Around The World in 80 Lays - 001

Around the World in 80 Lays

The Tale of Dustin and Anna's Adventure

Dustin stood at the door of the swanky hotel bar in downtown London. It stood and looked around, taking in the ambiance of the establishment and the exotic nature of my surroundings. For a regular guy from Texas, it had been an almost overwhelming experience arriving at Heathrow Airport and catching a famed London cab to the 5-star hotel. Now, he was ready to take his first steps into this global melting pot.

The others in the hotel bar represented the cosmopolitan, global atmosphere of the entire city. It was a multinational crowd and various languages could be heard. However, when the figure stopped in the doorway, the majority of the crowd stopped to look. What they saw was an average man of mature years. It wasn't so much the man as the way he was dressed. Rather than the norm of a well tailored and expensive business suit as most of the others wore, the figure looked out of place.

Dustin noticed the change in the bar. He saw eyes suddenly turned his way and the diminished volume of the conversations in the room. He smiled slightly, realizing that the cause of the changes was him.

To say that Dustin appeared to be an anachronism might be an understatement. At 5' 9", Dustin was by no means an imposing specimen. The fact that he was 70 years old only added to the questioning looks. It was probably the large white wide-brimmed Stetson cowboy hat, or the long sleeve Ariat shirt, the starched and creased Wrangler jeans or the ostrich skin cowboy boots with the full riding heel.

Before Dustin could take three more steps into the bar, he heard the first question.

"Are you really from Texas?"

Dustin stopped and offered a wide toothy grin.

"Yes, Sir, I am, and damned proud of it."

That opened a veritable floodgate of introductions, handshakes, and more questions. Dustin soon found himself with a pint of the local bar's best ale and a crowd gathered round assailing him with questions about himself, Texas, and what he was doing in London. Dustin kept grinning, answering questions with an affable manner, and getting in a few swallows of ale along the way. For the next several hours, the crowd changed, but the interest never waned. Dustin never lacked for a pint of ale, and he never put a penny on the bar to pay.

&&&&&

The crowd around Dustin had thinned to a small degree, but as new people came into the bar, interest in this out of place individual kept drawing attention. That only changed when another figure entered the bar and stopped to look around. The mostly male occupants of the bar all seemed to turn to look as if some mysterious message had been communicated among them. They all turned to look, including Dustin.

Standing, framed in the doorway, was a tall, curvy, and utterly divine apparition. She was tall. With her heels, she had to stand at least 6'. Her face was framed in soft blonde curls that cascaded down past her shoulders. She was curvaceous. The white button down blouse she wore was tailored to her upper body. The sheer material did nothing to hide the outlines of the white lace bra that so effectively lifted and displayed her cleavage at the two open buttons at the top of the blouse.

She wore a pleated black skirt that stopped only midway to her knees down her long shapely. She stood in the doorway, her feet slightly apart, and looked over the assembly in the room. It was a long, slow look, as if she were appraising everyone in the room against some checklist in her mind. Everyone noted the pause in her gaze as she saw Dustin, standing at the bar, holding a glass of ale, the cowboy hat sitting on its top with the brim up next to his elbow. A soft smile crossed her face, as if she had made a sudden decision.

The nearly all male retinue in the bar watched as she stepped off, heading directly toward Dustin, stopping next to him. Dustin, for his part, had watched the entire few seconds with as much interest as any other man in the room. When he saw the woman approaching him, he waited to see her intention.

Dustin sipped his ale as the woman approached and stopped close to his side. She chose to stand just inside what he would call his personal sphere, that distance that most people maintain from one another as a sort of buffer zone. She had established herself just inside Dustin's sphere. He watched, over the rim of his glass. She stopped and waited a few seconds before taking the initiative.

"Are you really from Texas?"

That question brought a rash of laughter and chuckles from the small crowd at the bar. From the back, a voice was heard.

"You're a little late. He has already answered that question at least a dozen times."

The woman identified the source of the comment with her piercing blue eyes, and the voice trailed off and the laughter quickly died. There was no doubt about the intent of the look. She tuned back to Dustin.

"I would still like to hear the answer."

Dustin set the glass on the bar and turned to face the woman directly.

"Yes, Ma'am. I am from Texas. I am Dustin Prescott."

