Ch. 2: I’m Claiming My Property. 🖼️
Lucas was confused. Who was banging on the door this early in the morning?
'Huh?'
<A new client! Get to work, kid!>
'Hold on!... Why do you think it's someone that wants a massage? The parlor's been closed for months.'
<Just answer the door and follow my instructions... I'm going to help you change your life!>
Lucas wasn't sure whether to believe the voice about someone wanting a massage, but he decided to go along with it for now.
"Well, that sounds nice and all... But what if it's a guy?" Lucas said out loud in the empty room.
<Trust me, kid... It's a mature woman waiting for you upstairs.>
"I'm going insane," Lucas whispered to himself.
*Knock! Knock! Knock!*
'It better be a girl.'
<Relax. You're just talking to a disembodied voice in your head, kid. A little knocking on the door shouldn't faze you.>
"That's not funny... Haah... I just need to ignore it and act like I'm not crazy," Lucas said, trying not to lose his mind.
*Knock! Knock! Knock!*
'Fine!... Fine!... I'll answer the door!'
<Attaboy!>
Lucas took a deep breath and calmed his nerves before heading upstairs to the main floor of the parlor. When he made it to the front door, he saw an older woman in her thirties. She was wearing a fancy red blouse with a black pencil skirt, her long black hair done up in a loose bun, and a nice piece of jewelry hanging from her neck.
Judging by the way she dressed and held herself, she looked like she came from a successful business background and was most likely here for an important meeting.
'Shit! This lady looks important.' He thought as he opened the door.
"Hello, can I help you?" Lucas asked with a bit of confusion.
"Yes... I came by to see my property..." The woman answered coldly.
Lucas was puzzled by the woman's statement because he didn't know who she was and the woman picked up on his confusion.
"Oh, you must not know who I am. You see, Mr. Smith, you haven't paid your mortgage in the last five years. I am here to initiate the foreclosure process on the property. So, you will have to leave as soon as possible," she said matter-of-factly.
Lucas couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked at the woman who was staring at him like he was some delinquent, and he began to argue.
"But my grandfather left this place to me. I have the documents from his will."
"Hmm? So it was your Grandfather who was delinquent on paying the mortgage?... Sorry, but that doesn't matter. I own this place now, and you can't stay."
Lucas couldn't believe what he was hearing. His grandfather had told him many times before how rich he was and how he could retire whenever he wanted. But he told Lucas that he enjoyed massaging beautiful women way too much to quit. It made him wonder how his Grandfather lost all his money so fast, but that had to wait for now, and with no other options, he had to ask.
"What's the damage?"
"Two hundred thousand," she said with a stoic face.
"What! That much?! How?!" Lucas exclaimed.
"Because you've been late with the payments, and the interest on the loan has built up, the bank was going to foreclose on this property sooner or later. So, I stepped in before anyone else could and purchased the deed. I'm planning on tearing this place down and building a new condo." She looked down on him with a look that seemed to say, 'Get off my property.'
Lucas's anger turned to sadness. He wasn't about to cry, but he was disappointed that things had turned out this way. He wanted to make something of himself after he quit going to college, and trying to run the parlor was a challenge he was up for—that was until now. He needed to figure out a way to fix the situation.
"But..."
"Look, you can either pay up the two hundred thousand or leave. I don't have time to wait around, little boy," the woman said as she pulled out her cell to read her emails.
Then Lucius chimed in.
<Offer her a massage.>
Lucas wasn't sure if the voice was a figment of his imagination or real, but he didn't want to lose his family's business.
"Can't we talk about it?" Lucas pleaded with the woman.
"There is nothing to talk about. I've already made my decision. So, pay up or leave," she said as she typed away on her phone. She didn't bother looking at him while she was talking.
<You have to persuade her. Don't just stand there looking pathetic, kid. Be assertive.>
Lucas knew the voice was right. He was a failure, and he didn't have any money.
