Sapphire

Fluttershy stood on the hardwood floor of a small room, spotlessly clean, darkly lit by corner floor lamps. Beside her stood a potted plant, its thick stem and wide leaves an artificial, unblemished, too-perfect green. Dark curtains covered the windows.

On the opposite side of the room, Velvet sat behind a wide, wooden desk that made the pony sitting behind it appear tiny and foalish. Velvet watched her, eyes widening, like a school principal eyeing a student who had wandered uninvited into her office.

“Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy heard the door close behind her and immediately knew she had made a terrible mistake. She made a squeaking sound that she probably meant as a “Sorry!” but wasn’t really sure. She wasn’t sure of anything except that she needed to get out of that room as soon as possible. She turned and grabbed the doorknob.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait!” Velvet’s hurried, shrilly voice called to her.

Fluttershy paused. She heard a chair scraping across wood and scrambling hooves approach.

Then Velvet was right in her face, slightly out of breath, mouth open, eyes wide and panicky and vaguely childish. “Discretion!” she shouted.

“What?” Fluttershy asked.

Velvet took a deep breath, composed herself, grinned, and then said in a practiced voice, “The first thing you should know about Finest Companions is that discretion is our number one priority!” Velvet smiled in a self-satisfied manner, and then frowned. “Oh, wait! No, that’s customer satisfaction. So customer satisfaction is our number one priority, and then safety and quality, and then discretion. So discretion is, like, our number four priority. But that’s still really high, higher than most places, probably.”

Fluttershy looked from Velvet to the door.

“So, since we value discretion, that means you don’t have to worry about any of your friends finding out about this, yeah?”

Fluttershy hadn’t even thought what her friends might think. She hadn’t thought of anything. She just rashly charged inside. What would her friends think? What would her friends say if they knew she had come to a place like this? Would they talk to her at all? Would they look at her differently, look down on her in a wholly different and worse way? Fluttershy  felt sick.

“And the second thing you should know is that we here at Finest Companions understand that all adults have certain needs, and sometimes it’s difficult or embarrassing to get those needs met, so we strive to fulfill those needs hassle and embarrassment free.”

Fluttershy’s ears perked. “Adults?”

“Uh huh!” Velvet nodded. “We don’t serve minors.”

Fluttershy looked from the door to Velvet again, and this time settled on Velvet. “Um, so what exactly does, um, Finest Companions do?”

“Why don’t you follow me to my office?” Velvet said with a smile and a wink, then began walking away.

Fluttershy stayed put. Velvet had said it like a question, but was already halfway across the room. Fluttershy looked back at the door. This was her last chance to leave before she found out whatever happened in Velvet’s ‘office.’ Fluttershy blushed at the possibilities. But she couldn’t leave now. This is what adults did, and Fluttershy was an adult. She would prove that to Rarity.

She followed Velvet across the room.

Velvet led her to a door behind the wooden desk, smiled, and walked inside.

Fluttershy hesitated, then followed.

Inside, Velvet turned on another corner lamp that revealed a small, messy room, not much larger than a closet, with a much smaller desk than the one in the lobby, covered in papers and notepads and books. But there was something cozy about the mess, some lived-in feeling that the sterile, too-clean lobby lacked. Two empty chairs stood in front of the desk. Velvet sat in one and then motioned to the other.

Fluttershy sat down, and wondered what might happen next. Velvet wouldn’t take her right then and there, right? That didn’t seem likely, but the chairs were very close together. Fluttershy leaned back a little just in case.

Velvet smiled at Fluttershy again. She was an awfully smiley mare, like Pinkie Pie. Except not half as smiley as Pinkie Pie, because no one was even half as smiley as Pinkie Pie. But, still, it put Fluttershy at ease, and she smiled back.

“Firstly,” Velvet said, “you have a super-cute mane, like, where do you even get that done? But don’t answer that because I know it’s Rarity and, jeez, she’s good at it, and could you ask her if she would do mine sometime?”

“Um.”

“Thanks!” Velvet said, and hopped in her chair a little, then seemed to remember that she was supposed to be doing a job, and settled back down and smiled again, more professionally this time. “Secondly, what we, or mostly just me, I mean Silver Locks comes in sometimes, but he’s a super flake, but he’s the boss, so whatever. It’s usually just me. Anyway, what we do at Finest Escorts is connect interested clients, like yourself, with friendly, discreet, and though I’m not supposed to say so during the sales pitch for some reason, super duper hot escorts. I think our motto is, like, “We make your fantasies become realities” or something equally cheesy and stupid, but you get the idea.” Velvet looked at Fluttershy expectantly.

