CHAP 5
The Relaxing Deception

Kate woke up early Sunday and spent a few hours sipping herbal tea out on the patio. The early morning chill had her wrapped in a light blanket. She had brought out a weekly planner for her class schedule but had only held it unopened in her hand. Her mind twirled and flirted with thoughts of Sheri. Thoughts of the charismatic woman were hard to release. Every time she turned around she was imagining Sheri. Kate saw her in her bikini with that tan skin and beautiful dark hair, along with those broad shoulders and blue eyes. Good gracious. I bet that wrap was hiding her firm behind too! Kate felt the heat of a blush rush up her cheeks. She grinned and patted her cheeks, drawing in a deep breath of pleasure at her mental pictures. Glancing at the height of the sun shining down she thought it safe to remove the blanket and get some air for her overheated body. She definitely wasn't chilled anymore.

She gave a look at her watch and thought she might be able to rouse her sleeping roomie if she made a batch of strong coffee. Smiling at her simple devious idea, she gathered up her items and headed for the kitchen.

Sheri woke up to morning sunshine peeking through her mini-blinds. She rolled over onto her back and needed to dislodge a t-shirt that she had tossed onto her bed a few days ago. Her sloppy habits had the queen size bed half covered in clothes and books. She blinked a few times and took a good look around her room. Her eye's widened in alarm. Lord, this place is a pigsty!

Tossing back the covers, she snatched a few more pieces of stray clothing from the sheets and tossed them in the general direction of her hamper. The partially open device, which was overflowing already, merely stood in silent condemnation of its owner. Sheri walked into her bathroom and surveyed the somewhat cleanly environment there. Nobody likes a messy bathroom.

Making a plan for the day, she decided to clean up her room and stick around the house. She was sure her roommate would be prepping for her own studies and it would be nice to spend some weekend time at home for a change. Sheri rolled her eyes at herself. Who am I kidding? She's gonna be here so that's where I want to be! Plain and simple!

The familiar smell of fresh coffee had Sheri smiling as she hurriedly threw on some sweats and headed to get some java and a cute little blonde smiling back.

Later that day Kate had her schoolwork spread out across the coffee table and was frowning as she marked over some information. She sighed for the third time as she leaned back in the Lazyboy and stretched her aching shoulders. The brief massage Sheri had given her yesterday had seemed to relieve the tension at the time only to have it creep back two-fold in strength.

Sheri was moving in and out of her bedroom with various bunches of laundry, trash, and dishes. Every time she passed Kate she would glance her way just for the pleasure of looking. Kate was a pretty woman and Sheri found some new element to admire every time she looked. As she passed by this particular time she noticed the frown and the pinched expression.

"Something wrong?" Sheri paused as Kate tried to relax and smile. Her hand came up and rubbed on her neck.

"Just a tension headache I guess. My muscles all seem to be cramping today." Kate twisted her neck slightly and grimaced. She dropped her hand downward and shook her head. "It won't go away."

Sheri draped the two shirts she held over the back of a chair and walked around behind Kate's chair.

"Lean back!" Sheri commanded, smiling at the dominating request. Kate stiffened and turned slightly to look up at Sheri.

"Why?" she questioned, for once not smiling at Sheri's grinning countenance.

Sheri sighed dramatically raising her hands to the sky.

"Why oh why would I spend four years trying to get my bachelor's in Sports Medicine and not have ever given a massage?" she implored any God listening above. Looking down at Kate's blushing face, she winked.

"Lean back and I'll see if you need morphine!" Kate rolled her eyes and leaned back relaxing as Sheri reached out and began a neck and shoulder massage. Strong hands began to loosen the knots of muscles that surrounded the shoulders and neck. A snicker from above had Kate frowning.

"You feel that?" Sheri put some pressure with her thumbs and slid them over a particularly tight area. "That is too tense. Way too tense. That is probably what is causing your headache. Give me fifteen minutes and I'll have your purring like a kitten."

As good as her word, Sheri worked on the muscles and guided the tension from them with professional ease. Her hands were golden to Kate as she tried not to moan and groan at the wonderful sensations. A small moan of utter relief passed through those soft lips causing Sheri to quirk an eyebrow and suppress a cocky grin.

