Chapter 3: Safari
In all my time at The Academy, I have taken only one personal slave. I never meant to. If I could have it my way, I would never have something so personal, something so indulgent. But this was different. It struck me. The beauty of it, and the exotic nature of it. I always told myself this was a business, that it cannot be personal, and there I go, breaking the rules again.
It became obvious, I needed a vacation. I needed downtime. Daniel, one of my trainers, mentioned it to me one day after seeing me enter the guests’ lounge dressed in flannel pajamas. For me, a woman who makes her image by Vercace, DKNY, Vera Wang, and Chanel, flannel pajamas and uncombed hair in a scrunchie are not the norm. Daniel was right. I needed downtime. I called a meeting with the trainers and put Gabriel in charge in my absence. Arianna, my secretary and one of the former slaves in The Academy would accompany me on my vacation. She needed some time off as well. Now, where to go?
I called the man who owns The Academy; I will call him Michael, to arrange for me to have some time off. In the years that I have worked at The Academy, I have taken one other vacation, and that was a weekend leave and I never left London. Michael is first class though, and when the trainers need downtime, he provides for them, always lavishly.
“Michael?”
“Yes? Lily dear, how are you darling?”
“Oh, everything is okay...”
“Lily...” his voice was dead pan. “If everything was okay, you wouldn’t be on the phone with me.”
“You’re right. You’re always right. Um...I don’t know how to ask this...I.... okay...I need some time off. I think I need some time off badly.”
“Are you okay, Lily?”
“Yeah, just tired. I am working so much, every day, no breaks and I just...I am getting migraine headaches, too much stress. I look like hell. I need out of here for a while.”
“All you have to do is ask, love. I can give you three weeks vacation; anywhere you want, dear. I will need you here in London for the auction on the 28th though.”
“Oh, perfect, really, thank you.”
Michael is Santa Claus. He is really too generous. He called Arianna and insisted we have full usage of the private jet, access to an expense account that he also insisted we spend every penny of, and first class arrangements made wherever we choose to go. A specialist drove up from Gatwick to go over options with Arianna and I. We looked over books and brochures of luxury cruises in Europe and the Mediterranean, beauty spas in Paris and St. Tropez, sailing in the Greek Isles, resorts in the tropics and retreats in the Swiss Alps. I wanted something adventurous. I am not the resting kind of person, even when I am tired. I needed something that would take me far from The Academy, far away from the lifestyle.
Something caught my eye.... Africa. It sounded wonderful to me, to be among nature and the true beauty of life. I made arrangements for a safari in Africa. Michael arranged for Arianna and I to have use of his private jet for the trip, and to stay at the private lodge that one of the investors own. Three weeks later, Arianna and I found ourselves on a private jet, flying over the plains of Africa. We touched down in Nairobi, Kenya.
Our guide, a lanky misplaced American named Sammy, introduced us to the servants who would be along for the trip. Once finished, we were shown to the lodge and introduced to the two other guests staying there in private rooms. A sweet Austrian couple met us as we walked in. Greta and Franz instantly went into telling me about their visits to the Academy and how they adored the place.
“Actually...” Greta said slowly, as if she had just thought of something. “My slave, a very sweet girl named Claudia, she has had problems learning.”
“Problems...with training?” I asked, genuinely interested.