Page 76 of Plus Size Player

I looked over at the man with the bald head and then back at Russ.

Russ was staring straight ahead, a contemplative look on his face.

“Let me help you,” Tessa offered, reaching for my hand.

As I rocked forward, she handed me a towel to cover my breasts. She pointed out my shower shoes to slip back on before we made our way to the glass enclosure. Mud dripped from our bodies and I didn’t look back, but I just knew we were making a mess.

“Stand near this wall,” Byron instructed. “You will spend five minutes being heated and letting the mud dry. When the drying process is done, you will spend ten minutes sitting on these stones. When the door is closed, the glass will become opaque, so there is a speaker for us to talk to you. Hit this button if you need us.” He pointed to a black button. “And this one if there’s an emergency.” He pointed to a red one. “If you feel overheated at any time, let us know.”

He looked between us before stepping out of the enclosure. Without warning, dry heat blasted us from all angles.

“Oh my God!” I cried.

“What’s wrong?” Russ asked.

“I was caught off guard by the desert-air blast.”

He snickered. “I was more caught off guard by how hot that mud bath was. I felt like we were being cooked. Like the spa was a front for some cannibalistic shit. I was feeling a little too much like beef stew in that thing.”

“We were in a Crock-Pot.”

“Talking about it was one hundred degrees. Mannnnn, that shit was easily three fifty.”

I giggled. “And now here we are… in the microwave.”

We were laughing as the mud dried on our skin. I felt the tightness, but it wasn’t until the fans slowed to a stop that I noticed how different I felt.

“I think there really are rejuvenating properties in this,” I told him. “Look.”

We looked like we were covered in clay, not like we’d just stepped out of the mud.

He shook his head. “Gravy.”

I burst out laughing. “I was going to say sauce!” I exclaimed.

Tessa knocked on the door before she opened it. Withouthesitation, she pointed to the two stones set up like beach chairs. “Use the ten minutes on the stones to reflect on how you feel with the mud on you. Listen to the sounds of the rainforest and connect with yourself and your body. Instead of talking to each other right now, talk to yourselves.”

We sat down.

“You got us in trouble,” I whispered playfully.

“That was you!”

We snickered quietly before relaxing into our stone chairs. The mud made my limbs tight and a little more difficult to bend. It felt like I had on a full-body mask. Tessa placed cucumber slices on our eyes and the sudden darkness quieted our amusement. My mind cleared.

“And now, it is time for the mineral shower,” Byron told us over the speaker, startling me.

Has it been ten minutes already?

“Brace yourselves,” he said before water gently started to fall over us.

With the combination of the rainforest soundtrack and my cucumber-covered eyes, it felt like we were in a heavy rain. Water washed over us gently at first and then increased in pressure. When it stopped, I thought it was over.

“Now please remove your cucumbers and stand,” Tessa commanded over the speaker.

Sitting up, I had to blink several times to adjust my vision, but the low lights made it easy. Russ got up before me. Looking up at his sexy, muscular frame, I bit my lip. He was dripping wet and illuminated by the gentle green glow. Although I’d seen him in the shower, I’d never had him tower over me while he was soaking wet.

I liked it.

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