Mallory smiled as she took in the conversations going on around her after coming back to the now from her daydreaming of her earlier afternoon romp with David. She caught some of the comments to Mr. Schilling from Constance on the food and the wine, but she was more interested in the dynamics of his project. Food and wine were great, but they were not her thing.
She had learned from David earlier that all the last-minute guests had been assigned escorts/liaisons to cater to their needs, but she had not been expecting that they would join them for dinner. She was learning a lot from David, and not just what to expect from this weekend. She smiled at something James, Constance’s escort who was sitting next to her and directly across from David, said even though she had not heard exactly what he had said. Her attention was either focused on trying to talk to her host, or on David.
“Mallory?” David quietly questioned her. “James was asking you if you were enjoying your evening so far?” He smiled again, but softer, more serious this time.
Mallory snapped out of her fog and slowly turned to focus on James. “Yes, James. I’m enjoying myself very much.” She gave David a sidelong look and then darted her eyes to Constance. Hoping he would understand what she was silently asking. Could you please engage Constance, so I can get a chance at Mr. Schilling?
David softly chuckled as he got the message. “So, Ms. Wells, how has your evening been so far?” He turned to Constance and with a smile that could blind someone with those excellent white teeth of his, he began to entice the woman slowly away from Mr. Schilling.
Mallory quickly turned to Mr. Schilling. “Mr. Schilling, I’d like to thank you for allowing me to enjoy this weekend and also for allowing my magazine the first chance at writing about your event.” She smiled softly as she tilted her head to her left.
“Please, call me Ben; and I hope you will allow me to call you Mallory?” He queried as he seemed to relax a little after his attention being focused so intently on Constance.
“Yes, of course. Call me Mallory.” She looked across the table slightly to see David was totally engrossed in what Constance was saying. She thought she heard something about the proper way to prepare… duck?
After finding out from Constance that she was only there to write about the manor, the food and the party side of the event, Mallory had relaxed more. She hadn’t remembered who Constance was at the magazine when David had first told her she was there, but after seeing her Mallory had remembered. Constance Wells was the magazine’s Martha Stewart/Dear Abby substitute. She handled all formal life questions and articles from decorating to how to pick the proper wine on a budget. She liked Constance well enough, but at times, she found her to be a bit much. She could only assume she would also be gifted with a sexual encounter as well.
The woman was only in her late forties, so she was not as old as she gave the impression of being at times. She was what Mallory’s mother would have called a handsome woman. She was well-toned and her features sharply defined, more towards a masculine angle, but still beautiful. She had soft auburn hair and sharp grey eyes. She appeared to be a very business type woman, but in reality, she preferred to let life be more about fluff and fun.
“So, Mallory, are you really enjoying yourself so far or are you just being polite in the hopes of learning what’s in store for everyone?” Benjamin asked as he picked up his wine glass for the young girl to refill as she moved silently around their end of the table.
Mallory thought about that question and realized that she was more excited than she had originally been since spending time with David. She still was looking forward to whatever her encounter would be, but she was also excited to spend time with David as well. “You read me well, Ben,” she shifted slightly to focus more on the man next to her. “But you are right, I’m very excited for what you may have in store for me.” She spoke softly.
Benjamin Schilling was not what she had been expecting. From the moment he came into the lounge during cocktails, he had surprised her several times. He was young, not too young, but not the sixty-something-year-old she had imagined. Nor was he short squat or balding, she mused as she thought of the image she had labeled the man with from the first mention of him from Nate. Ben Schilling was tall, over six feet, slim, but not lanky and he had dark almost black hair with sultry navy colored eyes. He was fair-skinned for such dark hair, but it suited him. He was a man she would have enjoyed spending time with.
He did not attract her near as much as David did, but if she had not met David, she would have found her attention focused on him totally. He was a fine specimen of a man and she could not help wondering if maybe he had cloned himself for someone this weekend.
“Well, I think you will be pleased. I personally hand-picked your encounter and I can say that I was happy with the outcome; and after seeing your answers to the little questionnaire you filled out, I think you too will be more than happy.” He smiled even white teeth at her, then he turned slightly to focus on David and his manipulation of Constance. Turning back to find Mallory had followed his gaze, he added, “Although, I can see you are also happy with your escort as well?”
Mallory jerked her head back to her host and felt the heat of her blush slowly working upwards her throat. She smiled though when she spoke. “Yes, I’m very happy with my escort. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be just as excited to be with my fantasy encounter as well.”
“Good. I want you and all my guests to enjoy yourselves and know there will be no restrictions this weekend; other than basic rules for the safety of all concerned.”
“Yes, about that, what exactly will your rules be? There was nothing included in the paperwork I received. I’m assuming all guests received similar packets, albeit theirs will be more detailed since they have been in the planning for months now,” Mallory stated.
“Yes, correct. The packet you received is different from the other guests. The rules are simple; the clones reside here and only here. They are for fantasy purposes only; no relationships are to be expected. Without sounding crude, they are only here for entertainment. They are not available at any time other than your allotted time. I have fourteen guests plus yourself and Ms. Wells, and they are all on rotation during the entire weekend. I am equipped to handle four fantasies at one time, so your encounter or encounters will be only at certain times. There is enough time set aside for each guest to have four to five encounters over the entire weekend. With other guests, they were given the option of the same clone or clones for all encounters or multiple partners in different fantasies. For you and Ms. Wells, I have not been able to accommodate that many for you, so that is why you two are the only ones with escorts. To give you at least some options. You may have as many encounters as the other guests, but they will be with the same clone.” Ben spoke clearly and precisely as he explained how the event would go.