CHAPTER TWO: CASSANDRA FALLS FOR HER CLIENT

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CHAPTER TWO: CASSANDRA FALLS FOR HER CLIENT

Cassandra let Oscar out the door and quickly cleaned up. She had another client coming and she needed to shower and set up the space again. But before she forgot, she wrote notes in her phone so she would remember Oscar if he booked again with her. She gave him three stars, her highest rating, because he had been absolutely sweet, respectful, and clean. In her notes, she wrote:

"Recently divorced, two grown children, hasn't been with anyone except his ex wife in 30 years, first time with a sw, touch starved, funny, smart, sweet, came easily, tipped generously."

Thinking about how fragile Oscar was when he walked in and how happy he seemed to be when he left, Cassandra smiled. This is what made her work so rewarding. Oscar was a beautiful person who hadn't been touched in years. Cassandra reflected on how his eyes had filled with tears during their naked hug. She'd pretended not to notice. She thought he might become embarrassed about something like that. It was obvious that he was unsure of himself. That just goes to show that money can't buy you happiness, thought Cassandra, because Oscar was obviously fucking loaded. He was the type of client that Cassandra nurtured in her business. Sweet, respectful, and generous.

Before doing sex work, Cassandra had been a lawyer for ten years, having grinded her way through law school when her only child, Daphne, was a baby. Cassandra's mother was really the one who raised Daphne, while Cassandra was at school, then work, all those years. As a divorce attorney, she'd been wealthy, powerful, and challenged to use her intelligence, intuition, and knowledge. It had been exciting at first. But it was also stressful, toxic sometimes, and it kept her for long hours away from her daughter. Now, Daphne, at 17, hardly seemed to need a mother. But Cassandra was truly and fully there for her for the first time in her daughter's life. Better late than never, Cassandra mused.

The idea to become a sex worker came when she represented a man, Jasper, who wanted to use his wife's sex work business as ammunition against her in the divorce proceedings. At first Cassandra thought that was low of him but perfectly usable if the divorce got messy. She imagined a woman down on her luck, desperate and degraded, who turned to sex work because her husband refused to support her drug addiction. But as she got to know Jasper, she was shocked to find out that his wife, Gloria, was the main income earner in the marriage and she was far from being a degraded victim.

Gloria was something else altogether. She walked confidently and looked polished in her formal attire. She was professional, respectful, and very sexy without even seeming to try. She treated Jasper delicately, with warmth, but also with firmness and a measured intolerance for his outbursts and accusations. It became apparent that Jasper didn't want the divorce. He was obsessed with Gloria, still madly in love with her. But she was tired of his emotional outbursts and jealousy about her work.

This was the most interesting case that Cassandra had ever worked on and Gloria was the most intriguing woman she'd ever met. Cassandra wondered how the money could be so good that these two could afford the lifestyle they were accustomed to and the costs of hiring lawyers. Before now, Cassandra's idea of sex workers was based on what she'd seen in the media. She thought women who did sex work were addicted to drugs, controlled by pimps, and at the mercy of evil men. But Gloria … she did not fit that profile in any way, shape, or form.

Although they were on opposite sides of the table, so to speak, Cassandra and Gloria were made of the same cloth. They both knew it looking at each other. It was rare for Cassandra to come across another woman who was as self-possessed and confident as she, herself, was. It wasn't apparent to anyone else in their presence, but Cassandra and Gloria could sense their common strength. It was in their eyes and how they spoke to each other. It was how two powerful women speak to one another; with silent acknowledgement of the rare kinship they shared.

Gloria was generous and tolerant, no matter how nasty Jasper became or how much he wept for her forgiveness. Cassandra wasn't faced with the prospect of trying to tear down this incredible woman in a court of law. They came to a peaceful resolution instead. When they finalized the divorce, Jasper was resigned while Gloria damn near glowed. Cassandra had to stop herself from smiling. She'd been there before; trying to leave a man who wouldn't let go. But Gloria handled it with grace.

