We returned home to find my boyfriend Charles waiting on the front porch. As soon as I parked the car, I ran up the short set of steps and straight into his outstretched arms.
“What are you doing here?” I asked after a quick peck hello.
“Well, I missed seeing you yesterday when the petaversary celebration got cancelled. And when we talked earlier today, you just seemed so down. You know I had to come by and cheer up my best girl.” His eyes held mine as he spoke, making me feel weak in the knees. Even though we’d been dating for a few weeks now, I still couldn’t get over the fact that we were finally together. I’d crushed on him for so long, and now? He was my honest-to-goodness boyfriend—and a really great one at that.
Once I had my strength back, I pulled away and studied his handsome features. “Your best girl?” I asked with a giggle. “That sounds an awful lot like something Nan would say.”
“Okay. Fine,” he confessed with a breathy laugh. “So maybe she did call and put me up to it, but the important thing is that I’m here now and I have something special planned for us tonight.”
I hugged Charles tight and pushed my face into his chest in an attempt to hide my nervous expression. I was still pretty new to this whole relationship thing and terrified I’d do something to mess it up at any minute. We were especially tricky, too, given that we’d become such good friends before ever getting romantically involved.
Because of our unusual timeline, I feared we were dangerously close to the “I love you” stage even though we’d only been dating for a little less than a month. I also feared the “Will you marry me?” stage might quickly follow once the first three little words were out of the bag. And as much as I adored Charles, the thought of becoming somebody’s wife—of living with anyone other than Nan—made me break out in goose bumps and a cold sweat all at once.
One day at a time, I reminded myself as I so often did. The now was very good indeed, and I needed to take some time to enjoy these early puppy love days of my first real adult relationship.
Swallowing down the last dregs of my anxiety, I asked, “Am I allowed to know what you have planned, or is it another one of your famous surprises?”
Charles kissed my forehead, then released me from his embrace. “This time, I’ll tell you,” he answered with a smirk. “But next time, I’m keeping whatever I plan for us a surprise until the last possible moment.”
I nodded, still focused on the now and eager to find out what we’d be doing that night.
Charles put both arms around my waist and pulled me close. “There’s a new day spa that just opened up on the edge of Dewdrop Springs, and they’re running a special on couple’s massages. I figured we could go check it out. What do you say?”
“I say, sign me up for that!” I squealed and gave a happy little leap into the air. I’d never had a massage before, but I’d heard good things—mostly from my grandmother. Truth be told, the whole idea made me a bit nervous, but I appreciated Charles’s gesture too much to let him in on any of the hesitation or worry swirling through my mind.
“Bye, dear,” Nan called after us as Charles led me to his waiting car. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”
I laughed so hard at that I almost choked. Nan would do just about anything with hardly a moment’s thought first, definitely not the model for chaste behavior. Then again, maybe that was the point she was trying to make here.
“Thanks for getting me out of there,” I told my boyfriend as he backed us out of the long driveway.
“Any time,” he promised me with a smile that made me want to kiss him right then and there. “Is Octo-Cat still pouting about the new arrival?”
I sucked air in through my teeth. “That would be putting it mildly.”
He chuckled at this. “Remember Yo-Yo?”
Ahh, Yo-Yo the Yorkie, the only witness to his owners’ double murder. That was the case where Charles and I had first become good friends, even though the whole thing started with him blackmailing me and threatening to expose my secret to the world.
“Of course I remember Yo-Yo,” I said with a smug grin. “I also remember how Octo-Cat never quite got used to him for that whole time they were together.”
“That was only the better part of a week. Paisley will be around for the rest of his life. Even he can’t wage his silent protest for that long.”
“Oh, ye of little faith,” I quipped, then rolled my eyes for good measure.
We drove for another half hour before reaching our destination. The swanky new spa was part of a run-down strip mall, which didn’t inspire much confidence on my part. Once we pushed through the doors, however, we were greeted with a beautiful office space, painted in a tranquil green with a large stone fountain bubbling near the welcome desk. Soft classical music piped through hidden speakers, and the woman waiting to greet us wore all white from head to toe.
Her red hair shone even in the dim lighting, and her pale skin appeared flawless to my untrained eye. “Welcome to Serenity,” she said melodically. “How may we improve your world today?”
I fought back any number of sarcastic comments that were teetering right on the edge of my tongue and gave this would-be world-improver a tight-lipped smile.
Charles, however, seemed far more in his element. Perhaps because he’d grown up in California. He forged right ahead in the direction of the woman and the desk, grabbing one of my hands and tugging me along as he went. “We’re here for a seven o’clock couples massage,” he informed her.
“Ahh, last spot of the day. Excellent.” She paused for an unnaturally long time before adding, “You’ll rest well tonight.”
Another awkward pause.
Charles and I glanced at each other questioningly, then back toward the woman.
“Stone is just finishing up with his previous appointment, if you’ll please have a seat.” She floated out from behind the desk and guided us toward a pair of giant exercise balls set around a small area rug.
“Um, thanks.” I sank awkwardly onto the dark green ball, leaving the tan one for Charles.
The welcome desk lady smiled at us for slightly longer than was comfortable, then let herself into the back room, leaving Charles and me by ourselves. Well, Serenity was certainly a strange place, if the greeter was any indication. This made me more nervous than I’d been before. Of course, Nan would like this whole dog and pony show. She liked everything, the weirder the better. Me? I preferred to stick to what I already knew and loved.
“You don’t think Stone’s that guy’s real name?” Charles asked, making a funny face.
I was about to ask him the exact same thing, but instead I hit him playfully and giggled. “It all contributes to the ambience.” I over pronounced that word so much it sounded like it belonged to another language. French, maybe.
“It’s all part of improving our world,” he added with a quiet chuckle as he bumped his giant exercise ball seat into mine.
I rolled back to gain some momentum, then nudged his even harder than he’d bumped mine. A flirtatious game of bumper balls followed, each of us making up the rules as we went along.
We didn’t even notice at first when the attendant returned—not until she cleared her throat loudly and stared unforgiving daggers our way.
“Stone is ready for you now,” she alerted us, forcing a smile for Charles’s benefit, I would guess.
Just then, the door to the back swung open and a lithe, blonde figure emerged.
“Trish?” I asked, unable to believe I’d managed to run into the shelter volunteer twice within the span of about an hour—especially considering the distance we’d all had to travel to arrive at the shopping center from Glendale.
Trish blinked over at me, then smiled. “Oh, you came with your mom today to make a donation. Right?” she asked sweetly, so sweetly that it seemed very, very fake.
“My nan, actually, but—yeah—that was me.” I smiled graciously to show I meant her no harm. “What are you doing here?”
“N-n-nothing,” came Trish’s shaky reply. “Just headed home.”
And before I could ask anything else, she flew out the door.
Well, so much for making small talk.