, but she's so hot that she can't relax. She's wet, and her skin is gross and sticky, and she's so, so uncomfortable. So she opens her eyes to look at Jenna and see how she's doing, but she never ends up saying anything. She gets distracted because she's laying there, her skin wet and shiny, and somehow she makes all of this look good. Her lips are parted as she slowly runs her slender hand over her neck, then collarbone, then shoulder, and her hair is curling around her face from the steam. Dahlia is hypnotized for a moment, before there's three knocks on the door, followed by, "We're ready for you!"
Jenna's eyes flicker open then, and she turns to Dahlia with a slight, exhausted smile. "Shit, it's hot in here."
Dahlia, looking like a deer caught in headlights, is still trying to recover from the scare.
"Yeah, it is," she laughs, using her palm to push her hair back as she stands up, and they both put their robes back on.
"The sauna will be worse, so prepare yourself," she laughs too, knocking her shoulder with her as they leave the steam room.
"Follow me, please," the worker smiles, walking in front of them. They walk into a pretty big room now, with reclined seats that face a wall that's completely windows. It's green and there's mountains and Dahlia and Jenna both look at each other in awe as they walk in. It's minimalistic, simple, there are candles lit everywhere, and they can hear a waterfall and calming music playing from a sound machine. "You can both take a seat there if you'd like, and we'll get started."
"Great," Jenna rubs her hands together happily, before sitting down and leaning her head back as advised. Dahlia does the same, just not as confidently.
Although it is a couples session, she didn't realize they would be so...close. Their chairs are conjoined, with the only thing separating them being an armrest. But that doesn't stop their shoulders or legs from bumping.
"Put these on please, and I'll go whip your face masks up," the same worker smiles kindly, and they nod as they take the headbands from her. There's another worker behind them, doing something in the sink.
"I'm gonna look like an idiot," Dahlia whispers to Jenna, pulling it over her head, and then pushes it up and over her forehead.
"Can't be much more than you already do," Jenna shrugs, putting hers on and then relaxing back against her seat.She actually looks good in hers, of course, while Dahlia doesn't even want to know what she looks like.
It's nice being able to see her whole face, though-no bangs covering half of it like it usually is.
"Doesn't this, like, feel weird to you? Having people pamper you and rub weird gooey lotion all over your face and feet?" Dahlia asks Jenna, keeping her voice low.
"My only concern is that I don't like other people touching me," she breathes in, staring up at the ceiling. "But oh well."
She thinks about that, and how much they have had to touch this entire trip. Does she hate that, too?
"Here we are," the worker tells them, walking back in with two bowls. She stands beside Jenna, while the other walks around and stands by Dahlia, taking one of the bowls and sitting on a stool beside her. They set their bowls down as they pull on some very soft-looking gloves.
"We're going to gently apply your face masks now," the girl in front of Jenna tells them in a soft, calming voice. "All you need to do is close your eyes and relax, and after we've applied those, we will begin your pedicures."
"Sounds great," Jenna breathes in and closes her eyes, and Dahlia follows suit.
Dahlia knows exactly when the girl touches Jenna's face, because Jenna instinctually flinches and breathes in. She's obviously not used to being touched by another human, and she figures that's because her mom is such a complete jackass. She didn't even hug her after not seeing her for three months.
She wonders why she can touch her and not anyone else. Probably because she's practically being forced to now, but still-it's comforting. It's like when a child or a pet hates everyone except you; it's a weirdly-special feeling.
Back to reality, and a cold, green goo is being massaged onto his face. It felt weird at first, but it's incredibly soothing and hydrating now, and it's actually sort of growing on her. After they finish spreading it over their faces, they press cool, fresh cucumber slices on their eyes, and then get out of their seats. It takes a few minutes, but soon there's warm water pouring into the tub at their feet.
Dahlia actually has to admit that she's enjoying herself. She's got this mask on, a huge, fluffy robe, her feet are being rubbed and her toenails are being filed, and she can feel Jenna's arm touching her, which is...weirdly nice. She didn't really realize how starved of human contact she's been-especially since she's not living at home with her mom anymore, who insisted on hugging her every single time they saw each other. She took it for granted, and now she misses it.
After about twenty minutes of their feet being scrubbed and massaged and their cuticles being pushed back, the workers ask, "Would either of you like some polish?"
"I'll take some black and a clear coat on top," Jenna tells them, then blindly nudges Dahlia's arm. "You want anything?"
"I'll have the same actually," Dahlia replies, thinking what the hell, I'm on vacation.
"Matching toenails for the star-crossed lovers," she laughs, nudging her shoulder.
"I'm sure your mom will love that," Dahlia laughs too, hearing the clink of the glass nail polish bottles as the ladies come back over and sit down. Then, not long after, she faintly feels the brush on her toes, and she has to resist the urge to pull her feet away. It feels weird, but she eventually gets used to it.
They finish the first coat, let that dry, and then put on the top clear coat.
"While the last coat dries, we're going to remove your masks, moisturize your faces, and then you'll be all finished," one of the women tell them, and then Dahlia feels them use a soft rag to gently wipe the mask off. After that, they rub some sort of amazingly-hydrating serum in, then a moisturizer, and then remove the cucumbers from their eyes. Dahlia actually feels like a new person.
She looks down and wiggles her toes, laughing as she sees the black polish on it. "I love it! Thank you guys-it's awesome!"
Jenna sits up and looks down at her, then at hers, smiling. "Yeah, I love it too. Thanks."
"Our pleasure! Now let's get you to your sauna," she smiles, and they walk barefooted through a door, through a room, and through another door. "Right in here. The timer is set for half an hour and will start when you walk in, but if you feel like you're done before that, feel free to get out-it's always unlocked. Here's some cucumber-infused water to keep you hydrated, and there are some refreshments right down there if you want to bring some snacks in with you-most people do."
"Oh great, that sounds awesome," Jenna thanks her as they both take their cucumber-infused bottles of Voss water, before the woman smiles and walks out, quietly shutting the door.
"Thank god, I was starving," Jenna laughs, tucking her water bottle under her arm and making a beeline to the snack table. Dahlia follows closely behind her, rubbing her own hungry stomach.
They both grab a plate and load it down with strawberries, granola, blueberries, some almonds, and anything else that they find even remotely appetizing.
"Ready for this?" Jenna looks at Dahlia, as they stand outside of the sauna door.
"I guess," she shrugs, realistically probably not ready at all. She almost died in the steam room, which is apparently not as bad as a sauna.