Gabby owed me big time for this one and she'd better be as sick as she pretended to be when she convinced me to cover for her. This was a bad idea from the start, I was not a masseuse!
But my niece was so afraid if she took another sick day lady Valerie would fire her on the spot, which would have been a blessing if you asked me, but she seemed to enjoy her job and appeared desperate to keep it. So being the good niece that I am I agreed to take her place for one day, so far it was one of the longest days of my life and it was only noon.
I jumped from my thoughts when lady Valerie came bursting through the curtains, breathing heavily and pulling them closed behind her in a panic while she looked at me. I could swear there was genuine fear in her eyes.
'(Y/N),' she spoke between her teeth.
'What's wrong?' I asked surprised.
'I am sorry to do this to you but we have an important client,' she spoke in between heavy breaths.
'If he's important you shouldn't give him to me,' I immediately said.
'There is no one else,' she sighed,' you did okay so far, yes?'
'I had two clients older then my grandfather who were over the moon to just be touched by a young woman,' I said as I rolled my eyes,' I could have been the worst masseuse ever and they wouldn't have noticed or cared. Do not give me an important client, Valerie, please! I don't want to endanger Gabby's job.'
'Yes, well she did that herself when she called in sick today of all days!' Valerie said in an angry sigh,' I'm sorry but I have no choice, there is no way we can refuse him.'
I raised my eye brows at her, who could be so important that she couldn't just ask him to reschedule?
'It's the prince, (Y/N),' she then explained, making my heart stop in my chest.
When I opened my mouth to speak she raised her hand and shook her head firmly.
'Not a word! If you want your niece to keep her job you have to take him,' she insisted,' just...do what you did before.'
'But I can't! He'll see right through me! He'll know!' I said in panic.
'I don't have a choice, we don't have a choice, I am sorry, doll,' she said, giving me one last look before opening the curtains again,' just act like you know what you're doing.'
'But...,' she was gone before I could say another word.
This day was going from bad to worse, I was in no way ready to give a real massage, sure I could fake it well enough with some old men from the village but with the prince?!
I knew from my niece that Thor was a regular customer and was used to getting the best service possible, and that was not something I could provide.
It would only take him two minutes to figure out I had absolutely no idea what I was doing!
I tried to calm myself down by taking another sip of water.
Keep it together (Y/N), lady Valerie was right, if I just acted as if I knew what I was doing I was already halfway there. Right?
I had seen him walk around the hallways of the palace, those arms and shoulders were enough to make any girl swoon, and suddenly the thought of putting my hands on that body filled me with something else besides nerves.
It would definitely be a step up from the old, wrinkled clients from this morning.
I washed my hands and tried to control my breathing when I heard the curtain open and close behind me and I froze.
'My lady,' his voice was sharp and deep but with a small hint of hesitance and it was clear to me instantly that this wasn't Thor.
'Loki', I whispered and when I turned around in shock I looked right at the slender dark haired prince instead of his larger blond brother, my breath was stuck in my throat for a few seconds. His appearance was always striking but standing so close to him in this small tent he took my breath away even more, he was unquestionably stunning.
'I mean, your royal highness,' I quickly recovered as I bowed down to him and avoided looking into his eyes.
He didn't speak a word but slowly took off his coat and garments and carefully put them on the chair in the corner of the room. I didn't dare look at him but I could see from the corner of my eyes that he was completely naked.
