My name is Linh. I am 24, Vietnamese, and work as a nail tech in Seattle, Washington.
I met Lucas at a club while I was out celebrating...
My name is Linh. I am 24, Vietnamese, and work as a nail tech in Seattle, Washington.
I met Lucas at a club while I was out celebrating a friend’s birthday.
I do not go to clubs often, and that night reminded me why. The floor was crowded, someone had spilled a drink, and my shoes were not made for dancing.
I stepped backward, slipped, and almost fell.
Lucas caught me by the arm before I hit the floor.
He was 27, Hispanic, and there with a group of friends. He asked whether I was okay and stayed near me until I felt steady again.
We talked for a few minutes. I told him I worked at a nail salon, and he joked that he might need a pedicure after spending all night in uncomfortable shoes.
I gave him the name of the salon but did not expect to see him again.
Four days later, Lucas walked in and asked for a pedicure.
I recognized him immediately.
He admitted he had never gotten one before. He also kept asking whether I would be the person doing his service.
I tried not to smile because I already understood why he was there.
During the appointment, we talked about our jobs, our families, and the places we liked around Seattle. Lucas was funny, but he was also respectful. He never made me feel uncomfortable while I was working.
When the pedicure was finished, he thanked me and left a good tip.
I thought that would be the end of it.
Two weeks later, he returned.
His feet clearly did not need another full pedicure, but he said he wanted to keep them looking good.
After that, he became a regular customer.
My coworkers noticed before I admitted anything. They said Lucas spent more time talking to me than looking at his feet.
I liked him too, but I worried about mixing work with dating. If something went wrong, I would still have to see him at the salon.
Then one afternoon, Lucas came in without an appointment.
He did not ask for a service.
He said he wanted to invite me to dinner and did not want to keep hiding behind pedicures.
I appreciated that he waited until I was not working on him.
I agreed to meet him after my shift.
Our first date was simple. We ate tacos and walked around for almost two hours. Lucas admitted his first pedicure had only been an excuse to see me again.
I told him I had known from the beginning.
We started dating slowly. He continued visiting the salon, but not every two weeks anymore. Sometimes he only stopped by with coffee before my shift became busy.
We have been together for ten months now.
Lucas still gets pedicures, although another nail tech usually takes care of him. My coworkers say I become distracted whenever he sits at my station.
He still tells people he saved me from falling at a club.
I remind him that I gave him months of smooth feet in return.
Neither of us expected anything serious from that night.
I almost fell on the dance floor, and somehow I ended up meeting the person who would keep showing up long after the music stopped.
3 min read ·
I met George because we both went to the movies alone.
My name is Nina. I am 31, Korean American, full-figured, and living in...
I met George because we both went to the movies alone.
My name is Nina. I am 31, Korean American, full-figured, and living in Port Townsend, Washington.
I normally enjoy seeing movies by myself. I can choose the time, buy whatever snacks I want, and leave without discussing the ending for twenty minutes.
That night, George had the seat beside mine.
He was 37, Vietnamese, and also alone.
Before the movie started, he accidentally reached for my drink instead of his. We both laughed, and that small mistake started a conversation.
George told me he worked as a nail tech at a local salon. I told him I had recently moved to the area and still needed to find a good place for manicures.
We spoke again after the movie because neither of us understood one part of the ending.
The conversation lasted only a few minutes, but I liked him immediately. He was calm, funny, and did not seem uncomfortable that I had come to the theater alone.
Before we separated, he told me the name of his salon.
He did not ask for my number.
I did not ask for his.
When I got home, I regretted that.
A few days later, I searched for the salon online. George was listed on the booking page, along with his available appointments.
I chose his schedule on purpose.
When I arrived, he recognized me before I even reached the front desk.
He looked surprised and asked whether I had really needed a manicure that quickly.
I told him I needed one, but I had also wanted to see him again.
George smiled, but he became very professional once we sat at his station.
During the appointment, we talked about movies, work, and how difficult it could be to meet new people in a small town.
I could not tell whether he liked me or was simply treating me well because I was his customer.
When he finished, I decided not to leave with the same regret I had after the movie.
