Indiscreet

CHAPTER TWO-1

CHAPTER TWO

“This is you, Gia,” Astrid announced, bringing me out of my head and back to the limo the three of us were sharing for the ride home from the restaurant.

My thoughts were preoccupied for most of the trip, partially due to the buzz from the cocktails. It was also because of Liz’s glowing review of her experience with The Agency. Could going to a matchmaking company work the same way for me? I wasn’t convinced. It was late, so I quickly said goodbye to them with hugs and promises to get together over the holiday. I exited through the door held open for me at my new home.

Standing on the slate-paved driveway, I stared at the two-story stone and brick craftsman house with a double garage—quite the change from the sprawling governor’s mansion in Olympia. In the evening light, I took in its beauty, though the landscape was barely visible under the blanket of snow. The cypress and barberry shrubbery looked picturesque cloaked in white. The best part of it all: the peacefulness.

The second-floor master bedroom was where I headed, and it was the only one I used of the four in the house. I had updated it with a platform bed I’d ordered just before we separated. That is something I will keep, I decided after my shower. The demister was on, but still I wiped the steam off the large double mirror to finish up my cleansing routine, and I hesitated at my reflection. The thought of being n***d in front of a new man made me nervous. Patrick wasn’t one to compliment me, but he always had a word to say when I didn’t meet his standards. Now, what would a new man see when I got n***d for him?

My face was by far my best feature. Like my mother, I had long, arched brows that didn’t require much upkeep, dark brown eyes with long lashes, and full, well-shaped lips. My C-cup breasts were my second-best feature. Sure, I wanted a firmer tummy and buttocks, but doesn’t everyone? I’d be all right.

For the six years of our marriage, Patrick had been a rising star in politics. The job came with a team of consultants who imposed a set of restrictions to help him get ahead, and as his partner, I had to follow them too. The number one rule was not to overshadow him. Some of the limits, I complied with. I wanted him to succeed. For instance, I never wore attention-grabbing colors when we were in public. I also never wore heels because at five eight, I towered over his five-six frame. Those restrictions had become second nature, doable; the constant micromanaging—not so much. Then came the final straw: his lack of interest in having s*x with me. That position—missionary, as I recalled from the three times we’d had s*x in the last year—had been given to my replacement, his soon-to-be fiancée, Hannah. She was twenty-two, and only five foot two.

Of course, I had nothing against her height. My cry of foul play came from her having an affair with him while we were married. It takes two, and one was married, but she had only been the tip of his iceberg of treachery. His other mistresses I found out about after I filed for the divorce. Each one was a cut on my heart, pride, and confidence. I took the last bit of my ego I had left the day I found them together and left him.

Finishing up, I slipped on a nightgown and made a mental note to get new lingerie. I was about to plug my phone in to charge when I noticed a new text from Liz.

Liz: Marco contacted The Agency and they offered a screening appointment for tomorrow. I told them yes, sorry it’s so fast, but once it’s done you can go to the next available mixer. I can’t go, but I promise you’ll have a good time. The appointment is at 11 a.m. sharp. They send their own cars. It’ll take a few hours. Thank me later.

I shook my head and smiled. That was Liz. She wasn’t one to waste time if she could help it, but was I ready?

I sighed heavily and set my alarm for nine. Climbing into bed, I read on my k****e for a while and then tried to masturbate. For the life of me, I couldn’t get myself to c****x. My mind went to the last time I tried to have s*x with Patrick.

“Harder. f**k me harder,” I instructed. “Grab my hair.”

Patrick huffed in exertion and pulled out of me. His body was covered in sweat. “What’s your problem?”

I averted my eyes and moved onto my knees. “I just thought we’d try something different.”

“What now?” he said in a condescending tone.

I bit my lip. “How about you hold my arms while you f**k me?”

“Stop saying that word,” he said. “I am…we are having s*x. You’re just being difficult.”

I sighed heavily. “I’m not trying to be.”

He stretched out on his side, facing me. “Are you trying to make me hurt you?”

“No,” I mumbled. “I just thought we could maybe spice things up a bit.”

I let my hair fall over my face to avoid the disdain on his face, though it was unavoidable in his tone. “Spice by being rough? I’m not doing that! That’s perverted.”

My stomach churned. “You mean I’m perverted?”

“I didn’t say that,” he said, rubbing my back. “Come on, give me a break. I’ve been working hard all day.”

I turned over on my back and opened my legs while he stretched out on top of me. He was back on autopilot, moving mechanically above me while I breathed in and waited until he cried out his c****x. When he was done, he rolled over and kissed my head. “Did you come or do you need…?”

“I’m fine. It was great,” I said with a forced lift to my voice. I waited until I heard his snoring then got up and went to my bathroom.

I pulled out my vibrator from the back of my vanity drawer and placed it against my c******s. My eyes shut tight as I slipped away, imagining the faceless man of my fantasies f*****g me. He was taking me hard, controlling me, owning me.

