PROLOGUE from FALLING FOREVER
PROLOGUE
~EMERSON~
"Can you try to relax a little bit; you seem to be getting more tense?"
Maya's voice is very calm and soft.
This dim lighting. The soft trickling sound of water. The delicate sounds of string music. The relaxing smell of lavender and mint. These constant caresses. The bareness. It's extremely hard for me to relax in a situation which has me feeling completely uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry. I've never had a massage before. My friends, Laken and Rainne, insisted on a spa day. Is it odd that I feel so anxious?" Maya, an attractive olive-skinned woman, dressed in her black, snug-fitting uniform pants and short-sleeved blouse, smiles sweetly at my question. Her long dark hair is tucked artfully and professionally into a tight chignon.
"Not at all, Emerson, especially when it's your first time. I want this experience to be as wonderful as it can be for you. Something that can help you relax is for you to talk. Perhaps, if you just tell me a little bit about yourself, you'll get lost in your own thoughts. Maybe tell me about a memory you have, tell me about the kind of person you are, your likes, your interests, even where you're from. Often clients become lost to those thoughts, making the massage much more effective at relaxing their tense bodies. I have clients who don't speak a word. I have clients who talk to me about everything and anything. I have clients who fall asleep. And sometimes, I have clients who need help relaxing to become comfortable with the massage process. You need to do whatever it is to make you feel comfortable so that this is a pleasurable experience for you. I'm happy to listen and talk with you."
"Okay, Maya. Let's see…
"I'm twenty-five years old. I grew up in small-town Ohio. The biggest accolades my hometown boasts are a great community park with an awesome public pool and being relatively close to Lake Erie. Oh, yeah, we had one of our own become a contestant on American Idol a few years ago. She didn't make it past Hollywood week, but she's still a superstar in my small town. I'm an only child."
Well, not really.
"My parents, Jake and Melyn Parker, own a country décor and handcrafted furniture store, it's called Crossroads Mercantile. It's amazing the success they achieve selling the furniture my dad builds. Since my mom loves to decorate, it's not too much like work for either of them. I grew up in the store, working there long before I legally should have. But, it wasn't work; it was home. The fragrances of mulled cider, fresh lumber and apple dumplings perfumed my life. They soothe me.
"After I graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in business management, I went back home and worked at the store. The intention was to stay only until I found a career. Before I knew it, two years passed by and I was still at the store.
"My interests are wide and varied. I love decorating and running the store with my mom. I have so many memories of antiquing and going on buys with her. I was lucky to get a part-time job working in my friend Laken's boutique. It makes me feel at home even though it's women's fashion and not interior design. Time with my dad includes target shooting and watching football. I miss them and I'm so looking forward to going home tomorrow for our annual Father's Day cookout. My dad, he's the enemy to many of his friends during football season." I chuckle.
"Why is that?" Maya asks with laughter in her voice too.
"Because we don't wear orange with any shade of brown or black at our house, like many other natives of Ohio. We're Steelers fans."
"I can understand the tension among your dad's circle of friends." Maya giggles.
"My dad and I usually get to a few Pittsburgh Steelers football games each season. Dad purchases tickets from season-ticket holders who sell a game or two. We wear our black and gold and take our prized Terrible Towels. We follow our traditional routine, which involves listening to the song Renegade by the rock group Styx more times than I care to count.
"Last year, Dad got tickets in an amazing spot. They were the best seats we ever had. I sat next to a middle-aged gentleman, who despite being old enough to be my dad, was incredibly handsome… I'd call him sexy."
"I like where this story is going," Maya chimes in, and I smile as I remember the day so vividly.
"I spilled my water when I reacted to a bad call, forgetting the cap was off the bottle. The water spilled on the handsome man beside me. He couldn't have been more gracious. I liked him immediately. He recognized we weren't Dr. Stone and his wife, the ticket holders for the seats we occupied. He asked where we were from before adding, 'By the way, my name is Ray Scott. And you are?'
"I placed my hand in the one Ray offered me. We kept up with small talk during halftime which resulted in Ray getting the entire Cliff's Notes version of my life to that moment.
"'Well, Emerson Parker, I really like you. I know a full-time office manager is different from a career in business management, but, I'd like to give you my card. I won't make any promises, but the way things are looking, there will be some executive changes made at the company soon and some career paths could become available. I know I need a new office manager sooner rather than later. I think you could be a great fit, Emerson. Please, take my card. Think about it. If you're interested, give me a call.' That's how I met Ray Scott. I'm still haunted by Ray's death. A heart attack took Ray away from us far too soon. It happened last month. I miss him every day."
"I'm so sorry to hear. I recall reading the articles in the newspaper. He was a prominent business man who did many great things." Maya seems genuinely sorry for our loss, and the community's loss. I agree with her.
