“Of course,” she says again.
Aspen thanks her, all polite and charming, and I feel a tiny rush of jealousy that even she gets to hear his sweet voice. I know I have nothing to worry about, but still. He makes me feel like the kind of girl who could lose him in the blink of an eye. But I’m the type of girl who wants to hold on tightly and not let go.
“It’s going to be the last door on your right then for the couples room. Enjoy your guys’ massages and let me know if you need anything,” the receptionist says.
“Thank you so much!” I tell her.
“Thank you,” Aspen says.
I follow Aspen through a dimly lit hallway that feels like we’re walking toward something meaningful, and maybe we are. Every path with Aspen feels like it matters.
“Well, you’re just full of surprises today,” I whisper as we reach the room.
He smirks, holding the door open for me. Inside, it’s warm and quiet, the air rich with that same calming aroma. Before I can thank him, Caesar enters the room along with a petite woman I haven’t seen before.
“Well, hello again, Ms. Brown. A pleasure to see you in such a short amount of time,” Caesar says with that perfect, kind smile.
“Hey, Caesar,” I say, returning the smile, “I’m just as surprised to see you because my…” I pause. I don’t know what to call Aspen. My boyfriend? My friend? My coworker? Beats me.
“Her boyfriend surprised her with a massage,” Aspen finishes for me.
My heart stutters. My boyfriend. There’s that word again, I could drown in it.
“Yes. My boyfriend,” I repeat, letting it sink in, letting the world hear it, letting him hear it, and for a second, Caesar looks as pleasantly confused as I feel.
Probably because last time I was here I was gossiping about dick sizes with Lana.
We sort out the massage details and I ask for extra attention on my legs, quickly adding “from snowboarding” so Aspen doesn’t think I’ve been getting secret spa treatments behind his back. He laughs and I flush, of course.
Then Caesar and the other masseuse step outside to give us privacy. Aspen and I exchange a look.
There’s something about undressing in front of someone you love not just the physical vulnerability, but the emotional kind too. My heart races as I remove my top, then bottoms. Aspen follows my lead. When I unclasp my bra, he pauses, like he’s seeing something sacred. We undress the rest of the way and for a second it’s just us; bare, unfiltered, wanting.
But there’s no time to act on it. Not yet.
So we lay down on our massage tables draped in thin sheets, both of us pretending this isn’t the most torturous foreplay imaginable.
“You look beautiful, by the way,” he whispers.
I tilt my head. “You sure know how to ruin a girl for anyone else, you know that?”
There’s a knock.
I giggle.
“Is it okay to come in?” Caesar calls.
“Yes!” We both shout too fast, too loud.
We face down and the scent of lavender and eucalyptus intensifies. I let myself melt into the aroma, into Caesar’s practiced hands, into the silence and the heat of the room. But in my mind,it’s Aspen.
It’s always Aspen.
It’s terrifying how fast he’s become my person. How fast the sound of his laugh, the shape of his hands, even the way he says my name, all of it, has rooted itself into me like it’s been there forever. Like I’ve been waiting for him and didn’t even know it.
And that’s the thing about love, isn’t it? It sneaks up on you. One second you’re sipping hot chocolate in a freezing lodge, wondering what the hell you’re even doing with your life, and the next you’re half-naked on a massage table trying not to cry because someone gave you lavender-scented proof that maybe you are worthy of being chosen.
I swallow hard. The room is still and warm, but my chest feels tight, not in a bad way, just… full. I don’t know when the last time was that someone did something like this for me. Something soft; something thoughtful; not for show or obligation, just because they wanted me to feel good, safe and loved.
