“Of course I have a license. And you should let me finish my job, your time is almost up.” I moved to the top of the table and applied gentle pressure to his closely shaved scalp. As I grasped his ears to release tension, his lips parted and he breathed deeply. I ended every treatment this way, and I was usually glad to be wrapping up. But now I wished for more time. With him. Just like last night . . .

“All done. Happy birthday, by the way.”

“Thanks. It’s just another day for me.”

Kael swung his long, muscular legs off the side of the table. The stoic soldier had returned. He paid, tipped well, and left without another word.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

I was never so relieved to be done with customers for the day. Mali had asked me to take a walk-in after that confusing session with Kael. I don’t know if it was my general distraction or if it was the client, but nothing I did was good enough for her. The pressure was too light, then it was too heavy. The room was too cold. Could she have two blankets—but when they made her feet too hot, could I take one away? And could I please blow out the candle because the fragrance was giving her a headache?

And though the session felt like a test from the universe, she could do little to keep me from thinking about Kael. My mood had improved and my imagination started to invent a sympathetic story about this woman. I made every accommodation and even tried to rationalize her behavior: was she overworked or in a shitty marriage? Maybe this was the only time when she could let her anger out. Better me than her kids, or family, or even herself. I started feeling sorry for her; everyone has a bad day. Even when she said my nails needed to be clipped . . . but then she left without giving me a tip and I may have flipped her off as she walked out the door.

The new client Mali gave me for one o’clock was okay, thank goodness. The walk-in after that was fine, too—a pretty young woman from the yoga studio the next block over. Her skin was soft and she fell asleep almost as soon as she lay down, no tense muscles to work out.

I was happy to call it a day and to be heading home. Thank God. Mali had offered me some ibuprofen, and that helped turn down the volume in my throbbing head. But I still felt like complete crap. I was anxious and annoyed and nothing was helping. All I could think of was flopping down in bed with the blinds drawn and the covers over my head. After a full day of appointments and such an emotionally turbulent week, I craved darkness and quiet.