"I guess the pressure of my bachelor's is probably nothing to the pressures you're facing with your Master's. You could probably visit with some friends of mine downtown at a parlor called 'Sisters'. They could schedule you with a masseuse for a weekly visit and make sure this kind of tension doesn't interfere with your studies. They have some of the best people in the state working there and it's not as expensive as you would think."

Sheri finished up her shoulder massage by gathering up the thick bouncy hair and letting it fall downward, slipping through her fingers, to rest on Kate's neck. Kate shivered at the extraordinary feeling.

Sheri reached over Kate and closed the book Kate held limply in her hand. Pulling the recliner handle at the base of the chair, she lowered Kate gently into a horizontal position. Kate liked the coddling effect and watched through satisfied eyes as Sheri rounded the chair and again grabbed up the two t-shirts.

"Thank you," Kate murmured, sighing in pleasure.

"Anytime!" Sheri smiled at Kate's hedonistic grin. "Anytime!"

Kate later found a business card from 'Sisters' jammed into the work tablet holding her school notes. The advertisement read 'Visit your Sister's for relaxation' and had a logo of a pair of hands resting on a curve of a body. Flipping the card, Kate read 'no appointment necessary'.

Monday Kate found the day flying fast and furious. Her studies for the week piled high, and that evening she gloried in the fact her roommate had practically given her laptop over for her use. Sheri sat in the other chair and fidgeted over some mathematics while Kate prepared a mock test for her teaching class.

Tuesday she found the card again from her notepad where she had used it to mark her place. Turning it over and over in her hand she reflected on the way she had practically melted under Sheri's touch. The strength of Sheri's fingers kneading her tight muscles and the warmth of her palms rubbing over her neck caused Kate to moan at the recollection. Kate suddenly realized she had enjoyed the scent of Sheri's perfume. Now why did I think of that? She turned the card over again as she listened to the distant lunch buzzer buzz over the campus.

Driving home from school she felt a bit bummed. Sheri was never there on Tuesdays and the house always seemed empty. Kate reached up and felt a slight tension in her neck reforming from the grilling her Director had given her during a verbal examination. As she neared the Condo's gated entrance, she slowed, but suddenly, she sped up again and passed the turn off. Heading downtown she decided to search out the massage parlor.

As she pulled into a small parking lot, she saw the hands logo and the cursive scripting of Sisters on a door to a rather large building. The outside seemed a bit run down, but Kate trusted Sheri and walked in.

She had to stand still for a moment to let her eyes adjust to the dark interior. A red glow led her to a small counter where a woman sat reading a romance novel by flashlight.

"Why are the lights off?" Kate blinked.

"Sorry about that, but the boss thinks it's an ambiance thing to get you in the mood to be rubbed down. What can I do for you?" The young woman set the flashlight on the counter, the battery side down and the light shining upward to brighten the area.

Kate paused at what to say.

"Well, I had a friend of mine recommend this place to me. She says I'm too tense."

"What's your friend's name?" The girl slipped the book out of sight and pulled a ledger closer.

"Sheri." Kate replied tentatively.

"Oh! Sheri! She's a doll. Hang on for a minute will ya?" Then the secretary-cum-appointment girl picked up a phone and mumbled a quick conversation.

Kate heard only parts of it as she tried to look beyond the two feet surrounding her to see the lobby area. She heard the one sided conversation and frowned.

"Yeah. Why? Whatever you want doll!" the secretary said, hanging up the phone. Kate's almost restored vision noticed a hallway leading off into pitch black, further into the building interior.

"You've got a one hour appointment with Susan in room three. Sheri arranged it just in case you came in. First hour is on the house. The rest are fifty-five dollars a session. Don't tip the masseuse and remember to collect all articles of clothing before leaving the premises." The woman picked up the flashlight and pointed it to the blackened hallway.

"Straight down that hallway, third door on your right is the massage room." Kate looked back at the woman once to see her retrieving her romance novel. Three steps into the hallway and Kate was enveloped in darkness once again. Taking a deep breath she forced her steps forward and ran her hand down the right side of the wall. Slowly counting doors, she thought she heard a man's deep voice and a woman's giggling answer as she passed by door number one. The second door was silent and she managed to find the third door without running into anything. She entered the room.

