Author's Note: I hope you're enjoying Book Four thus far. It's going to be a fun ride, and there's a lot of groundwork -- and characters -- to get laid! Keep the feedback coming. Thank you for reading.
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The Fourth of July weekend was forecast to be a sticky mess. I was glad we were going to escape to the country. Of course, it was a more intriguing retreat going to Stephen's ranch and pitching an investment to Peter. I felt well-prepared for the business piece of the event, which made me incredibly eager to see what web of debauchery lay ahead of us.
Maybe it was easy for me to focus on the partying because I sat in a party bus barreling toward the ranch with Kat, Jess, and Rita, along with Gloria, Alix and Nicole from the Infinity agency. Kelly was there, too, with three of her California escorts. That weekend, there would be ten women and five men at the ranch. Once again, I liked my odds.
Stephen had a landing strip at the ranch, where he, Peter, and two investors had touched down a couple hours earlier. With carefully arranged timing, Kelly scheduled our party bus to arrive after lunch. The hour-long drive was an exercise in indulgence. Unsurprisingly, Jess was the ringleader. She had put together a cocaine makeup compact for each of the girls, which contained an eight ball, razor, collapsible straw, xanax, and Benadryl. It was hard to tell if the predominant sound on the bus was snorting or popping Champagne bottles.
Going into the weekend, I really had only two concerns. First, I was curious to see how Rita would react. She had come to a couple larger parties before, but I knew she was uneasy and uninterested in being part of the Infinity agency. Fucking for money just didn't have the allure for her that it did for the other girls. Second, I wasn't sure how any lingering tension between Kat and Nicole would play out. They essentially hadn't crossed paths since Nicole moved into the Hooker House, but this weekend they couldn't avoid each other.
Kat, Jess, and Kelly were deep into conversation, while Gloria, Alix, and Nicole all chatted up the three girls from Kelly's agency. So I focused on Rita to start.
"Have you tested out that cute little coke compact Jess handed out?" I asked.
"Not yet," Rita said. She sipped Champagne from a plastic cup. "I wanted a couple drinks first to calm my nerves."
"You know there's nothing to be nervous about, sweetheart," I said.
"I know," she said, "but that doesn't mean I'm not nervous irrationally." She smiled.
"Peter and Stephen know you're not one of the agency girls," I said. "Jess made that clear. You're going as my girlfriend."
"I know," she repeated, "and I'm being silly. I guess I just don't know what to expect. And I don't want any of these guys thinking they can have my body because they pay some amount of money. That's not me."
"It's definitely not you," I said. "You'll be off-limits unless you make it perfectly clear you're available."
"I'm not sure I'm ready for that right now," Rita said. "I'm happy with where I am."
"So am I," I said. "Just know you don't have to do anything you don't want to. That's the bottom line. This is going to be a blast. We're going to party and have fun, and hopefully find a great new business opportunity.
"There are six, full-time professional escorts who will be there," I added. "For four guys. I think they'll have plenty to keep them busy."
"Kelly's girls are really pretty," Rita observed.
"Are they?" I said. "I hadn't noticed."
"Oh, stop," Rita said. "I'm going to have a line now."
The three girls from California were stunning. There was Heather, the amazonian tall blonde with Barbie proportions. The brunette, Josie, looked like a ballerina. She was tall and skinny with a youthful, cute face. Then there was Melissa, the second blonde, and a current cheerleader for a pro basketball team. All three were poised, vivacious, and completely unfazed by the idea of spending the weekend with two of Hollywood's biggest power brokers and their friends.
Kat strolled over to join us, her hair and makeup perfect. Her eyes betrayed that she had also indulged in cocaine already.
"Are you going to, uh, work this weekend?" Rita asked her.
"Not really," Kat said. "If Stephen wants to see me, I don't suppose I could say no to that." Her voice was carefree and casual.
"I can see how he would be hard to turn down," Rita said with a laugh.
"The main thing I've learned about parties like this," Kat said, "is don't feel like you need to force anything. If stuff happens, it happens. It's really no different than when we used to party at the apartment pool."
"That makes sense," Rita said, appreciating the relatable analogy.
"So many guys tried to get in our pants," Kat continued. "But we only let the ones in who we wanted to let in. There are four of them at the ranch this weekend. There are six girls bought and paid for to fulfill any kinky fantasy they want to live out. There isn't going to be an expectation that we do something unless we really, really want to."
"That makes sense," Rita said. "Thanks. I'll be able to just relax and enjoy it."
The bus pulled past the gates of Stephen's ranch, and all of us fell nearly silent. It was massive. Jess had told me it was 20,000 acres, but the impression of size became indelible pulling up the mile-long driveway. There were lakes on either side of it. The house, seemingly on an island, was massive. And then you realized it was the guest house. The main house, easily 30,000 square feet, sprawled before our eyes.
"Let's show these old white men how to fucking party," Kelly announced loudly as we came to a stop.
The girls shrieked in anticipation. I noticed Melissa, the pro cheerleader, snorted a couple extra lines before leaving the bus. The energy was palpable. Everyone was looking forward to an unbridled weekend of indulgence.
Rita and I hung back, getting off the bus nearly last. Nicole was in front of us.
"You must be Rita," she said. "I'm Nicole. It's so nice to meet you."
"Oh, Nicole from Vegas, right?" Rita said. "I've heard a lot about you."
"Well, that's a shame," Nicole said with a laugh. "Just promise me you'll let me make my own first impression. I'm a lot different from the things you've probably heard. Not that they aren't all true."
We laughed, if only to cut the tension.
"This weekend could be your big chance to hook a whale of your very own!" I said.
"I'll be more than content if I get fucked and paid," Nicole said. "I'm okay with my independence."
I was skeptical but nodded approvingly. We walked into the mansion, and although this was Stephen's ranch, Peter appeared to be playing emcee. He greeted everyone inside the door in his gregarious, overwhelming manner.
"Come in! Come in!" he urged. And he greeted everyone by name, even the girls he hadn't met before. Kelly and Jess had laid the groundwork impeccably. "There is anything you desire laid out in the kitchen. Party favors are everywhere. Make yourselves at home. The staff will take your luggage to your rooms, and you can find those on your welcome packages on the table here."
Everyone had a personalized folder with a floor plan of the house, list of amenities and activities through the ranch, and a form to fill out with any personalized requests for food or beverages. It was a jaw-dropping setup. I wondered how extensive the non-disclosure agreements were that the staff must have signed.
"Infinity girls," Jess said once everyone was inside. "Go ahead and get freshened up and changed. We'll have a lineup in one hour."
"That's new," I said quietly as I walked up behind Jess.
"Peter's clients like the brothel style selection process," she said breezily.