He saw the look in her eyes soften.

"Pleased to meet you, Dustin Prescott. I am Anna. Anna Gherhart."

She put her hand out and Dustin took it firmly.

"My honor, Ma'am. I don't know much about these parts, but that accent is not one I have heard even here."

Anna smiled back at him.

"You're very perceptive, Dustin. I am not from the UK. I'm from New Zealand."

"I try to be aware of what's going on around me."

Anna looked at the men standing around. She was aware of the looks she was getting and where their eyes were mostly centered. She didn't mind turning her attention back to Dustin.

"Dustin, would you order me a gin and tonic? I will be right back. I need to refresh myself, if you don't mind."

"Of course."

She turned and headed across the bar to the entrance to the restrooms. Every eye in the place watched as she slowly strutted across the bar and disappeared. Dustin was no exception. He turned to the bartender.

"Bring the lady a drink."

The bartender nodded and went to work. From behind him, he heard another voice.

"Be careful, mate. That may not be as much of a lady as you think."

Dustin turned to see who was speaking and found a tall man in his mid-thirties wearing what Dustin took to be an expensive, tailored suit.

"What makes you say that?"

"Experience. I have been traveling and staying at places like this since university. My experience tells me she is working, not playing. She has all the earmarks of a costly escort."

Dustin raised his eyebrows.

"Really? This is my first trip out of the US in my entire life. I'm not very adept at negotiating things like this."

The tall Englishman grinned.

"Not to worry, friend. Most of us here are well acquainted with this sort. If you are in for a bit of sport, this might be your chance. She is certainly good-looking enough and has all the.... Er... Qualifications."

Dustin chuckled. Several of the men were nodding, Dustin's new-found friend continued.

"Let her take the lead and see where she goes with it. If we sense anything amiss, we'ill give you a heads-up."

"Thanks."

Anna came strolling back across the room and sidled up to the bar, getting even closer to Dustin than before. She raised the glass to her lips and then hesitated.

"You wouldn't be the sort to slip something in my drink and then take advantage of me, would you?"

Dustin grinned.

"You never know."

She looked at him and then took a healthy swallow of the gin and tonic.

"I guess with all these witnesses, it is a safe bet to take. What are you doing in London?"

"Checking off items on my bucket list."

She ran her tongue around the rim of the glass, quite seductively.

"London is on your bucket list?"

"Among other things."

Dustin felt her knee rub slightly along the outside of his upper thigh through the material of his Wranglers. He sipped his ale, holding her gaze.

"What kinds of things?"

"The usual. London. Paris. Bangkok. A few more specific things. I'm getting old, and I thought it was time to make a dent in the list before it was too late."

"You don't look that old."

"Old enough to be your daddy, I'm sure."

That elicited several chuckles from the group still standing around. About that time, Anna started slightly and looked over her shoulder. A dark man of what Dustin assumed was Indonesian ancestry suddenly dropped his eyes. Dustin saw the flash in Anna's eyes.

"Don't touch the merchandise. This is not a Jakarta market where you can squeeze the produce before you buy."

She turned to look at Dustin again.

"Is age a major thing for you?"

Dustin shrugged.

"I have left a lot of my former hangups behind with the years. Not much that people do or say affects me anymore."

He saw the crinkle at the corners of her eyes as she smiled.

"That's what I like about older and wiser men. They have lost a lot of their ego and their self-centered arrogance."

Dustin didn't answer, preferring to sip his ale and wait. Suddenly, a man that Dustin has seen sitting at the far end of the bar approached. He stepped in the narrow space between Dustin and Anna, facing her. He made no acknowledgement of Dustin and spoke with any introduction.

"Are you available for the evening?"

Anna looked at him. Dustin was watching with what most of the others saw as an amused gaze.

"What do you have in mind?"

"An evening of dining, dancing, and companionship?"

Anna looked at the man. He was well-dressed, about 5' 7" and a little on the portly side. It was also obvious that he was more than a little drunk. She smiled, but without the softness in her eyes that Dustin had seen earlier.

"Tell you what. If you can sober up and if I am here in two hours, come back, and we will see."

The man looked at Anna, his eyes lowering to gaze at the generous expanse of her cleavage at the open blouse. He licked his lips and nodded.

