Pleasure (5 page)

She sat at her desk in the courthouse thrumming her fingers
against the blotter, staring out the window. Today was Wednesday and she hadn’t
called Fantasy Escorts yet to set up another date with Fallon.

Once back home she couldn’t believe what had occurred in Las
Vegas. She had allowed it—been eager for it. But back here in Ferris, it was
all different.

She turned away from the window as her office door opened
and Margaret stepped inside.

“I have the documents you need for that meeting with the
Town Supervisor today.” She placed the folder on Helen’s desk and then stepped
back and looked at her. “What’s the matter, Mayor? Did things not go well with
your trip last weekend? I was sure hoping they would. Maybe you shouldn’t have
gone there alone.”

Helen glanced up at her and smiled. “No, it’s not that. I
just have some things on my mind. The weekend went just fine.” More than fine
if Helen were honest with herself. Plain truth was that she was scared of the
feelings revealed to her. She wanted to go back—too much. Which is why she put
off making the reservation and calling the agency.

“Are you sure?”

Helen could see the worry in Margaret’s eyes. “Really.
There’s no need for you to be concerned.” She picked up the folder and opened
it. “I’m just going to take a minute to go over these bids and then I’ll be
ready for that meeting.”

Margaret nodded, then turned and left her office. Helen set
the folder back down on the desk and reached for her purse in the bottom drawer
of the desk.

Who was she trying to kid? She’d known all along that she
would make the calls. If Vegas were farther away, it might be different—she
could have convinced herself not to even consider making another trip. But a
hundred miles away made it all too convenient.

She pulled out the card and turned it over. So much had
occurred in such a short span of hours. But isn’t that how things happened in
Vegas? It wasn’t like here in her small town where things moved at a turtle’s
pace.

Shadow Valley Inn. That was the name of the hotel on the
back of the card. It was located just across the county line from Las Vegas. If
she remembered correctly, it was a small town not so different from Ferris, not
much there. Certainly not as flashy as Las Vegas. She pulled her cell phone
from her purse and punched in the number, making the reservation as Fallon
instructed before she could think more about it and change her mind.

Then she turned the card over and called the other number,
providing the information Fallon asked her to provide. By the time she
completed both calls her pulse was racing and her pussy tingled with
anticipation. She had no idea what he planned for her, and it wasn’t fear that
rode her, but the thrill of the unknown.

Naughty. The word taunted her. She’d never used it in respect
to herself. But it’s exactly what she’d felt when she was in Vegas.

And it had felt wonderful.

All her life had been ordered, planned, and carried out with
deliberation. Except for her divorce. That hadn’t been planned. But everything
else had gone just as it should. A beautiful home, a well-respected career, two
beautiful children. Perfect.

So why was she suddenly so unsettled? Helen had achieved
everything she could have asked for. But in the last couple of years she’d felt
there was still more. Something else she should be doing with her life. She
just didn’t know what it was.

But then she’d gone to Las Vegas last weekend and discovered
a side to herself Helen hadn’t realized existed. It felt like a dark part of
herself—the shadow Helen—who, for all these years, she hadn’t wanted to
acknowledge.

If she’d allowed the shadow Helen out earlier in her
marriage, might she have saved it? Had it been the domesticity, the
predictability that sent her husband into the arms of another woman?

Suddenly she felt maybe she’d failed Allen. He might still
have gone on to prefer his students over her, but if she was open to some
adventure in her life, might she have had a fighting chance?

She’d admitted shortly after the divorce that she had come
to take her husband and their marriage for granted—like that official document
and ceremony meant she didn’t have to work as hard to maintain the relationship
as she did before their marriage. And the children and their needs took a lot
of her time. Had she neglected her husband and his wants in the process?

A lot of years had passed since then. She’d never considered
remarrying. In one sense the divorce broke her heart, and in another it was
almost a relief to have it over. Toward the end they went through the motions
of a marriage without the passion. Having it over with meant she no longer was
required to examine the things that might be lurking inside her—the unfulfilled
fantasies that were only now rising to the surface.

Maybe it was time to unleash shadow Helen and let her feel,
let her experience life. Good Helen had realized all her goals, raised her
children, and invested well enough to secure her future. Didn’t she deserve a
little time off to examine what more life might have to offer her?

The trips to Vegas were small spurts of rebellion against a
life that suddenly seemed to be weighing her down. She didn’t like the
emptiness that existed inside her recently. There was some sense of purpose
missing and she wanted to find that spark or zest for life again.

