All in all, he had been attracted to her but comfortable with no action. Until the prospect came of making her up. In the week between booking the appointments and her noon arrival that Saturday, he started having explicit, exciting, and disturbing ideas about nasty sex with Pamela.

After the rowing machine that big morning, Brian moved to the bike, the weight room, and a quick tour of the Nautilus equipment, but his mind wasn’t on his workout. He thought about a dark red tint on Pamela’s hair, burgundy tones on lips and nails, greens and coppers around that face. He worked out in a state of near arousal.

Pamela was on time and of course they started with the massage. Each took awhile relaxing into it, she because of her excitement about her possible evening after the makeover and he because he was kneading the skin and muscles of the woman he was about to spend hours adorning. Pamela even commented that his hands felt warmer than usual. He spent extra time on her neck, and she melted becomingly.

After the massage came the facial. Then he applied color to her hair, which cool sensation she found enchanting, and while the dye sat on her head, Brian gave her feet and hands his professional attention.

By the time he’d shampooed her, trimmed her hair, and styled it, Pamela was feeling good. Her body was relaxed, her hands and feet felt light and smooth and slim, and she began to like the look of her face. Her hair tumbled about in big, rich curls; she loved it. She then watched Brian apply foundation, color, powder, and all manner of balms around her eyes, and it was like seeing someone airbrush a photograph: the flaws just disappeared.

She looked gorgeous even before she put on the green velvet gown and cape. After she dressed she was spectacular. Even she could see it. Then Brian decided the cape was a bit too long. Most people would have let it go, but he was fastidious about those things. He had a ticket to the reception so he’d be there, and he wanted her to be perfect. He insisted that they take the time to alter the cape, and he provided someone to do it: a college student who was studying costume design, and who was going to the same event that evening.

There’s no telling what might have happened if Pamela hadn’t stopped to have the cape shortened. She might have gone on to a fabulous evening and then a life with Brian. But as it was she spent an hour with a young seamstress. As it was, the seamstress was Ted’s daughter Beth. As it was, Ted moved in fast when he saw the made-over Pamela and Pamela, not loving him, yet found his ardor irresistible. Brian found no opportunity to declare himself.

Short, divorced Ted started seeing Pamela after that. She continued to come to Brian for her massages, and he might have spoken up during one of those, but that felt too complicated. Pamela arrived clean for their appointments. That’s the way Brian liked her, clean and nude under the white robe or the massage sheet. He just wasn’t inspired to speak.