Aristippus Ch. 01 - A Very Close Call

Chapter 1

A Very Close Call

I was so scared that I thought I needed fresh panties

NOTE TO READERS: The Aristippus Retreat is a novel in nine chapters of a young woman attending a training retreat for the world's oldest profession. The entire novel is just over 82,000 words, divided into nine chapters. We respectfully request that you read the chapters in order, as this is an actual novel, with thirty seven characters, seventeen of them having sex with each other. So, reading the chapters in order is important for the overall appreciation of the story. Following the first nine chapters will be nine appendices, one for each of the nine primary women in the story, other than the protagonist. The nine appendices are written in the first person and can be read in any order. Please enjoy, and we look forward to your comments.

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As Lacey stepped into the lobby bar of the Ritz-Carlton, she instantly realized it was a target-rich environment. The Western Dental Association was in town, and with it, more than three thousand horny dentists. Her proven strategy was to dress sexy, but not like a street walker, and stick to convention hotels. She would circulate through the hotel bar looking for middle-aged men sitting alone at the bar. Then sitting down next to them, she would start up a conversation. If things worked out, they would be on their way up to his hotel room in less than ten minutes, and if not, on to the next unaccompanied male. She had been doing this for about six months, and so far, so good.

Lacey absolutely loved sex, and what could possibly be better than doing what you love and getting paid for it. Her dad had always told her, "A dream job is one you go to every day and can't believe you're getting paid for it." Her father had no idea what she was currently doing, but it certainly did meet his requirement for the perfect job, so she felt justified in her present line of work.

Living away from home for the first time after high school graduation proved much harder than she expected, and she never made it beyond the first year of college. Once she dropped out, she moved back home. But now, neither a student nor employed, her parents gave her a choice. Either pay rent or move out. She moved out the next day and started a job as a cashier at Ralph's. This was a job she hated, and besides, they would only allow her to work thirty hours a week, so there was no way she could support herself. Within two months, she began supplementing her income by dancing at a Hollywood strip club. Now, this was a job she could really get into. But after several months of shaking her booty for tips, she realized that even this job she really enjoyed was just too many hours for too little money.

The club had an absolute prohibition against dancers dating customers. Lacey was well aware of the rule and why. But when a customer offered to pay her rent if she would meet him at a local hotel, it was too much of a temptation to pass up. One date led to another, and within three weeks, the club fired her.

The business class hotels near the Convention Center had proven very lucrative in the past, so she had high hopes for the dentist. Spotting a nice-looking middle-aged guy sitting alone at the bar, she zeroed in on her first prospect for the evening. "Hey, nice place -- isn't it?" she said as she slid up onto an empty bar stool next to him and folded her arms on the bar.

He slowly took a sip of his drink and, without making eye contact, said, "Yeah -- pretty nice."

She crossed her legs and broadened her smile as she sat waiting for a further response. Not getting any, she added, "Are you here with the dental convention?"

"Yep," he answered after another leisurely sip of his drink.

"So am I," Lacey responded, still trying to get him to make eye contact with her.

"Oh really," he said. "So, what do you do?"

"Oh, I'm a dental assistant, I guess you'd say," she said with a flirtatious tone. "I assist dentist in enjoying the convention."

Still gazing straight ahead, and in a dead-pan voice, the bar patron asked, "So what's your name?"

"Lacey," she immediately responded with an enthusiastic tone in her voice and extended her hand to shake his.

Setting his drink down as if to accept her handshake, he glanced over at her and said, "How much?"

In a perky Valley Girl tone to her voice, Lacey smiled and said, "Well -- how much do you think I'm worth."

The customer immediately turned to face her and reaching into his inside jacket pocket, pulled out his wallet. Flipping the wallet open to expose a badge and an official looking photo ID, he said, "Lacey, if you had mentioned a price, you'd be under arrest right now. But since you didn't, I'm going to give you a break. Now get the hell out of here, and I'd better never see you in here again."

Lacey froze in pure fright. Even though she didn't need to pee, she almost wet her pants.

"Did you hear me," the guy repeated, now glaring straight into her face.

