Madam of Maple Court (25 page)

"I'm really sorry about the children part. I complain about my kids, but you know I love them dearly."

"I know, and I'm used to my condition. It did affect our sex lives, however. Now, since Vin's death, and knowing what I know about his thing with Liza, I've begun to question things. What's out there that I know little about? I feel like I've just learned to read and now I know where the library is."

Marcy burst out laughing. "That's a unique way of expressing it, but I know exactly what you mean. Been there, done that. With Zack. I have a proposition for you." She rolled her eyes. "Interesting choice of words for someone in my business. Anyway, I have a client who enjoys getting to know new women, ones he knows will be willing to play. He likes to be seen in the best places with a different attractive woman every evening, women who are bright, interesting and willing to play afterward. This doesn't quite fit into the Club Fantasy idea, but he loves the newness, the first-time experience, and he can afford to indulge his wishes. He loves sex and occasionally ventures into slightly off-center stuff, but understands how far to go with a woman and will take no for an answer. He'll stop at any time if you want him to. Sadly, though, he only wants to be with a woman once. His desires cramp my style, actually. Several of my ladies would have loved to join him again, but he doesn't want that, and frankly, I'm running out of partners for him."

"Why you? Why doesn't he just pick up a lady or let someone fix him up with one? Wouldn't that give him the newness he's looking for?"

"I'm not really sure. The only thing I can guess is that he wants a sure thing with no strings, no illusions. With one of my employees he knows there won't be any repercussions. No woman will have her heart broken when he doesn't call. No one will wonder what went wrong. That's the best way he could describe his needs to me when I first interviewed him."

"You've never been with him, have you?"

"I've never been with any of my customers. It wouldn't work for me. I found Zack and that was that."

"Why Club Fantasy? His isn't a fantasy, after all."

"True enough, but he wants the best, and we're it." There was no false modesty in Marcy. Club Fantasy
was
the best and she knew it. "Interested?"

Pam thought about it. This was a momentous step, but one she was intrigued enough to take. She replayed Marcy's words. "You said he likes things slightly off center. Like what?"

"Oral sex, anal sex, the occasional slap on the ass, his or yours. He'll let you know but it will be like any other first date. He'll experiment to find things you enjoy together, but he'll stop if you say so. Who knows, you might enjoy new ventures. Does this sound like something you might want to do?"

"It might just be."

"It pays twelve hundred dollars net to you for the experience."

"Damn, that's a powerful incentive."

"Not the only one, I hope. You should want to do it because it's fun, too. If you do it only for the money, in my opinion that's what make you a whore."

"Yeah, I guess it does." Pam had to admit she was interested in new areas of sexual play. She'd never tried anything fancy with anyone but Linc, and with him it had only been a little oral and a few new positions. She thought about a few of their positions and it was everything she could do not to blush. "No, money's only one incentive. I'm also curious to know what I've been missing all these years. Would this happen at your place?"

"No. Sometimes he likes to have company to Lincoln Center for the opera or a concert. He might want to be seen at one of the restaurants where he's built up a reputation for his good taste in dinner companions. He lives in the city so you two can go back to his apartment afterward. I'll call him and see what he's got going. Shall I set it up?"

Pam let out a long breath. "Sure. I'm single, free, and able to do what I want, and I think I want to do this."

"Just think?"

Pam paused. She knew what she wanted, so why hesitate? "I want to do this."

"What about the men in your life?"

"Linc would be all for it, Rob obviously knows what's going on, although not specifically with me, and Gary? Well, he's out of town for several weeks and I'll cross his bridge when I come to it."

"That's wonderful." Marcy took several minutes to fill Pam in on the guidelines, including wearing skirts at all times, "for accessibility," she explained. "No garlic or onions before a date," Marcy continued, "and condoms at all times, without exception, and two if he wants to play with anal penetration. No drugs of any kind, ever, under any circumstances. It's a good rule to follow in any event."

"No problem there," Pam said. Everything Marcy had said made sense.

"With anyone but Matt, who's a longtime customer, I would suggest that you not play outside the club until you're a little more sure of yourself. Having Rock in residence means a lot, to everyone."

"Have his services ever been needed?"

"To the best of my recollection on only two or three occasions have we had to, let's say
ask
a visitor to leave. In each case Rock has made him understand that his presence was no longer welcome. Both times the guy arrived drunk and had smuggled more alcohol in with him. Each guy was abjectly apologetic the following day."

"Did you let those guys come back?" Pam asked, curious about the strength of the rules.

"One was a regular, and after he served a suspension like in sports, we let him back. He's been a model of decorum ever since."

"And the other?"

"Both were newbies, two of my few misjudgments, and they're gone. That was several years ago and I thought for a while that one might make trouble, but he didn't. That might have been the closest I came to screwing things up. I'm even more careful now, and I've become an even better judge of character since."

