A/N: Well, I certainly didn't think I'd be back so quickly with this update. But, what can I say, I was inspired to write this chapter. Now, please, try not to hurt yourselves fainting at seeing an update so soon, I would hate to be responsible for that. Before anyone asks I have gotten actually quite a lot of writing done since I put out the first chapter of this, including new stuff for the latest chapters of the Nocturnal series, Devil of Barden (or Blind Beca as one of you readers has called it, you know who you are), and also on a certain prologue for a joint fic with Zap that we've been tossing around for quite a while now. Now it's entirely possible that the third chapter of this will become an all-consuming desire for me to have finished immediately, you never know. All I can say is that I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Especially since Zap told me it would have been cruel to delay it for a day or two. Anyway, please drop me a review to let me know what you think, and I sincerely hope you like it. And now, on with the show!
An Eventful Meeting
Several very audible pops resonated in Chloe's ears as the redhead arched upwards, her spine curving as she stretched sore muscles. Of all the various jobs she'd had since leaving college, she had to admit that being a massage therapist was possibly one of the most strenuous on her muscles. And whenever she let herself dwell on it, she wondered who massaged the masseuse. Of course, usually that ended up being Aubrey. Though with how busy her friend had been over the last month setting up the new retreat here in LA, Chloe hadn't seen much of her.
But she'd promised Chloe that tonight she'd be home at a decent time. The pair had wanted to meet up with Stacie and maybe do some drinking and dancing. Chloe was actually quite looking forward to it, she realized, as she cleaned up the room. Her last guest had left, and left her quite a nice tip too, about fifteen minutes earlier and the redhead almost had things back in order. She didn't know how everything got so out of whack during a simple deep-tissue massage, but it had.
Rolling her head side to side caused a couple additional pops as her neck cracked, and she let out a quiet groan of relief. Maybe, since she had some time she'd go take a quick dip in the hot tub out in the hydrotherapy area. Mr. Vallencia didn't mind, in fact he encouraged all of his employees to take advantage of the facilities as long as there were no guests. And considering how late it was, Chloe didn't expect there to be any other guests in the building. Her last appointment had been booked at the end of the day slot, so short of massages going long, Chloe didn't think there'd be anyone around but employees.
Considerably cheered up by that though, she placed the last few things in their proper places and gave the room a once over. It wasn't completely cleaned up, that would be the cleaning crew's job after she left, but they weren't responsible for the oils and other things that the masseuses used, which was why Chloe had had to take care of them. Still, her job was done now and a quick glance at the clock on the wall told her that she had time for about a 20 minute dip in the hot tub before she'd need to get heading home.
With a bright smile on her face and a joyful bounce to her step, she exited the room and started to make her way to the employee lounge to text Bree. Walking through she saw Carla, one of the stewards who was responsible for greeting guests and taking them through the hydrotherapy treatments, sitting in one of the comfy chairs watching tv. The older Filipina lady had always been really nice to Chloe so the fact that her smile grew even happier was completely genuine.
"Carla, I didn't know you were still her. How are you doing tonight?" Chloe asked, letting the door close behind as she walked into the room. The older lady look up and returned a friendly smile to match the one Chloe was sporting. Heading towards the lockers along the side, Chloe looked back over her shoulder at the other lady when she spoke.
"Oh it's you, Chloe. You are always a ray of sunshine, do you know that? And I'm doing perfectly well, thank you. Just catching a bit of a breather, you know?" Carla said, gesturing towards the cup of what Chloe assumed to be flavored water sitting on the table beside her. Chloe nodded her understanding before turning to her locker and punching in the code to open it. Her phone sat front and center, the light blinking on top telling her she had notifications waiting for her.
"You know, Carla, I do my very best, but with folks like you around, it isn't much of a chore." Chloe said, turning back to the other woman with a smile as she started to make her way towards the seats. She was actually a little surprised that Carla was still here, but the reason for it dawned on her quick enough. She had to stick around as long as there were guests either coming or still getting treatments, to greet them as they left. A shadow crossed her features as she realized that that meant that there was someone still in the building, which meant she'd probably have to wait for her dip in the tub. Unlocking her phone, she spoke as she looked over the various Facebook notifications she'd gotten in the last two hours, and saw that Aubrey had also sent her a text. Wondering if she might have time to take a dip after all, Bree might be running late herself, Chloe said, "I certainly understand the need to take a little break. In fact, I'd been thinking about maybe taking a dip in the hot tub. Do you know when the last guest is leaving?"
Carla's face drooped a bit in a frown as she looked up at Chloe sadly. Never a good sign as far as the redhead was concerned. Regret laced the other woman's voice as she said, "Oh Chloe, I don't know if that's going to be possible. We have a late appointment tonight, she'll probably be getting here in about fifteen minutes. You know Mr. Vallencia's rules…"
"Damn." Chloe said, knowing exactly what the older woman was referring too. Her curiosity was piqued though, as they didn't normally schedule appointments this late. Then again, this was the first time Chloe had worked a Friday since she'd started about a month ago, so maybe it was normal for Fridays. But she had looked over the available appointments many times, and never remembered seeing any options to book things so late for other Fridays. Dropping into a chair beside Carla, Chloe shot a questioning look to the other woman as she asked, "There's still one more guest coming in for treatment? I thought the last appointment time was 6…"
"Oh yeah, that's right, you've never worked on Fridays, have you? This is a special one. She's a favorite of Mr. Vallencia's, and because of her work schedule she usually has to come in later. So he lets her make special late appointments. He usually has it on the calendar for 6, but she doesn't normally come in until 7 at the earliest." Carla said, surprise appearing first on her face before she realized that Chloe just wasn't aware of these long standing appointments.
