by E M Bannock
He tried to lighten the mood. He let her go, took a step back, unbuttoned the jeans, and pulled the zipper down. “I hate to see you so upset. I’ll take these sons-a-bitches off right now.” He pulled them off and threw them on the floor. He stood before her completely naked and held out his arms in presentation. “Is this better?” he asked.
She couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head. “You are such a weirdo. Do you know that? Loveable, but a weirdo nonetheless.”
“So I’ve been told,” he agreed. “And you are a beautiful woman. Did you know that?” he said sincerely. He reached for her hand, held it up to his lips, and kissed it gently.
She looked up and saw him staring at her. He looked like he wanted to say something. She waited but he didn’t speak. He just stood there, naked, gaping at her.
She smiled. “Do I have spinach between my teeth? Why are you staring at me?”
He smiled, led her to the bed, sat her down, and positioned himself next to her. “I’m staring at you because I like looking at you. In fact, I like everything about you. You’re smart, kind, and caring.”
She was getting embarrassed and felt a little uncomfortable. “Okay, okay. You can stop buttering me up. We’re gonna have sex, you don’t have to—”
Before she could finish her sentence, he pulled her in and kissed her strong and hard on the mouth. She kissed him back and surrendered herself to him.
He helped her slip out of her nightie and gently lay her on the bed. She was like putty in his hands as he explored her soft and supple body. It moved in welcome to his touch. Her breasts heaved upward as his hands cupped each one. Her nipples hardened like acorns as he kissed them. She reached down and felt his hardness. He kissed her full mouth as she pressed her hot body close to his. They knew each other intimately. He moved to kiss her gently on the back of her neck. She let out a moan and a deep breath. Reaching down between her legs, he spread them apart as he straddled himself on top of her and entered her private garden. She thrust herself upward to him as they began their dance of desire.
The subject of love was not brought up nor was the word uttered by either. But it was love that was made that night. It was passionate and personal. They were two unwittingly becoming one.
*****
The guests stayed for two more days and tasted all that Zoey’s Place had to offer. A program of scheduled activities had been set up with each guest before they arrived, so there would be no surprises and preparations could be made in advance. Massages, meals, sexual encounters, and free periods were all prearranged. The ladies were kept busy. Their smiles grew by the hour. On the morning of the last day they seemed sad to depart, but depart they must because there were more guests arriving that afternoon.
James had loaded their luggage into the Suburban and Zoey and Fen waited for the ladies in the lobby to give them a personal send-off.
“Well, ladies,” Zoey addressed the group, “we certainly hope you enjoyed your stay.”
She was answered with an enthusiastic chorus of positive feedback and promises to return. “Wonderful,” she continued. “Make sure to tell your friends about us and we hope to see you again. Here’s a parting gift for you to remember us by.” She handed each woman a gold-plated circular key chain with the shape of a Z engraved on one side, the words, “Zoey’s Place, where the customer comes first,” and the phone number engraved on the other side.
After the car pulled away, Zoey and Fen looked at each other and smiled. “It worked. We did it!” Fen exclaimed, and the two women hugged each other tightly.
That night, after the new guests were in the cabanas, the partners had dinner together to discuss the day’s activities, what went right, and what could be improved upon. The feedback was positive and the partners were in good spirits.
For dessert, Chef Marguerite had prepared a cheese cake made with tofu instead of cheese. Zoey took a bite. “Delicious, Chef,” she said. “You’ve done it again. By the way, your Portobello Parmesan got stellar reviews.”
Chef took a bow and walked proudly back to the kitchen. Annette cleared her throat and got everyone’s attention. She looked perplexed.
“Did you want to say something, Annette?” Zoey asked with concern.
Annette looked flushed. “Yes, actually,” she hesitated. “I’m not quite sure how to say it.”
“Just blurt it out,” James stated. “You’re among friends.” He had a slight tone of unease in his voice.
“Well, I don’t know exactly how it happened, but…”
“For crying out loud, Annette, what is it?” Fen sounded concerned.
“Okay, here goes.” All eyes were on Annette. “Michelle and I are dating.”
Her three friends sighed with relief. James patted her on the back and said, “Good for you.” Fen and Zoey squealed in delight and approval. They ran up to her and hugged her.
Annette looked at ease. “I was afraid it would cause problems. I didn’t want to put the business in jeopardy.”
Zoey looked at her. “Annette, why would we mind? If you and Michelle have something going, far be it from me to tell you no. I like her. I’m happy for you, girl. You deserve some happiness in your life.” Fen and James voiced their agreement.
“Don’t worry,” Annette added, “I won’t let it interfere with our duties. There won’t be any PDA in front of the guests.”
Everyone laughed. James spoke up, “They’re here to have sex with prostitutes. You think seeing two lesbians holding hands or kissing is going to be too much for them?”
For the next fifteen minutes, Annette gushed about her relationship with Michelle and how it started, and how happy they made each other. The other partners were supportive and suggested that Michelle join them for dinner the next day.
As they were departing the dining room, Zoey tapped Annette on the shoulder to get her attention. Annette turned around and Zoey gave her a huge bear hug.
