Winter Flowers

This story is an entry for the

Literotica 2021 Winter Holidays Story Contest

. Please also consider reading the other competing stories. As always, ratings and comments are very much appreciated. Hope you enjoy!

***

It was the kind of fairy-tale weather. The snow was falling down weightlessly, and the cloudy sky was invisible thanks to the darkness related to the season. It was cold enough for the snow to sit and not turn into that unpleasant slush that seeps through your suede boots and turns the feet into half-melted icicles. In the horizon there loomed a promise of the starry night sky but the quarter moon that was still swaddled in its bed of cotton.

This all fitted Irina's plans perfectly. She had the makings of a hopeless romantic and the Christmas season only enhanced her sentimentality. This was all in spite of her profession, which had always been pitted as the great threat to the ideas of love and monogamy in the public discourse. But at the end of the day, she was just a normal girl.

Irina had her own Christmas tradition, begun only a year before. Every year she would choose one of her clients and provide her services for a single night pro bono. Why she did this was purely out of love for the season. Christmas was her favourite holiday, one of love and giving. The night always ended up costing her dearly, but she did not mind. She always planned her surprises with special love and detail. While she was open to suggestions and respected the limitations set upon her by her client, she always aimed to make the evening extraordinary. As someone who loved surprises, she thought it was absolutely necessary that her client suspected nothing. Then, when the surprise would be revealed, the delight would be all the more greater.

Last year it had been a certain clerk who had been her very first regular: a single man in his 40s with a fascination for roleplay. Having known him for two years and listened to him discuss his various interests, she had eventually learned that he loved crime mysteries. After some consultation with some of her friends, she had managed to organize a murder mystery evening at a certain fetish club. To the surprise of all, it gained an unexpected amount of interest from the club regulars. A lot of people volunteered to play the various parts of suspects and victims. It was a night of beautiful corpses, scandalous affairs and poisoned butt plugs. It was such a success that it turned into an annual event, all thanks to Irina and her genius.

Irina knew that this year would be more challenging. Recently the agency had received a phone call inquiring about her services and prices. Irina's agent had the prospective client briefly interviewed. It was unusually young man, so young that the agent believed it necessary to confirm his age. She had thought it a prank of some kind at first, seeing as young men rarely had the money to pay an escort. This young man, however, seemed oddly determined.

Irina then had to discuss the details about the appointment: the where, when and whats, while also prying onto any particular desires or kinks that the young man would have. He was obviously fairly new to the industry, quite unaccustomed to the usual protocol. His concern about the prices suggested that he wasn't a man of much expendable income; indeed, he was curiously interested in the bare minimum package. Even Irina's agent told her that this would probably be an easy, one-off gig that would be over in 10 minutes. The odds of him being a returning customer were laughably low.

There was something about the solemnity in this young man's voice that convinced Irina that he would be the one to receive her special Christmas gift this year. His decision to take the cheapest possible package that Irina had to offer was heart-breaking, but there was apparently no way of talking him out of it, presumably because there was just no money to spare. Seeing as Irina wasn't overly keen on playing the part of an emotionless sex doll for quarter an hour, she decided to plan out a whole night of amusement, both sexual and non-sexual in nature.

Now Irina was waiting for her mystery date to arrive. Due to his young age (only 19 years!), she had decided to approach him gently with as little reminding him of her profession as possible. She was going to give him the girlfriend experience: a date by the Christmas market, a nice dinner at an excellent restaurant and a climax at a nice, classy hotel, where she had already brought all kinds of toys and equipment that could be introduced if desired. Up to this point the young man had been rather quiet about his wishes for the night, but Irina was certain that after a couple cups of sweet, mulled wine he should feel more at ease and find it easier to express what it was that he was after.