Is that what mid-life crisis was all about? She had achieved
one set of goals and now, wasn’t it time to re-evaluate and find another?
Paying an escort such as Fallon allowed her to play with fire and maybe not get
burned—at least too badly. Committing to a man in marriage was a whole
different thing. She didn’t want that. She liked her freedom. She just wanted
to explore a little before being required to settle into a matronly existence.
She didn’t feel old, and she didn’t feel like she wanted to retire from life—not
just yet.

Fallon.

Young—not too young—but younger than her—maybe thirty-five,
thirty-six. It was a nice age for a male companion. Intelligent, sexy, a
pleasure to be with. And he apparently was gifted with the ability of seeing
into a person’s soul. It must serve him well in his profession.

He’d said he didn’t sell plain sex. She thought that was
what an escort did though—if the client wanted it. Was that what drew her to
him in some way? That air of standing apart, yet not. Oh, yes, he definitely
intrigued her. Like a handcrafted sensual work of art—one of a kind.

Having made the calls, it was like a weight was raised from
her shoulders and suddenly her spirits lifted. She wasn’t looking forward to
her meeting with the Town Supervisor, but if the time could tick by faster,
bringing her closer to the weekend, then bring it on.

The inn looked more like a bed and breakfast with a quaint,
gingerbread trim all around the outside. Located on a quiet, tree-lined street,
it had a comfortable, traditional look and blended in with the surrounding
houses. Helen parked her car in the small parking lot adjacent to the structure
and then went inside and gave the name Hannah Smith to the attendant.

With a bland look the desk clerk found the name listed in
her ledger and handed Helen a regular brass key.

“Your room is on the second floor. When you reach the top of
the stairs, turn left. You shouldn’t have any difficulty locating it. I hope
you enjoy your stay.”

Helen picked up her overnight bag and mounted the carpeted
staircase. Indeed, she had little trouble locating her room at the end of the
hall. As she stepped inside, she marveled at the attention to detail. The plush
carpet was pale blue, there was a large four-poster, canopied bed that
dominated the room, and a cherry dresser and dressing table matching the wood
of the bed.

The more she saw of the place, the more confused she became.
Why would Fallon want her to come here? She walked toward the dresser and only
then noticed a white placard resting there. Setting down her bag, she picked up
the card.
Eleven o’clock. I’ll come for you. Fallon
. That was it. It was
a bold, black scrawl.

Scenting the fresh fragrance of roses, she turned her head
and saw a glass etched vase on the night stand with what looked like two dozen
cut yellow roses. She didn’t care what this was costing her, the feeling of
being this pampered felt very, very nice.

Eleven o’clock rolled around and she felt as nervous as a
young girl going out on her first date. Even more so than she had last weekend
when she’d made that first call to Fantasy Escorts.

There was a muted knock at the door and she walked over and
opened it. Fallon stood there dressed in black silk pajamas and a matching
robe.

He took her hand and led her from the room, down the hallway
toward a set of stairs located at the opposite far end.

“Where are we going?”

He leaned down and kissed her. “You’ll see.”

Fallon led her up the stairs and into a room. It looked like
a small, intimate rectangular parlor, but, oddly, one complete wall was made of
glass that separated the parlor from a bedroom. What light there was in the
room seemed to be emanating from the room on the other side of the glass wall.
On a small circular table at the side of the room was a bottle of champagne
chilling in a silver ice bucket.

Fallon walked over and poured a glass and then returned and
handed it to her. “I hope you’ll enjoy the evening.”

She sipped at the expensive champagne. “What is this place?
Why are we here?”

Fallon turned her toward the glass wall. “This is a one-way
mirror. No one will be able to see you.”

“What is going to happen?”

He reached around behind her and deftly unzipped her dress,
then drew it down her shoulders and off her body. Shocked by the action, she
felt exposed and naked, even though she still wore her bra and panties. He
straightened back up. Turning, he laid the dress over a chair.

Taking her hand, he guided Helen to a comfortable chair that
faced the glass wall, and helped her to settled into it. “This is your chance
to play the voyeur. Like last weekend, only this time you’ll be able to
experience the lust of passion close up.”

She swiveled around to look at him. “You can’t be serious.
Who is it?”

