27. EVERLEE – BEST MASSAGE EVER
EVERLEE – BEST MASSAGE EVER
When I get downstairs the next morning, there’s a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and an omelet waiting for me at the bar. All the guys are in their usual spots, except for Emmett. He’s not here.
“Good morning,” Jax says, standing up and wrapping his arm around my waist, planting a quick kiss on my head.
Even though it was a statement, it sounded like a question.
“Morning. Where are you going? And where’s Emmett?”
“Emmett’s freaking out about today, so I’m going to check on him, then probably head out with him to Bo’s and make sure everything is perfect.”
“Ok. Give him my love.”
“I will.” He tosses me a wink.
“Did you have fun last night?” Knox asks.
“I did, and I heard you got a little wet?” I laugh.
“Did I?” He laughs. “I heard you were also wet.”
My scowl turns to a grin when he looks at Callum, then sticks his finger through the hole he makes with his thumb and forefinger.
“Childish,” Callum mumbles, going back to his crossword puzzle.
Knox laughs, then goes through all the events of last night. I don’t stop him or tell him that Callum’s already told me because he seems excited and I love the way he tells stories. The look in his eyes and the energy that pulses through him is infectious.
By the time he’s done, he looks at my plate. “Are you still hungry? I can fix you some toast or another omelet.”
“Toast sounds great.”
“Avocado?” he asks, standing from his seat.
“No. Grape jelly.” I smile. I just had this sudden craving for grape jelly toast. It reminds me of my childhood.
“Three slices of grape jelly toast coming up.”
“I can maybe eat two, not three.”
“One’s for me.” He winks.
My bridesmaid dress is hanging on a hook by the backdoor. When Callum sees me looking, he answers my unasked question. “Brady picked it up for you this morning. What time do you need to head out?”
“Well, thank him. That was on my list this morning.”
“I know.” His smile causes my stomach to tighten.
“I’ll finish up these delicious pieces of toast, then probably head over to her place. Limo is arriving just before lunch to take us out to eat, then we’re going to get massages. Oh, shit.” A sudden realization slams into me.
“What?”
“I was reading an article yesterday about dos and don’ts. I can’t have massages until after the first trimester.”
“Oh. And you can’t tell Lizzy.”
Even though he said it as a statement, because he knows there’s no way in hell I’m going to tell Lizzy on the freaking day of her wedding, it still needs confirmation.
“No. I’m not telling her. Tomorrow, yes. Today, no. Damn it!” An exasperated sigh blows out.
“Ok. So maybe you can tell the masseuse in private after you go into the room.”
“Just spend the hour talking?” I laugh at the ridiculousness of it.
Three and a half hours later…
“You’ll definitely want suppositories and some pads,” Lucinda says.
We’ve been talking for the last thirty minutes. She looked at me a little funny when she walked into the room and found me still dressed and sitting on the table. She was nice enough to elevate the head of the table so I could lie back on it. Then she gave me a warm towel for my face and played with my hair for a little while. It got repetitive, even though it was nice, so I told her she could stop. So now she’s giving me a list of everything I’ll need after pregnancy, but what everyone’s going to be too shy to tell me. She also suggested I smear Vaseline on my stomach every night, then wrap it in plastic wrap to keep it all in.
“These are great,” I say, typing the last thing onto the list on my phone I’ve started making. I have several. One to ask the doctor this week, one of things I know I want to get for the baby, and the last is things I’m going to need.
“Yeah.” She shifts in her seat, switching the leg she’s sitting on. “I wish someone would have given me a list like this when I was expecting.”
“Well, it’s very helpful.”
“When’s your due date again?”
“I’m thinking somewhere around January thirteenth.”
“Oh man! Just missed having a New Year’s baby.”
“Oh yeah. That would have been pretty cool.”
“All the news crews there and articles being written about you, dad, and baby.”
“Oh.” My voice trails off. Maybe not so cool. How would that work? Mom and daddies and baby. Hello world! I can see the headlines now. We’d be viral for so many reasons.
“You have really soft feet,” a muffled voice echoes through the wall, and Lucinda and I both stare at one another.
“Did they just…”
Lucinda’s hand covers her mouth, then whispers, “Yes. That’s Leni’s room. She had a rather…” she uses her arms to show large and bulky, “man with a bald head. He looked like Mr. Clean or something.”
“Well, he has soft feet,” I tease, chuckling again.
“You wouldn’t expect it… a man that large.”
We both giggle and pause, listening for anything else, but the voice softens.
“What if they heard us?” Lucinda wonders.
“Oh no. What if they heard us?” My cheeks flush red as a heat moves up my chest.
“Well, if he’s having kids, he’ll know what to get his woman.” Lucinda giggles again.
A soft gong chimes from her phone, and she looks at me. “Oh, it’s time. Come here,” she says, standing from the seat and walking towards me. She runs her fingers through my hair, tossing it around a few times. “There. Now it looks like we’ve finished with the best head massage of your life.”
“Thank you. I know this wasn’t what you were really expecting.”
“No honey, but it’s ok. I’ve enjoyed my time with you.”
She lowers the bed, then says, “Once you’re dressed, you can step into the hall and I’ll have some water waiting for you. Coconut or regular?”
“Coconut, please.”
I roll to a sitting position and let my feet dangle for a moment, stretching my neck and arms. It may not have been a massage, but it was still very relaxing. Wanting to wipe a towel across my face, I grab the now cold towel that was under my neck and wipe my face quickly, pinch my cheeks, then grab my things and head into the hall.
It’s empty except for Lucinda, who’s standing there holding a bottle of coconut water. “How do you feel?”
She plays the part so well.
“Great. Thank you.” My head tilts down, showing my sincere thanks for what she really did and is doing.
“You can head up front. I believe Lizzy has already paid for everything.”
I slip her a twenty.
“Oh, I’ve already been tipped. It was part of the package.”
“This is something from me, though. Best massage ever.”
She giggles, then takes the money. “Thank you.” She bows her head and leads me to the waiting room.
I find a seat and wait, rubbing my hands over my stomach. There’s a baby inside of there. Our baby.
The door creaks open startling me and Lizzy walks out, eyes in a daze, hair a mess with a look like she’s just had the best fuck of her life.
“Lizzy babe, are you ok?”
She walks over to me, arms hanging like limp noodles. “That was the best massage I’ve ever had,” she moans.
I wrap my arm around her neck. “I’m glad you enjoyed it so much.”
“How was yours?”
“Amazing.”
We sit on the love seat for a minute while she lays her head on my shoulder.
“Ev,” she starts, her voice low in that kind of tone, like she’s about to ask something or say something that may be weird.
Hesitating a second before I answer, I glance at the top of her head. “Yeah?”
“So, I know-”
The door opens and Keeley and the other two women in her bridal party walk out.
“Later,” she says, pushing off my lap and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. “I love you.”
With that, she pops over to the girls, throws her hands in the air and gives a squeal.
Ten minutes later, we’re three doors down and at the salon to get our hair, makeup, and nails done.
Sitting in the chair in front of the mirror, I’ve looked at her a few times through the reflection and can’t help but wonder what she was going to say.
She knows something… was she going to tell me she knew I was pregnant?
“What are we doing for you today?” the stylist asks, running his fingers through my hair. With a name like Sven, I feel like he’s going to do an amazing job, whatever he does.
“Let’s go for something different.”