Roger was well used to locker room tales of soft flesh, willing lips and spread thighs. Talk about male conquest spiced with a bloated view of the swaggering protagonist's skill and longevity. He was shocked to learn that reenactment of sexual conquest was not solely a male domain. He conceded that the tales were softer more flavored with feelings than hydraulics, but the way he was discussed made him feel like an exhibit in an anthropology display.
Georgina, it must be said, provided little information but the girls were able to recite the proceedings accurately based on the sounds that he was not aware of them making.
Georgina in the interests of propriety did explain how the prophylactic was used. This seemed to titillate the concupiscent interest of the libidinous crew.
Roger planned to wait and let the conversation die but he should have known better, these girls were insatiable. He was about to lay down the law when it occurred to him that he had been willingly given a seat at a special table. Men didn't discuss technique or feelings, he realized he was lucky to be included. He rose, walked around the table and kissed each girl in turn.
"Am I a sister?"
The general consensus was that he was.
"Well, sisters. Can we put the same in-depth analysis about where we are in establishing this establishment, that we did in discussing my tryst with this sweet lady?"
"Oh, I love a dominant male," Lola said, dripping with sarcasm.
The sweet lady smiled and said, "I have completed all the paperwork for the club we are a hotel, bar and restaurant providing services only to our membership."
Georgina's face lit in a wicked smile.
"Do you want to know something interesting?"
Everyone nodded.
"Women can be full members."
Roger reacted without thought, "Surely you are not planning on pimping out men?" he said, unable to hide the horror in his voice.
Georgina's face stilled, her eyes were so penetrating he would be looking for scars on his next visit to a mirror. The frying pan was getting hot but the fire looked much worse.
"I'm sorry girls, my silly prejudice."
He smiled, a good deflection, he thought. The eyes at the table switched to Georgina.
"Roger, don't acquiesce to pressure, support your principles."
Georgina knew. Her eyes lingered on him, still he had a while to prepare his arguments, he knew she would not let it go.
Georgina continued, "I have a list of items to cover but first Reggie said that she'd like to join in, if she was in control and had a nom de plume. I propose Reggie's... professional name... should be Athena. She is the goddess of crafts, strategy wisdom and war."
Roger didn't know how Reggie got into Georgina's arms so quickly but it was obvious from the noises she was making that she liked it.
When decorum returned Georgina continued.
"Then I thought we all needed anonymity. Lola you should be Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. It fits you like a glove."
Lola looked pleased but her face had reddened. She looked around the girls and found universal approval. Lola's new name was also sealed with hugs. Brielle raised an eyebrow.
"Brielle is far too beautiful to use, I thought Dione, she is the goddess of prophesy."
The girls looked at Brielle's face and squealed they formed a scrum. Which broke only after Reggie's whisper.
"What about you Georgina?"
"She should be Artemis, goddess of virginity and the hunt." Roger said.
Roger found himself in a group hug, he wondered if these women had eroded his masculinity because he actually enjoyed it.
"So you approve Ares?" Georgina asked.
"You all get lovely names and I am the god of war?"
His complaints were unheard because of the chatter, he decided to make tea.
He returned with a pot but it was the clatter of cups that ended the conversations.
"Thank you Roger, that was thoughtful," Georgina said.
"We can call ourselves the Goddesses, it's a bit classier than prostitute," Brielle said.
The group agreed, even Roger.
When everyone had serviced their tea cravings, Roger said, "Colonel Wilson Knightly bastion of the Raj is pestering me for Lola's attention."
"Tell him to drop by this afternoon he can become a foundation member." Georgina said then looked at Lola, "Aphrodite, would you like to be his bed warmer?"
Lola's smile was wide enough to drive a lorry through, "He feels bigger than Roger," she said, "as Goddess and Madam I will have to approve the goods."
"That brings us nicely to terms of membership. This is what I propose. Only members are allowed to use the services the annual fee is fifteen hundred guineas. Allows for one warm bed per month and half price on all other bed warms."
Georgina ignored the gasps.