Inside, there was a small lamp lit to show the interior. Kate noticed the furniture, or lack thereof, as she moved into the small room. A pretty Japanese shoji screen was extended to block one area of the room off from the other. The window ledge held twenty different candles and incense holders. The window itself was boarded up and covered in colorful artistic spray paint. Taking up most of the room was what looked like a hospital gurney. Seemingly solid and flat with no pillows, it had clean white sheets spread across its surface.

As she looked around she noticed an instruction poster on the wall above the bed. One: Take off your clothes and don't be shy. Two: Lie on the bed and close your eyes. Three: Someone will come and relieve all your stress. Four: Think of our home as a house of caress.

Kate thought it was a little cutesy and not very poetic, but she had never been to a massage parlor before so she followed the steps. She went behind the screen and disrobed. She found a short silk robe hanging on the backside of the screen and slipped it on. Tying the belt around her waist she walked over to the bed and hopped up. Feeling very vulnerable, she practically jumped out of her skin when the door opened.

In came a woman wearing a very exotic costume. She reminded Kate of 'I dream of Genie'. The woman closed the door behind her and brushed a wild lock of red curly hair out of her face. Her outfit revealed a curvaceous body with an athletic slimness. She was tall. The bikini bra she was wearing for a top left almost nothing to the imagination. It was a white silk that showed dark areolas and hardened nipples underneath. The upper half of her face was covered by a facemask elaborately made of feathers. Kate frowned and opened her mouth to speak.

The woman walked over and stopped Kate from saying anything by reaching up and touching Kate's lips with a finger. Kate's eyes widened, but she didn't speak a word. The woman gestured for Kate to lie down and Kate made slow movements to comply as she watched the tall figure move over to a small CD player that sat on the lamp table. The sudden smell of a sulfur match was floating in the air as Kate saw candles being lit. The candles became the only source of light as the lamp was clicked off. The soothing dance of flames ricocheted off the walls and gave the room a soft ambiance.

Kate heard the smooth tunes of Reba McEntire flow out of the player and the woman turned to take in the now reclined Kate.

Hands reached out to gently tug on the tie at Kate's waist, and a slight hand motion had her flipping onto her stomach. As she rolled over, the robe was moved down to her lower back. The procedure was clearly non-offensive and allowed the masseuse access. Kate noticed the small hole in the gurney and realized it was for her face to rest in. She listened in fascination to hands being rubbed together, then felt warm oil dribbled onto her back. Hands covered the skin on her back and Kate couldn't help but moan with pleasure as the exotic feeling of slippery fingers slid over her skin.

Kate enjoyed the hands that pressed and kneaded her upper, mid, and lower back as she melted like butter under their care. A variety of soft country tunes drifted in the air. Kate had never felt so relaxed and mellow.

The woman lightly ran her thumbs down both sides of the full length of her spine and hesitated slightly over the silk still covering her butt. The silk cloth was caressed over Kate's form but remained in place as the hands roamed lower onto her legs. Warm oil was once again dribbled onto her upper legs. The masseuse worked over the back of her thighs and then attacked the hardened muscles of her calves. After finishing the legs, hands gently held her feet. Kate felt a tear of relief escape as she felt fingers rotating, massaging, and thoroughly pampering the instep and ball of her feet. When Kate thought it was done she suddenly felt a finger inserted between each toe. Her stomach fluttered in reaction. She breathed deeper. The hands finally left her feet to return up her body just as slowly as they had traversed downward.

The heat from her thoughts began to grow and Kate began to feel a different sort of tension spreading through her body. An image of Sheri reclining on that boat in her bikini and laughing at her Aunts flashed in Kate's mind. She held her breath at the rush of desire she experienced.

The hands moving up her legs didn't hesitate this time and continued upward under the edge of the silk robe. Kate felt her cheeks being massaged and tried not to think of anything sexual being involved. The strong strokes of her flesh were very firm. Without notice the silk robe was removed and placed behind Kate on the bed. Kate attempted to remain relaxed and imagined herself in the Jacuzzi being pulverized by the jet stream of water. She didn't think about lying naked on the bed and was almost too lethargic in relaxation to even care. The hands massaging her body moved upward over her butt and once again began to make a rhythmic path over her back. The heat that had been stirring within began to die down.

Kate felt the woman moving close to her head as she moved to the top of the bed and began to work on her shoulders from another angle. Kate felt her neck worked over and moaned at the pleasure. Moving still higher the hands began to move over her scalp in her hair. The scalp massage was unexpected. Kate shivered in reaction. Fingers lightly rubbed over her head tickling around Kate's outer ear rims and running through the length of her hair.

