Ann: A Love Story Ch. 75

"Yeah...I guess," I said, staring at the carpet.

"Why don't you go back to your place and find Heather. I know she's dying to..."

"I don't think so, Carol. I'm just not in the mood right now."

"How about me...tomorrow? I owe you one too," she said, talking about a blowjob. For the first time since I'd started the game, except when Ann stacked the deck so she could give me a birthday present, I actually had the upper hand, so to speak. I had pulled cards that gave me blowjobs from both Heather and Carol, and I could use them whenever I wanted, as long as it was a day they were available. That meant that Heather was available right now, and Carol's 'branch' was open on Saturday.

And as great as that was going to be, whenever I decided to play the cards, I couldn't get Ann out of my mind. "We'll see, Carol. I'm just..."

Carol put her hand up. "I understand, Neil. I don't blame you. I miss Ann, and I've never actually met her. I can't WAIT to meet her."

I smiled, knowing that one of the reasons Carol was feeling that way was because she was going to be involved in a threesome with me and Ann...sometime in the coming week. When I thought of that, I knew that Carol was probably disappointed a little bit too. I'm sure it was different, and the fear of being with a woman was now gone, since Carol and Heather had done some things together as part of that birthday gift. But, Carol had been thinking about being with Ann for months...the same for Ann. So this delay was affecting ALL of us.

"I know she can't wait to meet you too, Carol. And more than that," I said with a wink.

"Oh...God. I forgot about that!" she said, the honesty in her reaction etched on her face. "I've been so caught up in this game, I forgot...now I'm nervous."

"Why...you were with Heather just last week."

"That was different."

"How?"

"Because...she's not...Ann."

~*~*~*~*~*~

That was the point...the reason why I was feeling down. I liked Carol...and Heather. We'd had some great fun together...and I'm not talking just about the sex. They were beautiful women, inside and out, and they had a wonderful, healthy sense of life. You couldn't be with them, and not feel better about yourself.

But...they weren't Ann.

You can say that any man that turns down a world class blowjob from a stunning woman that's more than willing to get naked while she performs, is either insane, or perhaps gay. And the gay scenario would make some sense...since it's not the act itself, but the actor. You have to be into the person to really enjoy it. Heather would certainly go out of her way to give me more pleasure than a man deserves, knowing the circumstances. And I knew she'd make me cum.

But, she wasn't Ann...and that's who was going to be on my mind. So, in a way, it was unfair to Heather, and to Carol, to put them in a position where I'd be thinking, and maybe even comparing what they were doing, to Ann. They deserved a better partner than that. And just because I would be on the receiving end, I was a sexual partner...and partners should be involved. I could only imagine how I'd feel if I was eating one of their pussies, and their heart wasn't in it. I know I'd make them feel good physically, and likely make them cum. But I'd notice the emotional absence, and it would bother me. I would feel like a gigolo, paid to do a job, and the lack of a connection would make the whole thing feel cheap and meaningless.

I said goodnight to Carol, and told her I'd call her the next day to touch base on the calls. I intended to take the day off all along, because Ann was going to be in town. And even though she wasn't, I needed a day off. But as I drove away, I thought differently.

"If I get another message, I may just go in and be around Carol to have some company," I said. I wasn't thinking anything sexual. But I supposed I could always change my mind on that the next day.

As I drove down the interstate towards the hotel, I couldn't decide what I wanted to do. I kicked around the idea of just stopping at a restaurant on the way and eating, but I didn't like the idea of being in a suit any longer. In fact, that was going to be my last day in a suit for a while, and I couldn't wait to get out of it. Yet I was hungry, and I didn't want to put off eating just to change clothes either. In the end, I found myself walking back into the hotel, deciding that I'd rather be comfortable while I ate.

Try as I might, my attempt to make it through the lobby to the elevators unnoticed failed. I suppose I could have gone in through the back door, but I didn't want to walk up the five flights of stairs, and it seemed like too much trouble to walk all the way down the long hallway from the back entrance to use the elevator just to avoid seeing Heather on the way inside. Yet there she was, calling out my name again.