Chloe was about to respond, to ask who the customer was and why she got such special treatment, when the door burst open and one of the other masseuses, Donna unless Chloe was mistaken, dashed into the room clutching her phone to her ear. Chloe watched as the woman hurried to her locker and overheard Donna saying, "But she's ok, right? I can't believe your brother let her do that. I'm heading to the hospital now. Mr. Vallencia said I could take off early, he'd get someone to take Beca's appointment tonight. I should be there in, like, fifteen minutes. Give her a kiss for me, ok?"
Processing all the information took Chloe a few seconds. And by the time she did Donna had already rushed out of the room. Chloe wasn't even sure if the other girl had noticed the two of them sitting there. Piecing things together Chloe guessed that Donna's daughter, a sweet little girl the couple times Chloe had met her, had gotten hurt somehow. Probably thanks to her brother-in-law, who from stories she'd heard was a bit of a reckless idiot at times. But it didn't seem too serious.
Then, as her brain processed the rest of what had been said, Chloe realized that Donna must have been whoever this mysterious "special" customer was coming to see. Beca, she'd heard the other woman say.
Beca…
A name that Chloe hadn't heard in years. A person whom the redhead thought about more frequently than she cared to admit. Nah, it couldn't be the same Beca, not her Beca. Then again Beca had never really been hers, had she? And if what Stacie had told them was true, the brunette didn't ever want to be hers. That bit of information had hurt Chloe more than she could have realized. She hadn't spoken to Aubrey for a week after Stacie had told them that Beca was living in LA and that the two were friends. And after she'd railed at both of them about how Beca felt regarding the Bellas, a situation for which Aubrey was, while not entirely responsible for, very nearly entirely responsible for.
Still, there's no way it could be the same Beca. There was something like twenty million people living in the LA area. There was no way that the Beca that Donna was supposed to see tonight was the one she'd known all those years ago in Atlanta. Chloe dismissed the thought, turning to see Carla looking at the door that had just closed on the retreating masseuse, and said, "I'm guessing that's what you meant? Wonder who's going to have to cover…?"
Before Chloe could even finish the thought the door to the lounge opened up and Mr. Vallencia walked in looking hopeful. Chloe shut her eyes briefly as she saw his gaze fall on her and his face light up. Maybe she wouldn't be making it home on time tonight after all…
"Ah! Chloe, good, good! I'm so glad you haven't left yet. I have a huge favor I need to ask you…" Mr. Vallencia started, his hands clasped together as though he were begging her for alms. He had always seemed to have a sweet spot for her since she'd started, so she probably could say no if she explained that she had plans for the evening. But the look on his face, so hopeful and desperate at the same time, was making that decision tough for Chloe.
"I was just about to head out the door, Mr. Vallencia. I have some plans tonight with my roommate, we're going…" Chloe trailed off as the man's face fell. His whole frame seemed to droop with disappointment, and Chloe felt terrible. She always hated having to say no, to anything. It's why, she had realized years ago, she had let Aubrey walk all over her during the blond's final year at Barden. Chloe knew how important it was to Bree, and she couldn't say no to her best friend. Feeling that familiar stab of guilt, Chloe swallowed, sighed, and then said, "What's the favor? I might be able to be late…"
"Oh, perfecto, perfecto! Chloe you are the best, you know this? I've told you this before, right? You have the magic hands, I tell everyone who asks." Mr. Vallencia's demeanor had flipped a complete one eighty when Chloe had hinted she might be available. His hands were gesturing so quickly that Chloe thought they'd fly off soon. He had told her that before, and like before it made her blush. He'd asked here where she'd learned the technique, but she hadn't been able to explain properly the hours and hours spent giving massages and backrubs for Bellas after grueling training sessions and how it just kind of came naturally to her.
"I haven't agreed to anything yet, Mr. Vallencia." Chloe said, reminding him that she was only considering. She knew what the request was going to be, but didn't want it to seem like they'd been eavesdropping, so she simply put on her signature smile and asked, "What was the favor you needed?"
"Oh yes, yes. There is a customer, my very favorite. She had an appointment tonight with Donna, but Donna's daughter was hurt today, nothing serious don't worry, and she had to leave. I need someone to take the appointment…" The big man said, his face having fallen a little after having been put in his place. But he still looked hopeful, and Chloe was struggling mightily to find a reason to say no. Quickly thumbing her phone unlocked she checked the text conversation with Bree, hoping it would say that the blond was heading home and ready to party. Instead it said just the opposite. There was a last minute problem that had come up at the lodge, and she'd end up being an hour and a half late. Crap.
