Julie stepped out of the elevator on the third floor and impatiently stared at her phone. She'd been expecting a text from him that never arrived. She turned left and walked the few steps to her door. She placed the key in the lock, turned it, and heard something fall.
It was a small envelope. The kind that holds handwritten thank you cards.
She bent over, picking it up off the ground. She examined it, finding nothing but the words 'Open me' on the front. She opened the envelope, extracting the card. Her heart quickened, recognizing the handwriting. This was better than a text.
There is a box waiting for you on the bed. Open it and put on everything you find inside. Be outside at 6 PM. A car will pick you up.
Julie hurried to the bedroom, discarding her purse and keys on the oak, six seat dining room table she purchased last month at Ikea. Sitting atop her nicely made bed - she didn't remember making her bed that morning - was a white box with a blue bow. She opened it, smiled, and undressed so she could redress with its contents: a white garter belt and stockings, and a cream-colored pencil skirt with accompanying jacket.
Julie admired herself in the full-length mirror hung on the bedroom door. The skirt fit perfectly, hugging every curve precisely without restricting movement. The jacket's buttons were lower than she would have selected, displaying far more cleavage than she would have dared, but she had to admit she liked the cut. With nothing underneath, she just felt exposed.
She had the perfect shoes to match the new outfit. She dug through her closet, finding the box she kept them in. Low-heeled, close-toed Louis Boutin's, with a securing strap at the back. She slipped them on and returned to the mirror to confirm they completed the outfit. They did. She looked fit to seduce.
Julie considered doing something with her hair, a tight bun, maybe, when she heard a car pull up outside. Grabbing her phone from where she set it on the bed, next to the box, she checked the time. The car had arrived at precisely six, just as the card had indicated. A black Lincoln town car with tinted windows. The driver, a large black man with a silver moustache, didn't ring the bell. He just parked and stood by the back door.
Julie gave up on the idea of improving her hair and rushed to the elevator. The driver opened the rear car door as soon as she exited the building. As she slid into the back seat, he handed her another envelope, and closed the door after her.
He started the car and began to drive. Julie, hear pounding with excitement, opened the envelope with great anticipation as the driver made the turn out of her neighborhood.
You'll be taking a short charter flight. They will provide a light dinner and a selection of wine.
'What do you have planned?', she texted him on the drive. He didn't reply. She didn't even receive a read receipt.
Arriving at the small, private air strip, the car drove directly to a small twin engine jet waiting on the tarmac. The door was open, stairs down, with a red carpet at the bottom. A flight attendant emerged from the plane and descended the stairs as the car parked. The driver hurried to her door, opened it, shut it behind her after she stepped out, and drove off. He never said a word to her.
"Right this way," the flight attendant said, indicating the stairs. She wore a red business suit with a skirt to the knees, a bright white shirt, and a red scarf. She had blue eyes that twinkled in the evening twilight and teeth so white they looked like she cleaned them with a laser.
Julie boarded the plane hoping to see him. He wasn't there. Instead, towards the rear of the six-seat plane, was a small couch with an iPad and another envelope. Julie took her seat and opened the envelope.
The flight will take just over an hour. The iPad has episodes of your favorite TV shows and a playlist of your favorite songs. Enjoy them with a glass or two of wine and the light dinner they will provide.
"Please wear your seat belt for takeoff and landing," the flight attendant said, handing Julie a menu. "We have the following options for food and drink."
Julie reviewed the options, selecting a glass of Opus One cabernet to pair with an apricot salad with walnuts. The flight was uneventful, and Julie opted for listening to Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift while gazing out the window. When she saw the Vegas strip, she smiled. She always wanted to visit Vegas.
The plane taxied to a stop outside a hangar on the west side of Las Vegas MccarranAirport. Another car, this time, a Cadillac Escalade, with a driver standing by the rear door was waiting for her. Julie descended the stairs, walked to the car, and the driver handed her yet another envelope. She opened it as soon as the door closed.
When you arrive at the hotel, go to the concierge desk and give them your name. They are expecting you. They will give you a new envelope.
The driver took back roads to avoid traffic congestion. He stopeed at the VIP entrance for the Wynn Resort in Vegas. She exited the car, entering the private entrance and immediately found the concierge. She provided her name: Julie Piersma.
"We've been expecting you," the man said, handing her an envelope. He typed something into the computer, then picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"She's here," he said, and hung up the phone.
Julie opened the envelope. Inside was a key card and another hand-written note.
Come to room 2432. Use the key card to open the door. Enter the room, close the door and lock the bolt. Do not turn on the lights.
Wait.