Aurelia watched the three men sitting nervously in her receiving room. The room, decked out in soft blues and greens did much to give a feeling of comfort and ease. It gave no indication of the activities that occurred within. There was also a small mirror, framed in silver, on the wall opposite of the quiet men. Of course, it was one-way; Aurelia always liked to observe her guests before saying hello. It gave her a chance to think about her approach beforehand...because few people knew what Aurelia's business was. She preferred it this way. It was how her little enterprise, called Elysian Fields, survived. As she considered them, each man fidgeted and looked around, curious and disconcerted at their surroundings. Aurelia decided to give them a few more minutes to ponder before beginning.
She motioned her second-in-command, a young woman named Flora, over without looking in her direction.
"Yes, Aurelia?" Flora asked. Aurelia always needed something done, whether it was help serving customers or tasks that required a more discreet touch. Flora reveled in the confidence Aurelia had in her.
"Please go upstairs and see that our gods start preparing the lady for her night," Aurelia directed. "I need to give her chosen gentlemen their instructions."
Flora nodded and hurried away. Aurelia took one last silent look at the men and opened the door connecting her office to the receiving room. All three men looked up in unison at her. Questions were in their eyes but none of them spoke. Aurelia saw a hint of interest in at least one man's eyes; she hoped he wouldn't be too disappointed that she wasn't the lady of honor tonight. The lady who had invited him hoped for his undivided attention later. Oh well, if he became a problem, one of her gods could escort him out.
"Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Aurelia and I'm your hostess this evening. I know you must be very confused as to why you're here. However, I must remind you that we have done what we can to inform you of that very reason before your arrival. Though I could not give you specifics, the information sent to each of you should have given you some idea. Before you could even set foot in here, I needed you to complete a full profile including an STD check. I do not let just anyone in here, gentlemen. I can only assume that, since you all completed my paperwork and showed up, that you are interested in what awaits you."
The men didn't nod right away but nod they did after a few moments. Aurelia wasn't telling them that she knew much more about them than they thought. Thanks to the questions on the profile she sent them, she was able to do a thorough check on each. She knew one was a soldier who was often away from home. Another was a man in a throuple that was quickly unraveling due to jealousy. Finally, the last was a doctor in a nearby city who had recently divorced. It was amazing what people would post on social media. Aurelia was thankful that she could be informed about her guests without bringing in private investigators.
"Excellent. Gentlemen, I welcome you to Elysian Fields. Our time is short as the entertainment is set to begin soon. I do have some final instructions for you before we go inside. First, you have been invited here not by me but by a woman who knows all of you. You may determine who our mystery woman is yet I ask you keep it to yourself if you do. Frankly, I caution you to not think about it too hard; the lady has gone to great lengths to conceal her identity."
"I still don't understand why we're here. What does this woman want?" one man asked. Aurelia knew the man to be the soldier thanks to a little system she created to ensure anonymity. Each man had a colored band around his wrist - a color that was paired with each man's profile in Aurelia's office. The soldier wore red; the polyamorous man wore green, and the doctor wore blue.
"I agree. How do we know that this woman isn't trying to blackmail us or hurt us in other ways? Without knowing who she is, we can't be sure of her motives." The question from the doctor was logical; Aurelia would have expected no less.
"Patience, my dears. All will be revealed. However, to answer the kind doctor's question, I do not accept clients with a criminal background; they also must provide a psychological evaluation from the therapist I have on my staff. Refusal to submit to the evaluation results in banishment from my club. Also, gentlemen, rest assured that, if I discovered such a crime within my client network, I would bring down the full force of the law. The men nodded, a sense of relief permeating the thick air.
"In the meantime, let me explain your wristbands. The meaning of those bands are known only to myself and you. By the various colors, I know your name and the pertinent information provided to me by you. Beyond that, my staff will only identify you by your bands and your given names for the night."
Aurelia turned to the soldier who was standing in the at-ease position, though it was very clear he was anything but. He was tall, blonde-haired and blue eyed. His body was lean and corded - the proverbial caged tiger. He wore a conservative blue button-down shirt. Also, to Aurelia's delight, he wore form-fitting jeans that revealed a nicely sized bulge. Aurelia could only wonder at the size of the man when he was aroused. "Sir, your name for the night is Mars. I'm sure, if you have any knowledge of Roman mythology, you can figure out why." He shifted his feet but he didn't ask. Aurelia could swear though that his posture became straighter and more proud as he thought. That was a good sign. Used to taking orders, this man would follow her rules, even if he didn't like them.
