She would be an excellent test of my ability to manage things with total discretion and to perform where it mattered with a previously unknown partner. Caroline promised to get in touch with her.
In the meantime, Caroline put me through my paces herself - to 'get rid of the rough edges', as she put it. My confidence began to take a bit of a battering when she pointed out just how many rough edges there were.
We discussed the possibility of my using Viagra. A lot of clients would expect me to take them more than once - possibly a lot more than once - and, as Caroline pointed out, I would be remarkably lucky if every single client aroused me sexually. In some cases, it would have to be a matter of 'lie back and think of England'. On the other hand, most women would probably rather imagine it was their allure that produced my erection, not a little blue tablet and the spell might be broken if I remained permanently erect.
In the end, we decided I should keep some Cialis handy - they were fairly quick acting and weren't affected by food, so I could easily pop one if the need arose.
Caroline's next stricture was to 'watch the drinking'. The last thing I would need would be a spot of brewer's droop just as I needed to perform. And, of course, some women might be put off by the smell or taste of alcohol when we kissed.
No drinking wasn't really feasible but there were things I could do. If I took a woman out to dinner before heading to bed, I was to let her drink most of the wine. When she disappeared to the toilet, I should take the opportunity to top my glass up with a dash or two of water. When we got back to my flat, I should offer her a drink and, if she accepted, rather than leave her to drink alone, I was to pour myself a gin and tonic that was almost entirely tonic.
Undressing was the next lesson - both the client and myself. Caroline turned up at my flat one day with a bulging suitcase. Fortunately, her husband was away or he'd have wondered if she was moving out; her wardrobe must have been half empty. She spent the whole day changing from outfit into outfit so that I could practice removing them until I had the moves perfect and the clothes fell off her, seemingly without effort.
Undressing myself would be far easier because I could control what I was wearing - or so I thought. It didn't take Caroline long to disabuse me of that notion. She had me undress in front of her and, unkindly, videoed the performance. When it was over, she let me watch myself looking ridiculous. The worst bit was of me hopping about on one foot, trying to get my trousers off.
The Chippendales, of course, use Velcro-fastened clothes but that wasn't an option for me so Caroline taught me how to get out of my clothes in an elegant way without resorting to such dodges.
Next, we turned to grooming. Some women adore the rugged style - calloused hands, bristles, the undisguised smell of sweat, even oily fingernails - but many of my prospective clients were likely to be turned off by such things. It became a matter of balance - manly but not cavemanly. We debated long and hard about whether I should shave down below or even be waxed. In the end, we decided that, since many of my clients were likely to be approaching middle age - at the very least - a totally bald cock and balls wouldn't be appropriate and a few might even think it pervy. We therefore decided that a tidy trim fitted the bill.
Caroline set up appointments with manicurists, pedicurists, and barbers and gave them all very precise instructions.
*****
It took Caroline longer than we hoped to get hold of Felicity - Fliss as she was known to her friends - and then she took some convincing. Exactly how Caroline broached the idea with her I cannot imagine; fortunately, it intrigued and excited her but she was full of 'what-ifs'. What if she went to a hotel and someone recognised her? What if her husband came back at the wrong moment? She had clearly been thinking about the possibility of an affair in quite some detail and had considered all the potential problems.
It took Caroline a while to sort out the arrangements in a way that would minimise Fliss's fears. The cover story was to be that Fliss and Caroline were spending a couple of nights in London, taking in a show or two. On the second night, all three of us would have a meal together; if anyone saw us I could be explained away as Caroline's friend. Then, with the meal over, Fliss was to come back to my flat while Caroline would return to the hotel alone. Fliss's mobile phone would be turned off overnight - her excuse would be that she'd turned it off during one of the shows and had simply forgotten to turn it back on again.
*****
When everything was finally arranged and the day arrived, I met Caroline and Fliss at their hotel in London. From there we went to an excellent restaurant not far from my flat. It was relatively unknown, it offered good, unpretentious food, and it was possible to get a table at short notice without being an A-list celebrity.
Fliss is an incredibly attractive lady; there is no doubt about that. If she'd not been so terrified of wrecking her marriage she could easily have had a whole string of attentive lovers. From the moment I saw her, I wanted her - to the point at which I might have felt guilty if she'd been a paying customer. She had lustrous, shoulder-length auburn hair, which set off her hazel eyes to perfection. Her breasts were full and I could imagine them weighing heavily in my hands. For her age - she'd apparently not long passed 45 - she had a very good body with an hour-glass figure. Caroline said that she spent a fair bit of time at the gym.
The meal went well. Fliss seemed quite shy - or perhaps she was subdued by the thought of what was to happen later that evening - but we hit it off very well and there was more than a spark between us. I could tell that Caroline was relieved, which was a good sign. Having brought us together, she must have felt anxious that the evening should have the best possible outcome.
Standing outside the restaurant after the meal, Caroline put her arms round me and kissed me on the lips. 'Take care of her', she whispered in my ear. 'I'm sure you're both going to have a good time.' Then she turned to Fliss and kissed her on both cheeks. 'Have fun', she said to her. 'I'm sure he'll be very good for you.'
While Caroline took a taxi back to her hotel, Fliss and I walked the short distance to my flat. I opened the front door and ushered her in and guided her to the lounge. I'd left the lights on low with music playing softly in the background to set the right atmosphere and now I offered her a drink; she decided on a white wine. I went through into the kitchen to pour our drinks and returned with her wine and my 'gin and tonic'.
Fliss and I chatted for a while but then she needed to go to the bathroom. I was standing in the middle of the room when she returned and I took her in my arms.
'Are you ok?' I asked.
'I'm nervous', she said. 'I know that a lot of your girlfriends are very attractive and sexy - like Caroline. I feel like a middle-aged frump and I'm worried you're going to be disappointed. I'm probably not very good in bed and maybe that's why my husband - she didn't seem to want to refer to him by name - never wants to make love to me.'
I kissed her. 'You are most definitely not a frump - you're a fantastically attractive woman and I'm very lucky to have you here. It's up to me to make you feel good in bed - and talking of bed, I think it's time...'
I took her hand and led her gently out of the lounge and into the bedroom.
'It's lovely of you to say nice things about me', she said, 'but I really am nothing special to look at. Couldn't you just pop outside so that I can get undressed and get into bed first?'
'Absolutely not! Are you really going to deprive me of the delight of slipping your clothes off and slowly revealing your beautiful body? All evening I've been looking forward to seeing you naked.' She cast her eyes downwards. I put a finger under her chin and raised her face towards me, forcing our eyes to meet. 'I want you, I want you so much.'