"I'm going to go get something to eat and take a shower. I'll change clothes and be back in two hours."

He turned and left. Anna watched him head out and chuckled slightly. As she turned to look back at Dustin, she saw the piercing gaze of his steel gray eyes.

"How much is this little bit of socialization going to cost?"

She appeared hurt as she replied.

"Nothing, of course."

"I see. So, enjoying your time here is on the house?"

She grimaced a bit and seemed a little annoyed.

"Does everything have to be a transaction?"

"That seems to be up to you?"

"Touché"

Dustin looked around at the men still clustered around the bar. Most were now interested in how the man from Texas was going to play out this little drama. Some were wondering how they would get themselves insinuated into the scene under the right circumstances. Dustin continued.

"Would an evening's entertainment be on your bucket list?"

Dustin laughed.

"That would probably come under the heading of other delights not otherwise listed."

Almost all the other men laughed, and another pint of ale appeared on the bar. Dustin looked at the gin and tonic glass and nodded to the bartender. Quickly, another drink appeared, and the empty glass was whisked away.

Anna looked at Dustin almost warily. She suddenly had the feeling that this Yank wasn't as gullible nor as naive as he appeared. She leaned toward him, putting a hand on his waist.

"How about you take me to dinner, and I will take you dancing. I'm sure we can come to some sort of understanding."

Dustin never wavered, nor did he lessen the distance between them. What he did seemed to unnerve Anna just a bit. He looked over his shoulder at the man who had spoken earlier.

"What is your name, friend?"

"Reginald."

"Pleased to meet you, Reginald. I'm Dustin, but I'm sure you already knew that. Tell me, in your knowledgeable experience, what would a good understanding be for dinner, dancing, and an evening of companionship."

Everyone's attention was now raptly on the conversation. Anna looked a little nonplussed but remained silent.

"Well, Dustin, given the lady in question and her obvious talents, I would hazard a guess that such an evening would be between $3,000 and $5,000 depending on the length of the evening."

"Would that top-end number include the entire night, say, to 10 am."

"I doubt that would be out of the question."

Dustin's eyes had never left Anna.

"Well?"

Anna sat back, her eyes showed a bit of surprise.

"That sounds like a fair assessment."

Dustin looked at her and then smiled. The smile caused her a bit of unease.

"Does that offer hold for me, or would it be available to anyone who wanted to take it or even improve on it?"

Anna's face suddenly showed a hint of unease. She hesitated before she spoke.

"I... Ugh... Well... I guess it will hold for you."

Dustin's eyes seemed to sparkle.

"Well, I think I would certainly accept the terms, but I would never be one to keep you from taking a better offer to improve your business position. Would any of you gent's care to improve on that offer?"

Anna suddenly looked apprehensive. This was not the way things usually went.

From behind him, Dustin heard Reginald's voice.

" I would sweeten the offer by another 1,000"

A large, swarthy man in an expensive suit suddenly chimed in. His thick Mideastern accent was a bit challenging to decipher, but he soon made himself understood.

"I offer 10,000 for the rest of the weekend."

A heavy hand came down on Dustin's shoulder and gripped it tightly.

"And you, my cowboy friend, will join us."

Dustin's face broke into a wide grin. He watched Anna, who now had the look of a trapped rabbit in her eyes.

"What do you say, Anna? A weekend with my friend and me?"

Anna looked dazed. She looked at the eyes of the surrounding men, and they all suddenly looked predatory. She swallowed, but it was difficult. Her throat was dry.

Suddenly, Dustin cocked his head and looked at the Arab.

"What is your name?"

"Ahmad."

"Ahmad. What if we invited all of our new friends. You toss in the 10,000 for the base offer and anyone here who is keen to join in puts in another 1,000."

Ahmad beamed.

"That sounds like a marvelous idea."

Suddenly, Anna had a bad feeling. She had gone from negotiating a nice night of dining, dancing, and companionship to being the centerpiece of what could be considered a large gang bang. She was looking around and almost panicked.

The excitement in the bar at the possibility of such an orgiastic opportunity had most of the men aroused and ready. Dustin simply watched Anna with growing interest. Her apprehension and upset seemed to be growing. The look of the trapped rabbit now more closely reflected that deer in the headlights look just before the vehicle hit. He let her stew for a few moments as he downed the rest of the ale.