"All your guidelines seem to be sensible."

"Just a few more. No cameras or the like are allowed into the building and no pictures anywhere, even from camera phones. We have a photo setup if the client wants a film of things, but it's carefully arranged so that the client's face is clearly visible and the woman's isn't. And there's nothing on any tape that states that it isn't all just consensual sex. No mention of money."

"You seem to have thought of everything."

"I certainly hope so."

While Marcy ate her sandwich and talked, Pam nibbled at hers. What had she gotten herself into? When Marcy finished her prosciutto and avocado sandwich on a whole wheat roll she glanced at Pam's plate and her half-eaten sandwich. "Nervous?"

"Very. I think my butterflies have butterflies."

"Not surprising. Why don't we go over to the club and let me get Matt's number and tickle my fingers on a private phone line? I have only one request. Once I set this up, there's no backing out I can understand sudden illness, but please, this is Club Fantasy's reputation, and I don't like to disappoint my customers unless absolutely necessary." The Rubicon. "I'm for this. No backing out."

"Good. From what I know of you, I think this is a good move. And, selfishly, it's a good move for me as well."

The evening with Matt was set up for the following Friday. From what Pam could overhear as Marcy held the phone away from her ear the guy, named Matt Waterhouse, was overjoyed. "Wonderful. Can she meet me at seven o'clock at Sparks Steak House? As you know, I'm pretty much a meat-and-potatoes person."

When Pam nodded, Marcy agreed, told him Pam's first name, said her good-byes, and hung up. "Done. Wear something comfortable but classy. And keep the shoes simple." When Pam looked puzzled, Marcy continued, "Slip-ons of any kind work well. Men hate to have to work—unbuckle," she winked, "except, of course, those who are into feet."

"What can you tell me about this guy?"

"He's in his late forties, only five foot five, which should be right up your alley, balding, rather plain looking and sort of nerdy. Oh, and very, very wealthy. I think he's in corporate takeovers or something like that."

"So he's got the money to indulge his appetite for the ladies."

"Right."

Friday. Wow. Her social calendar was getting really crowded. Rob on Wednesday evening, Linc sometime soon, she hoped, and when Gary got back from overseas she'd be seeing him, too. She had an outrageous thought and giggled.

"What's amusing you?" Marcy asked.

"I was just thinking of me, sitting at some stuffy charity committee meeting later this week with several stuffy Westchester matrons, knowing what's going to happen on Friday."

The two women laughed loudly.

"So is there some kind of story here?" Pam asked. "Am I supposed to be someone in particular?"

"Not really. You're a date like any other date. It's just that no one introduced you, and he's paying."

The following evening Pam met Rob for dinner at an exclusive mansion that had been turned into an upscale restaurant on a hill overlooking the Hudson. He'd noticed immediately that she wore the pendant he'd given her, and she had to agree that the beautiful jeweled flower basket enhanced the simple black dress she wore. She'd strung it on a slender gold chain so it nestled just above her cleavage, and when she'd first arrived he'd lifted it to look at it, brushing his fingers over the swell of her breasts. They talked about everything and nothing, but Pam didn't mention her plans with Marcy. During lulls in the conversation she wondered why she didn't tell Rob. After all, he knew all about what Marcy did for a living, and Pam had hosted his party.

The answer was simple. She didn't
want
to discuss her plans with him. She wanted to do it and she was afraid he'd try to talk her out of it. Was she afraid he'd succeed? Sure, she told herself, there was some of that, but in addition the whole thing was private, and none of anyone's business but hers. Reluctantly Rob confessed that he had to leave early so there could be no after-dinner plans. She drove home slightly disappointed.

Both Gary and Linc called on Thursday. Gary called in the late morning, reaching her in her car on the way to a luncheon for one of her charities. He was still in Europe, enjoying his work but missing his daughters. And her, he added hastily. He said he'd be flying back to town just for one day over the weekend but he'd be spending time with his girls. He hoped she'd understand and, resignedly, she did. She was also glad he didn't ask for a date in the middle of the madness that was her weekend.

She and Linc talked on the phone for over an hour that evening, getting to know each other. She'd had one of the most intimate experiences she'd ever shared with anyone and he agreed that it had been fabulous and uniquely satisfying, but they realized that they hardly knew each other. When he suggested dinner on Saturday, she decided that she did want to see more of him and agreed. She wondered how she'd feel after Friday, when she'd become a prostitute for real. She reasoned that it would be good to have some normalcy afterward, if having a date with a male prostitute was normal. Good Lord, her life right now was quite an adventure.

What did it say about her relationships that she'd been relieved when Gary didn't ask her out but readily agreed to see Linc on Saturday? She didn't examine her motives too carefully. This was her time in life and she could do with it what she wanted, be a little selfish for a change. So there!