I nodded and brought my hand up to my mouth. I didn’t know why I was smiling, but I was, and I couldn’t stop.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

I pulled back the curtain to my room and he entered first. He smelled like soap, and he looked so much younger without his uniform. I still couldn’t guess his age.

“I take it you got your stuff?” I pointed nervously to his outfit.

He nodded.

I clicked my tongue, not sure if he wanted me to press more, and since I was at work, the lines were slightly blurred. He was my client here, not my friend. Even at home, he’s not exactly my friend, either. This whole thing was so confusing.

“Well, I’ll give you two minutes or so to undress and I’ll be back,” I told him.

Kael stood by the table with his arms crossed. His sweats hung on his hips and his skin glowed in the candlelight. I couldn’t remember the last time I liked looking at someone as much as I did Kael. It fascinated me. He fascinated me. I didn’t know what it was about him, but he got more attractive every time I looked at him.

I moved out into the dimly lit hallway and took a deep breath. I told myself that it wouldn’t be weird. I did this all day, every day. He was just a regular client—a stranger, really. I barely knew him, and on top of that, I had already given him a massage. I pulled my phone from my pocket to see if Austin had called me back yet. Nothing. I couldn’t believe how much of a shithead my brother was being. I knew he was here and capable of texting me back. I texted my dad. Anything to distract myself.

I could hear Mali talking to her husband down the hall. Something about extending a hot-stone promotion we had going this month. She was always trying to come up with new promotions and semi-free marketing for their small business. It was impressive to watch her keep this place full of a steady clientele, even though there was a lot of local competition, with massage spas outside of each gate. Most massages were about forty bucks, some more, some less. Some sort of shady, some not. I tried my damnedest to bring her into modern times, but she still fought me along the way. I opened my phone again to check for a text from my brother. I couldn’t wait to cuss his ass out for not replying to me.

A text from my dad popped up on my screen.

Austin is okay. He’s asleep right now.

Not only is my brother ghosting me, my dad is the one to tell me that he’s fine. Fuck both of them. I shoved my phone into the pocket of my uniform. It had already been a few minutes.