I have managed the nail salon in Conway, Arkansas, for seven years.
Tony, the owner, is 47 and Vietnamese. Emily is a 32yrs old...
I have managed the nail salon in Conway, Arkansas, for seven years.
Tony, the owner, is 47 and Vietnamese. Emily is a 32yrs old American nail tech who had worked with us for about a year.
I found out about their affair because Emily asked me to change her schedule.
At first, she said she wanted fewer evening shifts. When I asked why, she closed my office door and told me Tony’s wife had started coming to the salon without warning.
Emily looked scared.
She admitted that she and Tony had been seeing each other for several months. It started with private messages after work, then turned into meetings outside the salon.
Both of them knew it was wrong.
Tony’s wife had recently become suspicious because he was coming home late and protecting his phone. She began stopping by the salon with coffee or food, sometimes only minutes before closing.
Emily wanted to avoid being there whenever she came.
I told her changing the schedule would not solve the real problem.
Emily said she had tried to end the affair, but Tony kept asking for more time. He told her his marriage was already unhappy and promised he would eventually make a decision.
I had heard promises like that before.
I asked whether Tony had changed anything at home.
Emily admitted he had not.
The situation had already affected the salon. Tony gave Emily better walk-ins, approved her time off first, and defended her whenever another employee complained.
The staff noticed the favoritism even though they did not know the reason.
I told Emily I would adjust the schedule temporarily, but I would not help them hide the affair.
The next week, Tony’s wife arrived unexpectedly while Emily was working.
She was friendly and brought lunch for everyone.
Emily could barely look at her.
After Tony’s wife left, Emily went into the restroom and cried.
That evening, she told Tony it was over.
He did not accept it well.
For the next several days, he became cold toward her. He stopped giving her good appointments and criticized mistakes he had ignored before.
I documented the changes and confronted him.
Tony said I was interfering in something personal.
I told him it stopped being personal when he used the schedule and customer rotation to punish an employee.
Emily resigned two weeks later.
She told the staff she wanted a fresh start at another salon.
Tony’s wife still visits sometimes. She talks to me like everything is normal.
I do not know whether she ever learned the truth.
Tony acts as if the problem disappeared when Emily left, but it did not.
The staff lost trust in him, and I lost respect for the way he used his position.
Emily originally came to me asking for a schedule change.
What she really needed was a way out of a relationship that had followed her into work every day.
3 min read ·
😘Sending You a Kiss2🫶I’m Here for You1🤗You’re Not Alone1
I am 43 years old, Vietnamese, and I have worked as a nail tech in Plano, Texas, for nine years.
I met Ryan while hiking with...
I am 43 years old, Vietnamese, and I have worked as a nail tech in Plano, Texas, for nine years.
I met Ryan while hiking with a local group.
He was 28, white, and much more energetic than I was that morning. Halfway through the trail, I became tired and stopped near a shaded area.
Ryan noticed and offered me some water.
I thanked him and told him I was fine, but he stayed with me until I was ready to continue.
We walked together for the rest of the hike.
Ryan asked what I did for work, and I told him I worked at a nail salon. He joked that his hands were rough enough to scare away any nail tech.
I gave him the salon name after he asked, but I did not expect him to visit.
He was fifteen years younger than me.
I assumed he was only being kind during the hike.
A few days later, Ryan came into the salon and requested a manicure with me.
I was surprised to see him.
His nails needed some work, but not enough to explain why he had driven across town and waited for my schedule.
During the appointment, we continued the conversation from the trail.
Ryan asked about my family, how long I had lived in Texas, and what I liked doing outside the salon.
He returned two weeks later.
Then he started coming regularly.
My coworkers quickly noticed that he spent more time talking to me than looking at his nails.
I liked him too, but I kept thinking about our ages.
I had already been married and divorced. Ryan had never been married and still talked about wanting children someday.
One afternoon, I finally told him he should find someone closer to his age.
