For the Pleasure of Men

by Nora Weaving

  “But I did better than one customer. I had many.”

  This time Damianos stopped walking and looked at her. “Many?” He paused, reflecting, “That is quite a fine start.”

  They reached Kalliope’s small room. Damianos helped her lie down on her stomach.

  “Thank you for being so kind,” Kalliope said, sad to see Damianos leave.

  “Of course. I will check on you tomorrow.”

  Kalliope knew that Damianos was only being kind and that he wouldn’t actually come back. She bid him goodnight and watched him slip through her curtain.

  Once she was alone, she finally let herself cry.

  She missed Gaia.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Eight

  * * * * *

  News of Spyro’s brutish behavior spread quickly, and Kalliope was catapulted into the spotlight overnight. Many of the women came up to her at breakfast, cursing Spyro and saying how sorry they were to hear what happened. Many also confided about their terrible first experiences with Spyro. Apparently, Spyro was not nearly as rough with women after his so-called “breaking in.”

  Kalliope went to visit Aella twice, just as instructed, and Harmena accompanied her on both trips.

  “You’re famous now,” Harmena teased.

  Kalliope felt uneasy. This was certainly not the way she imagined befriending the other women of the brothel.

  “I tried to warn you that he was no good.”

  “Well you didn’t say he was going to beat me!” Kalliope snapped.

  Harmena looked embarrassed. “I...I didn’t know. I just knew that he liked to be rough on his first encounters. I don’t know from experience though. He’s never shown any interest in me.”

  “Lucky you.”

  As the women were walking back to their room, Priska came hurrying up, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed.

  “Kalliope!” she said excitedly. It was the first time she had directly addressed her. “Hurry! You have a visitor!”

  Kalliope looked over at Harmena with surprise and she looked equally shocked.

  “Damianos!” Priska exclaimed, “Hurry!”

  Kalliope’s eyes widened and the trio of women hurried down the hallway.

  “Your room is not fit to see him. He’s waiting in a bigger room.”

  “But why? He saw it last night.”

  Priska puffed out a huge breath of air and shook her head.

  Before Kalliope could say another word, Priska shoved her into the room where Damianos waited. Priska and Harmena disappeared.

  “Kalliope.”

  The voice was rich and sultry, dark and comforting. Kalliope turned slowly around to its owner.

  Damianos leaned against a nearby wall, his face even more handsome than she remembered. His bright blue eyes were piercing, and he looked at Kalliope with such care and concern that she had to steady herself before opening her mouth.

  “Damianos. I didn’t expect to see you.”

  “I was worried about you. I told you that I would come check on you.”

  “Yes,” Kalliope said slowly, “but I didn’t actually think you would.”

  “Kalliope,” Damianos’ voice was stern and commanding and Kalliope could just imagine what he was like in the bedroom.

  Her sex throbbed with the thought of him using that stern tone while giving her orders.

  “I am, if anything, a man of my word. If I promise to do something, you can be certain it will happen.” His eyes burned with promise, and Kalliope thought she saw just a hint of lust behind their fierceness.

  “I’m sorry, I doubted you. Please forgive me as I acquaint myself with so many new people.”

  “Of course,” he said graciously. “Now tell me, how are you feeling today?”

  “Better,” she admitted, “Though I’m still quite sore. I’ve been ordered to rest the next two days.”

  Damianos nodded thoughtfully. “Tell me, have you been treated well?”

  Kalliope studied Damianos. She couldn’t understand why he seemed to care so much, or why he seemed so invested in her. “Yes. Well enough. I don’t want any special treatment,” she sniffed, raising her head proudly. Kalliope certainly didn’t want to be known at Hera Selene as a woman who received preferential treatment. She wanted to build her own name and success.

  Damianos’ face darkened. “I told Priska that I didn’t want Spyro going anywhere near you but she told me she couldn’t make any promises,” he growled.

