"He wants me to do
what
??" My voice went up an octave or two.
"You know, Princess," Sly said with a grin, "open-mouthed disbelief is not your most attractive expression."
"Well excuuuse me for being human sometimes and not just a sex object." Much as I like and respect Sly, he can really annoy me sometimes. He's my agent, and he does a good job of finding interesting clients for me. But we grew up in very different worlds and that occasionally gets in the way of good communication. Oh yes, if it's not obvious, I sell sex. Or more precisely, Sly and I sell sex. We've been a team for several months now, ever since he blackmailed me into "putting out" (as he so delicately called it) to pay off my debt to him, as a result of which we both found that in spite of my lily-white middle-class Protestant background, I'm quite good at this stuff and surprisingly rather enjoyed it. He offered to partner up, and I took him up on it. It's been a fun ride ever since.
"Okay," Sly said in an annoyingly patronizing way, "I'll tell it to you simply. This guy wants to take you shopping."
"That's what I thought you said. I still don't get it."
"Yeah. To be honest, neither do I. But the money's good, and he checks out."
Sly was clearly puzzled by the arrangement. He's a big, tough guy, a product of the mean streets, and to him women are for sex, not for shopping.
"What he told me was that his wife died a couple of months ago and left him a real wad of cash. One reason the money was there was because she was a fuckin' tightwad. Now he's got the money and wants to spend it. He's seventy years old and doesn't want to wait around. He says he's always dreamed of wandering up and down Fifth Avenue with a beautiful young woman, his mistress, on his arm, going into the most elegant stores and buying jewelry and expensive clothes for her, impressing everyone, including himself.
"Like I said, it beats the hell out of me, but he's got the money and you're a beautiful young woman, so there."
"Hmm. I'll admit that the flattery helps," I said reluctantly. "So does the 'jewelry and expensive clothes' part. But still, no sex?"
"I didn't say that", Sly said. "But he didn't specify that as part of the deal."
"Seventy, you say? That's pushing it some, but I suppose it's not too old for sex. You sure he's not some old creep really looking for something kinky?"
"Jesus, Princess, will you stop looking in dark corners? I talked it out with the guy. I like him, and I think he's genuine. Trust me on this one, will you?"
"Okay. I yield to your better judgement of people. I'll do it."
"Princess, you're the best."
"I know."
That Saturday I took a taxi to Fifth Avenue and 49
th
street as Jack, my client, had requested. Also as requested I had dressed in my most expensive stylish clothes, including heels. I wore my long blonde hair done up and kept the makeup discreet as I assumed a wealthy man's mistress would, keeping the good stuff for use in private, for him only.
It was a lovely sunny day in early autumn. The sun was warm, so I didn't need a coat. Jack was waiting in the shade of the Prada store. We recognized each other from Sly's descriptions. He was very good looking. Whatever his background, he knew how to dress the part of the well-to-do executive. He wore an expensive, clearly bespoke suit and light Burberry topcoat. Seventy he might be, but it was a well-taken care of seventy, with smooth skin and just a delightfully sophisticated touch of grey at the temples.
His eyes widened as I stepped out of the taxi, showing a goodly amount of leg as I did so. He stepped closer and said hopefully, "Victoria?"
I smiled. "And you must be Jack."
Now he really smiled.
"Oh God, you are beautiful," he said. "You're everything your agent said, and more. Just perfect."
Well, I admit, professional or not, I glowed.
Without asking, Jack paid the taxi driver. So far so good.
"You know why I picked this spot?" he said. "In the next few blocks are some of the most expensive stores in the world, with some of the most beautiful clothes and accessories money can buy. Beautiful as you are, I am going to thoroughly enjoy dressing you up in some of them."
"How can I say no?" I asked. "If I'm to be your mistress I'll have to look the part, won't I, to make you proud?"
"My mistress," he said musingly. "What a lovely thought. It's a dream. And you are perfect for the part. Okay, suppose we start here, with Prada. I would love to see your beautiful feet in appropriate shoes."
We entered the store. The doorman smiled and held the door for us. I knew damned well he'd been checking us out, his job being to keep out the common riffraff. The fact that he let us in said a lot. The obsequious way he did it said even more about his estimate of Jack's wealth. Obviously, the suit and the young woman on his arm helped.
The salesclerk, a very smartly dressed woman, came over to us. As is often the case in these very high-end stores, we were the only customers, and we could expect personal attention. She was every inch the professional and had quickly sized up the situation (not to mention a shrewd guess as to what Jack was worth). Her attention was directed to Jack, pretty much ignoring me.
"Good afternoon, sir. You would like something for the lady?"
Jack smiled. "Perhaps you should ask the lady?" he said, thus endearing himself to me. I just smiled and looked adoringly at Jack.
"You choose, love," I said.
Jack didn't miss a beat. "Perhaps a nice pair of black pumps dear?"
The clerk waited politely for my nod, and then led us over to the shoe section. She seated me and took off my shoes. She looked at my feet; no crass measuring stick here, and went and fetched a beautiful pair of black patent leather pumps with three-inch stiletto heels. She knew her male customers, alright. She put them on me. Oh my God, they felt so wonderful. So soft. They literally
caressed