Educating Peter

I stood there, outwardly calm but inwardly bursting with curiosity, while the others filed out through another set of lovely mahogany doors at the far end of the room. They did not glance at me as they left.

Katrina stood calmly by my side. The others knew Katrina would deal with the situation. She took care of us. "What is the meaning of this intrusion, gentlemen? It is most irregular."

The taller of the two intervened. "Indeed, but we have a special request for Tessa that must be conducted in private. I promise we mean her no harm, and she will not be forced in any way."

Katrina would have said more, but I put my hand on her shoulder. "Do not worry. I will listen to their request. I am agreeing to no more than that."

She nodded. "If you need anything, I will be just on the other side of the doors."

She left me alone with those strange men. But I did not lose my composure. Two men at once was my specialty.

I smiled at them. "How may I help you, gentlemen?"

"Our clients wish to remain anonymous for now. They require you to seduce their son—if you can."

I arched one perfectly plucked eyebrow. "If?"

"Our clients are from a very traditional and respected family. Their son, their only child and hence, the heir to a vast empire, has decided he is gay. This is completely unacceptable and they will pay you handsomely to persuade him otherwise."

I laughed. I could not help it. "One does not 'decide' one is gay, gentlemen. If that is who he is, then I am afraid there is little I or anyone else can do about it."

"Nonetheless, they wish you to try. They will compensate you handsomely for your time."

I shrugged. If they wished to waste their money, that was their business. "If I do not succeed, I require your assurances there will not be any recriminations."

"None at all," the short man assured me. "You are their last hope."

One final question needed an answer. "Why me, gentlemen? I am the newest and least experienced of the BlueBelles. Surely, another would be more suited to this task?"

"All of you have impeccable characters, but none of the others come from a bloodline as blue as our clients'. They feel you are the most . . . suitable."

The snobbery behind that remark made me smile inwardly. It was all too familiar.

Their knowledge of my parentage did not surprise me. Selecting a new BlueBelle was a serious matter, one the media dwelt on for months. Everything in one's past became the public's present.

I had dreamt of being accepted into the BlueBelles from an early age, after seeing them riding their white thoroughbred mares in the park, tilting my head farther and farther back to look up at them from only a foot or so above the ground. I thought them to be the most beautiful ladies in the world. Later, I had learned more about them, and their exclusivity only enhanced my desire to join them. As the youngest in my family, I was not expected to fulfill a particular role in adulthood, so I had more freedom than my older siblings did. I had worked incredibly hard and sacrificed a great deal to achieve my goal. My parents were very proud I had been accepted into such an elite profession.

These early months had already provided me with some unexpected opportunities and remarkable experiences, but nothing on this scale.

I was . . . intrigued. The request added extra spice to an already flavorful day.

When I left, I said nothing to Katrina, and she asked me no questions.

She did not have to. I would explain events in full to the BlueBelles later. No secrets existed among us, but what we learnt, we kept strictly to ourselves. We could pride ourselves on knowing everything worth knowing, but no one outside our circle ever found out. Discretion was our code of honor and men paid a fortune for it.

And for our ability to fuck like goddesses, of course.

I felt a pang of jealousy as I watched my friends walk down the corridor where the majority of the boys waited. Next year, I promised myself and turned my attention to the main event.

I may well not succeed in this strange task, but I might gain useful information through trying, and through failing, I might make a friend of this defiant boy. His parents were clearly powerful. Their heir would be someone worth knowing. His parents would be grateful I had tried and that the BlueBelles would keep their secret for as long as needed.

Of course, it was possible they would disown him completely, but not likely. They had no spares to take his place.
My silent guide led me to a door, with a design of oak leaves carved into its centre, deep within the heart of the school. I wore only a pale pink silk robe, and the cool material felt good against my skin. He knocked once, stepped aside, allowing me entrance, and then closed the door behind me, remaining outside the room.

My eyes took a few moments to adjust to the dimness. A fireplace nestled in the far wall and the only light came from its warm glow. A man sat with his back to me in an upright chair in front of the hearth, ignoring the comfortable sofas I could glimpse around the edge of the room. Another man stood behind the first, silently stroking the seated man's hair. I was clearly interrupting an intimate moment.

But I suspected I was being paid to do precisely that.