This part of the UK is alien to me. I’ve never been
here before, to North East England. I’ve visited London, on more than one occasion. I’ve even
passed through Manchester
once, a few years ago. All business-related, of course. None of my visits to Britain
were ever about pleasure, and this one’s no exception.
Walking over to the window I look out at the view from my
hotel suite on the banks of Newcastle’s
River Tyne. This suite is way too large for what I really need – a living room,
bedroom and large bathroom is, perhaps, a touch extravagant, but I like luxury;
I’m used to it. And I’m here for a week, so I want somewhere I can feel
comfortable.
I take a sip of mini-bar whiskey and continue to look out at
the unfamiliar city that’s spread out in front of me. Night’s just beginning to
fall but I’m too tired to venture outside. I can’t even summon up the energy to
head down to the hotel bar. Whatever’s left here in the room will have to do. It’s
been an exhausting day. It was a long flight, and I’m seriously considering an
early night.
I down the rest of the whiskey and turn away from the
window, heading over to the desk in the corner of the living room. The laptop’s
already switched on so I start typing.
I’m in a strange country.
But it’s business as usual.
*
I close my eyes as he pounds into me. He’s one of my
regulars, and I never mind coming to see him when he’s in town because all he
requires me to do is, quite literally, lie back and let him do all the work. Some
days that’s all I can be bothered to do, so it’s a bonus when that’s exactly
what the client requires.
‘Jesus, Kira!’
I feel him come, and that’s my cue to give him the required
amount of noise that lets him know I’m enjoying it too, but the truth is I’ve
been doing this for so long now I feel numb to it all. I’ve just become a much
better actress, but, hey, if it keeps them happy. And I’ve just earned over six
hundred pounds for a few hours’ work that’s ended with me lying flat on my back
while he sucks on my nipples, licks my pussy and fucks me in the most mundane
way possible. But, like I said, he’s one of my regulars. I trust him. I like
him. He’s a good man, he’s just not that good at relationships. In fact, I
think I’m the closest thing to a relationship he’s got right now.
‘That was good!’
he groans, pulling out of me and rolling over onto his back. I sit up and place
my hands behind me, pushing my tits out just a little bit, as a bonus, really.
He’s still got some time left. If he wants to play a bit more I’ll let him. He’s
my last client of the day. I’m feeling generous. After this I’m meeting some of
the other girls downstairs in the hotel bar for a few drinks. We like to
compare notes, talk about the good guys, and the ones we hope won’t try and
book a repeat visit. Although, it’s our choice who we see. We just hate doling
out rejection.
‘So, how long are you up here for this time?’ I ask as he
turns onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow, his other hand reaching
out to pull the covers clean away from me.
‘I’m heading back down south tomorrow. Bit of a flying visit
this time, I’m afraid.’
I carefully study his face. He isn’t a bad looking man – at
forty-five years old with dark grey eyes, short, grey-flecked hair and light
stubble covering his chin he could easily give George Clooney a run for his
money. Which is fine by me. When the clients are easy on the eye it makes my
job a lot more fun. But I know, since his divorce eight years ago, that he’s
steered clear of any lasting relationships. I know a lot about this man; I know
a lot about most of my regular clients. They don’t just come to me for sex or a
no-strings-attached date, a fair few of them see me as someone they can talk
to, and I’m fine with that. They’re paying for my time, and they’re free to use
that time in whatever way they wish.
I’ve been an escort for over ten years now, and it wasn’t
exactly a career choice for me, but sometimes life doesn’t always turn out the
way you thought it might. I’ve been doing this for a long time, but there’s a
reason why I turned to this life. And it goes deeper than just me not being very good at relationships,
either. I don’t want to be. That’s my choice. Keeping men at arm’s length is
the way I like it. I hold the power in this game, and that’s important to me.
When men book me they know exactly what they’re going to get, if they read my
profile thoroughly. I’m experienced, I’m popular, and I don’t have to do this
every day of the week but in a warped kind of way I like it. It’s given me a
good life. I’ve earned a lot of money, have a nice home, a lot of friends. And,
most importantly, I have no ties, no commitments. The only person I have to
keep happy, apart from my clients, is me. And that’s the way I like it.
‘Any idea when you’ll be back in Newcastle, Jason?’
Make them think they’re missed. Make them think they’re your
favourite client. Tell them what they want to hear. It’s all part of the job.
‘I’ll try and make sure they send me back up here in a
couple of weeks. We do a lot of business in the North East, so that shouldn’t
be a problem.’
He runs his hand along my thigh, up over my hips and waist
until he finds my breasts, and I allow him one more squeeze. But his time’s
almost up now.
‘I should be going.’ I carefully remove his hand and stand
up, giving him one more chance to check out my naked body as I stretch out,
running my fingers through my hair. ‘But it’s been good seeing you again, Jason.
As always.’ I flash him my best smile, and he returns it. He looks nice when he
smiles. I find it hard to believe he hasn’t got women falling at his feet, this
handsome man with the ridiculously well-paid job. So well-paid that he can
afford to book me more than once during his regular visits to the North East.