Fluttershy shifted in her seat and rubbed her knee. “Okay.”

Velvet laughed. “Heh, sorry, I shouldn’t laugh. You just act really cute when you’re nervous, but there’s not any need to be. But I tell that to everypony their first time, and they always act nervous anyway. So go ahead, I guess, but while you’re wiggling around in your chair, do you have any questions, or would you like to get started now?”

Fluttershy’s mouth went dry. Get started? A hundred embarrassing images passed through Fluttershy’s head. She didn’t think she was ready for this. She also still felt a little sick. She cleared her throat. “Um, do a lot of ponies come here?”

“Not really. Mostly ponies from out of town, but that doesn’t really happen often. We’ve got a decent number of regulars, but obviously I can’t, and never would, name any names.” Velvet shrugged. “This is a high class service, so it’s expensive. And Ponyville’s still small, and everypony in town is pretty friendly. Most ponies around here don’t have much trouble getting some for free if they want it.”

Most ponies except Fluttershy. Even in this, she was still strange and inexperienced.

Velvet must have noticed something in her face, as she quickly added, “Not that you should care! There are a million different reasons why a pony would prefer to meet someone through us. Convenience, for one. Personally, I think ponies should be free to do whatever makes them happy. All that matters is that you want a little companionship, and we know companions who want to be, uh, companionable.”

Fluttershy nodded and took a deep breath. She thought about Velvet’s puppy, Pepper. She had given him a couple vaccinations while he stayed with her. Vaccinations were necessary, but scary for the animals. The wait was always so much worse for them than the shot itself, though. Thinking about it, worrying about it, seeing the needle, knowing it would soon puncture the skin. But the shot itself was never half as bad as any of her critters imagined it to be, because anything merely scary out in the world is a distinct horror in one’s imagination. So Fluttershy didn’t waste a lot of time building up to Pepper’s shots. More time just meant more time for the little puppy to be nervous or scared. It was best to be quick and firm. Don’t give a puppy time to get nervous and he won’t get nervous, just grumpy.

“Okay,” Fluttershy said. “I’m ready.”

“Awesome!” Velvet reached over to the desk and grabbed a small binder. “Let’s get started, then.”

Fluttershy waited, but Velvet stayed seated and didn’t show any intention of getting up. Fluttershy looked around the cramped, messy office. She didn’t want to do that in here, or with Velvet, really… She licked her lips and asked, “Um, is there maybe a bedroom somewhere we can go, if you, um, don’t mind?”

Velvet looked up at her. “What?”

“For the, um… you know…”

Velvet stared at her.

A horrible and embarrassing warmth flooded Fluttershy’s face and neck. She began to suspect that she had dramatically misunderstood the entire situation, the nature of the business she had visited, and everything Velvet had said. She tried to apologize, but all that came out was a squeak. She wanted to get up and run out the door and then out of the building and all the way to her cottage, but her legs had stopped working and gone limp.

“Oh!” Velvet smiled. “I forgot this was your first time, so I probably should have explained stuff. Finest Companions is not a brothel, and we don’t do any of the things a brothel does. We’re a companion service. The only thing we do is help you arrange time with our companions, nothing else.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy tapped a hoof on the bottom of her chair. “I’m sorry, I don’t really understand.”

“Yeah, I know it sounds weird, but it’s actually pretty simple.” Velvet sat up in her chair and straightened her back. It reminded Fluttershy of Twilight on the precipice of a lecture. “Basically, Finest Companions provides a service both to you and to our companions. See, for a companion, it can be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and in other places (but not so much in Ponyville), unsafe to meet with potential clients directly. So they hire services like ours to meet with clients for them, screen out any bad eggs, and arrange prices and times for them. Make sense so far?”

“Um, I guess.”

“Cool! Now, what we do for you is provide you with the information of a bunch of different super hot companions all in one place.” Velvet winked, and Fluttershy hid a blush behind her mane. “If you want to connect with one of them, and if you meet their qualifications—and you will, don’t worry, it’s just that some of our companions are picky—we arrange a meeting for you. All you buy from us is time with one of our companions. What you and your chosen companion do during that time is between the two of you, but our companions are very—” Velvet leaned forward and lowered her voice. “—generous with what they’re willing to do during that time, if you know what I mean.”

