Chapter 5
It felt strange,being in this room. It was dark, like the room before had been, and it smelled like incense. I looked around warily, worried I was getting myself into something I’d regret. I knew nothing about humans and their massages. I wasn’t sure why I came here, but after getting bad news from home, I felt like I was going to tear apart from the stress. My mind kept going back to the little pixie who rescued me when I was struggling, and somehow I wound up here. He took it all in stride, bringing me back to the quiet room and sitting with me until I was calm enough to speak. And now he was offering to help me further.
I asked him why he was so willing to help me. Most humans weren’t as thoughtful as he was, but his answer wasn’t what I wanted to hear for some reason. He said he liked to help people, and it was part of his job. It made sense, but I had kind of hoped he’d felt the same connection I had and it was about me. I brushed that off, turning to face the bed again. It was weird, with a little circle shape at the top that I didn’t understand. I could probably tell him I didn’t want to be here, but that would be a lie and I didn”t want to throw his hospitality in his face.
Instead, I tugged my shirt over my head and laid it gently on a stool in the corner. I wasn’t going to get fully undressed, not while I had no idea what he planned on doing. I figured the shirt off was a happy medium, and when he knocked on the door and peek his head in, he didn’t look annoyed. He smiled at me, shutting the door behind him as he joined me in the room.
“Ready?”
I still didn’t know what I was supposed to be ready for, so I didn”t answer him. I let him lead me to the table and climbed onto it, resting my face in that little hole of the circle once he explained it to me. It was a little uncomfortable, and obviously not built for horns in mind, but he seemed to catch on pretty quickly and offered me a pillow instead. It turned my head to the side, but it was easier on the horns, so I let it go.
“Okay, I’m gonna start now. Let me know if the pressure is too much, or if you feel any pain.”
I tensed when his hands brushed over my shoulders, but I relaxed into it as he started rubbing. It only took a few minutes before I was melting, the smooth glide of his hands accompanied by steady pressure almost putting me to sleep. My mind shut off, the strain and tension from the phone call from my mom disappeared, and I went into a trance-like state as he worked his hands over my shoulders and back.
For someone who seemed to enjoy talking the first time I met him, he was quiet as he helped me. I almost missed the sound of his voice, and whenever he murmured to check in with me, my ears strained to hear him better.
“Doing okay?”
I could only groan in response. If my eyes weren’t shut, they’d be rolling back into my head as his thumbs worked along my neck. He turned my head when he needed to so he could get the other side, and I let him move me how he wanted me.
He snickered quietly at my response, amusement tinging his voice. “I’m going to take that as a yes.”
Yes. Absolutely. Better than okay. Now I understood why Maya and Isla seemed so excited about the couple”s massage. This was overwhelmingly pleasant, and I never wanted it to end.
“Would it be comfortable for you to turn over or is lying on your wings not okay?”
I couldn’t even be bothered to open my eyes. “Lying on them is fine.”
He hummed his response, nudging my shoulder. “Let”s turn over then, so I can get your front.”
It was a little awkward given my size, but he got me comfortable again and smiled down at me when I peeked up to look at him. He continued rubbing my shoulders and down my arms, even into my hands, and I let my mind go blank again. I was barely aware of when he stopped until his voice penetrated the daze he’d put me in.
“Take your time getting up. I’m going to grab you a glass of water. Would you also like some tea? It helps keep the mind calm.”
I resisted the urge to pout, finally opening my eyes to look at him. “Whatever you think is best.”
He flashed me an easy smile, nodding once. “Okay. I’ll be right back. You’re in no rush. Don’t get up before you’re ready.”
I took his suggestion seriously, giving myself time before I sat up. I thought my mind would go back to spinning the minute he was through, but I was surprised when I sat up and stayed calm. I got to my feet, pulling my shirt over my head, and flexed my wings a little. Maybe next time I’d mention that he could touch those as well. It was a long flight from the transport tunnel I’d come through, and I wouldn’t mind if he helped there as well.