  Kalliope paled. She hadn’t thought about meeting again with Spyro in the future, and possibly having to sleep with him again. She knew that Priska was right, though. She couldn’t ban customers, especially if they were well paying ones.

  “Let’s hope he’s better behaved then,” Kalliope said grimly. She would have to deal with that when the time came.

  Damianos moved towards Kalliope, and she marveled at his height. Standing before her, Damianos was nearly an entire head taller than she. “Where are you from?” he asked softly. “I know nothing about you.”

  Kalliope flashed him a small smile. “You know nothing about me, because we just met. I’m from a small village up north.”

  Damianos’ gaze was intense, and Kalliope could feel the air spark between them. Her heart was suddenly hammering in her chest, and she feared that Damianos would be able to hear it.

  He reached out and gently touched her cheek. “And how does a lovely country girl from the north find herself in the most exclusive brothel in all of Athens?” His question was but a whisper, yet something about it made Kalliope dizzy with desire.

  “I was brought here by a soldier named Orestes. He discovered me in a brothel. He made the owner an offer she could not refuse.” Kalliope looked away, the sadness still fresh in her mind.

  Damianos picked up on her change in mood. “Did you not want to leave your former workplace?”

  Kalliope shook her head. “It was more than a place of employment. It was my home. I had been there since I was six years old. The owner, she was like a mother to me.” She looked away, not wanting Damianos to see the gulf of emotion in her eyes. She didn’t want his pity, either.

  But instead of pitying her, Damianos said, “If she had been like a mother, then I am certain she sold you only because she thought it was best for you. That is what mothers do. They make hard decisions that you sometimes can’t understand, but they do it with your best interests at heart. I’m sure it was very difficult for her.”

  Kalliope turned around to look at him, floored by the honesty and truth in his words. “What makes you say that?” she whispered.

  Now Damianos looked away. “I know from experience,” he said gruffly. He cleared his throat, the moment gone, and looked back at Kalliope. He smiled slyly. “I heard you are a beautiful singer. Would you do the pleasure of serenading me?”

  Kalliope protested.

  “Just one song!” he said quickly.

  The problem with Damianos was that Kalliope couldn’t refuse him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before singing a Greek hymn. Damianos was riveted, and at one point he closed his eyes, as if ridding himself of sight would help him listen better.

  When Kalliope finished, she looked at him. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but the air still hung with the last notes of her song. Damianos opened his eyes and looked at her, and in that instant, Kalliope knew she would do anything that Damianos asked of her.

  “Kalliope,” he said hoarsely, coming to her. “I must go away for a few weeks. But I want to know if when I return, I could come to you?”

  “Come to me?” she asked slowly, not quite understanding what Damianos was asking.

  “Yes. To your bed,” he explained. “Will you take me if I come to the brothel for you?”

  “But,” Kalliope stuttered, “You don’t have to ask. You can have anyone you want when you come to the brothel.”

  Kalliope was confused. The male customers could request whomever they wanted. The women didn’t get to pick and choose who
m they would sleep with.

  “Yes, I know. But I want you to want me in your bed. I can’t bear the thought of you taking me to your bedroom if only out of obligation.” His cerulean eyes burned into her, and Kalliope had to look away from the intensity. She didn’t need to think about the question. Her answer was obvious and unwavering.

  “Yes,” she said simply, looking up at him. “I will gladly take you to into my bed.”

  Damianos sighed with pleasure and relief. “If only you were well enough to take me tonight. I’m afraid that I leave first thing in the morning. But I will come back soon, and I promise you that my first night home will find me back here. I shall think of nothing else except what your glorious body looks like unrobed, and the way your soft skin will feel against my flesh.” He brought his mouth to her ear. “I will be hard just thinking about you submitting to me.”

  Kalliope gasped at his words, and hot, liquid desire bubbled up within her. She wanted more than anything to fall before Damianos and let him have his way with her. Damianos smiled a sly, seductive grin before stalking out of the room.

