Audrey of Farmerton

by M. Gregg Roe

  After it had been suggested to her, Audrey had found herself continuing to think about it. She knew that prostitution was perfectly legal in the Witch’s City. The thought of making money in that manner was disgusting, but it was somehow intriguing and exciting as well. There were nights when she was seriously tempted to go to Saxloc’s room and just throw herself at him, much as she had done in Farmerton. But if he should reject her—which she considered likely—it would be the end. His parents would kick her out, and she would end up living in squalor with a poor-paying job.

  What finally convinced her to actually investigate the possibility was one of the other students. Her name was Kora, and she was in her mid-twenties. She primarily attended the advanced class, but she sometimes acted as an assistant instructor or taught self-defense classes, much like Nissa. She was short, flat-chested, and rather plain. But she had large green eyes, and her lustrous brown hair hung all the way to her waist. Audrey liked Kora because she was a patient teacher, but she really didn’t know anything about her because she was so shy and quiet. One day in the changing room, Kora mentioned that she had worked as a prostitute for several years when she was younger in order to earn money. Audrey was shocked by the revelation, and then Nissa said that she had also done it for a while!

  Unable to contain her curiosity, Audrey questioned them both about their experiences. Nissa had worked at a low-class establishment called “Binette’s Boudoir”. She ended up quitting because some of the men that frequented the place had been abusive, but she told Audrey that the pay had been good.

  Kora was reluctant to talk at the school, so the two of them ended up going out for a walk to the nearby lake. The establishment that Kora had worked at was called “Desires”. She described its location, and Audrey was startled. It wasn’t far at all from the mansion, and she had walked by it dozens of times without suspecting a thing. Kora explained that there was no sign on the outside; it looked just like any other nice house in the area.

  Desires was a very high-end brothel. It catered exclusively to the wealthy and charged a great deal for the supplied services. Kora had earned enough to be able to afford her own house in a decent area not far from the school. She spoke very favorably of her time there, and of Aurelia, the woman who owned and operated it. Kora encouraged her to go and see the place for herself and to speak with Aurelia about possible employment.

  Audrey went there the very next morning. She took an indirect route, arriving via the back entrance that Kora had told her about. An utterly gorgeous half-elf with swarthy skin, long silver hair, and large amber eyes answered the door after Audrey knocked. She looked to be about thirty and was wearing a form-fitting maroon dress that perfectly suited her slim and shapely figure. Her smile revealed teeth that were perfectly straight and brilliantly white.

  “Welcome to Desires,” the woman said in a lovely voice. “My name is Lilina and I will be your guide. What is your desire, my lady? Male? Female? Both?”

  Audrey just stared at her with her mouth hanging open and her face turning red. They have male prostitutes available! Such a thing had never even occurred to her, and she couldn’t help imagining what it would be like.

  “I see that you have never been here before, my lady,” continued Lilina. Her low voice was remarkably sexy. “I should warn you that our fees are quite steep.”

  “Uh … no,” Audrey finally managed to reply. “I … I wanted to inquire about working here. I think.” She could tell that her face was still bright red.

  Lilina was unperturbed. “Very good, my lady. Please to enter and be seated. I shall see if Lady Aurelia is available.”

  She stepped back and Audrey entered the building, finding herself in a small sitting room elegantly furnished in red and gold. She was relieved that there was no one else there, and immediately began praying to Lasrina that no one else would arrive while she was waiting. Lilina exited through the only other door, closing it behind her.

  Audrey sat down in one of the incredibly comfortable chairs and tried to calm herself. After about two minutes, she heard the door open and saw that Lilina had returned. She held the door and motioned at Audrey. “If you would please to come this way, my lady.”

  She followed Lilina down a hallway and up a narrow set of stairs. She admired the sexy way that the woman walked, and was already planning to try to imitate her when she got home. At the top of the stairs, there was a small landing with doors on all three walls. A small skylight in the sloped ceiling provided illumination. Lilina opened the door to the right and gestured for her to enter.

  The room inside was smaller than Audrey had been expecting, and as free of spurious decoration as Grasapa’s office. It was narrow but deep, with a large window that looked out on the wooded area that she had passed through on her way in. There was a wide desk beneath the window with several neat piles of paper upon it, and a simple wooden chair in front of it. The rest of the room was filled by a small table with two chairs on either side. The only things on the table were a white ceramic teapot and two matching cups.

  Sitting at the table was a truly ancient-looking elf. She was bone-thin, with leathery skin, and short hair completely gone to gray. She was wearing a white shirt, black pants, and a very stern expression.

  After Lilina quietly closed the door, Aurelia said, “Sit down,” in a blunt, emotionless voice.

  Audrey quickly obeyed, selecting the chair directly opposite her. Aurelia poured tea into both cups and pushed one across to her. She took a sip and was pleasantly surprised; it had a fruity flavor and was delicious.

  “Well?” she asked, staring intently and making Audrey nervous. “Introduce yourself, girl. Tell me about yourself, or stop wasting my time.”

  “Uh … my name is Audrey av Marilee. I’m from Farmerton. That’s—”

  “Small village. Fog Lake region.” She still looked very stern.

