THEO
By the time I pulled into the lot at Eternal Springs Spa on Sunday afternoon, I’d been buzzing with nervous energy for most of the day.
Which didn’t make a whole lot of sense, considering this wasn’t even a real date. Not exactly.
Not one where anyone had gone out on a limb and actually asked someone out at least.
Still, it had been months since my last failed attempt at dating, and apparently, that was enough time for my brain to forget how any of this was supposed to work.
But ready or not, the double date was about to start.
I drew in a steady breath as I stepped inside the spa, hoping the calm ambiance would do some of the work for me.
Muted colors washed the space. Soft lighting.
The faint sound of water trickling from the fountain in the corner.
Everything about the lobby seemed designed to slow your pulse and convince you to leave the outside world at the door.
“Hi.” I approached the front desk and cleared my throat. “My name is Theo. I have a massage booked for three o’clock. A couple’s massage with my… friend.”
I internally cringed at how awkward that sounded.
But how else was I supposed to say it? And Miles was my friend.
The woman behind the desk smiled politely as she clicked through her screen.
“Yes, I have you right here.” She slid a clipboard across the counter.
“If you could fill this out, that would be great. Just mark any areas you’d like your therapist to focus on with an X.
And if there’s any you’d like them to avoid, you can note that as well. ”
I took the clipboard and filled it out, marking X’s for them to focus, especially on my neck and shoulders which had been especially tight lately.
Once that was all filled out, the spa employee led me down a quiet hallway to a changing area.
“There’s a robe and sandals for you just inside that stall,” she said, gesturing to the first stall on the right.
“Once you’re changed, you can head to the relaxation lounge to wait for your massage therapists to come find you and your partner. ”
My partner.
Did she think Miles and I were romantic partners, then? Did Amanda not clarify that this was more of a friend thing?
I considered correcting her for a second before deciding it didn’t actually matter who this woman thought I may or may not be attracted to.
Besides, if I were into men, I could definitely do worse than Miles Hawthorne.
I thanked the spa worker and went into my stall to undress, stowing my clothes in the locker. Once I had replaced my clothes with a plush white robe, I left the changing room and followed the signs until I came to the relaxation lounge the woman had mentioned.
And that was where I found Nora, seated near the windows and wrapped in a robe identical to mine.
Hello, she mouthed, smiling my way when she saw me.
Hi, I mouthed back, taking her in as I walked toward her.
Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, a few loose curls escaping to frame her face. Her makeup was lighter than usual, leaving the freckles across the bridge of her nose more noticeable. And her cheeks were faintly flushed a beautiful rosy color, like she’d already started to relax.
She looked soft.
Beautiful.
And something in my chest loosened at the sight of her, the anxious buzz I’d carried all day easing just from seeing her familiar, friendly face.
“Ready for this?” I asked quietly as I took the seat beside her.
“I think so,” she said, her golden-brown eyes lifting to meet mine.
I glanced around the room, taking in the soft light and the empty chairs. It was just us. No Amanda. No Miles yet.
Which made sense, considering I’d shown up ten minutes early, thanks to my inability to sit still when nerves got involved.
When I looked back at Nora, she didn’t seem to be meditating in the way some people did in places like this. So, deciding she might be open to conversation, I asked, “How was your Saturday?”
“It was nice,” she said. “I had a couple of princess parties yesterday.”
“And which princess were you this time?”
“Aurora.”
“From Sleeping Beauty?” I asked, hoping my princess knowledge was on point after all the princess movies Charlotte and I had watched this year.
“Yep.” She nodded. “And Belle for the party after that.”
“Nice,” I said, remembering the dress she’d been wearing at the birthday party a week ago. “Gotta get some use out of that beautiful yellow ballgown, right?”
“Exactly,” she said, her cheeks pinking just a little. “What about you?” She tilted her head. “Did you and Charlotte make it to the zoo with your parents yesterday?”
“We did,” I said, smiling at the memory of how excited Charlotte had been throughout the outing. “She loved it.”
“Any favorite animals?”
“The monkeys.”
“Of course.” Nora smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “They’re definitely the most entertaining.”