I paused, blinking a few times. There was the automatic assumption that there would be a next time. It surprised me, given how I felt when I came in here. But when Zach came back into the room, a tall glass of water and a mug of tea in his hands, I knew I couldn’t deny it. In the hands of this tiny human, all my stress disappeared. I’d definitely be back.
“You’ll want to drink a lot of water, flush out the toxins in your system. We can go sit in the meditation room if you want, or if you’d prefer more privacy, we can stay in here and chat.”
I considered it before gesturing to the table. “Here might be better. I wouldn’t want to upset your patrons.”
He waved a hand dismissively. “If they can’t be polite, then they’re the ones who should leave, not you. But if you’re more comfortable here, that’s fine too. Why don’t you sit down and drink those? Then you can answer a few questions.”
He sat beside me when I settled on the edge of the massage table, holding my water for me so I could sip the tea before it cooled. Chamomile, my favorite, and perfectly steeped.
“What do you want to know?”
I wasn’t the chatty type, and I wasn’t sure exactly what he was looking for.
“Well, let’s start with your name. I realized I should’ve asked before, but you looked so stressed out that it slipped my mind,” he admitted.
“Malakai. But my friends call me Mal.”
His smile took over his face, and even in the dark, he lit up the room. It was confusing comparing the bubbly ball of energy from the other day to the calm, serene one in front of me. I almost wondered if I was sitting with a different person.
“Malakai. I like that. It’s pretty. How do you feel right now? Did I hit the right spots? Are you carrying any tension that I missed?”
I took another drink of tea, considering his questions. “I feel… calm. You got where I needed it, which was surprising since I didn’t even know. And the only tension you missed was in my wings, mostly along the base of them.”
He wrinkled his nose in an apologetic look. “Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t know if you’d be comfortable with that and it felt rude to ask.”
I nodded. He was being polite, and there was nothing wrong with that. “In the future, I’m comfortable with them being touched as long as I’m aware beforehand and you’re gentle.”
His face lit up in delighted surprise. “So you think you’ll come back?”
“If that’s alright with you.”
He looked overjoyed, and I felt a swell of pride for being part of what made him that excited. If my schedule at the restaurant allowed it, I’d be back every day. I couldn’t, I worked weird hours and didn’t always have the time, but I had one day off a week. Hopefully, that day would work for him, too.
“That’s great. I’ll do a little research, see if I can find anything about massaging wings. I’m sure there’s stuff out there. In the meantime, once you finish up your drink, I’ll bring you up front and we can see where we’ll be able to fit you in. There’s someone here every day so–”
“I’d prefer to stay with you,” I interrupted. The massage was nice, but there was a certain level of trust involved when letting a human that close to me, and I’d feel better if I could stick with the human I knew.
He nodded in agreement and I felt myself let out a breath. I was glad it wasn’t an issue to stick with him.
“That’s fine. I’ve got openings in my schedule pretty much every day. I’ve only been working here a year and I’m basically a floater. I only have a couple of regulars. It gives me a little more freedom with my schedule.”
After I finished drinking both glasses Zach gave me, he led me out to the lobby, which was quiet now. When I looked around with a frown, he shrugged.
“We closed about fifteen minutes ago, but we never rush clients out before they’re ready. Winnie left me her key so I can lock up once I clean up the room.” He moved behind the front desk, tapping a few keys to wake the computer up. “So what days and times work best for you?”
Luckily, he had an opening on my day off. It was just before closing, like tonight. I found I preferred that, since I wouldn’t be frightening random humans who were only here to relax. And I’d still be done here before I met with my friends for poker.
Zach disappeared into the back after we were through, so he could clean up his room. I waited for him, prolonging the inevitable, and when he bounced back into the room, the energetic side of him made an appearance.
“I’m starving. It’s a good thing my favorite restaurant is on my way home. Are you hungry?”