Aristippus Ch. 02 - Sunday - Orient

Chapter 2

Sunday -- Orientation

From here on out, its first names only here.

NOTE TO READERS: This is chapter two of a novel in nine chapters. The story of a young woman attending a training retreat for the world's oldest profession. 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 in experiencing the story. Following the nine chapters of the novel 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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That Sunday, it was a longer drive to Lake Isabella than Lacey had expected. But after crossing the California desert in her un-airconditioned Corolla, the cool green mountains of the Sierra Nevada were a welcomed relief. Just as the printed directions said, she soon found the driveway to the Aristippus Retreat. Showing her registration papers to the gate guard, she was warmly welcomed and directed to the Reception Office.

"Good afternoon," the woman said, standing behind the reception desk as Lacey walked in. She was probably mid-forties, blonde hair to her shoulders, and strikingly tall -- maybe six feet or more. She was wearing a brightly colored full-length sarong and looked as though she may have just come from the pool.

"Good afternoon," Lacey replied as she quickly tried to survey her surroundings.

"Hi, I'm Nina, and you must be..." she said as she extended her hand across the desk.

"I'm Lacey Landry," Lacey said as she extended her hand in greeting.

"Lacey, of course," Nina said with a welcoming smile as she wrapped both of her hands around Lacey's in a warm and sincere greeting. "And from here on out, its first names only here," she added.

"Yes, of course," Lacey said, still a little nervous about what she knew was in store over the next several days.

"Well, let me see. You brought your sexual résumé and your medical form, I assume," Nina asked as she let go of Lacey's hand.

Lacey didn't answer but handed her both of the forms.

"Good -- good," Nina said as she slowly studied both forms. "And may I see your ID really quick, just for the record."

Lacey flipped her driver's license out on the desk, and Nina quickly jotted the information on the medical form before slipping it into a file folder.

"Okay," Nina went on to say as she studied Lacey's résumé again. "Are you comfortable reading this aloud tonight in front of the group?"

"Sure," Lacey quickly responded, without fully grasping the significance of her answer.

"Good," Nina said as she finished reading it and slipped it into a different file folder. "Now, just to make sure you are aware of what's going to happen here over the next five days and nights. When asked, are you comfortable performing sex acts in front of the group?"

Lacey nodded yes.

"And do you understand that you will have a different sexual partner every night?" Nina continued.

"Yes, I've read the brochure, and I think I know what to expect," Lacey assured her.

"Okay, great. You're in bungalow number 3; it's outside this door to your left and three doors up the hill. You can unpack, freshen up, get comfortable, and we'll see you back here at six. Does that sound alright?"

"Sure," Lacey said, with a mixture of both excitement and apprehension.

Upon entering her bungalow, Lacey was impressed. They were all built in the traditional rustic mountain cabin style with a low-pitched roof, large eves, and a stone chimney. Once inside the door, she was surprised to find that it was larger than she expected and very nicely furnished. There was a seating area with a comfy sofa and a matching armchair arranged in front of a beautiful stone fireplace, opposite a magnificent king bed. The bathroom had been completely updated and contained both a two-person Jacuzzi as well as a large walk-in shower.

Lacey leisurely unpacked and took a long relaxing shower before laying down nude for a quick nap. She didn't bother to close the curtains, as she figured she would likely be seen in less than fully dressed situations over the next five days, so she might as well get used to it. As six o'clock approached, Lacey dressed in a bright blue and white print dress she had just bought for this week. The dress was a sleeveless A-frame with a full skirt that she thought looked summery and casual. She loved the way it freely swished back and forth as she walked, for it simply made her feel sexy. A simple white bra, white cotton bikini briefs, and a pair of tan leather sandals completed her make a good first impression outfit.

After the short walk back to the lodge, as Lacey opened the door, she realized she was no longer the only participant to have arrived. Approaching the bar, she picked up the artistically prepared name tag and placed it on her dress before accepting a glass of sparkling wine from the male bartender. As she introduced herself and mingled with several of the other women in the room, her level of anxiety began to decrease as she realized that they were all in this together, and it was starting to look like fun -- of course, the wine may have helped too.

