Satin Dreams

Karen stared at the colourful business card on her coffee table. It showed a naked woman from the waist up with a rapturous look on her face. The woman behind her was also naked, her breasts were hidden by the woman in front, she had her hands over the other woman's breasts as she stared at the camera. The card was titled Satin Dreams and Karen focused on the tag line. Gay, Bi, Curious? Our gentlemen and ladies will help you decide. The phone number was a local Melbourne one, not one of those 900 numbers.

Karen stroked her throat as she contemplated the card, her eyes flickered to the iPhone next to it. The card had been given to her by a junior lawyer. Mandy was gay but lived with her girlfriend in Brunswick so she was out of reach but when Karen admitted she was curious about the lifestyle Mandy at first suggested she go to a club.

"I'm not into clubs," Karen's eyes shifted, "I'm thirty eight, the last time I walked into one of those King Street clubs half the people thought I was someone's mother."

"But you're curious."

"Yeah," she loosened the black tie, "but just the sexual part, I mean even if some woman did take me home I'm not even sure it would work out. I'm straight but have thought about doing it with a woman, it doesn't mean I'm going to come out."

"Then call an escort," Mandy handed her the card, "they do house calls, everything is strictly professional, you pay cash and they're very discreet."

"A prostitute," she frowned.

"Sex worker," Mandy corrected her, "my partner was working for an agency before she got together with me, she had applied for this agency because the pay rate was higher and the hours were better, but then she got together with me and got out of the business altogether."

Karen picked up the card. It had been tucked into her purse for the last three months and now and then she took it out and looked at it. She'd called the number once but hung up while it was still ringing. Two days ago after a routine briefing with a female detective from C.I.D she accidentally pulled out the card before realising her mistake and taking out the card for a computer technician instead.

"I've used that one before," Simone flicked at her hair.

"Oh," Karen made to put the card back in her purse.

"No, that one," Simone took out the other card, "they're very good and above board, I ran their name through the police database before I called them and they're clean."

"I haven't called the number yet."

"Well it's not illegal," Simone's eyes twinkled, "all work and no play as they say."

Karen picked up her iPhone and tapped in the number as she recalled Simone's parting comment three days ago.

"On the other matter, call me and let me know how you got on."

"Good morning, Satin Dreams, how can I help you?"

Karen's eyes widened. The woman's accent was Australian and she could have been answering the phone in an office.

The woman repeated herself and Karen coughed.

"Hi, I'm um, making an inquiry."

"Of course, madam, what kind of inquiry?"

"About your services," Karen fiddled with the top button of her blouse.

"Certainly," she replied breezily, "we supply escort services to clients in the LBGT community. All our staff are discreet and very professional. We cater to all needs but some services cost extra."

"What are these certain services?"

"BDSM and certain fetishes."

"Oh," she laughed nervously, "I'm certainly not into the first one and the second I'm not even sure it's in my dictionary."

"Not a problem, madam, and I take it you're looking for female company?"

"Yes," she stroked her front, "and these women are mature?"

"All our women are above the age of consent, it's a legal requirement."

"I see," she leaned back into a cream-coloured couch, "look I'll be honest with you, I've never even called one of these places before. I was given the card by a colleague."

"That's not a problem madam, we deal with first time customers all the time. Once we know what kind of lady you want we'll call her and give her your address. You can pay in cash or with a credit card, but the name on your statement is D and L Consulting to avoid potential embarrassment. Once the lady arrives at your house she will discuss your needs and then perform the service. Whether you're paying by credit card or cash you always pay in advance, but if you want her to stay longer then she needs to make a call to her driver."

Karen stared at the television on her wall. It sounded so normal it was almost disgusting.

"That all sounds so, normal. Like buying a television."

"That's a very good analogy," the woman replied, "but unlike a television, we can fulfil your fantasies, for a price."

"I have lots of fantasies," she chuckled, "in fact it's all I have left after my husband left."

"So what would you like to do, madam?"

"I'll take it," she pinched her nose, "sorry, I'll book one of your ladies."

"Excellent. What age range are you looking at?"

Karen frowned, "maybe between twenty five and thirty five?"

"Let me see," she paused, "I have four ladies on call right now, all are between twenty five and thirty five, would you prefer blonde or brunette?"

