Earlier this year, I received a gift card for a manicure and pedicure. This is not something that I do often. In fact, I can count the number of times on both of my hands. I’ve been quite busy with my work, so I decided to slow down a bit and take advantage of this perk.
Setting the Appointment
The nail spa is near my optometrist’s office, so I stopped and confirmed an appointment that followed my eye visit. It’s usual for the optometrist to run a little behind, but I had luck that day. He had a couple of assistants doing the prep work, which kept him moving at a good pace. I was surprised to hear that my vision remained steady for the past year. He said, “You’re doing okay. I looked in the back of your eyes, and don’t see any problems. Let’s keep the same prescription for another year.” Good news!
The Pampering
I drove the couple of blocks from the eye doctor to the nail spa, and walked in a few minutes early. It appeared that I beat the rush hour. I was greeted by a 20-something Vietnamese woman.
ME: I’m here for my 11 a.m.
HAN: Yes, Mr. Flores. I’ve been waiting for you. Are you ready to get started?
ME: I sure am.
HAN: Good! You can follow me, and we start making you feel better. You will also look much better.
ME: That’s good to hear. I’m ready to relax a bit, and from the look of things, I can definitely use a manicure and a pedicure.
HAN: I recommend that you get the “Gold Package.” You’ll get the manicure, pedicure, and foot massage. It’s only $55, and it’s pretty cheap!
ME: I have a $50 gift card, so that’s a great deal. I can give you a bigger tip!
HAN: Mr. Flores, what would you like to drink? We have water, Diet Coke, and wine.
ME: It’s a bit too early for me to drink any alcohol, and I have plenty of work to do, so I will take the Diet Coke, please.
HAN: Sure! Let me get it for you. Go ahead and place your feet in the hot water. I’ll be right back.
Han returned a couple minutes later, and started the pedicure. Before long, she was doing the scrubbing on the sole of my feet. For the life of me I cannot hold still. It downright tickles! Of course, I pretended that it didn’t bother me, but I was close to losing it! I should’ve had the wine – or any other legal depressant!
I was surprised when Han stated, “Mr. Flores, you have pretty feet.”
“That’s nice of you to say. I think my feet are quite normal.”
Han and I had a good discussion during the treatment. I learned a bit more about her previous work in Vietnam, and even her long term plans. While I know little about this type of work, I was impressed with her pleasant attitude and attention to detail.
Upon checking out, she provided a business card with her hand-written name. I’m unsure when I will return, but I will make sure to ask for her. She did, after all, claim that I had “pretty feet.”