R Is for Rita

After my debts began to mount, college fees and all that, one of my mates from Brum suggested I try to earn a little extra cash. I was surprised when he told me how. He said he'd done it and ended up with a couple of hundred extra most weeks, sometimes just for an evening's work.

"It's easy, James. You're a handsome man, use what you've got."

I'd had my doubts but I'd done it. I'd registered with an escort agency. My mate had lent me his dinner suit when, only a week after registering, the secretary there had rung me up.

"It's a Mrs Kenyon, James. Very nice woman. In her fifties maybe, she's used us before. I think she'll like you, and you should enjoy the evening. She's like you to escort her to the theatre. In Stratford. It's the production of 'Romeo and Juliet', she's got two tickets for the show."

'Show? Show?!'

In no way should that production be referred to as a 'show'. And this woman had two tickets, to the 'must-see' event of the year! My mind boggled. I could get to see the play, free for Pete's sake, and get paid for it into the bargain. And all I had to do was escort some older woman to the theatre, play along at being her toy boy, something like that.

I'd been reassured by Victor that it would be just that - escort a woman to an evening out, dinner maybe or to the theatre.

'Mostly older women' he'd said. 'Lonely, maybe divorced or widowed, willing to pay for the company of a younger guy for the evening.'

I had to admit the idea of being paid and getting a more-than-decent meal inside me appealed. And to see that play too, no way was I ever going to be able to get tickets myself. I'd asked him one more thing though.

"Oh no" he'd said. "Not this agency, it's their policy. Like they say, 'No sex please we're British'. It's just the company, and showing off the toy-boy of course."

He'd grinned. I could go with that. I rang the agency the next morning to say 'yes'.

"It's Mrs Kenyon, James" said the girl from their office on the phone. "She's used us before, she likes to use a different escort each time. She's easily pleased, it seems, always gives the guys a good report and they seem to think well of her. She does seem to like younger men though, usually about half her age which fits you perfectly."