"Well, it seems I might have a little time in my schedule after all." Chloe said, locking her phone again and giving it a little wave. Sighing she gave a small, undignified squeak when the big man rushed up to her and gave her a hug so hearty that it lifted her off her feet and left her dangling as he gripped her tightly. When he finally put her down he swooped down and placed a kiss on each cheek.
"Oh, Chloe, you are my perfetto angelo. My perfect angel. I knew I could count on you." He said as he stepped back. Gesturing for her to follow him to the office, no doubt for details about the customer, the mysterious Beca, he led the way inside before taking a seat behind his desk. Gesturing for Chloe to sit as well he waited until she had before going on, "So this customer… She is like a daughter to me, ok? She is… She is very picky when it comes to things like this. But I know you will do a great job, you are the best we have."
"Stop trying to butter me up, you've already won the fight." Chloe said teasingly to the man, who just chuckled in response. In all fairness, Chloe had known the moment he'd walked in that he would be asking her to do this, and she was quite curious about this Beca. Even though her brain told her that it could be her Beca, her heart had started beating faster the moment she'd heard the name. Of course, the thought of what she would do if it was her Beca suddenly popped into her mind as she remembered the lecture she and Aubrey had gotten from Stacie. Apparently Beca was still very much pissed off at all of them, except Stacie it seemed. Though the former Bella had explained that if Beca hadn't had been in a car accident and confined to a hospital bed, they might never had had the opportunity to get past, well, the past.
"It's not buttering you up. I speak only the truth, little Chloe. So, this customer, she is somewhat famous, you see, and likes her privacy. So I let her make these late appointments when no one is around to bother her." Mr. Vallencia said with a very fond look on his face. Of course, just saying that was enough to ratchet Chloe's curiosity up several more notches. After a moment's pause, where Mr. Vallencia seemed to be choosing his words very carefully, he went on, "Her name is Beca Mitchell, and she works in the music industry. I just know that she will be very happy with you."
Chloe was so shocked shouldn't even know how to react. The words Beca Mitchell had dropped through Chloe like a ten ton anvil. While she may have been imagining that the "Beca" to whom Donna was referring was the Beca she'd known back in Atlanta, never in a million years would she have actually expected it to happen. It was, like, a one in twenty million chance, or something. Chloe wasn't sure quite how the statistics worked out, she'd have to talk to Aubrey, or maybe Stacie cuz that bitch was smart, either way, the chances were slim. And she'd known that.
It became apparent to her that that anvil must have dropped her jaw open too on top of setting her insides into a complete state of chaos, because Mr. Vallencia was looking at her with obvious concern on his face now. Shutting her mouth she nodded and, searching for words to say she tried to stick to the basics. Swallowing in hopes that it would calm her roiling insides she asked, "So, uh, this customer… Ms. Mitchell, what's she coming in for? What sort of treatment?"
"Are you…?" Mr. Vallencia started to ask, but Chloe was nodding before he even finished asking if she was alright. Still eyeing her somewhat disbelievingly, he turned towards his computer monitor and after a few clicks to pull up the schedule he nodded. Turning back to her he said, "Well, as I said, she comes in frequently, once a week usually. She's scheduled for a deep-tissue massage today, 50 minutes. Knowing her she's actually already here and starting the hydrotherapy, though she usually just uses the sauna, steam room and hot tub. But she should be ready in about a half an hour or so. Are you sure you're fine with this?"
Chloe had listened half-heartedly while Mr. Vallencia had spoken. She got the relevant details easily enough. 50-minute deep tissue, should be ready in half an hour or so. She knew that Carla would come get her when Beca was ready. Right now Chloe needed some advice. She simply nodded to the man and stood up, saying she was going to get ready.
Once out in the now empty employee lounge, Chloe sagged against the wall and had a bit of a panic attack. But only a small one. From everything that Stacie had said, Beca would probably freak out if she knew that Chloe was in the same room as her, let alone giving her a massage. Whipping her phone out of her pocket she paused as her thumb was hovering over the icon to call Aubrey. While the blond may have been her best friend and closest confidant in the world, her opinions of Beca Mitchell were nearly as skewed as Chloe's own.
Back out she scrolled down a few contacts to Stacie's number and hit the call button. Lifting the phone to her ear she started pacing back and forth as it rang. As she waited for it to connect through to Stacie, she threw a false smile and wave to Mr. Vallencia as he exited his office and headed out into the spa, no doubt to go tell Beca about the change in schedule. If she was such a special guest, she probably got that sort of treatment from Mr. Vallencia. Turning her attention back to the ringing in her ear she almost thought it was going to go to voicemail before she finally heard it pick up and background noise came bursting through the speaker.
"Hello? Stace?" Chloe called out loudly, trying to make herself heard over what Chloe could tell was hospital sounds. She hadn't realized that the buxom brunette was at work today. It seemed that maybe all three of them had gotten a bit busy today and she wondered if they were still going to go out tonight.