As Cassandra walked out of her office building that day, Gloria invited her for a drink. Going for a drink with Gloria would be considered a conflict of interest if Cassandra continued to be Jasper's lawyer. But that would require him to get married and divorced again and choose her to represent him again. In any case, Cassandra could just say no in the future. It was a grey zone. She accepted the invitation because she was wildly curious about Gloria's work.

At first their conversation centered on the divorce with Cassandra acknowledging the generosity Gloria had shown towards Jasper. "I get the sense that you were generous because you wanted to be, not because you were scared of being smeared in court," Cassandra said boldly. Gloria nodded.

"I don't think Jasper would really drag me through the mud in court. He was desperate, trying every manipulative technique he could think of to keep me. I love Jasper and it hurts me to put him through this pain. But he's stuck in a loop of self-destruction and he's holding me back. I deserve peace," Gloria replied solemnly. "Besides, it's easier to be single in my work."

This was Cassandra's opening. "So, it's true that you're a sex worker?" Cassandra asked lamely. She didn't know how else to broach the conversation. She knew she must sound ignorant. "I mean, sorry, it's none of my business," Cassandra quickly added. But Gloria smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry about it. I don't mind you asking. Yes, I am a sex worker. That term used to make me uncomfortable but now, I am not ashamed to embrace it. I love my work. It's rewarding and I get to know wonderful men, and occasionally wonderful women." Cassandra raised an eyebrow. She served women too? "In fact," Gloria went on, "you look like you could use some loving, Honey." Gloria winked and Cassandra felt her cheeks starting to burn. This made Gloria laugh while Cassandra took a large gulp of her drink.

"Since you don't mind me asking, how do you make enough money doing sex work for the lifestyle you've created for yourself?" Cassandra knew that it was partly because Gloria had made intelligent investments which provided a passive income for herself, but what Cassandra really wanted to know was how much Gloria charged for her services. She also wanted to know what the services entailed. She wasn't thinking of becoming a sex worker herself, at this point. She just wanted to know. At least, that's what she told herself.

"I grew up with a single dad who was gorgeous and successful. Although women fawned over him, he never really dated anyone in front of me. His wealthy business owner friends, however, always had different women on their arms. Rarely were they with the same woman twice, which I thought was odd. When I was old enough to know the truth, my dad explained that the women were essentially escorts who accompanied wealthy men to events to make them look good.

"When I asked my dad why his friends weren't embarrassed to be seen with hookers, he told me it was a sign of wealth and status to have the sexiest woman on your arm, that it was literally a competition among powerful men. He also said that these particular women did not consider themselves hookers, or even sex workers, although their roles were essentially the same. They tended to see themselves as professional girlfriends. He also told me that finding, dating, and even having a real girlfriend was inefficient for his friends, who were constantly traveling and working. Girlfriends demand your time and energy which is in short supply when you're busy taking over the world. Dad joked like that.

"I was fascinated by what I learned and began to look at the women who accompanied my father's friends with more awe and curiosity, chatting them up whenever I had the opportunity. At some point, I just knew I wanted to become one of them. I had an affect on men. My father's business associates looked at me with controlled hunger. I knew I had the power and poise to pull it off. Plus, it sounded like fun.

"I could have done anything, really. My dad would have paid for me to live in Paris or go to the most expensive universities. But I decided to go into business as a professional girlfriend and build my own fortune. I really do love my work. And to answer your question, I charge a lot for my services because I sell exclusivity. One boyfriend at a time and he pays me well for the privilege. But I don't kid myself into thinking I'm not a sex worker."

That had been six months ago. Cassandra and Gloria were still friends. Cassandra left her legal practice and, with Gloria’s guidance, became a sensual masseuse for very wealthy men. She was making almost what she made as a lawyer and she knew there was potential to make more once she fully took advantage of what the industry had to offer. But for now, the benefits of working much less and spending time with her daughter much more had caused Cassandra to have a permanent grin on her face.

