The Nail Salon

Amara walked into the salon and asked for an appointment. It had been almost a year since she had been home. She really hated her visits because there really was not much to do in her hometown. However, this visit was unavoidable. It was her father's 70th birthday. Amara's mother had arranged a special celebration.

While Amara deeply loved her father, she had mixed feelings about her mother. The woman had pushed her relentlessly in school. No matter what Amara accomplished, it was never good enough. As the daughter of Thai immigrants, Amara was expected to achieve the American dream. Anything less than perfection was a disappointment.

There wasn't even a wait at the salon which was surprising given that it was the middle of Summer. Back in NYC, Amara would have needed a small miracle to find a walk-in appointment at any of the well run spas, but in this hick town most of the locals couldn't even afford the $25 spa pedicure.

The girl at the front guided her back to one of the pedicure chairs. It was actually quite comfortable. The chair provided a massage as she sat helping her relax. Before leaving the girl also helped Amara pick out a nice light pink which would look amazing with her light brown skin.

Pulling out her phone, Amara checked work emails before catching up with friends. Although she had taken a week off, work never stopped. The young attorney had a case that was heading toward trial. This was the calm before the storm. In another month things were going to get really intense, but at the moment neither party was willing to settle.

Amara barely noticed as her nail technician walked over and sat on a small bench near her feet. The girl's brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She wore a black smock, which was the uniform at the store, with her name tag pinned near her heart. Although the rest of the girl's outfit was equally simple and plain, her nails were neat and professional, a requirement for working at the salon.

"Do you have a preference on the scent for the foot bath?"

The young professional didn't even look up from her phone. "Lavender."

The nail tech carefully added a few drops of lavender scented essential oils to the bath. After giving it a minute to mix, she gently placed her customer's feet into the bath. She then went back to organizing her tools while the woman's feet soaked in the warm water. It had been a relatively slow day at the salon so there was no pressure to move things along.

The girl started to make some small talk as she worked. "I haven't seen you here before. Is this your first time?"

Amara cringed as the girl spoke. The spas in NYC may be more expensive, but they knew enough to keep their mouths shut. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to the nail tech. This was about relaxation. However, it would be rude to not reply, "I'm home visiting family."

"Oh... well welcome home. Where are you coming from?"

All Amara wanted was some peace and quiet, but she had been raised to be polite to others. The nice thing about the city is that people knew to keep to themselves. That was definitely not the case here. "I flew in from New York, a couple days ago."

"That sounds so exciting. I love New York." At this point the nail tech was pulling Amara's feet out of the tub and beginning to dry them off.

"Yes it's nice," Amara said, hoping the limited comment would be enough to end the conversation. Just like everyone else in this hick town, the girl just kept jabbering away. It had gotten to the point where the voices were even starting to sound familiar.

"I have a great lavender scrub for your feet. Does that work or would you prefer a different scent?"

"Lavender is fine." Ugggghh... all she wanted to do was relax on her phone, perhaps even close her eyes, yet this woman would not stop talking.

"Great." The girl started to scrub her feet. She was really getting into it and although Amara took care of them, she was surprised at the girl's efforts.

"That feels really good," she said as she watched the girl work.

"Oh well you have really soft feet. I'm so used to people coming in here for their once a year pedicure that I have to really work at this. Honestly it's a pleasure."

Amara looked down at the woman scrubbing her feet. The girl looked to be in her 20s, although she really couldn't see many of her features other than the top of her head. Totally focused on her work, the nail tech was face down as she diligently scrubbed away at her customer's feet.

As the girl worked, Amara couldn't help but feel a small flutter in her stomach. Maybe it was because she had been away from home for so long, or maybe it was because the girl had a gentle touch. Whatever it was, Amara found herself wanting more. She cleared her throat and spoke up, "You're really good at this. I can't wait for the massage."

