Wearily, I save my file before slipping off my glasses to rub aching eyes, glad to have a large project finished. Setting the gold frames on my desk, I massage my eyes and the bridge of my nose, hands then moving to my temples and, finally, down under my hair to the kinks in my neck. In what has become almost a ritual, I close my eyes, let my chin rest on my sternum, and arch my back, loosening my spine. And still, I'm tense.
I sigh and then tell myself that I've more than earned the hot bath I've been using as an incentive. After all, there's a new bottle of bath oil sitting next to the tub, bought for this purpose, and candles as well. I'm home alone, and there's plenty of time before I have to start dinner, so I have no excuses to put off treating myself. I slowly climb the stairs to the bedroom, stretching my legs and arms. I slip off my blouse and skirt, putting them in the hamper, before fussing for a minute with the clasp of my bra. It always gives me a bit of trouble – the straps have to be just far enough down to leave some slack in the band, but not far enough to restrict my arms. I manage, wishing you were here to help, and ease the black satin off my breasts, dropping it in the hamper with my clothes before lightly running my fingers over the lines where the band has pressed into my skin. Removing my panties, I take a moment to enjoy the sensation of the breeze from the ceiling fan passing over my bare skin, causing my sensitive aureole to tighten and a small shiver to run up my spine.
On my way out of the room I wrap my white chenille bathrobe around me, tying the belt loosely around my waist. I pad across the cool tile floor of the bathroom to draw a bath, fussing with the temperature before adding in the oil, perhaps a bit too much, sighing softly as the fragrance fills the air. I light the candles, placing them around the deck of the tub. I pin my hair on top of my head and dim the lights before turning off the faucet and climbing gratefully into the bath. As I lean back against the pillow, I can't help but sigh blissfully as the heat makes my muscles soften and relax. I close my eyes and let my mind drift, letting the tenseness drain away. The oil in the water makes my skin feel a bit slippery, and I let my hands drift over my stomach, enjoying the feeling. They continue upwards, sliding over the swell of my breasts, around to the sides, taking pleasure in the strange slipperiness of oil on the smooth skin.