For two years, John Doe had been working for Blue Diamond Escorts, unquestionably the most prestigious and exclusive such agency on the planet. Blue Diamond was for the cream of the crop: the richest, most powerful, most famous people in the world. Movie stars, senators, foreign dignataries, captains of industry, these were the clientele that Blue Diamond served. Just to be put on their list of customers required a security deposit that could have purchased a Ferrari.

John was an escort, and after the required training period, one of the best and most promising new faces the agency had seen for some time. Already having provided companionship and (to be brutally honest) eye candy for some of Hollywood's brightest and America's wealthiest, John had created quite a stir within Blue Diamond, and as such was not surprised to be called to the head office for a "Midnight Meeting" as they were called.

Still, there was some cause to be nervous, as it was rumored that some escorts called into the presence of Ms. Melinda Hayes were never seen again. However, that was far and away the exception to the rule - most came out of such private meetings with elevated standing, considerably improved commissions, and a generally more elite status among the escort corps. So, it was with mixed feelings of excitement and trepidation that John rode up the elevator to the penthouse suite where Ms. Hayes lived and ran the Blue Diamond enterprise.

At the top floor a pair of bodyguards met John; one male, one female, both dressed in fitted black uniforms and carrying what looked to be rifle-sized tasers. "State your business," they said simultaneously, even though they knew perfectly well what John was doing there.

"I have an appointment with Ms. Hayes."

"She is expecting you. Please accompany us."

The guards led John down the short hallway to the ornate double doors at the far end, which opened automatically upon their arrival. Swallowing down a nervous lump, John entered the lavishly decorated suite.

"Ah, John!" called a voice from the upper level. Melinda Hayes strode down the stairs, dressed in a pure white suit, obviously custom-fitted and of an ideal style that displayed her femininity without compromising her corporate attitude. "Do come in. I had a feeling from the day we hired you that we would someday be having this meeting. May I offer you a drink?"

"Whatever you have will be fine," John replied.

"I prefer white wine." Ms. Hayes snapped her fingers, and a young woman appeared with two glasses on a tray. Taking one, she sat in a large and elegant chair and motioned for John to do the same. "I can imagine what's going through your mind right now," Ms. Hayes said. "You're curious, wondering what this is about. Perhaps you've heard rumors that give you more cause for alarm, or you're facing this meeting with optimism. Rest assured that there is no reason for apprehension. The fact that you are here is to your credit, not your detriment. Only my finest escorts are invited to such meetings."

"I'm pleased to hear it."

"Allow me to tell you some of the history of this agency which you have not previously been aware of," Ms. Hayes continued. "Blue Diamond Escorts is, as you know, the finest agency of its type in the world today. We began as a much smaller and certainly less prestigious operation based out of Las Vegas, where we built our clientele due to our well-earned reputation of absolute confidentiality. Still, we remained essentially a small operation until November of 1998. That was when Hollywood's most infamous... shall we say, escort provider... was released from prison having served twenty months for tax evasion. Do you know of whom I speak?"

"Heidi Fleiss," John said.

"Of course. You probably remember the uproar that was caused at the time over her 'little black book' of clients. In the end, the only name of note that was revealed was Charlie Sheen, which didn't actually surprise a lot of people. What was not known is what happened to the full, unabridged list of clients that was never revealed to the public. That list actually came into the possession of Blue Diamond Escorts upon Ms. Fleiss' release from prison, and it is from that list that we have built this agency to the pinnacle you see today.

"Until this moment, you have been involved solely in the more public side of the company, the legal escort service that serves as a shield for our true purpose. Under this cover, we operate, advertise, pay our taxes. What I am inviting you into today is the inner circle of Blue Diamond, where we provide far more intimate services for our clients. As one of our finest escorts, you have earned this opportunity. I will be perfectly blunt: you are being asked tonight if you would be willing to make the transition from high-class escort to a member of the world's oldest profession."

John was speechless.

"If you accept, you can expect a tripling of your current commissions as well as other benefits, to reflect both upon the more strenuous and exotic duties that you will be called upon to perform, and to ensure that you have considerable incentive to maintain confidentiality - which, of course, is absolutely essential considering the clients we work with. This is all I can tell you now until I have your answer, and you should be aware that you will not be permitted to leave this room until I have it. What you have heard about people disappearing after meetings such as this one is, in fact, true. If you refuse, you will meet the same fate as theirs: a generous pension, a one-way ticket to the South American destination of your choice, and... some assurance of your silence that it would be best not to dwell upon. That may sound harsh, but we cannot afford exposure.

"So, I put it to you plainly: Do you accept promotion?"

John thought only briefly before saying, "I'd be very happy to."

Ms. Hayes smiled widely. "Wonderful! I'm so pleased. Now, you'll need two months of further training to enhance the necessary skills for your new job, and at least two weeks after that to introduce you around to our enhanced-service clients so that they can get to know you a bit. Believe me, the time will fly by. I think you'll find that you've made a very good decision today."

John nodded and smiled, looking forward to this new opportunity.