Authors: Michelle Love
JUDE
The shrill sound of Ariel’s voice as she yells at the woman doing her pedicure has me flinching. I look at the phone in my hand as I sit in the chair across from her and try to act as if she’s not with me.
“You’re a fucking moron!” she shouts.
Briefly, I glance up and see the poor woman who has the misfortune of getting Ariel as her client today seems to be upset. Her hands are shaking and her face is pale. I should say something to Ariel about not treating people so harshly but then she might turn that nasty temper on me and I’d rather not deal with that.
Ariel is from a wealthy family just like I am. Rich from birth has us a little less tolerable of people. I can’t explain it. It just is that way.
I’m not as bad as she is, but then again I’m from Texas and she’s from New York. The south demands a certain amount of hospitality and manners whereas the New York socialites don’t seem to care too much about such things.
I live in a monstrous mansion my grandfather had built when they discovered oil on his ranch. Since that time, some sixty years ago, he managed to buy several more properties where oil was discovered and now we are rolling in the dough.
I’ve lived a carefree life full of the things which come along with an endless supply of money. I’ve been to the best schools for reasons I do not know. College is where I met my occasional gal-pal, Ariel, she was an Art major. She nor I do anything with the degrees we’ve earned. I’m never going to do anything but live off the money that goes straight into accounts for me.
My degree is nearly useless. To me it is, anyway. I hold a Masters in Kinesiology. I know every muscle and every way to get them in the best possible shape they can be in. I use the information I have acquired for myself and that’s about it.
I’ve built a home gym others can only dream about. I also have a body most others can only dream about.
Some might call me arrogant, but I think I’m just being honest about my fantastic attributes. I do work hard on making my body this buff after all. Why not be proud of basically the only achievement I’ve ever really made?
I’m the oldest in my family of six. Mom and Dad are still together by some miracle and they had the four of us each three years apart. I just turned thirty a couple of months ago and we all went to Greece for the occasion.
To say I’m spoiled is just a matter of opinion. Do I get anything I ask for?
Well, yes I do. Do I ask for a lot of things?
Again, the answer is yes. I want the latest things just like anyone else does. A robot butler, an expensive drone, expensive watches that I never wear, those are things I like to call eccentric collections.
They’re fun to purchase and mess with now and then. It makes life interesting. Much like Ariel is making the lives of the staff here at the Luxurious Dallas Day Spa interesting on this Friday afternoon.
With another quick glance at the shrieking Ariel, I see another young woman has joined the poor older woman who was doing Ariel’s toes. She seems as upset as the other woman and I don’t see how anyone will be able to calm the mad hen of a woman down.
This is frustrating for me as I had high hopes this little spa day would settle her a bit. She’s had jet lag since she flew in last night and has been unable to satisfy my sexual needs.
I foresee leaving her at the mansion on her own this evening and finding a hot night club full of women who’ve drunk away their inhibitions and are ready to get down and dirty with me. We’ll have to see how this plays out.
“I want to speak to someone in management!” Ariel yells, drawing more little women out of their private little cubicles to see who is causing all this racket. “I will not tolerate being handled like a piece of crap!” She points at the shaking woman in front of her. “You have no business touching anyone’s feet! None, what so ever!”
“I am so sorry, Mam. I didn’t even know I nicked your big toe. There’s no blood. There’s not even a red spot where you say I did that,” the woman says.
I put my phone down to watch Ariel’s reaction to anyone telling her such a thing. This should be good!
“Listen to me, you little nitwit!” she shrieks at the top of her lungs. “How dare you tell me that I’m lying.”
“No, Mam!” the woman says as she shakes her head and wrings her hands. “I did not say that, Mam! I never would say that.”
“How can you say you didn’t call me a liar?” Ariel asks as loud as she can. “You told me there’s no blood or even a red mark. Do you think I can’t feel my own body? Do you think I can’t feel the horrible pain at the tip of my big toe where you cut it?”
“I didn’t say that,” the poor woman mutters as she looks around for help. Her eyes land on me and I quickly pull my phone up to avoid any eye contact.
She knows Ariel is with me and I can see her asking for my help. But shit will hit the fan if I get involved. Ariel will make sure of that.
“I’m not about to pay for this. You can be sure of that. This entire day will have to be comped,” Ariel says with a huff. “Your little mistake just cost your company thousands of dollars as my friend and I have both had massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, and the deep skin treatment that costs three thousand dollars each on their very own. I hope you’re proud of yourself.”
A hush falls over the group of employees who have gathered together to ease the situation with Ariel. I find myself looking up to see why.
“May I ask what the problem is here?” I hear a sweet feminine voice with a delicate southern drawl say. She’s coming down the hallway and I’ve yet to see the woman behind the voice. “Back to work, please.”
The others disperse quickly as the woman who is being accused of mutilating Ariel’s big toe stands still with her head down. “Miss Harmsworth says I cut the tip of her big toe. There is no cut or even a red mark there.”
Ariel turns up the volume as she shouts, “I will not…”
The woman emerges from the hallway and lays one hand on Ariel’s shoulder. I find I can’t breathe as I look at the woman. She’s absolutely gorgeous!
Thick blonde hair hangs to her waist in a satin sheet. Her curves have curves and they are perfectly accentuated by the form fitting white suit she’s wearing. With a skirt that goes to just above a beautiful set of knees.
Knees aren’t always beautiful but hers are. Her lips are a shade of pastel pink that matches the blush on her high cheekbones then her deep blue eyes make my heart skip a beat. Thick, lush dark lashes surround those brilliant blue eyes and set them off perfectly.
She turns a little and her profile shows me her nose is a little turned up on the end and so cute I could just kiss it. “Now, now, Miss Harmsworth. No need to shout. I will be happy to take care of things for you.”