"Brunette," she ran a hand through her brown hair.

"Any special needs?"

"Special needs?"

"Any special fantasy? Some women fantasize about doing it in an office, so the escort would dress in office attire, others want a fifties look, some even specify a certain outfit, others want the schoolmistress or schoolgirl look. We can accommodate most needs."

"There was this girl when I was in high school once," she mused.

"We can provide that and it's just ordinary sexual services?"

"Yes," she fixed her eyes on the television again.

"We have Adrianna on call now. She's twenty five years old, slim build with long brown hair."

"That sounds fine," she looked down.

"How long would you like with Adrianna?"

"I um, I have to be at work by one, I'm on flexitime."

"That will be three hundred dollars in cash or credit card," the woman replied.

"Cash," she replied a moment later.

"Not a problem, all right. Can I take your name and address please?"

Karen gave out her address and there was a momentary pause.

"Bundoora, let me check first. Just hold the line, Karen."

Karen waited for the better part of a minute and then the woman came back on the line.

"Sorry about that. I had to check first. Yes, Adrianna can be there in half an hour. Would you like me to book her?"

"Please," Karen felt a tingle of excitement, "do you have any advice for a first time customer?"

"Just enjoy yourself," the woman replied, "we do ask you take a shower first though."

"I only just showered an hour ago," Karen replied.

"That's fine, well thank you for your inquiry and I hope Adrianna fulfils your fantasy. Have a nice day, Karen."

Fulfil my fantasy?

Karen stared at herself in the bathroom mirror a few minutes later. When was the last time anyone had ever fulfilled her fantasy let alone ask about it? She closed her eyes briefly.

Never!

Karen opened her eyes and looked at herself. Her straight brown hair framed an oval shaped face but her jawline was a little squarish. The rouge and eye makeup softened her look somewhat. She puckered her lips and winced.

What am I doing?

She fingered the collar of the blue satin blouse tucked into black trousers.

I should change out of this,

she rested thumb and finger on the top button and then dropped her hand and rested her hands on the vanity. She didn't have the hourglass figure although her breasts were normal size, Karen thought her arse was too big. She'd taken out a gym membership six months ago and had only been twice, citing tiredness and other excuses.

I need to lose weight. I need to clean up my act. I need to get back in the saddle.

She thought of her ex husband.

And I don't need another potential husband.

She took a step back and sighed.

"It's all coming off anyway," she tucked the blouse further in at the back, the material pulled tightly against her breasts, "so it's come to this, your Worship," she glanced at the makeup spread over the vanity, "sex with a prostitute."

She packed the makeup back into the bag and had just closed it when the doorbell rang. Karen glanced over her shoulder.

Half an hour! I had half an hour!

Half an hour minus ten minutes in here, Karen hurried downstairs to the front door.

It can't be her.

She peered through the peephole at the dark haired woman on the other side. She was wearing a short brown skirt with diagonal black stripes, white shirt, red tie and brown cardigan. She had a large bag slung over her shoulder.

Karen opened the door and the woman smiled.

"G'day, I'm Adrianna, are you Karen?"

"I am," she peered out into the street.

"And you called for my services?"

"I did, I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"Would you like me to wait?" Adrianna's eyes shifted.

"No, come in, come in," she opened the flywire door, "sorry."

"No need," she stepped inside and Karen closed the door behind her.

"What a lovely home," Adrianna grinned.

"Thank you."

"And this is your first time using our service?"

"It's the first time I've used any service," Karen looked at the skirt. The black stripes alternated with red stripes.

"All right. We first need to check the house, it's a security thing."

"We?" Karen glanced at the door.

"You and I," Adrianna's eyes twinkled, "call it a guided tour. I have to call my driver first."

"Of course, but I'm alone."

Adrianna fished an iPhone out of her bag. It was the same model as Karen's. She spoke to to the phone.

"Call Ron."

"Calling Ron," Siri replied.

Adrianna put the phone to her ear.

"Yeah, it's me. I'm inside. I'll call you in five," she ended the call and nodded at her.

"Come on, show me your lovely home."

"There's not much to see," she led her out of the lounge room and down the hall, "just your standard four bedroom home. Nothing much to see here."

