Shopping and Spa Treatments ((Open to any))
Wren woke up with a cold sweat covering her chilled body and her breath coming in short gasps. She'd had The Nightmare again. She was so fucking tired of waking up scared. Sighing she crawled out of the bed and got into the the shower letting the water warm as she stood in it. She had forgotten to grab her toiletries so just used what the hotel had provided, bitching to the soap about how much lotion she was going to need. She should shave her legs, but giving them a feel she decided they could just be waxed along with her bikini area.
She stepped out of the shower and used three of their dinky towels to dry off and went back into the room. Kneeling on the floor she opened on of her cases and pulled out panties and a bra, both blue gingham with little white eyelet lace trim and little white bows, and a black belt with a rectangle button covered in pink crystals. She knee walked to her other case and pulled out a pair of faded low rise blue jeans and a pink body hugging cashmere sweater, and a pair of trouser socks.
She stood and threw the lot onto the bed. She put lotion from her toiletry bag on as much of her as she could reach, then dressed, putting on the same black boots as yesterday. She ran a brush through her hair to tame it.
She picked up her jeans from that morning and pulled everything out of the pockets. She took the wad of cash from Drev and sat on the bed to count it. 'Fifty, one hundred, one fifty, two, two fifty, three, twenty, forty, sixty, eighty, four, twenty, forty, fifty, five hundred, ten, fifteen, twenty, one, two, three.'
"Holy fucking shit."
She stared at the stack of bills a bit dumb founded. It's not like she'd never had that much, she had two grand in the lining of her suitcase, and she could earn more than that on a good night, it was just the thought of some stranger giving her that much, just because he wanted to pay for her shoes.
She gathered up the bills and tucked them into the wallet in her purse along with the hundred in assorted bills of her own. She added lip balm to the near empty space and decided it was time to spend Drev's money.
She grabbed coat, hat, scarf and glove, checking to make sure her keycard was in the pocket she'd stuffed it in while cleaning out her other jeans, and left for the mall.
It took her a little while to find the mall, but she didn't mind all that much, it gave her a chance to see what else The Strip offered. Once inside she found the little mall map thing and stood staring at it, getting a feel for the stores the placed offered. She was even excited to find a day spa in the court outside one of the department stores.
Shay said with a wink when the attendents entered the room, though she didn't think Wren had seen.
The first strip was always the hardest for Shay, as she never quite remembered how it hurt until then. God but she was glad she only needed her legs done.
"Whooo hooo..." She said when the first strip was lifted, and then proceeded to just bite down on her lips and suck it up. In the grand scheme of things, this procedure was a lot less painful than the 'scopys' she'd ha days earlier. Thinking of it like that almost made it not hurt at all.
"Yeouch!"
That was until the wax was applied to an area of her inner, thigh.
"I am so going back to have my legs done...soon. How you doing over there, Wren?"
She took several deep breaths as the woman applies the next strip, her legs had been cake comparatively. "No, I'm fine really. JESUS, LADY!"
She put her head back to the pillow and decided talking was a bad idea.
"Hang in there...it'll be over before you...SHIT!"
That one brought a small tear to Shay's eyes, and she decided she was DEFINITELY going to have her legs zapped. However, for her the torture was now over, as the attendent applied a soothing lotion to her legs, and then placed warm, damp towels around them.
"Ahhhh...now that feels more like it."
"Well that was fun." She took a look and was happy with the work done, not a stray hair around. A few moments later their hostess came in to take them to their manicures and pedicures.
"I like this part much, much better." She gave Shay a wink and climbed gingerly down from her table.
Sheepishly she sat up and slowly made her way off the table, behind Wren to the pedicure chair. Reaching down to the remote, she pushed the buttons that started the chair vibrating, and leaned back. The attendant asked her if she'd like some wine, and winking at Wren, she accepted. So she had already had a margarita...who could pass up wine in a setting like this? A nice glass of chilled Riesling was soon put into her hand, and the hot water around her feet began to bubble.
"I so want one of these for my bathroom at home."
She giggled, loving the decadence.
"I think we can probably ask personal questions now, since I just had my hoo ha waxed in front of you." She chuckled softly and sipped from her wine.
"So tell me about life on the LAPD, if you don't mind my prying."
"I guess that does put us on a pretty base level now, huh?"
Not at all timid with Wren, having found her not only easy to talk to, but fun, and friendly, Shay began her little tale.
"In truth, it was really just a job. When I started college I had no intention of going into police sciences...but as I said, someone I cared for very deeply was murdered, and the police never found her killer. Thinking I might have something to offer, I changed my major, became a cop, and THEN found out how ineffectual the system really is.
And silly me...whatever possessed me to think I would leave school and go undercover and start arresting the gang leaders, and drug lords...too much movie watching I guess. Needless to say I was quite surprised to find I would spend most of my time breaking up squabbles between husbands, and wives...smacking the hands of juvenile shoplifters...and chasing down speeders.