"Thank you." The tech began to wipe her feet off before grabbing the lotion. In that instance she looked up at Amara and smiled. There was a moment of recognition that struck both women.

Amara spoke first. "Oh my god, Kate is that you?"

Kate did not speak at first. Her cheeks had blushed several shades of red as she stared at her best friend from high school. The two girls had been inseparable until graduation. However, both of them had gone to different colleges and drifted apart. It had been several years since they had seen each other. Finally she said, "Hi Amara. How have you been?"

Everything had suddenly gotten a little weird. Even though both women were still taking in the situation, Kate had begun the massage. She was so used to giving them that the process was almost automatic.

Amara was really struggling to process what she was witnessing. Kate had been her best friend. The two girls were the best students at their high school. When they graduated, Amara had gotten a full ride scholarship to a state school while Kate had decided to attend an elite school on the East Coast. After that they really hadn't seen each other much.

After an awkward minute Amara answered her former best friend. "I'm doing well. I finished law school a couple years ago and got in with one of the big firms in New York. How about yourself? Last I heard you were working in San Francisco."

Kate looked up to talk as she rubbed Amara's soft feet. "Yes, well unfortunately that opportunity fell through. The startup I was working for ran low on funds and laid off more than half the company. It really wouldn't have been that big a deal except literally every other tech company was doing the same thing."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that." Amara paused for a moment as Kate worked her fingers through her toes. Her hands were like magic. She really couldn't believe how amazing this felt.

"I tried looking for a couple months but with student loans and everything I couldn't really afford my place. Mom and Dad offered to have me come home until the market improves."

Amara was a bit shocked. "So you're living with your parents?"

"Yes. Hopefully not for too long. It seems like the market is already beginning to improve."

Amara was still puzzled. "Why are you working here?"

"Oh well that. Mom knew the owner and she offered to train me. It was a good way to get a little extra spending money. It didn't feel right living at home without a job."

Although this had been awkward for Kate who was busy massaging the feet of her former best friend, it was even more challenging for Amara to process. Kate had graduated number 1 in her high school. She had been voted most likely to succeed. Amara's own mother even used to tell her that she needed to be more like Kate, yet here the woman was sitting beneath her cleaning and scrubbing her feet. "I'm sorry to hear about the job, Kate. We saw a little dip initially when things entered the downturn, but people are always looking to sue each other."

Kate nodded as she continued with the massage. It was nice to see a familiar face, but this experience was pretty embarrassing. She had graduated from an elite university, yet somehow found herself living at home in her backward town providing manicures and pedicures to the locals. This was certainly not part of her plan when she envisioned her future life.

As Amara continued to process the situation in front of her, she realized how amazing the foot massage felt. Kate was really good at this, even better than the more expensive salons in New York. "Oh my god Kate, this massage is incredible. I can't believe how good you are at this. If I had known about this in school, I would have had you at my feet all the time."

While Amara meant it as a complement, it certainly did not come across that way. Kate smiled awkwardly. "The owner considers the foot massage her trademark. She spends a lot of time making sure that each of us knows how to do it. Apparently it has been passed down in her family for generations."

"Well it's unbelievable. In New York, you probably could easily charge 2 or 3 times what your charging here and have people lined up out the door."

Kate thought about the fact that she made $8/hour plus tips. Her friend again meant her words as a compliment, but at triple her wage, she would still be living in poverty in New York.

"I mean seriously Kate. Did you take a class in college or something." Amara smirked a little bit. There was something satisfying about having her friend at her feet slaving away. Her expensive education was going to waste while she mindlessly served the locals like a commoner.

Kate tried to ignore the condescending tone in Amara's voice. "No, I didn't take a class. I just learned from the owner. I've been doing it for a while now. It's not rocket science." Kate forced a smile, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of inadequacy.

Something had definitely changed. Where in the beginning, Amara felt guilty, she was now beginning to relish having her former friend at her feet. This was the girl Amara's mother told her to be more like. If only her mother could see her now. Maybe she would appreciate that in the end, the right girl came out on top.