I watch Ariel’s face go from red to pink as she seems to calm down immediately with the young woman’s touch and words.
This lady is a miracle worker!
MERCY
The red-head in the pedicure chair has flames coming out of her head, but she seems to be calming down as I touch her shoulder. It’s a technique my therapist taught me to calm people down, I find it often works well.
The lady who looks to be about thirty or so holds up her right foot as she wiggles her big toe. “See,” she says with a little whimper following it. “She just about took the end of my toe off.”
Although I don’t see a thing to collaborate her accusation, I pat her shoulder and say, “My, that does look painful.”
“It’s excruciating,” she moans. “I doubt I’ll be able to wear closed toed shoes for a month with this horrific injury.”
Stifling a laugh, I say, “Thank goodness it’s summer and sandal season. I’m so sorry about this.” I walk past Rhonda, the employee who’s on the ropes here. “Rhonda, can you go to my office and wait for me, please?”
She nods and leaves as I go grab a carafe of Mint Julep from behind a desk in the little room. I notice a man is in here with her and has decided to sit quietly instead of helping to diffuse the situation.
Putting ice in a couple of tall, skinny glasses, I toss a piece of fresh mint into each one and fill them with the alcoholic drink that will hopefully calm her the rest of the way down. I walk over to the very handsome and built like a brick house man and hand one drink to him. He smiles and I smile back then go take the other drink to the over the top woman who’s acting as if her toe has been chopped off.
“Miss Harmsworth, I’ll be comping your visit with us today. Plus, that of your,” I gesture to the man who is sitting quietly, sipping his drink. “Boyfriend?”
She shakes her head. “We’re just friends.” She gives me a wink then whispers, “With benefits.”
We share a giggle and I cut my eyes to find the handsome man’s cheeks growing pink. Pulling a card out of my jacket pocket that I keep for these occasions when our guests find themselves put out with my staff, I hand it to the woman.
“Well, how would you like it if I sent you two out on the town this evening in our VIP, chauffer driven, brand new, state of the art, limousine? This is a voucher for one of Dallas’ five-star restaurants, anything you want will be taken care of.” I pull out another card and hand it to her. “Then you will be taken to the newest nightclub where only the most elite people go. It’s new and completely upscale. It’s usually a member's only kind of place but this will not only get the bouncer to let you in, it will get you anything you want and the check will be on us.”
She looks at the man and asks, “How does that sound to you?”
He nods without saying a word and I find him way too handsome to be with this piece of work. He seems laid back and cool and she seems like a nightmare. But that’s what some of these rich men want. A complete bitchy handful of a woman. It makes no sense to me.
She seems pleased as she says, “This will do. Thank you for being so professional with me. I find that refreshing. Our bills will be very high today.”
I wave my hand at her. “Think nothing of it. And I’d love it if you came back to visit us again. I can promise you won’t be getting any of our services done by Rhonda again.”
She nods and tilts her head to the side as she says, “I may. You have been more than nice about what the woman did. I hope you take care of her. She is not fit for this type of work.”
“I will take care of her, Mam. That is a promise,” I say as I gesture to the dressing room. “Your clothes are in there. We’ve moved them to that dressing room for you. Please do not hesitate to give me a call if you need anything else. My name is Mercy Noland. It’s written on the back of the card attached to the VIP card I gave you.”
The man in the room who has been very quiet is already dressed in a very nice casual suit in a chocolate color that makes his tanned features even more attractive. He gets up as I start to leave the room and the other woman gets up and limps to the dressing room. Her antics are amazing!
As I walk down the hall to go back to my office, I feel a hand touch my elbow and sparks shoot through me. “Oh!”
“Sorry, did I startle you?” the gorgeous man asks me. He seems to have followed me and I have no idea why that is.
“A little. What can I do for you, Sir?” I ask as I try hard not to look into his big brown eyes with a hint of green in them and drool.
“I’m sorry about her. She’s not very even-tempered,” he says then extends his hand. “I’m Jude Hurst.”
I shake his hand and recognize the last name. “As in, Hurst Oil and Gas?”
He nods. “That’s the family business. So, what’s your story?”
Walking slowly along the hallway, I have to wonder what he’s getting at. “It’s boring. Just a normal girl in a normal world. Nothing that’s anywhere near as impressive as the people in your circles, I’d imagine.”
“Try me,” he says as he takes my arm, stopping my retreat. “I’d like to get to know you, Mercy.”
My stomach lurches as he seems to be hitting on me. “Mr. Hurst…”
His fingertip touches my lips, stopping me. “Jude. Please call me Jude.” He pulls something out of the breast pocket of his jacket and places it in my palm.
My body goes crazy as he grazes his fingertip over it and I find a little business card in my hand. “Look, Sir, I don’t make it a practice to fraternize with our clients. I’m sure you understand.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t understand at all. You see, I’m not really a client. This is my first visit. If there’s a problem going out with me because I come here, then I won’t come here for your services again. It’s just that easy. So how about you give me a call later on when you get off work and we can go out for a drink and see what happens after that?”
“You have a date for the night, Mr. Hurst. I just set that all up for you,” I say as I cannot believe this man’s audacity.
“She can take someone else. She and I aren’t a thing. She stays at our place when she’s in town. She was bored and came for a visit. I have brothers that would love to accompany her this evening.” The back of his hand grazes my cheek. “So what do you say? Drinks after work with me, Miss Noland.”
With a shake of my head, I walk away and say over my shoulder, “No thank you, Mr. Hurst. Thanks for asking, though. I assure you, I am not a woman who you would be interested in and I’d hate to take up your time.”
The elevator doors open and I quickly step through them and hit the button to take me away from the very handsome and totally out of my league man.
What a day!