Chapter 13

That weekend, Sally went out and bought some new lingerie.

She didn’t have much in the way of lingerie, usually sleeping in tank tops and pajama pants. She really liked the cashmere nightie she’s worn for her second session with Oyin, and she thought it might be wise to buy up a few more similar pieces of nightwear.

It wasn’t that she thought she needed to impress or attract Oyin, but feeling pretty and sexy had made the evening more enjoyable for her. If she was going to do this, she was determined to have a good time.

So she and Sabrina had a grand shopping expedition on Saturday, searching boutiques and department stores for lingerie that was simple and classy and didn’t look overtly sexy.

Sabrina, of course, thought the whole situation was hilarious. She couldn’t believe her virginal cousin had scheduled multiple engagements with a male escort. Sally was forced to tolerate a significant amount of teasing over her decision to extend Oyin’s services.

Sally put up with it good-naturedly. She was kind of embarrassed but she knew it wasn’t worth getting uptight about. Sabrina mockery hid genuine affection, and Sally thought her cousin was probably pleased that Sally had started to get over her hang-up over sex—even if it had taken this atypical form.

The shopping trip had resulted in several purchases, one of which Sally put on as she got out of a bath on the following Thursday. The chemise was a silvery-gray satin with gorgeous black lace on the straps, and the same lace overlaying the princess-style bodice. It nearly reached her knees and wasn’t particularly revealing, but Sally felt pretty and elegant as she looked at herself in the mirror.

She brushed out her hair, applied her favorite lotion, and tied on the gray satin robe that was sold with the chemise. Then she went to count her cash and wait for Oyin to arrive.

She’d been anticipating this evening for several days and more intensely for the last few hours. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t need the help of a DVD to get in the mood tonight.

Oyin showed up five minutes early again, dressed in a gray suit and black shirt without a tie. When she opened the door, his eyes scanned her from newly-brushed hair to bare feet. Then his mouth slowly lifted into a smile.

That same urbane, sensual smile that he obviously used as a standard technique.

For some reason, Sally realized she hated that smile. She felt the irresistible urge to slap it off of his face.

Instead, she asked bluntly, “Don’t you ever wear anything but black and gray?”

Oyin blinked and the smile faltered. “Excuse me?”

“Every time I see you, you’re dressed in black and gray. I was wondering if you own anything in another color.”

He lifted his eyebrows slightly and his eyes lingered on her own outfit. Black and gray.

Sally sniffed disdainfully as she stepped aside to let him in. “I’m not saying anything is wrong with black and gray. I was just wondering.”

“Were you?”

Confused by his slightly amused expression, she wondered what he was implying. Then she decided to just be pleased that she’d gotten rid of that annoying fake smile. “Did you have a good week?” she asked, following him into the room.

Oyin put his case on the table as usual and turned to look at her. “It was about normal. You?”

“Pretty good.” Now she was torn between ironic amusement over the bland nature of their small talk and the acknowledgement that, in this context, they would just never get any less superficial.

His lip twitched as he opened his case. “Did you try the vibrator?”

“Yes,” she said, beaming up at him as she thought about her successes. “It’s great. Thanks so much for getting it for me.”

“Any problems coming?”

“No. I mean, once I get in the mood, I can make it work pretty well.”

She’d been so excited about the vibrator that she’d tried to use it every day. But she’d found that she still had trouble reaching orgasm if she wasn’t really aroused. Concluding that there was no reason to come if she wasn’t really turned-on, she’d determined it to be a success.

“Good.” He pulled out a DVD, a tube of lube, and a couple of condoms from his case. “So, in terms of the parameters for tonight…”

Sally drew her brows together. “Parameters?”

“Do you want to continue as we have been? I know you’d originally intended to simply have sex for the first time. Does your choosing to continue my services imply you’d like to try something different? I’m happy to help you play out a fantasy. Most of the clients who come to me regularly prefer me to play a more seductive or romantic role than you initially asked for.”

A random thought flashed through her mind, and she wondered if he preferred to play roles, to pretend something that didn’t exist, to act as someone other than himself when he was with his clients.

But that wasn’t what she wanted. It would make her feel fake, silly, and kind of sleazy. So she shook her head. “I prefer the way we’ve done it before, if that’s all right. No pretending or anything.”

“Of course,” Oyin said mildly. “Shall we watch another one of the short films?”