A Gift in Disguise Ch. 17

Bethany extended her right hand. "Hello, Emily, it's nice to meet you. Shall we go into Michael's office and talk for a few minutes?

I've got some material I've assembled for you about The Club and its operation. Licenses, public health permits, all the docs and stuff that shows we're a legal business operation. I've also included the membership, guest, and contractor policies and procedures. These are all copies, so you can take them with you. If you need any other paperwork, just ask.

I thought we'd talk for a few minutes, but I'm sure you're just as interested in seeing the facility your clients may be performing in. I tried to explain as much as I could on the phone when we talked, but seeing it for yourself will answer some of your questions and probably raise others as well."

I felt oddly out of place, so I spoke up. "Bethany, would you and Emily prefer that I wait in the car? There's probably not much I can add ..."

Emily interrupted me, saying, "Tom, I'd prefer you stayed with us. You've been here as a guest, but you know Bethany and Kerri and Karla as well. I think your perspective as a guest of a member would be helpful."

"I agree, Tom," Bethany added. "I'm sure Emily wants to ensure that her clients have every opportunity to deliver their best performances possible if we engage them. That's our objective at The Club, too. We want members and guests to see the most realistic, believable, and sexually stimulating entertainment possible. At the same time, we want our contracted performers to leave here completely satisfied after their performance. We want them to enjoy their own professional experience here and hope that they will be invited back.

So like Emily said, please stay with us and add whatever comments you might have whenever you think it would be helpful."

Once we were all seated around the small round conference table inside Michael's office, Bethany briefly explained The Club's ownership, purpose, origin, and management. Just as I had forewarned Emily, Bethany explained the Club's non-disclosure requirements to preserve the members' and guests' privacy. She handed over to Emily a package of documents which she said Emily could review at her leisure and, of course, call Bethany with any questions.

Emily had a few questions which Bethany answered completely.

After about thirty minutes of Q-and-A between Emily and Bethany, Emily expressed satisfaction that most of her questions had been answered. She said that her remaining questions had mostly to do with the logistics of the load-in, performance, and load-out, and those questions would most likely be answered during our walking tour of the venue.

Bethany then asked about Karla and Kerri's backgrounds. She was especially captivated by Emily's very detailed explanation about Karla's and Kerri's nearly non-hormonal and completely non-surgical programs to transition from males to women. Emily's explanation echoed what Karla and Kerri had told me during the afternoon we had spent together with Emily.

Bethany was clearly impressed with not only Karla and Kerri's educational background and performance history but also with Emily's own technical education and experience in television production.

It was obvious after almost an hour of conversation between them that both Emily and Bethany liked and were beginning to trust each other. I had sat there and said almost nothing.

Finally, Emily said, "Bethany, during our telephone conversation you described the parameters of the performance you would like to see Karla and Kerri present. You also described the stage area on which they would be performing and how some of the members suites can watch the performance live from their rooms overlooking the stage through large picture windows. All members, including those members unable to watch live, can watch and listen to the live performance on high-definition wide screen video and audio in their rooms.

With that in mind but not having yet seen the stage, I've brought a few audition DVDs I put together from some of their live performances. The DVDs include two solo performances for each of them in addition to three of them working together. I've also included some audition DVDs prepared from some of their customized streaming video over internet performances for individual customers. I'll leave them with you to view at your convenience.

After you've looked at the audition DVDs and have some idea of what the girls can do solo and together, we'll be happy to provide you with a custom-made audition DVD to meet whatever The Club's requirements for audition recordings may be. Because of their collegiate stage background and now their professional videos for television commercials and internet entertainment, they write and produce their own custom programs as needed.

Generally, though, prospective live or internet entertainment clients like one or more of the numerous themes for which Karla and Kerri both have worked up programs. Since both of them are very good and very experienced at exciting dialogue improvisation, they don't have learned dialogue scripts. Instead, during their prep they interact with the client to make sure their dialogue includes whatever material the client likes to hear. Both women also have remarkable vocal skills and ranges that allow them to perform in amazingly natural-sounding feminine or masculine voices in whatever character the client has asked for.

Those same talents and skills serve Karla and Kerri well in their work on television commercials, but of course that doesn't really apply here at The Club. And too, for television commercials the girls do work from carefully worded scripts to ensure the client's products and services are factually and effectively presented.

Like I said, after you've looked at the audition DVDs and have a good idea of their vocal and acting talents, ranges, and skills, don't hesitate to ask if you haven't seen exactly what you think would fit in best here. I should tell you, though, both women are extremely health conscious. In addition to declining to perform acts that violate local and state laws, they will also reserve the right to decline to do anything that could harm their health.

But having said that, in one of the audition DVDs made from a private internet presentation, you'll see them engaging in an act of erotic asphyxiation. That is not something they routinely offer to perform even though they've had professional, supervised training and experience doing it safely. They do not want untrained, undisciplined couples engaging in it. I've included it because it was an example of a customized, private performance done once for a client, and then only after they had talked personally with the client to discourage any thought of the client and her partner imitating it."

