A game to build trust

"Tessie...you're just amazing"

"Ah hm"

Tessie didn't even bother to look back as she acknowledged, her gaze fixed on his thighs, kneading out the knots from his sore muscles. Professional to a fault, Billy thought.

"When was the last time you had any kind of physiotherapy?", Tessie's question came rather abruptly, her voice soft with worry.

Billy propped himself on his elbows to answer her, as if necessary.

"The regular one-off massages I get from my coach...does that count?"

Tessie rolled up her eyes in response.

"Your muscles", she scoffed, "require a lot of work"

"And I'd love seeing you do just that", Billy replied, seemingly proud of his response.

Tessie smirked, giving him a once over, as if daring him to get cocky any further.

​"Lie down straight now and let this poor old lady do all the work", Tessie mockingly wiped her forehead, exaggerating her tiredness.

Billy knew he was sailing smooth, and Tessie's reply was all the affirmation he needed. She wouldn't dare talk like this to any other client, not even as a joke.

"Can you knead my left thigh again?"

Tessie complied, and swiftly repositioned her palm to do just that.

"A little...higher"

"Towards your knee?"

"No...closer to my groin"

Behind his calm facade, Billy was jittery, his fingers rolled into a shaking fist. It took all his strength to utter those words, despite the promising signals.

Tessie paused but for a moment. Billy held his breath as he felt her fingers fiddling close to where he wanted them.

He released his breath, audibly so. A faintest of smile crossed Tessie's face, which Billy failed to notice.

"So...right here?", Tessie pressed her fingers close to the V of his groin to make sure.

"Yeah...that's it...feels great", Billy whispered.

"I can see that", Tessie replied under her breath.

Billy's heart skipped a beat, but he pretended not to hear her. He could only guess whether she was implying the tent he had been sporting since she began. She continued working on the specified 'spot' for minutes.

"It's nice to be with someone I can be myself with", Tessie broke the silence as a smile crept onto her face.

Billy took a moment to reply, his mind reeling with the incessant **** of her fingers.

"It's nice to be the person you can trust", Billy flicked her arm.

"Unlike you"

A sudden wave of despair lunged over him. Billy didn't want to take the conversation there. Not yet.

And Tessie herself rescued him.

"I'm kidding, Billy...gosh!...It's so easy to get you...I might make a bad habit of this, you know, just to keep poking you"

With that, Tessie literally poked him to make her point.

"Uhh...Boss!...fine, I get it", he paused. Tessie had unknowingly given him the perfect segue to make his move.

"Let's then...build upon this trust"

Billy took a calculated pause, waiting for her to respond.

"Hmm...what's going on in your mind?"

"We do trust each other...but we haven't been in touch for a really long time. Shouldn't we do something about it? Shouldn't we...try getting to know each other better? "

"What do you suggest...a date? ", Tessie huffed, laughing to herself.

"I couldn't dare miss a date with the hottest woman I know"

Tessie raised her brows, blushing at his response. She was suspicious of Billy's infatuation, given his behaviour, but such adoration was startling.

"Anyways, I was thinking of something we could do...right now"

"And that is?"

"A game of truth or dare"

Tessie squinted, trying to gauge Billy's intent.

"I get it...you want to get back at me for the little prank I played"

"Oh c'mon Boss...as if you won't be giving me dares!"

Tessie raised her brows as realization settled in.

"Well, in that case..." she said, giving Billy's hair a playful tousle.

"...Why am I dreading this decision?...don't make me skip rope or something", she said with a nervous laugh.

"Skip rope?...if not for your looks, even a toddler could guess your age..."

Tessie frowned at his comment and gave him a playful slap, though secretly loving the underhanded compliment.

"...and you just might be right about my ****"

Billy propped himself on his side, watching Tessie gathering what he assumed were massage supplies from the opposite shelf.

"So, shall we begin?", he asked with bated breath, feigning composure.

​Tessie came back with a few bottles and set them on a stool next to the massage table. She then placed her arms on either side of his head, and they stared into each other's eyes, a silent connection made more peculiar by their upside-down view.

"You'll regret this later, and I'm so going to enjoy this"

​Billy gazed at her face. For a fleeting moment, he saw Heather's face on Tessie, but he struck the thought down. It had to be an illusion, he figured, especially since he was looking at her upside down.