Around the World in 80 Men

by Brandi Ratliff

  “No, no, I couldn't possibly...” Morgan protested. Just the shoes and dress had to be over $1,000, Morgan thought to herself, and Julianne had already purchased a dozen other dresses, as well as skirts, tops, shorts, jeans, tank tops and matching accessories for each outfit.

  “No, I insist, you will look absolutely amazing in this one, dear, as well as the others,” Julianne cut her off.

  The two of them had said their farewells to Cade and Dennis, and Morgan had spent the better half of the day, in and out of dressing rooms, modeling for Julianne. The first couple of times, Julianne would quickly approach the young girl, reaching her long fingers into Morgan's bra and would lift her breasts until maximum cleavage was achieved. Morgan caught on quickly and did it herself before leaving the dressing room so Julianne wouldn't need to fondle her again.

  “Okay, I'll pay for this, you finish your champagne, and now that we have some clothing for you, we need to work on that complexion. Oh, and this, too,” Julianne added, plucking a push-up bra from a nearby display. “We'll get you more of these later, but for now, this will do.”

  Morgan's cheeks turned red once more and she resisted the urge to cover her breasts with her hands in an instinct to hide them from Julianne. She then smiled, it's like the kind real women wear, and actually looked forward to trying it on.

  Julianne did as she said, paid for the garments and the two of them retreated back to the white limousine, in which the driver quickly jumped out and opened the side doors for the ladies. Morgan slid inside, gently pushing the bags that were scattered about the floor of the vehicle out of her leg space and Julianne followed.

  “Okay, now, while we're waiting for your spray-tan appointment, let's talk about what you've learned so far,” Julianne crossed her right leg over her left and poured Morgan a glass of wine from the cooler.

  “Well, I've definitely learned a lot about what I've been doing wrong. I think it went really well with Cade,” the blonde spoke, taking the glass from Julianne's hand. Morgan finally felt confident, confident enough to believe she could really do it. She smiled as she thought back on Cade, it had gone very well; he had been completely at her mercy. It felt good to have the upper hand.

  “The whole deal with making them want you, but not letting them know that you're the one who has control, that's good stuff, freakin' brilliant, actually.” Morgan laughed at her discovery of the male psyche she had only learned a few hours prior.

  Julianne smiled at her apprentice, nodding before taking a sip of wine. “That's the big secret, Morgan. That's all there is to it. Any guy can find a street hooker, they're a dime a dozen, you know this. But women like us,” she pointed her index finger back and forth between the two of them, “no, no, we're not a dime a dozen, child. Like goddamn diamonds, we are. You're not just for an evening round or two at a podunk hotel room. We don't have Deliverance clients, either. These men are top of the line. They want the best, they pay for the best. You, my dear, are the best.” She gave Morgan a subtle wink and held her glass out in the middle of the limo cabin, suggesting a toast. Morgan clinked her glass against the older woman's, toasting their chance meeting and more importantly, the start of Morgan's new life.

  *****

  “Shit, shit, shit....it's so cold!” Morgan stood butt naked, spread eagle behind the little partition at the tanning salon.

  “Don't move, Morgan, you'll mess it all up!” Julianne warned her. “You don't want to look like an oompa-loompa, now do you?”

  “Oh...my...God! I think my nipples could cut glass right now, how much longer?”

  “Fifteen...eleven...six....two,” Julianne counted down the remaining seconds displayed on the spray tan machine. Beeeeeep. “There, all done, now you just have to wait for it to dry, no, don't you put that shirt on!” Morgan was caught in mid-bend, reaching for her tee shirt when Julianne poked her head around the flimsy wall.

  Morgan was reminded of how her puppy must have felt when she reprimanded him for peeing on the carpet and giggled to herself, bad Morgan!

  “Okay, okay,” the naked girl agreed, wrapping her hands around her chest. She wasn't used to everyone and their mom seeing her naked, but it was another thing she was going to have to get used to. She sighed and removed her arms from her chest and strut like a peacock with confidence to the little blue stool in the corner, crossing her legs as she sat. “How long?”

