Page 27 of Enemy Boss

“I have no idea, but I don’t have a journal and I never have,” I say.

“Ah you’re no fun,” Max says laughing. “So did you spot anything on my bookcase that caught your interest?”

“I spotted Lord of the Rings,” I tell her. “That was one of favorites growing up. And I was suitably impressed that your house plant is thriving.”

“Do you want to know my secret?” Max says. “To how I keep the plant going strong?”

I’m the sort of guy who could kill a cactus, something that’s rumored to be almost impossible to do and so I nod my head. We have reached my car, and we get in and I start the engine and leave the parking lot as we chat. Max smiles at me.

“I only buy artificial house plants,” she says.

“You mean it’s not actually alive?” I say.

“Got it in one,” she laughs, and I laugh with her and shake my head.

Chapter 20

Max

Ifeel like a drowsy, happy sloth. My muscles have all turned to liquid and I feel so relaxed I’m almost convinced that I could float away on the gentlest of breezes. I can still smell the citrus tang of the oils the masseuse used on my skin. It’s a fresh, vibrant scent, and I find it energizing mentally, despite my body’s refusal to be energized in this moment.

My massage was amazing, one of the best I have ever had. The lady who completed it was so tiny I didn’t think she would have the strength to do a nice, deep massage, but I was wrong about her. Once she got going, she worked knots out of places I didn’t even know could knot up.

The massage finished about five minutes ago and although she reassured me that I should relax and take my time, I’m still kind of conscious of the fact she probably needs the room for her next appointment. Plus, I still have my sauna with Cullen to look forward to.

I roll onto my back and force myself to sit up. Once I am sitting up, I still feel relaxed, but the drowsiness wears off quickly and I stand up and now I find that I do feel energized. It’s strange how just sitting up could change the way I feel so much, but I’m not complaining. I feel absolutely great. I grab the fluffy white robe I was handed as I went into the locker room and put it on and leave the room.

I wander down the immaculate white hallway until I come to a sign pointing me in the right direction for the sauna. I follow the sign and come to a door which I open. A staffed reception desk is opposite the door and the lady there smiles at me as I enter.

“Good morning,” she trills happily. “Do you have a booking?”

“Umm, yes, I think so,” I say. “My partner booked us in so it’s probably in his name. Cullen Monroe.”

I feel a rush of warmth when I describe Cullen as my partner. It feels slightly alien but in the best way imaginable. The woman doesn’t bat an eyelid at the description – why would she? I don’t know, but I kind of expected her to for some weird reason – and she looks at her computer monitor.

“Oh yes, there you go. You’re in sauna three. Mr Monroe is already inside,” the woman says, still smiling.

“Thank you,” I say.

I take an uncertain step away from the desk and the woman seems to realize I don’t know where I’m going.

“Just follow the hallway around. The doors are all numbered,” she tells me.

“Thank you,” I say again, and when I start moving again, my steps are more assured.

I find sauna number three with no incidents, and I open the door. A small entrance way, again all white and immaculate, greets me. There is another door leading off it and beside that door are two hooks. On one of them, a white robe already hangs. I am suddenly nervous. I have never been to an upscale place like this, but from everything I know of them – admittedly from the TV and movies – no one gives a shit about nudity, and I’m clearly expected to leave my robe here. I can’t say I’m entirely comfortable with everyone in there seeing me strutting along naked, but I didn’t bring my towel along and I think I will stand out more going in with a robe on than I will do if I am naked.

I open the belt, take a deep breath and slip the robe off and put it on the hook beside the other one. I pull the door open quickly and step inside, resisting the urge to cover my breasts with my arm and my pubic area with my other hand. I soon relax when I see that the sauna is small and contains only one person – Cullen.

He smiles at me through the steam, and I go and sit down beside him, glad now I didn’t bring my robe in. I would have felt so stupid if I had.

“I thought it would be bigger than this,” I say as I sit down beside Cullen.

“There are a couple of big ones, but the little ones are private, and I wasn’t sure how you would feel about a communal sauna,” Cullen says.

I almost lie and tell him it would have been perfectly fine. I don’t want him to think I’m some sort of prude, but at the same time, if I lie and say that and we ever come here again, he will book the communal sauna and I’ll have to pretend to be all chilled out and confident about it.

“I’m not sure myself,” I admit. “I’ve only ever been to the sauna once or twice and it was ladies only. I like this private one a lot though.”

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