A Spa Story

Epilogue

(by: reulte)

Nerys sighed with a smile as she closed out the day's receipts. It was slightly better than average but the appointment rate had gone through the roof. She decided they really should comp Arle's next appointment for her inspiration of sending out the vid of Mr. Delectable tackling the reptile on open HoloNet. She'd never liked the Trandoshan; he was always coming around and bothering her fingernail girls (exactly what was it with Trandoshans and fingernails anyway?), but the manager had always brushed aside her concerns. She'd been glad (and delightfully entertained) when the tall, blonde man – obviously some kind of security agent with muscles and reactions like that – had taken the big lizard down.

Now she knew why her manager had been unconcerned. Seppie traitor!

At least he was gone now as well, taken away by two of those lovely men, the one in nothing more than the spa's robe that didn't fully stretch to cover his magnificent chest who had turned his head and given her a long, flirtatious wink. Ava had had caught him, and his delicious wink, on her personal vid.

Nerys had already proposed a new managing team. Consensus-style, each full-timer having a full vote and part-timers with a half vote. Their first meeting would begin in a few minutes.

"We're fully booked for the next six months," Nerys said, going over her notes of their meeting for a recap, "and I think we can all thank Mr. Delectable for that; Arle's next mani-pedi will be free. That Holovid going viral means we can minimize advertising expenses for a few months, increasing our profits and, finally, being able to fix that sputtering output in the sauna." She nodded toward Ava who blushed even deeper than her normal Zeltron rose. Nerys supposed it was because she had a few seconds of her TD&EH (tall, dark and exceedingly handsome) posing with very little more than the silver polish and cybernetic implant. Nerys had only caught a glimpse before Ava had smiled and closed her vid. Ah well, you couldn't really sneak around Zeltrons.

"We'll keep Ava's vid of the arrest private and release it in three months; in advance of the holidays." Around the room there were nods of agreement. Nerys shuffled the flimsi, turning to the next page. "Tharra will be receiving a medal of appreciation from the Chancellor himself for her assistance in the capture of a Separatist spy," Nerys bowed her head in respect to the big Wookiee who hooted softly.

Ami muttered softly, "I'd much rather get a metal from one of the delicious men." There were a couple of nods and forlorn sighs.

The way Nerys had heard the tale one of these lovely, muscular men had seen the door ajar and they had both slipped into the room, thinking to hide there, catching the manager on a direct-feed, encrypted holovid to Count Dooku himself.

"Well," said Bekti, "talking about spies and Mr. D must have been one." She glanced around with her wide blue eyes. "You know, like the Holonet entertainment. Like Bames Jond. So maybe in about four months we can start a rumor that … maybe.., you know." She shrugged perkily and sat in her chair. "And they'll come back."

Tedye, the bathing attendant, sighed dramatically, fanning his red face with his palm. Nerys ignored him, he did most things dramatically.

Nerys looked at her, oblivious as usual to her fractured speaking pattern. She glanced at another of the fingernail girls. Lark was nodding. "Rumors of spies," she grinned.