"Yeah, get him prepped for OR3 and Doctor Miller will be ready soon." Chloe heard Stacie's voice issue instructions to someone nearby. The redhead expected that Stacie had just answered the phone so it didn't go to voicemail while she finished up whatever she was doing. For a moment the intense pride she felt for her fellow Bella broke through the panic she was feeling as she thought of how well Stacie was doing over at UCLA Med School and how the brunette was already starting to spend time in hospitals. The background noise quieted down a bit and Chloe guessed that Stacie had stepped out of wherever she'd been before. Her suspicions were proved true when she heard the other girl speaking to her, "Hey Chlo. Sorry about that. Was just finishing up on something in the ER…"
"Oh god. I hope everything's ok. I don't wanna take you away from saving lives." Chloe said, suddenly panicking for an entirely new reason. She hadn't even thought about Stacie taking time to answer her phone could mean people dying, or something.
"Jesus, Chloe. You always go to the worst place, don't you? No, it's nothing that serious. Just some accident. Kid got hurt and needed surgery. I was telling nurses to do things that they already knew to do." Stacie said, chuckling through the phone with a bit of deprecating humor. It worked, though, as Chloe laughed back, her panic settling back onto her original cause as Stacie started speaking again, "I'm only an intern, remember? Most of the people here still know more about all this than I do. If it was serious, I wouldn't have answered the phone."
"Well, thank goodness for that. I'd hate to be in the hospital and die because my doctor took a phone call from their bestie." Chloe said, stopping her pacing to take a seat on one of the couches. Slumping back into the squishy cushions, she let out all of her breath in one gusty sigh.
"Uh oh. I know that sigh…" Stacie said, and Chloe could almost see the brunette raising her eyebrow at her, just like she had for all those years they'd been living together in the Bellas' House at Barden. There were times that Chloe wished she were still there, helping Emily keep their little family together. But she had made her decision and graduated, now she had to be an adult. And Stacie obviously expected her to play the part too as she asked, "So, what's got you so stressed out today, Chlo? You canceling the girl s' night out plans?"
"What? No. I mean, I don't know. You sound like you're busy, and Aubrey had to work late, and I'm having to work late, so maybe…" Chloe said, trailing off at the end as she thought about why she was working late. Chloe knew that her thoughts were over the place, but the only idea she'd had about what to do to collect them might be costing people their lives. Ok, she knew that wasn't true, but drama had kind of been her forte for the last several years so…
"Oh, quiet you. I knew Bree was working late, she called me earlier, and since I wanted to log a few more hours at the hospital, I picked up a short shift. But I should be done here in about an hour." Stacie said, speaking firmly. The brunette doctor-to-be was well-aware of how Chloe could get at times. She'd seen it often enough in her four years at Barden with the redhead. She also knew that usually just a calm, firm hand was enough to settle the fiery redhead back down. Putting on her best co-captain's voice she said, "What's bugging you, Chlo? You're worked up over something, spit it out."
"It's Beca!" The words left Chloe's mouth in such a rush that the ginger didn't even have time to think about them. Of course, it was why she called, so like with a Band-Aid maybe it was better to just rip it off and get right into the problem. Before she lost her nerve Chloe went on, "I mean, I wasn't supposed to be here. She usually sees Donna, I guess. But Donna had to leave. And now I have to see her. And not just see her, but see her, you know? Like, I'm gonna have my hands all over her. But you said she hates us. Hates me. What if she finds out? She'll flip out. And I'm still new. Mr. Vallencia might fire me. And…"
"Jesus, Chloe. Calm down, wow." Stacie said, finally having to scream to get through Chloe's rambling rant. As she paused to take a breath her brain caught up with her ears and realized that Stacie had been trying to jump in at several points during her rant, but she'd just blown right past her former co-captain. When Stacie finally heard her stop and take a breath, the brunette went on in a more normal tone, "Ok, so lemme see if I got this right… Beca is coming into your spa for a massage, yeah? She was supposed to see some other girl, but that girl had to leave, and so your boss asked you to see her?"
"Yeah, that's about the gist of it. And she's gonna freak out, Stace… You said it yourself, we betrayed her. I betrayed her." Chloe felt the stinging pain in her eyes and at the back of her throat that told her she was moments from crying. And that was REALLY not something she needed to be doing just minutes before seeing Beca for the first time in six years. She started to take in gulping breaths, anything to calm herself down.
Whatever Stacie said at first, Chloe never really heard. All that mattered was that her voice was soft and soothing and it helped her get control. When her breathing was finally back to normal, Stacie started actually talking to her, "Ok, well, you have two options really, Chlo. The first one, don't let her see you. Don't let her know it's you. I know you're a good enough actress to make her unable to recognize your voice…"
The idea had a lot of appeal to Chloe. She wasn't gonna lie, avoiding issues wasn't usually her go to tactic. But she also wasn't sure if she was ready to confront this problem head on quite yet. Thinking about what all she'd need to do to keep Beca from seeing her or knowing it was her, she asked, "What's option two?"
"Let her see you, get pissed, then have angry sex on the massage table." Stacie said with such a flat tone that Chloe's mouth literally dropped wide open. For a second.
