Tressa wouldn’t let go of what she’d overheard, and I wasn’t prepared to answer any of her questions without permission from Jackson.
Derek waved the waitress over to box the food. “We’ll eat back at the hotel. I’ll share what I know of Kendra’s abilities in the privacy of the hotel room.”
They dropped me outside the doorway of Do Right by Me, and then as I opened the door they took off toward the hotel.
I whispered to Jenna, “I’m clueless about how I’m supposed to look for tonight. The clothes for the disguise look pretty conservative, not the sexy undergarments though.”
Jenna giggled. “You’re a mom trying to be sexy. Now you need hair and make-up to go along with your fashion statement.” She pointed toward a reception desk.
A beautiful blonde smiled as I approached. “You must be our one o’clock. Already paid in full to get the works and we’ll send you home wearing another woman’s image. We’re supposed to call you Kay. Does that sound right?”
“Sure, that’s fine,” I said.
“I’m Bella, your assistant, artist, stylist, masseuse, cocktail waitress, whatever you need me to be while you’re here. Let’s get started with a good dose of relaxation.”
Jenna piped up, “I would kill to get a chance to spend a few hours in this place.”
We both followed the blonde to another room, labeled Shangri-La Room. I’d never visited a spa in my life and had no idea what I was supposed to do in preparation. I raised a brow toward Jenna, as in help.
“Don’t worry, Sparky, I’ll be with you the whole time. I know the exact look that will scream sexy mom.”
That in itself scared the heck out of me, as it wouldn’t matter if I looked like a mom or not. The teenagers we could potentially meet tonight wouldn’t have the mind of a teen anyway. But, perhaps the people running the show didn’t know the girls were actually seasoned prostitutes, incognito. Thinking about it turned my stomach, but the subtle green walls and clean aroma of the room complimenting Jenna’s sweet vanilla scent worked at settling my anxiety.
“I’d like to start you out with a flute of ice-cold champagne.” Bella pulled a bottle from a container of ice and popped the cork. “Unless you’d like this mixed with orange juice as a Mimosa? Then I’ll grab a goblet.”
“Go for the Mimosa. You definitely want to get relaxed.” Jenna scoffed, “You look as stiff as a stick.”
“I’ll take the Mimosa.” I saw a few different sized goblets on a table along the wall. “In that giant goblet.” I pointed.
“I’ll get this going for you while you undress. You may hang your clothes over there.” She tilted her head toward a clothing rack near the door. “Grab a warm towel from the stand. You may cover yourself with it on the table.” She pointed to the massage table in the center of the room.
I hurriedly undressed, wrapped a towel around me, and then grabbed another for just in case.
Bella waited near the table with the goblet. “Here you go.” She handed it to me as I leaned on the edge of the table.
I took a big swig and coughed as it hit the back of my throat.
“Geeze, Sparky. Don’t you be turning into a lush on me.” Jenna stared at me as I shook my head and choked.
Bella’s eyes went wide and she slapped me on the back. “Oh, my. I should have warned you, those goblets are made for a big swallow, but maybe not that big.”
After my throat stopped the gag reflex, I enjoyed a few more sips before Bella told me to lay face down on the table. I stepped on a stool to climb onto it and then lay on my frontside. Bella pulled the towel from me, shook it out, and draped it over my lower half.
“Okay, Sparky. Just relax. This is going to take a while and you might as well enjoy every second of it.”
Bella said, “Close your eyes and relax. I’m going to play some ambient music and select a more delicate aromatic oil for the infuser. The mud-oil should be warm enough for your massage. Do you have any issue with me touching your body?”
“No.” And then the lights went out inside my head as the two hours of sleep I had finally caught up with me.
* * *
My shoulder shook, someone’s fingers wrapped around it and squeezed.
“Miss Kay. You’ll need to wake-up now. Time for the spray tan, hair styling, and face makeup.”
I opened my eyes, laying on my back with the towel draped across my front. “Oh, my goodness. How long was I out?”
Bella chuckled. “A couple of hours, but who’s counting, right? You’ve had a manicure, pedicure, facial, and some artistic body-hair sculpting.”
I pushed up on my elbows, ready to move from the table.
“Wait just a second. I want to place wax on a couple areas, the type that peels off kindly, to protect certain body parts from the spray tan. I’m going to remove your towel and cover your nipples and your coochie area.” She did the task efficiently. “Now, I’ll wrap your hair in a special hair towel.” She also did this fast. “Do you want to keep your eyes closed, or do you want protection on them?”
“Just close your eyes, Sparky. You won’t be in that cubical very long and it’s only a fine mist of air you’ll feel.” Jenna stood next to Bella.
“I’ll just close my eyes.”
“Okay, let me lead you to the spray can. It’s what we call our tanning capsule.” She opened the clear door, explained how to stand and that the floor would be moving ultra-slow beneath my feet, allowing for an even finish.
The air-like mist warmed my body. I never felt the floor move, nor did the mist ever feel wet. When the mist stopped, I opened my eyes and the door released.
“I can peel the wax spots from you, or you can if you feel more comfortable doing it yourself.” Bella stood to the side with my drink goblet. She handed it to me. “Have another sip.”
I did, and it went down smooth. I swallowed a few more.
“Shall I peel off the little wax bits?” Bella held her hand in the ready position.
I swallowed more drink. “Sure.” I had dressed and undressed in front of Jenna, and my family in the past, but I wasn’t used to standing naked in front of others.
She didn’t make me lay back on the table, she simply came over and popped the wax pieces off from me. “I wanted you to take a peek at my shaved-artwork on your coochie.” She pointed for me to look downward at myself.