***

I tried to find out more about this agency before I went to my meeting, but my search online came back with nothing. Though my curiosity was thoroughly piqued, I understood my experience would more than likely be different than Liz’s. After my frustrated attempt at m**********n, I wasn’t up for spending more time without company.

If The Agency resulted in nothing more than meeting a man and having good s*x instead of dates, I was still game. With that in mind, I climbed into the black Mercedes that arrived at 10:30 a.m. and went to my appointment. Given the weather, I chose a scoop-neck sweater, woolen slacks, and boots, though the car ride was warm and comfortable.

Their office turned out to be just a short ride away in one of the new modern buildings in Redmond. After some security checks, I went up to the eighth floor and over to the placard that read The Agency outside of suite 801. The interior was small and made up of mostly white wood and marble furnishings. Seated behind the reception desk was an older female with horn-rimmed glasses wearing a lab coat over a white shirt. She smiled at me in greeting and requested the card Liz had given me. Once she put it away, she handed me an iPad with a screen that said Agency Member G. Ruiz Questionnaire across it.

“Please fill this out to the best of your abilities,” she instructed. “You’ll be receiving a health and psychological screen. We’re not here to judge, but the more honest you are, the easier it is to link you with like-minded partners. This includes if you are a book lover, art lover, whatever. Try to be as detailed and honest as possible so we’ll be sure to find you the right match.”

I sighed. I understood and appreciated the health screen for sexually transmitted diseases. I’d gotten one done after discovering the affair, and thankfully it had come back negative. However, I’d also been through marriage therapy, and I didn’t enjoy or want to participate in counseling again. Even so, I agreed to it. “Sure.” I glanced around the empty reception area to the side of the desk and saw only a couple of chairs. “Am I your first appointment?”

“You’re the only person here besides our staff. We only make one appointment at a time for privacy reasons.” She gestured to the corner of the room where one leather chair was available for me to sit.

“Good.” I smiled.

“After your health exam, William, one of our counselors, will meet with you to clear up any last questions you may have.”

I thanked her then sat down and scrolled through the screen. First was a non-disclosure agreement, followed by a section that asked me to select a standard set of attributes that attracted me physically. Further along, the questions became more specific.

Would you rather throw a party or attend it?

I shrugged.

Attend.

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate yourself physically?

I grimaced. I hated that question. Too high, you’re over the top; too low, you have low self-esteem.

Seven.

Choose 3 positives to describe yourself: adventurous, sexy, calm, fun, kind, creative, devoted, insightful, sweet, affectionate.

Hmm. Calm is boring. Kind and sweet is a pushover. Affectionate and devoted is desperate.

Creative, sexy, adventurous.

Choose 3 negatives to describe yourself: stubborn, high-maintenance, moody, demanding, uncertain, impulsive, compulsive, impatient, jealous, naughty.

Do not leave blank.

Impulsive, jealous (depends), naughty.

Going to s***k me?

I laughed and moved on to the next question.

How many s****l partners have you had?

I sighed.

Three.

Is there a s****l position you don’t like?

I snorted. I had no idea. My extensive experience included missionary and doggy style.

Don’t know, try me.

Have you had more than one partner at a time and did you enjoy it?

Yes. I prefer two men at a time.

I laughed and went to remove it, but it wouldn’t let me go backward.

Should I say something?

I glanced over at the receptionist, who was on the phone, but then decided to forget it. I’d just tell them later I was joking if asked. From here on out, I’d be more focused when filling in the rest of my answers.

What is your active s****l life in years? How long and how often did you have s*x?

I was in a relationship for seven years. We had s*x three times a week the first year and progressively less over the years. We had s*x three times the whole of the last year.

What is more important, physical attraction or personality?

I hesitated. The question was too vague. I had to be attracted to him, but I didn’t want a wimp. I chose looks, but also wrote in the Other section.

I like a combination of both.

I laughed. I sure was making a tall order, but then looks were subjective. What attracts one person may not attract another. The next question went into more detail.

What turns you on more, being in control or giving up control?

I was used to being in control. I had run Patrick’s campaigns, and now I ran my own company. I wasn’t as experienced in the bedroom and wouldn’t mind having a more dominant partner there. I clicked on Other and wrote a quick explanation in the box.

I run a business and wouldn’t want to be controlled all the time. I would consider s****l control only.

Have you ever tried role-play, s******g, b*****e, breath-play, watersports, scat, whips…?

The list went on, and most I’d have to look up, but for now my answer was easy.

No.

From the list above, which one piques your curiosity?

This was my moment. I could answer No interest or Willing to try a few new things. On the other hand, I didn’t want to be thrown into the deep end. Therefore, I selected Other once again.

I don’t like extreme humiliation or severe pain. I’m not ready for anything too far out of the mainstream.

After all, you must walk before you run. I doubted there would ever be such a match that would get me to entertain surrendering so much of myself.