"Yes Sir -- yes Sir," she stuttered. "Uh -- thank you -- I mean, yes Sir," she mumbled as she slid off the bar stool and quickly headed for the door. She had no idea if he was an actual cop or not. But he certainly scared the shit out of her. As she raced to find her twelve-year-old Toyota Corolla that she'd parked several blocks away, she kept thinking, well, maybe he wasn't a real cop. Or, more likely, he was an off-duty cop working an extra job as a hotel dick. But it was a very close call in any event, and as she fumbled for her car keys, she realized she needed to be much more careful. She had never been arrested in her life, and she certainly wasn't looking forward to the experience.

As she drove back to her apartment, every possible nightmare scenario ran through her head. It wasn't just the police record, but the cost of bail and an attorney. And Oh My God, the horror of her parents finding out. She was only twenty years old, so was she an adult or not, she didn't know, and this only added to the anxiety. Plus, if her parents found out, so would her grandmother, and that was something she really didn't want to happen. Lacey had always been very close to her grandmother, and news like this would break her heart. And there was no way Lacey could stand for that.

Once safely back in her apartment, she called her friend Vivian to tell her what had happened and to ask her advice. Lacey had met Vivian dancing, and even though she was seven years older, they were inseparable at the club and best friends outside the club. Vivian knew what Lacey was doing, and though she occasionally dated guys she'd met in the club, she was far more discreet about it. Older and wiser, she would tell her when Lacey suggested they work the hotels together.

"Hey, girlfriend," Vivian exclaimed as she walked into the Starbucks where she and Lacey agreed to meet.

"Oh, Vivian," Lacey said, her voice still shaking. "I just had a near-death experience."

"Oh my God," Vivian said. "Did some guy hurt you?"

"No -- worse," Lacey responded with eyes as big as saucers. "Cops -- I mean a cop. I tried to pick up a cop."

"Where?" Vivian said, now hungry for details. "Were you arrested?"

"At the Ritz-Carlton, and no, I wasn't arrested. He let me go with a warning, but he scared the hell out of me. He had a badge -- and a gun!" She didn't actually see any gun, but it sounded much more dramatic to add that imaginary detail.

Vivian got up to get an Iced Carmel Macchiato, and returning to their table, said, "Okay, girlfriend, tell me what happened."

"Well, I stopped in the lobby to see what convention was in town. I saw that it was the Western Dentist or something, and I figured it would be an easy hook-up," Lacey started explaining after taking a sip of Vivian's Macchiato. "So, I walked into the Lobby Bar and spotting this nice-looking guy sitting alone at the bar -- I sat down next to him and casually asked him if he wanted any company?"

"So, what did he say?" Vivian asked as she leaned in to hear every juicy detail.

"Well, he asked, 'How much?'" Lacey said, losing a little of the anxiety from her voice.

"And?" Vivian inquired.

"Well, I said, 'How much do you think I'm worth?' And he pulled out a badge and told me to get the fuck out and don't ever come back," Lacey said sheepishly.

"So, did you shit your panties," Vivian said, trying to keep from laughing.

Unamused by Vivian's insensitivity, Lacey said indignantly, "I was wearing a thong -- and yes."

When Vivian finally stopped laughing, Lacey added. "So, what do I do? I'm making good money, and I love it. I love getting laid and getting paid for it. I'm a slut -- I know it, but it is really what I want to do."

Knowing that her friend was serious and had just escaped a near-death experience, Vivian stopped laughing and said, "Lacey, I have this friend who makes a living as an escort. And from what I understand, she makes a damn good living at it. You want me to call her? Maybe she'll share some of her secrets with you."

Two days later, the three women met for lunch at Tender Greens on Sunset Blvd. Vivian made the introductions as they munched on farm-fresh salads and sipped herbal tea. Starting the conversation with, "Ginger, Lacey and I met dancing, but her interests have really turned to that of escort, and she was doing okay until she ran into security a couple of days ago. It scared her shitless -- and to be honest, she just needs some advice."

Ginger was probably in her mid-thirties -- a good fifteen or sixteen years older than Lacey, but still very attractive and sexually alluring without looking trampy. "Well," she said slowly, after putting down her salad fork and clearing her throat. "I've been doing this since divorcing my husband about ten years ago. I guess, like you, I liked sex, but to be honest, I didn't want another shit-head man running my life or telling me what to do. So -- I can't even remember how I started -- but I took up being an escort, and the rest, I guess you'd say, is history."

