The Awakening of Love

:: Prologue::

The girl at the counter handed him his card. "Every time you come in to tan, you will need to bring this card with you. You can not tan without it," she began. She led him to one of the open tanning rooms, and shuddered slightly as she felt his eyes locked on her butt. "After you check in at the desk and you are assigned a room, you go into your room, get your lotion on or whatever you need to do before you tan. Then you will slide your card into this reader." She slid her own card into the reader. The display read, "Cohen, Ashira. 5 tans remaining. Enter time or hit cancel." She hit cancel and tucked a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. "If you need any help, just press the call button on the speaker there and I'll see what I can do to help," she added before backing out of the room as fast as she could without looking rude.

:: Chapter One: The Opportunity ::

The phone was ringing when she returned to the desk. "Larson's Tan this is Ashira, how may I help you?" she asked.

"How busy are you right now?" the voice at the other end asked.

"We have three beds and two stand-ups open," Ashira replied.

"Great, thank you." The caller hung up. Ashira swiped her card in the reader that would open the door to the desk and after the door opened, she sat down. The front door opened and Ashira stood up. "Hi Marlee," she greeted. Marlee waved. "What's open?" she asked.

"All the beds on level four," Ashira replied as Marlee signed her name on the sign in sheet.

"I'll see you in twenty minutes," Marlee promised. Marlee stepped in the lift and pressed the button for the fourth floor. Ashira glanced at the computer log and shook her head at the readout. "350 tans in eight hours, I remember when we were only getting 40 tans in eight hours," she thought to herself. She glanced at the computer again and noticed that the guy she had just shown to a room hadn't started his tan yet. She picked up a corded phone and pushed nine. "Yes?" his voice rang out loud and clear.

"Is everything alright? I noticed you haven't started your tan," Ashira wanted to know.

"I'm an idiot, I didn't realize that the arrow was what had to go in first, but thank you," he replied and hung up. Ashira checked the security system that Lindsey had installed. Everything seemed normal and sales were up.

"Hi there sexy." Ashira looked up to see her fiancée Mark standing there.

"Hi yourself," Ashira said. "Sure you don't want a job? Lindsey could use the help and you're always here," she teased.

"To see you," Mark retorted. Ashira smiled.

"You tanning tonight?" she asked. Mark shook his head. "Just stopping by on my way to meet Jack," he said.

"Tell Jack to behave with Caran tonight," Ashira told him. Mark nodded.

"Don't worry," Mark murmured. "Caran will be perfectly safe," he promised. Mark kissed Ashira's cheek then walked out the door.

-Three weeks later-

"Close down early Shira, we're having a little celebration," Lindsey said from her office. Ashira walked to the front of the door and swiped her card. The doors locked and the green open sign changed to a red closed sign. Lindsey came up behind her and taped a sign that read, "Closed for meeting, will reopen at 8 am." "How many do we have in beds?" Lindsey wanted to know.

"Six," Ashira replied.

"When they're gone, come into the office," Lindsey told her. Ashira nodded and returned to her desk. "Have a good evening," she told two clients that were leaving. He looked at her. "You too," he muttered. Ashira shivered as he walked away. After the last client walked out of the room, Ashira made her way to Lindsey's desk. "What's up Linds?" she wanted to know.

"We've been in this new building for a year and it's time to celebrate," Lindsey replied. She pulled out a bottle of sparkling lemonade and a chocolate cake. Four more people walked into the office. "You're just in time," Lindsey told them. Ashira greeted Jake, Melinda, Crystal and Sunshine as they sat in chairs around Lindsey's office. Ashira studied her co-workers. Melinda was tall and had hair the color of a raven. It was sleek and shiny and fell half way down her back and her eyes were the color of midnight. Jake wasn't as tall and Ashira often joked that he could be Matt Damon's stand in. Crystal was named after very expensive champagne and was model thin and very beautiful with her chestnut brown hair and green eyes. Sunshine looked like the sunshine with pale blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. Ashira often found herself envious of her friend's flawless features when she had to spend an hour in the bathroom so she didn't look like swamp thing. "We've been in this new building a year, and we're the only salon like this. We may be the first, but we won't be the last. I have an announcement to make." Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Lindsey. "I am expanding the business. I will be opening a store in San Diego California. I need three of you to move there and be my managers. You have until the end of next week to make your decisions. It's a first come first serve basis. I trust you all and that is why I am extending this offer to you and not to any of the other employees," Lindsey said. Everyone stared at each other and started talking at once. Lindsey sat back and watched as her gang as she affectionately referred to them ate the cake and talked excitedly about the new salon.