Chapter Two: The Ground Beneath Her Feet

"So shall I pick you up at seven?" Jon swung back in his office chair, "yeah we'll go to Sam's and I know them there so we’ll get in no problem." He flicked the dome on his iPhone case and rolled his eyes. "Wear whatever you like babe." Dating should not be this hard. Truth was he couldn't be bothered dating right now but it seemed like the right thing to do, and oh it would get his friends off his ass.

He hung up and rubbed his eyes, he was tired as hell and he looked like crap. He leaned forward into the mirror and the dark grooves under his eyes stared back at him. It seemed when he was off tour he was just as busy as when he was on tour. He couldn't help himself, part of it was he liked to be busy and the other part was he didn't want to dwell on the demolition of his marriage and home-life in the last twelve months.

Arching back he groaned, his back was playing up again and he needed to see his chiropractor but he was out of town for the next two weeks. He didn’t know how being off tour aggravated his back as well. He knew acupuncture could sort him out and conveniently down his street there was a place that advertised it, he hadn't taken much notice of the stone and green building on the corner but his doorman's wife had raved about the spa service she received in there. 

Yeah, he was picky where he went but he had to be. He wanted to make sure they were legit and he also wanted to make sure above all, they were discreet. When he peered in the window this afternoon it had been manic so there was no doubt it was doing good turnover and that meant something in Soho. He popped a couple of Advil and snagged a bottle of water out of the fridge. Ribbons of gold and pink banded across the sky as he decided he’d go for another look. Maybe he could have a chat to the manager and scope out the facilities while it was quiet.

It didn’t take long as he blended into downtown Manhattan until he was at the bottom of the heavy stone steps to the forest green double doors. A few lights were still on and the place was immaculate like it had hardly been touched. He lifted his brow when the turned the door and was able to walk right in. Bono was singing about looking and finding as he edged in quietly.

"Hello?" The first thing that hit him was the smell. He expected it to be clinical but he was surprised as butter-cream and cinnamon sat lightly in the air. He tucked his hands in his jeans and looked around rolling back on his heels. The walls were tall, creamy and clean with deliberate splashes of colour around the room, blooming pots or brightly coloured furniture. Classy but welcoming he thought.

A woman wondered out with a large ledger open scanning it, she was only a wee thing but had generous curves in the right places. Her sunny hair fell just past her ears and her skin glowed. The pale pink shirt was sat neat on her on top of a short knee length skirt. She looked immaculate for someone that was still in her office after six pm. Their eyes met and the ledger smacked to the ground.

"Holy crap!" She clutched her heart and took a deep breath of relief.

"Shit, sorry..." He leaned forward and scooped up the book and handed it to her. Her startling blue eyes sliced right through him as she recomposed herself. She had pretty pink lips and she smelled sweet like candy.

"I thought the door was locked." She hugged the book closely to her chest and ran her eyes over him. 

"I was just passing and I wanted to ask you about acupuncture, the lights were on and well… the music." He raked his hand through his hair as she set the book down and moved to her reception desk. She had a different accent and it definitely wasn't American, more an off-British mix of Australian.

"Have you had acupuncture before?" she asked clicking her mouse and staring at her screen.

"Yes, yes I have and for my back." He frowned, no it wasn’t Australian. He’d heard it before though. The floor space was huge and everything was open plan, crisp and had a very professional vibe about the place. He hadn’t spent a lot of time in places like this but he had to admit, he was impressed.

She looked up and then back down at her screen with a hint of a smile. "Like the place huh?"

Jon raised a brow as he noticed her small dimples on each cheek as she grinned. Hell, she was cute. Pick up and put in your pocket cute with all the good things about woman to measure.

He approached her desk and smiled, "It’s very nice. How long have you been here?" 

“About two years.”

“Wow, that long? I live close by and have to admit I hadn’t really noticed this place before.”

“Well we can change that, did you want to have a seat right over there?”

He followed her gesture to one of the stations set up with a leather chair, similar to what was in his home office in front of a granite counter and large mirror. “Ok, sure.” What was she going to do with him?  He slipped into the chair and propped his feet up on the matching footstool under the counter top.

The soft light amplified the lines around his face and the rings around his eyes. She was fussing around behind him in a barister’s station that he hadn’t noticed before and then strolled over and set down a bright blue mug in front of him.

"It's green tea and lemon."

"Uh--I just wanted..."

"Just drink it. And stop frowning its bad for your head."

His brow lifted, bossy little woman wasn't she?  Yet, he felt very calm around her.

"Thanks. I think." He lifted the cup as she returned with a clipboard.

"Antonio does my acupuncture therapy, he's only part time but he's in tomorrow if you'd like a booking."

