‘I’ve never had an article about explicit sex in my magazine,’ Natalie confessed.
‘It isn’t about explicit sex. It’s about relationships and the kind of relationships that your readers crave.’
‘Would you mind leaving it with me?’ Natalie suggested. ‘I’d like a little more time to think this over.’
‘Sure, that’s no problem.’
‘I’ll be seeing you next Friday, I can tell you then.’
‘Certainly not,’ said Simon abruptly. ‘The type of relationship we have at The Haven would be very difficult to sustain if you arrived telling me whether or not you’re willing to become my employer, don’t you think?’
‘I suppose so,’ she confessed. Secretly she’d hoped that he’d agree, for the very reason that he’d disagreed. It would have given her a small advantage over him, something to help her through the humiliations that she guessed lay ahead of her.
‘If you don’t want it, don’t bother returning it. Just let me know,’ said Simon.
‘I’ll decide by Wednesday,’ promised Natalie.
‘Well, thank you very much for seeing me. I’m sorry about the deception, but I was right, wasn’t I? You wouldn’t have seen me if I’d given my real name.’
‘Didn’t Sara use your real name?’
‘Yes, she must have done. Of course, at the time it wouldn’t have meant anything to you. When I rang to confirm a time I used “Sam Tudor”.’
‘And you won’t have a problem working for me if I do take the article?’
‘No problem at all. I’m good at my job and you’re good at yours. That’s all that matters in this business.’
‘Fine,’ said Natalie, getting to her feet and holding out her hand. ‘Grace will show you out.’
‘Yes,’ said Simon. Then he smiled. ‘Grace doesn’t seem like the kind of girl who’s ever going to need to come to The Haven. Is she available, or in a relationship?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ lied Natalie. In fact, she knew that Grace had recently split with her boyfriend but she had no intention of letting Simon know. The very
thought
of him asking Grace out for a meal was enough to make her feel jealous. If she had her way, the only person from the magazine he’d ever date would be the owner and editor.
Simon’s visit unsettled Natalie and she found it extremely difficult to concentrate on her work for the rest of the day. In the end she gave it up as a bad job and left at five o’clock, taking Simon’s article with her.
‘Are you all right?’ asked Grace.
‘I’m fine – a little tired, that’s all. I’m taking some work home with me.’
‘Could I see the article that Sam Tudor left?’
‘No, I’m sorry,’ said Natalie. ‘That’s part of the work I’m taking home with me.’
‘I’d like to see it tomorrow.’
‘Why the interest? Haven’t you got enough to be getting on with? I must be slipping if you’re short of work.’
‘It isn’t that,’ laughed Grace. ‘We’re going out for a
meal tomorrow night and I thought it would be nice if I knew what his article was like.’
‘He asked you out?’
Grace looked taken aback by Natalie’s tone. ‘Yes. Is there any reason why he shouldn’t have done?’
Natalie forced herself to smile. ‘Of course not. I didn’t think he was your type, that’s all.’
‘I thought he was drop-dead gorgeous,’ confessed Grace.
‘He’s rather chauvinistic.’
‘Really?’ Grace’s eyes gleamed. ‘That’ll make a nice change. I must admit, secretly I’m not too keen on the New Age man. I know I should be. At first I like them, sure, but then they bore me. Of course, it’s different for you.’
‘Why is it different for me?’
‘Well, you don’t need protecting,’ explained Grace. ‘I wish I was more like you, but I’m not.’
‘Just because he’s a chauvinist it doesn’t mean he’ll protect you,’ snapped Natalie. ‘It’s far more likely that he’ll exploit you.’
‘We’re only going out for a meal,’ said Grace quietly. ‘I can’t think how he can exploit me at a restaurant. At least he seems the sort who’ll pay the bill, which makes a nice change.’
‘What was John like?’ asked Natalie curiously, pleased that she’d managed to remember the name of Grace’s previous boyfriend.
‘Oh, definitely New Age man.’
Natalie looked thoughtfully at her secretary. ‘Do you think our magazine’s relevant to your life, Grace?’
‘In so far as it’s relevant to anyone’s.’
Natalie was astonished by the girl’s answer. ‘What are you trying to say?’