  Audrey was startled. “Uh … yes, that’s right, Lady Aurelia.”

  The woman actually seemed to be trying to smile now, but Audrey thought it looked more frightening than friendly. “Very good. So you can be polite. Now drink your tea and then we will talk about who you are and why you are here.”

  Audrey smiled nervously. “Yes, Lady Aurelia.”

  Later that day, she found herself wondering if Aurelia had put something in the tea, and months later she suspected that the woman had actually used magic on her during the interview. There simply wasn’t any other explanation for why she had been so forthcoming. She told her in detail how she had come to be living in the Witch’s City and engaged to Saxloc. She talked about her training, and about her concerns about being forced to move out. At one point Aurelia told her to take off all of her clothes, and she did it without hesitation or shame.

  At the end of the interview, Lilina returned and Aurelia said to her, “Audrey av Marilee. Standard offer. Literate. Non-virgin. Safe. Student of Grasapa.” Aurelia stood up and went to her desk while Lilina led Audrey to a small office nearby.

  After they were both seated, Lilina pulled several sheets of paper from a drawer, made notations on some of them, and then handed them across to her. “My congratulations, Lady Audrey. Desires is pleased to offer you employment as one of our courtesans.”

  “Courtesans?” asked Audrey, remembering that Kora had used the word.

  “Yes, Lady Audrey. That is the term we prefer. Some of our clients seek sexual favors, but many do not. Some wish only for a dinner companion, or someone with which to converse.”

  “I see. I had not expected that, Lady Lilina.” She was trying to imitate Lilina’s formal way of speaking, which was much like Cinda’s.

  “This is not simply a brothel, Lady Audrey. You will need significant training before acting the role of courtesan. You will, however, not be required to receive self-defense instruction because of your prior experience. We take the safety of our courtesans seriously.”

  “That’s good. Uh … how long do I have to decide?”

  “The offer is valid
for three months. The details are in the papers. Should you accept, a legal contract will be executed between yourself and this business, spelling out all responsibilities on both sides.”

  That sounded reasonable. “What did Lady Aurelia mean by safe?”

  “That you have a safe place to reside. Is that not so?”

  “Uh … yes. I do.” It was hard to imagine a safer place to live.

  Lilina nodded. “That is well. Had you not, we would have provided housing while you considered our offer.” She stood and gestured. “Now I shall give you a tour of the premises. Please to follow me, Lady Audrey.”

  The tour was both interesting and thorough. Part of the building was for entertaining clients. The rooms were of a variety of sizes and shapes, each decorated in a different manner. Some contained artwork that made Audrey blush just to look at. Aside from a small amount of office space, the rest of the building contained living quarters for the courtesans, which included a kitchen, dining area, laundry, and a common area. Audrey met several of the courtesans, including two male ones. They were all friendly and encouraged her to accept employment there. They certainly looked happy and well cared from what she could tell. The tour ended back in the room she had first entered.

  “Do you have any further questions, Lady Audrey?” asked Lilina.

  “No. Uh … thank you, Lady Lilina. May I go now?”

  “Of course, Lady Audrey. And please give my best to Lady Kora. I assume that it was she who referred you.”

  “Yes, she did indeed, Lady Lilina, and I am glad.”

  Audrey really was glad; she had an actual job offer now. And if having sex with strange men was the price she had to pay to continue her Shorinken training, then she would pay it. It truly meant that much to her.

  20

  ‡ Cinda ‡

  “What is this?”

  Audrey turned around and was horrified to see Cinda looking through the documents that she had received from Desires. She was also annoyed because they had been buried in a desk drawer, not laying out in plain sight. And she hadn’t been planning on telling anyone. Cinda had apparently gotten bored with her job of assistant seamstress and begun looking through the desk.

  “You sought employment at Desires?” asked Cinda as she looked through the papers. “This is an offer of employment!” she exclaimed, now smiling delightedly. “I am most impressed and quite surprised.”

  Audrey sighed and stared at her. “Yes, Cinda. I interviewed there and they made me an offer. It’s my best option if I have to move out and want to continue training, but I haven’t accepted it yet. And don’t go telling everyone.”

  Cinda held her hands out and tried to look serious. “Fear not, Audrey. I shall hold your shameful secret close. What possessed you to apply at such a place?”

  “Kora used to work there. She told me about it. She wasn’t ashamed to have worked there.”

  “I had not known that. It appears from these documents that the pay is quite generous, and they permit the refusal of clients. I had not known that either.”

  Audrey nodded. “Yes, but it has to be for a good reason, and not all the time. I can’t just refuse to service anyone who’s not young and handsome.”

  Cinda laughed. “Perhaps not, though t’would be my preference as well.” She sighed and looked downward. “If only I could choose who I would service.”

  Audrey suddenly felt depressed. Cinda was clearly referring to her upcoming arranged marriage. They sat for a while in silence before Audrey turned and resumed her sewing. The dress was taking much longer than she had planned.

  “Some of my relatives likely employ the services offered by Desires,” said Cinda suddenly. “I am certain that my own brother did before his marriage. Have you considered that you might be asked to service someone with whom you are acquainted?”

