“Thank you for this. I’m super excited to do this together. I’m not a surprise kind of person, but seeing all your messages as soon as I got off, finding out you were waiting out there for me to do something together, that’s pretty cool.”
Scarlet’s cheeks got a little pink, which was even more adorable.
“Should we go in?”
“Should I have changed?” Neera glanced down at her scrub pants.
“Nope. You look perfect. I’m proud that my girlfriend is a nurse.”
“Say that again,” Neera whispered breathlessly. “Say that I’m your girlfriend. Sometimes I still can’t believe it.”
The blush deepened on Scarlet’s cheeks and her eyes darkened, but her smile was quick to come. “You’re my girlfriend.”
Neera let that sink in for a few minutes before she unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her purse. She loved the sound of that. Life was crazy when the real stuff was better than the stuff she could ever have dreamed up.
The spa was warm and cozy and had that professional vibe. The floor was tiled, the walls were done in stone, and there was a small pond behind the sleek white reception desk. Spa-like nature themed music played over a set of hidden speakers. The chairs in the waiting area beside the reception desk were modern and somehow cozy looking too, and there was a coffee machine set up at a bar on the far end of the spacious area.
“Hello!” They were greeted as soon as they walked in by a young receptionist with fire engine red hair and makeup skills that Neera envied.
She didn’t wear makeup to work, and on days off she hardly bothered, but this lady? Wow. She could have been a makeup artist. Maybe she was. She had the artsy kind of makeup that somehow worked on her even though it looked like she was heading to a fantasy style photoshoot right after work.
The girl’s hair was amazing too. She smiled at them sweetly. “How can I help you today?”
“We have an appointment for a massage,” Scarlet said. “Together.”
“Oh! That’s great! A mother daughter massage.”
Scarlet had been digging in her purse for her wallet, but she froze. Neera also stilled. The air in the place seemed to go completely frigid, just like the wind outside.
Neera grasped Scarlet’s hand and clung to her tightly. “It’s actually a couple’s massage.”
The receptionist’s eyes widened, and she looked properly shocked and terribly mortified. “Oh. Oh shoot. I’m sorry. Yes, that’s right. Scarlet Hunter?”
“That’s right.” Scarlet’s voice was clipped.
Neera’s heart squeezed and sunk. This was supposed to be a fun date for them. Their first date together. She’d been so excited, and so happy. Scarlet, it seemed, had felt the same. She was so sure that nothing could ruin it, but here they were, and things were already tense and strained before they even started.
Neera hoped that the massage would help things, but no matter how relaxing of an experience it was, by the time they were finished, Scarlet was still tense. She paid and she tipped everyone generously, but Neera could tell that something was wrong as they walked out to the car. She waited until they’d slipped in before she said anything.
“Are we still going to go for dinner?”
“Are you hungry?” Scarlet asked the windshield.
“I have to say I am.”
“Right. You worked a twelve-hour shift. I can be really dense sometimes. I should have taken you for dinner first, then the massage. Or maybe skipped the massage altogether and just done the whole dinner thing, since that seems to be the extent of most people’s creativity now.”
“Hey.” Neera reached across the console and set her hand on Scarlet’s. They were both resting in her lap while the car warmed back up. “What the receptionist said? It doesn’t matter to me. You don’t look like my mom.”
“Maybe not now, but one day, I’m probably going to. Maybe not in the next few years, but what about five years from now? I’ll be a granny and you’ll be in the prime of your life.”
“Nope. We’ve already gone over that. I’m not trading you in for some newer, younger model. Never, Scarlet. We can’t change when we were born. All we can do is live right now. I’m choosing you. Even when you do look older, I’ll still be the luckiest woman in the world. You’ll always be beautiful to me.”
“I’m the lucky one. I have a hot young girlfriend and a nurse to boot. At least you can look after me in my old age. That’s actually a good investment, if you ask me.”
“Scarlet!”
Scarlet turned at the sharpness in Neera’s voice. She wasn’t joking around anymore and that was obvious. Her heart hurt because Scarlet was hurting. “The massage was amazing, despite the whole mother daughter comment. We’re probably going to get that from time to time. I don’t give two shits and you shouldn’t either. We’ll get used to it. As for being a hot nurse, I’m glad you think I am. If you think I’m a good investment, I’m glad of that too, actually. If I’m someone you invest time and emotion and care and love into, then yes. As for looking after you? Always. Everyon