Courtesan

This is the thirty-ninth episode in a series entitled "Courtesan". If you have not read the previous thirty-eight episodes of this series, I encourage you do so before beginning this chapter.

"Courtesan" is romantic story about a dominant hot wife and her submissive cuckold husband. While they have a deep and abiding love for each other they do lead an alternative lifestyle. If this subject matter offends you or makes you feel uncomfortable, I strongly suggest that you find something else to read.

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The alarm clock went off at six. I got up first and jumped into the shower. As soon as I was finished I rousted Kelly out of bed. She showered while I made us a quick breakfast of yogurt, granola and orange juice. Both of us were ready to go by 6:45. That actually gave us a few minutes to drink a cup of coffee and read the morning newspaper before we had to leave.

At seven o'clock sharp a JTandR Lincoln pulled up in front of our house. John, the Bears fan that I'd met yesterday was our driver. On the way to the airport we continued our discussion about the relative merits of the teams in the NFC North. Kelly loves football, so she jumped right into the debate. It was a lively trip to the airport.

When we checked in for our flight I discovered that we were booked into first class. It shouldn't have been a surprise, JtandR did everything in style. Nonetheless, I was a poor kid from Iowa. Flying was a thrill. Flying in first class was an unbelievable thrill.

There were seven of us. Kelly and I sat together. Keisha and Mandy were across the aisle from us. Tonya and Kirby were seated in front of them and Elvira was alone in front of us. I was feeling bad that Ellie had to sit by herself when Wendell Tyler walked onto the airplane and sat down next to her. This was a surprise. I knew that Martin Jackson and John Reynolds were in a meeting with the investors from St. Louis and would be flying down later that day in their private jet. I'd assumed that Wendell would be making the trip with them.

As Wendell was sitting down, Kelly leaned over and whispered into my ear. "They ran into each other yesterday. There were immediate sparks. I'm fairly certain that Wendell should be in the meeting with the investors from St. Louis, but it appears that he'd rather fly down to South Carolina with Ellie."

Smiling at Kelly, I whispered; "This is good."

"Yes it is."

The trip surprised me. This was normally a very convivial group. There was some quiet conversation, but during most of the flight everyone either slept or read a book.

We lost an hour because we were flying east. By the time we landed in Charleston it was almost one o'clock. None of us had any checked baggage and we were all seated in first class, so we got off of the airplane and across the airport very quickly.

On the far side of the arrival level we encountered a group of black suited limousine drivers holding up signs. One of the signs read, JTandR.

Tonya, who was leading our group glanced back at all of us and said; "There's our driver."

She walked up to the man holding the sign. "Hi, I'm Tonya Lewis. We're the JTandR group."

The limo driver nodded. "Hello Ms. Lewis, I'm Carl. Please follow me, the car is right outside this door."

We followed Carl through the exit. Outside there was a line of limousines parked next to the curb. He motioned towards a large black stretch Limo to our left. "That's the car." He held the door while all eight of us climbed inside. It was a large vehicle. It could easily have accommodated at least six more people.

Evergreen was located on the edge of an outer ring suburb of Charleston. It took us about twenty minutes to get there. The grounds were surrounded by an eight foot tall wrought iron fence.

Carl pulled the limousine into the driveway and stopped. A large iron gate blocked our way. He opened his window and pushed a button on a metal box attached to a wooden pole. After a moment the gate swung open. As we passed through the gate I noticed that two video cameras were mounted on the top of the fence. One on each side of the driveway.

We wound through a dense forest made up of tall, very straight pine trees. After about a quarter of a mile we emerged into an open area that was at least five or six acres of well kept lawn and beautiful gardens. A immense mansion made of gray marble stood in the center of this open area.

Carl followed the driveway around an ornate fountain and pulled the limousine to a stop in front of a impressive marble portico. A slender middle aged man with gray hair was waiting for us on the steps. He was dressed in a formal black tail coat and white tie.

Kelly leaned over and whispered into my ear. "That's Edward, he's the head butler at Evergreen."

I smiled. This was the first time I'd ever encountered a butler.

Carl got out of the limousine and opened the door for us. Edward waited silently on the steps while we all emerged from the car. When he saw Wendell I noticed a slight flicker of surprise in his eyes.