As the social hour progressed, Lacey discovered that there were going to be eight of them in the group. She was probably the youngest at only twenty years old, but the oldest was perhaps only in her mid-thirties, and they all looked like girls Lacey could easily get along with. At seven o'clock, Nina clinked her wine glass with a spoon calling the ladies to attention.

"I want to welcome you all to the Aristippus Retreat. I think I've met each of you. And hopefully, you have all had an opportunity to meet everyone else. There are eight of you attending the retreat this week, which is about normal. And I might add that this is the sixty-ninth session of Courageous Courtesans. I have been looking forward to this particular session for some time," Nina said with a giggle.

A polite chuckle filtered through the room as the women still didn't know each other that well, and many remained a little uneasy about the activities they all knew were about to take place. But the mood was optimistic as everyone present loved sex and honestly looked forward to advancing in their chosen profession.

Nina took a sip of wine and then, clearing her throat, said, "The Aristippus was founded twelve years ago by Lucinda and myself, along with our husbands and several other investors, some of them you will meet as Guest Lecturers during the week. The name Aristippus comes from Aristippus of Cyrene, a Greek philosopher of the 4^th century BC. He was actually born in Cyrene in ancient Libya but came to Greece to attend the Olympic games. And though becoming a disciple of Socrates, he held a much different philosophy of life in both principle and practice. Considered the founder of the school of Hedonism, Aristippus lived a life of luxury and excess. He happily sought out sensual gratification and the company of well-known courtesans, teaching that the goal of life was to seek pleasure by maintaining proper control over both adversity and prosperity."

Nina continued, "The basic daily schedule during the retreat is as follows. Breakfast will be served between eight and nine. It is a self-service buffet where you can make yourself an espresso drink or a smoothy. Our chef will also prepare you a cook-to-order hot breakfast if you wish. At nine sharp each morning, there will be one hour of yoga followed by a half-hour of meditation. Then following the meditation, there will be an hour of massage. The massage sessions will be hands-on as you will be giving men massages under guidance from Lucinda and me."

"You will then be given half an hour to return to your bungalow to shower and change clothes for the afternoon session. Lunch will be served starting at noon. It will be similar to breakfast in that it will be a buffet where you can make yourself a salad or a sandwich. Or, if you prefer a hot lunch, just let one of the servers know at breakfast, and our chef will have it waiting for you. Then starting at one o'clock, there will be a series of two seminars every afternoon. The seminars will cover subjects ranging from the history of the world's oldest profession, monogamy, jealousy, biology -- his and hers, the law, health and safety, marketing, and business. But most importantly, there will be discussions of the male psyche, what makes men tick, what do men actually want, and how do you get, what you want from them."

On that comment, a much more relaxed and genuine laughter filled the room. Nina also laughed as she realized the group was beginning to jell. She then continued, "There will be a happy hour every afternoon, and you will then find out who your date for the evening will be. Your dates will be chosen at random, and you will have no input into the process. You will be entertaining a different gentleman every night; this is intentional and an important part of your training."

"Dinner will be served each evening at seven, and every evening will have a different theme. I might add that the ladies' portions of all served meals may be smaller than the gentlemen's. This is not to starve you, but to help keep you alert and active. If you are not used to large meals, most people will become sluggish after eating one, so we intentionally keep them small. However, let me emphasize -- you paid a great deal of money for this retreat, and it is not our objective for anyone to go hungry. So, if you feel your portions are too small, please say something to any staff member, and we will make sure your portion sizes are adjusted to your individual needs."

Lacey, still holding her wine glass, wondered if Nina was being sarcastic or not. She could just imagine complaining that you didn't get enough to eat and having your portion cut in half. But even though this whole thing was beginning to sound a little bit like boot camp, at least it was a luxurious one.