"Stacie! Oh my god! I'm not gonna do that! Jesus, Stace, I don't even know if she likes girls!" Chloe had to admit, option two was tempting to dream about. In reality, no damn way. But, as she thought about it more, she started laughing at the idea. Which, she suspected had been Stacie's purpose in suggesting it…
Actually, she wasn't certain of that. Stacie, for all her brains, was still a sex fiend and might indeed try solving "The Beca Problem" as Chloe was starting to think of this situation as with her exceptional bedroom skills. Of course, that lead her to a thought that might have been how she initially settled her own Beca problem when the two had run into each other the first time. But Chloe didn't dwell on that.
"Ok, well, option two isn't an option. I don't need to give Mr. Vallencia two reasons to fire me. Beca's word might be enough, but trying to have sex with her at work would definitely be another." Chloe said, glancing at her watch and realizing that the brunette was probably just about done with her hydro time. Sighing once more she decided she better get off the phone with Stacie. Walking back towards her locker she said, "So that leaves option one, really. Hopefully there won't be much talking going on. Most people are pretty quiet during massages. I don't see Beca being a real talker… Well, I should get going, she'll probably be ready soon. I'll see you two later and tell you how it went."
Stacie offered up a couple more words of support, and one lewd suggestion about what to do if Beca figured out it was her, before Chloe hung up. But at least when she hung up she was laughing. That was better than her earlier state. She walked over to the bathroom attached to the lounge and took a peak at her reflection in the mirror. Thankfully she hadn't actually cried, so her eyes weren't puffy, her cheeks weren't tear-stained. She looked like Chloe. Glaring at her reflection she said in a firm voice, "You've got this, Beale. You can do this. And, when you're done, maybe we'll have a little chat with Stacie about why she thinks sex with Beca might make her get over what happened six years ago."
As she was finishing up her little pep talk she heard the door to the lounge open up followed by Carla calling her name. Stepping out of the bathroom she smiled at the older woman who was beaming at her. Carla told her that Beca was down in room 12, which didn't surprise Chloe because it was one of the nicer rooms in the whole facility. She nodded and, taking a deep breath, stepped past Carla and started heading down to where doom might possibly be waiting for her.
Just outside the room she paused again, drawing in a deep, calming breath before knocking softly on the door. Without waiting for an answer she quietly opened the door. One of the first things that she'd been taught when she'd started was that this was a place of serenity. I mean, that word was literally in the name of the spa. So anytime you were around guests you were cool, you were calm, you were collected, and most importantly, you were serene.
So Chloe walked in quietly, looking down at the floor, and acted as serene as she could, turning to softly shut the door. Taking another soft breath, she turned around and saw very, very familiar chocolate colored locks sweeping down over one exposed shoulder. Chloe's instantly jumped to the other shoulder, the right one where she saw the well-remembered flower tattoo trailing off underneath the sheet covering the Beca's body. A body that had haunted Chloe's dreams for six years.
But she was calm. She was serene. She was totes not freaking about being in the same room as Beca again. It was cool.
Summoning up the most titanic effort of will she'd ever needed in her life, Chloe got her feet moving. Once they did, the now familiar routine came as if they were on autopilot. It was as though her lower brain, her subconscious, had taken over and was now starting to perform the tasks which had, over the last month or so, become a comfortably familiar routine. Which was good, because her upper brain was still freaking out a little and the normalcy with which she went about turning on the music and preparing the lighting and eucalyptus rub began, finally to penetrate to the upper reaches.
By the time she had all the prep work finished up, she was back in control. She was cool. She was calm. She was serene. And she was reaching out, she watched as her hand descended to rest lightly on Beca's shoulder. She felt Beca twitch slightly when her hand made contact, and she smiled a little thinking how the short brunette must still not be a huge fan of touching. She also heard the rush of air as the breath left Beca in a rush.
The sight of the other girl's shoulders told Chloe that Beca was nervous. And she wondered if it was for the same reason. Or, well, almost the same reason. Beca, she expected, would probably be trying to figure out if she had to yell and scream at someone today. That reminder, if she'd even needed one, was what made it so that, when Chloe finally spoke, she barely recognized her own voice as she said, "Ms. Mitchell, are you ready to begin?"
Almost instantly she saw how Beca's shoulders relaxed ever so slightly, and she tried to ignore the hurt she felt inside at how Beca thinking that she wasn't who she was had made the brunette visibly relax. At Beca's nod, Chloe tried to let go of her feelings and focus. Taking a deep breath of her own she started to work.
Stepping alongside the shorter woman, Chloe started to roll back the sheet covering skin so familiar, and so yet so new and exciting that it made Chloe ache. Placing her hand on the rolling cart that held the heated massage oil, Chloe pushed her feelings deep inside and took a generous amount of the warm, silky liquid into her hands. From there she quickly transferred it to Beca, starting to rub the oil gently into the smooth, delicate skin of the short brunette's upper back.
Almost immediately she felt the tension, the strain still present in the muscles under her hands. She'd given Beca backrubs before, years ago in what almost felt like a different life, but never before had the short girl been this tense. Of course, she was a lot better now than she had been in those days, and so she started to methodically work through the knots she felt. Loosening the muscles around the knots before moving in to attack the points of greatest tension. The fact that it was a deep tissue massage gave Chloe all the license she needed to really dig in and try to get out ever last hint of tightness.