As soon as we were all standing on the sidewalk Edward walked straight over to Wendell and said; "Mr. Tyler, it's a pleasure to see you, but I must admit that I am a little bit surprised. I was under the impression that you would be arriving later this afternoon with Mr. Jackson and Mr. Reynolds."

Wendell smiled. "It's all right Edward. We have several new employees. Late last night I decided that I wanted to fly down with them today." He turned to Elvira who was standing next to him. "This is Elvira Higgins. She's Tonya's new assistant. Elvira, this is Edward. He's the head of the household staff at Evergreen."

Elvira extended her hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Edward. Please call me Ellie."

Edward took her hand. He didn't shake it, he just held it. As he held it he bowed politely and said, "Welcome to Evergreen Ellie. We've exchanged so many emails in the last day that I feel like we're already well acquainted."

Smiling, Elvira said; "Yes, I feel the same way."

"Edward, this is Kirby Lundquist." Wendell had stepped behind Kirby and had his hand on his shoulder. Kirby was standing next to Tonya. They were holding hands.

Edward noticed. He glanced at Tonya and smiled. She smiled back at him. Turning to Kirby, he extended his hand and said; "Welcome to Evergreen Kirby."

Grinning, Kirby took Edward's hand and shook it vigorously. "Thank you Edward, this is a magnificent house."

Edward nodded.

Kirby kept shaking his hand.

Tonya leaned over and whispered, "Let go of his hand dear."

Kirby's smile disappeared. Quickly releasing Edward's hand he nervously stuttered, "Ah yes, I'm sorry, I ah didn't mean to..."

Edward flashed him a gracious smile and said, "It's all right Cookie." He paused. "May I call you Cookie?"

Kirby's grin reappeared. "Yes sir, I'd like that very much."

Suddenly I sensed Wendell's presence behind me and then I felt his hand on my shoulder. "Edward, I assume that you can guess who this is."

Turning to Kelly, Edward asked, "Is this Timmy?"

Kelly grabbed my hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "Yes Edward, it is."

Edward slowly shook his head. "Kelly honey, we were all beside ourselves with worry when we heard about the trouble the two of you were having. We were so relieved when we found out that you were going to be here for this party." He smiled. "And then when we heard that the illustrious Timmy was actually coming with you, well that's all Maurice, Doris, Cassie, Florence, Nathan and Ben have been able to talk about for the entire morning."

I glanced at Kelly. She shrugged. I rolled my eyes. Barely able to suppress a giggle, she winked at me.

I felt a finger poking me in the back. I turned. Mandy was wiggling her eyebrows. I shook my head.

Wendell walked up the steps and grabbed Edward's arm. "Then we'd better not waste anymore time. Let's go inside and find them."

Edward laughed. "That shouldn't be difficult. I'm sure they're all waiting in the foyer."

We all followed Wendell and Edward up the front steps. As we walked through a set of solid oak double doors that must have been at least twelve feet tall and ten feet wide, Kelly leaned over and whispered; "Timmy you are going to be so amazed by this house."

I looked around. I truly was amazed.

We passed through a short entry hallway. On my left there was what appeared to be a cloak room. On my right there was a small study or office.

I only gave those two rooms a quick glance because the space in front of us immediately grabbed my attention. It was an oval room maybe forty feet wide and thirty feet deep. On both the right and the left ends of the oval there were wide marble staircases leading up to the next floor. On the opposite side of the oval there was another corridor that lead to the rest of the first floor.

When I looked up the gilt domed ceiling was three stories above us. A marble railing guarded the edges of both the second and third floors.

Ahead of us six people were standing in the middle of the oval. A slightly built man with short gray hair and a full figured woman of about the same age, both dressed in the white jackets and pants commonly worn by chefs; were on the left. Two women dressed in maids uniforms; one middle aged and white, the other young and black, were standing next to them. To their right were two men. The first, a young white man, was wearing a tail coat and white tie similar to Edward's. The other, a large black man with white hair, was dressed in overalls and work boots.

Kelly whispered, "Timmy, this is the reception hall and those people are the staff at Evergreen." Grabbing my hand, she said; "Come on, you have to meet them. They're all good friends."

Kelly pulled me out ahead of our group. The waiting assembly of household staff were all grinning at us as we hurried over to them.