  “Fifteen minutes, at least. We don't want streaks, and get up from there or your bottom will smudge.”

  Morgan sighed and did as she was told. After all, nobody liked a smudged bottom. “So, question...” she began, walking over to Julianne who was now completely behind the partition. With a voice not much higher than a whisper, Morgan asked her question, “so, are these guys, you know, clean? Are they checked or anything?”

  Julianne laughed loudly, causing Morgan to recoil. She raised her hands in front of her and lowered them, trying to shush the laughing hyena. Morgan peeked outside of the little room, making sure no unwanted guests were eavesdropping.

  The curly-haired woman finally calmed down, “Sorry, sorry, it's only so funny how shy you are about all of this. Let loose, it's nothing to be ashamed of, Morgan. We're just business women, who happen to conduct business a little differently than most. But, to your question, I'm glad you asked. I'll have you know, that yes, all of our clients are checked at least three times a year for any potential problems. If any red flags appear, they're immediately dropped from the database.”

  Morgan let out a sigh of relief, it was a question that had been lingering in her mind all day, but now a new curiosity arose, “database?”

  Twenty minutes later, the women were seated inside the limousine, heading back to the hotel for the afternoon.

  Morgan took another smooth sip of champagne, and asked again about Julianne's database.

  “Well, it's my client collection, of course. I have them all over the world, and when we get back to my room, I'll show you everything.” Julianne clearly dropped the subject, and the women enjoyed their ride back to the Windsor.

  As they walked through the lobby of the hotel, Julianne motioned for a man standing next to the customer counter. When he approached, “Charles, send up a few of the chef's specials, along with salad and a nice selection if desserts.” Charles nodded, “right away.” Then walked off in the direction of the kitchen.

  Morgan envied her, the way Julianne commanded a room, not to mention the lavish lifestyle that she had provided for herself. “Julianne, do they know what you do?” Morgan covertly moved her eyes around the room to indicate the staff of the Windsor.

  “I imagine some do, why? Money spends the same, no matter how it's earned.” Her smile was infectious, and they both carried one all the way to the fifth floor.

  Once inside the suite, Julianne walked straight to her computer and motioned for Morgan to pull up a chair. When the young girl did, Julianne opened her database. “This page shows me all of my contacts. And this page,” she clicked the green 'available' button, “shows me who is in need of companionship at any given time.” She pointed to the men on the screen, and then showed Morgan where to look for their bio pages.

  As Julianne scrolled to the proper area of the screen, she asked, “Oh, I forgot, you do have a passport, right?' Something that important didn't often get by Julianne. But the older women instantly thought that her new girl could stay local until she got one, if need be.

  “Yep. Not that I've ever used it, but I have it.” She kept her face glued to the screen.

  Morgan's eyes grew wide at the men in front of her. Most were young, some were breathtaking. She couldn't understand why any of them would need to pay for companionship of any kind, especially sex. As if reading her mind, Julianne put her out of her misery with an explanation.

  “Dear, these men aren't looking for a wife. They're not even interested in a girlfriend. They just want to spend a week or two with a beautiful woman who knows how to please them, it's quite simple really.” When Morgan di
dn't answer, Julianne continued, “what would happen, Morgan, if any of these men invited a woman that they had just met on a dinner cruise aboard their yacht?”

  “Well, I imagine that any woman would feel lucky, and probably enjoy a nice evening on a yacht.” Morgan smiled, but never took her eyes from the screen.

  “What if the next day, that same man invited the same woman to fly to Sicily with him for an authentic Italian meal?” Julianne's brows raised, waiting for Morgan to respond.

  “The next day? Hmmm, I would say that the woman would be picking out her wedding dress because men just don't do that unless they're in love or something.”

