Chapter 23
Our next stop on the tour of decadent pampering was the whirlpool.
We donned our swimsuits in the dressing room and followed Shanice to the Couple’s Whirlpool.
Carefully holding the rail, we climbed down the steps and sat in the molded seats.
It was a spa tub that could possibly have fit four but was very comfortable for two.
The seemingly mandatory lemon water was placed poolside, and we were left alone.
Kimi fiddled with the controls, figuring out how to make the jets go harder, and how to adjust the temperature.
I leaned back against the seat, reveling in the feeling of weightlessness as my arms floated to the surface.
The jets pounded my already relaxed back muscles.
Any more relaxed and I might just go down the drain.
Once she had everything adjusted to her satisfaction, Kimi leaned back and breathed a sigh. “God this feels good. I think I might have to figure out a way to install one in our apartment. Maybe we could rip out the kitchen. We never use that, anyway.”
“You don’t cook much?” I asked.
“Nah. We do lots of takeout and frozen food. We’re usually both too busy or tired to bother with fixing food. How about you?”
“I can make world class French toast. And I make a mean omelette. But other than that, I’m pretty much a take-out girl, too. Usually, it just seems like too much effort to cook for one.”
“Oh, I love French toast! We should have a sleep-over sometime and you can make me French toast.”
I smiled, amused at how easily Kimi was sliding into the 3rd BFF role.
“But what about Morgan? Would he be sad to miss out?”
“If food’s involved you can bet he’d be butt hurt, but we can’t invite him. He’d eat you out of house and home. Or apartment.” She paused a moment, watching her hand surfing on the tiny waves of the pool. “What about Jack? He’s pretty house-trained,” she asked, eyeing me carefully.
“Jack is…Jack is…” I trailed off. I didn’t even know what to say about Jack. Jack is sexy as hell? Jack has already spent the night with me? Jack doesn’t really want me?
“I don’t know if Jack likes French toast.” I finished, lamely.
Turning to face me directly, Kimi looked at me seriously. “Eve, why don’t you want to be with Jack? He’s a great guy. He really is. He’s cool and funny. He works hard at what he does, but he also knows how to have fun.”
“Kimi, I don’t disagree with any of those things.
I just don’t think Jack wants the same thing I do.
I want someone who can make a commitment to me, who won’t run off when things get tough.
And Jack? Well, he’s Jack. An international pop star who has women literally screaming at him, wanting to sleep with him.
I can’t handle a guy who’s a member of the bimbo of the week club. ”
Kimi pursed her lips and looked unhappy.
“He’s not like that, Eve. I’ve toured with him for years and I’ve never seen him hooking up with groupies.
He’s not like some pro athlete that’s got a charm bracelet of illegitimate children around the world, mementos of one-night stands.
He loves making music and performing, connecting with the audience, but that ends once we step off stage. He really is a good guy.”
I let that sit there. Even if, as Kimi insisted, Jack was one of the good ones, that still didn’t mean he wanted marriage, a family. And if I was going to be in a relationship, that’s what I wanted. Anything less was just a waste of time and emotions.
“Well, it doesn’t matter how good he is because he doesn’t want to be with me. He told me he wanted to be just friends.”
“Whaaat?” Kimi’s shriek echoed off the tiles. “That dipshit! He did not say that. Tell me he did not say that. Did he say those exact words?”
“Maybe not verbatim, but pretty close,” I admitted.
Kimi was fuming, I could tell. Rolling her eyes and muttering. I only caught the occasional phrase like, “idiot” and “just like a guy.”
While she was still mid-rant, Shanice peeked her head in the door.
“Everything OK in here?” Perhaps Kimi’s shriek had been a bit too loud.
We assured her we were fine and then she asked if we were ready for our mani/pedis.
Since my fingers and toes were prunes, it seemed like a good time to get out.
Toweled off, robed, and slippered again, Shanice led us to the salon area.
There was a bank of massage chairs with attached basins for the pedicures, and a series of desks for manicures, with artfully placed plants creating areas of privacy.
We were instructed to select our nail colors and go sit in a massage chair.
