The table I lay upon was initially cold. The chilling flash I felt as I was laid down upon the table make goosebumps spring across my skin, almost painfully. But that flash was equally met by the glow of exposure as the masseur removed the towel from my waist. I felt my checks swell with embarrassment, but the masseur just smiled at me as she placed her hands into the small bowl of hot oil beside her.
Steam suddenly whooshed into the room, most likely from hot water being poured onto a bucket of coal or rocks or whatever...
It was strange, as the air warmed and droplets of water suddenly clung to your skin, how soothed your thoughts became. Quite quickly, to an almost embarrassing degree, all your anxiety's faded away. Then a set of oily hands began moving across your skin, digging deep into your back muscles, then your legs and then your arms. It was slightly painful as the knots and tensity was pushed and kneaded away, like you were dough being reshaped. It was amazing how much strain they were under - you never notice it until it's gone. A great weight, your life you decided, was gone for however long you lay in the sticky arms of the masseur.
Then from the now thick fog of steam, you could have sworn you heard a distant voice. No...Voices... Under the weight of relaxation, the pressure of the masseur's smooth grip, you paid it little attention. But for that moment you heard a crowd cheering you on. Like a crowd cheering on a sports event...
Sports... The idea of it remained in your mind longer than you'd typically consider. Sports...Health and exercises. Early mornings and long recoveries. A recovery led by the very hands kneading your flesh right now. A sudden clarity formed in your mind, one deep under the lull of near sleep, but of a motion or physical motion...
It came clearer and clear in your mind, all the while the masseur began to grin...
You felt her presence draw closer to you. She was gentle as she spoke in a sweet, slow voice in your ear. "Tell me, what athletic skill stirs within your flesh."
You would answer the question, even though every action but simply laying and enjoying the massage was a great effort.
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