"Neil...NEIL! I have another message for you," she said as she waved her arms frantically from behind the counter.

I had taken off my jacket to drive, and loosened my tie a little to wind down into my weekend. I had the jacket flung over my right shoulder, my hand holding it there as kind of a shield to hide my face a little. But I heard Heather, and no matter how much I didn't want to hear the news she had, pretending I hadn't heard her calling my name wasn't an option. I didn't want to be rude.

Stopping in place, I looked over towards Heather, who was kind of gritting her teeth as she smiled at me...and then she mouthed, "I'm sorry."

"You're kidding!" I said out loud, now more dejected than ever.

Heather motioned for me to come over, saying "I really don't want to do this across the lobby, Neil. Can you please come here?"

Trudging over to the counter, I put my jacket on it and said, "Let me guess...she's not coming tomorrow either."

"No...she's not coming tomorrow," Heather said, shaking her head.

"FUCK!" I said...too loud. I looked around to see if anyone heard me, but I dodged a bullet when I saw that there was no one within earshot.

"That's what the message is about," Heather said with a half hearted smile.

"What?"

"Fucking...that's the reason I called you over. I need to tell you what Ann..."

"Oh...this will be good. She wants me to fuck YOU instead."

"I wish. I'd love that. But Ann isn't going to break the rules of the game."

"Fuck the game. I'm tired of the game. I just want Ann to be here," I said in a fit of anger. Then I looked at Heather, who was staring wide-eyed at me. Closing my eyes to take a deep breath, I opened them and smiled at her. "I'm so sorry, Heather. It's not your fault. It's not even Ann's fault. Sometimes things just don't work out right...it happens. So...what were you saying about Ann? She has some NEW plan?"

"Uh...yeah. You could say that. But look...if you're going to get upset, maybe it would just be better if we called this off."

"We? What are you talking about...what's going on?"

"Maybe you'd better sit down. I'll be right out," she said, nodding towards one of the little loveseats in the lobby.

A minute later, Heather was sitting beside me, her hand on my thigh as she looked at me.

"What's going on, Heather. You act like this is serious."

"Serious...no. Not like life or death serious. But it is...unusual. And I don't want you being mad at Ann."

"Why would I be mad at Ann?"

"Because she had me do something that's a bit...out there; and it may be something you totally don't agree with. I'm not sure how I feel about it myself, frankly."

"What did you do?"

"I did what she asked me to do...I got you someone."

"You got...huh?" I said, my face twisting from the confusion of Heather's comment.

"Ann said that the other night, she said something to you, about getting you a...an escort. It was a passing thought...but now...well..."

"There's an escort...HERE?"

"Neil, just because this is West Virginia, it doesn't mean we don't live in the same century as the rest of the world. We're not THAT backwoods. You'd be surprised what we have here...there are a couple of really nice gentleman's clubs near here...totally nude ones. And yes...I know of an escort service. It's not publicized...but it exists."

"You have GOT to be kidding me?"

"I wish I were. I told Ann that if she was going to let you fuck...why not me? I know that sounds selfish...but..."

"Heather, I'm not fucking you. And I'm sure as hell not fucking a hooker."

"Whoa...who said anything about a hooker? I can assure you, Neil...Barbara is NOT a hooker. Prostitute...yeah, by definition. But Barbara is one of the nicest women that you'll ever meet. She just happens to have an unusual job, that's all."

"Uh...Heather...she fucks people for money," I said bluntly.

"Occasionally...yes. But there are far more times she's just with somebody that needs a pretty face with them to close a deal, or influence a decision, or...for company. Plus, she's got a lot of interests, and she has this ability to hold her own in most conversations she's in."

"You make her sound likeable, Heather."

"What's not to like, Neil. She's still a person."