She was a bit disappointed when the massage ended. "Ummm... Kate that really helped me relax. Could you maybe massage my feet for a few more minutes? I would really appreciate it."

By this point, Kate just wanted to be finished. Things were really uncomfortable. The store, however, was empty so she could not use waiting customers or a pending appointment as an excuse. Unable to think of an excuse she said, "Sure thing Amara," before returning to the foot massage.

As Kate continued the massage, Amara couldn't help but feel a sense of power over her former best friend. It was like all those years of feeling inferior to Kate suddenly vanished. She was now the successful, powerful one, and Kate was the one at her feet. And now, here she was, massaging them like a servant. It was a deeply satisfying feeling.

The two women did not speak for several minutes. Once the massage wrapped up a second time, Kate began painting her former best friend's nails. She kept her head down not wanting to make eye contact. While she wanted the entire experience to end, Kate still focused on doing a professional job. If anything she tried harder, not wanting to cause any further delays that may keep Amara at the salon longer.

Amara for her part just watched her friend labor away at her feet. One thing had become very clear to her. Things in New York might cost more, but that did not necessarily mean they were better. She also realized that Kate was the first non Asian nail tech that she had ever had. Being Thai herself, this made her feel proud. She had truly achieved the American dream. She had a white girl at her feet slaving away.

Kate couldn't help but feel like she was being objectified. The way Amara was talking about her, it was like she was nothing more than a servant. It was clear that Amara had changed a lot since they last saw each other. The power dynamic between them had shifted. It was like Amara saw her former best friend as nothing more than a means to an end.

As the nail polish dried, Amara finally broke the silence. "So, Kate. How long are you planning on staying at home?"

Kate looked up from her work, "I'm honestly not sure. I'm still applying for jobs and trying to save money, but it's tough out there."

Amara nodded thoughtfully, "I know what you mean. It's a tough market for everyone right now. But I have faith that you'll find something soon."

Kate couldn't help but feel a little bit of relief. Maybe Amara wasn't as judgmental as she had thought. "Thanks, Amara. I really appreciate that."

Amara smiled at her former best friend, "Of course, and if things don't work out, I think you have honestly found your calling. I know plenty of women who would kill to have you down at their feet." The attorney beamed down at Kate with a fake grin. Today had made coming home so worth it.

Kate felt a lump form in her throat. She couldn't believe what Amara had said. Was she really suggesting that Kate become a foot masseuse for wealthy women? The idea made her skin crawl. She had a college degree, dammit. She wasn't going to spend the rest of her life rubbing other people's feet. "Thanks, but I don't think that's really my calling," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

Amara shrugged, "Suit yourself. But you're really good at it, Kate. And who knows, maybe you'll find that you enjoy it more than you thought."

Kate forced a smile, even though she wanted to scream. She couldn't believe how much Amara had changed. Once upon a time, they had been best friends, but now it felt like they were from different worlds. Amara was successful and powerful, while Kate was struggling just to make ends meet.

Finally finished, Kate was relieved when she was able to say her goodbyes and get away from her friend. Amara, on the other hand, walked out of the salon with an extra spring in her step. It had been an amazing day. She couldn't wait to tell her mother about where Kate had ended up.

------------------------------------------------

At the end of the day, Kate's manager came by to provide her with her tips. It had been a really slow day, with only 3 customers. Kate's manager looked visibly frustrated. "Kate, we need to talk."

Kate was a little surprised by the owner's tone. She asked her, "What's wrong?"

"Kate you only got $5 in tips today. That woman from New York didn't even leave you anything. Look, I know you're trying hard, but if you can't shape things up, I'm not sure things are going to work out. I can't afford for my spa to get bad reviews. I know I'm friends with your mother, but one more day like this and well that's it."

The former most likely to succeed student walked out of the salon with her head down. This was her life now.