It's All Relative(42)
Gram’s conversations about him usually centered around Kai’s job, and she always seemed concerned when she brought up his work. Jessie couldn’t be sure, but she felt like Grams was waiting for something bad to happen. Jessie had no idea what that might be. From all of Gram’s stories, it was pretty clear that Kai was loving it there. He’d healed from the bee fiasco, and luckily hadn’t had any other sting incidents, and was thoroughly getting into the plant and animal life of the Rocky Mountains. He’d even adjusted to the new time zone and wasn’t suffering from as much exhaustion.
Jessie was happy to hear it. He’d seemed so tired when he’d fallen asleep in her arms, his own wrapped around her. Those warm, strong arms…
Sighing, Jessie gazed at herself in the mirror. A couple of untamed strands had fallen out of the clip securing her thick locks in place. Refusing to redo the style, Jessie tucked them behind her ear. She shouldn’t think about cuddling with Kai, about him asking in a whisper if it was all right, then telling her that she felt good. Those words should not give her stomach a jolt of electricity. But they did.
Watching her deep brown eyes start to water, Jessie shook her head and turned on the faucet so she could splash her face with cold water. She shouldn’t linger on that last kiss either; her lips pressing into his mouth, him responding ever so slightly. The softness, the heat, the light exhale along her skin… She needed to move on from the memory, and so did he. Maybe Grams was on to something. Maybe she should set him up with someone. Maybe she should set him up with April, since April still asked Jessie nightly if her mysterious cousin was making an appearance anytime soon.
Straightening, Jessie dried her face and started doing her makeup. Their tryst had only been a week ago. A week ago tonight. Was that long enough for her inebriated friends to forget his face? Jessie had no idea. Only one way to know for sure, she supposed.
Slipping on her shoes as she sat on her bed, Jessie glanced out her bedroom window. On her cement patio, under a shaded overhang, was a round table with two matching chairs. It was the wrought iron type that you might see outside a small Parisian café. Jessie stood up and walked over to the window to look at it closer. It was a tiny set that had seen better days. The girls never really used it, as evidenced by the spider webs laced throughout the bars. Jessie occasionally went out back to read a book in the sun, but she generally sat in the more comfortable lounge chair when she did.
Remembering how Kai was eating his meals on his bed, or probably standing in the kitchen next to his sink, made Jessie smile. She recalled mentioning to him that he should get a table for his place. He’d made a joke at her comment, but he hadn’t seemed opposed to it. It had been more like he’d felt Jessie was doing too much for him. That wasn’t true, though. Really, besides buying him some more nutritious food, all she’d done was given him a bunch of odds and ends that she hadn’t needed.
Her mind made up, Jessie headed out back through a slider in the living room. The patio set was pretty light, and Jessie got in through the house and into her truck with relative ease. She even wiped off the stray spider webs. As she closed the end of her truck, she realized that she now had a legitimate reason to knock on Kai’s door again. She couldn’t stop the grin that exploded onto her face, or the nervous butterflies that flew through her stomach at just the thought of seeing those ocean eyes again. Oh boy, she really needed to stop that reaction.
Moments later, Jessie was walking into the warm, cheery office where she worked. As she smiled hello to the receptionist, she took in the large space that was her current home away from home. Soft music was coming through the speakers inlaid in the ceiling, and every wall was painted a pleasing, butter-cream color. The accents were all done in various shades of green, resulting in a waiting room that was peaceful and relaxing. A dozen or so padded chairs lined the walls with several round tables sprinkled throughout, each holding several different types of magazines. One or two clients were already there, flipping through the pages, waiting to get their chemical peel or facial scrub from the esthetician, or maybe even waiting for a body rub from Jessie.
Getting ready for the day, Jessie tucked her purse into a drawer in her desk and hung her jacket on an awaiting coat rack in the corner. Her room was designed for ambiance with her massage table taking center stage. The plush, padded slab had a circle cut out of the top so a person could rest their head straight down, keeping their spine perfectly aligned for Jessie to work all the kinks out of overworked muscles.
The walls were a beautiful mauve color, showcasing an assortment of dewdrop photos. If you looked really closely, you could see images and reflections in each drop. They were astounding, but most people that came in here never really got to see them, as the room was kept pretty dark. Jessie switched on a softly glowing lamp, highlighting the various oils and creams she used without over-lighting the room. Then she lit a half-dozen scentless candles placed in clumps throughout the space. As she’d quickly discovered when she’d started working here, some of her clients couldn’t handle heavy scents; it hadn’t taken Jessie long to switch to odorless mood lighting.
Once the room was flickering with a peaceful glow, she turned her stereo on low, a stream of calming music quietly spilling out. Opening a bottle of lavender oil, she poured a small amount into a potpourri dish. The light scent filled the room with subtle tranquility.
Sitting on the edge of her table, she looked over at the clock on the wall. Her first client should be here soon. As the peace of her office flowed into her, Jessie warmed her hands for a day of action. Her thoughts drifted to Kai as she did. She pictured him spread out on the table she was sitting on, imagined his broad back, his lean body, his bare legs, and only a plush towel resting over his hips as her hands glided over his body. Then she imagined her hands slipping under that towel…