It was when she was working on Beca's left shoulder that it happened for the first time, and it shocked her so much she stopped for a full second before getting back into her routine. Chloe was bent close in, using her elbow for more leverage and force. She was working on a particularly tight spot just above Beca's shoulder blade when she finally felt it give.
And Beca just groaned in pure relief.
Electricity shot through the ginger like a lightning bolt and she was surprised she didn't jerk in response. Or moan back. Freezing up at the sound was bad enough. Either of the others would have been a hundred times worse. Thankfully Beca didn't seem to notice the lapse, or maybe she just chose not to comment on it. And Chloe started up again, finding the next sore spot and moving along.
The next little while was something Chloe both glossed over, moving on automatic, and took special care to memorize every detail of. She'd seen Beca's bare back once before. In a fateful encounter with the brunette in a shower at Barden University that was etched into her brain forever. On that occasion Chloe was just barely, and it really was a close thing, more focused on the singing aspect of things than on what was going on in front of her. And the main reason was that, at the time, she hadn't really realized how important the short brunette would become over the next several months.
Now that she knew, well, she took time to save the details. To enjoy the way her fingers slid easily over smooth skin. The pure pleasure of hearing Beca's grunts and groans of quiet delight when Chloe finished working a trouble spot. The way the skin curved tantalizingly upwards from the small of the brunette's back over the swell of her ass, just hinting at what lay beyond the edge of the sheet. It took special restraint on Chloe's part to keep her hands just barely under the edge of that sheet. Almost as much restraint as it took to not slip too far down the curving sides of Beca's ribs to touch the soft flesh squished so unglamorously against the massage table.
At the same time, Chloe's conscious mind was focused on her work. Her eyes were half closed, through eye pleasure or concentration she would never be able to recall properly, as she felt her way along the sinuous muscle beneath her fingers. Mr. Vallencia hadn't been joking when he'd told Beca that she had magic hands. Years of amateur experience coupled with her brief stint at a massage school had honed Chloe's natural talents to a peak of excellence that few met. And she used every ounce of her skill working her way down Beca's back.
By the time she'd gotten the shorter girl's torso into a jelly-like state, Chloe reluctantly pulled the sheet upwards, letting its cool softness cover the oil-slicked skin before moving downwards. Very, very carefully she uncovered one of Beca's legs, for her own sanity as much as Beca's. And it must have been a tribute to the skills displayed up above that Beca didn't even flinch as her leg was exposed nearly to the hip, though Chloe took the utmost care in making sure she was still decent.
While not nearly as knotted as her shoulders and back had been, Beca's legs were still a challenge to test the redhead's skill. And Chloe always loved a challenge. Working her way downwards, she had to stifle a giggle when she got to Beca's foot, only to discover that the brunette was apparently quite ticklish there, her foot jerking once in Chloe's grasp before the ginger switched her technique.
In what seemed like no time at all, Chloe had finished Beca's left leg and was moving on to her right. The same process occurred as the ginger worked her way down from Beca's hip to her foot, this time avoiding tickling the adorably small extremity. When Chloe moved upwards and started working Beca's arms, she wondered briefly if the brunette had fallen asleep on the table. It wouldn't have been the first time it had happened to one of Chloe's clients, and she always took it as a compliment. But when the redhead crossed from the right arm to the left, she saw Beca's head move as though following her feet through the tiny portal she'd have looking through the headrest's opening.
Before Chloe had even realized it, and after an interminably long, wonderful time, the redhead realized that she was going to have to have Beca flip over so she could do her front. Clearing her throat, after working some moisture into her mouth she again tried to make her voice sound as un-Chloe-like as possible before speaking.
"Ms. Mitchell." She said, thankful now for the couple drama classes she'd taken back at Barden. Beca's hum of quiet pleasure was all the answer she got in response, so she decided to go on, "I've finished with your back, if you'd like to roll over. I'll just hold the sheet up for your privacy."
That was another idea she'd had, while talking to Stacie that she thought might be pure genius. Stepping to the side, she lifted up the sheet that lay over Beca, holding it completely in front of her. As tempted as she might be to peak around it when she heard the unmistakable sounds of Beca rolling over, she resisted. Doing her utmost to make sure that the brunette could see no more than her fingers holding the edge of the sheet, she waited until Beca had settled onto her back before putting part two of her genius plan into play.
A small step to her left was all it took before she stepped forward and lay the sheet down once more covering the short girl on the table. This time, however, instead of exposing her from the shoulders up, it covered her from hairline to her toes. She was mentally high-fiving herself at having remembered that little tidbit of knowledge dredged up from her time at massage school about how some people would cover the person's entire front while getting the mask. When she finally did roll the sheet down over Beca's face, she had the weighted mask already blocking any line of sight that Beca might have had to her face if the brunette's eyes had happened to be open at the time.
Already congratulating herself on a job well done, Chloe turned her attention back to finishing the job that lay before her.
Ricardo had been right. Ricardo had been so, so right.
That thought was the most prominent thought in Beca's head for what felt like days, but was mostly like only about 35 minutes.