  Kalliope stood there in shock, not quite believing what had just happened. The most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on had just promised to visit her bed once he returned. She wasn’t quite sure how she would survive the next few weeks as she anticipated his return. Nerves got the best of her, and she dropped to her knees, wondering if she could ever live up to his expectations.

  Priska came hurrying in, interrupting her thoughts. “What did he want?” she asked, hustling Kalliope out of the borrowed room.

  “He wanted to check on me since he helped me last evening. He’s going away tomorrow, but he wants to be a customer of mine when he returns.”

  Priska raised her eyebrows, clearly impressed. “Well, well, well. The little peasant turns out to be doing quite well for herself. If you keep up like this, you won’t be stuck in that closet of a room for much longer.”

  Kalliope grinned. She hurried off to find Harmena. She had to confide in someone. The anticipation of fucking Damianos was going to make for a long few weeks.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Nine

  * * * * *

  Running a hand over her wild hair, Kalliope hurried down the hallway to the room that Priska had mentioned. A very wealthy businessman was apparently waiting for Kalliope and he had demanded to be shown to a room while he waited. Word of Kalliope had spread quickly and she could barely keep up with the steady flow of men that were showing up and requesting her services.

  Kalliope stopped before the entryway and straightened the vibrant peplos that had once belonged to Gaia’s mother. She touched the small gold chain at her neck, a simple reminder of her old life. She smoothed her hair one last time, the new bangles around her wrist jingled gently. She had pleased a new customer so well a few days ago that he had sent over a set of beautifully braided bracelets. The bangles were quickly becoming the envy of all the women at Hera Selene.

  Taking a deep breath, Kalliope slipped into the room, ready to submit to the powerful client.

  * * *

  “So, how was he?” Harmena asked the following morning as she and Kalliope munched on a late breakfast.

  “I don’t know who you mean,” Kalliope said absentmindedly.

  Kalliope knew exactly whom Harmena was talking about. The wealthy businessman from last night. He had a reputation of not being very attractive, but being an absolute tiger in the bedroom.

  The rumors were completely true.

  While Kalliope had not found herself the least bit attracted to the man, once he had bound and blindfolded her, Kalliope had been panting and begging for more. What he lacked in appearance, he certainly made up for in experience. In fact, just thinking about him, made Kalliope squirm in her seat. She could remember just how thick and strong he felt inside her, and the dirty things his mouth had done to the sweet flesh between her legs.

  Harmena narrowed her eyes. “You’re practically salivating,” she accused. “He was that good wasn’t he?” she exclaimed. “That’s what I heard! I’m so jealous!”

  Apparently, the man visited Hera Selene frequently but Harmena hadn’t yet been graced by his visit.

  Kalliope had been at Hera Selene for nearly three weeks and once she had recovered from the incident with Spyro, she had seen a huge increase in customers. While most of the other women seemed to like Kalliope, a few kept their distance. Kalliope tried hard not to alienate the anyone, she didn’t want to make enemies. Quite the contrary, she was hoping to befriend as many of the courtesans as she could.

  Kalliope was eager to earn enough to be able to move into larger living quarters. Priska said that she imagined Kalliope would be able to move by the end of the week. As if this news weren't exciting enough, in a week's time Damianos was due to return from his trip. Just the mere thought of Damianos sent a jolt of sexual excitement through her body.

  Trying hard not to let her mind run away with dirty thoughts, she turned back to Harmena.

  “How was your night last night? The one soldier you were with was incredibly handsome.”

  Harmena ducked her head at the question. Kalliope could have sworn that she blushed.

  “Harmena?” she whispered, looking around to see if anyone was paying attention to them. “You’re blushing!”

  “Shh! It’s not a big deal!”

  “Of course it is! What is it?”

  “It’s just that I really like him! He’s different than the other men.”

  “I know! He was incredibly handsome.”

