Page 95 of Love is a Game

I hang on to her positive response as we’re led down a softly lit hallway to a pristinely white tiled room lined with low stools in front of mirrors. Handheld showerheads are mounted along the walls, above an array of neatly arranged scrubs and soaps.

“We begin with a full-body exfoliation before entering the bathhouse,” Kelly explains. “Please remove all garments and store them in the designated lockers. Jewelry and cosmetics must also be removed to maintain the purity of the waters; and hair tied up off the neck to prevent contamination. We provide an organic, scent-free exfoliant to prepare your skin for maximum rejuvenation.”

Jess tilts her head. “Wait. Removeeverything?”

Kelly nods. “Yes.”

Jess still doesn’t seem to grasp it. “So, like…swimsuits or—?”

Kelly maintains her tranquil smile. “Oh, no swimsuits. The experience is completely natural. And private. Your group has exclusive access today, as requested.”

Silence.

A very heavy, very long silence.

Then—

“Huh?” Jess blurts.

Vivian chews a nail.

Susan bursts into nervous laughter.

Raquel, of course, is nonchalantly untying her wrap skirt.

Mia tilts her head, relatively unfazed.

“Nope. No way.” Jess shakes her head. “You’re saying we’re just supposed to…walk around naked? Together?”

The attendant nods, as if this is the most normal thing in the world. “Yes. It’s an essential part of the tradition. The communal aspect fosters relaxation and inclusivity.”

I feel my face heating. A slight oversight. Maybe I should have mentioned this detail ahead of time. That’s if I’d realized the wholenakedpart myself.

Vivian makes a strangled sound. “I don’t think my stretch marks and plus-sized curves need a bonding moment. This is more like my personal nightmare.”

Nora soundly claps her hands. “Oh, come on, ladies,” she says, amused. “I’m the oldest one here, and if I’m game, what’s holding you back?”

I glance at Susan, who purses her lips. “I’m just trying to remember when I might have last waxed,” she confesses.

Gosh. This is kind of wild. I’m not sure I should ever be privy to Tuck’s mom’s personal grooming habits.

Then, Raquel saunters past, completely bare, pulling her hair into a high ponytail. “I’m going to need industrial-strength makeup remover,” she informs Kelly.

“Well.” Vivian blinks. “Looks like we’re doing this.”

It’s definitely revealing. Literally and figuratively.

Jess, by far the youngest and arguably the firmest of us all, is the most hesitant. Meanwhile, the older women take it in stride, seemingly more at ease in bodies that have carried them through demanding careers, childbirth, and the highs and lows of life.

Mia, ever the glamorous movie star, sheds her clothes with the practiced ease of a European woman within a half-mile radius of a beach. Helped, of course, by the fact she inherited her mother’s knockout curves and endlessly long legs, plus the simple fact she’s acclaimed as one of the sexiest women alive.

But…somehow, our individual looks become totally superficial against how we fit into something larger: our shared femininity. In the gentle heat of the sauna, the shapes of our bodies blur into something universal, something beyond size or age. Breasts, stomachs, hips—soft, firm, scarred, and stretched—simply are.

It’s strange how quickly an unfiltered glimpse into our varying degrees of body confidence becomes…ordinary. Somehow, the novelty of nudity fades amongst the warm wood and softly rippling water. Without clothing, makeup, or the usual armor of presentation, we’re left with nothing but ourselves. Unfiltered, and oddly at ease.

I find myself drawn to the small, beautiful details I might never have noticed before. The even crinkles at the corners of Nora’s bright blue eyes, the way they hold an undiminished spark of fun against her sun-weathered skin. Susan’s hair, unusually brushed back off her face, revealing the blush of a blue vein at her temple—delicate and striking. Her hands, long and fine-boned, move like a pianist’s with the shifting of tendons beneath her skin.

Suddenly, this whole experience feels unexpectedly liberating. Freeing, unifying, almost sacred.

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