Chapter 7: An Entirely Different Client

What on earth was Kael thinking! I silently seethed on the flight from Colorado Springs to Atlanta. It started when I realized I'd be spending the night at the airport, which wasn't that bad considering there was a Docent Lounge, but would make getting a full night's sleep rather difficult. Finals had kept me from reading this weekend's 'special' client profile and with each passing page I grew increasingly apprehensive.

Over the years I'd come to trust Kael's judgment, but Emily went way beyond a poor match. This had to be the worst match I'd ever read. Emily's first client survey had been so contradictory that it required extra time and a second interview. Due to these inconsistent responses, the survey could only offer probable preferences with little advice other than: "Be honest and don't talk down to her."

Things got worse when I turned to the Recommended Positions section and found that, because of our size differences--Emily was 5'2" and small in every way for her age--there weren't any "Ideal" or "Very Good" positions. In fact, there were only a few in the "Good" category with strong warnings to use plenty of lubricant and to go especially slow.

There was one final note from the lab technician who had administered Emily's second client interview that read, "Warning: I have never worked with a more temperamental and disrespectful potential client."

'Well, one thing is clear, sex isn't the only thing Emily needs to learn, ' I mused as I leaned back in my seat. Taking a deep breath, I tried to force myself not to form any preconceptions of what Emily would be like. On many levels I wished I hadn't read her profile as there were few concrete suggestions or facts, and it was usually preferable to go in completely ignorant than with false expectations.

I put Emily's profile away with a sigh of frustration and vowed to call Kael as soon as I landed and had some privacy.

I knew it was partly my own fault for not carefully reading Emily's profile before accepting her as client, yet I felt set up. I'd never before had reason to question Kael's judgment before, but, at the very least, he should have warned me that I would be blindly entering a client weekend with what was likely to be a very difficult client.

Soon after checking into a room at the Docent Lounge I called Kael. With all of the time zone changes I woke him up, but Kael was expecting my call.

"Kael, what's going on? Emily doesn't appear eager or ready to become a Little Sister."

"Maybe, but you are the 'best match' considering her parent's requirements."

"If I'm the best match, then this whole weekend is a disaster waiting to happen!"

"Alex, I agree and we rejected Emily the first time she applied. But collectively her family is the richest in the world, and when her father heard your compensation went to charity he offered to make an obscenely large donation in your name."

"I don't need the money."

"I know, but if you want your foundation to be able to take on even larger projects, then Emily's commission would be an impressive endowment."

"This is ridiculous," I grumbled, still tempted to refuse. "Emily and I have nothing in common!"

"Emily's parents wanted an Elite that was highly educated and experienced with a near perfect client feedback rating, and well endowed. We put our foot down on this last condition, but they were insistent on the rest."

When I didn't respond, Kael added, "Think of this weekend as a way to test your techniques. Who knows, maybe you'll be inspired to try something new?"

"Or maybe the weekend will be a total disaster."

"Emily's parents knew she would be difficult, that's why they asked us to arrange for a weeklong vacation in Grand Cayman as a way to 'sweeten the deal.'"

"That's bullshit and you know it. If the client isn't ready or willing then it doesn't matter where we meet."

"All I ask is that you give it a shot," Kael replied in a placating tone. "If things don't go well then I'll get you on the next flight home."

"You do realize that you're asking me to start off a client weekend almost completely blind?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you were getting bored with 'perfect match' clients. Think of this as a challenge, but also know that if it were any other Elite I never would have suggested Emily as a client."

"This still feels like a setup," I grumbled.

"Alex, you really are the best and I believe in you."

"That's nice, but it's not your ass on the line," I replied, frustrated by Kael's evasiveness.

"I know it's asking a lot, but I hope you can trust me on this and just give it a shot."

With a resigned sigh, I grudgingly acknowledged that the conversation was going in circles.

"I'm not happy, but I'll reserve any further judgments on your sanity until I meet Emily."

"Good, that's all I ask," Kael replied, before hinting, "It's getting late."