It was seldom that Irina got to meet clients out of doors. Because of the cold weather, Irina had been compelled to dress up more modestly than she usually would when working. She was wearing a light-brown wool coat and her blonde hair had been curled into soft ringlets. Still, a hat was only weather appropriate, so she had chosen to wear a navy-blue beret. Her look was finished by black jeans, a well-fitted blue sweater, lightly heeled boots in dark suede. Only light mascara and blush, minimal make-up. It reminded Irina of the outfits she used to wear for modelling auditions.

Had she wished to do so, Irina could still have worked in modelling. She had a tall, slender body and barely any breasts to speak of. Often her clients asked her why she had left that industry. Her explanation always shocked them: she hated seeing herself captured on film. Not once had she felt comfortable in front of a camera because the pictures never came out as she had expected. Even when everyone insisted that she looked stunning, Irina felt odd seeing herself immortalized. Still, she had to finance her legal studies somehow, and with no paid internships in sight, she had turned to prostitution.

And how she loved her secret side job! It allowed her to freely explore her sexuality and discover an entire world that had previously been completely hidden from her. Unlike guys her age, these men knew what they liked, and they were eager to share the joys of their kinks with her. No judgement, no attachments: sex that was more than just premature ejaculations and penetration. She was essentially being paid to have a sex life that most people her age could not even dream of.

"Therese?"

Irina turned around to face the young man who had called out for her. She had been standing at the agreed meeting point, by the statue of the boy wrestling a lion next to the cathedral. She had made sure that there was no chance of a mix-up. She had given him a lengthy description of her outfit. The agent had shown him her portrait. Lastly, he was to look for a girl named Therese. That was the alias Irina had chosen for herself. She was a bit of a Francophile, but she would not have been able to order a glass of water at restaurant in French, had she tried.

Irina too had received a picture of her client. The young man looked like his portrait: pale grey eyes, light brown hair, aged 20 or so. He was taller than she had expected, taller than her even. He didn't slouch like so many men of his age but stood straight and confident. Perhaps it was the kind smile on his face, but she thought him much more handsome in person. He gave her the impression of an honest and responsible man, but there was coldness to his character. It was the eyes, not because they were the colour of ice but because his smile didn't quite reach them.

"Yes! You must be Florian. Hi!"

She kissed him on both of his cheeks, the way French women do. In her experience, it was this kind of foreign haughtiness that usually eased these situations. She made an effort to act unlike any woman they knew. Therefore, or so she hoped, they would get the impression that she would not judge them like a typical woman might.

"Isn't the weather just splendid? I can't believe our luck," she mused to him, smiling. To talk about the weather was her tactical "mistake". If she was a little awkward, they too would dare to be awkward.

"Nice to finally meet you. You look stunning!" Florian said empathetically. It was a compliment Irina was used to hearing, but the way he said it sounded more like he appreciated all the effort she had put in her dress. Older men especially would praise her beauty to the heavens, compare her to a goddess or two. It was charming, if hyperbolic. In comparison, Florian's praise came off as reserved and business-like. A form of small talk. But that was young men for you: they weren't quite in touch with their feelings yet.

"Why, thank you!" she said regardless.

Irina had dressed more modestly for the occasion, thinking that a young man like him would rather be seen with someone who simply looked like a well-dressed peer of his age. No leather or falsies; just a normal girl.

But it did make her wonder... How come a young, perfectly good-looking man would find it necessary to pay for a woman? What was it that he wasn't telling her? He did not strike her as a sociopath, who made perfectly good clients, by the by. But then again, perhaps he was just that good of an actor.

"Have you already been to the Christmas market this year?" she asked him as they began to walk towards the entrance. The gate was lit by two iron lanterns with real candles burning inside.

"No, I... I haven't."

"Have you been any previous year?"

"No, I have not."

"Me neither! But I hear they sell some excellent mulled wine here."

Florian shifted awkwardly. "To be honest with you, I don't really drink."

"Oh." Irina considered this a mild setback. It was easier to make her clients feel relaxed around her when alcohol was being served. Perhaps it didn't matter. He did seem quite comfortable walking arm in arm with a call girl. "Maybe hot chocolate then?"