“Annette, I’m so happy for you, truly. Just be careful; I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Thanks, boss,” she said sincerely. “I think it’s the real thing this time. We took it slow and got to know each other before we started dating. I didn’t think she was my type but we’ve got so much in common; we like the same music, the same movies, and we have the same taste in clothes.” She paused for a moment and looked up in contemplation. “Let me put it this way— I like what she wears and she likes what I wear. She’s been in relationships before, too. She’s been hurt just like I was. We just get along so well. It’s like it was meant to be.” She was beaming from ear to ear.
“Then go for it, sweetie. Don’t let love pass you by. Grab it and hold on for dear life.” Zoey gave her a peck on the cheek and headed toward her room, thinking of Mickey and love that got cut short.
Within the next few weeks and months Zoey’s Place was a hive of activity, with clients coming and going on a steady basis. Staff meetings were held to get feedback. They tweaked things here and there to make the clients’ experience more exceptional. Whatever they were doing worked. The reservations came pouring in as word spread about this oasis for rich, lonely, horny, older women. The partners’ bank accounts grew as well. All was good in the world.
Chapter 23
In the year that it had been open, Zoey’s Place had become a bigger success than any of the four partners had imagined. The constant flow of customers kept the guest rooms full and the cabanas rockin’ and rollin’ every night and sometimes during the day, depending on the customer. Zoey noticed the list of repeat customers was growing as well.
Annette had reported that in their first year they had recouped all of their investment capital and were now debt-free. This meant raises for the employees and bonuses for the four partners of Zoey’s Place, Inc.
The team worked in total sync and the smooth operation of the spa/brothel was a testament to its success. Employees were loyal and trustworthy. Everyone knew what was expected of them, and did it enthusiastically without complaint or hesitation.
The male prostitutes were regular in their medical exams and kept their work cards current. Everyone followed the rules. Turnover was very low, and for every employee that quit two prospects were waiting in the wings, regardless of what area it was, be it housekeeping, kitchen help, or prostitution.
Michelle’s massages and facials were so popular she had to hire an assistant to keep up. As it turned out it was another woman, but she was straight. This put Annette’s mind at ease and actually freed up some of Michelle’s time so they could enjoy the fruits of their hard labor together. It made Zoey happy knowing that Annette had someone in her life to love.
A Nevada newspaper had conducted a poll and found that Zoey’s Place had the happiest employees in the state. Word got out and it became a very desirable place to be employed.
Besides the football player, the highlander, and the muscle man, they had expanded their sex fantasy choices to include the superhero, the cowboy, the baseball player, the hockey player, the basketball player, the appliance repair man, the delivery man, the auto mechanic, the Native American warrior, the carpenter, the minister, the English professor, who also doubled as the English spy, and the BDSM master or slave. Quan, who was Chinese, gave the ladies the Asian experience. He was popular because of the hereditary trait of not having body hair from the neck down. His hairless, muscular, smooth body, coupled with his sexual skills, was quite popular.
Also, because of frequent requests for the Mandingo experience, they hired Leon, a 6’4” black man, strikingly handsome, dark as coal, arms like steel, and a huge cock that was just as hard. He also was very popular. It took quite a few auditions before Zoey and Fen found the perfect man to befit that name with honor. There was something for everyone at Zoey’s Place.
The men had learned to play as many roles as they could, and seemed to have a friendly competition going to see who could come up with the best costume for the character.
Because things were going so smoothly, Zoey surmised that she could get away for a while without causing a problem. She wanted to go back to Michigan and see her friends and their families. It had been at least two years since she had been back, and although she spoke with Carol and Joanne frequently on the phone she longed for the familiarity and personal comfort of being with them and their families. It was the closest thing Zoey had to her own family and she missed them.
She had been invited to Carol and Dave’s for Thanksgiving and she accepted. She planned to travel with James and introduce him to her friends. He was in for a treat because he had never been to a family Thanksgiving dinner like the ones her friends hosted, surrounded by laughing children, tipsy adults, and enough food to feed a small nation. Annette and Fen had agreed to mind the store in exchange for a Christmas get- away.
The first thing James noticed after they arrived in Detroit, three days before Thanksgiving, was how cold it was. The temperatures in Nevada were still in the forties and fifties. Winters in Incline Village were cold and snowy at times, but rarely went below freezing, and seemed way warmer than what he was experiencing now. Michigan’s cold came with bone-chilling windchill. Just his luck, they were in the middle of an early winter cold snap. The slightest breeze was a frozen assault on any exposed skin. His body wasn’t accustomed to this degree of frigid weather. The temperature dipped to the low teens and below at night, and rarely went above freezing in the daytime. He was totally unprepared. Dave let him borrow a jacket to keep him warm. James noted that he didn’t even own a jacket that could keep him warm in this freezer of a city.
Although he was introduced as Zoey’s friend they shared the guest room, mostly for the exchange of body heat at night. It had been a long time and Zoey had become unaccustomed to the chill as well. She had forgotten how cold it could get, and was as grateful for the warmth James provided at night as he was of hers.
They still hadn’t professed their love for each other but had settled into a comfortable place. They cared for each other deeply. They protected each other. They did everything together, everything except admit that they were in love.