But then, I have to remember that he could very well be feeding me a pack of
lies. He could be telling me anything, but it doesn’t matter either way.
Single, married, whatever – it isn’t my job to counsel them. I just fuck them.
They pay me to live out their fantasies, so who am I to question anything they
tell me?
‘Make sure you keep some space free for me, OK? A couple of
weeks, that’s all, and I’ll be back.’
I give him another smile as I pull my dress back on. I never
took the sky-scraper heels off. He likes it that way. A lot of them do. ‘There’ll
always be space for you, Jason.’
‘That’s my girl.’ He grins, and I pick up my bag, double
checking I put his money in there. ‘You have a good night, do you hear?’
I stop in the doorway of his hotel room and turn to face
him. ‘I will. And you take care. OK?’
I genuinely like this man. He’s been coming to me for almost
five years now and it’s hard not to build up some kind of relationship – no matter
how twisted it might be – with someone you see on a regular basis for that
long. But I’m an expert at keeping a professional distance. I have detached
down to a fine art. Give them what they want, yeah. But never give them too
much.
Closing the door behind me I make my way to the elevator and
head down to the bar to meet Sindy, Ruby and Lily, three of the newer, younger
girls who’ve recently joined the agency. Sometimes I feel like their mother,
but at thirty-six years old I’m almost a decade older than them, so that’s only
natural, I suppose. And I feel a certain sense of duty towards the younger
girls who come into the business. We work for one of the most prestigious
escort agencies in the region, but a lot of the new girls will come to me for
advice; they look up to me because I know this shit inside out. It’s my world.
God help me.
‘A tall glass of ice cold Cava, please, Frankie.’
Most of the staff know us here. We’re familiar faces to
them. They know what we do, and they don’t mind us being here because we’re
discreet. We also look good, which never hurts, and we spend money. Quite a bit
of money, sometimes, depending on the kind of day we’ve had.
‘Good night?’ Ruby asks, throwing Frankie – the tall, young,
tattooed barman – a wink. I think she has a soft-spot for him, and I’m almost
sure it’s reciprocated. I’m just not sure how he feels about what she does so
whether anything’s going to progress past the winks and the smiles I have no
idea.
‘I’ve just left Jason.’ I take a long sip of Cava and they
all nod, because they know Jason’s one of those men I genuinely like spending
time with. But I’m really tired now. Jason paid for a few hours today, because
his visit is such a short one this time around. Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t
fuck for the entire five hours I spent with him. That isn’t the way it usually
works. Sex happens, sometimes, of course it does. But with men like Jason – and
I see a lot of men like Jason – it’s the company they want, too. So we had
dinner, we talked; by the time we got back to his room there was only a little over an hour of his time left. But it’s
all catching up with me now.
‘This one guy I had today asked me if I swallowed.’
Sindy’s voice brings me back to the here and now and I look
at her. ‘Did he read your profile?’ Every one of those men who consider coming
to us should read our profiles on the agency website before they even think
about booking us. If we don’t list it, we don’t do it. And, to be honest, over
the years, as I’ve built up a regular client base and felt less of a need to
take every booking that comes my way, my list has diminished somewhat. I don’t
need to do all the things I felt I needed to when I first started out in this
business.
‘He said he’d read it, but he asked if I’d make an
exception.’
‘No exceptions.’ I look at the three younger girls beside
me. None of them have been doing this all that long, but they’re clever girls.
They’ve all got sensible heads on their shoulders. But I don’t think any of
them are seeing this as something they’re going to continue once they’ve
finished paying themselves through university. They won’t still be doing this
when they’re my age. They won’t want to. It’s my choice I’m still here. I’m jaded and bitter and I need to do
this. They don’t, I’m almost sure of that. ‘Once you start making exceptions
word gets out and they’ll all start asking you to do it for them. Stick to what
you’ve put in your profile. Don’t ever veer from that. And remember, if you
feel threatened by anything or anyone you call the agency. OK? Or you call me.’
‘He seemed nice, though.’
‘No exceptions, kiddo.’ I drain the last of my Cava and
slide down from the bar stool. ‘I’m calling it a night, girls. I guess this
lady ain’t as young as she used to be.’
‘Oh, come on, Kira. It’s Friday night. We’re all going
clubbing.’
I raise an eyebrow and throw Lily a sideways smile. ‘And you
all go enjoy yourselves, but I’m going home now to catch up on some much-needed
sleep.’
‘You working tomorrow?’ Ruby asks, holding her cocktail
glass out to Frankie for a refill.
‘I’ve not got any appointments booked in as yet, and if I’m
honest, I’m kind of hoping for a quiet day. But…’ I shrug, because nobody knows
what tomorrow’s going to bring. Not in this business. ‘We’ll see how it goes. I’m
keeping my calendar open. You all stay safe now.’
I just want my bed. And something mindless and boring to
watch on TV.
This is my life.
This is how it turned out for me.
I want better for them.
Two
It’s Saturday evening and I don’t intend to spend it alone.
