The Prelude
After nearly twenty years of near misses and false starts, this was finally shaping up to be their first serious attempt at sexual role-play. Robert and Claire had been married for all those years and had retreated from the no holds barred, rampant lovemaking of their early, before the kids years, to a now decidedly stale repertoire that left almost everything to the imagination.
Their counselor had suggested they might do this to allow Claire a little more freedom to express herself in a safe sexual environment and for Robert to simply enjoy the erotic delights of seeing his wife in a different light sexually. They were finally ready, or at least Claire had determined she was as ready as she would ever be and Robert was of course, beside himself with anticipation. He may have had one or two panic attacks in the past week just knowing what was coming; it was almost too much for him.
Robert had previously attempted to get Claire more interested in role-play by suggesting he pretend to be a TV repairs man or something along those lines. He had done so playfully but in truth it was borne of sheer hope and desperation. Claire was never able to really let go and have fun in the bedroom anymore and so their fantasies had never came to fruition. This time was different, years and months of couples therapy had brought them to this point and they were finally ready to try it out for real, or not, so to speak. Their counselor thought it best if Claire do more of the acting out the first time; this would give her more control over the situation. However, Robert was to play his part, by directing and orchestrating what happened once the play was set in motion.
The theme they had chosen involved Claire playing the role of a high-class call girl with Robert playing the part of a music industry producer in town for a few days. Playing a 'prostitute' per se was a step too far for Claire and as Robert had never considered visiting a call girl and could never think of his wife as a whore, they settled on these roles as a safer sounding scenario. They had both watched enough documentary television to know the practice was anything but safe but at least the high class angle gave Claire the opportunity to dress up for the part. Robert of course would have played any role that got him closer to Claire's inner wild child.
Claire was at home at 2:00 PM on Tuesday afternoon when the phone rang. This was to start out as a daylight tryst, a little afternoon delight that had been the bastion of their romantic entanglements as early lovers. The voice on the other end said, in a fairly convincing foreign accent, "Hello, is this Miranda?"
"This is she," croaked Claire, in a dusky voice that was much lower in tone than normal. She giggled inside at the knowledge that the voice on the other end of whatever passed for the line in today's technical age was actually her husband Robert. All the same, her heart began to beat a little faster than when he would normally call her at home; perhaps this is working she thought, she felt herself getting just a little excited.
"A friend of mine gave me a card with your name and number on it. It never had a business name or address, just a phone number under the name Miranda written in bolder print."
"Well I'm glad he gave it to you, most of my, um... friends are pleased with my work. What can I do for you Mr. err... what is your name?"
"Cortinez."
"Hola, Señor Cortinez."
"Hablas español?"
"Un poco, but I prefer to use English if that is OK."
"Si, Si, sorry, yes of course. I am in town for a few days and my friend recommended you for company, it gets lonely being on the road. How much do you charge for a few hours of your time?"
"Well if you want what most of my friends want, it's three hundred for the first hour and then two hundred more for each hour after that. No half hours or partial hours, only by the full hour and of course a one hour minimum."
"OK, I have no more meetings today so what time would suit you?"
"Where are you staying?"
"At the Hyatt, downtown."
"I could be there by five a clock, will that work for you."
"Yes that would be great, how do I pay you?"
"Cash only, all large bills and I need to see the money before anything happens, is that OK?"
"Of course, my room number is 1220, I will be waiting."
"All right, I will be there at five sharp."
"I look forward, Señorita."
As soon as she hung up the phone, Claire could not resist the temptation to go straight to her laptop and look at their bank account on-line. There it was, a one thousand dollar cash withdrawal earlier that day. My, she thought, Robert was going to be a big spender and he expected to be there for
more than an hour
.
Robert left his car keys with the valet at the hotel and walked through the hotel lobby toward the elevators carrying a small briefcase under his arm. He had already checked in earlier and gotten the key to room number 1220 on the twelfth floor, not far from the elevator. He opened the door with a swipe of plastic and went inside to prepare for what he sincerely hoped, lay ahead.
Claire began to get ready for work. She had already showered and had her hair in rollers as she applied her make up. She had thought this out; she wanted to look sexy but classy, not like someone that needed to have sex for money, but rather someone that enjoyed trading sex for money. She groomed her pubic hair with the electric trimmer and left only a small patch on the fatty tissue right below the pubic bone. Laser removal had done the hard work; all she had to do these days was maintain. Robert loved it, but she knew that tonight would be even more thrilling for him and it gave her immense pleasure that he would be so excited by it. Once finished with her hair and makeup, she put on the dress she had chosen for the occasion and appropriate high-heeled shoes. She noticed with satisfaction her brush-tanned legs complimenting the overall look of the outfit and left the house in her black Lexus. As she watched the garage door close, a small shudder came over her. Was she having second thoughts or was she just excited? Well, too late to turn back now, thought Claire. After all he had already withdrawn the cash! She backed out of the driveway, turned the wheel toward the highway and sped off toward downtown.
Claire drove the car under the hotel porte-cochere, opened the door, stepped out and took the claim check from the valet. As she walked into the cavernous lobby of the downtown Hyatt, she had a strange feeling that the valet had somehow looked at her differently. Not as a guest or someone with legitimate business, but maybe someone that had
business
there. Had she overdone the look, she thought to herself. In truth it made her feel even more excited to think she actually looked the part she was about to play. She walked through the lobby following the signs to the elevators and found herself subconsciously avoiding perceived glances from anyone that might ask her something; anything that would invalidate the reason for her being there. Don't be silly, she thought, you are overthinking this; remember you are Miranda, not Claire!
As she entered the elevator, a distinguished looking, older gentleman, she guessed around sixty years old, exited and as he walked by she noticed he gave her a slight wink. In normal circumstances this might offend her but this evening it gave her a little more confidence that she could indeed pull it off. She pushed the button for the twelfth floor and rode the elevator toward the rendezvous with the mysterious Mr. Cortinez. As she approached the door to number 1220, she glanced at her watch, five minutes past five, fashionably late. She could only imagine what state Robert was in, probably pacing the room in nervous anticipation, worrying if she would go through with it. Well she was here and not going through with it was definitely not an option. She reached up and firmly knocked twice on the heavy wooden door and waited with rapidly increased breathing and lightheaded exhilaration.
The Players in the middle bit
Señor Cortinez
opened the door and it took every bit of restraint they each could muster to stop themselves from bursting out laughing and collapsing in a heap on the floor. The raging adrenaline and rising tension must have kept them centered in their respective roles as Robert welcomed Claire into the room. He was wearing the hotel embroidered, standard issue white bathrobe. He looked as if he has just stepped out of the shower, slightly greying hair brushed back with no parting. Claire felt a small shudder as the door closed behind her, not out of fear but from a level of excitement that felt strange and way outside her regular comfort zone. The room was large with a king-size bed centered on the back wall. There was a faint smell of cologne permeating the air and soft music coming from a mini speaker that was perched on a window ledge on the far side of the room. Claire recognized the first track, Barry White's
'My First, my last, my everything,'