The first day in Michigan, Zoey went shopping with Carol and Joanne. She was relieved that the subject of James never came up and that her friends had welcomed him warmly.
James hung out and bonded with the men. There was a little tension at first. This was the first time anyone from Michigan had seen Zoey with anyone besides Mickey, and it took some getting used to. James was nothing like Mickey in looks or manner. He wasn’t much older than some of their children. But his openness and friendly personality won them over. At the end of the second day the one thing that was abundantly clear, even to the men, was that James was truly in love with Zoey. It was the affectionate way he looked at her, the way he lit up when she entered the room, the tender way he touched her, and the attention he paid to her every whim.
She was obviously in love with him, too. Her friends noticed the sparkle in her eye when she looked at him, and a peaceful demeanor that her friends hadn’t seen in her since Mickey’s death. When he smiled at her, she glowed. Even a blind man could see the love.
The third day, Thanksgiving, was a whirlwind of activity. There was food and drink from morning ‘till night. Zoey was amazed at how much the children had grown in the few years she had been away. Carol and Dave’s kids, Mary and Betty, were both in high school.
Joanne and Lenny’s oldest son, Franky, was the first of the kids to be in college. Sam had just received his driver’s license. They were children no longer. Jonathan was there with his little one, who was now almost eight. Little Jon, now in third grade, could talk your ear off about his two new video games—The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon. He was a cutie pie and looked like a young clone of his father.
Zoey made it a point to pull Jonathan aside and ask how the custody was going. He said that because Rhonda was always falling behind in her child support, he had gotten Child Services to attach her pay. As far as the visitations, they were still supervised and now down to two hours a month. Because she couldn’t keep a civil tongue when speaking to Jonathan at the hand-offs, and because she continued to try to poison Little Jon’s mind against his father whenever the restrictions were relaxed, the court had ordered the visitations to be supervised until her son reached the age of 12.
Seeing all of her friends brought back bittersweet memories of past Thanksgivings when she, Mickey, and their friends were all together and the kids were little. She quickly forced it out of her mind. The past was the past. The future was something to look forward to. She had to think like that. It was the only way to survive.
After dinner everyone lent a hand to clear the table. The women then suggested that the men to go into the living room and watch football so they could finish the cleanup. They didn’t have to say it twice.
Mary and Betty began to load the dishwasher and put the leftovers away. This was an annual event and they knew the drill. Joanne grabbed three glasses and a bottle of wine from the counter. She and Carol corralled Zoey into the small breakfast nook and Joanne poured wine for the three of them.
Zoey thanked her and took a sip. When she put the glass down, she noticed that her friends were staring at her with mischievous grins. She became self-conscious at being the center of attention.
“What?” she asked as she looked at them.
“Okay, spill,” Carol demanded.
“Spill what?” Zoey responded, trying to avoid the question that was on everyone’s mind.
Joanne spoke first. “You didn’t think you could bring your new boyfriend here and not expect to give us all the juicy details, did you?”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Zoey insisted.
“Like hell he isn’t,” Carol blurted out. “I see the way you two look at each other. You can barely keep your hands to yourself.”
“We’re just friends,” Zoey stated.
“Friends who have sex with each other,” Joanne added.
“Well,” Zoey said, blushing, “this is true. But remember I run a brothel now. J
ames is my man-whore scout and trainer.”
Both her friends laughed. “And that’s why you brought him to meet your family?” Joanne asked sarcastically.
“It’s complicated,” Zoey said. “We like our relationship the way it is.” She was unconvincing.
“We know you, Zoey,” Carol said. “You’re in love with the guy. Have you told him?”
“I’m not in love with him. I like him very much but it’s… I can’t… it’s just not the right time,” she said, trying to sound strong. “I told you, it’s complicated.” She could tell by the expression on their faces that they weren’t buying it.
Joanne asked, “What are you waiting for? If you wait too long, you’ll miss out. How would you feel if he found someone else? You and Mickey had one of the best marriages I’ve ever seen. But he’s been gone for a long time and you’ve got this hunk of a guy who loves you right now. Life has given you another chance at love. Don’t blow it. We love you, sweetie. It broke our hearts to see you mourn for Mickey. James isn’t Mickey, but he loves you deeply.”
Zoey took another sip of her wine and thought about what her friend had just said. Everything Joanne said was true. She had to admit it. She did love James, and she was pretty sure the feeling was mutual even though he had never said the words.
“I know what you’re saying,” Zoey replied. “But I feel like loving James is somehow a betrayal of Mickey’s love. Besides, James has never said he loved me. What if he doesn’t?”
Both women hugged her. “Honey,” Carol said, “if that’s not love I see in his eyes when he looks as you then I don’t know what is.”
“He’s young, he’s cute and, knowing you, he’s got to be good in the sack or you wouldn’t be with him,” Joanne threw in.
Zoey smiled. “You have no idea. He can…”
“Okay,” Carol quickly interrupted, holding up her hand like a stop sign. “We don’t need to hear the details. We believe you.”
Everyone laughed. “Tell him you love him,” Joanne said sternly.
