Page 6 of Trapped in the Christmas Cabin

Herface fell.

“Soyou’re going to stay out here and let me go in all alone?”

“No,I’mnot,”Klaussaid firmly.“I’mgoing to go in the room with you to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

Hercheeks went immediately pink.

“ButI’mgoing to be mostly naked!Orwait…”Shelooked up at the robot masseuse who was still waiting patiently.“DoIhave to take off my clothes to get a massage?OrcouldIleave them on?”

Therobot’s face twisted into a semblance of sympathy.

“Regrettably, you must undress completely,” it said.“Itwould be a safety hazard to leave your clothing on.”

“Oh…all right.”Kellisighed.“ThenIguessIwon’t get a massage after all.”

Klaussuddenly felt bad.Heknew that human women loved getting massages and he didn’t like denyingKellisomething she really wanted.

“Look, get the massage,” he said.“I’llstay in the room with you butI’llturn around soIdon’t see anything—not that you have anything to be ashamed of,” he added, letting his eyes sweep over her curvy figure.

Hercheeks got pink and her eyes widened for a moment.

“You’resure you don’t mind?”

Klausshook his head.

“No, it’s fine.Ijust need to be near you in case there’s a problem.”Helooked at the massage robot again.Hedidn’t trust the fucking thing but ifKelliwanted to try it, he would have her back.

Hejust hoped the massage didn’t go wrong.

7

KELLI

Kellicouldn’t help feeling nervous as she stepped out of the changing booth wrapped in a long white towel covered in pictures ofChristmastrees and wrapped presents.Shehad taken off the elf dress and the striped stockings and shoes that went with it, but she’d decided to leave her bra and panties on, just in case.

Apeek to her left showed her thatKlauswas standing in the corner, facing the wall patiently.Kelliknew the bigKindredwas just staying with her to be sure she was safe, but she couldn’t help thinking that he looked like the biggest kid ever to get sent to the corner for being naughty.

Thethought made her smile and some of the tension left her.Sheunderstood whyKlauswasn’t eager to let the massage robot work on him, but she personally loved new experiences.Itwas one of the things she enjoyed about working for theKindred—every mission was different because she was always visiting new planets and meeting new people.

“Welcome—are you ready for your massage now?”Therobot with the brown hair and glowing green eyes asked her.Kellidid wish the massage robots looked either a little more human or a little less like actual people.Asit was, they fell squarely into the category of theUncannyValley—meaning machines that creeped you out because they were supposed to look human but didn’t quite make it.

Butshe pushed her unease aside and smiled at the robot.

“Yes,Iam.ShouldIlay on the table?”Shegestured to the massage table in the middle of the room.Therewas a hole in one end, presumably for her face, and a cushion at the other to prop under her legs.

“Please, do.Makeyourself comfortable andIwill begin,” the robot said.

Usually,Kellididn’t like having a male massage therapist because it made her feel awkward and judged.Shewasn’t exactly as thin as she had been back in her twenties.Butof course, the massage robot wouldn’t care that she was extra-curvy.AndsinceKlausstill had his face to the wall—(he did, she knew because she’d checked)—she didn’t mind shedding her towel and laying face down on the table.

Themassage room itself was nice—it was very dim and the music was a soothing mixture of ocean sounds and flute melodies.Fromsomewhere a lovely floral mist was being sprayed into the room that smelled faintly of lilacs and jasmine.Allin all,Kellithought it was one of the nicer massage experiences she’d had—at least in terms of aesthetics.Itstill remained to be seen if the massage robot was any good at his job.

“Ifyou are comfortable,Ishall begin,” he said andKelliturned her head to the side to see him rolling towards her.“Butfirst allow me to give you this.”

Oneof his hands that had the long, many-jointed fingers lowered and deposited something that felt like a small, smooth oval in her right palm.

“What’sthis?”Kellibrought it up to her eyes so she could see it better.Therewere two lit buttons on it—the one on the right was green and the one on the left glowed red.

“Thisis your intensity adjuster,” the massage robot informed her.“Ifyou feel that the pressureIam giving you is too little, please press the green button on the right andIwill increase the force of the massage.Conversely, if you feel the pressure is too intense, please use the red button on the left so thatIcan decrease the intensity.Isthat clear?”

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