Don't get me wrong, I rarely regret anything I do, and usually find something to be learned from every experience. I enjoyed doing what little I could to make some small difference, but eventually I got too frustrated. Too much attention was being spent on the small stuff, and not enough on the really important stuff, in my eyes anyway.
Of course budgets, and funding in California sucks. There just isn't enough money being set aside in the justice system - no wait, that's really not true - the money is there, but it's not being managed properly. It's a wonder the whole state hasn't been mismanaged into bankruptcy."
Till then, Shay had kept her eyes closed, just basking in the attention her feet were receiving. Having now gone off on a tangent, she rolled her head towards Wren and smiled at the woman.
"But that is another story altogether, and a pretty boring one that I no longer have to deal with!
When I realized I had a better talent, and liking for writing about the force, instead of being a part of it, I started my first book. And as soon as I signed the publishing contract, and got my first advance, I gave notice to the good old LAPD. But I still have friends there, and can often get inside information if I need it. That really was the best part of the job...the camaradarie, and friendships I made. I also learned how to shoot a gun, and some terrific moves that come in handy when trying to subdue a suspect."
But now, after everything she'd been through during these short weeks in Nachton, the LAPD seemed a lifetime ago.
"Now you...before you began 'dancing'...what did you do?"
Not knowing how Wren felt about having everyone within earshot hear she was a stripper, Shay couched the wording of her question.
She shrugged and smiled at Shay. "I'll find my niche here in Nachton, and hopefully it will be a good one."
Shay spoke good naturedly. If Wren really didn't want to talk that was okay, but she was curious, and thought there should be tit for tat.
"Or how about your first strip...surely it wasn't as easy as just walking out on stage and taking your clothes off...?"
She she shrugged. It really was a base as all that. Money can get a person to do just about anything, if the desire is there. When the pedicurist asked her what color she wanted, she asked for red to match her dress.
She also noticed that Wren didn't seem to like to talk about herself much...and Shay was talking TOO much. Of course that was probably just the difference between peoples trust levels. For whatever reason she guessed she trusted Wren more than the other girl trusted her. And that was okay too. Everyone was different, and dealt with things within they own comfort zones.
Because it was too cold for sandals now, Shay opted for just a french pedicure, and would have the same done to her nails...white tips only.
"By the time we get done here, I may have to call a cab to get home, and come back for my car later. I feel so relaxed...I really needed this, and thank you for asking me along."
Turning her head back into the chair, and closing her eyes again, the vibrations on the chair went off, and Shay pushed the buttons again.
Wren hoped Shay didn't mind her short to the point answers, she just wasn't used to sharing herself. Sharing usually lead to her past and her past was best left there. It always seemed to change they was people felt about her. "Poor little Wren" and all that crap. Then again Shay, having been a cop, might not treat her that way.
"I was thinking I ought to tell you what brought me to Nachton, so long as it doesn't leave this room."
"Only tell me if you're sure you want to, and feel comfortable. Even before I was a cop I learned there were valid reasons for keeping some information to myself. Have no worries, I've always been good at keeping secrets. "
And lately - her life seemed nothing but.
The attendent had finished rubbing her feet with lotion, and painting her toes, and was now working on her hand.
"It's going to sound stupid, it always does, well to me anyway. I had, well still have, a stalker. Yup, stupid."
She rolled her eyes, it wasn't stupid it was real but the words sounded stupid. "I'm hoping that moving here will have discouraged him. No one knows where I am, not my mom, not the police.
I have a court order to use an assumed name with starting, bank credit or ultilties, so he can't track me that way. I have a broker taking care of my stock accounts and as soon as I set on up will start sending checks to a PO Box two or three towns over.
Mostly I'm just hiding here until they catch the guy, if they catch him."
Wow, that was really easy. She turned her head and smiled at Shay, it was nice to get that off her chest.
Shay wasn't sure what it was she was expecting Wren to confide, but that wasn't it.
"No...no Wren, it's not stupid at all. In fact, what you've done is probably one of the best things possible. We saw cases like this on the force, and let me assure you, no matter what we did to try and aid the victims, they were always better suited in protecting themselves."
And that was the gods truth. Shay remember two specific incidents, both involving ex-boyfriends, that did not end well for the women victims.
"Have you spoken to anyone on the local police force...to apprise them of the matter, just in case?"
That way, should the bastard find a way to Wren, and something 'untoward' happen, at least the authorities would know who to offer assistance to. Then again, Shay had no acquaintances on the Nachton PD, and while she hated to admit it, not all cops were on the 'up and up'.
"If you haven't, you might want to wait. The fewer people who need to know the better. Besides, I've been thinking about visiting the precinct, and meeting a few of them, for the book, as well as to just touch bases, in case I need help with anything in the future. I can also check with a couple guys back home, and have them run a check on this office...see if they've had any bad reports..."