I asked whether he wanted to get coffee with me sometime.
George became quiet for a few seconds.
I thought I had made him uncomfortable.
Then he admitted he had returned to the same movie theater the following weekend, hoping I might be there again.
He had not asked for my number because he assumed I was only being friendly.
I laughed and told him I had searched through a salon booking page just to find him, so neither of us had been very direct.
We got coffee after his shift that same day.
Our first date felt easier than the manicure because neither of us had to pretend we were discussing nail colors.
We have been dating for five months now.
I still book with George when I need my nails done, but he says I am no longer allowed to use salon appointments as a substitute for asking him to spend time with me.
I remind him that I was the one who finally asked for the date.
He went back to a movie theater hoping coincidence would do the work for him.
3 min read ·
I manage a nail salon in Garden Grove, California, and recently my boss told me something I wish I had never heard.
Kevin is...
I manage a nail salon in Garden Grove, California, and recently my boss told me something I wish I had never heard.
Kevin is 42 and owns the nail salon. Mia is a 29-year-old Vietnamese nail tech who has worked with us for almost two years.
Mia also has a boyfriend.
For several months, I noticed Kevin and Mia becoming unusually close. They often took lunch at the same time, disappeared into the supply room together, and stayed behind after everyone else had gone home.
Whenever I asked whether they needed help closing, Kevin told me he would handle it.
At first, I tried not to assume anything. People who work together six days a week naturally become close.
Then the other nail techs started noticing too.
Mia received better appointments, more flexible days off, and fewer complaints from Kevin whenever she arrived late. Some employees began saying there was favoritism, but no one had proof.
One night, Kevin asked me to stay after closing.
I thought he wanted to discuss scheduling.
Instead, he admitted that he and Mia had been seeing each other secretly.
He said it started after a difficult week when they stayed late to reorganize supplies. They began talking about their personal lives, then crossed a line neither of them had planned to cross.
Kevin is married.
Mia has been with her boyfriend for several years.
I asked Kevin why he was telling me.
He said he needed someone he trusted because Mia had recently tried to end things. She was afraid her boyfriend would find out, but Kevin did not want to let her go.
I told him I did not want to be involved.
Kevin promised their relationship would not affect the salon. The problem was that it already had.
The following week, Mia told Kevin she needed Saturday off. He approved it even though two other employees had requested that day first.
One of them became angry and threatened to quit.
When I confronted Kevin, he said I was judging his personal life.
I reminded him that I was discussing the schedule, not his affair.
A few nights later, I returned to the salon because I had forgotten my keys.
Kevin’s car and Mia’s car were still outside, even though both had told me they were going straight home.
The front door was locked, and most of the lights were off.
I did not knock.
The next morning, Mia acted completely normal. Kevin avoided looking at me.
That was when I realized his confession had placed me in an impossible position. He expected me to protect his secret while continuing to manage the problems it created.
I finally told him I would not lie for either of them.
I would not contact their partners, but I also would not cover their schedules, explain their absences, or defend obvious favoritism to the staff.
Kevin became angry and said loyalty should matter.
I told him loyalty did matter, including loyalty to the employees who depended on me to treat them fairly.
He and Mia are still meeting after closing.
The staff still suspects something, and the atmosphere has become uncomfortable.
I have started looking for another job.
I once believed the hardest part of managing a salon was handling unhappy customers and employee arguments.
Now I know it is being trusted with a secret that can damage everyone, even the people who never agreed to be part of it.
3 min read ·
Brian, the owner, is 41 and Vietnamese. Chloe is a 24-year-old American nail tech who had worked with us for less than a year....
Brian, the owner, is 41 and Vietnamese. Chloe is a 24-year-old American nail tech who had worked with us for less than a year.
I knew they were close, but I did not know they were secretly dating.
Brian often stayed late when Chloe was closing. He brought her lunch, approved her schedule requests quickly, and gave her more walk-in customers than the other techs.
The staff noticed the favoritism, but Brian always said Chloe was still building her clientele and needed the extra appointments.
One afternoon, Chloe came into my office and asked whether she should quit.
She looked angry and embarrassed at the same time.
Then she told me everything.