"Maybe," he smiled, this time a little more kindly. Maybe just needed a little bit of time to adjust to the situation. "Or maybe alcohol-free mulled wine instead. Looks like some of the shops here are selling some."

Florian pointed at one of them, but Irina was unable to see which one. They were already surrounded by tens of near-identical looking booths, dark wooden cottages with their roofs covered in snow. Groups of friends, tourists and couples holding hands coming from all directions and heading on to different paths through the market. All these people and the snowfall made it difficult for Irina to see anything that wasn't right in front of her.

"Should we just take a look around first?"

"Great idea."

The Christmas market appeared extremely popular. It was a late Friday afternoon and many after-work parties had temporarily moved their gatherings at this marketplace next to the cathedral. The many pop-up bars had a wide selection of mulled wine: red, white, glögg and other foreign specialties. The children were drinking hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows. Everyone had in their hands one of the signature mugs created specifically for this particular edition of the Christmas market.

There was plenty of food to choose from. Stands with fried fish sandwiches, chips, pizza, falafel, samosas, churros, flamed salmon... The largest stands were atmospheric shelters with one large barbecue at its centre, generating heat for the customers. There one might pick up some hot sausages and various steaks with bread. There were stands for Asian food, Greek food, African food: something for everyone. For those with a sweet tooth, there were cinnamon rolls, gingerbread cookies, chocolate-covered fruit, honey-roasted almonds and cotton candy. The air smelled of burning wood, sugar and spices.

Of course, there were also other items for sale. They passed a stand selling reindeer skins and knitwear, another one selling scented candles. There were decorative lamps and handmade glass decor, honey and teas, old-fashioned sleds and other wood-carved toys for children.

"May I ask you something?" Florian asked in a hushed tone.

"Of course, what is it?"

"The payment, when does it take place? The lady I spoke with on the phone..."

"Yes?"

"She told me I should give you the money right at the beginning. But I don't know if a busy market is the right place to be exchanging large sums of money, even if it was in an envelope."

Irina's agent, Johanna, knew nothing of her Christmas special. Neither should she, Irina thought, since it did not really concern her. She was getting paid all the same. Still, she had had to lie to her, claim that Florian had agreed to a more luxurious package after all. It was necessary of Johanna to know where Irina was with her client, and there was no other excuse that Irina could think of, that would explain her hotel booking and the hours she was to spend with Florian.

"You're absolutely correct. That can wait until later."

With her regular last year, things had been different. They had known each other for almost two years. She could simply call him up, explain that she had prepared a special Christmas surprise for him and that no payment would be necessary this time. Of course, once he had learned of all the trouble Irina had gone through in organizing this event just for his sake, he had insisted on buying present for her as well. While this was unnecessary, Irina had still been quite taken with the diamond earrings he had given to her for Christmas. They sparkled in her ears like stars.

As is the case with all new clients, there is a little bit of uncertainty involved. There was always the possibility that the man (or woman) might try something funky, either assault her or just try to skip on the payment. To make sure that Florian was truly deserving of her kindness, she had not told him of her plans for their outing or that she was doing this free of charge. To know that Florian would have been willing to pay her meant that he was worth of her charity.

There was a divine smell of roasted chestnuts, and as soon as the couple sauntered on a man selling them, Irina bought a bag for the two of them to share. Florian tried to protest, but Irina explained that costs like this were already included in the bill. It was kind of true; had she organized to meet him at her business apartment, she would have offered him beverages and snacks from her special mini-fridge. But when Irina stopped to admire the various gingerbread cookies at display at another stand, Florian quickly intervened and bought her a box of the snowflake-shaped gingerbread cookies. After that point, Irina decided it was maybe wiser to let him pay if he wished. Some men insisted on that kind of thing.

They enjoyed their treats while walking around the market, checking out the sales items, many of which were Christmas -themed. One of the booths sold nothing but Christmas ornaments; anything from a traditional nutcracker to hot-air balloons and cupcakes.