"That was also the day I first met Ashe Bennett. I didn't notice when the man on the other side of Ray returned to his seat. The response by the crowd to the Renegade video halfway through the third quarter was electric. After the excitement of a defensive touchdown following a forced fumble, I was ready to pee in my pants. Ray stood to let me pass through; however, I tripped and stumbled into the man next to him. It all happened so fast. Suddenly, my nostrils were filled with the most amazing fragrance of cologne, my hands splayed out against a hard body and my eyes settled onto mossy green eyes. I watched as his pupils dilated before I lowered my gaze to his full parted lips.
"'Whoa, it's a good thing Ashe broke your fall, Emerson. He's a project director at Scott Construction. You'll get to know him very well.' Ray's eyes danced with delight at the idea of me working for him. I smiled and continued on my way to the ladies' room. By the time I finished, we intercepted again and led the Cleveland Browns by three touchdowns, with the momentum in our favor. I texted Dad and didn't bother returning to my seat. Somehow, a stroll along the river outside the stadium sounded much better, especially knowing the Steelers had a win locked up. That was the moment Ashe Bennett moved into my thoughts and he's still there.
"Since then, every encounter I've had with Ashe has gone nearly the same way—an intense flash of brilliant passion, then icy coldness…"
"How do you feel now, Emerson?" Maya's question pulls me from my thoughts.
"I feel incredible. Is the massage over?"
"Yes, Emerson, it is." Maya smiles warmly.
"I babbled on the whole time." I feel embarrassed for revealing so much to her.
"You did amazingly well; I think your massage was very effective. Your muscles relaxed significantly while you talked. I'll leave you alone now. You can lie here and continue to relax on the warmed mattress. Whenever you're ready, just get your robe and exit the room. You don't have to do anything; our staff will take care of the room after you depart. I enjoyed hearing so much about you, Emerson. And I'm looking forward to seeing you again."
"Thank you, Maya. I may have an addiction to massages because of you." We both share a laugh.
"I'm glad to hear that, Emerson. For what it's worth, there's a man from my past who used to look at me the same way Ashe looks at you. That man still looks at me that way, we've been married for sixteen years. I think you'll be okay." Maya smiles, winks and closes the door behind her.
Right. I may be okay, except for one big problem. What I see in Ashe's beautiful mossy green eyes compared to what he says and does—are two completely different things.
Falling Forever
~EMERSON~
"Can you try to relax a little bit; you seem to be getting more tense?"
Maya's voice is very calm and soft.
This dim lighting. The soft trickling sound of water. The delicate sounds of string music. The relaxing smell of lavender and mint. These constant caresses. The bareness. It's extremely hard for me to relax in a situation which has me feeling completely uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry. I've never had a massage before. My friends, Laken and Rainne, insisted on a spa day. Is it odd that I feel so anxious?" Maya, an attractive olive-skinned woman, dressed in her black, snug-fitting uniform pants and short-sleeved blouse, smiles sweetly at my question. Her long dark hair is tucked artfully and professionally into a tight chignon.
"Not at all, Emerson, especially when it's your first time. I want this experience to be as wonderful as it can be for you. Something that can help you relax is for you to talk. Perhaps, if you just tell me a little bit about yourself, you'll get lost in your own thoughts. Maybe tell me about a memory you have, tell me about the kind of person you are, your likes, your interests, even where you're from. Often clients become lost to those thoughts, making the massage much more effective at relaxing their tense bodies. I have clients who don't speak a word. I have clients who talk to me about everything and anything. I have clients who fall asleep. And sometimes, I have clients who need help relaxing to become comfortable with the massage process. You need to do whatever it is to make you feel comfortable so that this is a pleasurable experience for you. I'm happy to listen and talk with you."
"Okay, Maya. Let's see…
"I'm twenty-five years old. I grew up in small-town Ohio. The biggest accolades my hometown boasts are a great community park with an awesome public pool and being relatively close to Lake Erie. Oh, yeah, we had one of our own become a contestant on American Idol a few years ago. She didn't make it past Hollywood week, but she's still a superstar in my small town. I'm an only child."
Well, not really.
"My parents, Jake and Melyn Parker, own a country décor and handcrafted furniture store, it's called Crossroads Mercantile. It's amazing the success they achieve selling the furniture my dad builds. Since my mom loves to decorate, it's not too much like work for either of them. I grew up in the store, working there long before I legally should have. But, it wasn't work; it was home. The fragrances of mulled cider, fresh lumber and apple dumplings perfumed my life. They soothe me.
"After I graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in business management, I went back home and worked at the store. The intention was to stay only until I found a career. Before I knew it, two years passed by and I was still at the store.