I gasped. All of the body hair in that area was gone, with the exception of a small heart that had been dyed purple. “Oh, my gods.”
Jenna laughed so hard I could barely understand her words. “I. Knew. You’d…love it.”
“When can I dress?” The urge overwhelmed me to cover myself.
Bella arched a brow. “You don’t like it?”
“I just want to get dressed.” I headed toward my clothes.
“Honey, I can shave it off if you don’t like it.”
Jenna squeezed her lips together, an attempt to keep from non-stop laughter. “You could go hairless down there.” She broke into a quick belly-laugh, then pulled it together enough for, “Bet you’ve never done that before.” More laughing.
Not nice. “And you’d be right.” Oops, I said that out loud.
Bella snapped to attention like I’d offended her.
“Everything is fine, Bella. Thank you. I’d really like to get dressed though.” I drank every drop in the goblet.
“Your spray is dry. Go ahead and dress. And, I’m glad you appreciate the artwork.” She grabbed the goblet from my hand and went to work on mixing another drink while I got dressed.
I must have slept like a coma patient to not sense her tending my most vulnerable body part.
“You got a purple heart.” Jenna grinned and I was sure she’d start in with a bout of laughter again. Instead, she wiggled her brows. “That can be a sweet addition to your next novel. Note to self, get a little slutty with your star character.”
A big exhale shot out of my mouth on a deep sigh.
“Here, Honey. Drink this. It’s like an elixir, get you happy.” Bella handed me the goblet and waved me over to a hair styling station snuggled away in the corner.
I followed her, drinking all the way. My mood definitely lightened, from the extra sleep or the extra drinks. At this point, I didn’t care which. I wanted to buffer myself in preparation for tonight, and also for the changed way Tressa, Ray, and Luke would now look at me. Not from the changes in my appearance, but from the new information about me they’d just received from Derek. They would never think of me the same again.
Bella showed me a few pictures from a book, and Jenna picked out a style. My hair left brunette, long and curly, with a few different bright shades of blonde streaks. They both thought it would look nice with my tanned body.
It took another hour and a half for the hair, and about forty-five minutes for the face makeover, which to my surprise required only a minimum amount of make-up. Jenna told me to go more natural, with neutral colors. I was grateful Bella stayed away from purple.
When Bella finished, she said, “I’m supposed to call this number for your ride back to the hotel. Why don’t you enjoy the rest of your cocktail and the soft music in this room and I’ll come and get you when your ride arrives.”
“Sounds good. Thank you for everything, Bella.”
She bent over and hugged me. “It’s been a pleasure. I hope you come back and see me again.” Then, she stepped out, closing the door behind.
I stared at myself in the mirror. Different from the norm, and I actually liked my hair worn down with the bright shaded streaks. The tan really wasn’t me, but it fits with everything else and would work well with my eveningwear.
Jenna studied me through the mirror. “You look stunning, Sparky. I don’t recall ever seeing you tan.”
“I’m not a sun worshiper. You should know that about me, I never sat in the sun.” I thought about our times at the lake when we were younger. “I found the shady spot under a tree so I could read or write, while you laid in the sun. Ring any bells?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
I drank the rest of the Mimosa, and my entire body relaxed into the moment. I closed my eyes for a minute, and when I opened them, the mirror showed an attractive man standing in the doorway. It took a second to realize he was Derek. I studied him. He’d spent some time at the stylist and got a nice dark tan also. His blue eyes were now a deep green, and his dark brows and hair were blond, cropped closer, no wavy curls. His short-sleeved shirt opened to the middle of his muscular chest, showing a sleek smattering of hair.
His eyes softened as he studied me. “You look amazing. Your eyes are the loveliest shade of violet I’ve ever seen.”
I chuckled. “Now you’re just being silly.”
He strode across the room in his casually-fitted khakis, giving me a hand out of the chair. His eyes turned an even darker shade and my skin tingled as he drew me into his body. “I’ve missed you.”
“You definitely look the part of a loving couple,” Jenna said. “Maybe you should share your purple heart with him.”
I giggled, unable to stop myself from imagining his face likely matching my expression when I first saw it.
“What’s so funny?” With the tips of his fingers, he turned my face toward his. He swallowed my gasp with his lips and then he captured my tongue.
Heat penetrated every part of me, I framed his face with my hands, unwilling to let him go.
He groaned then broke away with a man-breath sigh. “I’m experiencing great difficulty keeping my hands and lips away from you, Kendra.”
I smiled, mostly because I was experiencing the same thing with him. Overpowering. “Call me Kay.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, well, you can call me Dustin, or husband. Fake names, but most definitely not a fake relationship.” He squeezed me into him and then released me. “The team handled your abilities well. Tressa mentioned a close aunt of hers has psychic talents, so she’s familiar with some of them. I guess Tressa lived with her aunt during her teen years. I believe it was easier for Ray and Luke to accept from some of the input Tressa added about psychic abilities. I think she’s excited for you to get back to the room so she can interrogate you regarding Bertellia. She’s pretty pumped about learning more on the Queen B.”
He checked his watch. “It’s already six o’clock. We should probably get back to the hotel. You’ve got to be starving about now. You barely ate any of your lunch. Plus, you need to change your clothes.”
I actually was enjoying the side-effects of the alcohol I’d consumed, low inhibitions, happiness, daring, maybe even sexiness. We did have to go, but I still had deep reservations about tonight, the cruise, and seeing the team after they knew the truth about me.
Derek grabbed my hand, guided me from the room, and then we waved at Bella as we walked out of the building.