Helen Norsworth stood angrily in the corner of the room and watched as the concierge entered. The woman was wearing her signature look of heels, a slim dress hugging the curves of her toned body, and a masquerade mask. Only her blue eyes and blond hair countered the all-black outfit. Helen sniffed in disdain. She was more than just a client here and she expected better than this.
"What seems to be the problem Ms. -"
Helen cut her off before she could finish her question."What do you think is the problem?" she asked aggressively.
The concierge took another step into the room, now able to see the member booked for the scene. He stood at the corner of the bar, already down to his underwear, his dark six pack glistening under the dimmed lights. He offered nothing but a confused shrug to the concierge. She went to check her smartwatch for details of the evening's plans but before she could, Helen snapped her fingers to get the attention of the room back on her.
"Don't do that. Don't check your stupid notes," she insisted.
The concierge took a moment to respond, seemingly choosing her words carefully. "I apologize, Ms. Norsworth, I am not sure what the issue is; however, we here at the Fantasy Hotel will do whatever is needed to improve your experience."
Ms. Norsworth sighed. "Why am I here?" She had given strict instructions for this evening and yet somehow it was not close to completing her fantasy.
The concierge confidently responded as if she was reading off her intake notes. "You booked the master suite; it is your favorite room at the hotel and best suited for your fantasy. You said you were worried that as you age, you are less desirable and thus you have the fantasy to be the 'MILF next door'. You want to take the virginity of a man in his early to mid twenties, which leaves him the right age range to be friends with your son. The taboo nature of seducing your son's friend adds to the feeling of being desired that you came to us to fill."
Helen nodded, but the concierge was missing the point. "That's right, but what the hell is this?" She motioned to the shirtless man who was now pouring himself a scotch at the bar.
"That is Dylan. He is an experienced player here; one of our best at getting into character, and he happily picked up your contract for today. He has incredibly positive reviews and matched well with you in our profile database."
Helen raised her voice. "Look at him," she demanded, pointing to Dylan once more. "Does he look like a virgin that wants to be seduced by this?" she motioned to herself this time, her self-consciousness making her even more irate. Now nearing her 50th trip around the sun, her large breasts were not as perky as they used to be, she had some extra weight that she couldn't get rid of no matter what she tried, and stretch marks taunted her when she looked in the mirror. All these things and more left her yearning for her younger years when anyone at a bar would be grateful to go home with her. Now, she was left using the Fantasy Hotel to feel desired.
"I... I suppose not," the concierge responded in an uncertain tone. "We can reschedule your booking on the house and I will personally ensure we find you a partner that meets your desired appearance, although I do warn that the acting level may need to be sacrificed," she added.
"I do not want someone acting," Helen declared icily. What was this incompetent concierge not understanding here?.
"You... you want a real virgin?" the concierge asked with an awkward half grin as if someone was playing an uncomfortable joke on her.
"Yes," she replied, her vehemence making the 's' on yes sound snakelike.
"That's preposterous," the concierge scoffed. "The logistics of getting a virgin to join the hotel with informed consent is just -".
This had gone far enough. "Anna," she barked, using the concierge's first name since nothing else was getting through her thick head. If the resulting flinch was anything to go by, it worked. "If memory serves correctly, we elected you because you follow our rules and get the job done. Is that no longer the case?"
The concierge gulped. "Of course, that is what I am here for," she explained, taking a step back. "If you can reschedule for a future date, I will do everything I can to make sure you enjoy your stay," she added.
"Take all the time you need, darling," Helen said with a venomous smile. "But if you mess this up again, I will move for you to lose your job."
"Of course, madam," the concierge replied in a voice pleading for mercy. "I will make sure your next visit has the best candidate for your fantasy," she resolved.
"Candidates," Helen clarified with force.
"I'm sorry?" the concierge asked, worried.
"I want multiple candidates. Set them up all in a row for short meetings; I will select the best one to continue with. You've clearly lost your touch."
"Very well, madam," the concierge agreed before leaving the room, immediately to begin the search.
Only a few days later, while Helen was enjoying a drink alone at home, she got the phone call she was eagerly waiting for. It was from the concierge alerting her that the meetings had been set up. They confirmed the time for the following Friday.
Time moved slowly for Helen as she waited for the big day. When it finally arrived, she made sure to get to the hotel room early. This time, she wore a sundress, black with some floral patterns, and a white button up shirt over top. She swapped heels for a more casual flat. On the way into the hotel, the concierge greeted her with a smile, but she reciprocated with only a glare. She sat at the bar in her room, nervously swinging her leg back and forth with anticipation until finally, the first candidate arrived.
A man entered the room, visibly uneasy. He was a bit on the short side and had made some interesting wardrobe choices for the evening. He was wearing sneakers, cargo shorts, an unfamiliar brand t-shirt, and a flat-brim, snapback hat. He was a bit out of shape, and even with the hat on, she could tell his hair was an absolute mess. As he turned towards the bar, he caught sight of her and he froze like a deer in headlights.
Helen couldn't help but grin as she saw the timid man before her. She stood from her bar stool and approached him. "What is your name, darling?"
The man remained frozen for a moment before shyly responding, "My... my name is Jimmy, ma'am." His voice cracked with nervousness.
"I like that," she responded with a smile. "You must be my white whale?"
"I, um, I'm not sure what you mean," Jimmy responded, his fiddling with his fingers betraying his nerves.
"I mean you must be a virgin... one who is interested in an older woman?"
"Ye... yes ma'am," he responded, his face now beet red with embarrassment.
"Honey," she said kindly, "please don't call me 'ma'am'; it makes me feel old. Now come sit at the bar." She motioned to the chair beside her.