As I was absent-mindedly getting ready for dinner in my luxury hotel room, I ruminated about how my life was going. I thought that I had gotten over my ex-wife's cheating, but I realized that I still had some form of condition like PTSD. I was chagrined when my therapist first brought that up โ I mean, come on, how was dealing with your spouse's cheating in any way similar to what soldiers go through in battle? I was more than chagrined โ I was embarrassed.
My therapist finally convinced me that everyone is different and that I had nothing to be embarrassed about (at least not much anyway, and since I gave a cool million dollars to programs for ex-military with PTSD I salved my conscience). What was important was that I continued to receive therapy. His advice that it would be helpful if I sought another relationship, or if I simply had a few one-night-stands, went in one ear and out the other. I figured that my hand would never cheat on me or cause me distress so I decided masturbation would have to do to give me sexual release, at least for the time being.
As I was tying my tie fortunately my mind slipped from the anxiety of still remembering my cheating ex to more pleasant things. "You have lots going for you," I tried to cheer myself up. "I mean you're still young at 34, you're good looking if the attention of the women at the office is legitimate, and you're rich as shit." At least the last part was true. I was definitely rich โ affording the best room (aside from the penthouse) in the upscale hotel that I was staying in โ was no issue at all for someone with my means. Even though I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth I had achieved on my own too and grew one hundred-fold the company that my grandfather had started, and incorporated other successful companies too. "Then why can't I turn my business acumen into a successful relationship with a woman?" entered my head, and I started to feel badly again. "Why am I nervous around all women when in a social situation โ has my ex's cheating really made me gun-shy?"
Fortunately, just then my doorbell rang. [Yes, my hotel room was so fancy that it had a doorbell.] That snapped me out of my re-appearing malaise. I looked at my watch. "Chris is right on time," I said to myself as I walked from my bedroom, through the large ornate anteroom, to my door.
One of the few things that gave me joy since the divorce from my cheating ex was to give money to worthwhile charities, like the ex-military PTSD treatment organizations mentioned above. My staff had set up a meeting in Seattle with the outreach director of a charity called "Escort To Success." It is a local charity that was in fact having success escorting homeless women out of poverty and into the work force. Unfortunately because my phone had gone haywire for some unknown reason the day before I hadn't gotten an email with information about Chris and the charity from my staff, but that was no big deal since I could easily get what I needed over dinner and at the charity's offices the next day.
I was surprised when I opened the door to see a really striking women standing there; I had assumed that "Chris" was a man, not a "Christine." She looked to be in her mid to late 30s, probably five feet eight inches tall โ nearly six feet with her heels on โ stylishly (even if a little slutily) dressed, with a very nice shape including big boobs (not that I noticed, cough, cough).
"Hi, are you Brad?" she asked in a husky voice.
"Bret," I corrected her with a smile. "Bret Connor," I continued as I shook her hand.
She seemed a little perplexed by my offering of my hand to shake, but she accepted it. She had a firm but soft grip. "I assume that you're from Escort," I smiled.
Although a little taken aback, she replied "Yes...I am."
"Come in," I said, opening the door fully and moving out of the way.
Chris seemed to be impressed with how ornate my hotel room was. She made a number of nice comments โ some of which indicated that she had an understanding โ maybe even an affinity โ for art. I got her a drink โ she wanted a vodka martini โ as we talked about the surroundings. I even asked her if she wanted a quick tour and to see the view from the bedroom โ which was a truly spectacular view of the city.
She appropriately oohed and aahed, and while standing in the bedroom started to take off her pashmina.
"Keep your wrap on," I smiled. "We'll discuss business at the restaurant, not here. Let's finish our drinks and get going."
I saw a puzzled look on her face, but she got with the program. We finished our drinks in the anteroom and then left, got in the elevator, and went down to the lobby.
"I hope that you don't mind a farm-to-table restaurant," I said as we rode down. "I'm tired of both steakhouses and nouvelle cuisine," I stated.
"Anything's fine," she replied.
As we walked together toward the front door it seemed like she was almost expecting me to take her by the arm โ which kind of surprised me. "Business associates don't normally have body contact in Chicago," I mused to myself; "maybe things are different in Seattle."
