The Massage Therapist Crushing on a Rich, Married Client

This week, a woman flirts at at hotel gym: 35, dating, Boston

DAY ONE

7:55 a.m. Every Monday morning at exactly this time, the Couple enters the wellness center where I work. Everyone who works here all feels a certain way about the Couple. My colleagues think they’re snobs but harmless. My boss thinks they’re excellent customers … Of course they are, they’re rich! I think the wife is the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen and that the husband is gross and undeserving of her. She’s tall and Waspy with wavy hair. He’s technically attractive but always has a miserable look on his face and an “I’m busier than everybody else” attitude. Very into himself.

9 a.m. Every week, I stretch out the Wife (which doubles as a massage) while her husband has a personal-training session. Then she gets acupuncture while I give him a sports massage.

Today, the Wife and I talk the whole time I work with her, about drama at her kids’ school, reality TV … whatever comes up. She’s very funny and down-to-earth considering how wealthy she is. Believe me, I’ve Googled them to death.

She knows I’m gay and recently asked about my partners and how much sex I have, but not in a cringe-y way. She jokes that she used to be a slut but hates sex now. I love when she says “slut.” I can’t say there’s sexual energy between us, but I have a crush on her. I would never act on it, obviously.

10 a.m. The husband always tips us generously in cash as they leave, and I dislike him a little less.

3 p.m. Three more clients. My thoughts occasionally drift to my grocery list or upcoming travel. I mostly stay in the zone at work.

5:30 p.m. Whole Foods for meal-prep ingredients for my roommate and me. For five years, I’ve lived with Danny, my best friend from college. I cook and he cleans. We’ve never had any issues. He’s family.

8 p.m. Danny and I play with his cat, whom I love like my own. We catch up on our love lives. He’s in a long-distance relationship with a guy in Toronto. I think the guy is shady and don’t pretend otherwise. Like, why is he a lawyer but never has any money? Literally, he visits us in Boston and says he doesn’t have gas money to get home. Make it make sense.

I’m single with a long-term fuck buddy. I met MK at the gym. She’s very athletic and butch — not my usual type. I like femme women, as in the wife from the Couple. But sex with MK is great and she’s a major CEO, which I find inspiring. I’d like to open my own business before I’m 40, and I value her advice. And her strap-on.

9:15 p.m. I’ve always been an early bird. Night!

DAY TWO

6 a.m. I’m the cliché who lusts after all her women spin instructors. Love the music today — ’90s hip-hop.

8 a.m. Quick shower and a five-minute drive to work. First up is a returning client who barely says a word to me. That’s fine. Silence is nice. She’s had so many procedures done that I find it a little stressful to work on her. From her tummy, to her tits, to her nose, to her hair extensions … I’m scared of undoing any of it!

11:50 a.m. MK wants to know if I’m into a “paint and sip” class tonight. She always comes up with these cutesy dates, which is so in contrast with her non-cutesy personality. I find it charming. Thumbs-up from me.

2 p.m. Eating my little tofu-and-roasted-vegetables rice bowl, thanks to my diligent meal-prepping. It makes me smile knowing that Danny and I eat the same lunch. I send him a photo of my bowl, and he sends me a pic of his. We do this all the time.

5:30 p.m. My body has had it after the gym and five clients. But MK bought tickets for tonight, and I don’t want to be rude. Take a cold shower to wake up and refresh. I keep clean clothes at work, and since it’s a wellness center, it has everything else I need to get ready.

6:30 p.m. Meeting MK at the studio 15 minutes from work. We kiss. She looks like Captain Sandy from Below Deck. I say this as the highest form of compliment.

8 p.m. The assignment is to paint our childhood homes with watercolors. We sip bad white wine. It’s a lovely date. MK and I have been seeing each other for about a year. She’s getting divorced and has kids, so our casual arrangement is about all she can handle. It’s just the right amount of commitment and sex for me.

Sometimes I wonder if my silly crush on the Wife is holding me back from a more serious relationship. Who could compare in terms of looks or sophistication? But when I find the right person, I’ll jump in without hesitation. It just hasn’t happened for a long time. My last relationship was pre-pandemic.

9 p.m. In MK’s bed. She’s a skilled lover, and I’m happy to be on the receiving end. She doesn’t let me please her. She says she gets off on making me come. It’s kind of awkward, but she always seems happy with the way things are.

10 p.m. Drive home listening to the Conan O’Brien podcast very loudly to stay alert. I’m sober but tired.

DAY THREE

7:45 a.m. Trying to look good because the Wife said she was popping in to buy gift certificates for her kid’s school auction. Am I sick in the head for clocking that?

10:30 a.m. Feeling extra-talented at my job. I attribute this to last night. Having an orgasm or two is sometimes the best kind of wellness.

1:30 p.m. Working on a client visiting from Amsterdam. I can feel how strong and healthy she is, and I like her energy. We talk about how no one in Boston is “chic,” but at least they don’t pretend to be.