Brian had said he was ending a long relationship and only needed time to move out of the house he shared with his girlfriend. Chloe believed him because he often complained that the relationship was already over.
They had been seeing each other for several months.
Chloe recently discovered that Brian was still living normally with his girlfriend. They were attending family events together, sharing the same bedroom, and planning a vacation.
She found out after seeing pictures posted by one of his girlfriend’s relatives.
When Chloe confronted him, Brian said the situation was complicated. He claimed he stayed only because of financial responsibilities and promised he still planned to leave.
Chloe no longer believed him.
She wanted to end the relationship, but she was afraid Brian would cut her hours or take away her regular customers.
I told her she had every right to end it and should not have to lose her job because of his dishonesty.
I also told her I could not promise Brian would behave professionally.
That was the problem.
The next morning, Chloe told him it was over.
Brian acted calm in front of everyone, but the schedule began changing almost immediately.
Chloe received fewer walk-ins. He moved two of her regular customers to another nail tech and criticized her for arriving three minutes late.
I documented each change and confronted him.
Brian said Chloe was becoming difficult and emotional.
I told him that punishing an employee after a private relationship ended made the salon responsible for his personal choices.
He became angry that Chloe had told me.
Two weeks later, Chloe decided to leave.
She said she could not sit in the same salon every day while Brian acted like she had caused the problem.
Before leaving, she apologized to the other nail techs for accepting special treatment while they were together.
Brian is still living with his girlfriend.
I do not know whether she ever learned about Chloe.
After Chloe resigned, Brian told the staff she had left because she was immature and could not handle criticism.
I knew that was not true.
She came into my office asking whether she should quit because she had discovered she was not his future.
She was only the secret he expected to keep waiting.
3 min read ·
I have managed the same nail salon in Dothan, Alabama, for six years.
Kevin, the owner, is 44 and Vietnamese. Mai is a 29-year-old...
I have managed the same nail salon in Dothan, Alabama, for six years.
Kevin, the owner, is 44 and Vietnamese. Mai is a 29-year-old Vietnamese nail tech who had worked with us for almost two years.
Mai was married.
For months, I noticed that she and Kevin had become unusually close. They often stayed late, took breaks together, and found reasons to talk privately in his office.
I suspected something, but I did not have proof.
Then one afternoon, Mai came into my office and closed the door.
She started crying before she could even sit down.
Mai told me she and Kevin had been secretly dating for several months.
She said it began after they stayed late one night to fix the appointment system. They talked about problems in their personal lives, started messaging each other, and eventually crossed a line.
Mai said Kevin had promised the relationship would remain private and would not affect the salon.
But it already had.
She received better appointments, more flexible days off, and fewer complaints whenever she arrived late. Other nail techs had noticed the favoritism, even if they did not know the reason.
Mai told me she wanted to end it.
She felt guilty about her husband and was tired of lying. She also worried that if she broke things off, Kevin might cut her hours or make working there uncomfortable.
I told her I could listen, but I could not become the person who helped hide the relationship.
I also told her that Kevin had no right to punish her at work for ending something personal.
That evening, Mai spoke with him after closing.
The next morning, Kevin came into my office angry.
He asked what Mai had told me.
I said enough to understand why she wanted the relationship to end.
Kevin claimed they had both made the same choice and that it was none of my business.
I reminded him that it became my business when favoritism, scheduling, and an employee’s fear affected the salon.
For the next few weeks, the atmosphere was terrible.
Kevin stopped speaking to Mai unless necessary. Then he began assigning her fewer walk-ins and criticized small mistakes he had ignored before.
I documented everything.
When I confronted him, he said I was taking her side.
I told him I was protecting the salon and making sure every employee was treated fairly.
Mai eventually transferred to another salon.
She told everyone she wanted a fresh start closer to home.
Only Kevin and I knew the real reason.
He still owns the salon, and I still work there, but I no longer see him the same way.
Mai came into my office because she needed help ending a secret relationship.
What she showed me was that the relationship had never been truly private.
The moment a salon owner starts dating an employee, every schedule, appointment, and decision becomes part of the secret too.
