Emily's Dilemma

by Gabriella Como

  "I can't afford it. I'll just use the school rec center. It's got treadmills," Emily replied.

  "You'll only meet other students there. Here you can meet lawyers, congressional staffers, lobbyists...you name it, and they’re here." The older woman's face was kind and caring. Emily wondered why she would be concerned about who she knew. "It's never too early to be connecting and networking, even if you're a freshman."

  Emily told the nice lady she would think about it, but didn't know how she could do it. Emily thanked her. The lady was about the same age as her mom, but attractive, happy, and fit, and without the years of punishing poverty and desperation that showed in the lines on her mom's tired face. I never want to be like my mom, Emily thought. I never want to turn out like her. She loved her mom, but she was no example of what she wanted to be when she grew up.

  "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere," the lady said. Within a minute, she returned with a card. "Here's my card. I want you to call me. I'd like to see you join this gym. There's a way you don't have to pay for it, but you'll have to call me. I can get you some work that will help see you through school. We can talk about it over coffee. Okay?"

  Emily didn't know what to say except "Thank you." The woman smiled and walked away.

  ****

  The second semester began and Emily was all set except for buying books. She spent all her remaining money on them, and had nothing left. She needed new clothes but couldn't afford them. Her running regimen at the student rec center was productive physically, but she couldn't stand the students who used it as a pick-up joint or to show others how smart or political they were. It was crowded with them, and often treadmills were unavailable because some bearded Philosophy major was slowly walking on one while chatting up the girl running on the next one.

  But her baby fat was disappearing and transforming into lean muscle. Running helped her think things through. She thought about the nice lady at the expensive fitness center. She had her card in her desk drawer. When she returned to her dorm room, she found the business card and looked at it for the first time.

  Laura Worthington

  President

  Special Occasions LLC

  Georgetown, VA

  Emily called the number. Laura picked up, saying, "Special Occasions, this is Laura. How can we be of service to you today?"

  "Um, hi Laura. This is Emily Chastain. From the gym a while back."

  "Emily! So good of you to call me! Thank you so much for thinking of me. How are you?" Laura said.

  They talked for a few more minutes before agreeing to meet for coffee at Laura's office nearby. Emily hung up the phone and felt good that she got up the nerve to call Laura. She also felt good that she was doing something about her financial predicament. But she was curious about Laura's business and how she could help. We'll see, Emily thought.

  Emily's first semester's grade report was straight A's. That part was easy. It was living day to day that was difficult and stressful. Emily found out her mom was undergoing treatment for blood clots in her legs and was worried about the costs. Her mother had to take time off from work to rest and heal from the surgical procedure. Her mom didn't want to divulge anything to Emily, but finally did. She didn't want to burden Emily with her problems. She wanted Emily to focus on her college studies, something she never got to do after getting pregnant at 18.

  Emily found the brownstone office of Laura, took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A pretty woman about 35 opened the door with a smile and welcomed her into the grand hallway. Marble tile and chandeliers graced the entry. Emily was stunned. She had never seen anything like this except in magazines.

  "My name is Christina. I'm Laura's personal assistant. Welcome, Emily. It's so good to meet you. Come this way." Christina walked in front of Emily and into another room through rich mahogany double doors. A spacious room filled with antique furniture surrounded a large Victorian desk in the middle of the opulent room. Off to the left was a sitting area with several comfortable upholstered chairs and a round coffee table with a silver coffee set and exquisite china cups and saucers. Flower arrangements were sprinkled throughout the large, open room. The fragrance created a very feminine, welcoming atmosphere to Emily.

  "Please make yourself comfortable, Emily. Coffee?" Christina asked.

  Laura entered the office from an entrance in the back and walked quickly to the sitting area. She had a warm smile on her face as she greeted Emily. Emily rose to shake her hand.

  "Please sit, Emily. So good to see you again! Thank you for coming to see me. You look so good!" Laura gushed. They sat and Christina poured coffee for both, asking what Emily wants in hers. After doing that, she immediately treated Laura's coffee in an efficient manner, as if Christina knew exactly how Laura takes her coffee. Christina told Emily is she needed anything to just say the word, and then exited the room. Laura put Emily at ease quickly, as the conversation centered on her college life and experiences. Laura was focused and interested, and her ability for easy conversation came naturally. Emily relaxed and was consumed by this wonderful lady. In the back of her mind, she was curious about Laura's grand lifestyle.

  That's when Laura pivoted the conversation to how she could help Emily through her college career.

  "Emily, I can help you achieve your dreams, or at least get you through your college years without undue stress and worry. I run a business. It's a unique kind of business. As you can see, we do pretty well. I'd like for you to do well, too. You are a smart, young lady with great potential. One day you will see your dreams come true. I can help you along the way. Are you open to someone helping you out? Would you like that sort of help?"

