“That is fine if I meet the criteria. I mean, I am good at my combat courses, but I don’t think that I could strike someone.”
“They live in a violent and physical world. A gentle touch is all we can offer, and sometimes that touch has to be wrapped in a fist.”
Alya blinked. “That is really... accurate. Would you help me work out if I got an interview?”
“I would. Is there anything else you would like to know?” Zera smiled.
“How do you just have sex with multiple people? Where does everyone go? How do you know who goes where?” Alya had a shy expression.
“They decide that. You are there to react to what they need. If you feel like kissing, touching, or anything else, do it. Unless you are playing domination games. Then, give them what they are demanding.”
“Wait. Games?”
Zera smiled. “No more unless you get the interview and sign the NDA.”
“Well, can we go for coffee and discuss how long you have known Torun?”
“Oh. That. That is a story. And yeah, that is best told over coffee.”
Alya linked arms with her and said, “Wait, do you need to say goodbye to anyone?”
“Nope. If they need to find me, they can. You don’t even want to know how.”
They walked to the coffee shop down the street and got the only table left at the front of the shop.
Their coffee was brought to them, and they sat there quietly before Alya asked, “So? How did you meet him?”
“I was at an apprenticeship conference in the capitol, and he was speaking. He asked me out to lunch, and someone tried to ram their car into the restaurant. He jumped in front of the vehicle and stopped it and then looked at me with this weird energy in his eyes. It took me a minute to realize he was horny, so I ran my hand up his chest and kissed him. It got a little more graphic from there. The first time wasn’t comfortable, but it was intense. Things got more intense for a while, and then, he suggested sharing me with his team, and I needed a break. I took that break, and when Blind Date opened, I was their first escort. Torun came to me every time he was in town. I got my next client and was very nervous, but I just relaxed and tried to read beyond the briefing. It went smoothly, and he was so happy that he left a review for me on the team chat wall.”
“Oh, wow. They do that?”
“Sure. They rate us while we rate them. It is all fair.” She shrugged. “When you get back, you make a review of the client—failure to disclose details they require in the original request. Like, if someone said they wanted to take a walk by the beach, but what they needed was for you to tread water for forty-five minutes while they gave you oral from under the water. That is a very different requirement, and very different escorts would be offered.”
“Shit. No kidding.” Alya frowned. “I guess that it would be important to make sure that the client is matched to the escort.”
“Critical. The mismatch I mentioned was because a serial killer had slipped through the cracks.”
“What happened to him?”
Zera rubbed the back of her neck. “He didn’t make it and was never seen again. It was recorded in the peacekeeper logs as a noise complaint, and that was that.” She blushed. “The teams don’t like it when someone breaks their toys.”
“Oh, so Torun and the others...”
“No. By that time, I was seeing other clients. It was a different team that came for me. I was no longer strictly in the capitol. I had travelled when needed. I stopped travelling after that.”
“I didn’t know about that. I have known you for years.”
“Remember those three months in second year when my voice was crap and I wore scarves?”
“Oh. Shit. That was then?”
“It was.”
Alya blinked. “How long did it take you to get back in the saddle, so to speak?”
“Six weeks after the attack. I put a disclaimer on my file, and the team personnel understood. They handled me like porcelain for weeks until I grabbed one of my regulars and slammed him through the wall.” She chuckled. “It wasn’t just his eyes that got big that day.”
“It seems pretty violent.”
Zera sighed. “It is like having part of you that you always have to hide set free. The mask lets you do whatever you like, and there are no social consequences. If your patron isn’t happy, you just don’t get selected again. His or her review will let other team members know what you are like, so simply be yourself. All of yourself. The anonymity shields you and them. And, as no one knows who you are, you can make as much noise as you like.”
Alya laughed. “That actually sounds nice. I saw there was a note about boyfriends or spouses. Isn’t that illegal?”
“Under the activation occupation statutes, it is legal to restrict the employment to those who are not married or in a romantic relationship. Finding out that anyone has such a relationship is immediate dismissal.”
“Why?”
“Stuff covered by the NDA, but it has to do with all that testing.”
“How long does it take to get a response back?”
“Up to three weeks. What is your activation?”
“Um, physical analytics. I have above-average reflexes and one and a half times my pre-activation strength.”
“Good start. Have you accelerated any training?”
“No, but I am happy to if you will help me work out.”
Zera chuckled. “I don’t work out on site. I to go a private gym. Doing this as a side gig puts a lot of stress on the body, and if I could, I would get myself into one of those fancy places with a big ol’ spa attached just for the massages. It is hard on the body. Don’t get me wrong, it’s like the burn after a hard workout, but it is rough.”
Alya smiled.
