"Most of your clients will be men over 40 and many of them over 50. Is that a problem?"
"No."
"Would you date a woman?"
"Yes."
"Would you..."
"Let me save you some time, okay? As long I feel safe, I don't care who the client is. Money is money. Any other questions?"
"What limits do you have when it comes to fetishes?"
"I don't know that much about them, but I can say unequivocally, no kids, no pets, no shit, and no violence. Is that good enough?"
"Do you have currently have a boyfriend? Or girlfriend?"
"No and no. What else?"
"When can you start?"
"Right now."
Autumn Daly stumbled into the world of the high-end escort business after being hit on by an older guy in a very upscale bar. The only reason she'd been there at all was because no matter what she tried, no matter who she tried it with, and no matter what 'it' was, nothing ever made her feel alive. Guys her own age did nothing for her so why not try something new?
Outside of finding that elusive thing called happiness, life was too easy for her. She was both beautiful and brilliant. She'd been her high school's valedictorian, graduated from college Summa Cum Laude, and had made straight A's in law school for two and a half years. In her third year, she was doing just as well academically, but the void in her life grew deeper and deeper leaving her feeling more hollow and more alone than ever before.
It had nothing to do with not being able to find men. There was an endless line of them willing to take a shot at asking her out, and she could have her pick of them. From the high school quarterback to various college jocks, cute geeks, and a few bad boys to a handsome high school teacher and two professors, Autumn never wanted for companionship. She'd gone through countless boyfriends and lovers looking for someone or something to make her feel alive yet the more she searched, the less she found. The truth was—she never felt anything.
Outwardly, she was mostly pleasant and had no trouble in social situations. She could stand up and give a speech or an oral legal brief without the slightest pangs of nervousness. No one who knew her had any idea how she felt inside and she'd never confided in anyone.
This 50-something man who'd asked if he could talk to her told he he'd assumed she was one of Angela's girls before apologizing and getting ready to leave.
"Wait a minute," she said. "Don't go. Please. Tell me about Angela and these girls of hers."
"Sorry, those of us who turn to her for um...female companionship...have a very deep respect for her privacy. I'm afraid I can't tell you more than that."
"Female companionship?" she asked. "So...is this an escort service?"
The man smiled and said, "A young woman as attractive as you and dressed this nicely..." He nodded at the expensive dress and jewelry she was wearing—the only such things she owned. "Could make a lot of money."
"How much money?" Autumn asked almost robotically.
"The standard rate is $2,000 an hour. A girl like you might be able to negotiate something even better."
"I'm not soliciting," she said using the perfect smile she'd been blessed with to her advantage. "But hypothetically, would a man like you be willing to part with that kind of money to spend an hour with a girl like me?"
"That's why I asked to talk with you. Angela often has her girls in places just like this if they're not already booked for the evening. Occasionally, some of us enjoy trying to find the girl she 'plants' right in front of us. Again, I apologize for assuming."
"I'm not sure if I should be flattered or offended," Autumn said flatly.
"Flattered. At least that was my intent."
"So would you?" she asked again.
"I'm sorry," the man said. He wasn't bad looking at least for a guy in his 50s. He certainly wasn't attractive to her, but Autumn was wondering how much that mattered since the guys she did find attractive did nothing for her.
"Would you um...pay for my services."
"Of course. In fact...and I'm not soliciting," he said flashing a pleasant smile her way. "I'd be willing to compensate you for your time this evening if you'd care to spend it with me."
"How long and how much?" she asked without emotion.
"Again, hypothetically speaking and making no statement about how we would spend our time together, I'd say $5,000 for two hours would be reasonable."
"And where would we go?" she asked matter of factly.
"I have a suite right here in this hotel. A penthouse, actually."
"Five-thousand dollars for two hours?"
"Yes."
"Lead the way."
After they were done, the man had been so impressed, so...overwhelmed by her set of skills...he agreed to call Angela and set up a meeting. "It just makes things less complicated," he told Autumn after calling Angela. "It eliminates the potential embarrassment of someone like me...or you, showing the other person a badge and well, you understand, I'm sure." He paused then said, "So...do you even want to know my name or tell me yours?
"I do," she said as she rolled over and kissed him. "Understand, that is. As far as your name goes, that's up to you. What I really want to know is do you wanna fuck me again?" He did and Autumn was amazed at how different sex-for-money was. All she had to do was convince the guy she was into him and he was happy. It did nothing for her, but then again, neither did sex with guys she thought she was into. But no surprise there. Autumn was rarely, if ever, happy.
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During their initial meeting, Angela told her she didn't have a booking for her that night, but assured her she would have something the next day and every day thereafter as often as Autumn wanted to work. "You set your own hours," she'd assured her.
"I actually do have one question," Autumn said. "Why should I pay you the 30% fee you charge when I could keep 100% by working on my own?"
