“Hi,” I say, and take him to the massage room. I’m already used to him stripping down to his boxers in front of me, so I use this time to prepare the massage oil. Jake gets on the table, and I turn to him. This time, he’s wearing navy blue boxer briefs. I quickly cover his legs and ass with a sheet before I start salivating all over him. There. Much better, I say to myself. At least I won’t have any distractions during the massage. I pour some oil from the bottle into my hands, rub them to warm it up, and then I lower them to his back. Every time, his back muscles impress me more. I wonder if he has a six-pack because I haven’t seen him without a shirt yet, well, except his back.
“You’re really good at this,” he says, his eyes closed. “Can I ask you a question?” he asks a little insecurely. He suddenly opens his eyes and they are watching me. “Do you want to go to some Christmas party with me?” For a second, I stop massaging, but my hands are still on his body. Biting my lip, I shake my head.
“I can’t, I already promised Sophie and Matt I’ll come over to their house.” I turn my head the other way and continue massaging.
“They can come, too. The more the merrier. I promise I won’t try anything with you.”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to ask them first,” comes out of my mouth more like a question than a statement. Damn it, I’m losing my head when I’m around him.
Jake pays, and waits for me to finish up and lock the salon. We step into the freezing winter night side by side.
“Come on. I’ll walk you home.” Something flashes behind us after a few steps. We turn around, and see it’s the flash of a camera. “Damn,” Jake mumbles furiously, and grabs my elbow.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him as he pushes me gently into the car. “I thought we were walking.”
“Paparazzi,” he mutters. “Can’t I have one day off from constantly being followed?” Jake turns on the ignition, and speeds off the parking lot.
I grab the handle of the door, giving him a questioning look.
“I’m sorry,” he says, as he turns right and makes sure no one is following us, “but the press can be such a pain in the butt. I can’t stand this anymore.”
I nod. I wouldn’t want the attention of the press on me, either. I had enough of that two years ago after the accident. The press was practically camping in front of our house for a whole week. I cannot imagine how it must be for Jake, putting up with the media attention each and every day.
“This is me,” I say, as we climb the stairs to my apartment, and turn to him. He nods. I’m fidgeting with my keys. “Do you want to come in?” I ask him quietly.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” he responds, scratching the back of his neck.
I nod. Whatever that means. I take a deep breath, unlock the door, and step into my apartment.
“Have a nice evening, Jake.”
He smiles. “You, too. And don’t forget to ask Sophie and Matt about the Christmas party.”
One week has passed by with the speed of light. Matt and Sophie were thrilled to be invited by Jake to a party. They accepted in a second, and thanked me profusely. Matt is, like Sophie, completely crazy about Jake ‘The Beast’ Burns. Every Sunday during the motorcycle racing season, they are glued to the TV screen, cheering for him.
I’m standing in front of the mirror, checking out my outfit. I decided on tight navy jeans, and leather mid-calf boots with high heels. I paired it with a sleeveless peach shirt that hugs my curves, and topped it with a long-sleeved tunic in the same color. My phone rings for the fifteenth time, and it’s Sophie, again. She’s nervous and excited about tonight’s party. She and Matt have no clue what to wear and what gift to bring to the host of the party.
“Sophie, everything is going to be okay. Just breathe,” I try to comfort her.
“Do you think it’s fine if we bring some champagne with us? We don’t want to go empty-handed.”
“It’s perfectly fine. I’ll see you soon,” I say, and hang up before she can ask me more things. I don’t like the ponytail I’m wearing, so I braid my hair instead. I clip it by my ear, so it’s falling softly across my shoulder. I also put on some eye shadow in nude color, and some mascara that nicely compliments my already long lashes. I put on some lip-gloss, and I’m ready to party.
I take a final look in the mirror when I hear the intercom. I know it’s Jake so I just buzz him in. It takes a while for him to climb all the stairs to my apartment, and then I hear knocking on my front door. Taking a deep breath, I unlock the door.