"Do you live here alone?"

"I do, we bought the house with the intention of having children."

"We as in your husband?"

"Yes," she opened a door, "my bedroom."

"And he's not here," Adrianna looked around the room and stepped back.

"The marriage ended three years ago."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"A bit of both," she admitted.

The guided tour ended in her office.

"This is just the office, nothing to see here."

"But it was a bedroom once I see," Adrianna moved inside and looked around the room, "you're a lawyer," she looked at a framed certificate on the wall, "you have your own practice?"

"I did until the divorce," she replied, "now I'm slumming it with the O.P.P."

"Office of Public Prosecutions," Adrianna moved past her into the hall, "doubly impressive, all right, it's all good. I'll make the call and then I'm all yours."

She called Ron again.

"It's safe, I'll call you in an hour."

She slipped the phone into her bag and leaned against the wall.

"So, where would you like me? The bedroom, living room?" Her eyes flickered to the office, "perhaps the office?"

Karen felt the butterflies rising in startled flight.

I can't do this.

Adrianna stepped towards her and tugged at her hair gently.

"You're beautiful, most of my clients are a good ten years older."

"Can we talk?" Karen pushed her hand down.

"Talk is good," Adrianna gestured, "lead the way."

Karen led her back downstairs to the living room and fell into a sofa, she nodded at the couch.

"You're nervous," Adrianna sat down.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Plainly," Adrianna dumped her bag on the floor, "I think if I went down on you right now you'd scream."

"I'm sorry," Karen swept a hand through her hair.

"Is that something all lawyers say?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Sorry," Adrianna smirked, "all right. We can talk for an hour but it will still cost you money, three hundred dollars."

"A lot of money for a chat."

"Time is money."

Karen sighed and opened her purse, "three hundred it is then, look I'm sorry. I thought I could go through with this, I'm sorry to have wasted your time. I've had that bloody card in my purse for the last three months," she held out the money.

"I'm sorry."

"Okay," Adrianna took the money and laid it on the table. She spread the bills out and then took out her phone.

"I get it but you should stop saying sorry. You've done nothing wrong. You're polite, good looking, you have a nice home and a responsible job. In short you're a great catch for either a woman or a man," she tapped the button and brought up the stopwatch app.

"You have me for an hour but technically speaking I have ten minutes up my sleeve," she nodded at the pile of money.

"It's ten minutes where I can decide this isn't worth it and take a hundred dollar bill instead," she took it and placed it on the other side of the phone, "leaving you with two hundred dollars. No hard feelings, no regrets and you only lost a hundred dollars."

Their eyes met.

"It's ten minutes. Give me a summation."

"A summation?"

"You know what that is, don't you?"

"Of course I know what that is," she blushed, "but a summation of what?"

"A summation of why you called for an escort? You're probably curious but why? Think of me as your confidante. It's a bit like lawyer's privilege. Anything you say to me stays between us."

"Why are you doing this?"

"For the money, it helps pay my tuition and I have a daughter to raise."

"Oh," Karen shifted in her seat, "of course. What are you studying?"

"Promise not to laugh?"

"Promise," she replied.

"I'm doing my law degree at Latrobe Uni."

"Jesus, I did law there, a long time ago," she smiled, "so you want to be a lawyer?"

"Well let's be honest the skill sets for lawyers and sex workers are transferable, they both screw people for money."

Karen laughed at that and Adrianna smiled as her finger hovered over the screen.

"So, are you in or out?"

"In," Karen settled back into her seat as Adrianna tapped the screen.

"So, when did you first turn onto women?"

"It's not something I've really thought about," Karen replied.

"There must have been one woman or girl who stood out and you thought, yeah, I could fuck her."

"Phu Linh. She was a girl I knew in school."

"Sounds Vietnamese."

"Her parents were boat people but Phu Linh was born here. I kind of looked after her because some of the girls at school used to pick on her. They'd call her a reffo. I was quite tall for my age and I always hated discrimination of any kind. One day in the locker room one of the girls started pushing her around. I stepped in and shoved her right back and told her to fuck off. After that Phu Linh became my best friend."

"Did you ever kiss her or sleep with her?"