Kate remembered Sheri's massage that had included the hair falling over her in a caress. She had really liked that. Suddenly she smelled Sheri's perfume. Kate tensed and realized it wasn't just a memory. The woman was wearing Sheri's perfume. Kate felt the hair on her head gathered and released to float down across her neck and shoulders. It was Sheri in disguise. Kate shivered with that knowledge and bit her lip wondering if she should say something. She needed to think. Why was Sheri disguised? What was going on?

The CD finished its last song and shut off. Sheri moved away. Kate lifted her head to confirm her suspicions. The red wig didn't hide a few wisps of dark hair poking out in the back. Kate recognized her roommate's form behind the outfit. She caught eyes with the woman just as the door was opened and she walked out. Sheri's blue eyes were softly twinkling out from behind the feathered mask.

Kate grunted and dropped her head after the door closed behind the retreating figure. What the hell was Sheri pulling here? Why didn't she just tell Kate who she was? What was with all the intrigue and disguise? Kate felt a well of suppressed anger from her childhood rear its ugly head. She hated subterfuge and usually avoided it like the plague.

Lifting her body, she felt indecisive. She sat on her bed and thought of her options. She could confront Sheri and ask what this was all about? Deep inside she hesitated. Although she hated the pretence, she didn't want the massage to stop. Her body felt wonderful and she trusted Sheri. Good Lord her hands felt wonderful too.

Kate argued with herself while she got dressed. Glancing around the room once more she walked to the door to leave. She realized this could have something to do with Sheri's degree. Maybe they didn't want her working here? Maybe it was against some rules. At least now Kate knew where Sheri disappeared to every Tuesday and Thursday. Kate wondered how Sheri could have gotten hooked up with this side job. Feeling the energetic flow of blood throughout her relaxed body, she decided Sheri was quite skilled.

Moving carefully down the dark hallway back into the lobby the secretary gave her a smile and a prepared speech.

"Susan says it was a pleasure and she will see you next Tuesday at 5:00pm. OK?"

Kate thought about it for a minute then nodded. "It was really my pleasure and I'll schedule it in."

The secretary took note of it in her ledger and smiled back at Kate.

"Enjoyed your first visit, huh? We got only the best working here!"

"Yes. Thank you." Kate turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," the counter woman spoke. "Here is a list of our services. Susan asked me to give it to you. It kind of helps the masseuse to know what you'd like to have massaged. All you have to do is fill it out and put it in the pouch on the back of the room's door. The masseuse will get it when they come into the room. There is also a little space at the bottom in case you have something other than what's on the list in mind.

Kate's head lifted quickly. The secretary didn't even blink at her questioning gaze.

"Just check the appropriate information and your masseuse will take care of you."

Kate mumbled thanks as she turned and walked outside. It was just getting dark, but the evening sky was still brighter than the interior of Sisters. Kate blinked and walked over to her car.

Glancing at the handout she saw check boxes next to categories. Legs, arms, chest, back, lower back, buttocks, feet, deep tissue and more were listed. She scanned down to the bottom and sure enough there was an available remarks section. Kate raised an eyebrow curiously.

Kate drove home feeling wonderful and wishing she could figure out Sheri's game. As she drove through the entrance gate the guard waved. Kate waved back. Next time she went by she would talk to the man. His looks reminded her of her father. She frowned at the thought of her parents.

Later, curling up in her chair with a good novel, Kate couldn't seem to concentrate. Sheri had deceived her. This was about all Kate could recognize. Why? Maybe she didn't want Kate knowing where she worked? But, why would she invite her to visit if there was a chance she might be found out? Kate grew more puzzled over the whole incident and decided to hit the sack before she ruined her relaxed muscles by tensing them up again.

She went to bed to worry about it tomorrow. Around 12 a.m. she awoke to hear the steps of her roommate moving across the living room. Her dreaming thoughts took her back to that massage as Sheri moved her hands up under the silk robe. Kate's body began to tremble as she realized she was no longer on her stomach. Sheri hands rested on each hip as Kate froze waiting. The dream drifted off into the unknown, but the feelings lingered. Kate tossed and turned for a while before being able to sleep once again.

Continued...