Cassandra wasn't worried about being single or finding a man who wouldn't be jealous of her work. She'd been on her own since she left Daphne's father sixteen years before, dating sporadically. She was too busy with work and family to put much emphasis on relationships. But her longest “dry spell” was in the years right before she became a sex worker. For that reason, she really enjoyed that aspect of her work, which surprised her because she hadn't realized how horny she was. Sure, she masturbated often and thought it was enough. But sharing intimacy with men again filled up her love bank.

She hoped that Oscar's love bank was filled up after seeing her. He was such a dear, sweet man. Cassandra couldn't help but smile thinking of him. He'd already sent a thank you text, promising to see her again soon. Quickly, she set up for her next client, showered, and prepared her massage oil. Two new clients in one day, that was unusual for her. Most of her clients booked long sessions with a social component but Oscar had wanted a brief morning booking which left the rest of her day open.

The next gentleman was a police officer. Cassandra knew that he could lose his job for hiring a sex worker and that discretion would be very important to him, although he hadn't said anything about it. He'd told her he was a police officer because he "felt it was the right thing to do" in case she didn't like to see police officers. When Cassandra mentioned this to Gloria, she told her that some sex workers refuse to see cops because they hate them.

"Should I refuse to see him?" Cassandra asked.

"It's up to you," Gloria replied. "Do you hate cops?"

"No, I don't hate them in general, although I've met a few asshole cops. I've also met some nice ones. Do I have to worry about being arrested?"

"I don't think he would have told you he was a cop if he was planning to arrest you. He's probably just a lonely guy who needs some love. I'm surprised he can afford you," Gloria replied. "Cops don't get paid that much."

"Hmm, I didn't think of that," Cassandra admitted. Gloria had helped her price herself and promote herself to a wealthier clientele. Her years working as a lawyer had put her in the presence of many wealthy men. Transferring her boardroom presence to the bedroom was easy and it turned on the powerful men who came to see her.

Now, she received a text from the cop, Derek. He had arrived and was parked outside waiting for her to invite him in. He was five minutes early. Cassandra quickly went pee one more time and checked that everything was in order. "Come in," she texted back, giving him the buzzer code. She waited anxiously, trying to push away her misgivings about seeing a cop.

When she opened the door, Derek stepped in holding a bouquet of flowers and wearing a broad smile on his face. "Thank you for seeing me," he said. He hugged her awkwardly, then handed the flowers to her. Cassandra thanked him for the flowers and invited him to sit down while she arranged the flowers in a vase. They were beautiful and brightly-coloured. "Your donation is in the envelope," Derek said gesturing to the bouquet.

Cassandra blushed as she pulled the card from the card holder that stretched out of the bouquet, putting it into a drawer. She would count the money when he went to the bathroom to freshen up. Cassandra settled the flowers in the middle of the dining table where Derek sat. He was gorgeous with bright blue eyes and an open smile that Cassandra found mesmerizing. She felt herself getting aroused.

Before she could direct the conversation, Derek jumped out of his chair and embraced Cassandra in a strong, delicious hug. "I can't help it," he said. "You are a stunner!" Cassandra felt goosebumps rise on her skin and her heart began to skip. Was this sexual attraction? She asked herself. Why was she melting into this man's hands like this? Derek pulled back and looked into her eyes, still cradling her in his arms. "You are more beautiful in person that I imagined," he said gazing into her eyes.

Then it happened. The thing that Cassandra told herself she would never do with a client. She didn't even like doing it with a boyfriend. She never felt safe enough to really abandon herself into one. So, she'd come to believe that she didn't like doing it. But something came over her and Cassandra crossed her own boundary. She kissed him.

That kiss unleashed a passionate, heart-pumping hunger within her that she hadn't felt in years, if ever. Instead of leading Derek to the massage table and getting him to lie down, they spent the rest of the afternoon talking excitedly about their lives and their dreams. Soon, she was in his arms, making love to him as though he was the only man she'd ever known. She'd only just met him but before the day was over, Cassandra knew she had fallen in love.

This was chapter two in the saga of Oscar and Cassandra. Subscribe to my newsletter if you want to know what happens next.

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