Ryan asked whether I was rejecting him because I did not like him or because I was afraid other people would judge us.
I did not have a good answer.
The truth was that I liked him, but I did not trust the situation.
I worried he saw me as something exciting and temporary.
Ryan stopped joking and told me he had not kept visiting the salon because he was bored.
He said he liked how calm I was, how direct I spoke, and how I never tried to impress him.
Then he asked me to have dinner with him before deciding for both of us that it could never work.
I agreed.
Our first date was simple, but we talked for almost three hours.
Ryan admitted that he had returned to the hiking trail the following weekend hoping to see me again. When I was not there, he decided to visit the salon.
We have been dating for eight months now.
The age difference has not disappeared, and we have had serious conversations about the future.
But Ryan has never treated me like a secret or a temporary experience.
He still comes to the salon, although another tech usually does his nails because my coworkers say I become too distracted.
We also still hike together.
Ryan always carries extra water.
He says it is because I might get tired again.
I think he is simply grateful that offering me one bottle gave him a reason to walk beside me.
3 min read ·
Then I helped a woman named Emily pick up her shopping bags at the mall, and...
I had never stepped inside a nail salon before.
Then I helped a woman named Emily pick up her shopping bags at the mall, and one week later I was sitting at her manicure table trying to act like I had always cared about my cuticles.
My name is Mateo. I am 32, Hispanic, and live in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
I met Emily outside a clothing store. One of her bags tore, and everything fell onto the floor.
I helped her collect the clothes before people stepped on them.
Emily was 36, Vietnamese, curvy, and very pretty. She laughed at the situation instead of becoming embarrassed.
We talked for a few minutes while she reorganized everything. She mentioned that she worked as a nail tech nearby and handed me the salon’s business card because I joked that my hands probably needed professional help.
I thought about her for the rest of the week.
I could have asked for her number at the mall, but I was not sure whether she had only been friendly because I helped her.
So I booked a manicure at the salon.
When I walked in, Emily recognized me immediately.
She looked at my hands and asked whether I had really come for a manicure.
I said I wanted to try something new.
That was true, but it was not the main reason.
During the service, we talked about work, family, and how long we had lived in Hot Springs.
Emily told me she had been doing nails for more than ten years. She liked the work but hated when customers treated nail techs like they were invisible.
I told her she had been the most noticeable person in the mall that day.
She smiled but quickly changed the subject.
I could not tell whether she liked the compliment or thought I was flirting too much.
When she finished, my hands looked better than I expected.
I paid and stood near the front desk trying to find the courage to invite her to dinner.
Then another man walked in carrying food for her.
He knew her name and walked directly to her station.
I assumed he was her boyfriend.
I thanked Emily and left without asking.
For the next few days, I felt disappointed, even though nothing had actually happened between us.
Then Emily sent me a message through the salon’s appointment system asking whether everything was okay with my manicure.
I replied that it was great.
She asked why I had left so quickly.
I decided to be honest.
I told her I had wanted to invite her to dinner, but I thought the man bringing food was her boyfriend.
Emily replied that he was her younger brother.
I felt ridiculous.
Then she said she had wondered why I booked a manicure only one week after meeting her.
I admitted the manicure was partly an excuse to see her again.
She said she already knew because most first-time male customers did not look that nervous while choosing clear polish.
We went to dinner the following Sunday.
Emily later told me she had liked me at the mall, but she thought I was only being kind.
She also worried I might see her as too old or not my usual type.
I told her I had been worried about the same thing from the opposite side.
We have been dating for six months now.
I still get manicures, but not every week.
Emily says my hands have improved enough that I need to stop inventing reasons to sit at her table.
Im Tony, Vietnamese, and I have worked as a nail tech in Duluth, Georgia, for two years.
I met Mina at a friend’s house during...
Im Tony, Vietnamese, and I have worked as a nail tech in Duluth, Georgia, for two years.
I met Mina at a friend’s house during a small weekend gathering.