"Everybody, this is Timmy." Kelly paused for a moment and then she said, "I was afraid that I'd never get to see any of you again." Letting go of my hand she ran to the large black man in overalls and hugged him. "Hi Ben, how is Sarah doing?"

"She's good Kelly, the doctors just told us that it looks like the chemotherapy destroyed all of the cancer."

"That's wonderful news!"

Ben smiled.

Kelly paused for a moment and then she said, "Ben this is Timmy. Timmy, this is my good friend Ben."

Ben grabbed my hand with both of his hands. His hands were large and strong and they completely engulfed mine, but his handshake was remarkably gentle. "Timmy, it's a pleasure to finally get to meet you. Kelly has told us so many wonderful things about you."

I was overwhelmed by this reception and more than just a little chagrined. Totally befuddled, I barely managed to stammer out, "I umm...,thank you, it's a pleasure to..."

Kelly rescued me. Grabbing my arm, she pulled me over to the man standing next to Ben. "Timmy, this is Nathan."

As I was shaking Nathan's hand I noticed that Tonya was introducing Kirby and Elvira to Ben.

Kirby, Ellie and I were methodically introduced to all six people. While our introductions were being made to each person, I noticed that Keisha, Mandy and Wendell were chatting with the others. It was clear that this was a group of good friends.

The socializing went of for several minutes. Finally Edward raised his hands. As soon as he had everyone's attention, he said; "We could go on talking for hours, but all of you know that that's not possible. We have a job to do today, an important job. The firm treats all of us very well."

There was a general murmur of agreement.

"The partners are relying on us to provide the men we'll be entertaining today with a memorable experience. We don''t want to let them down."

I looked around. Everyone was nodding. I joined them. This group was obviously a cohesive team. It was easy to get swept up in the camaraderie.

"The four associates are currently playing golf at The Gaitlin Country Club. Just before the limousine arrived I received a call from one of their caddies. They were about to tee off on the twelfth hole."

Edward glanced at his watch. "That was fifteen minutes ago. They should be finished playing in a little over an hour. They won't be stopping in the clubhouse after their round. They'll be coming directly here for snacks and drinks by the pool. Hostesses, you should greet them in conservative bikinis. You'll find them in your rooms, laid out with the rest of your outfits."

Looking at all of us, he said; "Remember, this evening one of our guests is to be treated much differently than usual. Tonya will be in charge of him. She'll give you cues about how you're supposed to interact with this associate."

He paused. I think he was giving us an opportunity to ask questions. No one did. After a moment he continued. "When our guests arrive, Wendell, Elvira and I will greet them here in the reception hall. Timmy and Kirby should be standing by with Nathan in the pool area. We'll bring the men there. Hostesses, you should make your appearance in the pool area ten minutes after I call everyone to places."

Tonya, Kelly, Mandy and Keisha all nodded. It was apparent that Edward ran the show at Evergreen and it appeared to be a well choreographed production.

He turned to Maurice and Doris. "Are the snacks ready?"

Maurice nodded. "Yes, we have a plate of fresh fruit slices, a tray of sliced cheeses and meats and a basket containing a variety of breads and crackers."

Edward smiled. "Very good." Then he looked at Cassie and Florence. "Are the cabana rooms next to the pool ready?"

Florence answered. "Yes, we put fresh sheets on the beds this morning and each room has at least eight clean towels."

"Timmy is going to be responsible for those rooms while they are being used this afternoon. Since this is his first party at Evergreen he may need some guidance from you and Cassie."

"Don't worry Edward, we'll take care of him." This time Cassie answered.

"I know you will." Edward looked at all of us. "Does anyone have any questions?"

We were all silent.

After a moment he looked at his watch and said, "It's now two thirty- five. Our guests should be arriving in about an hour so you can expect that I will be calling all of you to your places between three thirty and a quarter to four. You have less than a hour to make your final preparations. I suggest that you use it wisely."

Turning to Doris, Maurice said, "I'm going to finish preparing the standing rib roast for tonight's diner. I'll have to put it in the oven in about an hour."

Doris nodded. "I'll start working on the desserts."

As they disappeared down the hallway that led to the rest of the first floor, Cassie looked at Florence. "Flo, let's give the associate's bedrooms one last check."

"That's a good idea."

Cassie was already walking towards the marble staircase to our left. Florence quickly followed her.

"Ben will you check the temperature in the pool and the hot tub?"