3 min read ·
Michelle, the owner, is 36 and Vietnamese. Minh is 31 Vietnamese nail tech who has worked with us for several years.
Minh is...
Michelle, the owner, is 36 and Vietnamese. Minh is 31 Vietnamese nail tech who has worked with us for several years.
Minh is married.
I never suspected anything at first because Michelle was always professional with him. She did not flirt, touch him, or give him obvious special treatment.
But I noticed that she paid attention to everything he did.
She remembered his schedule without checking the calendar. She knew when he was tired, when he was worried about money, and when something was wrong at home.
Whenever Minh mentioned his wife, Michelle became quiet.
One evening, after everyone had left, she asked me to stay.
She closed the office door and told me she had been in love with Minh for almost two years.
Nothing had happened between them.
Minh did not know how she felt, and Michelle said she would never tell him because she did not want to interfere with his marriage.
Still, hiding it had become exhausting.
She saw him nearly every day. She listened to him talk about his family, helped him solve problems at work, and pretended none of it hurt.
Michelle said the worst part was that Minh trusted her.
He often asked her for advice about his marriage because he saw her as a close friend and his boss.
She had to give him honest advice while secretly wishing he were available.
I told Michelle that feelings were not always a choice, but her actions were.
She needed to create some distance and make sure her position as owner did not affect Minh’s schedule, income, or marriage.
She agreed.
Over the next few months, she stopped handling his appointments directly and asked me to manage his schedule. She also spent more time working from the office instead of staying near his station.
Minh noticed the change and asked whether he had done something wrong.
Michelle told him she was only trying to focus more on running the business.
A few weeks later, Minh brought his wife into the salon for her birthday.
Michelle welcomed her, offered refreshments, and made sure she received excellent service.
After they left, I found Michelle crying alone in the office.
She said she finally understood that loving someone quietly did not mean waiting forever.
Minh still works at the salon and has no idea how Michelle once felt.
She never confessed, and she never tried to damage his marriage.
Her feelings have become less intense, but they did not disappear overnight.
People often think salon secrets are always about affairs.
Sometimes the secret is that nothing happened, even though one person wanted it to more than anyone knew.
3 min read ·
❤️I Felt That1😘Sending You a Kiss1
54 reads · ·
Caled @Prefer Not to SayLove & Affairs · Winchester, VA
I met Melanie because I needed the bottle of chili sauce sitting on her table.
My name is Caleb. I am 36, white, and live in...
I met Melanie because I needed the bottle of chili sauce sitting on her table.
My name is Caleb. I am 36, white, and live in Winchester, Virginia. I had stopped at a pho restaurant for dinner after work and was eating alone.
Melanie was sitting at the next table, also by herself.
I asked if I could borrow the sauce. She handed it over and warned me that it was much hotter than it looked.
I told her I could handle it.
A minute later, I was coughing into my napkin while she tried not to laugh.
That started our conversation.
Melanie was 39, Vietnamese, curvy, and very easy to talk to. She told me she owned a nail salon in town and had come for a quiet meal after closing.
We talked about food, work, and the strange things customers complained about. I liked that she was confident without trying to impress anyone.
When we finished eating, I wanted to ask for her number.
Instead, I only told her it was nice meeting her.
She agreed, and we went our separate ways.
For the next several days, I kept thinking about how natural the conversation had felt. I also remembered the name of her salon because it was printed on her jacket.
I searched for it online and booked a pedicure.
I had never had one before.
When I entered the salon, Melanie was standing at the front desk. She recognized me immediately and looked down at my shoes.
She asked whether the chili sauce had damaged my feet somehow.
I admitted the pedicure was partly an excuse to see her again.
Melanie laughed, but she also seemed surprised.
She assigned another nail tech to me because she had appointments of her own. I thought that meant she was not interested, so I decided not to make things awkward.
Near the end of my service, she came over and asked how I liked my first pedicure.
I said it was more relaxing than I expected.
Then I asked whether she would like to eat pho with me again, except this time as an actual date.
Melanie hesitated.
For a moment, I thought I had misunderstood everything.
Then she explained that she had recently promised herself she would stop dating customers. Her last relationship had started at the salon and ended with the man continuing to come in just to argue with her.