She is Korean American, and knew only a few people there. We started talking while helping our friend clean up food and empty cups.
When Mina learned I worked as a nail tech, she asked whether men really did nails for a living.
I told her plenty of us did and that some were better than the women.
She laughed and said she might have to test that claim.
A few days later, she booked a manicure at my salon.
I thought she was joking at the party, so I was surprised when she actually showed up.
During the appointment, we talked about work, family, music, and restaurants around Duluth. The conversation felt easy because we had already met outside the salon.
Mina returned two weeks later.
Then she kept coming back.
Sometimes she needed a full manicure. Other times her nails still looked fine, but she claimed she wanted a different color.
My coworkers noticed that she always booked my schedule, even when she had to wait longer.
They said she liked me.
I told them we were only friends.
That was true at first.
Mina and I started texting after her appointments. We sent each other restaurant recommendations, complained about work, and sometimes met with the same group of friends.
I liked her, but I did not want to make her uncomfortable by asking out a regular customer.
Mina eventually became tired of waiting.
After one appointment, she stayed near my station while I cleaned up.
She asked whether I treated every customer like a friend or only her.
I told her only her.
Then she asked why I had never invited her out alone.
I admitted that I was not sure whether she was interested or simply enjoyed coming to the salon.
Mina laughed and said no one changed nail colors that often unless there was another reason.
We had dinner together that weekend.
Our first date did not feel much different from our friendship, except neither of us pretended anymore.
We talked for hours, and Mina admitted she had booked the first appointment because she wanted to see me again after the party.
She kept returning because she liked how comfortable she felt around me.
We have been together for seven months now.
Mina still gets her nails done at the salon, but one of my coworkers usually takes her appointments. They say I work too slowly when she sits with me.
She still claims she first came only to test whether I was good at nails.
I do not believe her.
By the second appointment, neither of us was really thinking about the manicure anymore.
3 min read ·
My name is Austin. I am white, and usually not very good at meeting women at parties....
I met Laura at a friend’s house in Lewisburg.
My name is Austin. I am white, and usually not very good at meeting women at parties. I tend to stay near the people I already know and leave early.
That night, most of the guests were outside talking while Laura and I ended up in the kitchen helping clean.
She was Vietnamese and easy to talk to. We washed dishes, put food away, and complained about how the people who made the biggest mess always disappeared when it was time to clean.
Laura told me she worked as a nail tech. She mentioned the name of her salon and said she had been there for several years.
I had never gotten a manicure, so there was no real reason for me to remember the name.
But I did.
Before I left, I wanted to ask for her number. I talked myself out of it because I could not tell whether she liked me or was simply being friendly.
For the next few days, I kept thinking about our conversation.
I finally searched for the salon online and booked a manicure with Laura.
When I walked in, she looked surprised.
She asked whether I had suddenly become interested in nail care.
I admitted that my hands could probably use some help, but that was not the full reason I was there.
During the manicure, we talked about the party and discovered we had both stayed longer than planned because we enjoyed talking in the kitchen.
Laura asked how I had found the salon.
I told her I remembered the name.
She smiled and said most men forgot what she did for work five minutes after she told them.
I decided there was no point pretending anymore.
I told her I had been looking for a reason to see her again, and a manicure was the best excuse I could think of.
Laura became quiet for a moment.
I thought I had made things uncomfortable.
Then she admitted she had asked our friend about me the day after the party. She had wanted my number too, but our friend told her I was shy and probably needed time.
Apparently, we had both been waiting for the other person to do something.
After my manicure, I asked whether she wanted to get dinner when her shift ended.
She said yes.
We have been dating for five months now.
I still go to her salon, although Laura says I do not need manicures as often as I claim.
She also tells everyone that I remembered the name of her workplace after hearing it only once.
I tell her it was easy.
I was already trying to figure out how to see her again.
3 min read ·
I met Derek because I left my phone at a store counter.
My name is Marissa. I am 42, Hispanic, full-figured, and live near Lake...
