by Katy Kaylee
I used to be a jerk and I knew that she still hadn't forgiven me for what I did to our dad the night I left. I knew she also had not forgiven me for walking out that day. We were both raw on the inside and mourning the loss of our mother, and I left her alone. I had promised her that I would get my act together and be better, and I did.
I also needed the extra money which I easily made thanks to the generous women who I treated like queens. Some of them even requested me on a weekly basis. Those women had become like friends to me, mothers even, and they were an important part of my life. To others it may sound strange, but to me it was normal.
Many nights after their social events and corporate functions, I spent on the backseat of their expensive limousines, listening as these women poured their hearts out to me, crying like babies. I comforted them, listened to them, and that’s why they kept requesting me.
In the space of five months, I had become the most requested male at the agency, and I was damn proud about it!
I was an escort.
Olivia
Oh my god.
I was way in over my head, I thought as I glanced up at the large glass covered building in front of me. The light reflected off the mirrored glass as the sun shone brightly behind me.
It was just after three and I had been able to leave work early. The dental surgery was quiet today, not having any patients booked in from three o’clock, so I was grateful when Dr. Marx told me that I could have the rest of the afternoon off.
It was the perfect opportunity for me to do what I wanted to, or needed to.
After my dinner with Alice, and Zac who just showed up there unannounced, I decided that I needed to lose my virginity, or at least get a bit of sexual experience before Alice set me up on my blind date. Yes, the one who I hadn't agreed to.
I didn't know what her problem was to be honest. She knew that I didn't like being forced to do something that I didn't want to do, but she was persistent, and insistent for that matter.
For the time being, or at least until I gained some experience in that area, Alice wasn't going to convince me to go on her blind date.
Honestly, I was a little curious as to who the guy was that she wanted to set me up, but there was no possible way that I could find that out by myself, and she won’t tell me. Not even if I agreed to actually going on the date.
So here I was, standing in front of this building with a heart pounding vigorously in my chest. I shoved my pride into my pocket, straightened my shoulders and walked inside. The inside was chic and sophisticated and wasn't like anything I expected. It also looked really expensive.
Too expensive for me, right? What was I even doing here?
I walked toward the large marble reception desk and the receptionist, who was even more perfect looking than Alice, turned to me.
“Good afternoon, and welcome to Perfect Duos. My name is Claire. How can I help you?” she asked in a cheerful tone.
“Olivia Donovan. I don’t have an appointment or anything. Is it possible for me to see someone today?” I asked.
“Let me just check for you,” she answered as she briefly gave me a once-over, before talking into her headset. “Hey, Mich. Is Gloria available?”
I took a deep breath, trying to relax myself and turned away from the desk while Claire spoke into her headset. The waiting are was an immaculately kept space, with white couches and dark purple accents. The marble floor gave it a super elegant look and the light from the chandeliers overhead reflect off the floor. All the staff members were dressed in either white and red, or pink and black. It was quite appealing to the eyes, but then again, that was the look they were going for.
“Olivia, was it?” Claire suddenly said and I turned to her.
“Yes.”
“One of our senior consultants, Gloria, is available to see you. You just go up the left staircase, down the hallway, office number seven. You cant miss it.”
“Okay, thank you.”
“You are very welcome,” Claire said with a warm smile, and absolutely no judgement in her tone, which I was thankful for.
When you’re in the business of getting people together, then you shouldn't be judgmental.
I ascended the beautiful and intricate curved staircase, going up a floor, and walked down the hallway with confidence. I eventually found office number seven, and knocked on the door.
A few seconds later, the door opened and a middle-aged, but gorgeous woman opened the door.
“You must be Olivia,” she said with a smile.
“Yes. Olivia Donovan,” I said and held out my hand to her.
We shook hands and she invited my into her office, closing the door behind us. She motioned for me to sit on the long white sofa, while she sat down on a wingback chair with bright red hearts on the fabric.
I wasn't sure why, but she set me at ease without saying a single word, and as I noticed the golden plaque on her desk, I knew why that was. She was the top consultant at the agency.
Lucky me.
“So, Olivia. How are you today?”
“I’m a little nervous, but otherwise I am fine.”
“There is no reason to be nervous, but I understand why you are. Dating can be a very stressful thing in any person’s life, regardless of where they are in their lives,” Gloria said with a warm smile and placed her hands on her lap. “So what is it that you’re looking for?”
I took a deep breath and looked at her.
“Our conversations are entire confidential, Olivia.”
“That’s good to know,” I answered, and straightened my shoulders. “My best friend wants to set me up on a blind date and I told her no, repeatedly but she is very insistent.”
“And you’d like me to find you someone so that she can stop meddling?” Gloria asked.
“No, but that would be nice,” I admitted. “The reason why I told her I didn't want to go, is because I’m not experienced enough.”