Yeah, it’s short notice, but it’s not like I haven’t used these kind of agencies
before, both in this country and my own. There are always girls willing to meet
at the drop of a hat. And I’m banking on the old American accent working in my
favour here. That, and my undeniable charm.
I’ve spent the afternoon checking out the websites of a
couple of the more reputable escort agencies in the region – I like to do my
research when I’m in a new town. I don’t just want any old girl. And I think
I’ve found the one I want tonight.
The list of things she’s willing to do isn’t as long as some
of the other girls’, but I notice she’s been doing this for some time, and that
intrigues the hell out of me. As does the fact there’s no photo of her face on
her public profile, which isn’t unusual, but I, personally, have never met an
escort without knowing what she looks like first. But this one – there’s
something different about her. I don’t know what it is, I can just feel it. And
I quite like the fact I have no idea what she looks like. I’m a risk-taker, and
this is a risk I feel like taking tonight. The tattoo’s a definite turn-on,
though. I might not be able to see her face on her profile, but the pictures
that are there are showing that
tattoo decorating one side of one hell of a killer body! I’ve never fucked a
tattooed girl before, and now I’m kinda up for that. And her name – Kira Blu.
Not her real one, obviously, but I like it. It has an edge. And I’m all for
edgy. She’s also a little older than the women I usually book. I’m
thirty-eight, but I normally like them a little younger than me; between
twenty-three and thirty is my usual range. So, at thirty-six this lady is
certainly making me break my own rules.
I decide to bypass calling the agency to see if she’s free.
There’s an option on her profile to contact her direct, which also isn’t
unusual. It’s the escort’s own personal choice as to whether she’ll allow
initial direct contact or not.
I quickly punch in her number and wait. She answers after
just a couple of rings. Good start.
‘Kira Blu.’
‘Hey, Kira, I’m Neal – a stranger in town who’s looking for
some company tonight, and, I was wondering if you were free.’
‘Did it say I was free on my calendar?’
Whoa! A feisty one. But, man, that accent! I’m hard just
listening to her. ‘Yeah, it did, but you seem to be a popular lady. There’s
every chance some other guy could have got to you before I did.’
There’s a slight pause down the line before she laughs
quietly, and even that’s sexy-as-fuck. I gotta meet this woman or my cock’ll
never forgive me.
‘What kind of company are you looking for?’
I sit back in my chair and look out over a view I’m becoming
more used to now. ‘Well, I thought dinner, here at my hotel, then back to my
room for drinks…’
‘Is that all?’
I know what she’s asking, but I also know that, legally, it
isn’t always wise to openly discuss sex over the phone. Even hinting at it can
be risky. But I want sex. Of course I want sex. ‘We can talk. If you like.’
She laughs again, and she’s already got my cock on red
alert. But she knows what I’m trying to say here.
‘I’m assuming you’ve read my profile, on the website.’
Yeah. I’ve read her profile. And like I said, she might not offer the
longest list of services, but she’s willing to do enough to keep me happy. ‘Why don’t we just play it by
ear, huh? See where the night takes us.’
‘How long were you thinking of booking me for? Minimum is
two hours for an out-call.’
She gets straight to the point, I’ll give her that. It’s
like planning a business transaction and, to be honest, I’ve never had this
before from any escort I’ve used in the past. It’s fucking turning me on like
crazy! ‘I’m not sure, exactly…’
‘I don’t work like that I’m afraid. I need to know how many
hours you want me for.’
She really is one hell of a businesswoman. And I’ve never
wanted to fuck someone so bad in my life. ‘Let’s say five hours. That OK?’ She’s
not the cheapest, and five hours in her company is gonna set me back the
equivalent of over nine hundred dollars, but I’m beginning to think there’s a
reason for that. I’m guessing she’s gonna be worth every cent. And I can afford
her.
‘Which hotel are you staying at?’
‘The Draysman, down on the Quayside. Do you know it?’
‘Yes, I know it. What time do you want me there?’
‘Eight 0’clock. I’ll meet you in the main bar downstairs.
I’ll be wearing dark pants and a white shirt. I’m a dark haired, blue-eyed guy,
and I’m sporting some stubble right now. So, you gonna tell me what you look like? So I can recognise you?’
There’s another slight pause, followed by another small
laugh. I’m guessing this lady isn’t quite as hard as she might like to come across.
‘I’ve got long, dark-blonde hair which I’ll be wearing loose. And I’ll be in a
knee-length, strapless black dress and high-heeled ankle boots.’
‘Great.’ She knows how to dress for the occasion, then.
‘Travel expenses will be extra, seeing as this is an out-call.
You did see that on my profile, didn’t you?’
‘I read your profile twice over, honey.’
‘Good. You’re new, so I don’t want any confusion.’
‘There won’t be any of that, darlin’. I can promise you. See
you in an hour.’
‘An hour.’
She hangs up and I smile, keeping the phone to my ear for a
few more seconds before throwing it down on the desk.
I’m looking forward to tonight. This is how I get my kicks.
No commitment, no ties, no feelings to get in the way.
This is how I get my kicks.
Strange women, great sex.
That’s the way I like it.
And that’s the way it’s gonna stay.