"Yeah, I should probably get some sleep as well. Have a good night."

"You too," he replied and the line went dead.

Kael's vote of confidence had been nice, but I wasn't sure how it would help make the week any easier. I realized the conversation had been almost useless yet I had no intention of giving up. Unintentionally, I found myself really getting into the challenge of the whole situation.

'I know I can make this work, ' I vowed as I made my way out to the bar to try and unwind some before attempting to get some sleep.

I arrived at Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman around noon on Thursday. With the temperature in the mid eighties and a light breeze coming off the Caribbean gently rustling the palm trees, I could immediately see why some called it an island paradise. Luckily I'd packed plenty of shorts, but it was quite a contrast to the weather I'd left behind in Colorado.

Apparently, the Institute or Emily's parents had arranged for a limo. Chad, the chauffeur, looked very official in his tuxedo and cap; this image was slightly marred by his quick smile, goatee and surfer attitude. Ignoring the various 'Dudes' and 'Mans' that peppered Chad's replies, it was soon apparent that his carefully crafted surfer image masked the very intelligent and educated person.

It was a bit disturbing that, like England, everyone drove on the left side of the road. Chad seemed to find my unease at driving on the left to be hilarious and soon had me in stitches with stories about other American tourists he'd met while growing up in Cayman. If I hadn't been so eager to get settled, I would have suggested we stop somewhere for a few beers, but as it was I had to make do with the highlights on our trip back to the resort.

Even taking the 'long way' and stopping at a local dive shop to arrange a private beginner scuba lesson, we still made it to the resort in less than 30 minutes. As a means of giving my sides a break, Chad gave a brief history of the island and I learned that the resort was actually a collection of 'Beach Houses' along Seven Mile Beach just north of Grand Cayman's capital city of George Town.

As we pulled up to the resort, I was surprised to find that the Beach House looked more like a mansion and was pleased to be greeted at the door by Claudia, one of the two other staff members.

My immediate impression of Claudia was of a grandmotherly woman in her mid-fifties with her hair piled up in loose bun. I kept expecting her at any moment to ask, "Would you like a cookie?" No cookies were offered, but I did learn that she'd immigrated to the island from Chile years ago and was responsible for keeping the house immaculate. Even after our brief introduction, I had the distinct impression she was a very good story teller and would be an even better listener.

As we entered the kitchen, we found the chef just starting the preparations for tonight's dinner and I recognized her before she even turned around. There was something in the way she hooked one leg behind the other while she worked, and seemed to be gently swaying to her own inner music that literally took my breath away. In an instant I was 12-years-old again and the most beautiful woman I'd ever met had accepted me as a client.

When Nancy turned around I couldn't even move, yet the look we shared spoke volumes and I found myself once again with a silly little grin as she smiled back at me and sensuously licked her lips. There were days when I still fantasized about those lips and her amazingly talented tongue. I felt my knees go weak when she noticed my attention, slowly nodded her head and winked. Before my training slammed into place, I felt myself briefly get a rock hard erection and was incredibly fortunate that I hadn't yet changed from my jeans into shorts.

Heedless of our silent communication, Claudia made introductions, explaining that Nancy was a 26-year-old professionally trained chef who had worked at a restaurant in New York for a couple of years before 'retiring' to Grand Cayman.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Nancy greeted me while holding out her hand.

"The pleasure is all mine," I managed to stammer while firmly grasping her hand.

"Not this time," she teased. "I hope the trip wasn't too hard on you."

"Do you two know each other?"

"You could say that. I was his Docent, after all," Nancy explained with gleaming eyes that clearly proclaimed she was enjoying every second of my discomfort.

"Are you ever going to forgive me for being a bit overeager?" I asked in my most innocent sounding voice.

"Overeager!" Nancy exclaimed. "You tore my favorite thong off me!"

"Way to go dude!" Chad chimed in, holding up his hand for a high-five.

"Men!" Nancy cried in exasperation before wiping her hands and closing the distance between us.