"So it's not something they would want to perform as a general event here, but if one of our members wanted to contact them - through you? - to see about a private presentation like the one you've said was on the DVD ...?"

"... The girls and I would want to meet personally with the prospective client to make sure he or she understood the dangers involved - and also to make sure the girls were completely comfortable with the request and its motivation," Emily responded in her very lawyer-like voice. Then she continued.

"Now, based on what you've told me about your stage, I haven't heard anything that suggests any overwhelming technical issues that will need to be addressed. Once we've done our walk-around, though, I'll have a better idea of any potential challenges.

In case you're wondering, I do the audio, video, and lighting for their internet performances. I also travel with them as their technical liaison to interact with stage managers and technical directors for the live performances. I have included a list of SMs, ASMs, and TDs who have happily agreed to be references for Karla and Kerri."

Bethany and Emily both seemed very pleased at how the meeting had progressed to this point.

Bethany turned to me and said, "Tom, you know Karla and Kerri and you've interacted with The Club's members and guests on different occasions.

How do you think our members and their guests will accept Karla and Kerri's performance?"

Bethany's question caught me off guard; I hadn't expected it. After a few seconds of thought, I said, "I've only seen one of their internet videos, and that was a dress rehearsal. It's from one Emily included in the audition DVDs, the erotic asphyxia one. Beyond that one rehearsal DVD, I haven't seen them perform solo or together on stage.

I met them for the first time when Emily invited me to help her redo a part of one of the commercials Karla and Kerri did for the law firm.

After seeing that one performance and then meeting, talking, and working with them on the commercial, my overwhelming impression of both of them is that their acting really appears genuine. They're both very adaptable, very natural, very comfortable, and poised live and on-camera. Nothing I saw them do appeared to be fake or exaggerated; their words and actions were easy and very plausible, very believable. I can't imagine The Club's members and guests won't see them the same way on stage.

They're nice women who obviously take the quality of their performances very seriously. I was impressed with their attention to detail in every aspect of their performance and the video. I'd be very surprised if you didn't come to the same conclusion after watching their audition DVDs.

I think your members and guests will be very comfortable seeing their presentation. Frankly, I know they'll be very sexually aroused by it regardless of any preconceived attitudes they may have about trans women. I have to admit that I was.

They're not just acting when they have sex during the presentation; they're experiencing everything they're showing to the audience. As they explained it to me, that's possible because their transitions were nearly non-hormonal and were completely non-surgical. In overly simplified terms, they have an erection and ejaculate like a healthy biological male except they're infertile. As a result, neurologically they retain many of the sexual sensations they experienced as a biological male, however emotionally and behaviorally they are female. They are definitely not effeminate males trying to act as females - if that makes sense.

I don't know if their agreement with The Club has them interacting with members as guests before, during, and after the performance, but if it does, I'd bet that every one of your members and guests would come away from the interaction with respect and admiration for them as women and friends and not just performers."

The look Emily gave me told me she was extremely pleased with my response to Bethany's question. But Bethany wasn't done.

"All right, Tom, one final question before we take the tour: Suppose you were put in a position where you had to introduce Karla and Kerri to your mother, and suppose further that she knew that Karla and Kerri were trans women who are live sex performers. How do you think your mother would react to them?"

Though her facial expression remained seemingly unchanged, Emily's eyes reflected a measurable concern bordering on panic at Bethany's question.

Without any hesitation, I answered, "Knowing both Kerri and Karla as well as I do now and having seen one of their custom presentations prepared for an internet client, I would welcome the opportunity to take them separately or together for dinner with Mom at her house. And beyond that, I'd be quite proud if either or both of them would go on a very public date with me to any kind of event, any place, any time. They really are very nice girls. Women, I mean. There's a lot more to Karla Katz and Kerri Kavanaugh than just sexual appeal to both men and women. If you get the opportunity to meet and talk with them, I'm completely certain you'll come to the same conclusion."

Emily's face showed more relief than she might have wanted to reveal.

"Shall we take the tour now?" Bethany responded in a businesslike tone, apparently satisfied with my answer.

Bethany led us out the front door and around to the side entrance labeled "VIP Performance" entrance. She explained this was the secured private entrance and exit available for the evening's headliner performers and any staff they had to enter and exit if they chose.

We took the private performer's elevator up to the suite reserved for the headliners. Bethany explained all the amenities available to the performers and any of their staff.

When we left the suite, Bethany showed Emily how the performers could if they chose depart through an unmarked secured door to mix and mingle with the members and guests in the public areas. Alternatively, they could take their private secured elevator down to the stage floor where they would exit backstage inside their dressing room. We took the private elevator down to the dressing room Karla and Kerri would use.

Just as in the suite, Bethany explained briefly the amenities available for the performers.

Backstage, Bethany led us to the stage manager's office and introduced Emily and me to the SM and the technical director and explained we were getting the guided tour offered to all prospective performers' agents. Emily, the SM, and the TD exchanged business cards.

