Audrey Henderson finished her slide presentation and looked expectantly towards the twenty listeners hoping they would ask questions to indicate their engagement in the subject matter. Instead, there were only a few seconds of nervous looks before everyone slowly rose and began leaving the room. It was her third session in as many days and in each case, the vibe had been the same. She knew the company was counting on her to get the message across and the lack of connection was causing her distress.
Audrey's company had recently made a significant acquisition in Asia and she was part of the integration team. As a young attorney, she had been tasked with establishing a compliance monitoring process, and to conduct training. The headquarters was in Bangkok and she had been in-country for almost four weeks. Before her lay another four to six weeks of work before she could return to the states with multiple follow up trips likely for the next year. Her area had been one of the primary points of emphasis as the CEO had clarified he didn't want to deal with any ethical issues. This was the main reason Audrey felt stress since she knew the company was counting on her to get the message across.
"When are you leaving?" Audrey asked Bill Martinez, one of her colleagues from the states.
"Saturday. My wife is about to drive me nuts," he replied with a laugh.
"Colin too?" she followed, even though she already knew the answer.
"Yes, and Warren and Tom," he responded, then added, "Looks like you'll be holding down the fort."
The names he called out represented the remaining team members still in Thailand. Several others had already finished and left, and now she would be the only person remaining. She knew that several would be returning in a month to take up permanent residence, but she still felt somewhat abandoned.
When the opportunity to be part of the team first came up, she had been excited and made it clear she was eager to go. It was a good time for her as she had been in a rut since ending a relationship several months prior and was ready for a change. At first, it had been all she had hoped. It was interesting to see a business being purchased, and the team leader had mixed in some fun with the work. Thus, they had seen the sights in Bangkok and even made a few quick forays into the surrounding countryside. However, she had started to long for the familiarity of home and wondered how she would cope with being on her own.
On Friday, she noticed that most of her colleagues had stopped by to say goodbye in the early afternoon. She suspected that they were leaving early to discreetly explore some of the more sinful elements of the city before going home. She wasn't naïve and knew that it wouldn't be the first time, as there had been plenty of snickers and innuendo. At three, when she left her makeshift office to get some water, she made a point of walking the floor and realized it was just her and the locals.
"Audrey, you work so hard," a female voice in a lilting accent said from the door.
Looking up from her work, she saw it was Pattaree Chandraprasong, the wife of the man that had owned the company. The plan was for her husband to stay on for six months to help effect the transition, so it was not uncommon to see her in the building. Since she had a Ph.D. in education from the local university, she was commonly referred to as Dr. Pat or just Pat. Audrey had gotten to know the woman through several social functions and enjoyed her easy charm and constant smile.
"There is always something to do," she sighed.
"If I understand, all your friends are leaving," Dr. Pat said.
"Yes, they're leaving me behind," she laughed.
"Would you be my guest tomorrow at the spa? It would be a pleasant experience," the local woman asked.
It took her only moments to realize that getting out of the hotel and away from work would be a nice break, so with a smile and a nod she replied, "I'd love to. Thank you very much."
After that, they chatted for several more minutes, and then, after agreeing on a time to meet, Dr. Pat left. Much later, when she was snuggled into the soft bed of her 5-star hotel, Audrey's mind wandered to her male co-workers. She wondered what mischief they had found and if any had taken it to an extreme. Were they at that moment in a sexual situation while their wives remained oblivious half a world away? She doubted Bill or Warren would partake and Colin was iffy, but Tom could be a real dog, so if she had to bet, he would get her wager.
Audrey was standing near the front door of the hotel when a black Mercedes sedan pulled up. As the window rolled down, she spotted Dr. Pat. and quickly hopped into the back seat.
"The spa we are going to is the best place in the city. The prices are Thai prices. Not the tourist prices like the hotels," her hostess explained.
Even in the heavy traffic, it only took a few minutes to arrive at the place situated in a small shopping plaza. The building wasn't fancy like some of the newer centers, but it was well-maintained and they walked to the central courtyard then took a small elevator to the third floor. An ornate wooden door identified the spa, and as soon as they entered, the young girl at the counter snapped to attention, clearly recognizing Dr. Pat. There followed a flurry of a discussion in Thai between the two women, and when it ended, the Thai woman turned to Audrey.
"I told her we want the combination of facials and massages, but perhaps you would like to try something else," she said while handing Audrey the list of services.
"That sounds fine with me!" she replied without looking at the paper.
Immediately, they were led down a corridor to a changing area and provided fluffy white robes. Dr. Pat explained that behind the doors along one wall were small changing rooms and when she stepped towards one, Audrey did the same. Inside, the young foreign woman slowly disrobed and when she was down to her bra and panties, she decided to leave them on. Her hostess was waiting when she emerged and an attendant collected their things and locked them in a nearby cabinet. Then, the two women were led to a pleasantly appointed room with soft oriental music playing and for the next hour, they were pampered with a facial treatment.
Audrey sensed when things were winding down, so she wasn't surprised when her hostess declared it was now time for their massages. This time, an attendant directed them to a long hall with several small rooms accessed through sliding doors. Each room had a waist-high table prepared, and Dr. Pat was left in the first one while Audrey was taken to the next. She was instructed to position herself face down with her head resting on a pillow, and then the attendant departed, sliding the door closed behind her. The young American woman did as she was instructed, removing her robe in the process while covering herself with a large towel left on the table. It was only a few minutes later that she heard the door sliding and when she lifted her head, she could see she had been joined by a middle-aged woman.