I'd just gotten done saying the same kind of thing to Carol less than an hour before about the people I'd been interviewing. They were people. Heather was right...who was I to judge this Barbara. I didn't know her, or her story. I didn't know why she'd chosen the profession she was in...and while I didn't understand that, or really want to, I had no right to think badly of her as a person.

"You know...I'm sorry, Heather. You're right. I'm sure Barbara is very likeable.

"And she's fucking hot too! Well...if you like redheads."

"Actually...I don't," I said, again being blunt. Then I thought about some of the redheads I'd been with, like Denise and Nancy, and said, "That's not fair, either. I've just never been attracted to girls with wispy red hair and creamy skin with freckles. But that's just me...I know a lot of guys love them...and that's great."

"Barbara has a tan...a nice one, actually. And no freckles. She's hot, no matter what your definition of beauty is."

"I really don't see how that relates to the fact that her job is to have sex for..."

"Neil...aren't you listening? Barbara's JOB, is to make important, powerful men happy. Whether that's by being with them at dinner, or going with them to a concert or play, or being a companion on a long vacation...it's more about being eye candy for the men than the sex. You'd be surprised how little sex is actually involved. The fact that she has a brain, and can use it, only makes her more attractive."

"So what are you suggesting, Heather. That I actually go through with this and sleep with this woman? How did you even meet her?"

"When you work for a hotel, it pays to know people so that you can serve your guests better. And sometimes, you get asked for unusual requests. I met Barbara last spring. She came here with a client, and we struck up a conversation when she was lounging by the pool while he was in a meeting one of the conference rooms. She works for a service out of Northern Virginia, actually...does a lot of work in the DC area. But she's willing to travel to do her job, because she makes top dollar. As for whether you should..."

"What do you mean...top dollar?" I said, interrupting Heather.

"She's not a hooker, Neil. She's a professional escort, and the kinds of services she provides aren't cheap. She charges a thousand dollars a day."

"You're kidding. Ann wants me to spend a thousand dollars to be with this woman? I don't have a thousand dollars. She must have gone insane," I said, shaking my head.

"I knew you'd say that. That's why I got Barbara to cut a deal," Heather said. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out a wad of cash. "Ann wired me some money this morning to make the arrangements, after I called Barbara to see if she was available."

"She wired it to you?"

"Yeah...it's one of the services we provide. And I understand her Dad works for the post office?"

"Well, yeah."

"Well, she sent the thousand. I had to pay Barbara five hundred up front to show up. She's checked into her own room...she doesn't charge for that in a case like this, because she doesn't want to commit to staying with someone in case they change their mind. All she's expecting is dinner. If you decide you don't want any company after that, you can politely decline to spend the rest of the evening with her, and you don't have to pay her any more. If you decide you want to, here's the rest of the money. Just don't pay her in public...the cash needs to change hands in private."

I was shell shocked as Heather stuffed the wad of hundred dollar bills into my hand. "So...I'm just supposed to take her to dinner...where?"

"Wherever you want. But don't go too cheap. She didn't come up here to eat at McDonald's. You know, Carol told me about your adventure...why don't you just look at this as part of your mission, and think of this as a James Bond thing? Then you can enjoy yourself."

"I don't know, Heather. This whole thing seems so bizarre. I can't believe Ann would do this."

"She said she promised you that you would get the fuck of a lifetime tonight...and she's trying to live up to her word. She said she was hoping you'd go ahead and do this, and then she'd have something to try and top when she got here," Heather smiled.

It was just like Ann to make this some kind of competition. But it was so out of character for her. "What would Bond do if Moneypenny set him up like this," I said to myself. Then I looked at Heather and said, "Just dinner...that's the only real commitment, right?"

"Yes...just take Barbara to dinner, and then if you don't want to continue, bring her back here, and you can part ways. That's why she has her own room."

I sighed. I was too tired and hungry to argue any longer. I looked at the cash in my hands, and shook my head. Ann had already spent five hundred dollars to have Barbara show up. I knew it was going to cost me more to take her to dinner, but I needed to eat anyway. And I was starving. "Okay...what room is she in?"