When we got to the front entrance I asked the doorman if our limo had arrived. He smiled, waved his arm to a limo parked a few vehicles away in the driveway, and it pulled up. He opened the door for Chris and me and I handed him a twenty, for which he profusely thanked me. Since my divorce I have gotten very generous in giving out tips.
Chris and I talked about the weather, Seattle politics, the local sports teams, and things in general as we rode to the restaurant. Chris seemed to be very impressed by the limo, and even accepted an offer of a drink from the in-vehicle small bar. When we got to the restaurant the driver opened the door for us โ he seemed to get wide-eyed when he saw Chris' shapely legs exit the vehicle. I asked him to pick us up in two hours, to which he tipped his hat.
As I had requested, we got the best table in the house, causing me to smile when I tipped the maรฎtre-de $50, which Chris noticed and which caused her eyes to open wide.
After we chatted about general things โ including art, which Chris seemed to be particularly versed in given her present comments about the artwork in the restaurant and her previous comments about art in my hotel room โ we ordered appetizers and wine, and once the appetizers arrived we ordered dinner.
The meal I selected just happened to be the most expensive one on the menu โ I wasn't going for that, it just looked like the one I'd enjoy most. When Chris asked what I was having and I told her she asked if she could order the same thing, and I said "Of course." She smiled, and I ordered for both of us.
As we were eating the appetizers and drinking wine I asked her "How long have you been with Escort?"
Chris looked a little funny, and then replied "Four years."
"Has it been a rewarding four years?" I asked.
She looked surprised by the question, but after a pause said "It's OK; not as desirable as the art job I used to have, but after all sorts of cuts I couldn't get another job in the art field and I had bills to pay and two young daughters to support." She went on to explain what job she used to have in the art world, and that she was a single mother with no male in the girls' lives.
"You make more at Escort than in your previous art job?" I asked, a little surprised at what she seemed to be implying.
She again looked perplexed. "Yes...I do...make more," she stammered out.
"Well what are your present fund-raising sources at Escort To Success?" I inquired.
This time she really was bewildered. After a long pause she said "I think that we have a disconnect Bret. I'm not sure that we're on the same page..." She was going to say more but just then her cellphone buzzed โ it didn't really ring, but I could hear the vibration. She took it out of her small purse, looked at the screen, and said "I have to take this."
She made few comments into the phone, and then her eyes got wide. She said "Holy shit," at one point. She then pushed the mute button on her phone, looked me in the eye, and said "You didn't order a call girl named Tammy tonight, did you?"
"What are you talking about, Chris," I replied. I realized that that might have been the first time that I actually called her "Chris."
"My name is Tammy, not Chris," she said, first seriously and then breaking into a grin. "Uh...listen, Bret; I don't work for a charity. I work for an escort service. I was supposed to meet a guy named Brad at your hotel, room 2901."
"What?" I replied; now I too was completely mystified. "I...I'm the only one in 2901, and I didn't ask for Tammy. I'm supposed to be meeting Chris, the development director of the charity Escort To Success."
Tammy got back on the phone. After she said a few things into it she laughed "1901, not 2901?...No shit!...My handwriting is atrocious... Too late now." Then she looked at me "Despite the mix-up do you mind if I stay for dinner?"
After a pause I smiled "No problem โ I just need to use your phone when you're done since I need to make a call myself."
She nodded her head "Yes," returned to her phone and said "I'll call you tomorrow, Bee," and terminated the call. Laughing she handed the phone to me; I was laughing myself.
I called my charitable outreach coordinator at home. She didn't answer the first two times, probably because she didn't recognize the name on caller ID, but by the third time I called in quick succession she apprehensively said "Hello."
"Dawn, this is Bret. My phone isn't working and I'm using a Good Samaritan's phone. Have you heard from Escort To Success?"
"Yes, Christopher Thompson called about twenty minutes ago and said that he was running late and that you weren't in your hotel room when he arrived," Dawn replied.
Stifling a laugh I responded "Please call him, tell him that I'll be at Escort To Success' office at 11 a. m. tomorrow instead of 10 a. m., and we'll just have to skip the dinner. Something else came up. Call me at this number to confirm."
"OK, Bret," she responded, obviously confused.