  Emily thought of her mom's growing debt, her own struggle just to buy the books she needed, and the day-to-day sacrifices she experienced. But mostly her thoughts went her poor mother, alone, lonely, and the daily hardships she had to face, which paled in comparison to her own.

  "Yes, I'm interested," Emily replied cautiously.

  "Excellent, Emily!" exclaimed Laura, as she refilled their coffees. Laura drew herself together to explain the job she wanted Emily to take on.

  "Emily, I'm in the people business first of all. A specialized business. A very quiet business. We stay under the radar. Few people know about us. We like it that way. We do well keeping it private. We deal with individuals, not companies. Ours is a high-security, high-privacy business. We go to great pains making sure that both client and company maintain the highest secrecy. Our clients have money and they're willing to spend it. They want to spend it. I cannot keep up with demand. That's why I recruit special people like you. Our clients come from all over the world. Often they are just here for the quick business trip or on some government-related event. They bring their problem, and we solve it for them. Your time investment will be minimal, if you're worried about how you can balance your studies with a job. But we need bright people, ones that can use their brain. I think you have a very good head on your shoulders, and there's something about you that makes me feel you can do this, and do it well."

  Laura continued. "For a few hours of work per week, expect to make roughly $3000. Let me repeat: $3000 per week. You can make more if you want. Cash, paid weekly. Let me know if you're interested." Laura went silent, and took a sip of her coffee.

  Emily sat, her eyes transfixed on Laura's.

  "This sounds like..." Emily's voice trailed off.

  "Yes. But we're not talking street corners here. This isn't gutter. These are the most powerful men in the world. They're sophisticated. They're rich. They're clean. They're professional. And they have even more of a reason to keep it secret as you do. They have to trust me. They have to trust you. And they're willing to pay dearly."

  She went on, knowing that Emily knows what the game is now.

  "I call you about an appointment. I tell you where to meet him. Usually, it's at a nice hotel in the area. He might want to take you to dinner, like a real date. Sometimes they want someone on their arm to go to par
ties. You tell me how much time you have and I'll work around it. I demand proper behavior from my clients. No weird stuff. I demand they groom themselves and are meticulous in their appearance. They are successful men," Laura said.

  Emily looked down and stared through the shiny coffee set. Laura let it all sink in.

  Laura finally spoke. "And if this is not something you want to do, I understand. All I ask is that you keep this meeting and my business secret. And for that and your time, I want you to have this." At that precise moment, Christina walked into the office with a silver tray. On it was an envelope. She offered it to Emily with a gentle, loving smile. Emily slowly took it and looked up at Laura. Laura smiled.

  Emily looked into the envelope at thirty crisp one-hundred dollar bills.

  "I think you could use this," Laura said.

  Emily tried to compose herself. "I've never...been with a..." she stammered.

  "I know. I could tell. That's why you will make a lot of money," Laura explained.

  "Successful men don't want cheap, slutty women from the streets. They're a dime a dozen and easily available. They want unspoiled women even without experience. It's that quality that is so rare now. They would gladly sacrifice sexual skills for untainted, wholesome innocence. It's what makes you perfect for this job."

  "All I want you to do is to think about it. And take the money as my thank you for your time. I appreciate it so much, darling." Laura looked at Christina and nodded. Christina walked Emily to the door and out into a different world than she remembered.

  Chapter 5

  Mitch Ashton's dad was so good at being a salesman in the pharmaceutical industry that when he transitioned into his lobbyist career he quickly achieved his usual success. They lived in Fairfax County, Virginia in a large house in a high status neighborhood, complete with a luxurious pool ideal for entertaining. The three-car garage held all Mercedes. Mitch and his dad were two peas in a pod. Both were sporty and sociable with outsized personalities. Both told jokes a little too loudly at parties and always wanted to be the center of attention. His dad thought very highly of himself, and his son was a perfect clone. Both Mitch and his dad assumed life was there to be lived their way, taking what they could from it, because they could. Mitch's dad passed onto his son the aggressiveness he felt was required to win in this world. Mitch assumed his father's traits, both good and bad. His dad couldn't be happier or prouder of his son. He even got people to call him "Senior" because he wanted people to know he had a son just like him. He figured that this would help pave the way for his son to follow in his successful footsteps.

  Mitch was going to graduate from Georgetown in a few months and his dad wanted to do something very special for him. He already had given him a Mercedes upon graduating high school, so he had to think of a unique gift idea.

  One day at his office on K Street in D.C., the idea came to him. He picked up the phone and dialed a number he knew by heart.

