Submission Specialist(Still a Bad Boy #2)(82)

“Oh. That’s like ten hours from now. What am I supposed to do all day?”

“There’s plenty to do at AquaVell, I’m told, so that will eat up a big portion of time, I’m sure. I’ve heard people say they could spend a lifetime there. Other than that, your wish is my command and you’ll have to use your imagination, I suppose.” Thomas’ professional smile was unwavering.

“I… see.”

I’d been up late the last few nights, working hard to make sure that the next time I saw Jace I was prepared to get the story I so desperately needed, and at the top of my game. This was throwing me off what little game I had. I felt like a sprinter poised at the starting line, only instead of hearing the starting gun, I was hearing that I was going to a health spa and being driven around in a limo with a bottle of Champagne for ten hours.

Unlike the hypothetical sprinter, I didn’t have any athletics commission to appeal to for unfairness. If I wanted to be in this race, I had to play by the ever-changing rules of the host nation.

Plus, at the end of the day, there were worse ways to spend ten hours. I stepped inside the lap of luxury and Thomas closed the door behind me.

We drove to the edge of town smoothly, the only hiccup being when the cork from the Champagne smashed one of the lights and spilled on the floor. Thomas consoled me through the intercom and said it happened all the time. I didn’t believe him, but I did down that first glass faster than I normally would have and felt a bit better.

I was only a sip into my second glass when we arrived at AquaVell. I remembered reading an article about it once, but there hadn’t been any pictures. Even if there had, I didn’t think pictures would have done it justice.

Set well back from the road with strategically placed water features, trees and other greenery, it was easy to forget just how close to the city we were. The facility had the outward impression of some southern mansion with a vast swathe of land around it, and I stared out of the window in awe.

As the limo circled to the front entrance around the most elaborate fountain of them all, avoiding the relatively small parking lot, I saw a red carpet laid out like I was arriving at a movie premier. Standing there waiting were a man and a woman wearing loose light-colored clothing and smiles bigger and more relaxed than Thomas’.

Thomas opened the door and I stepped out like Alice through the looking glass.

“Ms. Brookes, welcome to AquaVell. My name is Sonia, this is Sven, I’ll be your primary relaxation coordinator today,” said the woman.

“Hi. Where is everybody else? I read this was the most sought-after health spa in the state.”

“It is, but the venue has been hired out for the day, so there will be nobody here except yourself and the staff. We’ve never been hired out before, it’s not something that’s officially available, but I was told you made an offer we couldn’t refuse. So, it will be my absolute pleasure to get you started!”

“It wasn’t me,” I said.

“Well, somebody likes you! Follow me, please.”

“Can I take your bag?” asked Sven.

“No, I’m OK, thanks.” All I had in there was interview preparation stuff anyway.

Sonia led me through the doors that Sven held open for us, and then gave me a brief overview of the facilities.

“Through those doors are the changing rooms. Once you’ve showered, you can put on one of our bathrobes and exit on the other side, which will take you out into the area just on the other side of those doors. That’s essentially the main hub of AquaVell in there. From there you can choose from over twenty different relaxation rooms and spend as much or as little time as you’d like in any of them. If you come back through these doors, you can have anything you like from our onsite café over there, or down that corridor you can have a private massage. I’ll be at your beck and call if you’ve got any questions or requests, and nothing is too much trouble for you, Ma’am.”

I wasn’t used to anybody, let alone anybody older than me, calling me “Ma’am.” It was kind of surreal.

“Thank you. Can I… um… have a towel?”

“There are stacks of them in the changing room.” Sonia beamed.

“Oh, good then. Well, see you on the other side I guess.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

After showering and dressing myself in an AquaVell branded bathrobe, I entered what Sonia had called the hub. She was standing halfway between myself and a table sporting a pile of strawberries, a giant chocolate fountain, an assortment of light snacks and a fresh bottle of Champagne in a fresh bucket of ice, with a man behind it ready to serve it up. Dreamy music played over speakers I couldn’t spot anywhere and Sonia took a couple of steps towards me.