"Which one do you like best?" Florian asked.

It wasn't an easy choice because many of the ornaments were beautifully made. As much as Irina liked the colourful hummingbird, she did think that her Christmas tree ought to look traditional. Eventually she pointed at a glass bulb depicting a snowy winter forest with two deer, a doe and her fawn, admiring the night sky.

"Now that I think of it, I should probably buy it for my mother," Irina muttered thoughtfully.

"It does make a pretty present," Florian added enthusiastically. Perhaps he had been worried that the gentlemanly thing to do would have been to buy her the ornament. The problem was that they were quite pricey.

"Are you very close with your mother?" Florian asked as they walked away with the Christmas ornament safely packed and wrapped in her handbag.

"Yeah, I'd say so. I'm her only child."

"See her often?"

"Every once in a while. She practically raised me alone. My father died when I was very young."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine," she told him cheerfully. "It was a long time ago. Since then, my mother has found new love. As for me, it's difficult to miss something that I can't remember having. Now he is my guardian angel." Irina smirked.

Florian's eyebrows were knitted in thought.

"Why?" Irina laughed. "Did you think all girls in this line of work come with daddy issues?"

"No! God, no!" He quickly stammered in his defence, noticeably embarrassed of how he may have come across. "But it's still not easy raising a child alone. Financially speaking..."

"I suppose not, but we managed okay."

"It's not what drove you to... this profession?"

"Absolutely not." Irina laughed.

"So, you actually like what you do?" he asked with a lot of doubt in his voice.

"I do, actually! I know it is perhaps difficult to believe but I chose this profession willingly. It's probably not forever but for the time being I am quite happy and can't imagine doing anything else."

"Wow."

Irina's answers had clearly left him speechless but the mild smile on his face revealed that he was in fact quite relieved. Irina understood perfectly. Sex work has a bad rep. Sometimes Irina would see a side of the industry existed outside of law. Irina was resolved to keep her business clean. Therefore, she appreciated it when her clients expressed concern over the ethics of participating in the industry as consumers.

"It's your first time, isn't it?" she asked him kindly as they walked through the maze of booths.

Florian was silent. For a moment Irina almost thought that he had not heard her, but he was avoiding eye contact, instead looking around as if hoping to find something to distract her with. Finally, he said in a low voice:

"Is it that obvious?"

"A little," she laughed. "You keep on your toes, ask a lot of questions. But that's really a good thing! Many of the new clients I get are new to the 'business.'"

"Oh." Florian was visibly relieved. "Is that the reason why you suggested we'd meet here?"

"Kind of." A diplomatic half-lie. "I thought it might give us the opportunity to get to know each other, for you to get a little more comfortable with me. Besides, nobody else seemed to want to go to this market with me..."

"So, this is kind of common? To just hang out like this?"

"Maybe not common..." Irina was careful with her words as she didn't want to mislead Florian in case he ever found himself wanting the company of an escort again. "But I thought it might be a good idea considering the season and the fact that you are new to me and probably to the industry. It helps me at my job to know my clients a little and to be on familiar terms with them."

Florian nodded. "That does make sense. That other lady gave me the impression that it's a charge-by-hour type of service."

Irina bit her lip. Of course, Johanna would have told him something like that, seeing as he was a young man, and most young men did not have the cash for women like her.

"It can be," Irina shrugged. "It depends a little on the package and what we will be doing. You don't seem to have any special requests which is why you will be getting what we call the girlfriend experience. Because it doesn't require that much preparation or clean up on my part, it is not as necessary to have a strict schedule." This was a blatant lie. "Still, I have told my agent that we should be starting around eight. You see, she exists to guarantee our safety; I'll have to let her know that everything is fine."

"At eight?" Florian looked confused. "But it's only about half past five."

"Exactly. I have reserved plenty of time for us to have some cocoa and grab a bite before heading to the hotel. We can, of course, head in earlier. It doesn't necessarily have to be at eight."