"Alternately a day rate of two hundred guineas for the use of all club facilities including a warm bed. The girls will only have one engagement per night and five per week, which may include escorting the club member wherever he wishes but only the club bed will be warmed."
"So we could be treated to the theater before we fuck?" Brielle asked.
"Yes, or anywhere else, but out of the club you are just decoration you can titillate but there will be no fulfillment."
"The Hogarth Club keeps all the money, twenty guineas per service will be added to your savings accounts. All clothing food and accommodation will be provided."
"So we earn One hundred guineas per week plus our spy salaries?" Reggie asked.
Georgina nodded.
"Christ I could buy a house in just one year," Reggie said.
"That's the idea Reggie The Hogarth Club keeps you. So all your earnings allow you to create wealth."
Georgina nodded and then stayed quiet while the noise in the room swelled.
"Lola was first to speak, "Can I do overtime?"
"Yes but still only one per night, for the extra two nights you'll get fifty percent of the club take. That will change for day members yearly members or discount nights."
"Suppose we wanted a relationship?"
"Then we discuss it, if we agree it's non club business. You can use my flat around the corner."
Roger was surprised at the sophistication of Georgina's structure but also at the speed at which the girls agreed to the terms.
"You will all stay here, so Lola you can let your rental go, if you like. My flat will always be available if any of you need to chill."
"The Hogarth Club should pay your rent for you," Roger said.
"It's OK Roger, I don't pay rent. How did you go with a bodyguard?
"Octavian is giving us one of the best, Crash."
"Crash?" the girls said, giggling.
"Yep, you should see him play rugby."
"Is that The Right Honorable Algernon Blakeley?" Georgina asked.
Roger nodded he was used to being surprised around Georgina so that was his only reaction. Georgina turned to the girls and told them about a rugby game between Oxford and Cambridge in which Crash had truly lived up too his name.
"Staff," Georgina said, bringing them back to her agenda.
"Roger, how many girls a freezing to death on the streets?"
"Too many."
"Can we recruit them and train them to staff The Hogarth Club?"
Reggie and Brielle together commended the idea, but Brielle continued, "Most of the girls are pimped, they are not free agents."
"Is that a problem Roger?" Georgina asked.
"For everyone but you," he said with a smile.
Georgina's face was a question mark.
"I have it on good authority that you believe rules are only there to control other people."
Georgina smiled, "Maybe I should be giving away some of Octavian's secrets?"
"Those thugs we ran into, Roger they control most of the girls. You didn't leave them on happy terms."
"I know Georgina beat up the wiry one last night."
That started another conversation.
Roger mumbled, "How do women ever get anything done?" just when the noise in the room dropped. Georgina looked at him successfully suppressing a smile.
"OK, we'll talk about that too," he said.
That comment earned another five minutes of chatter.
Finally Georgina said, "Cameras, how are you going Reggie?"
Roger had been out of touch, he was puzzled.
"Reggie?" he said.
"Yes, Reggie's father was a bespoke manufacturer of high end cameras, and Reggie's Mum was a fashion photographer."
Roger looked puzzled.
"They were killed in a plane crash when Reggie was twelve, that's why the orphanage. Reggie payed for her stay with the money she made repairing cameras."
"I was either at Dad's side fixing or Mum's side clicking," Reggie said. "Anyway, the brief. Georgina wants the camera to be automatic, doesn't want a flash, nor does she want the room to be identifiable. So I've designed an auto-advance mechanism. It has a single 1.4f lens, which is tuned precisely so the depth of field obscures the background. We are using fast film so we can take good images indoors with minimal light."
"So where are you, Darling?" Georgina asked.
"I need to be let loose in an artisans workshop for a few days, we need four cameras immediately, one for each room and a spare."
"I'll arrange it as soon as the meeting ends," Roger said.
Reggie sure moved quickly when it came to kissing, he had a kiss firmly planted on his cheek before he had seen her move. He guessed she was grateful.
"VD, and pregnancy will be a problem for Goddesses. So club members are only allowed to have protected sex."