I met Derek because I left my phone at a store counter.
My name is Marissa. I am 42, Hispanic, full-figured, and live near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
I had been shopping for clothes when I realized my phone was missing. I emptied my purse twice and started retracing every place I had visited.
Derek noticed me looking under tables and asked what I had lost.
He was 35, Vietnamese, and dressed much better than most men I usually saw while shopping.
Instead of just pointing me toward customer service, he helped me check several stores. We eventually found my phone sitting beside the register where I had paid for a sweater.
I thanked him and joked that I owed him something for saving my entire life.
He said I could visit his nail salon sometime.
That was how I learned he owned a salon in Lake Geneva.
I thought he was attractive, but I assumed he had only mentioned the business because owners always looked for new customers.
A few days later, I searched for the salon online.
I needed my nails done anyway, so I booked a manicure.
At least, that was what I told myself.
When I walked in, Derek was helping at the front desk. He recognized me immediately and smiled.
He said he had wondered whether I would actually come.
That surprised me.
I asked if he told every woman he helped to visit his salon.
He said no. Then he admitted he had wanted to ask for my number at the store, but I had seemed stressed about losing my phone, so he did not think it was the right moment.
Derek normally handled the business side of the salon, but one nail tech had called out that day. He offered to do my manicure himself because he had worked as a nail tech before becoming the owner.
While he worked, we talked about family, dating, and how difficult it was to meet people in a smaller town.
I told him I had assumed a younger man like him would not be interested in me.
Derek looked surprised.
He said he had noticed my smile before he noticed anything else, and my age had never crossed his mind until I mentioned it.
I liked hearing that, but I was still unsure whether he was simply being charming with a customer.
When the manicure was finished, I paid and prepared to leave.
Derek stopped me near the door and asked whether I had dinner plans.
That was when I realized he had truly been waiting for me to return.
We had dinner that evening at a restaurant near the lake.
He later told me he had checked the appointment list several times after meeting me, hoping to see my name.
We have been dating for six months now.
Derek still teases me about losing my phone.
I remind him that finding it was the only reason we met.
My name is Kevin and I have worked as a nail tech in Mesa, Arizona, for five years.
I met Ashley at the gym.
She was white, and...
My name is Kevin and I have worked as a nail tech in Mesa, Arizona, for five years.
I met Ashley at the gym.
She was white, and trying to adjust one of the weight machines. After struggling with it for a while, she asked whether I knew how it worked.
I helped her move the seat and showed her how to change the resistance.
We started talking while she tested it.
Ashley asked what I did for work. When I told her I was a nail tech, she looked surprised and said her nails needed help.
I gave her the name of my salon because she asked, but I thought she was only being polite.
A few days later, she booked a manicure with me.
When she walked into the salon, I recognized her immediately.
Her nails already looked fine, so I asked what she wanted changed.
Ashley said she wanted a different color.
During the appointment, we continued talking about the gym, work, and places to eat around Mesa. She asked a lot of questions about me, but I assumed she was only being friendly.
Two weeks later, she returned.
Then she came back again.
She always booked with me, even when other nail techs had earlier appointments available.
My coworkers noticed and started telling me Ashley was interested.
I did not believe them at first.
I liked her, but I did not want to mistake a friendly customer for someone trying to date me.
One afternoon, Ashley came in for another manicure even though her previous one still looked good.
I finally asked why she was coming so often.
She laughed and admitted she wanted more chances to talk to me.
She said she had hoped I would ask for her number at the gym, but I never did. Booking appointments felt safer than walking up to me again while I was exercising.
I told her I had wanted to ask too, but I thought helping with the machine was only a small moment to her.
After I finished her nails, Ashley gave me her number.
She said I could text her if I wanted to get coffee somewhere outside the salon.
I waited until after work and sent her a message.
We met that weekend.
Our first date felt easy because we had already spent several appointments getting to know each other.
We have been dating for nine months now.