"No," Karen slid a hand beneath her blouse, "she was straight but sometimes when she stayed over at my place I used to look at her when she was sleeping and get the urge to kiss her."

"Do you still see her?"

"I do, she lives in St Kilda. She works as a computer analyst. She was actually my maid of honour at my wedding."

"Did she look nice in the dress?"

"Hot," Karen managed a smile, "in fact my husband kept looking at her, which should have been a warning but at the time I was in love."

"And he didn't ever sleep with her?"

"God no, Phu Linh would have run a mile. She's not like that," Karen propped on her palm.

"Quid pro quo. What made you decide to get into this line of work in the first place?"

"It wasn't my first choice," she replied, "I worked at a topless bar in the city but the security was shithouse and I never felt safe. Along with tuition fees and books, I've got a six year old to look after, bills to pay, the rent and all the overheads this was a much better option. I can set my own hours, it fits in perfect with my schedule and there's no way I'll ever have clients knocking at my door or following me home."

"Oh," Karen's eyes shifted, "that's different."

"Back to you," Adrianna smiled, "how did you get our card?"

"From a woman at work, she's a junior lawyer. Her partner worked for an agency, she was going to sign up to Satin Dreams but then she got out of the business, I don't know her name."

"And even if you did you wouldn't tell me," Adrianna grinned.

"So, what kinds of things do you do? With women I mean?"

"Oh it varies, some women really just want to be cuddled and held. I have this woman I see once a month and all we do is lie on the couch and cuddle. That is weird because it costs her three hundred dollars a pop and she's not even being popped. Other women like me to wear a strap on and ride them. Some women like the dildo," she took a dildo out of her handbag, "I have several in there, a mixture of vibrators and dildos. Other women just want me to go down on them, a lot want a massage before sex," she started laying the toys out.

"Basically it's entirely up to the client. We always ask them what they want. Do they want me to continue or vary the routine, it's one of those industries where you have to listen hard and pay attention."

"And you only do women, are you gay?"

"I do like men," Adrianna leaned on her knees, "I guess I'm bisexual but when it comes to this kind of work I prefer women are more flexible," she adjusted the tie.

"I mean if I ever do meet a decent man, he might be okay with me pleasuring women for money instead of men, but this is an industry where it's advantageous to be single."

"I guess so," Karen leaned forward to study the sex toys, "they're very big," she picked up a large one with ears, "what's this for?"

"To stimulate the clitoris."

"Ouch," she winced, "if we could design a vibrator that takes out the rubbish and mows the lawn we could dispense with husbands altogether."

"Now that's a pleasant thought."

"Too right," she put it down and picked up a small object, "what's this for?"

"A butt plug, it goes in your."

"I get it, I get it," she put it down, "my ex always wanted to do me from behind. I eventually let him but he made me bleed."

"He probably wasn't using lubricant."

"No," she picked up a black dildo, "I couldn't sit down for three days after that but he went about his merry way without a care in the world."

"Sounds like you're better off without him."

"Well he's fucking some blonde bimbo now and not up the arse either, she's expecting her second child soon."

Karen put the dildo down and looked at the money. Adrianna followed her line of sight and a moment later Karen put the rest of the money with the first hundred.

"All right, you've convinced me. It would be an awful lot of money for a little chat."

"No worries," Adrianna indicated the toys, "would you like a toy?"

"This one," Karen picked the one she'd picked up first.

"Rampant Rabbit."

"Rampant what?"

"It's the brand name," Adrianna started packing the rest away, "so, what's your ultimate fantasy."

"I think it would take up the whole hour just to tell you my fantasies, it's been over three years since I was last on my back or in any other position."

"Okay," Adrianna chuckled, "so it's been a while but how would you envisage your first time with a woman?"

"I'd like to be seduced and I'd like you to go down on me."

"Here or somewhere else?"

"Um," she looked over her shoulder, "do you have a preference?"

"It's not up to my preferences at all," Adrianna took out a bottle of lubricant, "some women prefer the bedroom but others think that's too personal. It's entirely up to you."

"And you're clean."

"I have my medical certificate here," Adrianna took out a card, "we get tested once a month, if we come up negative we're off the books until we're clean. It's an obsession in this industry."