“What are you getting, Eve?” Kimi asked, perusing the racks of polish bottles that glistened like a lacquered rainbow.
“Because I have to be at work on Monday, the hands will be something neutral, but the toes can be fun. How about you? Are you all in on red?”
“Nah, the red’s just for performance. I prefer pink. I think I’ll have Barbie pink nails and lime green toes.” She grabbed her bottles, and I settle on Blush for my hands and Frosted Ice Blue for my toes.
We took off our slippers and sat, careful to not dip our robes into the water, then placed our feet in the basins.
The nail technicians adjusted our chairs to do a gentle, low vibration, then poured a luxurious rose-scented oil onto our feet.
Then one foot at a time they gently trimmed, buffed, and shaped, finishing with a lovely, short massage.
Then each foot was carefully dried, and the layers of polish painstakingly applied.
“Let’s play a game of ‘I’d Choose’, Kimi said as she lifted up a foot for toweling.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“I’ll start. I give you two choices, and you pick one. Then you toss it back to me with another choice. Got it? OK, which would you choose—beach or mountains?”
“Beach,” I answered instantly.
“Oh, and the next choice must be different. You can’t just ask me the same question I asked you.”
“Ok. Which would you choose—beach or city?”
“Beach. So now we have a stalemate, and we have to pick a new subject. You start.”
“OK. Tacos or barbecue?”
“Hah, that’s a gimme. Barbecue. Nebraska girl here, remember? All right, Barbecue or crepes?”
“Oooh, that’s a tough call. I’d have to go with crepes. So, crepes or spaghetti?”
“Spaghetti,” Kimi answered promptly. “OK, I’m going to go bare knuckles here, spaghetti or chocolate?”
“Duh. Chocolate. Chocolate trumps everything!”
“Haha, true. So, new category. Chris Evans or Henry Cavill?”
“Henry Cavill. I thought we’d already established that.” I answered. “So, for you, Adam Levine or Henry Cavill?”
“Easy one. Henry Cavill. Adam Levine is too old, and I’ve heard he’s kind of a douche.” Her lips lifted into a little smirk. “Ok, let’s see if we can do a tie breaker here. Henry Cavill or…Jack.”
I answered, honestly, quickly, barely even pausing to think. “Jack.”
“Why would you pick Jack over the deliciousness of Henry Cavill?” Kimi asked with a sly smile.
“Because he’s real. I don’t know Henry Cavill at all, but I do know Jack. He’s kind, funny, obnoxious, thoughtful, and he’s a really good kisser.”
“Yeah, I got a sense you were enjoying that after the show,” she giggled.
“That man does have some fine lips,” I sighed.
As soon as our hands and toes were dazzlingly perfect, we were taken back to change into our clothes. As I pulled on my pants I smiled at Kimi. “Thanks for asking me. This has been so much fun. And I loved getting to know you, Bronze Level Bestie!”
She pulled her sweater over her head and gave me a huge smile. “Back at ya, 3rd place BFF! Now we've got to plan our sleep-over, because I am not going to forget about that French toast!”
Shanice came to lead us out to the reception area. I moved to take out my credit card and said, “Let me cover the tips.”
“Oh, no!” She sounded horrified. “Mr Ballanger has taken care of everything and gave strict instructions that you were to pay for nothing.
“Oh, my, that’s very generous of him,” I said. “He is a very nice man.”
Shanice stopped dead in her tracks and looked at me slack jawed. “You know Mr. Ballanger?”
“Well, yes, I’ve been working with him for several months on a business deal and we recently met down in Scottsdale.”
Her long lashes blinked rapidly and she said, “Please wait here for just a moment.”
Kimi and I pulled on our coats and admired each other’s nails, then Shanice came back bearing two large gift bags in the Luxe signature colors of Silver and Ocean Blue and handed one to each of us.
We thanked her profusely and I said I’d be sure to pass along to Scott how amazing our day had been and how helpful she’d been. She went pink all the way up to her scalp.
Kimi and I parted ways outside the front doors, after giving each other hugs and promises to get together again.