Birthday gift

Nuru massage

The dark, deaf street definitely does not inspire confidence. The place is not far from the center, but a few cross streets and shady alleys make a huge difference at this point.

The street is narrow and poorly lit. A pack of wild dogs barks somewhere in the distance. One of the street lamps blinks ominously. No one passes because there is no exit.

If anyone ventures here, their purpose is quite clear and straightforward. Alan feels embarrassed and clutches a small business card in his hands. He turns it over in his fingers a few times and then casually puts it in his pocket.

It all started long before his 35th birthday party. Pong, his best friend had been tormenting him for years, knowing his deepest secrets. Okay. He may not have been a 35-year-old virgin, but ever since he ended his relationship with Wen, his sex life had died.

Pong had a lively sex life, which was completely at odds with Alan's interests. His friend, however, was becoming unyielding. He went from silly quips and jokes to the offensive. And that's how Alan ended up here.

He stands now like the last orphan, with a paid pass for an erotic massage. "I'm telling you, man, it's really worth it. You'll never forget it for the rest of your life!" He doesn't even want to know how Pong knows this place. He didn't ask why he's so sure of his claims. He's never shown any signs of turning in that direction, and the place clearly seems to suggest "for men only"

A tiny, barely noticeable neon sign buzzes next to the door. If it weren't for the fluorescent red, blinking letters, there would be no indication that anything is hidden here. The large, metal door, with several jagged steps, points to virtually nothing. As if it were an ordinary entrance to storage rooms, or the back kitchen of some bad restaurant.

Alan fingers the small card once more and pulls the envelope out of his pocket. Pong really had an imagination giving him a gift like that. What was going on in that tiny, sick mind of his.

His first reaction when he looked into the envelope was curiosity. Later, he remembers being really pissed off that Pong was jokingly suggesting a prostitution trip as a gift. It was embarrassing. He might be a little shy and more than a little lonely, but this?

Pong laughed at Alan's expression for what seemed like a good 30 minutes. Then he explained that they weren't prostitutes, just a regular massage.

Yes, sure...

It's like Alan didn't know his stupid coworker well enough. The guy never came up with a single sensible idea. It's scary to think that someone like that worked under a tie in a bank. The clients thought he was a composed and calm man with a lot of experience. If only they knew what Pong did in the evenings.

Suspicion was nagging at him, so he searched a few sites online and Oh... A regular massage? Really? The site he landed on left him slightly disconcerted. Leather, handcuffs, whips, and nipple clamps.

What the hell!

Alan opens more tabs, his eyes getting wider. At the end of this whole dirty offer, there is indeed Nuru massage and Lingam massage. Alan taps his index finger on the edge of the desk a few times. That doesn't sound so bad, does it? After all, a massage is no big deal. No one is going to whip him or make him run around in a thong.

It's not uncommon for people to go for this type of treatment. Alan would just kick back and relax a bit. It might even be quite enjoyable. Of course, he would never tell his friend that he had used his gift! Pong would never leave him alone, for the rest of his life.

The streetlight blinks more and more often until it burns out completely. The alley grows even darker, with only a small yellow bulb attached above the door to indicate the direction. The air smells of dirt and dust, which does not indicate the most hospitable place. The owner should probably consider changing his surroundings.