After another sip of wine, Nina went on, "Each evening after dinner, there will be a themed program. It may be a movie, a pool party, or a parlor game. The program may be held here in the lodge, or it may be outside on the grounds. Each evening is planned as if it were an actual date -- and a moonlight stroll can be very romantic."

"Most of my dates only last an hour," a tall blonde said loud enough for everyone to hear. The room immediately erupted in giggles and snickers.

"Well, that is the business model we are trying to get away from," Nina said with a smile and a wink. "Our goal here is to move you up from simple escort. At a minimum, your dates should be at least an entire evening. And then, hopefully, you can progress to that of a courtesan, mistress, or paramour. We teach the Girlfriend Experience -- the GFE. It is a safer way to conduct business, a much steadier working environment, and ultimately far more lucrative."

Nina scanned each face to see if there appeared to be any disagreement. Each woman met her eyes with theirs and nodded their understanding. "Great," Nina said and raised her glass in a toast.

As every woman raised their own glasses in a ceremonial toast, Nina said, "Now there are no men here tonight. It's a girl's night. An opportunity to get to know each other better. Dinner is served." And with the wave of her nearly empty wine glass, she directed the eight women into the dining area of the lodge's main room.

For that first dinner together, the tables were arranged in a banquet-style rectangle with Nina seated in the middle opposite another staff member and then four participants on each side of them. Nina introduced the other staff member as Lucinda, the co-director of the course and the yoga instructor. Lucinda was not quite as tall as Nina, had salt and pepper hair, to just past her shoulders, and though she was relatively thin, she appeared to be very muscular. Lacey, as well as probably the other girls, instantly realized that if this was their yoga instructor, they were probably in for a real workout. The dinner was light as Nina had suggested, consisting of a mixed greens salad and a slice of quiche. However, the wine flowed freely, and no one asked for additional servings.

Conversation during dinner was casual as the girls still felt a little self-conscious about their own histories and the purpose of why they were all there, but that was about to change. As the dinner plates were being cleared and the wine glasses filled one more time, Nina rose and said, "Ladies, please bring your wine and let's all move over in front of the fireplace.

To Lacey's surprise, the fireplace had already been lit. And ten cushions had been placed in a circle in the center of the room. Nina and Lucinda took seats opposite each other, crossing their legs Indian-style, and indicated for everyone else to follow suit in the circle. Once everyone was comfortably seated, Nina started the conversation, "As I think you all know, I'm Nina, and along with Lucinda, we will be your course directors for the week. Our goal tonight is to get to know each other a little better. I'll start off the conversation, and then Lucinda will introduce herself. After that, I want each of you to read aloud the résumé you brought with you and then expand on what you hope to gain from this retreat."

Butterflies shot through Lacey's stomach, and the other girls probably all reacted similarly. There was a lot of personal information in that résumé, and at the time she wrote it, it never occurred to her that she would be reading it aloud to a group of strangers. And when Nina mentioned it at check-in, it didn't seem as intimate as it did now. But at least they were all women, and all of them were there for the same purpose.

Speaking softly and slowly, Nina began, "I'm Nina -- it is first names only here. I'm originally from Indiana and a graduate of Ball State University. My first sexual experience for money was in my senior year. It was what is generally known as a mercy fuck. A group of friends knew I needed money, pooled their funds, and offered to pay me $60 to sleep with a fraternity pledge that had never been laid. I was initially reluctant and nervous, of course. But I needed the money, and to my surprise, it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. In fact, I actually enjoyed it."

Nina paused to take another sip of wine. "Realizing that fraternity boys are stupid horny. And that it was easy money to help them out, I accepted several more dates for cash. This led to me sleeping with one of my professors, who soon became my Sugar Daddy, allowing me to graduate in comfort and financial security." Pausing again, as if her story brought back fond memories, "This experience was the foundation of the Aristippus Retreat. Now let me introduce Lucinda, my co-director of the Aristippus Resort."