Ben smiled. "I was thinking the same thing Edward. I'll get right on it." Ben took the same corridor that Maurice and Doris had used.

Edward turned to Nathan. "Nate, it's time to bring some ice out to the poolside bar, and after you do that make sure we have a good variety of beers out there. These men have been playing golf. They're going to be thirsty."

Nathan nodded and left.

As soon as he was gone Edward looked at Kelly and Tonya. "Do Timmy and Kirby understand there roles for this evening?"

Tonya smiled. "Yes I think they do. Nate understands, doesn't he?"

"All the staff do."

"So Nate, Cassie and Flo can give them prompts if necessary."

"Yes, I've already discussed that with them."

"We can also give them a few last minute instructions while we're getting dressed." Tonya looked at all of us. "We'd better get upstairs and start getting ready. I know that I'd like to take a shower before the men get here."

"I would too." Keisha was already walking to the marble staircase on our right.

Mandy followed her. "That sounds very inviting right now."

Kelly grabbed my hand. "Come on Timmy, I'll show you our room."

Tonya hooked her arm through Kirby's. "Let's go see our room Cookie." She looked at Elvira. "Are you coming with us Ellie?"

Elvira shook her head. "No Tonnie, not right now."

As we were leaving I heard Wendell say; "Edward, Elvira will be staying in my room tonight. Have her things brought there."

"I'll tell Cassie and Flo."

As we were walking up the stairs Keisha looked back at us and giggled. "It looks like Ellie has a new boyfriend."

Tonya nodded. "Isn't it wonderful."

When we reached the second floor, Kelly said; "Wendell, Martin and John all have office apartments here. The guest rooms are on this floor too, but they're in the opposite wing." She pointed to a set of carved mahogany doors at the rear center of the oval balcony. "There's a ballroom over there. It's only used for large formal parties. I'm sure we won't be using it tonight."

"Where's your room?"

Kelly playfully poked me in the ribs. "You mean our room and it's up there." She pointed to double doorway next to us. The doorway led to an oak staircase.

Keisha and Mandy were already going up. Tonya and Kirby were following them. Kelly grabbed my hand. "We could have taken the elevator, but it's quicker to take the stairs. It's also good exercise. Come on Timmy."

She pulled me to the stairs.

The rail on the third floor balcony overlooking the reception hall was not marble, it was hand carved oak. Kelly grabbed my arm when I started to walk towards it. "Timmy, you'll have time to look at the house later. Right now we have to get ready."

As we followed everyone through the door leading to the wing where our room was located Kelly explained, "The household staff all have rooms in the other wing, but all of them also have homes in the area, so they only use their rooms when they have to be here for a late party. I expect that they'll all be using them tonight."

There were six bedrooms in this wing. Ours was the first one on the right. Mandy's was directly across from us. Tonya and Kirby's bedroom was next door to ours and Keisha's was next door to Mandy's. I was told that Antoine's bedroom was on the far side of Keisha's.

Kelly opened the door to our room. I followed her inside.

The room was small, but elegantly decorated. A queen sized bed with a gilt head board occupied the center. The bed was covered by a thick pink and blue floral print comforter. The double windows above the head of the bed were framed by a matching set of curtains. Plush ivory colored carpeting covered the floor. There was a door at each end of the wall to the left of the bed. One was the entrance to a large walk in closet. The other led to a marble tiled bathroom with a tub and a shower. A full length gilt edged mirror occupied the space between the two doors. On the opposite side of the room a French provincial side table, chair and dresser were set against the wall. Another smaller gilt edged mirror had been mounted above the side table. An oil painting of a basket of pink and blue flowers hung above the dresser.

As Kelly closed the door behind us I smiled at her and said, "This is a beautiful bedroom. I almost feel like I'm at a very expensive bed and breakfast."

Kelly giggled. "It really is nice, isn't it." She shook her head. "But unfortunately we don't have time enjoy it right now. You need to get your clothes off and get into the shower."

"I took a shower this morning."

"Yes, I know you did and now I want you to take another one." Kelly paused for a moment and then she explained, "Timmy we're in the sex business. Cleanliness is the first maxim."

"I'm not going to be having sex with anyone tonight."

Kelly chuckled. "No, you are certainly not." She paused for a moment and then shaking her head, she said; "I'm sorry, that wasn't kind."