"It's great to see you again," she gushed as we embraced.

"You too, it's been what, six years?"

"Seven actually, but who's counting?" Nancy replied and gave me a searing kiss.

Before I could really get my thoughts in order, Chad slapped me on the back.

"You're the man! Now let's go drop off your stuff and then get you back downtown for your lesson."

My scuba class went well. It was definitely a shock that, at around 83 degrees, the water was actually warmer than the air. However, Emily's profile indicated she liked to dive and I was determined to learn as quickly as possible. I was a bit intimidated by the whole dive training process, but Bill, my instructor, was a Master Diver and his confidence was contagious.

By the end of the lesson I knew just enough about diving to get myself in trouble. Yet I had no intention of diving alone, in water more than 30' deep or at night, and was confident I would at least be able to keep up with Emily. Bill promised to guide us if I wanted to go diving with Emily later that week and helped me arrange for Divers Alert Network (DAN) dive insurance just in case we got in trouble.

Even though I was anxious to get back to the resort, catch up with Nancy, and find out what living at the Institute 'Back in the Day' was like, I still spent some time exploring George Town. Luckily, the international version of the Institute Guide provided me with a detailed map of Grand Cayman that highlighted some of the better bars and clubs. I wanted to see for myself where each was located so I wouldn't have to consult the map every time we wanted to go out.

I also needed to buy souvenirs and wasn't sure how much time I'd have to go shopping once Emily arrived. I bought numerous coral bead necklaces and bracelets that seemed so popular amongst the tourists for The Girls, and for Cara, Kelly, and Sarah. Assuming that Don and Rachael probably wouldn't wear them, I was stumped for a while until one of the local vendors reminded me that the Caribbean was famous for its rum and that he had several local varieties for me to choose from.

With gifts in hand, I finally made it back to the Beach House and sat down to the feast Nancy had prepared for us.

"Just because the client hasn't arrived doesn't mean we can't eat well," Nancy justified as I joined the staff for an awesome meal and we swapped stories about past clients.

Chad soon had me nearly falling off my chair with laughter, but this time Claudia joined in. It was obvious they had worked together for quite a while as they tended to egg each other on with good natured ribbing. It was both hilarious and sobering to hear Claudia's tales from 40 years ago when Docents weren't nearly as accepted and occasionally got caught 'sneaking around.'

About five minutes into the meal a bunch of little details, like how fast we seemed to be bonding, finally clicked into place.

"You're all former Docents?" I asked.

"Wow, he's a quick one," Claudia teased.

In a serious voice, Chad added, "Well, he was a bit distracted, and you know there's not enough blood to use both brains at once."

Being the new guy and with Nancy's distracting presence, I wasn't quite able to give as good as I got, but it was still a very enjoyable meal. Afterwards, Chad and Claudia bid us a good night with exaggerated winks. Once they'd left, Nancy eagerly accepted my invitation to check out the wet bar in the living room.

A few drinks and several hours later, I once again found myself heading towards Nancy's room. True, we were in a different' part of the world this time, but when she opened the door I recognized several of the pictures and the room had the faint smell of her perfume that I so fondly remembered.

As I was taking this all in, Nancy wordlessly dropped to her knees in front of me and was rapidly undoing my fly.

"Who's the overeager one now?" I teased. Nancy stuck her tongue out at me in reply, but made no effort to slow down her liberation of my now raging hard-on.

A few deft movements and my erection sprang free. Nancy paused mere millimeters from my aching cock and frowned before looking up at me. Glancing at my Iugum she explained in a serious voice, "You may be able to control your orgasm now, but if you force it or purposely delay it, I'll know."

With a positively devilish gleam in her eye, she smiled and added, "And I will bite," before engulfing my cock with her sensuous lips.

"I don't think..." I stammered before Nancy's oral attentions caught up to me and my brain turned to mush. After several ragged breaths I managed to finish, "That ... will be ... a problem."

Nancy's blowjob was even better than I remembered and, just like last time, it was only a matter of seconds before I felt my balls twitching in her careful grip as she eagerly swallowed my cum.