Lucas cleared his throat, "Um, Miss?... Since this will be my last day working in the parlor, why don't I give you one of my family's famous massages? My grandfather was one of the best, and he taught me everything I know." he lied while keeping his cool as best as he could.
The woman arched her eyebrow and shifted her gaze from the screen of her phone to him.
"What are you talking about? I have never heard of this place having anyone famous for giving massages. I would know because I go to the best places. So, where is your evidence?" she looked at Lucas suspiciously.
"Well, before my grandfather became sick, he was known for his amazing massages that not only helped people with physical pain but mental and emotional problems as well. I'm sure a successful businesswoman such as yourself knows that stress can be an enemy for the body, which is why I offer you a complimentary massage to help relieve that stress and help you feel better. And you must have built up quite a bit of stress over the years of hard work," Lucas explained.
Lucas hoped his lies and his smooth talk would work on the woman and save him from losing the parlor. The woman stared at him for a moment, contemplating the offer.
"I don't have time for games, boy. If your Grandfather was so famous, then you should have the money to pay me. Or are you spinning lies?"
<Tell her that you can pay her at the end of the month and offer a free massage. She will definitely accept the free massage. But you will have to 'wow' her on paying her back.>
"Of course. I'll pay... But for now, all I ask is for you to give me a chance and to demonstrate how capable I am. I'll even offer you a free massage and show you I can get the money to pay you back. My grandfather was well known, and I will take up his mantle... Unless you like to overpay for subpar massages from bougie spas that leech money from a hard-working woman such as yourself," Lucas added a bit of confidence into his voice as he spoke.
The woman narrowed her eyes and gave him a cold stare. He could see the anger in her eyes, and he was sure she would yell at him, but then she smirked.
"Alright, little boy, I'll play along. I'll have to see for myself if what you're saying is true. But if I am not satisfied, then you will have to leave today. This is my property, after all."
Lucas agreed and led her inside. He was nervous and scared as they reached the door to the massage room number one.
<Calm down and take her into one of the rooms, kid. Remember, I'm going to help you through this. All you need to do is trust me. And if you are too nervous, then you will be unable to use the technique. So just breathe, and you got this.>
"Alright, Miss. Please follow me to the massage room," Lucas said, trying his best not to sound nervous.
The woman looked at her watch, "You have an hour to prove your worth."
"Oh, trust me, Miss. Once you get a taste of the legendary massage my Grandfather taught me, you'll be wanting more. Come this way please," Lucas said, trying to sound confident.
The woman gave him a skeptical look but followed him anyway. Lucas took her to the biggest massage room in the Parlor.
<The hard part is over, kid... Just follow my instructions, and you will be fine. Let's get started. She will try to make things tough on you because she won't take her clothes off. But my technique will deal with that obstacle. So let her keep her clothes on for now to give her a sense of comfort and security. She will still enjoy it, but when the time is right, you will have her begging for you. Now, begin the massage by asking her to lie down and give her the choice of taking her clothes off.>
Lucas sighed at his predicament as he opened the door and led the woman to his grandfather's favorite massage room, mostly because it was a larger space than the second massage room.
"Right this way, Miss?..."
"Call me Ms. Williams," the woman answered as she walked behind him.
"Very well, Ms. Williams. You can place your personal things on the self over there and once you are ready. You can lie down on the table," Lucas said as he tried not to think about how his life was about to end in less than an hour.
The woman put her purse on the shelf and walked to the massage table without a word.
"Do I need a rode or something?"
"If you wish to keep your clothes on, that's fine. They won't get in the way, so it's up to you. But I will have to ask you to remove your jewelry, though. It can interfere with the massage, and the last thing I want is for it to become a problem," Lucus said as he sanitized the massage table.
The woman looked at him, then back to the table, "Very well, but if I find you touching me inappropriately, I will make sure you get locked up, understood?"
"Yes, Ms. Williams," Lucas said with a gulp.
