Page 12 of Tinsel Time Treasure
Maybe it was an assumption on my part, but I’d thought that an empty bed the next morning was a universal sign that there wasn’t going to be a second time.
But no. Another idiotic mistake I’d made was giving him my phone number, which he’d used an obnoxious number of times since. I’d been bombarded by both calls and texts, him demanding a list of evenings when I was available and wanting to know when my next heat was.
I’d described him as creepy to Kaleb, but I didn’t think that quite covered it.
I jumped as the phone rang, saw his name, and was finally annoyed enough to answer.
“What part of ghosting don’t you get?” I demanded instead of a greeting.
“This isn’t a good way to start a relationship,” Frederick snapped. “I’m trying to be understanding, but my patience is wearing thin. Now, when are you available?”
“Never!” I screamed into the phone. “God damn you’re a creepy asshole. Lose my number and go harass somebody else.”
“That’s not how this works Justin,” Frederick stated, condescension dripping from his voice.
“Yes it is! I let you knot me once. That’s it! It doesn’t give you any right to any more of my time!”
“This isn’t the tone to take with your alpha.”
“You’re not my alpha! Leave me the fuck alone!”
I hung up and blocked his number before he had a chance to try again.
“Fuck me,” I muttered as I flopped back onto the couch. “Even when I think I got a good one, it turns into a disaster.”
I sighed. “Back to dating apps I guess.”
∞∞∞
I thanked my client as he left the room, looking far more relaxed than he'd been when he arrived.
I grinned. Kaleb made businesses look good, and I made people feel good.
Some didn't believe in the benefits of massage, then they tried it. I hadn’t had one client who wasn’t sold after a single session.
Who could argue with the comfort that came from releasing the stress?
I turned up the lights and changed the music as soon as the door closed behind him, switching it from meditation tones to my favorite pop station. I set a small timer, then I pulled the linens from the massage table and carried them to the hamper.
I grabbed my favorite sanitizer and danced back to the table, where a few spritzes glistened in the light until I used a paper towel to spread it around.
I wiped down the table, hips swaying to the music. There were only a few more hours of work, then I was going to dinner with Kaleb and his alpha.
My timer dinged, letting me know I only had a few minutes before the next client. I grabbed a stack of new linens and prepped the table. Then I switched the music back to the meditation playlist, turned the lights down and walked out to the front to greet them.
Our receptionist, Janet, was flirting with a blond man who had his back turned to me. Yet… something felt familiar.
Then he turned, and gave me a sickly-sweet smile. “Justin! So nice to see you again.”
I frowned. “Janet, I’m canceling his appointment.”
“But,” she tried arguing.
I shook my head. “I’m allowed to cancel any appointment for any reason, and you know I’ve never done that before. But I will absolutely not work with this man.”
I turned to Frederick. “Get out before I call the police to have you trespassed.”
The smile slid from his face. “Be reasonable.”