After leaving the SM's office, we walked directly to the stage. Emily seemed completely surprised that The Club had a revolving stage rather than the usual night club stage. The SM, obviously proud of it, explained that it gave the production team and the performers more flexibility to be able to use either a nearly full size, fully rigged single-set stage or use the appropriate flats to have two slightly smaller sets.

Bethany added that having such a stage did cause the loss of one VIP suite, but the increase in member satisfaction with program continuity from the revolving stage more than made up for the slight loss in revenue. She pointed out that the "lost" suite still existed but was not rented as a VIP suite since it no longer had a direct view of the stage.

Emily asked several questions of both the SM and TD. Some questions were fairly routine, others were highly technical. I suspect Bethany, her SM and TD were quite impressed with Emily's questions about lighting, color temperature, DMX lighting control, video, and audio.

The SM walked Emily onto the stage and pointed out spike tape where furnishings, most often a queen-sized bed, was placed. He was unable to answer when Emily asked about the distance to the nearest and furthest VIP guest suite picture window from the bed.

I thought the SM was going to offer her a job when she reached into her catalog case and pulled out a small laser distance measuring unit and made several measurements herself while she was explaining why she had asked.

Emily also asked about the closed-circuit television system used to send the live images from the stage to the guest rooms. Specifically, she asked the TD to point out the position of each camera and to provide her with each camera's tech specs and lenses used.

Finally Emily asked to see the tech control booth.

The control booth had been the last stop on the guided tour, so we walked back to Michael's office with Bethany. As we walked, I hung back and let Emily and Bethany walk together out of my hearing range.

In spite of the guided tour, our visit had been shorter than I had expected. Both Emily and Bethany seemed to know their respective responsibilities to their employers, so both the questions and answers were courteous but crisp and concise.

As the meeting concluded, it was apparent that both Emily and Bethany were very satisfied with the progress they had made. Bethany had assured Emily that she would look carefully at the audition DVDs Kerri and Karla had provided as well as at their biographical information and stills. In turn, Emily appreciated the complete documentation, tour, and introductions to the SM and TD Bethany had provided.

Both of them agreed that the relatively brief time to reach an agreement of engagement for Kerri and Karla would result in their first appearance, if there was to be one, would mean that the women would likely have to use one of their "stock" performances rather than write a custom script with on-site rehearsals and production.

Emily had been very businesslike during the visit, but she was extremely upbeat on the drive from The Club back to her office.

"I'm impressed," she said excitedly. "They run a very tight operation, very professional. We accomplished more in a first meeting than I'm used to seeing until the second or third meetings."

"Why do you suppose that was?" I asked, genuinely interested in Emily's analysis.

"Two factors: Bethany and her background and experience in Japan is the first, and corporate commitment by The Club owners is the second.

I'm somewhat familiar with the love hotel in Japan where Bethany worked for three years. It's clear she wasn't just working there; she was being groomed by The Club's owners who sent her there to prepare her for bigger and better things than just scheduling sex acts in some beer-soaked dump near the airport. She really learned how to cater to both VIPs and to attract high-class entertainment for them."

"So you wouldn't be concerned that appearing at The Club would hurt Karla and Kerri's long-term business plans?" I asked.

Emily snorted out a laugh, then apologized for the unladylike sound effect she had created.

"I'm sorry, Tom. My reaction was inappropriate.

No, I'm confident that The Club and its owners want any and all of their performers to be able to perform at their very best. If the performers look good, the members and guests are happy. Looking at it from Karla and Kerri's perspectives, they want to look good so they may get more work and their production company will get a good reputation.

Bethany didn't say so in so many words - she's too professional for that - but implicit in her conversation was the hope that if Karla and Kerri's performance is good, there may be future offers from the owners' different venues."

"So it was a worthwhile meeting?" I questioned.

"And then some," Emily responded.

After hearing Emily's enthusiasm, something began nagging at me. I figured the best was to resolve it was to simply ask Emily.

"Emily, what should I do or say if Bethany asks me how the meeting went? I don't want to betray your confidence, and I certainly don't want to do or say anything that would jeopardize Karla and Kerri's chances with The Club and its owners."

Emily's expression softened, possibly out of sympathy for my concern.

"Tom, I trust you completely to not betray any confidences between us or between you and the girls.

I'll also tell you something that I hope will reassure you. Having gotten to know Bethany pretty well in just our brief meeting today, I'm almost one hundred percent certain she isn't going to ask you to give her any inside information about our conversations. If she asks for your impressions and opinions of Karla and Kerri, give her straight answers. The best way to help the girls is to tell the truth about their capabilities and limitations so that Bethany's or anyone else's expectations aren't raised unreasonably high.

You're not prone to exaggeration or guile. It's clear that Bethany trusts you and your judgment as much as I do. Frankly, I hope she does ask you some questions.

Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to use the rest of the drive back to the office to begin reading the material Bethany provided. I'll need to call Karla and Kerri and fill them in on the meeting, and I'd like to be sure I understand all the terms of The Club's proposed agreement."