To say that she had been nervous or reluctant at the outset of this ordeal would have been a gross understatement. Her initial relief at the voice not being the one she remembered, though it had been close, was enough to carry her through until Ch-, the masseuse, had started to remove the sheet. That was when she remembered how exceptionally naked she was underneath its scant protection.
That had always been one of Beca's main problems with massages. Formal massages at least, a friendly backrub, usually given to her by Stacie, was generally done with more layers on, despite the buxom brunette's insistence that naked massages were the best. And the couple times before when she'd had less on than a sheet, well, she and whatever girl was occupying her bed at the time had done considerably more than just a massage. That last had happened, as far as Stacie was concerned, far too rarely though to be any decent judge of things.
Still, she thought she managed to keep her calm well enough hidden, and once the heated oil touched her skin she truly did start to relax. Her immediate fears of her exposure melted away under a delightful combination of the heat of the oil and magical pressure that those mysterious hands were providing her.
And while Beca had, on occasion under Donna's supervision, given a quiet exhalation, this woman's touch drew far, far more. When she heard herself groaning as the girl's elbow dug into her shoulder, Beca thanked every god that might have been listening that she was face down on the table and the masseuse wasn't able to see her furious blush. She was, in fact, so caught up in being embarrassed that she almost didn't notice the slight pause in the action. Which she would have been thankful for had she noticed it, because she would have assumed, incorrectly, that it was in shock to her own reaction.
Needless to say, from that point on, Beca tried her hardest to stay quiet. But it was, as had happened so many years ago when a certain someone invaded her shower and forced her to sing, completely unavoidable. Not willing to make the mental connection about the futility of keeping herself quiet with the futility of avoiding a certain redhead, Beca at least attempted to stifle any audible cues as best she could.
Still she had a feeling that, in the calm quiet of the room, the unknown masseuse whose name she refused to let herself even think couldn't help but notice.
Her second dilemma of nerves came when deliciously strong, yet oddly delicate fingers grazed so close to tender flesh, but never close enough. Her brain, somehow completely on its own, decided to take that moment to remind her just how very long it had been since she had found someone with whom to share her bed. Doing her best to mentally slam that particular door shut, she realized that she was rationalizing with herself that maybe finding someone at the club tonight might not be a bad idea.
Her third dilemma of nerves came when the not-be-named masseuse had finished working her torso and started to rearrange the sheet. This had always been an uncomfortable point for Beca, but with how satisfyingly gelatinous her muscles felt, she hardly twitched as the woman carefully arranged the sheet. She did take note, several seconds too late to have made a difference if it had mattered, that the not-to-be-named masseuse had been exceedingly careful and gentle.
All in all, Beca was thoroughly impressed and was seriously wondering if she was going to have to have a talk with Ricardo about rearranging who handled her weekly massages. Of course, that meant she'd have to get used to saying the woman's name, something she'd so far managed to avoid doing, even to herself thus far. She was just starting to wonder how she wanted to react when it came time to roll over when the voice, so close to the one she feared, but different enough to rule her out came again.
"Ms. Mitchell." The woman asked quietly. Beca could only hum in response, her cognitive functions severely limited by the deliciously luxuriant state she was in. The woman seemed to understand, however, as she went on, "I've finished with your back, if you'd like to roll over. I'll just hold the sheet up for your privacy."
And thus they had arrived at the moment of truth. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, and completely disregarding that saying about cats and what curiosity tended to get them, Beca made the choice to try and see this mysterious Chl- masseuse.
As she felt the sheet lift from her, she lifted her head, turning to the side to try and catch a glimpse of this woman with the magic hands. To Beca's surprised disappointment, the woman had managed to nearly completely block herself from Beca's view. All the brunette was able to see were a pair of legs clothed in the white linen that was the standard uniform for the spa and ending in the off-white shoes that all the employees wore. That and eight delicate fingers capped with light blue nail polish, still sleek and shiny with oil, holding the sheet in place.
Beca continued the movement anyway, figuring she'd have a chance to get a glimpse of the woman when she put the sheet over her front. So it was with a second bout of disappointment that she saw the nearly completely hidden masseuse take a small sideways step before moving forward and laying the sheet over her, completely over her. Releasing her breath in a silent bit of aggravated irritation, Beca waited until she felt the sheet moving again.
When it finally did, she was both delighted and supremely disappointed by what she saw. From her angle she was able to look up a slim, well-proportioned torso that was covered in the same off-white linen of which the pants were made. Her gaze drifted upwards to the underside of the swells of the woman's chest, slightly masked by the semi-bulky material of her shirt only to be blocked by a descending piece of cloth.
She was familiar, of course, with the weighted cloth that they used here at Serenity Spa, during the second portion of massages. It was scented with eucalyptus and several other herbs that Donna had told her about during their first appointment. Donna had explained, too, that it was to allow the guests to continue to relax in a cool, calming darkness as the masseuse went about finishing up his or her work.
This was the first time that Beca had considered asking if it was really necessary.
Managing to keep her frustration in check, Beca drew in a deep breath and let it out as she heard the woman start moving about. It helped that her arms were both under the sheet now and would be, if not difficult, then completely obvious should she start to move them. Putting aside the thought of yanking the mask off as Beca listened to the sounds of the masseuse as she went about getting ready for the end of the massage. By now the short brunette was quite familiar with what was left. Shoulders, scale and forehead, then the tops of her legs and feet, to finish up with the tops of her arms.