Jon nodded.  "That's perfect, it’s been giving me a little trouble since I stopped touring.” There weren’t any signs that she’d recognized him but he figured he wasn’t the first famous person she’d come across being where she was set up.

She scribbled some notes down and then stared at him.

"What?" The tea was pleasant, high grade. Probably from one of the many delis around this area he mused.

She put her clip board down and leaned in closer inspecting his face. The cup nearly took a dive as she ran her fingertips gently down his cheek.

"Ah, Miss... I."

"Sit still." She gently commanded as she tilted his chin up and looked under his neck. She made some notes and then her eyes met his. "Your skin is so dry and coarse. What do you use after shaving?”

"Well I--" He held his breath as she leaned in, her face just inches from his. Her lips coated with gloss and he found wondered what she tasted like. The small puff of air against his skin jolted him. Clearly he’d not had sex in a few months, Jesus Christ.

"You’ve been working a lot?” The tip of her pinkie traced under his eye.

He shook his head, was he annoyed that she kept touching him and was all up in his spaced or was he aroused by the fact if he hauled her into his lap she’d fit perfectly straddled across him? “Kind of, I’m not on tour as I said but I’m still doing other projects. I’m Jon by the way, I usually know a woman’s name before she man-handles me.” Her gaze flicked to his and a bemused smile played on his lips.

“I’m Devon and I’m the owner.” She made a note on her board and then leaned forward.

“Well I look—“ he stopped midsentence as her finger ran lightly around his lips. She hummed gently and his jeans started to feel uncomfortable. How did he end up here again?

"You use hand cream but not face cream huh? It’s nice to meet you.” She stepped back and held her hand out.

He laughed and shook her hand. "I usually do. I just got lazy. Things got a little crazy and I've been doing a few projects, I tend to just lose track of time if it's not on a tour schedule. And I'm Jon, it's nice to meet you Devon." Very nice indeed.”

"Well I'd like to offer you our revitalise package with your acupuncture treatments, it's a short series of facial treatments just to bring the life back to your face and make you look like you spend time on a stage, not in a mine.”

He swung back in the chair. "Ah, well I'm really not into that sort of thing. I have a good skin care range at home as I said I've just been a bit lazy." The thought of being holed up in a salon all day getting girly treatments was about as appealing as sticking needles in his eyes. She nodded and made another note on her clipboard. He was tempted to snag that damn thing in a minute.

She set it down and he flinched, more from shock as she ran her finger tips down his jaw line. "Men always have a tough jawline from shaving. It can take its toll on the skin here, see how it's all dried and cracked if you look a little closer?" She handed him hand mirror from the counter. 

He narrowed his eyes and wondered if it was some sort of magic mirror that lighted to show your imperfections at a hundred times magnitude. That would be a smart business ploy. "Yeah I see what you mean but hell..." She pointed to his lines at the edges of his eyes, wrinkles from years of being on the road. He'd done pretty well for his age and everyone knew it but still... maybe there was something she could do.

"I could lessen the density of those. And here." She pointed to the patches of skin on either side of his nose. This is a common spot of dryness and an area that doesn't get a lot of attention. Do you have a lot of allergies?"

"Uh, yeah...you could say I was more susceptible than most. Why?"

"I can just tell and smoking speeds up the ageing process by more than double."

He raised his eyebrows. Oh she was good. "You know I smoke just from that?" He angled the mirror again. "Do I really look that bad?" Damn him for being just a little vain. 

She chuckled. "No, you don't but it's clear you're not taking care of yourself the way you should be. You still look better than most of the men around your age."

He cocked a grin and met her gaze. "You calling me old now?" Just to see the small spark of shock in her eyes and her cheeks flush momentarily was completely worth it.

"No, of course not that's not what I meant. All I'm saying is one day with me and you'll be People's sexiest man of the year in no time."

He laughed. "Well that's a promise. But I don't really care what a magazine thinks of me." He paused thoughtfully. Hmmm. "Have dinner with me."

She stepped back. "Wha--excuse me?" Her eyes grew wide and Jon was pretty sure he'd just shocked the living hell out of her."

He carefully placed the mirror down and looked at her again. She was cute. "Have dinner with me tonight."

She turned away and picked up her clipboard. "Sorry I can't I'm busy." If she could have run away from him, she would have he thought. Interesting.

Jon noted her apprehension and left it, for now. Maybe she was married? Or maybe had a boyfriend? That would have been an easier and more obvious excuse. And he knew pretty much everyone from around his area, why didn't he know of her?

She circled behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders and he met her in the mirror. "I bet you're all kinds of tense here as well."

He groaned as she kneaded his shoulders, god he was either about to be de-sexed or he was going to have sex with this woman shortly. Since dinner was off, he'd have to work a little harder at the last option. "I'm really not into this sort of thing Devon...it's a little..."