Or not. It occurred to Shay that Wren might not welcome any interference or involvement by anyone else.
"Or...I can just be there for you if you need to talk about it. I'm flexible that way."
And again Shay felt an odd but easy connection to this girl.
"But no one else will hear of your story from me."
She sighed softly as the woman began to massage lotion into her hand and arm below her elbow. She loved that part of the manicure.
"I would prefer you didn't talk specifics to the police, but you can check on them if you want. Unless he comes here I won't be contacting them."
She looked over at Shay, smiling. This was the best and least afraid she had felt in her entire life. She had no idea how much she had needed to tell someone. Someone who cared and wasn't just listening because they were being paid too.
"Thank you, Shay. That means a lot." She took a deep breath and let out a small growl. "I have known fear in my life, lots of it, before this creep came along, but I had never known that I could be so afraid of a ringing telephone or of opening a window curtain.
It's unreal how one person can completely turn your life upside down. I stopped eating food I hadn't made myself or drinking from cups I hadn't poured. I bought thick black curtains for my windows and never opened them. I stopped going anywhere alone after dark. A bouncer had to come to my car and walk with me to the club and after my shift walk me out again.
It is so freeing to sit in the middle of a mall and eat food someone else made and have my nails done with out a body guard outside the door." She laughed at that, the whole body guard thing had been her bosses idea, and it still made her laugh.
"See my boss decided to protect his most valuable player, by making one of the bouncers go with me everywhere. It was funny to see me, and this really really big black guy walking around the mall or where ever together. What made it more bearable was that Tony was a gay as Elton John so we got to play 'Hottie Rating' on every guy we passed."
Chuckling she put her head back, and let the magic fingers of her attendant relax her just that much more.
And she had trusted them with her life, several times.
Being that afraid of something was beyond Shay's realm of experience. Even after Mary had been killed, Shay never had fear for herself. Right or wrong, good or bad, smart or otherwise, it was just how she felt.
Even everything she had been through since arriving in Nachton - nothing scared her that way. Sure she was concerned about Panos...Ellis...Alexi's vulnerabilities...her own physical defect - but terror was not among her emotions.
She watched Wren speak, and knew this woman had felt it, more than once, and immediately hated the person responsible. NO one should have that kind of power over another.
"Remind me if I forget, to give you one of my cards. My address, and phone numbers are on it. And please promise me if you ever need a place to stay, or anything...anyone to help...you'll call me. I know you don't know me, but I promise I'm being sincere."
There wasn't much more she could say, really. Until she and Wren spent more time together, Wren would have no reason to believe Shay. Shay hoped nothing happened, and that this girl would now get peace. But if the unthinkable did happen, she also wanted Wren to know she wasn't alone.
The lady began to paint her nails the same shade as her toes, it reminded Wren of the time her nails has been painted that color for a ballet.
"I had my nails this color once for a ballet and my mother came to see it. Her exact words were 'Look at that, sin painted right on your hands for everyone to see.' It struck me as odd then that she could only focus on the color of my nails not the fact that they were part of my costume. Now I find it funny. Nothing like nails the color of skin to make a girl bold."
She chuckled, she was going to enjoy her nails and her date and her new life, with as much exuberance as she could muster. Who knew, she might just find what she'd been looking for her whole life.
It sounded, from Wren's comments on her mother, family life for Wren wasn't the most comforting. Shay would never comment on that though. A person never spoke ill of someone else's family.
She wondered if now she could confess her own personal concerns to Wren...or let it ride, since the mood seemed to have taken a nice upswing again.
"The color is very flattering. I think more people should wear red, it gives them a healthy glow. Unfortunately I think a lot of people equate red with decadence, and are fearful of it...or maybe it's just that it is so bold that it scare them. Too bad...people need to learn to take some risks in their lives, otherwise they just miss out on too much."
So okay, maybe that wasn't keeping the mood uplifted. It was probably one of those things Shay was going to have difficulty with for the next few months...until she resigned herself to her fate.
Seeing her French manicure and pedicures were now complete, the attendant motioned for Shay to come with her. Finishing her glass of wine, she left it on a nearby table, and followed the woman to a room with two massage tables. She removed her robe, without hesitation, and slid beneath the warm sheets, placing her face into the padded support at the top of the table. Soft, soothing music was playing in the background, and the room was dimly lit. There was also a faint scent of sandalwood in the air, mixed with something Shay couldn't identify...probably something from the oils they would be applying.
She hoped Wren would be along soon, so they could finish their treatments together, and possibly continue their talk. Shay was still looking for an opportune time to bring up her problem...if there was ever going to be one.
"This is going to feel so good." Wren had also ordered a salt scrub at the end of the massage, and hoped Shay wouldn't mind, it was a great way to rejuvenate winter skin.
"So Miss Shay, tell me your hopes and dreams."
Two massage therapists entered the room, and began their miraculous work on the two.