  “Exactly!” Julianne's exclamation brought Morgan's attention around. “Morgan, that is how they live each and every day. It isn't something special or out of the ordinary, it's their lives. And when they want the company of a woman for a nice meal, or a trip, the woman always thinks that he pulled out all the stops just for her. It gets complicated very quickly, and most wealthy men have simply tired from the uncomfortable scene of telling a woman that he only wanted to spend some time with her.”

  Morgan nodded, it made perfect sense. “So, gorgeous wealthy men would rather pay for their companion, so that there are no misunderstandings or hurt feelings.” She nodded again, mainly to herself. Then she looked back at the screen.

  “One more question, Julianne. Don't these guys ever want love? I mean, a real relationship?” Morgan ran her finger down along the screen, touching each of their faces.

  “Oh, they all do eventually. I lose clients all the time to the inevitable love bug, but I gain more all the time too.”

  “I wonder how many of them are married?” Morgan asked the question out loud, not knowing that Julianne already had the answer.

  “None. I won't allow infidelity by my doing, it's just a rule of mine that I won't break. I watched my own mother live through that nightmare with my father's secretary, and I'll have no part in facilitating an affair of any kind.” Julianne had clearly closed that subject as well.

  Morgan was still staring at the screen when Julianne quietly walked away to give the young girl some time to choose her first client. She held her hand over the mouse, and clicked through the men as if she were buying a new outfit. Too short. Too chubby. Too old. When she came across anyone that showed promise, she quickly read his bio and and scratched a note on the paper beside her.

  Twenty minutes into her search, she came across Finlay Campbell. She clicked his photo to enlarge it. “Holy shit!” He was gorgeous. Very tall, but hard to tell exactly how tall in the photo. He had dark brown hair that just reached the top of his shoulders, and a chest that screamed for Morgan to reach out and touch, and grope, and lick it. Repeatedly. His bio explained that Finlay owned a large hotel chain, and loved to travel. He typically requires the companionship of a woman for one week, but would extend that time if they were both agreeable. “I'm agreeable.”

  When Julianne heard Morgan's voice, she walked back into the main room.

  “Have you decided on a client? Or are you just talking to the screen of beautiful men for your own entertainment?” Julianne laughed, and sat down next to her prodigy.

  “Oh, I see you've found Findlay. He's quite a looker, not to mention he's always a perfect gentleman. Is he the one you want?” She leaned forward, looking at the man with Morgan.

  “Oh, yes, he's the one I want.” Morgan ran her finger across his face, and playfully sighed at his image.

  “Well then! I'll make the arrangements, and you need to get some rest. Because Sunday morning, my dear, you're going to Scotland.”

  Chapter 6

  Sunday morning? Just like that. Three days and she was on her own. Morgan remembered the girl she had told Julianne about, the girl who had sold her 'companionship'. She wondered how that girl would react if she could walk down the road and just click on whichever guy she wanted. Morgan closed the door to her hotel room and walked over to her bed, letting herself fall backwards onto the down comforter and overkill of pillows.

  She felt like a giddy schoolgirl, or perhaps a woman who had just won the lottery. Yes, that was it. Not only did she feel like a million dollars, she knew that this feeling had to be nothing compared to what was to come. Yachts, fancy hotels, fluffy robes, toes in the sand. She grabbed one of the pillows, hugging it tightly, she smiled against its cool surface and thanked the universe for the gift she had received. Not knowing why she received it, but she didn't even care.

  Morgan sat up on the bed and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and briefly wondered if she would be good enough. She was gaining confidence by the second, but these guys must have had girls bowing to their greatness, how was she to compete? “Just be better than the rest, I suppose,” she whispered into the empty room.

  She grabbed the ends of her hair and held it up in front of her, examining the strands carefully. The dirty blonde shade didn't seem to match well with her new tan, and through her close scrutinizing, she noticed her split ends desperately needed addressed.

  Julianne had already set her up with a bank account. The woman was good, you had to give her that. She had explained to Morgan that there was already $5,000 in the account and it was hers to use as she desired. Julianne referred to the cash as an 'enlistment bonus', which had made Morgan laugh as she pictured an army of whore's marching down the street with leather whips. Julianne had also explained that each day spent accompanying a client, Morgan was to receive $2,500 directly deposited into the account. The rest was Julianne's. Pimp fees, of course.