  “Yes, he is handsome, but he treats me better. He’s so kind to me.” Harmena paused, unsure she should say more. “And he asks to see me more,” she said quickly.

  Kalliope was confused.

  “But that’s a good thing. You want your clients to come see you more.”

  “No, not like that. He asks to see me during the day. He doesn’t want to just see me at night.”

  Kalliope gasped and then motioned for Harmena not to say any more. Melina was looking over at them with a curious and inquisitive expression. Kalliope shoved the last of her berries in her mouth and stood up to leave.

  Harmena followed her and once they were safely in the hallways, Kalliope turned to Harmena, her gaze was stern. “What in the world did you tell him? Hopefully you discouraged him, you could get kicked out for that!”

  Harmena hurried alongside of her, pulling Kalliope towards the baths.

  “I didn’t say anything. I know that we’re not supposed to do that, but it sounds so amazing, doesn’t it?”

  Kalliope shook her head. “No, it doesn’t. This place is incredible. I wish you could have seen the brothel where I came from. It was small, crowded and dirty. We lived on top of each other and we didn’t have any nice things.” Kalliope paused. “You can have anything here.”

  Harmena shrugged off her comment. “I guess everyone has their own perspective,” she said sullenly.

  Kalliope rolled her eyes as they approached the baths. “Ok, so what do you think will happen if you were to agree to see him? Would you sneak him inside and sleep with him during the day? Would you sneak out of here and have sex with him up there?” Kalliope motioned upwards to signify the world above. “You’re a prostitute, Harmena. He’s not going to make an honest woman out of you.”

  Harmena’s face fell. Apparently, deep down she hoped that he might.

  “You never know,” she said defensively as she slipped off her robe and sank into the baths. Kalliope followed suit.

  “I don’t know much about this life in Athens, but I know enough to know that men don’t just do that. He might have a family-’’

  “He doesn’t!”

  Kalliope sighed. “That doesn’t mean anything. Just be careful. Don’t jeopardize what you have for some romantic fling.”

  Harmena looked hurt and Kalliope hoped she hadn’t crossed the line. She still didn’t know Harmena that well, but she truly cared for the woman and would hate to see h
er thrown in the streets because of a horny man's promises.

  At that moment, Elektra showed up. Kalliope was still trying to decide how she felt about Elektra, but she liked her enough, even though she seemed a bit of a loose cannon.

  Elektra called out to them and made her way across the baths towards them. She smiled brightly; her dark hair pulled into a tight knot on her head. She dipped her entire body under the surface of the water. She came up, glistening and dripping.

  “What are you ladies talking about? Actually, I don’t care because you know what I heard? I heard that a few more men have been permitted to enter Hera Selene.” She smiled broadly, flashing her perfect white teeth in what could only be construed as a predatory grin.

  Now Harmena rolled her eyes. “Watch out Elektra, you have Kalliope to compete with now,” she teased.

  Elektra was one of the young favorites at Hera Selene, known for her brass personality, eagerness to try anything and her incredibly limber body. Elektra gave Kalliope a tight smile. “We’ll see who gets the most men.”

  “Not interested in competing, Elektra,” Kalliope said, as she dipped her hair into the water and began scrubbing at her scalp with a fragrant bar of soap. Since Elektra had joined them, Kalliope and Harmena had stopped talking about the soldier. But Kalliope still worried that Harmena might do something foolish. That day went by quickly and Kalliope never found another moment to speak with Harmena about the topic.

  * * *

  Three days later Kalliope was sitting in Melina’s room, asking her for advice on braiding, when Priska came in search of her.

  “I’m sorry, Melina, but I must take Kalliope from you.”

  Kalliope gave Melina an apologetic look and followed Priska.

  Priska placed a heavy black velvet coin purse into her palm.

  “What’s this?”

  “A gift.”

  “From who?” Kalliope had only just received the bracelets as a gift and she couldn’t imagine who else would be sending her such a present.