Recognizing that the thin and muscular Lucinda was their yoga instructor, Lacey shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she realized they were all probably in for a workout. "Hi, I'm Lucinda," she said, as she sat up straight and leaned forward on her cushion. "Nina and I met almost twenty years ago while attending Tantric Massage classes. In Sanskrit, the word Tantric means woven together, as the practice weaves together spirituality and sexuality as it emphasizes the importance of intimacy during a sexual experience. Later, as Nina and I began teaching Tantric Massage, the seeds for the Aristippus were formed."

"As for a little more about me, I am originally from the Central Valley of California. I was not actually a farm girl, but I certainly was raised in an agricultural environment. I grew up among the almond orchards and irrigation canals surrounding Fresno, where I rode horses and played Little League with the boys. While in high school, I worked as the team trainer for both the boys' football and baseball teams. Before moving to the big city to attend Cal Poly Pomona. where I earned a degree in Kinesiology."

"At the time Nina and I met, she was working as a bartender, and I was working as a therapeutic massage technician. Together, we started offering tantric massages to select clients in their homes, and as our clientele increased, the concept of the Aristippus began to come together. Along with several friends and other investors, we founded the Aristippus a dozen years ago with the explicit purpose of developing a program to make the world's oldest profession a true and honest vocation."

A wave of nervous anxiety swept the room when Lucinda finished her story as the girls all knew they would be next. Nina scanned the faces of the eight young ladies nervously sitting in front of her and, after a moment of thought, said, "Lacey, would you like to go first?"

"Oh, shit," Lacey impulsively blurted out, before covering her mouth with her hand in embarrassment. As she started to blush, she quickly surveyed the other faces in the room, and as there were no apparent volunteers, she leaned forward on her cushion and accepted the one-page résumé from Nina's outstretched hand. Lacey glanced over the form she had filled out before leaving Los Angeles and turned to face the girls. Her first instinct was to run from the room, but she swallowed hard, took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and began to read.

"Hi," she started slowly. "My name is Lacey, I'm twenty years old, and I'm from the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. I have lived there all my life." Lacey glanced over at Nina to ensure she was doing it right before continuing. "I was probably a late bloomer, as I didn't lose my virginity until I was a senior in high school and had already turned eighteen. It was to my best friend's older brother. And from that point on, I guess you could say, the rest is history. I had at least a dozen boyfriends by the time I had finished my first year of college, and I had sex with every one of them. Around school, they called me Loosey Lacey, which I never understood, 'cause I have always considered myself to be rather snug."

This brought a huge round of laughter from the room, including Nina and Lucinda. Enjoying her little joke herself, Lacey stopped to relish the moment before continuing. "Describe your professional experience. "Well, I dropped out of college after only one year. My parents told me that I had to get a job if I wasn't going to school. So, I tried working at Ralph's as a cashier. I hated that job. And besides, they would only let me work thirty hours per week, so there was no way I could support myself on that. I started dancing at various clubs in Hollywood to supplement my job at Ralph's. I loved dancing, and I soon quit my job at the supermarket. But I couldn't make enough money, and after I got caught dating customers outside the club to help pay my rent, they fired me." Lacey paused to look around at the faces of the other girls. They all seemed to nod their understanding, so Lacey returned to reading from the form.

"For the last year, I've been picking up businessmen at hotel bars. Usually, convention hotels downtown. And it was working great until I was almost arrested last month. It scared the shit out of me, and so, here I am today. Hopefully to learn from the experts how to safely practice the job I love." She added the part, from the experts, to kiss up to Nina and Lucinda a little, and as she turned to hand her résumé back to Nina, she got a knowing smile of appreciation.

As the remaining seven girls took turns telling their stories, they all began to sound fairly similar to hers. And what totally surprised Lacey was that almost every girl had been raised in a middle-class home with loving parents and a normal childhood. There was barely a mention of abusive boyfriends or husbands, no alcoholism, no debilitating drug abuse. And absolutely no indication of working the streets or having a pimp. This actually surprised Lacey, as she assumed that the stereotypical working girl, all had roots in the less desirable side of the sex industry. But most of these girls had similar upbringings to hers. And that did give her a feeling of reassurance that she was safely on her chosen career path.