I told her I understood and would not bother her again.
She smiled and said I had become a customer only ten minutes earlier, so technically there might still be time to make an exception.
We had dinner the following Sunday.
Melanie later admitted she had hoped I would ask for her number at the restaurant. When I walked away without doing it, she assumed I was only being friendly.
We have been dating for seven months now.
I still visit her salon, but Melanie says I do not need another pedicure every time I want her attention.
Now I simply ask whether she wants pho.
She always reminds me not to touch the chili sauce.
3 min read ·
I met Kevin because he gave up the last open treadmill at our gym.
I thought he was only being polite.
A few weeks later, I was...
I met Kevin because he gave up the last open treadmill at our gym.
I thought he was only being polite.
A few weeks later, I was sitting across from him at a nail table, wondering whether a 33-year-old man could really be interested in a 46-year-old woman like me.
My name is Claire. I am white, blonde, full-figured, and divorced.
Kevin is Vietnamese and works as a nail tech in Prescott, Arizona.
That morning at the gym, he had already placed his water bottle beside the treadmill. When he noticed me waiting, he stepped away and told me I could use it.
I thanked him and said I was fine waiting.
He smiled and moved to another machine anyway.
After that, we started saying hello whenever we saw each other.
Kevin was quiet but easy to talk to. He never gave me the feeling that he was staring at my body or judging how slowly I exercised.
One day, I noticed how neat his hands looked and asked what kind of work he did.
He told me he was a nail tech at a salon nearby.
I had been looking for a new salon, so I booked a manicure with him the following week.
At least, that was the excuse I gave myself.
Kevin recognized me as soon as I walked in.
During the appointment, we talked about work, family, and dating after divorce. I admitted I had stopped going out with men because most of the attention I received did not feel serious.
Kevin said dating was difficult for him too because he worked six days a week.
I liked talking to him, but I kept reminding myself that he was thirteen years younger.
I assumed he was only being friendly because I was his customer.
Then I started seeing him more often at the gym.
Sometimes he finished his workout around the same time I did and walked with me toward the parking lot.
He remembered my manicure appointments and asked how my nails were holding up.
I began booking with him every two weeks.
One evening, Kevin asked whether I wanted to get coffee after the gym.
I laughed because I thought he was joking.
He looked confused and asked why I would think that.
I told him I was 46 and probably not the kind of woman a 33-year-old man planned to date.
Kevin said the age difference had never bothered him.
He liked my confidence, my sense of humor, and the fact that I spoke to him normally instead of acting surprised that a man worked in a nail salon.
That was our first real date.
For the first few months, I kept waiting for him to change his mind.
If a younger woman talked to him at the salon, I became insecure.
If someone assumed I was his older coworker, I felt embarrassed.
Kevin finally told me that I was the only person constantly bringing up our ages.
He said he could not build a relationship with me while I kept preparing for him to leave.
That was hard to hear because he was right.
I had been treating him like a temporary visitor before he had done anything wrong.
We have been together for almost a year now.
I still get my nails done at his salon, but Kevin says I no longer need to invent reasons to make appointments.
Sometimes we use the treadmills beside each other.
He still offers me the better one.
The difference is that now, when we finish, we leave the gym together.
3 min read ·
My name is Ashley, and I have managed the same nail salon in Prescott, Arizona, for four years.
Linda, the owner, is 39 and Vietnamese....
My name is Ashley, and I have managed the same nail salon in Prescott, Arizona, for four years.
Linda, the owner, is 39 and Vietnamese. She is normally confident, organized, and very careful about keeping personal feelings out of the salon.
Jason was different.
He was a 27-year-old American nail tech who joined our team about a year ago. He was friendly, dependable, and good with customers.
He also had a wife and a young child.
At first, I did not notice anything unusual. Linda treated him like every other employee.
Then small things started changing.
She always knew when Jason needed a day off. She remembered what coffee he liked and sometimes brought one for him without asking. If he mentioned his wife or showed pictures of his child, Linda became quiet for the rest of the day.
Jason never seemed to notice.
He treated Linda with respect, but only as his boss.