"My interests are wide and varied. I love decorating and running the store with my mom. I have so many memories of antiquing and going on buys with her. I was lucky to get a part-time job working in my friend Laken's boutique. It makes me feel at home even though it's women's fashion and not interior design. Time with my dad includes target shooting and watching football. I miss them and I'm so looking forward to going home tomorrow for our annual Father's Day cookout. My dad, he's the enemy to many of his friends during football season." I chuckle.
"Why is that?" Maya asks with laughter in her voice too.
"Because we don't wear orange with any shade of brown or black at our house, like many other natives of Ohio. We're Steelers fans."
"I can understand the tension among your dad's circle of friends." Maya giggles.
"My dad and I usually get to a few Pittsburgh Steelers football games each season. Dad purchases tickets from season-ticket holders who sell a game or two. We wear our black and gold and take our prized Terrible Towels. We follow our traditional routine, which involves listening to the song Renegade by the rock group Styx more times than I care to count.
"Last year, Dad got tickets in an amazing spot. They were the best seats we ever had. I sat next to a middle-aged gentleman, who despite being old enough to be my dad, was incredibly handsome… I'd call him sexy."
"I like where this story is going," Maya chimes in, and I smile as I remember the day so vividly.
"I spilled my water when I reacted to a bad call, forgetting the cap was off the bottle. The water spilled on the handsome man beside me. He couldn't have been more gracious. I liked him immediately. He recognized we weren't Dr. Stone and his wife, the ticket holders for the seats we occupied. He asked where we were from before adding, 'By the way, my name is Ray Scott. And you are?'
"I placed my hand in the one Ray offered me. We kept up with small talk during halftime which resulted in Ray getting the entire Cliff's Notes version of my life to that moment.
"'Well, Emerson Parker, I really like you. I know a full-time office manager is different from a career in business management, but, I'd like to give you my card. I won't make any promises, but the way things are looking, there will be some executive changes made at the company soon and some career paths could become available. I know I need a new office manager sooner rather than later. I think you could be a great fit, Emerson. Please, take my card. Think about it. If you're interested, give me a call.' That's how I met Ray Scott. I'm still haunted by Ray's death. A heart attack took Ray away from us far too soon. It happened last month. I miss him every day."
"I'm so sorry to hear. I recall reading the articles in the newspaper. He was a prominent business man who did many great things." Maya seems genuinely sorry for our loss, and the community's loss. I agree with her.
"That was also the day I first met Ashe Bennett. I didn't notice when the man on the other side of Ray returned to his seat. The response by the crowd to the Renegade video halfway through the third quarter was electric. After the excitement of a defensive touchdown following a forced fumble, I was ready to pee in my pants. Ray stood to let me pass through; however, I tripped and stumbled into the man next to him. It all happened so fast. Suddenly, my nostrils were filled with the most amazing fragrance of cologne, my hands splayed out against a hard body and my eyes settled onto mossy green eyes. I watched as his pupils dilated before I lowered my gaze to his full parted lips.
"'Whoa, it's a good thing Ashe broke your fall, Emerson. He's a project director at Scott Construction. You'll get to know him very well.' Ray's eyes danced with delight at the idea of me working for him. I smiled and continued on my way to the ladies' room. By the time I finished, we intercepted again and led the Cleveland Browns by three touchdowns, with the momentum in our favor. I texted Dad and didn't bother returning to my seat. Somehow, a stroll along the river outside the stadium sounded much better, especially knowing the Steelers had a win locked up. That was the moment Ashe Bennett moved into my thoughts and he's still there.
"Since then, every encounter I've had with Ashe has gone nearly the same way—an intense flash of brilliant passion, then icy coldness…"
"How do you feel now, Emerson?" Maya's question pulls me from my thoughts.
"I feel incredible. Is the massage over?"
"Yes, Emerson, it is." Maya smiles warmly.
"I babbled on the whole time." I feel embarrassed for revealing so much to her.
"You did amazingly well; I think your massage was very effective. Your muscles relaxed significantly while you talked. I'll leave you alone now. You can lie here and continue to relax on the warmed mattress. Whenever you're ready, just get your robe and exit the room. You don't have to do anything; our staff will take care of the room after you depart. I enjoyed hearing so much about you, Emerson. And I'm looking forward to seeing you again."
"Thank you, Maya. I may have an addiction to massages because of you." We both share a laugh.
"I'm glad to hear that, Emerson. For what it's worth, there's a man from my past who used to look at me the same way Ashe looks at you. That man still looks at me that way, we've been married for sixteen years. I think you'll be okay." Maya smiles, winks and closes the door behind her.
Right. I may be okay, except for one big problem. What I see in Ashe's beautiful mossy green eyes compared to what he says and does—are two completely different things.
Falling Forever
No comments have been added yet.
