to robbers?" His voice sharpened as he said the words.
The truth of the matter was during the time she'd been open, no one had ever attempted to rob her. The place was broken into once, but she'd installed a burglar alarm afterwards to help solve that problem. Plus, once Becki left, she planned to lock the door and feel as secure as being in a Brink's vault.
"I've never been robbed, and with the constant road traffic outside, I'm safe," she replied as she made her way to the reception desk. "Becki is still here with her customer.
Once she leaves, I'll close."
He nodded, but he still didn't appear convinced. "All good and dandy, but one can never be too sure."
"It's my business, Mr. Banks." She didn't intend for him to dictate how she ran Casa de Massage.
Gabe blinked at her vehement response and then shrugged. "Okay, you're right."
He rubbed his neck. "What I came by was to ask if you can work me in for a massage."
Cassie hesitated. This would mean being alone with Gabe for however long the massage took. She glanced at the clock. Becki would be out any moment, and then she would be gone. Cassie could logically tell Gabe it was too late, but in the back of her mind she knew any little bit would help her financially. He didn't strike her as a rapist or serial killer. But then, notorious serial killer Ted Bundy hadn't set off alarms in his victims on first glance.
"Well, I suppose—" she began, but was interrupted when Becki returned with her patient, Gemma Rawlings, trailing behind her.
Becki smiled at Cassie, giving Gabe a questioning look while she chatted to Gemma about the weather and the massage.
A retired schoolteacher, Gemma recently started visiting the spa after straining her back playing tennis. "Just a few more visits and that lower back pain should be gone. Let me check when I can get you in again," Becki told Gemma. She punched in a few keystrokes on Lola's computer and peered into the monitor. "How about next week on Thursday at the same time?"
"That sounds good." Gemma glanced over at Gabe and stopped talking. "Hey, I know you. Aren't you—?"
"Hi, Gemma. Yeah, it's me. Gabe. How're you doing?" Gabe shook the woman's hand.
Gemma gave him a pleased smile. "I'm doing well. I hope to get better"—she nodded at Becki—"and then plan a cruise for September. Retirement has been wonderful."
"You look good. Have fun on the cruise. They're fun from what people say."
Becki handed Gemma an appointment card, smiling as she listened to the exchange between the patients. Cassie also watched the interchange, curious that Gabe and Gemma knew each other.
"Thank you. My granddaughter is going with me." She grinned at Becki. "Thank you, dearie. And now I need to go. My friend is waiting for me." She glanced at the wet streets. "We've planned to go out to dinner at the Terrace Garden Restaurant, but I'm not sure I want to now."
Gabe walked her to the door and opened it. "Eat inside and enjoy the view of the falling rain from a window. Have a good evening."
Stepping through the door, Gemma paused as she smiled up at Gabe. "I will. One of the things I miss about teaching is seeing people like you every semester."
She started to say something more, but Gabe interjected. "Good times, for sure.
I'll catch up with you one of these days."
"You do that, Gabe." She waved at Cassie and Becki and left.
"Well, I need to go," Becki said, reaching under the counter for her purse. "I made a hair appointment, and with the traffic being slowed by the rain, I better run."
"Oh, okay, see you tomorrow," Cassie told her, alert to Gabe's presence off to the side. She hadn't responded to his request for an appointment, yet both were conscious she was now alone.
The door jangled and a gust of cold air swept into the room as Becki exited.
Cassie shivered, but not from the cold outside. An awareness of being alone with a man she found sexually attractive flowed through her. She kept her back to him, watching Becki walk
The truth of the matter was during the time she'd been open, no one had ever attempted to rob her. The place was broken into once, but she'd installed a burglar alarm afterwards to help solve that problem. Plus, once Becki left, she planned to lock the door and feel as secure as being in a Brink's vault.
"I've never been robbed, and with the constant road traffic outside, I'm safe," she replied as she made her way to the reception desk. "Becki is still here with her customer.
Once she leaves, I'll close."
He nodded, but he still didn't appear convinced. "All good and dandy, but one can never be too sure."
"It's my business, Mr. Banks." She didn't intend for him to dictate how she ran Casa de Massage.
Gabe blinked at her vehement response and then shrugged. "Okay, you're right."
He rubbed his neck. "What I came by was to ask if you can work me in for a massage."
Cassie hesitated. This would mean being alone with Gabe for however long the massage took. She glanced at the clock. Becki would be out any moment, and then she would be gone. Cassie could logically tell Gabe it was too late, but in the back of her mind she knew any little bit would help her financially. He didn't strike her as a rapist or serial killer. But then, notorious serial killer Ted Bundy hadn't set off alarms in his victims on first glance.
"Well, I suppose—" she began, but was interrupted when Becki returned with her patient, Gemma Rawlings, trailing behind her.
Becki smiled at Cassie, giving Gabe a questioning look while she chatted to Gemma about the weather and the massage.
A retired schoolteacher, Gemma recently started visiting the spa after straining her back playing tennis. "Just a few more visits and that lower back pain should be gone. Let me check when I can get you in again," Becki told Gemma. She punched in a few keystrokes on Lola's computer and peered into the monitor. "How about next week on Thursday at the same time?"
"That sounds good." Gemma glanced over at Gabe and stopped talking. "Hey, I know you. Aren't you—?"
"Hi, Gemma. Yeah, it's me. Gabe. How're you doing?" Gabe shook the woman's hand.
Gemma gave him a pleased smile. "I'm doing well. I hope to get better"—she nodded at Becki—"and then plan a cruise for September. Retirement has been wonderful."
"You look good. Have fun on the cruise. They're fun from what people say."
Becki handed Gemma an appointment card, smiling as she listened to the exchange between the patients. Cassie also watched the interchange, curious that Gabe and Gemma knew each other.
"Thank you. My granddaughter is going with me." She grinned at Becki. "Thank you, dearie. And now I need to go. My friend is waiting for me." She glanced at the wet streets. "We've planned to go out to dinner at the Terrace Garden Restaurant, but I'm not sure I want to now."
Gabe walked her to the door and opened it. "Eat inside and enjoy the view of the falling rain from a window. Have a good evening."
Stepping through the door, Gemma paused as she smiled up at Gabe. "I will. One of the things I miss about teaching is seeing people like you every semester."
She started to say something more, but Gabe interjected. "Good times, for sure.
I'll catch up with you one of these days."
"You do that, Gabe." She waved at Cassie and Becki and left.
"Well, I need to go," Becki said, reaching under the counter for her purse. "I made a hair appointment, and with the traffic being slowed by the rain, I better run."
"Oh, okay, see you tomorrow," Cassie told her, alert to Gabe's presence off to the side. She hadn't responded to his request for an appointment, yet both were conscious she was now alone.
The door jangled and a gust of cold air swept into the room as Becki exited.
Cassie shivered, but not from the cold outside. An awareness of being alone with a man she found sexually attractive flowed through her. She kept her back to him, watching Becki walk
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