2 p.m. Danny’s boyfriend is coming to town this weekend (with his empty wallet, no doubt) so I think about sleeping elsewhere on Friday and Saturday night. It feels like the right thing to do. I look at my miles to see if I have enough for a hotel room for the weekend, and of course I don’t. Have to pause this because …

3 p.m. The Wife shows up! Beautiful as ever. She’s wearing a tracksuit with her hair down and glamorous sunglasses and gives me a big hug. The owner of the wellness center happens to be at the front desk, and the Wife goes out of her way to say there are no better hands than mine. I am so fucking in love with this woman. I think about asking her for hotel recommendations, but because my boss is there, I don’t.

6 p.m. I work late on Wednesdays, so I’m doing some massage and admin work.

9 p.m. At home, I use a combination of miles and money to book a hotel MK suggested for two nights. She’ll visit me on one of them. Pop into Danny’s room and tell him I’m going to be away for the weekend. He’s so touched that he almost cries. He’s a very emotional man. I love him.

DAY FOUR

7 a.m. While we drink our morning coffee, Danny does the whole, “Are you sure? You don’t have to!” thing, but we both know he’s elated. I just hope his boyfriend appreciates him — and me!

10:45 a.m. My boss comes into the staff room and says she wants to talk, but I have a client coming in 15 minutes, so we agree to meet later. I feel sick and paranoid. Did I do something wrong? Was it the hug from the Wife? Did I overtly give her fuck-me eyes?

11 a.m. During the session, all I can think about is how much I love my job and don’t want to lose it.

2 p.m. Finally, we’re both available. My boss is like, “If I opened a spot in Cambridge, would you consider being a co-owner?” Ha! I’m relieved, but shocked. This would be huge for me. The first thing I think is, I need to get MK’s professional opinion. The second thing I think is, Would I ever see the Wife again? I thank my boss for the opportunity and ask for a few days to think about it.

7 p.m. Discussing everything with Danny. The commute would not be great and neither of us wants to move. I also didn’t ask my boss about the finances of it all, so there’s a big question mark there. Danny offers to consult with his boyfriend, the lawyer, and we both explode laughing because, clearly, his boyfriend knows nothing about money.

9 p.m. MK is at a conference but texts that we’ll discuss it on Saturday. I feel a mix of excitement and dread. No better time to masturbate! I lay on my stomach and get myself off. I grunt into the pillow. As close as Danny and I are, he doesn’t need to hear me fingering myself.

DAY FIVE

6:15 a.m. Pack a duffel bag for the weekend before the gym and work. I throw in lube, a few vibrators, lingerie, and THC gummies. Might as well make the most of it.

11:30 a.m. My mother in Tennessee calls to ask what I want for my 36th birthday this month, and I tell her about the hotel. She says she’ll write me a check for what it cost me. Aw! My parents definitely don’t have a lot of money, but we always go hard on birthdays and holidays.

3 p.m. Drama at work. One of my colleagues is certifiably insane. She apparently told a client that IVF should be illegal. The client was undergoing IVF and called to complain. How would I handle this if I were the owner? Am I ready to take on so much responsibility? It scares me.

6 p.m. My hotel room is really nice. Danny, the sweetie, has had a bottle of wine delivered. I drink wine, masturbate, watch TV, and stalk the Wife’s Instagram for most of the night.

DAY SIX 

8 a.m. The gym in the hotel is amazing.

9 a.m. There’s a woman down here who I definitely did give fuck-me eyes, but she’s now running on the treadmill at, like, 1,000,000 mph, so there’s no way to approach.

12:30 p.m. Walking around the neighborhood, I pop into H&M. In the dressing room, I realize how good my body looks and for a moment feel depressed that I don’t have a girlfriend to see me naked on a regular basis.

5 p.m. MK says to meet her at the hotel bar. Having some time and space to think today, I realized that I want a girlfriend. Even if MK could give me more, she’s not the right person for me in a long-term, forever way. I’m never going to fall in love with her, as much as I really, really like her. But I won’t say any of that tonight.

7 p.m. After two cocktails at the bar, more than I ever drink, we go to my room. We roll onto the bed, kissing and fooling around. She’s a great kisser. She starts to go down on me but admits that she’s anxious about getting home for her sitter.

9:50 p.m. Despite the super-sexy night, I still want to end things with MK.

DAY SEVEN

8 a.m. In the gym and the treadmill woman is here. I’m not leaving until I talk to her.

9 a.m. We’re both toweling off. I ask where she’s from. In a British accent, she says she’s here from London to show her kid around some “universities.” She doesn’t mention a husband or a wife. I tell her I’m from the area if she has any questions, and she takes my number. There’s definitely a vibe.

12:45 p.m. Check out and head home to say a quick hello to Danny’s boyfriend before they go out of town for the night. There’s something unsavory about him that I can’t put my finger on. I just don’t like his face? I get the ick.

5 p.m. Trying to figure out what to do about MK. I don’t want to hurt her.

7 p.m. The British woman texts that it was great to meet me with a smiley face.

9 p.m. I respond “Same!!!” with three exclamation points, then regret the three. Once I get over that, I fantasize about her — not the Wife or MK — for the rest of the night.