Gloria frowned slightly, silently and subtly demanding an explanation.
“I have no experience with guys and anything that goes along with it, including all the sexual stuff,” I said.
Gloria’s eyebrows shot up and she nodded. “I see, and you were hoping that a dating agency is the perfect place to find yourself a one night stand?”
My shoulders slumped and I let out a breath. “I didn't mean to be disrespectful of this company. I am sure you all are well-respected in what you do-”
“Hold on, Olivia,” Gloria said, holding her hand up, silencing me immediately. “You seem like a nice girl.”
“That’s the problem, I’m too nice. I’ve never had sex, and the kind of guys I’ve met don’t seem to like that.”
“Being a virgin isn’t a bad thing.”
“Try telling them that,” I muttered and ran my fingers through my dark hair. “Look, I know this is not what you do here, and I understand that, but it’s not like I can just go to a bar and pick a stranger to have sex with.”
“So you’d rathe I pick the stranger you have sex with?”
“At least I’ll know he’s not a psychopath,” I pointed out and a hint of a smile nudged on Gloria’s lips. “All I need to know is, can you help me?”
Gloria studied me for a long while, and bit my bottom lip, hoping that she would agree to this. I wasn't even sure that they would be able to accommodate me, and I held my breath.
“We don’t normally do this kind of thing, but there is someone I can call. I can’t promise anything, but I will do my best.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Don’t think for one moment that I am condoning this behavior but if it will make you feel better regrading your dating prospect for the future, as well as have more confidence in yourself, then I guess I can agree.”
“Thank you,” I said gratefully and clasped my hands together.
She handed me a clipboard with a questionnaire and a pen. “Fill this out, and I will be in contact with you. There is a checklist on the second page, just to get
your ready for your date and you will receive an email as to when and where this date will be scheduled.”
“When-”
“Whenever he is available.”
“Okay,” I said and glanced down at the questionnaire, filling it in as quickly as possible. When I was done, I signed the bottom, took out the second page with the checklist and handed the clipboard back to Gloria.
As she glanced it over, I frowned at the long checklist.
Get your hair done.
Get your nails done.
Get a wax.
A wax! Where?
I raised an eyebrow and pursed my lips. How much is this going to cost me?
Oh, crap.
I glanced up at Gloria and asked the dreaded question, “I’m obviously getting charged for this, right?”
“Let me ask you this. Do you have any intention of joining this agency after your initial date to gain sexual experience?” she asked.
“I very much doubt it,” I answered honestly.
“Thank you for your honesty. You will only be charged a once off fee of eight-five dollars,” Gloria answered.
“Eighty five dollars,” I stuttered.
“Yes,” she said curtly.
“That’s fine,” I said with a nod. Like I had a choice. I did come to her office, without an appointment, used up her time, so obviously I was going to gt charged. This was a business after all.
“You can pay downstairs at one of the automated kiosks,” Gloria said and handed me a receipt for her services and she stood from her chair.
“Thank you,” I said, standing as well and I shook her hand. “Look, I really appreciate this, and I’m sorry if I offended you in any way. I wasn't sure where to go or what to do, and it wasn't my intention to upset you.”
Gloria’s face softened and she cocked her head at me. “Thank you for that, Olivia. I appreciate that, and I wish you the best of luck.”
“If I ever need to, I’ll definitely come see you again, or refer a friend.”
Gloria smiled at me and nodded as she opened the door to her office. “Have a nice day, Olivia.”
“And you.”
Two days later, I received an email that the meeting with my mystery man was happening that evening, which was okay. It was bound to happen sooner or later, and I was actually glad that it was sooner. The sooner I could get this over and done with, the better.
I was suppose to meet this guy at a cocktail bar in Los Angeles called Seven at seven – ironic – and I had to wear a red dress. Luckily I had one of my favorite dresses in my closet, which was red, so my outfit was covered.
A few hours later, I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection. I had to admit, I looked kind of hot. The red dress was comfortably tight and hugged my curves in just the right way. I thought about wearing my spanks, but that would be too hard to get off – no pun intended – and skipped that option. I slipped on a pair of black heels, twirled a strange of my hair around my finger and took a deep breath. I knew I had nothing to be nervous about, but I was. My stomach was churning butter and my heart pounded like a bass drum.
“Calm down, Olivia,” I whispered to myself, hoping I would at least listen.
I checked the time on my watch and realized that it was time to go. I grabbed my black velvet clutch and headed to the front door of my apartment. My phone vibrated in my hand, it was the Uber I had ordered.