One evening, after everyone else had left, Linda asked me to stay.
She closed the office door and told me she had developed feelings for Jason.
She said nothing had happened between them. She had never told him how she felt, and she never planned to.
Still, seeing him every day was becoming painful.
Linda knew he loved his family. She also knew that confessing her feelings could make him uncomfortable or create problems at work.
I asked how long she had felt this way.
She said several months.
What began as admiration had slowly become something she could no longer ignore. She looked forward to the days he worked and felt disappointed when he left early.
Then she hated herself for feeling that way.
I told her having feelings was not the same as acting on them, but she needed to protect herself and the salon.
She could not allow favoritism to develop, even unintentionally.
Linda agreed.
She changed the schedule so she and Jason worked fewer shifts together. She also stopped bringing him coffee and made sure another manager handled his time-off requests.
Jason asked once whether he had done something wrong.
Linda told him she was only reorganizing responsibilities.
A few weeks later, Jason brought his wife and child into the salon. His wife wanted a manicure, and their child sat near the front desk coloring.
Linda was kind to all of them.
She smiled, welcomed them, and acted completely normal.
After they left, I found her crying alone in the office.
She said seeing them together had finally made everything real.
Jason was not unhappy. He was not waiting for someone else. He already had the life he wanted.
Linda eventually began spending less time at the salon and focused more on the business side from home.
Her feelings did not disappear immediately, but she stopped feeding them.
Jason still works with us and has no idea why Linda became distant.
I have kept her secret because she never tried to interfere with his marriage or use her position to get closer to him.
People often assume the biggest salon secrets involve affairs.
Sometimes the secret is simply loving someone you know you should never ask to love you back.
3 min read ·
My name is Mia. I am 27, Vietnamese, and work as a nail tech in Austin, Texas.
I met Ethan at the gym when we both reached for...
My name is Mia. I am 27, Vietnamese, and work as a nail tech in Austin, Texas.
I met Ethan at the gym when we both reached for the same dumbbell.
Our hands touched, and we both pulled back at the same time. He apologized and told me I could take it.
I said he had reached it first, but he insisted.
We talked for a few minutes between exercises. Ethan was 30, white, and had a quiet sense of humor that made me feel comfortable.
He asked what I did for work. When I told him I was a nail tech, he looked at his hands and said they probably needed professional help.
I laughed because his nails looked completely normal.
Before leaving, I told him the name of my salon. I did not expect him to remember it.
A few days later, I was finishing with a customer when Ethan walked into the salon.
At first, I thought he was there to buy a gift card for someone.
Then he said he wanted a manicure and had requested me.
I tried to stay professional, but I was surprised and a little nervous. Male customers came into our salon, but most did not search for a specific nail tech after one short conversation at the gym.
While I worked on his hands, Ethan admitted he had never gotten a manicure before.
I asked why he had suddenly decided to try one.
He smiled and said he wanted to see me again but had not asked for my number.
That was much more direct than I expected.
I told him he could have simply returned to the gym.
He said he had gone twice at the same time we first met, but I was not there.
The truth was that I had also looked for him.
I usually went to the gym after work, but my schedule had changed because another nail tech was on vacation.
I liked knowing that he had noticed my absence.
After the manicure, Ethan asked whether I wanted to get coffee when my shift ended.
I hesitated because he had just become my customer. I did not want dating someone from the salon to create problems at work.
He said there was no pressure and handed me his number instead.
I waited until the next morning before texting him, even though I had already decided I wanted to see him.
We had coffee that Sunday.
After that, Ethan continued booking manicures, but not as often as he first claimed he needed them. Most of the time, he waited until after my shift and took me to dinner.
We dated slowly because I worked long hours and he traveled sometimes for his job.
A few months later, I asked whether he had truly wanted a manicure that first day.
He admitted his hands had been fine.
The appointment was only an excuse.
We have been together for almost a year now.
Ethan still comes to the salon, but another nail tech usually takes care of him because I become too distracted talking to him.
Sometimes we work out together too.
Whenever we reach for the same dumbbell, he tells me to take it.
He says letting go of that weight was the best decision he ever made.
3 min read ·
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