"You are amazing," I sighed as I slumped back against the door.

"Thank you, I'm glad I haven't lost my touch," Nancy replied while licking her lips and kissing my cock one last time before standing up.

Although I was still dazed, Nancy had my full attention as she sensuously walked towards the bed, shedding her clothing along the way. Turning towards me she lay across the bed and began to slowly tease her pussy.

"Your turn," she called out with a smile as she brought her knees up to her chest and opened herself completely. "Think you remember those tips I gave you?"

"Of course, plus I've learned a few more," I replied, stripping quickly and joining her on the bed.

The rest of the night was a whirlwind of different positions as I tried to show off all I'd learned in the last 7 years until we both passed out exhausted on the bed. While Docents tend to be rather open about sex there's just something special about your first. It was as if everything we tried seemed more genuine and even better than I remembered.

'What an awesome start to the week, ' I thought with a smile as I felt Nancy snuggle closer and we drifted off to sleep.

Things were slightly awkward the next morning, not because Nancy and I'd had sex but because, once Emily arrived, all of my attention would be focused on her. As a Docent, this situation is known and expected, but it is still a bit of a bummer to finally hook up again with Nancy then have only one night together.

'That's just the way life is, ' I justified as we decided to sleep in and enjoy the morning together. Seven years was a long time and we still had plenty of catching up to do.

As I headed back to my room to prepare for Emily's visit, I tried to come up with a way to get Nancy and the rest of the staff more involved. As former Docents, I knew they all could make valuable contributions to Emily's weekend. The problem was that I'd always worked alone and wasn't quite sure how to delegate things efficiently.

'Kael did suggest I try something new, ' I pondered before optimistically adding, 'I'm sure things will find a way of working themselves out.'

Over lunch I briefed the staff on the basics of Emily's visit. While I tried to present an unbiased view of what to expect, it was blatantly obvious that Emily was not the ideal candidate and all three eagerly offered to help in any way they could.

Sensing an opportunity to delegate, I asked Chad if he'd be willing to pick Emily up and give her a brief tour of the island. With all of the confusion at the airport, I figured Chad would be much better at making sure Emily got all of her luggage and, if anything, I'd just be a distraction. Plus, since we had all week together, I didn't want her to feel rushed or pressured.

"Man, speaking of the airport," Chad stated while checking his watch. "I need to go pick her up so I'll see you back here in about an hour or two?"

"Sounds good, thanks Chad," I replied, and since there wasn't much else to discuss we soon dispersed. Nancy busied herself getting everything ready for dinner, so I decided to take advantage of what might be my last opportunity to spend some time alone and took a nap on the beach.

All of my worst fears proved valid within 30 seconds of meeting Emily. Lying atop the soft white sand of the resort's private beach, I was startled out of a pleasant dream by someone clearing her throat and what felt like a shoe prodding my shoulder.

"Why weren't you at the airport?" Emily demanded as my eyes fluttered open.

"What?" I asked drowsily, completely caught off guard at the intensity of her assault.

"Are you deaf as well as lazy? This isn't some paid vacation, I shouldn't have had to come looking for the help."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't wait on the help. My father paid a lot of money so that I could have your services for the week and I expect you to earn every penny of it."

I took my time rising to my feet and tried to come up with some vaguely polite reply. Once standing I was pleased to find that I literally towered over Emily. At 6'3" this wasn't all that unusual, but Emily couldn't have been more than 5'2" and really had to crane her neck to look up at me.

After a sufficient pause I answered in a controlled voice, "Hello, you must be Emily. My name is Alex ... and I chose to accept you as a client."

Holding out my hand I finished, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Whatever," Emily replied, completely ignoring my hand. "I'm told you're supposed to be God's gift to women, so let's go find out how good you are."

"That is not how these weekends work," I replied in a firm voice. "I will decide what we do, and when."

"I don't need the help telling me what to do," she spat, impatiently stamping her foot.