Ashley still comes to the salon, but not every two weeks anymore. Sometimes another tech does her nails because my coworkers say I become too distracted when she sits at my station.
We still go to the same gym.
Whenever she uses that machine, she asks me to check the settings.
I tell her she already knows how to adjust it.
She says she knows.
She just likes having another reason to talk to me.
3 min read ·
🤗You’re Not Alone2😍I’m Obsessed!1
89 reads · ·
Cole @Prefer Not to SayLove & Affairs · Jackson, WY
I met Amanda during a group hiking trip outside Jackson.
My name is Cole. I am 30, white, and had joined the hike while taking...
I met Amanda during a group hiking trip outside Jackson.
My name is Cole. I am 30, white, and had joined the hike while taking a short vacation in Wyoming. Amanda was 34, Vietnamese, curvy, and much more prepared for the trail than I was.
We started talking after I nearly slipped on a wet section of rock.
Amanda grabbed my arm and helped me regain my balance. She laughed and said I should spend less time looking at the mountains and more time watching my feet.
For the rest of the hike, we stayed near each other.
She told me she worked as a nail tech and lived about an hour from where I was staying. I told her I worked remotely and had taken the trip because I needed a break from doing the same thing every day.
Amanda was easy to talk to. She was funny, direct, and not afraid to tease me when I became tired.
By the end of the day, I felt like I had known her much longer than a few hours.
We exchanged contact information, but after the group separated, neither of us said anything about meeting again.
I returned to my hotel and kept thinking about her.
The next morning, Amanda sent me a picture she had taken of the hiking group. She also mentioned the name of the nail salon where she worked.
I looked it up and discovered it was almost an hour away.
I had never gotten a pedicure before, but I booked one with her anyway.
When I arrived at the salon two days later, Amanda stared at me like she could not believe I had actually come.
She asked whether my feet had suffered that badly during the hike.
I told her they were fine.
Then I admitted I had booked the appointment because I did not want that trip to be the last time we saw each other.
Amanda smiled, but she also looked nervous.
She said she had wanted to ask me to meet for coffee but assumed I was only being friendly because we were part of the same group.
I told her I had driven nearly an hour for a pedicure. That was more effort than ordinary friendliness.
She laughed and agreed.
During the appointment, we talked about what would happen after my vacation ended. I lived several hours away, and Amanda had a full schedule at the salon.
She said she did not want to begin something that would disappear as soon as I went home.
I understood, but I asked her to have dinner with me before deciding there was no future.
We went out after her shift.
That dinner turned into another date the following evening.
When my vacation ended, we agreed to keep talking instead of making promises we might not be able to keep.
It has been nine months since that hiking trip.
I now visit Jackson whenever my work allows, and Amanda has visited me twice. The distance is not easy, but neither of us has walked away.
I still get pedicures at her salon when I visit.
Amanda says my feet never really needed professional help.
She is right.
I only needed a reason to see her again.
3 min read ·
I have managed the same nail salon in Houston, Texas, for four years.
David, the owner, is 45 and Vietnamese. Most people see...
I have managed the same nail salon in Houston, Texas, for four years.
David, the owner, is 45 and Vietnamese. Most people see him as a responsible husband, a hardworking father, and a strict boss who keeps his personal life away from the salon.
That was what I believed too, until he told me about Thao.
Thao was a 32 Vietnamese nail tech who had worked with us for more than a year. She was married, had children, and rarely discussed her home life.
At first, there was nothing unusual between them.
Then David began staying later whenever Thao was closing. They took lunch at the same time, exchanged private messages during work, and sometimes disappeared into the office together.
I noticed, but I did not want to accuse anyone without proof.
Another employee named Kelly started noticing too.
Kelly asked why Thao always received the best appointments and why David approved her days off before anyone else’s. She also mentioned seeing them leave the parking lot within minutes of each other several nights in a row.
That was when David became nervous.
One evening, he asked me to stay after everyone left.
He admitted that he and Thao had been having an affair for several months.
