before leaving home an hour or so earlier. But I figured that the bath was part of the screening process. “Sure, I guess so,” I said.
She smiled. “Take off clothes. Total naked. Put on robe. I bring girl right away. She give bath.” She called to the dog and left the room, gently closing the door behind her.
I undressed to my undershorts and quickly donned the robe. It was too small. I wrapped it around myself as best I could and tied the belt. Then I removed my undershorts and sat down on the corner of the bed. The robe felt clammy. I tried not to imagine how many other men had worn it since it last was washed. I shivered and wondered if the room really was too cold.
I could see my full reflection in the mirror. A middle-aged white guy straining the seams of a tawdry, dragon-emblazoned robe. I looked into my own eyes and had to look away. I hung my head and took a deep breath. I knew I would leave feeling guilty and unfulfilled. But knowing how it would turn out was not enough to quell the need to go ahead.
At least ten minutes passed before I heard someone coming down the hall. The lady had said she would “bring girl,” so I guessed that she wasn’t going to service me herself. Would it be the young woman I had seen sleeping on the couch? Was there someone else I hadn’t yet seen? Another shiver ran through me as I stood up. I tried to wipe my palms on the slick fabric of the robe.
The doorknob turned and the little dog pushed its way in, dancing around as the receptionist led a new woman into the room. “This Miss Yong. She take care you.”
Yong’s eyes met mine for a fleeting moment and then settled on my chest. She offered her hand with a flicker of a smile. Then she turned away, listening and nodding as the receptionist spoke to her in Korean.
While I waited for them to finish, I studied Yong. She was older than the woman I had seen sleeping on the sofa. Probably around thirty. Taller than most Korean women, perhaps 5’ 7” or so. Straight, dark hair that hung to the middle of her back. Moderately attractive face with no makeup. Her eyes were slightly puffy, as if she had been sleeping. Or crying.
I didn’t know what to make of the way she was dressed. Women who work in these places usually wore just slippers and a skimpy one-piece something that they could slip in and out of with ease. Like the young woman I had seen sleeping on the sofa. But Yong seemed dressed for a dinner date. She wasn’t wearing any rings on her fingers, but she wore delicate gold hoops in her pierced ears and three narrow gold bracelets on her right wrist. Her shoulders were bare above a skin-tight top that showcased breasts that seemed unnaturally large for her slim torso. Her hips and legs were concealed by a pleated, ankle-length skirt that hung to the tops of her high heeled shoes.
The receptionist finished talking to Yong and looked at me. “I go now. Have good time. Enjoy.” She flashed a smile as she called to the dog and left the room.
Yong turned to me, eyes lowered to my chest, slim fingers fiddling with her belt buckle, and asked, “What is your name?”
“John,” I said, wondering if she would get my little joke. She gave no indication that she did.
“Nice to meet you, John. My name is Yong,” she said, as if she hadn’t already been introduced. She turned away from me and picked up a folded towel from the foot of the bed. “Come. I will give you a bath.”
A vision of the two of us shoulder-deep in a large bubble bath flashed through my mind.
“Ok. What about my clothes?”
“Leave them here. We will come back after.”
“Um…are you sure it’s safe?”
“Yes. No one will bother.” She opened the door. “Follow me.”
I followed her down the hallway, feeling vulnerable in the scanty robe and my bare feet. What if we ran into another customer? What if it was someone I
She smiled. “Take off clothes. Total naked. Put on robe. I bring girl right away. She give bath.” She called to the dog and left the room, gently closing the door behind her.
I undressed to my undershorts and quickly donned the robe. It was too small. I wrapped it around myself as best I could and tied the belt. Then I removed my undershorts and sat down on the corner of the bed. The robe felt clammy. I tried not to imagine how many other men had worn it since it last was washed. I shivered and wondered if the room really was too cold.
I could see my full reflection in the mirror. A middle-aged white guy straining the seams of a tawdry, dragon-emblazoned robe. I looked into my own eyes and had to look away. I hung my head and took a deep breath. I knew I would leave feeling guilty and unfulfilled. But knowing how it would turn out was not enough to quell the need to go ahead.
At least ten minutes passed before I heard someone coming down the hall. The lady had said she would “bring girl,” so I guessed that she wasn’t going to service me herself. Would it be the young woman I had seen sleeping on the couch? Was there someone else I hadn’t yet seen? Another shiver ran through me as I stood up. I tried to wipe my palms on the slick fabric of the robe.
The doorknob turned and the little dog pushed its way in, dancing around as the receptionist led a new woman into the room. “This Miss Yong. She take care you.”
Yong’s eyes met mine for a fleeting moment and then settled on my chest. She offered her hand with a flicker of a smile. Then she turned away, listening and nodding as the receptionist spoke to her in Korean.
While I waited for them to finish, I studied Yong. She was older than the woman I had seen sleeping on the sofa. Probably around thirty. Taller than most Korean women, perhaps 5’ 7” or so. Straight, dark hair that hung to the middle of her back. Moderately attractive face with no makeup. Her eyes were slightly puffy, as if she had been sleeping. Or crying.
I didn’t know what to make of the way she was dressed. Women who work in these places usually wore just slippers and a skimpy one-piece something that they could slip in and out of with ease. Like the young woman I had seen sleeping on the sofa. But Yong seemed dressed for a dinner date. She wasn’t wearing any rings on her fingers, but she wore delicate gold hoops in her pierced ears and three narrow gold bracelets on her right wrist. Her shoulders were bare above a skin-tight top that showcased breasts that seemed unnaturally large for her slim torso. Her hips and legs were concealed by a pleated, ankle-length skirt that hung to the tops of her high heeled shoes.
The receptionist finished talking to Yong and looked at me. “I go now. Have good time. Enjoy.” She flashed a smile as she called to the dog and left the room.
Yong turned to me, eyes lowered to my chest, slim fingers fiddling with her belt buckle, and asked, “What is your name?”
“John,” I said, wondering if she would get my little joke. She gave no indication that she did.
“Nice to meet you, John. My name is Yong,” she said, as if she hadn’t already been introduced. She turned away from me and picked up a folded towel from the foot of the bed. “Come. I will give you a bath.”
A vision of the two of us shoulder-deep in a large bubble bath flashed through my mind.
“Ok. What about my clothes?”
“Leave them here. We will come back after.”
“Um…are you sure it’s safe?”
“Yes. No one will bother.” She opened the door. “Follow me.”
I followed her down the hallway, feeling vulnerable in the scanty robe and my bare feet. What if we ran into another customer? What if it was someone I
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