Vivian bubbling with excitement, said, "Yeah, and she does really well at it."

"I'm more interested in safety and long-term security -- if you know what I mean," Lacey added.

"Oh yeah, I know what you mean," Ginger said after swallowing another bite of salad. "I'm not trying to brag, and you may not do as well, but I generally make about $80,000 a year, I only accept one or two dates a week, and of course, that is completely tax-free. So, it's a decent living, I could make more if I wanted to, but I'm happy. And besides, I really get to meet some interesting people and do some interesting things -- like travel and such."

Lacey was all ears. "So -- how do you get started?" she asked.

"Tell her about the school," Vivian chimed in.

"What school?" Lacey eagerly asked.

"Oh -- well, about two years after getting into the business, I heard about this school -- a school for escorts, I guess you would say. It's actually a retreat. A week-long retreat up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains," Ginger replied.

"Oh really," Lacey said with a true air of excitement in her voice. Now maybe there was a school she could really get interested in.

"Yeah," Ginger went on between forks full of salad. It's near Lake Isabella. It's called the Aristippus Retreat. I know that sounds religious -- but trust me -- it's not. Aristippus was a Greek philosopher."

Lacey and Vivian were both on the edge of their seats.

"Well, it was five days when I went through the course. You actually live there for five days and five nights. It's absolutely beautiful, high in the mountains and in total solitude. Every morning starts at eight AM with a healthy but absolutely wonderful breakfast. Then there are two hours of yoga and meditation."

"Meditation," Lacey blurted out?

"Oh yeah," Ginger went on. "It really is amazing how it will focus your mind. Which allows you to focus on your own body and your own pleasure. And once you understand that, you'll understand how to please others."

"I guess you can't please others unless you can please yourself," Vivian said with a chuckle.

"That's exactly right," Ginger said. "Then there is an hour of massage before lunch. Massage instructors will show you a new massage skill, and then you get a different guy every day to practice on for about an hour. Then a light lunch before the afternoon classes for the day."

"What classes," Lacey asked, still not sure if this place was for her or not.

"Well, there are usually two classes -- or lectures -- per day. Things like advertising and marketing, the law, safety, business management, fashion, and then the more hands-on stuff. I think we had classes on human anatomy -- sexual anatomy, of course, male vanity, the art of fellatio, and of course, positions. Positions was actually a lab, where you'll be assigned a lab partner every day."

"A lab partner," both girls exclaimed.

"Yeah -- there were seven in my class when I went through. And there were seven manly men that served as our lab partners," Ginger said.

"Did you fuck'm?" Vivian asked with great excitement.

"Well, yeah," Ginger replied with a matter-of-fact tone in her voice. "Every afternoon, one or two of them would serve as demonstration models for that day's lab. Then that evening, each male model would be randomly assigned to each girl for homework."

"Homework?" Lacey asked.

"Yeah -- we would all take turns during the class demonstrations. But then, at about five o'clock, we would return to our cabins, shower, and get dressed as if we were going on a date. Around six-thirty or so, everyone meets back in the main lodge, and act-out like you were on a date with a John. You already knew who your companion for the night was going to be, but you would still introduce yourself to him, like you hadn't met before. You would have cocktails and dinner, like you were on a real date. Then there would be a themed program, before returning to your cabin and performing whatever the day's lesson had been."

"Oh my God -- that's incredible," Vivian exclaimed. "What a riot."

"Well, do you think it improved your escorting skills?" Lacey asked, still a little in shock over the whole concept.

"Oh my God, yes," Ginger immediately responded. "I was just stumbling along before going to the Aristippus Retreat. It saved my life -- or I guess I should say it made my life the success it is now. Before the classes, I didn't know how to advertise, I didn't know how to manage my business, I didn't know how much to charge, and mostly, I didn't really know what men wanted or expected. One week at the Aristippus put all of that into focus for me."

There was a moment of silence while Lacey allowed the idea of escort training to sink in. "So -- how much does it cost?" Lacey finally asked.