Grace looked uncomfortable. ‘I’m not criticising it at all. I think it’s a great magazine, and obviously it
wouldn’t have done so well if loads of other women didn’t agree with me. But although everything it tells us is fine in theory, it isn’t always the same in practice.’
‘But we talk about the problems that women like us face. Surely one of those is chauvinistic men?’
‘I suppose it depends on your definition of chauvinistic.’
‘Yes, I think you’re right,’ agreed Natalie. ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’
All the way home she seethed with anger, unable to believe that Simon could fancy Grace. Not that Grace wasn’t attractive – she was – but she was completely unsophisticated and would present him with no challenge at all. In any case, if Simon felt the same about Natalie as she felt about him then she couldn’t believe that he’d be asking anyone else out at this stage. All in all, his visit to the office had totally ruined her day, a day that hadn’t been particularly great to start with.
By the Wednesday, Natalie knew that she had to publish Simon’s article. It was a very good one: clever, incisive and bound to provoke a reaction, which was important. However, he wasn’t nearly as pleased as she’d expected when she rang and told him.
‘That’s great,’ he said casually.
‘Is that all you’ve got to say?’
There was silence for a moment. ‘What am I meant to say?’
‘I don’t know. I suppose I thought you’d be more pleased.’
‘It isn’t the first time I’ve had an article published in a magazine. Of course, I’m very pleased that you feel it’s good enough for
your
magazine. There, is that what you wanted to hear?’
‘I didn’t want to hear anything in particular,’ snapped Natalie, slamming the phone down.
The rest of the week dragged by. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, she found herself once more driving through the Sussex lanes to The Haven. This time she was, if anything, even more nervous than on her first visit. Then she’d been ignorant of what lay ahead of her, now she wasn’t. She knew that not only was she going to be tested more severely than the first time, she was also going to finish up in the basement, providing a lesson for other clients to watch and learn from.
‘You can always turn back,’ she said aloud, her fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly. ‘No one’s forcing you to do this.’
The trouble was, it was no longer just the attraction of learning to develop her own sexuality that was drawing her to the course. It was Simon. She hadn’t dared question Grace about her date with him, and Grace hadn’t discussed it either. Natalie thought that she’d probably frightened the girl off with her initial reaction to hearing about it, and so she had no idea what had gone on between the two of them. Grace had seemed extremely cheerful for the second half of the week, but then, she was generally a cheerful girl. Natalie didn’t know whether she was imagining that there was an extra spring in her secretary’s step or not.
Once again the weather was lovely when she arrived, and the course residents were strolling in the grounds. She didn’t see anyone from her first weekend there, but presumed that there must be one or two. She knew that nearly half the guests booked in for two sessions.
This time the girl on reception recognised her. ‘Good evening, Miss Bowen. Did you have a good drive down?’
‘Very nice, thank you. Am I in the same room as last weekend?’
‘Oh no, you have a bigger room this time.’
‘Is that progress?’ asked Natalie, with a smile.
‘You may need it,’ explained the girl. ‘If you wouldn’t mind waiting here for a moment your tutor will come and collect you.’
‘You mean Simon Ellis?’ asked Natalie, suddenly panic-stricken that she might have been given a new tutor for this visit.
‘Of course. We like our clients to have the same tutors whenever they return.’
‘You mean that if I come back for a refresher course in a year’s time I’d get him again?’
‘As long as it was for a refresher course. If Rob Gill felt that you hadn’t learned anything during your first two stays here then he’d probably assign you a new tutor. After all, there’d be no point in you wasting your money. Not that I can imagine that happening. Simon doesn’t have failures.’
‘No, I don’t suppose he does,’ said Natalie quietly.
‘How nice to see you again, Miss Bowen,’ said Simon, walking through the front door. ‘How was your week?’
‘Interesting,’ she responded.
‘Good. I think it’s important to have an interesting job.’
‘Well, you’ve certainly got one here.’
‘Yes, indeed. Is it room number seventeen?’ he asked the receptionist. She nodded. ‘Good, that’s the one I requested. If you hand me the key I’ll take Natalie up now.’
As Natalie followed Simon along the thickly carpeted corridor and up the stairs her heart began to thump against her ribs. Plucking up all her courage, she decided to ask him a question. ‘Is there something special about this room?’
‘It’s a very comfortable one.’
