Chapter 4

Raquel had her head on my shoulder, and I had a slice of pizza in one hand as Jay Leno told jokes on TV. And I was going to move this silky creature away from me, get up, and answer a telephone call? Not a chance. She glanced up at me to see if I was going to get up, and then nestled her head up to my shoulder again. I was in my lesbian blissful dream state and I didn't want to wake up just yet.

One ear listened as the beep tone on the voice message speaker sounded from the kitchen.

"Hi Mom..." Brian's voice began. I smiled. My son. It was his 27^th birthday tomorrow, and he had probably received the shirts I sent him, and his favorite cocoanut candies, which I had made and packaged carefully the week before.

"Surprise!" he and Gina's voice squawked together. "We're in town, and we're right down the street, headed to your place..." I sat bolt upright, and Raquel looked at me.

"Hope you're home!" My son continued cheerily. " If not, we'll just go in with our key, and we'll see you when you get there... hope to see you in a few minutes!"

Click.

"Oh god."

Raquel had heard the whole thing too, and no explanation was needed. "I'll go," she said, hurrying to get up and gather her things. "And I'll come back later, if you like."

"No-Raquel..." I said, thinking quickly. "By the time you get dressed and get halfway down the driveway, they'll see you." My driveway was a little over a quarter of a mile long, snaking through the woods before emerging onto the highway. I didn't want them to see her leaving, it would be easier if she stayed. My mind raced for an explanation.

"I at least have to get dressed," she said hurrying her naked body to my bedroom, where her sexy white tube dress was. I just didn't have friends her age, that dressed like that, so the "visiting girfriend" story would be a tough sell.

"You don't happen to have like a medical therapist uniform... nurse outfit or something in that bag, do you?"

She paused. "Scrubs. I have like hospital scrubs in--"

"Put 'em on. Hurry."

"I mean--"

I pointed at her. "You're my massage therapist. Just follow my lead ok?" I said as I hurriedly gathered up skirts and panties from the floor. "Brian and his surprises..." I muttered.

"Massage therapist," she repeated.

"Yes, just play along with me. I know you can."

She shrugged, and I looked out the window. A pair of headlights was about two hundred yards from the front of the house.

I quickly cleared the table of pizza and wine glasses. Gina, the angel that she was, always came here and cleaned things. My God that woman insisted on dusting, doing my laundry, helping in the kitchen, even making my bed, now that I was sick. She was so sweet it was maddening.

I went to the bedroom as Raquel was pulling on the scrubs and a pair of tennis shoes. Yes, she looked like a massage therapist. An impossibly cute and sexy one, but a massage therapist.

I stuffed her dress, panties, and shoes in one of my empty drawers and did a quick walk through of the house to make sure we hadn't left anything else around.

A horn honked twice outside.

Raquel looked at me as she came out. "Two role-plays in one night," she said, with a straight face.

I had to laugh.

Brian and Gina had their own key, but they knocked anyway, and rang the doorbell, probably because they saw a strange car in the driveway.

"Mom!" they both chimed, grinning as they came in, and looking around furtively, to see who the guest was. Raquel, sitting professionally at the dinner table,

smiled at them and waved her hand. As our hugging subsided, she got up, standing there with her hands clasped in front of her.

"Mom, we didn't know you had company, are we interrupting someth--"

"Oh, not at all, honey... Raquel, I'd like you to meet my daughter-in-law, Gina, and my son, Brian... kids, Raquel is my massage therapist. Remember the doctor had recommended it... ?"

"Hi," Gina said, taking Raquel's hand in both of hers, "so nice to meet you." Brian greeted her then, and Raquel said, "Nice to meet you too, Susan told me so much about you in such a short period of time!"

"We certainly don't want to interrupt your treatment," Gina said with a concerned look.

"We just finished," Raquel said with a calm smile. "The first session anyway. She has to have another one tomorrow."

I do?

"Yes, she is wonderful," I said as we all sat down at the table. "Brian you scoundrel. This is a surprise honey!"

"Aw, well, we missed you and I was able to get a couple of days off, so we decided to drive down on our way to Hilton Head."

Were they staying? I wondered. I would have a hard time telling them no.

"That was so thoughtful, sweetheart," I said, "and happy birthday, too," I said, getting up and giving him another hug. Out of the corner of my eye, I could already spot Gina's eyes sweeping the house to see what she could clean for me.

"Well," Raquel said, "now I'm the one interrupting, so I'll go."

"Oh no," Gina said, making a face, "must you? We haven't even gotten to know you! Raquel, anyone who is taking care of Mom is special. Like part of our family."

Raquel smiled at Gina as Gina held her hand. She glanced at me, probably wondering what "taking care of Mom" meant.

"Really, Raquel," I chimed in, "You told me that for the first month, I'd need a massage at night and then one in the morning, to bolster my immune system, and all that, once a week."

My son and his wife were listening attentively. "It's late, and, you live so far away. It only makes sense for you to stay here, that is if you can."

"Oh yes," Gina insisted, "stay, Raquel. There are three bedrooms here."

"Well, I don't want to impose..." She said, sitting back down.

"Nonsense," I said. "It only makes sense. For you to drive back out here tomorrow morning, with the rain we've been having, is silly."

"Ok, I suppose I can stay," she said, "That's very sweet of you."

"Great!" Gina said, clasping her hands together. My daughter-in-law loves to make new friends.

"Mom, we can take our bedroom, as usual?" Brian asked.

"Sure, honey, go bring your things in and get settled."

As Brian brought in two small overnight bags, Gina and Raquel chatted. Gina was leaning over the table, focused keenly on my new "massage therapist."

"I'm just amazed," Gina said, "that things like massage can actually help with the cancer."

Raquel glanced at me again, as if to say, "cancer, huh?"

She brushed back her hair and nodded. "We have no long-standing studies in place that show any cases where the cancer was cured, but one study showed breast cancer patients with a remission rate about 30% higher than those who didn't get regular massages."

I sat there dumbstruck. Raquel was pouring out the bullshit with such confidence and poise, I even started to wonder if she had some medical therapy background. Boy, could she think on her feet!

"Wow..." Gina whispered, very impressed.

"Massage has been a healer for thousands of years," Raquel said, as if she had given this mini-lecture before. "We're just now starting to realize its benefits in the medical field as a supplement to healing and treatment."

Incredible! I took effort to keep my eyes from bulging and my mouth from dropping open. Now this was Oscar material!

"That's so cool," Gina said, beaming at her. You'll have to give me your card before you go. One day, when I am down here and we have time, maybe I could get a session with you... ?"

"Of course," Raquel said with a smile. "I ran out of cards the other day and I'm having more printed out, but Susan has my number."

Oh right, I thought. Just dial up Angels on Call, Gina, they'll send her right over. I suppressed the urge to laugh out loud again.

I thought then of Gina, naked on a table with Raquel's hands going to work on her. Oh boy.

I was in this strange state of trepidation, mixed with the high that came with our ad lib story working so well. Gina and Brian had swallowed it all, hook line and sinker, so far.

Brian joined us at the table, and the conversation changed, blessedly, to his job and things he and Gina were doing back home.

Raquel was the perfect guest, just involved and warm enough, but still the professional in scrubs, which she played much better than I ever thought possible.

"Oh, you guys live in Colorado," she whined, "you're sooo lucky!"

Then she added, "I've skiied there a couple of times with friends."

"Yeah, where?" Brian asked.

"Breckenridge once, Steamboat Springs the other time..."

Gina and Brian smiled at each other. "We live right outside Breckenridge," Gina said.

Raquel rolled her eyes dramatically. "Awesome," she said.