I watched as the city lights flickered as the Uber drove to the cocktail bar, and the music coming from the radio actually made me feel a bit better, and calmer for that matter. This was by far the weirdest, most out-there thing I had ever done, in my entire life. I had the fullest right to be freaking out, but then again, if I did, tonight would probably go down in flames. I just had to be calm, and collected. This person was most likely never going to see me again, so I could be whomever I wanted to me. I ad watched a lot of movies in my life, so I could just pick a few traits from the female characters I came to know and loved. I was going to try and envision what those characters would do if they were in this situation. After I had gathered a few characters in my mind, the car came to a stop on the side of the road and I opened the door.
“Thank you, Josh,” I said to the driver.
“Always a pleasure. Have fun, and be safe.”
“Always,” I said before slamming the door.
I watched as the car drove off before I turned to the door of the cocktail bar. There was a big sign above the door and windows which glowed in the evening light and I took another deep breath. I opened the door and stepped inside. It was so elegant and chic that I kind of felt out of place. Glancing at the people inside, I definitely didn't look out of place, and was dressed for the part.
I sat down at a table which was semi-secluded, and young cocktail waitress came to the table.
“Good evening, and welcome to Seven. Can I get you anything?” she asked.
Alcohol was the perfect solution to calm my nerves, I just knew I had to be careful not to go overboard. I wouldn't want to throw up on my date, and pass out or anything.
Instead of acting insecure, I channeled my inner confident woman and said, “I’ll just have a Cosmo. I’m meeting someone.”
“Perfect,” the waitress said and left as quickly as she appeared.
I glanced at my watch and smiled. I was a little early, but I was feeling optimistic.
I glanced around the bar while I waited for my drink and I had to say, I felt pretty comfortable here. I was even getting eyed by a few men, which was a good sign. At least I got my outfit right.
I read somewhere that the color red was associated with energy, power, determination, as well as passion, desire and love. When someone wears red, they exude confidence, they attract attention and seem more attractive, as if the brain has a thing for danger and passion.
I had to admit, I did feel a lot more confident and liberated in this dress, but I always had. This was one of the reasons why I bought this dress in the first place. I didn't have the skin tone to pull of yellow or orange, or peach for that matter. Red was it. Red was my ticket to getting noticed, even though my confidence fizzled out when Alice was with me. She was the kind of woman that could attract anyone by wearing practically anything. I’d bet my entire paycheck that she would still be approached by men if she wore a trash-bag and smelled of rotting fruit. That’s how powerful her confidence was. She never doubted herself, not even after her mother died and the whole thing with Zac happened. She was the most balanced person I had ever known, and I wished I could be like her. She wasn't afraid to talk to people, she was confident and not afraid to be herself. She was bubbly and loud, but not annoyingly so.
Again, she was everything I wished I was.
I wasn't unhappy with who I was, I just silently wished I could be more like Alice, but then again, she did bring me out of my shell, even if it was only a little bit. I bought this red dress all on my own, and it wasn't something I’d usually wear. It was a lot tighter and much more revealing than anything I had in my closet, apart from my lingerie – which sadly no-one had seen except me – and my bathing suits.
Nevertheless, I liked it.
I just hoped that my date would like it too.
Zac
Saturday nights were my favorite time of the week. Not only was I able to chill out on my couch after a long week of work, I never worked on a Saturday evening for the agency. Veronica knew how I felt about that, and I made that very clear when I joined. That may have sounded cocky, but I had to keep my nocturnal excursions down to a minimum. While Alice and I never hung out in the same circles and frequented the same places, I really didn't want to risk her seeing me with clients.
I had just started an interesting documentary on serial killers, when my phone vibrated on the wooden coffee table in front of me. I reached for it and my eyebrows shot up when I saw Veronica’s number flashing on my screen. She knew I didn't work on Saturdays, but instead of letting it ring, I answered it.
“Veron
ica,” I said with a pout as I paused the documentary.
“Zac, hello. Listen I am sorry to call you on a Saturday. Is this a bad time?” she asked.
“No, I can talk.”
“Listen, Colton just called in sick, diarrhea or some shit like that,” Veronica said, which made me chuckle. “This is not a laughing matter.”
“You know I don’t work Saturdays, Veronica,” I said to her and stretched out my legs on the couch.
“I know. I wouldn't be calling if it wasn't an emergency. I’m desperate, Zac.”
“What’s the job?” I asked, intrigued by her desperation.
“A one night thing.”
“They’re all one night things, technically.”
“This is different. It requires a bit of intimacy,” Veronica said hesitantly.
“How much is a bit?”
“All of it.”
I cringed and shook my head, as if Veronica could see it. “No, absolutely not.”
“Please, Zac. I’ll pay you triple.”
“Why? Do you think I need to get laid or something?” I asked.
“That doesn't interest me at all, although I know you’re just lounging out in your living room watching serial killer documentaries,” Veronica scoffed. “I know you by now, Zac, and I know you could do with the money.”
I sat upright and sighed. “How old is she?”
“Twenty-four.”
That wasn't too bad.