Ms. Williams was amused at how nervous the young man was. She loved making men nervous, and since this was her first time here, she would give him a chance. She took off her jewelry and placed it on the shelf, then she took a deep breath and lay on her stomach on the massage table.
"Whenever you are ready, Mr. Smith."
"Just call me Lucas," he said, trying not to sound nervous.
"Very well, Lucas. Let's get started. I don't have all day."
"Before I begin, do you have any areas of concern I should know about?" Lucas asked.
"Not that I know of. But I'll let you know if I feel anything is off."
"Understood," Lucas answered.
Lucas shut the blinds, locked the door, and turned on the aromatherapy machine.
"Now, I'll ask you to keep your legs apart and raise your arms above your head."
"Okay..."
Ms. Williams was curious about the claims about his grandfather's massages and whether this boy was speaking the truth. She couldn't go easy on this man, even though he was pleasant in her eyes. She was going to be cold and firm, so no man could think of trying to manipulate her. If his claims were true, then she would allow him to keep working at the parlor until he paid his debts. But if this were some joke, she would make sure to ruin his life.
'I've never heard of this famous 'Mr. Smith' nor his grandson... It's obvious that he's bluffing. Otherwise, they wouldn't be in debt. If this young man is lying, then I'll get him kicked out for sure. And if he thinks he can have a go at me, then he will be sore down there for a month after I kick him in the balls, that is, and he will never touch a woman again!.. I will not have any man disrespect me. I am a woman of status and power, and I will not stand for this. No matter what happens, I can't show any sign of weakness,' she thought as she followed his instructions and opened her legs slightly.
She looked back at him to see his reaction, but Lucas had his back turned to her.
'Hmm? Maybe he's more professional than I gave him credit for.'
Ms. Williams listened as the young man readied the room and was impressed by how clean it looked.
'Whatever... At least I will get a free crappy massage out of this before I kick him to the curb,' she thought as she took a deep breath and felt herself relaxing to the scent of lavender. She closed her eyes and began to focus on her breathing. She didn't know if this young man had any skills, but she wouldn't make it easy on him.
'Hmm? That smell... I thought it was lavender, but it's something else... It smells good. Hmm? Wait, no, I can't get comfortable. This could all be a trap... B-But it feels so relaxing... Maybe I have been too stressed out lately.'
Lucas had taken out a special oil mixture his grandfather made from his secret stash and poured it into the hot stones bowl. Once it was mixed, he took the bowl and placed it near Ms. William's head. She was trying to be alert if he tried anything, but the oil's aroma was so relaxing that she was starting to drift into a peaceful state of mind.
<Okay, kid. She's no longer trying to put on a tough face. That means she will be more vulnerable to your technique. You are ready to start. Just take a deep breath and begin to massage her upper back.>
Lucas nodded, moved the hot stone bowl away from her, and readied himself.
'Huh? Why did he take away the bowl? No, it's not time to get distracted. Focus, Alexa! You can't let him see that you were falling for his tricks. Stay strong!...'
She was about to say something when she felt Lucas's hand on her back, which caused a warm sensation to flow throughout her body. It felt nice and was not like any massage she had before. It was as if he was pouring warmth into her body through his fingertips.
'Huh? What's this warm sensation? I-It's not from the hot rocks. What is he doing?!' She thought as a shiver went down her spine as Lucas's fingers gently brushed her neck.
She didn't know how he was doing it, but he was releasing some kind of heat through his fingers, which relaxed her entire body. It was not enough for her to lose consciousness, but it was enough to cause her to sigh and moan a bit.
Ms. Williams tried her best not to make any sounds, but her body was reacting involuntarily.
'H-His hands feel so soft... Wait, no, stop, Alexa! Focus! This could all be a trick, but his touch is so calming and relaxing... W-Why does it feel so good?!' She thought.
She was confused as she was losing herself in the sensation and began to feel her arousal growing.