It all changed when Julie, my personal assistant asked a strange question.
“Have you ever had an eastern massage, Dan?” she said out of the blue when we were going through the day’s diary. “What?” I asked, startled. “An eastern massage, ” Julie said with a dreamy look in her eyes. “It’s wonderful.”
“I’m sure it is. Now, can we change this meeting with the Patent Office?” “Rumiko does them,” she said, ignoring me. “She’s very good at it and you should have one, it will remove all that stress.” “I’m not stressed. Who the Hell is Rumiko, by the way?”
“Rumiko Araki, your tenant who rents the floor below us? You have met her, haven’t you?” “I think so,” I said and a picture of an older slightly plump woman with Asian features came into my mind. “She said you would enjoy a massage so I booked you in for Thursday.”
“Well, you can cancel it, Julie. I’m not interested in massages. Now, can we get back to work?” I forgot all about it until Thursday when I saw Rumiko Arak scheduled as the last appointment of the day. “Julie,” I said, exasperated. “I thought I told you to cancel that?”
She looked puzzled for a moment, then a strange look filled her face while she spoke. “I called her and she was so nice but insisted you needed a eastern massage. Rumiko has seen you many times and would like to meet you so I left it in.”
“Julie,” I asked, concerned with her drowsy tone, “are you ok?” She blinked and then smiled. “Sure, why?” “No reason,” I said, realising I was going to have to meet this Rumiko but I was damn sure I wasn’t having any stupid massage.
Rumiko greeted me in her reception area. “Dan,” she said, smiling warmly at me and I felt drawn to her dark eyes as she took my offered hand. She was slightly shorter than I was, a little plump with long black hair and she was dressed in a white smock, kind of like dentists wear, and blue trousers.
“Rumiko?” I asked hesitantly and she bowed slightly.
“Correct. Rumiko Araki. I have seen you many times as you rush in an out of this wonderful building you own. You are, if I may say so, a very handsome young man with your blonde hair.”
Strangely, I felt myself blushing. “That’s kind of you, Ms Araki,” I blurted out and realising she was still holding my hand, withdrew it from her clasp.
“Please, call me Rumiko and I will call you Danny. Follow me, please.” Stunned, I followed her through the door to a dimly lit room and Rumiko gestured at a massage chair, which faced a wall covered by a large oblong mirror. I opened my mouth to tell her I wasn’t having any massage but I didn’t get a chance. “Remove your coat and tie, Danny,” she said in that throaty mellow voice of hers, “and sit in the chair.”
I did so while she busied her self behind me and soon a musky aroma filled the air and soft music began. As her fingers gently started to knead my shoulders. “So tense,” she said and I felt myself relaxing as the musky perfume and the low insistent beat of the music filled my senses. “So very tense, you work so hard you must learn to relax,” she said softly and I closed my eyes. “Open your eyes, Danny, for a moment and look at the light in the mirror.” My eyes were drawn to a small light reflected in the mirror that was slowly flashing in time with the music. “Relax and watch the light,” Rumiko’s soft voice whispered in my ear. “You are relaxing, you are drifting with music and the light is beckoning you to your special resting place. Relax,” she kept saying while her gentle fingers alternated between caressing and kneading my shoulders and neck. d