"Gent's, on further thought, I believe I will take up the young lady on her offer myself. I'll chalk it up as one of my bucket list options. I'm sure she will make it remarkable."

A collective groan went up and Ahmad spoke quickly.

"I would be glad to extend my offer if you will allow me to join in."

Dustin seemed to stop and consider the offer. Anna watched carefully.

"Ahmad, my new friend. As tempting as the offer, I must regretfully let it pass. Perhaps another time. This is my bucket list, and I am a bit particular."

Ahmad looked disappointed but raised his glass in salute. Dustin turned back to Anna, stood from where he was leaning against the bar, carefully positioned the Stetson on his head, and offered his arm to Anna.

"Shall we, little lady?"

She stood from the barstool where she rested, slipped her arm into his and smiled.

"I think we shall."

Every eye in the bar watched enviously as they walked through the door and disappeared into the lobby. There were more than a few were amused grins. The bartender just shook his head and went back to washing glasses.

&&&&&

Epilogue.

The two walked across the lobby arm in arm without speaking. Eyes watched them, the cowboy with the beautiful woman on his arm. The security man standing near the front desk shifted his eyes as he watched. He had never seen her before, but she had all the hallmarks of one of the high-priced escorts that were seen around the hotel. He didn't like it, but the management seemed to turn a blind eye to the practice. Unless there were obvious problems, he was instructed not to interfere. He suspected that the management of the hotel was getting some sort of kickback.

In the elevator headed to the concierge suite where he was staying, she turned to grasp his arm and lay her head on his shoulder. He smiled, and turned his head to kiss her lightly on the forehead.

Exiting the elevator, they passed the concierge desk. Dustin nodded to the man and received a knowing smile in return. Dustin keyed the door open and let Anna enter first before stepping in and securing all the bolts, latches, and chains on the door. He turned to find Anna looking at him, her eyes glowing and her breathing a little heightened.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a roll of $100 bills, counting off 50 then laying them fanned neatly on the vanity in the hotel room. Dustin looked at her with a knowing grin.

"That's what we agreed on. Dinner, dancing, and companionship."

"God damned Daddy. That was the hottest thing we have ever done. Were you really going to let them all buy into a gang bang?"

"That is for me to know and you to find out. But right now, I am more interested in seeing you, on that bed, buck naked and smiling."

&&&&&

Thus began Dustin and Diane's adventure. The idea had hatched as Dustin and Diane lay in the huge iron dungeon bed at the BDSM bed and breakfast in South Warwickshire. They had ended up there just before they were to embark on their trip. Anna was enthralled with the opportunities and the fantastical concept that Dustin proposed. He called it going around the world in 80 lays.

Dustin was from Texas, born, bred and by the Grace of God, as he was want to say. Anna was originally from New Zealand but had spent almost all her adult life in the UK. As a physician, she had made a career with the NHS, raised a daughter who was now at university, and was, by all accounts, beautiful. She was also 20 years younger than Dustin.

Dustin was 70, in reasonable health and, now, single. During his seventy years, he had raised a family, spent one career as a professional firefighter and another as a very successful entrepreneur. Just before his 69th birthday, he had bought a lottery ticket. The lottery was just north of one billion dollars. He found out on his birthday, three days before Christmas, that he held the only winning ticket to the largest state-sponsored lottery that had ever occurred. By the end of January, he had everything in place to claim his winnings. The day after he, his then wife, his kids, and grandkids received the symbolic check in Austin, TX, He was served divorce papers by his wife of 46 years the next day.

She had conveniently waited until the payment had been awarded. Dustin had chosen the annual payout option to maximize the return on his $5 lottery ticket investment. His plan was to hand the majority of the annual payout to an investment manager, keeping only what he thought prudent. His wife had argued vehemently to take the 600 million lump sum. Now he understood why she was so adamant that they take the immediate payout rather than the annual return.

The attorney that Dustin used had tried to convince him to fight the divorce. For his part, Dustin had already decided that he wanted nothing more than to be done with the whole situation so he could go on with his life. The asset split was purely 50/50. Getting half of $14 million every year for 30 years seemed to mollify his wife. In 90 days, the deal was done, and he walked out of his lawyer's office a single man after 46 years.