"Well, keep in mind I took the class over five years ago, and I think it cost $2,900. But I imagine it costs more now. I've heard the Retreat has become very successful, so I wouldn't be surprised if they raised the price," Ginger said.

"Jeez, that's a lot," Lacey said with a gulp.

"Yeah," Ginger agreed. "But believe me, it's worth it. You get great training and great ideas -- the people are wonderful, and the food is amazing. In fact, the entire week is fantastic. Yoga, meditation, massages every day, and the best sex you've probably ever had -- now tell me, what could be better than that?"

All three women laughed at that and after exchanging contact information, leisurely finished their lunch and had a glass of wine together before heading their separate ways.

As soon as the two best friends were back in Lacey's apartment, they flipped open her laptop and Googled the Aristippus Resort. And over a bottle of cheap wine, Lacey and Vivian poured over the website and discussed Lacey's options. But just as Ginger had predicted, the price had gone up! The one-week session was now five days and six nights (instead of five and five), and the price had jumped up to $4,500. Lacey had already convinced herself that she wanted to go, and the full-color website only convinced her more -- but the price now seemed absolutely out of reach.

"OMG," Vivian exclaimed. "They have all kinds of classes and retreats. They have couple's retreats, singles retreats, and all kinds of fetish classes. They have classes on oral sex, anal sex, mutual masturbation, and domination -- jeez, they have classes on any kinky thing you want to do."

"Yes," Lacey laughed. "And they have the Retreat I want to take -- Courtesans of Courage -- but it cost forty-five hundred dollars? Where in the hell am I going to come up with that?"

"I wonder if they offer scholarships?" Vivian joked.

"Or maybe work-study?" Lacey sighed.

"Hey, that's an idea," Vivian said. "Do you know anybody who would give you an advance and then let you work it off?"

"No, I don't think so," Lacey groaned.

"Well, I'd at least give it a try, girlfriend," Vivian said as she started to rub Lacey's thigh. "At least give it a try."

Lacey reached out to several of her previous clients with whom she had contact information. Some were polite and understanding, but none of them offered to help her. Others assumed the request was some sort of con and were downright rude. After six or seven calls, she gave up. A week later, she met Ginger for drinks.

"I really want to go to this retreat," Lacey said as she and Ginger sipped their first Cosmopolitan of the evening. "But the money is absolutely out of my reach. I've called all the gentlemen I thought might be able to help me, but no takers -- no one even close. I'm out of ideas."

Ginger took another sip of her drink and after a thoughtful pause, said, "I may know someone."

"Oh, I don't want a pimp," Lacey insisted, detecting an entrepreneurial tone in Ginger's voice.

"Oh, he's no pimp," Ginger quickly responded. "He's a nice looking middle-aged business executive type. He probably would pass you around to his business associates. But once the debt has been paid off, that would be it. I'm sure of that."

"How can you be so sure?" Lacey questioned as she took a long sip of her cocktail while eyeing Ginger suspiciously.

"I've known this guy for years, and I've never known him to cheat or take advantage of anyone -- any female at least," Ginger said with a reassuring smile.

"Okay," Lacey said cautiously. She was convinced that she wanted to attend this Retreat and realized she didn't have much of a choice. Besides, she secretly calculated that if this mystery benefactor turned out to be some kind of jerk, she could always slip away from him somehow.

Three days later, Lacey received an e-mail receipt showing her Courtesans of Courage Retreat was paid in full and that she could check-in anytime between noon and four PM the following Sunday. She abruptly felt a moment of concern over not knowing who her sponsor was, but that was quickly forgotten as she read through the attachments that came with the e-mail. She had to fill out a complete resume of prior experience, which didn't bother her. But she was surprised with the medical certificate. She was reminded that during the course of the Retreat, she would be having unprotected sex with a variety of partners and that all participants were required to have a current medical certificate signed by a licensed doctor.

At first, this startled her, but after reading the entire form, she realized it was for everyone's protection. And the thought of having sex with a variety of partners actually excited her. She took a quick shower, dressed in what she considered appropriate for a medical exam, and dashed out the door heading to the Free Clinic over on Montrose for her blood test and pelvic examination.