  "Special Occasions, this is Laura. How can we be of service to you today?"

  "Laura, this is Mitch, Sr. I have a special request." He went on with his idea, describing it in detail. Their conversation went on for another few minutes. Laura had some concerns.

  "Your son is not our typical client, Senior. He's young, and may not be discreet enough. You're paying for it, so he's got nothing on the line. I never do business with young, irresponsible, horny men."

  She knew she was going to lose this argument since Senior provided a huge amount of business for her. "You have to promise me there will be no issues. At all. And your specific request is tough, but I think I have someone who fits. This is not going to be the usual rate."

  "Whatever it takes, Laura," Senior said.

  Laura responded, "Five thousand. $2500 upfront immediately. I need some capital for this one."

  "Done." Senior exhaled as he hung up. Mitch, Jr. better get his money's worth for this, he thought. He was very pleased with himself.

  "And, Senior, if I ever–ever–have a problem arising out of this, then you have a problem," Laura said tersely. "I promise you that."

  ****

  The envelope sat in Emily's desk drawer untouched for three weeks. She didn't want to look at it. She wanted to forget about it but couldn't. Each time she went to class in the same fraying jeans she thought of it. When she needed an additional book she thought of it. When her friends wanted her to join them on a Friday night it was on her mind. But when she called her mom to learn that she lost her job at the mill was the moment of her decision. She called Laura to let her know.

  "Special Occasions, this is Laura. How can we be of service to you today?"

  "Hi. This is Emily. You deserve an answer. My answer is no. I have to leave school and go home to take care of my mom. She's sick and just lost her job." Emily's voice trailed off. "I appreciate your kindness and generosity. I want to return the money." Laura was understanding and did not try to persuade Emily. She listened and asked questions about her mom's situation and her voice soothed Emily's sadness. What a woman, Emily thought. She was sincere and compassionate.

  Laura finally spoke up. "Please keep the money. You need it to get back home. It'll help with your mother."

  The next afternoon, as Emily was packing her lone piece of luggage, she got a phone call. It was her mom, telling her that someone had dropped off an envelope full of money. Emily sat in silence, stunned.

  "How much, mom?" Emily asked.

  "Two thousand five hundred!" Her mom exclaimed. Her mom was crying.

  "Who is it from?" Emily asked.

  "It only says 'From a friend' on the envelope," she sobbed through her tears. Her mom's sobbing increased in intensity. They were tears of release. Her mom was letting out all the pain she had been holding onto.

  "Oh, God bless that angel! God bless them! Whoever it is, God bless them and keep them!" she exclaimed through her tears.

  While her mom sobbed, Emily's thoughts turned to Laura. She would call Laura. She slowly closed the top of her suitcase. Without any sign of emotion, she softly put it away for good. She walked over to the mirror. For some reason unknown to her, she wanted to see her own face. In the future, she thought, she might not recognize the Emily she thought she knew.

  Chapter 6

  Emily's phone rang. It was Laura. "Emily, it's time. Your first job. One of my top clients. Write down this information," she said. "Remember what we talked about. Follow what I said and you'll be fine. Don't forget; your working name is Kimber. Just Kimber. Let me know how it goes."

  She showered and dressed. She was as nervous as she's ever been. She tried to keep Laura's words of advice and encouragement in her mind. The money that Laura provided allowed her to buy new clothes. Laura even sent Christina to go shopping with her. Christina knew exactly what to get and where to get it. They got to know each other, and became friends. They talked about everything, including their mothers. They talked about the business, and the men in their business. Christina was a font of knowledge, kindness, and support to Emily. Christina calmed Emily's nerves.

  The cab was waiting outside her door to take her to her destination. She got in and didn't have to speak a word. The driver knew beforehand. As she stared out the window of passing brownstones, she understood she was losing her virginity tonight in more ways than one.

  She rang the doorbell of the large house. Mitch Jr. opened the door and looked at Emily from head to toe, saying, "You must be Kimber. Hello, I'm Mitch, Jr." Emily forced a wan smile, shook hands, and crossed the threshold of the entryway.

  "How about a drink? I just made a gin and tonic for myself," he offered. Emily thought it might not be a bad idea. She had to loosen up.

  "Red wine. Cabernet if you have it," Emily responded.

  "Sure do. Give me a second," Mitch Jr. answered. He found a bottle in the immense kitchen area, pulling a bottle out of the wine closet. Through the sliding glass doors next to the kitchen was an opulent pool and spa area, with its own pool house. It was very private, being
surrounded by evergreens on all three sides. She wondered where they were going to do it. He poured a glass of the cabernet and handed it to her. He clinked her glass with his gin and tonic.