Annoyed, I locked eyes with Emily.

"I didn't fly several thousand miles to be lectured by a 14-year-old on how to do my job! While you presently have the privilege of my company, even male Docents can refuse sex."

Sensing I had the advantage, and wanting to give Emily time to carefully consider my words, I continued, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll see you at dinner."

Emily was left gaping at me, her mouth soundlessly opening and closing as I turned heel and I strode off purposefully towards the house. I was pleasantly surprised not to hear Emily following me, and refused to give her the satisfaction of turning back to be sure.

'This is going to be one long week, ' I groaned to myself as I headed inside.

Back in my room, I firmly shut the door and forced myself to relax. I'd had difficult clients in the past, but Emily was in a league of her own. 'What the hell is her problem?' I seethed.

There was a time not too long ago that I would have done just about anything to maintain my perfect reputation. After dealing with Sarah and managing The Girls, Emily's little tantrum didn't really faze me all that much. Every instinct the Institute had helped me develop cried out that Emily needed and wanted someone to stand up to her.

Wanting to do something productive before dinner, I decided to check my email. Luckily a long letter from Amy was waiting there for me after I'd booted up my laptop. It was comforting to hear what was going on back at Colorado College and it sounded like Amy had been quite busy in the last couple of days.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Amy's email, but was encouraged when she strongly hinted that 'our discussion in the parking lot, ' had been the main topic of conversation. It sounded like all of The Girls were eager to learn what life as a Docent was really like.

At the end of Amy's letter was a small note about Sarah, explaining that she too was making progress, but that the withdrawal process seemed especially rough. Perhaps Amy summarized it best with, "Sarah's mood swings are actually rather impressive, as first she 'hated' you and now she fears that you 'hate' her."

As Amy seemed to have things well in hand, I wrote back a brief reply wishing her well and offering a few tips that would hopefully make things easier for Sarah.

Dinner was a frosty yet blessedly brief affair. For the first time ever, I actually sat with a client at opposite ends of an excessively long dining table. With the large flower center piece Emily could barely see me, but I assumed she preferred it this way.

Even though I was almost finished with my meal, aside from Emily's snide comments about Claudia's 'sluggish' service and Nancy's 'mediocre' cooking, neither of us had said a word to each other and the silence was deafening. Remembering Kael's advice not to give up too easily, and hoping to test out my new diving skills, I again tried to break the ice.

Clearing my throat I asked, "Would you like to go swimming with the stingrays tomorrow?"

"With you?" she snapped in a petulant voice.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"I've heard it's quite fun."

"Whatever! Just have the maid wake me an hour before we leave."

I was about to explain that each room had an alarm clock for a reason, when Emily pushed her half-finished plate away and announced she was heading to bed.

As I watched her leave I seriously considered taking her over my knee, but wasn't sure if it would do any good. It wouldn't be the first time I'd spanked a client, but it would be the first unwilling participant and that was a line I never wanted to cross.

This whole situation was very unusual as it is not my job to parent or discipline a client. In order to continue there was one question I immediately needed answered: 'What do Emily's parents intend for her to get out of this weekend?'

There were only two people who could accurately answer that question. I headed upstairs to grab Emily's client profile and gave her dad a call.

It was after 8PM in Arkansas. Emily's dad was still at the office, and after explaining the situation to numerous secretaries, I was finally greeted by Rob's booming voice.

"Hello Alex, what can I do for you?" Rob asked in a rich southern accent.

Following his lead, I didn't waste time with pleasantries.

"It's about Emily."

"I take it she's being difficult?"

"That's one way of putting it. At this rate I doubt we'll get past tomorrow morning before I send her home."

"I've heard she's been acting up for a while," Rob replied in a brisk voice. "But things are really busy right now. I was told you were the best, are you saying you can't do the job?"

"I'm saying that I'm not sure if Docent training is the most important thing for Emily to learn."

"And you think you could do what needs to be done?"

"Yes, but it would require the assistance of the three other Docents on the staff, and again, I'm not sure if she's ready."