“The couple you watched last weekend. We’ll call them John
and Mary. You’ll get to witness the kind of companionship I provide.” Fallon
put his hands on her shoulders, then slid them down to cup her breasts. “I’ll
be with them. They know you’re here. They like being watched. And you enjoy
watching. It should be the perfect evening for all of you.”

She arched against his hands. “They know I’m here?”

“They don’t know your name, the same as you don’t know
theirs. Anonymous sex. They love to put on a show, and you like being an
audience. I want you all to be able to experience and enjoy your fantasies.”

He moved around in front of her and knelt down. He pushed
the straps of her bra down her shoulder, bared her, and began nuzzling her
breast. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair, savoring the
sensation.

“Is this what you do for your clients? Am I going to watch
you having sex with John and Mary?”

He lifted his head to look up at her. Her nipple glistened
from his attention. “I told you I don’t sell myself for strictly sex. Think of
me as a facilitator to pleasure. Although you don’t know each other, I’m going
to make your fantasies come true. They like the idea of exhibitionism and a
threesome. You still need to learn about what you want, but what we do know is
you like watching.”

He bent forward and took her breast into his mouth, her
nipples tightened, and she gasped at the exquisite sensation. She cupped his
head with her hands.

“What if I wanted to have sex with you? What would that cost
me?” She wanted him to fuck her, oh-so-desperately.

Again he lifted his head. “No penetration. That’s not what I
offer. But you won’t go away unsatisfied. I’ll make sure of that.”

“How?”

He reached across to the table positioned next to her chair.
He picked up a small red velvet bag. “During the entertainment this is for your
immediate use. When you leave here, take it with you. It’s yours.”

He opened the bag and she was shocked when he pulled out a
vibrator and a tube of lubricating gel. “Use them as much or as little as you
need or want. After John and Mary are satisfied with their evening, I’ll come
back to you.”

“But…but, I’ve never…”

His dark eyebrow shot up and he looked at her in surprise.
“Never?”

Helen shook her head, unable to utter a sound, too
embarrassed to voice the words. But she was also intrigued. He made her want to
be so naughty.

“Then it’s well past time for you to experience it.” He
turned it over and flipped a switch and she heard a faint buzzing sound. He
reached out and placed it into her hand and she felt the steady vibrations
travel up her arm.

“Oh,” she murmured.

He smiled. “You’ll like the way it feels inside you. This
whole experience will be new and different for you. Think of it as enhancing
your sex education. Something they never taught you in school.”

“Oh, my God, no. As I recall, they taught very little.” She
caught a movement out of the corner of her eye as the door to the other room
opened and two people stepped inside. She recognized them from the previous
weekend. “They’re in there.”

They were both dressed in silk robes similar to the one
Fallon wore. As she watched, they stepped over to a twin of the ice bucket that
was in the room she occupied and poured out two glasses of champagne.

John downed his quickly, then set the glass aside. He turned
to Mary and untied the sash to her robe, pushing it from her shoulders as he
sucked his way down to her breasts. She arched toward him and allowed the robe
to fall away, leaving her naked.

Helen sucked in a breath, already her pussy was growing wet
with arousal just watching this initial foreplay.

Fallon turned his head, then looked back at Helen as he rose
to his feet. “I’ll be back. Don’t be too surprised at what you see. It is all
part of the world of pleasure.”

“Are you alluding to the fact that you are bisexual?”

“Are you shocked?”

She shook her head. “Not really. I thought you might be.
Your profession and all.”

“Then you understand.”

“I’m not sure, but I guess I’m about to find out.”

He leaned down and captured her lips, a hand going beneath
the hem of her panties to feather across her wet labia lips. Then he pulled
away and smiled. “You’re already wet. I think you’ll be putting my little gift
to good use before the evening is over.”

“Show me what you can do, Fallon. I want to watch. Make me
hot enough to melt.”

He chuckled. “I knew I was right about you. You’ll want
more, won’t you? You’re going to be a demanding client, requiring all of my
ingenuity to please you.”

It was shadow Helen who reached out to caress the silk of
his robe, up over his chest, head thrown back in a wanton fashion. “You bring
out the lust in me. I haven’t decided yet whether that’s good or bad.”

Again, he chuckled and shook his head. Once the door closed
behind him, she turned back to the glass, watched as John fondled Mary, pushing
his fingers deep inside her. Helen’s own hand moved downward, two fingers
slipping beneath the drenched silk to tease her clit. She allowed her legs to
fall open as she watched the people in the other room.

Then she saw the door open and Fallon stepped inside.