  Morgan decided she would spend the rest of the afternoon pampering herself, making sure she was in tip-top shape for her first job.

  Not wanting to bother Julianne again,and not knowing where her Madam had disappeared to, she took the elevator downstairs to the spa room and asked one of the masseuse's if they knew of any good hair salons in the area. Their reply was better than she had expected when they told her that if she were to walk outside and make a left, there was a salon attached to the building, in which they also added, they only hired the best stylists.

  “Well, that's convenient! Great, thanks!” Morgan continued her giddy spell and she nearly skip-walked down the hallway toward the front exit. Containing her excitement was going to be one of the hardest parts, she thought.

  Nearly three hours later, Morgan had undergone a complete makeover. Her hair was lightened to an ultra light blonde, but still looked completely natural. They had also added some subtle lowlights throughout, as well a manicure, pedicure, eyebrow waxing and with some careful consideration, she even opted for a Brazilian wax to make sure she had one less thing to worry about throughout her companionship journey.

  Once back in her room again, Morgan examined her new self in the full-length mirror on the closet door. “Wow,” she whispered. She looked like a new woman, a blonde bombshell. Her tan was just a few shades darker than her normal tone, and he hair was a few shades lighter, but it made all the difference.

  She reached past the mirror and slid the heavy closet door to the side and ran her fingers over her new wardrobe. Morgan shook her head back and forth, still not fully capable of accepting what was to come.

  “Three days,” she said aloud. “Scotland.” She exhaled loudly. Finlay. She was sure to put the 'lay' in his name. She wondered again how tall he really was and decided to go back to the Julianne's computer again and check the database, maybe he had another picture?

  Morgan looked around the room, Julianne still wasn't back, but she figured Boss wouldn't mind her stealing another peek at her first client. She wheeled the leather chair out from under the long marble table and turned it to face her. She sat down like a teenager plopping onto their bed with a new Cosmo magazine and ending up overestimating its durability, and the chair fell backward.

  The young girl flailed for a few moments as the chair finally met its demise against the ground, the left arm of the chair cracked loudly and separated from the rest of the piece. Morgan stopped flopp
ing like a fish long enough to gather what had just happened. “Damnit,” she cursed the possessed furniture.

  Blondie gathered herself and stood, flicking invisible dust from her jeans as she did so. “Well this is just great,” she continued speaking to the chair as she picked up its broken arm. Caught with her hand in the cookie-jar again, Morgan heard the click of the card being accepted in the electronic lock outside. Acting on her first impulse, she kicked the broken arm underneath the table and ran-walked across the room, pretending to be extremely interested in her reflection in the big mirror that took up at least four feet of wall, as Julianne walked through the threshold of the room.

  “Oh, darling, you're here, great! Sorry about disappearing, I had to run to the, goodness, look at you!” Julianne made a spin with her index finger, suggesting Morgan give a spin. Morgan obliged, turning slowly for her. Julianne approached her, taking her locks between her fingers, raising a chunk, then letting it fall to Morgan's shoulder's. “I love it!” She took Morgan's hands in her own and admired her nails as well and was even more thrilled with the news of the Brazilian.

  “Nervous yet?” Julianne blurted out as she sashayed across the floor, straightening the already spotless room.

  The question caught the younger of the two women off guard. Not because of the question necessarily, but because the arm of the chair was sticking out from underneath the table and Julianne was getting dangerously close to discovering it as she made her way around the bed, tucking in the already tucked in sheets.

  “Nope, I think I've got this,” Morgan lied. Hell yes she was nervous. She didn't want Julianne to know it though, but she was sure she could see through her lie.

  Julianne stopped tucking and turned to face her, “good, you shouldn't be. You're a natural. I just got done talking to Cade, he seems to think so too. I knew you'd be great, I told you, I just knew it.”