Chapter 31
Genevieve
I was surprised to be getting let go early today—but I was even more surprised when Aspen told me where we were going. A full spa day? With him?
Say less!
I would’ve happily worked the full shift, no complaints. But this? This is so much better. More time with Aspen? I’ll take every second.
He pulls up to the resort’s spa—the same one I was at last weekend with Lana, scrolling through Tinder and swiping right on every blue-eyed guy with even a hint of Aspen’s looks. God, thank God I found him. Or his brother, I guess you could say. Either way, fate got me here, and I’m not letting go.
“Here we are, your spa day awaits,” he says, like it’s the most casual thing in the world.
I’m speechless. This was such a kind gesture.
How is he affording this? I don’t want to make him feel weird by asking, so I say nothing.
Maybe he has some secret spa points, maybe I don’t care.
We walk inside and it smells like eucalyptus and lavender and heaven.
Everything is neutral and clean and serene.
I feel my whole body relax just stepping through the doors.
The tall blonde receptionist from last weekend glances up at us. I recognize her instantly but I’m not sure she recognizes me, especially not with Aspen next to me instead of Lana. She seems surprised and I can’t blame her.
“Hi! Reservation for Aspen. I had Becky call just a few minutes ago,” he says smoothly.
“Oh right! And you’re Genevieve, right?” She says smiling at me.
I blink. She remembers me? How kind.
“Yeah,” I say smiling. “Nice to see you again!”
She tosses her long hair, longer than I remember, over one shoulder. Probably extensions. Gorgeous, either way. She taps a few things on her iPad before handing one to Aspen and then to me.
“Just a quick check-in,” she says. “You can note any areas you’d like us to avoid or pay extra attention to and let us know if you have any injuries.”
I scan the little diagram of the body on the screen and circle my shoulders and legs. I pause for a second before checking no injuries, my heart's the only thing at risk of breaking around here.
Aspen finishes quickly, probably not even thinking twice about it. Of course he wouldn’t. He’s a guy, he’s probably never been massaged before.
She takes the iPads back and smiles again, “you guys are all checked in and ready to go. Your rooms will be right next to each other at the end of the hall on the left.”
Aspen looks at me, then back to her. “Do you think there’s any way we can be in the couple’s room for the couple’s massage?”
I swear the word couple echoes in my head like a song stuck on repeat. Couple’s massage. Couple. Am I overanalyzing it? Maybe, probably, definitely, but I love the way it sounds coming from him.
The receptionist seems to take in the shift between us, her smile softens. “Of course! Sorry about that.”
Aspen glances at me, and I can’t help but beam.
“Oh! Can I get Caesar again?” I ask, remembering his strong hands, literal magic.
“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.
Boyfriend.
That word keeps echoing in my mind like it’s trying to stake a permanent claim. Aspen said it so easily, like it’s already been decided.
Maybe it has.
Maybe I want it to be.
I should be terrified. But instead, I feel… steady. I think that’s what Aspen does to me, he quiets the noise. He makes the storm inside me feel like it’s just weather, not the end of the world.
I don’t know what I did to deserve Aspen, but I’m scared to lose it before I even get the chance to fully hold it.
As Caesar continues to undo my knots, I still imagine Aspen, but now more heated. I picture his hands, his lips, his smile, his everything.
I want him.
I imagine his strong hands massaging me, relieving my back of any tension I may have, until my brain snaps back to reality.
This is going to be tortuous for me, but I can also make it tortuous for Aspen if I wanna have a little fun.
I’ll make sure to share my appreciation extra loud to tell Caesar, but mainly Aspen, just how much I like his massage.