"She's in 117, just down the hallway. Just knock and she'll know it's you. She's seen your picture. In fact, she was thrilled when she saw it...she's hoping it's going to be a long night," Heather laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that every once in a while, she actually looks forward to the sex part of the job. I think tonight is one of those nights."

"Well, it looks like she's going to be disappointed. But at least I'll give her a nice five hundred dollar dinner," I groaned as I stood up and put on my jacket.

Heather took my necktie, and tightened it around my neck, trying to make me look more presentable. "Try to have a good time, okay? And who knows, you might even find her attractive enough to want to be with her later."

I leaned over and gave Heather a peck on the cheek. "Okay. Thanks for everything...I think," I laughed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

I had to take a deep breath as I stood in front of the door to Barbara's room. I had that familiar pit in my stomach...the one I always got when I felt like was about to do something naughty that I shouldn't be doing. But I didn't know why. Ann had not only blessed this...she'd wired money, for goodness sake. Besides...I had no intention of doing anything with Barbara, other than taking her to dinner, which I was going to have to do with or without her. Still, I couldn't shake that feeling.

Another reason that I was feeling a little out of sorts was I was staring at the number on the door. I didn't think about it when Heather had told me the room Barbara was in, but I'd been in that same exact room, exactly one week before, tucking Claudia into bed after she'd come on to me during the launch party. I didn't know if it was some random coincidence, or some kind of a sign...but it was a little disconcerting as I stared at it. I must have raised my hand three times, getting ready to knock...each time backing off, scared to pull the trigger. But then my stomach rumbled, and I knew I had to make a choice...so I did what Bond would do on a mission, pretending I was meeting some sexy contact. I knocked on the door, and waited.

I heard some movement inside, followed by the chain on the door sliding though the metal slot. The door opened slowly, sort of creaking as the dim light from the room came into view. When the door was fully open, the woman behind it stepped out of the shadows, into view. My mouth hit the floor as my heart jumped into it.

"Hello, Neil. I'm Barbara," she said softly, her right hand high on the door as she gave me a sexy profile of her body.

And what a body it was. She stood between 5'4" and 5'5", and she was even taller in her 4-inch black spiked heels. She was slender, her tiny waist evident in the elegant tight dress she was wearing. It was black lace, coming down to the floor, with large, wide slits up the sides that went all the way up to the point of her hips to show off her long, sexy, toned legs. The upper part of her dress was all lace, showing a hint of her black push up bra that was holding her 34B tits in place. They were perky, turned up slightly, and I could tell her nipples were big and erect, even through the lace and the bra. I was pretty sure by the cut of her dress that she was either wearing a high thong...or nothing at all.

Barbara was wearing a lot of jewelry, most of it gold to offset the black dress. She had thick gold bracelets on each wrist, and long, dangling earrings that kind of twisted as she moved. She also wore a gold necklace that hung down towards her cleavage, with a large diamond pendant on it. Her makeup was modest, the green eye shadow applied perfectly, and just a hint of rouge on her perfect cheekbones. She had long, thick lashes, which she was batting seductively at me. Her full lips were a dark red, and she was licking them, playing with her tongue as she stared at me while my eyes gazed over her sexy body.

Yet what really stood out was Barbara's hair. It was long, and shiny...a brilliant, deep red, coming down past her shoulders. True, I'd said I wasn't attracted to redheads. But that had more to do with the skin tone redheads generally have than the hair. I just wasn't into freckles like some guys. We all have personal preferences, I suppose, and while I'd learned to appreciate the beauty in all women, some things turned us on more than others. With Barbara's dark tan, her hair made me blink as I stood there looking at her. She was one sexy woman.

I was speechless, just staring at her. I was not only turned on by the appearance of the woman in front of me...I was stunned. The person standing there, introducing herself as Barbara, was really...Ann.

Suddenly excited about how my night had just changed, I smiled. "Hi Barbara. I'm Neil Thomas."