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“How big is your room?” she asks with a slight frown, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Well, I have a suite,” I say. I’m trying not to sound superior, but with questions like that, she makes it difficult. “The company pays for it, so there’s no need to skimp on expenses.”
She shakes her head at me with wide eyes. “I knew I was getting into the right field,” she says. “Hey, you don’t think your company would have any jobs open?”
I tilt my head at her. “I’m surprised. You haven’t asked your Dad if you can work with him?”
She sighs a little. “I didn’t want people to start thinking that I only got the job because I’m related to him.”
I chuckle, then lean in close to her ear so that the driver won’t hear us. “Aren’t you worried about people thinking you only got a job because you slept with me?”
I’m amused to see her face turning a shade of pink when I pull back. “Um. I guess… I am now.”
I laugh. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’re talented enough to get a job on your own merits. All you have to do is prove that you’re supposed to be there by pulling in a few good deals, and no one will talk.”
“No one?” she says, quirking an eyebrow.
“Well, alright,” I concede. “Someone will always talk. But you can’t stop that from happening, no matter where you go.”
We’re pulling up outside my hotel already, which cuts short the conversation. I have to admit that I’m somewhat glad. I don’t want to talk about work with Candace, not yet. Not today, of all days. It has to be perfect today, and that means no topics that could cause tension or upset. In my experience, work is almost always one of those topics, no matter who you’re talking to.
I lead Candace inside, after giving instructions to the taxi driver and the concierge who comes out to meet us regarding all of Candace’s new things. Instead of going up to my suite, I lead her sideways – through a door that gives way to the spa within the hotel. It has a great reputation, and I know some pampering will really make this day a lot more special for her.
“What treatments would you like to book?” I ask, taking down a copy of the options from the counter and handing it to her. “This day is all about you, so go for whatever you want.”
“Oh, gosh, I don’t know,” Candace says, her eyes almost popping out of her head as she sees the options on offer. This is a pretty upscale hotel, after all. They even include some outpatient cosmetic procedures here too. “Um. I haven’t ever really been to a spa before. I don’t know what I’d like.”
“How about the full package?” I suggest, pointing to an entry near the top of the list. It includes a facial, massage, manicure, pedicure, hair blowout, and up to three beauty treatments of the guest’s choice.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Candace says. Earlier, or before, I got the feeling that she didn’t want to accept certain things because she felt bad about spending all of my money. This time, though, there’s something else behind the hesitation. I think she actually might not want the treatments – so I won’t push it if it’s not something that would make her feel special.
“Just a manicure?” I suggest, trying to fish for what it is that would make her happy.
Candace glances at her nails. She wears them cut short, and currently without any nail polish on them at all. “I don’t really like having my nails done,” she says. “It makes me nervous that I’ll chip them.”
“How about just a relaxing massage?”
She considers this carefully. “Yes, I think that might be nice,” she says. She glances up at me with a smile. “Will you get one, too?”
“I don’t see why not,” I reply. “We can book in together. Why don’t you head through the doors over there to the changing rooms, and get ready? There are complimentary robes inside. I’ll go through the men’s changing rooms and see you on the other side.”
She nods and heads off, which gives me the perfect opportunity to book something a little different from what I told her. She’ll be getting a massage, alright – but it just so happens that I went on a company retreat to Thailand once, where we were given a crash course in massage techniques. It was a simple novelty that the company came up with, but now it’s going to leave me in good stead.
Because I don’t want anyone touching Candace’s naked body but me – and if I get the chance to touch it, I’m going to touch it as much as I can.