Both were unhappy at home, and their private conversations slowly turned into something more. They met after closing and sometimes claimed they were handling salon business when they were actually together.
I asked why he was telling me.
David said Kelly was getting too suspicious. She had started paying attention to their schedules and asking other employees questions.
He was afraid she would tell his wife or contact Thao’s husband.
David said he and Thao had decided to stop before the truth came out.
I wanted to believe the problem was over, but ending the affair did not fix what had already happened.
Thao became emotional at work. David avoided her, then became angry whenever she spoke closely with another male customer. Their tension affected the whole salon.
Kelly continued watching them because their sudden distance made her even more suspicious.
A few weeks later, Thao resigned.
She told everyone she wanted a salon closer to home. Only David and I knew the real reason.
After she left, David said ending things had protected both families.
I told him they had only avoided being caught. That was not the same as protecting anyone.
His wife still visits the salon sometimes. She smiles at me and talks about how hard David works.
Every time she does, I feel uncomfortable because I know something about her marriage that she does not.
Kelly never found proof, but her suspicion was enough to end the relationship.
David still owns the salon, and I still manage it.
We rarely discuss Thao now.
That secret taught me that an affair does not stay between two people. It changes schedules, creates favoritism, damages trust, and pulls coworkers into lies they never agreed to carry.
3 min read ·
I met Jason at a club on a night when I almost went home early.
My name is Brooke. I am 44, white, blonde, and full-figured....
I met Jason at a club on a night when I almost went home early.
My name is Brooke. I am 44, white, blonde, and full-figured. I had gone out with two friends who thought I needed to have more fun after spending nearly a year doing nothing but working and staying home.
A man at the club kept trying to dance with me even after I moved away several times.
I finally told him I was not interested, but he continued following me.
Jason noticed what was happening. He stepped beside me and calmly asked whether everything was okay.
The man complained for a moment, then walked away.
Jason stayed nearby until I found my friends.
He was 30, Vietnamese, and much younger than the men I normally dated. He was also confident without acting aggressive.
We talked for about fifteen minutes.
Jason told me he owned a nail salon in Solvang. I joked that he had probably noticed how badly I needed a manicure.
He laughed and gave me the salon’s business card.
For the next few days, I kept thinking about him.
I knew he might have only been helping me because he was a decent person. Still, I wanted to see him again.
So I made an appointment at his salon.
Jason looked surprised when I walked in, but he remembered me immediately.
He was busy managing the front desk and helping several nail techs, so another employee started my manicure.
I could have pretended I was there only for my nails.
Instead, when Jason came over to greet me, I told him the truth.
I said my nails needed work, but I had mainly come because I wanted to know him better.
One of his employees heard me and started laughing.
Jason looked embarrassed, but he was smiling.
He asked whether I was always that direct.
I told him I had spent too many years waiting for men to guess what I wanted.
When my manicure was finished, Jason sat beside me near the front desk.
He explained that he had recently ended a relationship and had not planned to start dating again so quickly.
I assumed that was his polite way of rejecting me.
I thanked him for being honest and started gathering my things.
Then he said he had not said no.
He only wanted me to understand that his schedule was difficult. He worked six days a week and often handled salon problems after closing.
I told him I was not asking him to marry me. I was asking whether he wanted to have dinner.
That made him laugh.
We went out the following Sunday.
During dinner, Jason admitted he had wanted to ask for my number at the club, but he worried I might think he had only helped me so he could flirt with me.
He was also unsure whether I would be interested because of our fourteen-year age difference.
I told him the age difference had crossed my mind, but it had not stopped me from finding his salon.
We have been dating for seven months now.
Jason still works too much, and I still speak more directly than he does.
Sometimes his employees tease him about the woman who walked into the salon and announced why she was really there.
I do not feel embarrassed.
At 44, I have learned that being clear can save a lot of wasted time.
My manicure lasted about three weeks.
Going to the salon changed much more than my nails.
3 min read ·
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