"Girly?" She asked as she continued kneading. 

God, her fingers felt like heaven as she turned tight knots in his shoulders into butter. Massages were not his thing unless for a medicinal purpose with his troublesome back over the years. He snorted, "Right, girly."

"There is nothing girly about looking after you. You obviously need to relax a bit, you feel stiff as planks."

Speaking of stiff...he closed his eyes and let her fingers work their magic. Hell, right now she could have whatever she wanted as long as she kept this up.

"I'll make you a deal." He opened his eyes and grinned. He knew a businesswoman when he saw one so this couldn’t hurt at all.

"Aren't I meant to be making you the deal?"

"You can do whatever you want to me...if you have dinner with me in the week, when you are free."

Her hands retracted and she picked up her clipboard. Damn. "I don't think that's a good idea Jon. I appreciate the offer." She didn't even look at him, she had no ring maybe her boyfriend was overseas in the country he still couldn't pick her accent from? 

He cracked his knuckles, he'd anticipated she would say no so it was time for the heavy artillery. "What if I could get all my band's wives in here for full day spas, my daughter and her friends? It would just take my word."

She like him was a good businesswoman. She'd already successfully gotten him into a chair and lined him up with a stack of procedures off one inquiry about acupuncture. She was smart and he could see her mind adding up numbers of full day spas let alone the word of mouth she'd gain from his circle. Word of mouth, the type of money marketing just couldn't buy. 

She sifted her fingers through his hair examining the ends. "While that is very generous, I can't force you to look after yourself. If you don't want to look every bit as good as I can make you look. Well that's up to you."

Damn she retreated so quickly as well. Now he wanted to know what her deal was even more.  He was arrogant enough to realize that most women would go to dinner with him without a business proposal. And sure, there would always be ones like Devon that just weren't interested but the way she was around him, so on edge and nervous made him wonder if the something that was crackling in the air between them wasn't just one-sided.

Alright then. He knew a good fight when he saw one. He'd do the damn treatments and whatever else she had in-store for him. He knew deep down he'd been shit at looking after himself so he was going to get something out of it and more importantly. He'd have another shot at cracking the cool-shell she was holding up against him tomorrow.

He nodded. "Ok, I'll do the treatments. On one condition."

She pursed her lips together and tucked a strand of sunny blond hair behind her ear. "And that is?"

"You do the treatments obviously apart from the acupuncture of course."

She blew out a breath. Relieved obviously no more dinner dates were offered. "I can do that."

He'd use his mother and all her high society friends to bargain for sex if he had to, he would find a way and it would have to wait till tomorrow. "Great, so how long am I going to be here tomorrow and do I need to kiss my manhood goodbye?"

She giggled and for the first time he saw her eyes dance. Damn, she glowed when she let go and he bet under all that cotton and ties she was all kinds of soft and sexy, just like her hands. "No we don't specialize in de-sexing. I guarantee you'll have all parts still in working order at the end of the day." 

He smiled as he noticed her cheeks flush just a little. "Great." He rubbed the back of his neck. "And if you could throw in another one of those shoulder massages that'd be great." Already he was loose around the neck, not realizing how much tension he'd been holding there.

"Done. Ok, well I won't keep you Jon. I've got to finish my books before heading home."

"No problems...I have to ask and sorry if it's rude but you're not from around here are you?" 

She tucked her hair back and leaned back against the counter. "No, I'm from New Zealand."

"A Kiwi? Wow...you certainly are a long way from home." He decided to leave the rest of the questions around that until their dinner date, that yes he was still certain he was going to get. "Do you live close by?"

She pointed up. "There's a two story loft above the shop."

Wow, she was his neighbour all this time and yet he'd never seen her around or in the local restaurants around this place or anything. Then again he did mix in many different circles so that was justified. "Handy. I don't live far from here either."

"Great so being here at nine is ok?"

He groaned, "Yeah nine is fine."

She laughed and walked back towards her reception and twisted the ring on her finger as she walked. "Ok rock-star, no sleep in tomorrow. I barely sleep in and I’m up by six most mornings."

She almost looked embarrassed giving away too much of herself. She was an intrigue and he had a good handle on people but something about her, he couldn't figure her out. "That's just ridiculous. Only way you'd get me up at six-am would be a good round of morning sex." See he wasn't exactly withholding either and watching her squirm just a little was worth it.

"Well I'll remember that." She didn't look at him though but it was undeniable and that something sizzled in the air between them again.

"Ok, you're all booked in Jon. I'll see you at nine."

He nodded and headed towards the door and stopped. He was going to blame her magic fingers for the parting shot. "Maybe one day you'll see me at six am. Goodnight Devon."  And he slipped out the door grinning like a cat, which had just got the cream.