Her impatience and desire to see the mystery masseuse calmed as the unknown person moved the sheet carefully down her chest, exposing her shoulders and upper chest. She noted, absently, that again the unknown woman was very careful to tuck the sheet in before Beca began to feel exposed in any way. But it was quickly dismissed from her mind as those magical, magical fingers started digging into the tops of shoulders.
She hadn't properly noticed before, she realized as the woman carefully worked her way over the top of Beca's shoulders and onto the upper part of her chest, quite how warm the masseuse's hands were. Though it could have been from the oil, Beca had a feeling that wasn't the full reason. Regardless, however, she delighted in the feeling of those warm, strong digits kneading into her sore muscles.
While she was working Beca never realized quite how much she used the muscles in her shoulders and chest. It wasn't until she was here, on her back on a massage table, and delicate probing fingers were working away any evidence Beca fully appreciate it.
As the hands, which again stopped tantalizing close yet excruciatingly far from the tops of her breasts, moved to work on her forehead and scalp, Beca let loose another groan which was both frustration and relaxation together. She hadn't even realized she'd done it, honestly, until a slight gust of wind brushed over her exposed and oil skin, telling her that the person standing above her must have chuckled silently in reaction.
Naturally, that drew an immediate blush which hopefully thanks to the mask was unseen by the girl with the magical hands.
Beca wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed at her own uncontrollable reactions to this massage, or to be thoroughly frustrated at being unable to catch sight of the person who was eliciting those uncontrollable reactions. Which was how she found her futilely trying to peer out from under the edge of the mask as she felt the girl move down and, again after carefully exposing one leg, start to work on loosening the muscles of Beca's thigh.
Sadly the mask, like everything else at Serenity Spa, was of top quality and more than sufficient to fully block any attempt of Beca's to peer out along the bottom edge. Giving up the idea as a bad job, the short brunette went back to trying to control her own reactions as, while kneading tense muscles on her right thigh, those astonishingly warm fingers caressed a little farther than Beca expected along her inner thigh.
Immediately the brunette bit her lip, but she knew that a sound, one that sounded to her suspiciously like a moan, had started to slip out. Her whole body tensed as she waited for the reaction, and then her whole body relaxed as it became apparent that her slip had gone unnoticed. Cursing herself for a fool inside her own head, Beca refocused her mind on the task at hand.
Namely not having an orgasm on the table.
By the time her final fifteen minutes were up, however, it was a very near thing. And it also had Beca starting to reconsider her idea of switching from Donna to Chlo-, to this new masseuse. Beca was biting the inside of her cheek rather harder than she would have expected by the time the masseuse had finished up and was tucking her arm back under the sheet carefully. Thankfully for her composure, the last part of the massage, her arms, had helped to calm her down, though less than she would have cared to admit to anyone aloud.
"Ms. Mitchell…" The quiet voice said hesitantly, as though unsure of whether or not Beca was asleep. Beca considered that a victory, that she had managed to contain her reactions internally enough that the unknown masseuse was none the wiser. Humming a response, because she couldn't be sure if her voice would be steady or not, Beca waited for the expected lines. She felt a weight being laid on her stomach and knew that it was her robe. Which was why she wasn't surprised when she heard, "The massage is finished. I'm going to leave the room now, take your time and get up when you're ready. Your robe is right here, and you can head back up the hallway to the hydrotherapy room whenever you want to leave."
Murmuring her thanks, Beca tried not to think of how husky her voice sounded, and was grateful that the masseuse was as unfamiliar with it. As she heard the woman moving towards the exit of the room a sudden desire to know, to know beyond a shadow of a doubt, stole over her. Her arm was moving before she even realized it and just as she heard the handle of the door turning she was pulling the mask off her eyes. Finally clear and able to see, Beca's gaze moved towards the door and caught sight of something that had haunted her worst memories, and most deeply buried dreams, for six years. Flowing, bright red hair tied in a loose pony tail.
She barely recognized her voice as her own, the mixture of the remnants of that massage combining with pure shock distorting it to something she'd never heard before as she quietly said one word.
"Chloe."
Everything had gone so well, so perfectly well up until this point. That should have been Chloe's hint. Nothing ever went this well for her. As she was reaching for the handle she heard a noise behind her. Her mind instantly realized it was the sound of an arm being withdrawn from a sheet, but her body was too slow to move any faster. To let her escape what was about to come.
She was halfway through the door when she heard it. Heard her own name spoken in a tone that the redhead had never heard from Beca Mitchell before. And before she could even begin to process what all the subtle intonations meant, she was in full flight mode. She practically ran from the room, the door banging shut behind in a must un-serene way.
Her feet carried her to the employee lounge without direction from her brain. She didn't know if Beca had spoken more, if she had tried to follow, or if she had hurled insults at the closed door. All Chloe knew was that when she finally got to the lounge, she collapsed onto the couch and felt tears running down her cheeks, hot and wet and full of guilt.