"Look, I'm donating an obscene amount for your services, but Kael told me it would go to a good cause and people are always raving about Helen's philanthropy," Rob drawled in a distracted voice. "I'll tell you what, if you can get Emily to stay the week and make a noticeable improvement, I'll double it."

'It's not about the money!' I wanted to scream, insulted by how he thought he had bought me and how little he seemed to care about what Emily needed. However, with every client I strove to make a difference and could not accept that Emily was a lost cause.

I took a calming breath and replied in a controlled voice, "I'll try to convince the rest of the staff to help out and be patient."

"Then we have a deal!" Rob continued, tersely cutting me off. "Unless there is anything else, I hope you have a good night."

The line suddenly went dead. I was left fuming as I nearly slammed the phone back in the cradle. 'And you wonder why Emily's such a bitch?' I seethed, wondering if I should even bother with a second attempt at making this week work.

I rubbed my temples as I debated what to do. On the one hand, both Rob and Emily sounded like assholes. On the other, she was unquestionably the most difficult client I'd ever come across and I relished the challenge of winning her over. There was also the rest of the staff to consider as I was certain that I was not the only one she'd treated like crap today.

With a frustrated sigh I decided to explain the situation to Chad, Claudia and Nancy, and let them decide. I headed downstairs to call an impromptu staff meeting and explain the options.

Though all agreed that both Rob and Emily didn't deserve our services, everyone seemed comfortable with continuing and was eager to get more involved. Chad was miffed at the way Emily scorned his attempt to give her a tour of the island, but had already shrugged it off as part of the job. Claudia just laughed at Emily's insults during dinner with, 'You should have heard what some of my frustrated male clients had to say when I made them wait!' Even Nancy was willing to forgive or at least give Emily another chance.

Once committed to giving it another try, it was time to start planning. Since Emily had been less than cooperative up to this point, no one had any suggestions for how to proceed, but they did again offer to help whenever possible. Though I was the youngest member of the staff, there was never any question of leadership. As Nancy neatly summarized, "You do have the most experience, and I trust you."

I was pleased when I realized that even after leaving the Institute, Chad, Claudia and Nancy were still focused on benefiting the clients and that never once had my commission or sharing it in some way come up as part of our discussion.

As the next day bloomed on the horizon, I was thankful my room faced west, since I completely missed the sunrise and was still asleep when my radio-alarm clock went off at nine. Luckily Cayman was on East Coast time so there was only a two hour time difference from Colorado. I enjoyed listening to steel drum music as I left the alarm playing and headed out to the balcony.

I was surprised to see Emily standing on the balcony at the opposite end of the house.

"Good morning!" I called cheerfully, hoping to start the day on a better note.

When there wasn't a noticeable reaction from Emily, I thought perhaps she hadn't heard me and asked a bit louder, "Sleep well?"

She turned towards me, scowled, and headed back inside.

'Ah. That certainly went well, ' I thought with a shrug. At least she was up and appeared near ready to go.

I wasn't confident enough in my diving abilities to visit Stingray City, which is located in water that is over twelve feet deep. Instead, I'd booked us a spot on a tour boat visiting Stingray Sandbar with a group of people I met while touring George Town a couple nights before. The tour promised that we would be able to feed the stingrays without using scuba gear as the water is only about four feet deep.

As we exited the Limo, I thanked Chad and took a moment to check Emily out. She had met us in the foyer wearing only a skimpy neon pink bikini with a translucent beach wrap, but we'd spent the whole trip studiously ignoring each other. In fact, it wasn't until I slipped on my sunglasses that I felt comfortable giving her more than a passing glance.

If I hadn't known how ugly she'd been behaving, I would have said Emily was quite attractive as her short sandy brown hair gleamed in the sun and her perky small breasts perfectly fit her 5'2" frame. Perhaps she subliminally noticed my attention. Taking a deep breath she seemed to thrust out her chest and I could just barely make out the outline of her puffy nipples through the sheer material of her bikini.