‘That’s not what I meant.’
‘No, I didn’t think it was. Here we are – you can see for yourself.’
Pushing open the door, he stood back to let her enter. It was at least twice the size of the room she’d had on her first visit, and if anything even more luxuriously carpeted and curtained. However, it wasn’t the carpet and curtains that attracted her attention. To the side of the room, halfway between the bed and the window, there was a wooden bar suspended from the ceiling –rather like the bars in her school gymnasium as she remembered them.
‘What’s that for?’ she asked.
‘You’ll find out tomorrow. When you’ve freshened up you’re free to go down and have dinner whenever you like. Your first lesson is at nine o’clock tonight. It won’t be in here, it will be in the other guest’s room.’
By now, Natalie knew better than to ask what was going to happen at nine o’clock. ‘Where shall I meet up with you?’
‘In the small non-smoking lounge. You can get a drink there after dinner if you like. Even if you don’t want a drink, it’s a very comfortable room.’
‘Fine, I’ll see you then.’
Reaching out, Simon ran his fingers through her silky blonde hair. ‘You’re very nervous, aren’t you?’
‘Yes,’ she confessed.
‘There’s no need to be. You’ll soon get back into the way of things. Remember, we’re all here to help you.’
‘Did you help Grace?’ she blurted out, and immediately wished that she hadn’t because Simon’s face darkened with annoyance.
‘How many times do I have to remind you that once anyone enters the doors of The Haven they leave their weekday life behind them? I think you should apologise.’
Natalie didn’t feel like apologising, particularly as
he hadn’t answered her question, but common sense told her that it was the only sensible course of action. ‘I’m very sorry,’ she muttered.
‘I’d like it better if you sounded as though you meant it,’ said Simon. ‘But I accept your apology anyway.’
‘Oh God,’ groaned Natalie, as the door closed behind him. ‘What have I done now?’
NATALIE ARRIVED IN THE
small non-smoking lounge at ten to nine, anxious not to be late. She’d only eaten a light meal as she hadn’t felt hungry, due to a mixture of nerves and excitement. She’d been at a table with two other women and three men, all of whom were first-time visitors, and conversation had proved awkward. She’d wished that Sajel was there again, or Juliette and Victoria.
It was difficult talking to people who were there for the first time, because they had no idea of how the weekend would change them, and Natalie knew that she had to be careful not to give anything away. Looking back, she marvelled at how naive she too had been only a week ago, and how much she’d changed. Despite this, she knew that she still had a lot to learn.
‘That’s nice,’ said Simon, as he entered the bar. ‘I like women who are punctual.’
‘Actually I was early,’ she admitted.
‘What’s the matter, couldn’t you wait?’ His eyes gleamed with amusement.
‘I was anxious to find out what the next lesson would be.’
‘Let’s get going, then. Tonight I’m going to teach you
how to give a man pleasure, but although I’m sure you’ll enjoy it I don’t expect you to have an orgasm. Is that understood?’
Natalie felt rather annoyed. T think I know how to please a man. I didn’t come here to find
that
out.’
‘You came here to do as you’re told,’ said Simon firmly. ‘Besides, I doubt if you’ve ever concentrated solely on your partner’s pleasure, have you?’
Natalie thought for a moment. ‘No, but no man ever expected me to.’
‘All the same, he probably wouldn’t have objected if you had. I’ll be giving you instructions as you go along. Make sure you follow them to the letter. Somehow I don’t think that will be such a problem for you in this particular situation, but I thought I ought to remind you that obedience is still the order of the day’
‘Is the man a client on the course?’
‘No, he’s a more than willing voluntary assistant,’ laughed Simon. ‘Now, that’s enough questions. We’re using this room.’
The small training room was sparsely furnished, but warm. In the middle of the floor there was a double bed and a man was already lying in the middle of it, completely naked. Natalie thought he was probably about thirty, with light brown curly hair and a compact, well-muscled body. He looked as though he’d done this before, and his eyes seemed to assess Natalie as though he was trying to decide whether or not she would be a good pupil.
‘You need to be naked as well,’ explained Simon. ‘Then, before you begin, I want you to oil your hands, belly, thighs and sex.’
Natalie looked questioningly at him. ‘Why?’
Simon sighed. ‘Because I say so.’