  Audrey turned and stared at Cinda in shock. That had never occurred to her. What would she do if Draymund walked in and requested her? Or Saxloc? Desires was exactly the kind of place that Celebern would utilize if he needed a companion for an event. He was probably a regular. She suddenly had a horrifying vision of Daragrim requesting her. Taking a job at Desires was starting to sound like a really bad idea.

  “Uh … no. I hadn’t thought of that.”

  Cinda stared at her. “I thought not. You would not be happy working at such a place.”

  Audrey sighed. “Yes, Cinda. You’re right.”

  After Cinda left, Audrey prayed to Lasrina. She asked that no one else ever find out that she had applied at Desires and that she would never do something so foolish again. But she kept the offer papers.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Erwin returned from his business trip on the third day of the last month of Autumn. That afternoon, she found him waiting outside the school building for her as she left to go home.

  “I’m back,” he said, looking both happy and confident. “Audrey, would you care to have dinner with me tomorrow at Lucien’s? My treat of course.”

  Audrey felt elated as she said, “I would be happy to, Erwin. That sounds wonderful. I promise to only drink water.”

  To her surprise, he looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry about last time. My father used to have a drinking problem, and seeing people become inebriated brings back bad memories.”

  “Uh … I see.” She wondered what kind of bad memories. Had his father become abusive when drunk? It was probably best not to ask. “My problem is that I keep mistakenly thinking that I will develop a tolerance for hard drink,” she explained. “I’m fond of rice wine, but I really don’t drink all that much.”

  Erwin nodded seriously. “That’s fine. I do drink occasionally, but I won’t drink tomorrow either.”

  Audrey gazed intently at him. “Good. Let’s do this right this time.” She gave him a long kiss that he returned enthusiastically. When they finished, she noticed Nissa nearby grinning at them.

  Erwin waved at Nissa and laughed. “Now I’m definitely looking forward to it. I’ll see you tomorrow, Audrey.”

  “Take care, Erwin,” she said as he turned and strode away.

  As she was deciding which route to take home, Cinda walked up beside her with her usual close-mouthed smile. “I am most envious,” she stated. “Master Erwin is a handsome young man from a good family. He would make a most excellent husband.”

  Audrey could hear the sadness in her friend’s voice. “I’ll just be happy if I don’t ruin this date like I did the last one. I’m not looking for a husband, just a boyfriend.” She realized that was the wrong thing to say as Cinda’s face fell. “Sorry,” she added.

  “It is fine. It is my lot. If you would not mind, I would hear of your date afterward. Perhaps I may learn something that will be of use when I wed.”

  Cinda’s eyes were brimming with tears. Audrey took her arm and said, “Okay, I’ll tell you afterward. Shall we walk back together?”

  “Yes. That would be lovely. I would like to hear more of your earlier dates as well.”

  That wasn’t too much to ask. Audrey told Cinda all about her first two dates with Erwin as the two of them walked through the city.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Audrey found that her gold dress needed to be altered again because her waist had gotten even smaller. That gave her a good feeling and she worked on it until the fit was perfect. It was getting cold to be wearing such a dress, but she would be wearing a cloak over it. She was looking forward to Erwin’s reaction to seeing her in it, although not to being ogled by other men.

  She took a hot bath before getting dressed for her date, and she had gone to have her hair trimmed and styled that morning. When she was ready to leave, she looked at herself in the mirror and liked what she saw. She really did feel like a different person now.

  It was much colder and misting as Audrey walked to Lucien’s, but her new cloak was both warm and resistant to moisture. Erwin was waiting for her just outside under an overhang. He smiled and greeted her as she walked up to him. They went inside and hung up thei
r cloaks. She thought he looked handsome clad in a dark red shirt, black pants, and black boots. His eyes widened when he saw what she was wearing, but he simply nodded and gazed at her appreciatively.

  They talked while waiting for their food. (Audrey had ordered only water, as she had promised.) Erwin focused more on her face than staring at her cleavage, which both surprised and pleased her. He told her about his father’s business, a company called “Finest Carpets & Rugs” that had been started by his great-grandfather. He had a younger sister, but no brothers, so he was expected to learn the business and then take over when his father decided to step aside. He told her that he had stopped his Shorinken training for the moment to focus on that. She was disappointed, but she knew that he wasn’t nearly as dedicated as she was. She told him about her frustrating search for a job and he was sympathetic.

  Leaving the restaurant afterward, they could see that the mist had given way to light rain. “So much for taking a walk,” Audrey commented.

  Erwin looked directly at her. “I know somewhere that we can go that’s dry and private. Or I can simply walk you home.”

  “How private?” she asked as she returned his gaze.

  “My parents’ estate has two small guest cottages. Neither one is being used at the moment.”

  That sounded perfect. She gave him a playful smile. “Let’s go then. I want to find out if AP powder really works, and you can help.”

  He was startled for a moment, but then he laughed and said, “I assure you that it does work, but I will be most happy to assist you in testing it.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  “I wish to know all the details,” said Cinda, sounding almost desperate. “How did it compare to your first time? What kinds of things did you do?”