Chapter 17
Four months later, Aaron stopped off in Denver on his way back to San Francisco from Kansas City. Sandy was a little over his head on a project, and he'd agreed to spend a couple days getting it straightened out.
He checked into his hotel and stood at the window, sipping a drink and looking at the mountains.. . and wondering if he'd done the right thing divorcing Miriam. He didn't like being married, but he missed her.
He missed Denise, too, and wondered if it had taken her long to find another job that paid a decent wage. He hoped not. She was all right, and he felt bad about leaving her in the lurch. Miriam was a different story. She could take care of herself, but Denise was so young, and sort of naive.
He went to the phone and dialed Denise's number and got a recording that said her number had been disconnected. There was no new number given, and information didn't have a listing for her, so he figured she had left town.
He broke the connection and started to call Miriam, then hung up and went back to the window. He turned around almost at once and dug his daybook out of his briefcase and looked up the number of an ultra exclusive, and equally ultra expensive escort service and dialed the number.
"Venus D'Amore," a sexy female voice said. "Good evening, how may I help you?"
"Joe Bascom in San Francisco referred me," Aaron said.
"Did he give you a word, sir?"
"Oh, uh, yeah, Bojangles," Aaron replied.
"Very good, sir," the sexy voice said. "What's your pleasure this evening?"
"Oh, a blonde, I think," he said, and gave a description that closely matched Miriam.
"Yes, we have someone like that available. I'll need some information, please."
Aaron finished his drink while he went through the rigamarole of his name and credit card number and address in San Francisco and his local address and some other questions he answered and immediately forgot.
"We have a special tonight, sir," the sexy voice said. "A lovely blonde such as you described and a lovely brunette who like to date as a team."
Aaron suddenly remembered that he'd wondered what would happen if he could get Miriam and Denise together and said, "Is either of them bi?" He could never get his ex-wife and former secretary together now, but he could pretend.
"Both of them are, sir, as are all of our ladies. We often get calls from couples who want something different."
"What's the special?"
"Our normal fee is one thousand for the evening. Mary Ann and Denni are available for fifteen hundred, so you save five hundred.
When is a saving not really a saving? The thought never crossed Aaron's mind. The charge was going on his expense account, and he'd find a way to explain it later.
"Okay, that sounds good," he said.
"I just have to make the arrangements," the sexy voice said. "I'll call you back in ten minutes or less."
Aaron fixed another drink and wandered around the room a few minutes, then dialed Miriam's number and got a busy signal. Well, it was a bad idea anyway.
Sexy voice called back and said Mary Ann and Denni would arrive in thirty minutes or less, and Aaron used the time to take a shower.
"I feel kind of funny about this," Denise said as she and Miriam walked down the hall, checking the numbers on the doors.
"I think it's very ironic," Miriam laughed. "If Aaron had just asked, he could have had both of us for free, as often as he wanted. Now, it's going to cost him dearly."
"Well, at least he'll get his money's worth," Denise said.
"They always do, darling," Miriam said. "They have to, we've both got a fire in the hole."