“They really are.” I chuckled, thinking about the way they’d reached their little paws through the netting, clearly hoping for snacks as a reward for putting on a show.
“Would you like anything to drink while you wait?” A female massage therapist with short gray hair asked, peeking her head into the room. “We have citrus-infused water, mountain spring water, or I can grab some hot tea.”
“I’ll just have the citrus water,” I said.
“Me too,” Nora added.
“Perfect.” The middle-aged woman smiled, gesturing to the hydration station in the corner. “The water’s right over there if you’d like to help yourselves.”
I stood, then looking down at Nora, I asked, “Want me to grab you some?”
“Yes, please.”
I filled two glasses and padded back across the carpet, careful not to spill.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.” She took it, and when our fingers brushed, a sharp jolt of awareness shot up my arm.
Which was new.
Since when did touching my sister’s best friend cause a reaction like that?
“Thanks,” Nora said before taking a sip of her water, seemingly unaware of the physical reaction I’d just had.
We sat there for a moment, the hems of our robes brushing.
“I don’t think I said this earlier,” I said, turning toward her, “but thanks for suggesting the massage pairings. I was honestly a little stressed about the idea of a romantic couple’s massage with a woman I’d barely met.”
Her lips curved up. “That’s what wing people are for, right?”
“Exactly.” I chuckled, lifting my glass to my lips. “Although, if I were really committed to the role, I’d probably find a way to accidentally send Miles into your massage room.”
Her eyes widened as she inhaled sharply, immediately coughing as if her water had gone down the wrong pipe.
“Is that your way of telling me you want me to make that happen?” I asked, arching a brow.
“No, Theo.” She shot me a look that was half glare, half amusement. “That is absolutely not what my sudden coughing fit is saying.”
“Well… I’m just saying…” I lifted a shoulder, enjoying how flustered she was getting. “I’m determined to hold up my end of our little deal. So if you need me to facilitate a little magic, I can try to make it happen.”
She opened her mouth, clearly gearing up with a response.
But before she could, Miles stepped into the room, followed closely by Amanda.
“Hey,” Miles said, making a beeline for us. “Isn’t this place unreal?”
“It is.” Nora straightened slightly, her attention shifting to him as she smiled. “Makes me wonder how much Lia and Romeo spent on those gift cards.”
“Probably a pretty penny,” Miles said, dropping into the chair on Nora’s other side.
He glanced between the four of us, a slow grin spreading across his face.
“You know, we could still switch up the massage pairings.” His eyes landed on Nora, playful and flirtatious.
“Are you sure you don’t want to take Theo’s place in my massage room? ”
The color bloomed fast on Nora’s cheeks, and for a split second, I wondered if she might take him up on his suggestion.
Her gaze flicked between Miles and me, like she was replaying the conversation we’d just had while also trying to decide if she should be her own wingwoman instead of mine in that moment.
Which, honestly, if she was interested in Miles, I couldn’t really blame her for putting her desires first.
But after seeming to study my face for a beat, she let out a small breath and said, “I think we should keep things as previously arranged.”
“Are you sure?” Miles asked, arching a dark eyebrow. “Because there could be whispered sweet nothings… lingering glances… Possibly even a very meaningful hand squeeze.”
“As tempting as that sounds—” Nora laughed, her cheeks flushing an even deeper shade of pink, “—it’s probably best we let the anticipation build a little longer. But I’ll sit by you at dinner, okay?”
“Okay…” Miles sighed, dropping his shoulders in surrender. “If that’s what you want, then I’ll try to be patient.”
“Good,” she said lightly. “Consider it practice.”
Before I could fully process the strange mix of relief and something else blooming in my chest, two massage therapists stepped into the room.
“Nora?” the female massage therapist said.
“Amanda?” the male said.
“That’s us.” Nora stood, smoothing her robe.
“Enjoy,” Miles said easily.
Amanda smiled at me as she rose, her expression warm. “See you on the other side.”
“See you soon,” I said, taking her in for the first time.
She looked beautiful. Relaxed. Confident.
Exactly the kind of woman I’d always gravitated toward.
And yet, for some reason, as the two women walked away, my eyes followed Nora’s retreating form instead.