Katie, our next maid of the month, helped me celebrate my nineteenth birthday with a wake-up blow job. It was a delightful habit that she continued for the rest of her stay ... with the understanding I would reciprocate in kind every evening.
The occasion coincided with my first anniversary under Mrs. B's tutelage. The original agreement was for a twelve-month internship after which I would either go back to living with my parents or move on to some other pursuit.
Living with my parents was no longer an option. I hadn't heard from them since we moved to London and didn't have a clue where they were.
"I can't tell you," Mrs. B said when I asked. "Their current assignment requires a deep cover. Only a handful of people in the Company are privy to their mission."
"Can you give me a hint? Are they in Russia or China?"
"Does it really matter? Even if you knew, you wouldn't be able to communicate with them."
"If you can't tell me where they are, can you at least tell me when they'll return?"
"I honestly don't know. Possibly later this year, but they could be gone for another full year or maybe more."
"So, what happens to me? Am I to put my life on hold until they return?"
"I was hoping you'd stay with me. Your trainers are impressed with your progress and I've yet to get any complaints from our maids. Your life certainly isn't on hold. You're doing what every other young man your age should be ... learning a trade."
Not having any other suitable options, I stayed.
***
The months and maids kept coming and going. Laura, Maria, Nadine and Olivia all served during my medical internship.
In addition to my continued combat training, I spent hours with Dr. Bob, the man Mrs. Bancroft referred to as the "Company pharmacist". This was a four-month crash course on the different drugs I might find useful in my chosen line of work. Everything from poisons that killed within seconds to knock out drops that slowly rendered the recipient unconscious. I learned the best techniques for delivering the different pharmaceuticals -- be they powder in a cup of coffee or a quick needle in the ass -- and which drug was best for each situation.
Doctor Bob thought it important that I experience some of his concoctions ... like the three-drop dose of clear liquid that gave me the runs for four straight hours ... and a particularly nasty injection that left me completely paralyzed but aware of my surroundings for a terrifying ten minutes. I even got to sample one of the earlier versions of Rohypnol (the infamous date rape drug) although I don't have any memory of it.
It was also essential that I get some hands-on experience administering the drugs in a real world setting and observing their results. For that, I needed some unsuspecting guinea pigs to work with.
Before I continue, it is important to know that none of the maids suffered any permanent physical damage or mental anguish while helping me master the wonders of modern medicine. Yes, most of them had several hours of unaccounted for time in their lives, or in Maria's case, an entire week. Nadine was already a frequent visitor to my bedroom before I slipped an aphrodisiac into her wine glass. That particular evening was the first and only time a woman begged me for more, long after I collapsed in exhaustion. And the things that Laura and Olivia told me while under the influence of a truth serum -- while certainly interesting -- were not incriminating. Laura's preference for purple, double-headed dildos and Olivia's desire to do it in an elevator with a stranger were certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
The point is, I spent another four months under Mrs. B's tutelage, constantly challenging both my mind and body, without questioning why I was there or what I was doing.
Until tragedy struck.
It was a Monday. A crisp fall day. We were between maids. Olivia was gone and Penny wasn't due until the weekend. I got back from the pistol range a little earlier than expected and immediately started dinner preparations. Mrs. B was due home at 6:00, but she liked to shower and enjoy a cocktail before the evening meal, so I planned dinner for 7:00. I wasn't too concerned when she wasn't home by 6:30. London traffic was no better than any other big city and the local public transit union had been threatening a strike for over a week.
I called her cell at 7:00 and was immediately sent to voice mail.
I called her office at 7:30 only to be told that she was unavailable. Not an uncommon occurrence although I should have known something was amiss. Her secretary usually went home at 5:00 sharp.
Dinner was done and well on its way towards cremation at 8:00 so I ate alone and set Mrs. B's portion on the counter.
All subsequent calls to her cell and office went unanswered.
Not knowing who else to call, where to go or what to do, I plopped down on the living room couch and turned on the TV ... not wanting to go to bed until I knew Mrs. B was okay.
***
"Wake up sleepy head. It's time for your lessons."
It wasn't an uncommon dream ... hearing my mom's voice whisper in my ear ... feeling her gentle touch on my back. Not uncommon or unpleasant. One of those dreams I yearned for. A "roll over, nestle into the covers and enjoy" dream.
She touched me again. This time on the arm. A tug that pulled me into that middle world between sleep and awake.
"It's three in the morning. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine mom. I'm waiting for Mrs. B."
"Oh, my poor young prince. I am so sorry."
Mrs. B propped me up and held me in her arms.
"Where have you been?" I asked when fully awake.
"At the office. We had a situation that needed my attention."
"I called. Several times. When you didn't answer ..."
"Somebody was supposed to call ... to tell you I might not be home. I guess that didn't happen. Again, I'm sorry."
"It's okay," I said. "I just overreacted. If I'm going to be a field agent, I should probably get used to long nights and unexpected situations. I'll get to bed so you can too."
I swung my legs off the couch and tried to get up, but Mrs. B held tight to my arm. That's when I saw the tears in her eyes.
"This is probably the wrong time to do this, but I sure the hell can't think of a right time."
"To do what? Why are you crying?"
"The reason I didn't come home ... the situation ... I'm sorry, I thought I'd be better at this."
"You're scaring me Mrs. B. If I've done something wrong ... if you have to fire me ... just say it."
"Nothing of the sort. It's nothing you've done. You are absolutely perfect in every way."
"Then what?"
"Your parents are dead."
***
I had never lost anybody. I didn't know my uncles, aunts, cousins or grandparents. There was a good chance that at least one of them had died in the last decade or so, but if they did, I wasn't told. I'm sure most kid's my age had lost at least one close friend to cancer, an automobile accident or perhaps a random shooting. I only had one friend and, last I heard, he was alive and well.
Because of my extremely sheltered upbringing, I had never experienced personal grief and had never been around someone when they were grieving. So, when I learned of my parent's deaths, I didn't know how to act.
"Take time to grieve," Mrs. B told me the following morning. "Take the week off. Go to a museum or a concert. Watch the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. Do something you'd wouldn't normally do ... anything to keep your mind busy."
"Will you go with me?"
"I dearly wish I could. There is nothing I would like more than to whisk the two of us away to a deserted island and cry until we run out of tears. But I have a job to do.
"Your parents' cover was compromised. A team of enemy agents broke into their apartment, killed them in their sleep and disposed of the bodies. We just lost two very special people and I need to find out why."
***
I'm not a big fan of museums, concerts give me a headache and who the hell wants to peer through an iron gate watching a bunch of Brits prance around in fancy uniforms. What I needed was something or someone to beat on.
As soon as Mrs. B left for work, I went to the Special Air Service training facility, where I got twice weekly lessons in unarmed combat. My normal instructor wasn't there. I spent a few minutes working over a punching bag until one of the younger SAS troops offered to spar with me. He was a couple of years older than me although not quite as big. I had an inch or two of reach on him which I used to my advantage. After several minutes -- during which I landed numerous jabs to his chin plus a good right cross to the ear which nearly decked him -- I suggested we take a break.
"Is that how's it going to go Yank? You get in a few lucky punches and then quit?"
"Not at all. I just thought you might need a breather."
"I'm a Lance Corporal in Her Majesty's Army. I can fight all day and fuck all night."
"Fine by me. Just don't complain when I whip your limey ass."