“Qualifications?” Fluttershy asked, her stomach tightening.

“Don’t worry about it,” Velvet said, waving her hoof dismissively. “It’s mostly just to make sure you’re not really gross or creepy, and our companions have the right to turn down any potential client they don’t like for whatever reason. But you’re cute and super nice, so you’ll be fine. We only have one companion who's really, really picky, but that’s only a problem if she’s the companion you’re interested in.”

“All right. So, I just tell you what, um, companion I want to meet with, and then…?”

“And then we take care of the rest. It’ll take a day or two for us to get back to you and let you know when and where that companion can meet with you. Most of our companions are more than willing to do out-calls, and you’ll pay them directly when you meet them.”

Fluttershy cocked her head to the side. “Out-calls?”

“As opposed to in-calls. Meeting you somewhere of your choosing instead of theirs. Usually a hotel room, but they could meet you at your cottage, too. Whatever you prefer.”

Fluttershy bit her lip, feeling some of her confidence return. It sounded easy. Just tell Velvet who she wanted to meet, then wait at her cottage for her companion to come meet her, and then… that. “Do, um, do you have a list I could look at?”

“Absolutely! I have it right here.” Velvet gestured to the binder she was holding, then flipped it open and held it out so Fluttershy could see. “These are our stallion companions. They’re all pretty cool. You’ll see some information listed below each name, like coat and mane colors, height, and then more personal stuff like hobbies and interests. Just let me know which one you’re interested in and I’ll tell you if and when they’re available. And if you need any recommendations, well, let’s just say I’ve taste-tested a few of our recipes, so I can totally let you know which ones you’d like.”

Fluttershy bit her lip and leaned forward. The listings in the binder were concise, simple, and professional, like the classified section in a newspaper. “There aren’t any pictures?”

“Nope,” Velvet said. “These aren’t their real names, either. We prefer to protect our companions’ anonymity until a firm meeting has been arranged and paid for.”

Fluttershy nodded and read an entry about a stallion named Hard Body, who was as tall as Big Mac, was described as a ‘rugged outlaw’, and his interests included ‘wrangling’ and something called ‘tie-ups.’ Fluttershy blushed furiously when she realized what the ‘member length’ section referred to, and while she thought Hard Body sounded like a very nice and handsome pony, she didn’t think a ‘Wild West style wild night’ was really for her.

“Um, do you have any, um, maybe—”

“And these are our mare companions,” Velvet said, smiling and turning the page.

Fluttershy glanced over this page. She read through the entries, and soon began to feel disheartened. The mares all sounded very nice, and she was sure they were all very pretty and friendly, it was just that none of them—but then one entry caught her eye.

Race:          unicorn

Coat color:  white

Mane color: purple

Eye color:    blue

Her name was Sapphire. The entry described her as elegant, intelligent, and sophisticated. Her only listed interest was ‘Giving back.’ Reading about her made Fluttershy feel pleasantly warm, like taking an outdoor nap in the grass underneath the shade of a tree on a spring afternoon.

Fluttershy pointed at Sapphire’s listing. “What about her?”

Velvet looked where Fluttershy pointed, and then let out an abrupt, snickering laugh. “Ha! You know, don’t you? I figured you probably did, but she’s gonna be so embarrassed! So, how do you wanna do this?”

Fluttershy recoiled away from Velvet and the binder. “What?”

Velvet leaned forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “You wanna prank her or something, right? I’m totally in. Let’s not do anything really mean, though, because she’s cool.”

“Um.”

 ‘Wait.” Velvet squinted at her. “You don’t know, do you?”

“Um, no?”

“Okay,” Velvet said, a grin slowly spreading over her muzzle. “Okay, wow, this is even better! Like, this is too good!” Velvet laughed again, then composed herself. “So, uh, Sapphire, yeah. Yeah, she’d be perfect for you. You guys would like each other. Sapphire’s actually that really super picky companion I told you about before. I think she’s only ever agreed to meet with, like, two clients. Usually, she would want to know a lot about you in advance, and particularly why you want to see her and what you’re looking for in a companion, but I don’t think that matters this time. She’ll definitely agree to see you.”

Fluttershy felt a little pleased that Velvet was so certain such an apparently exclusive companion would want to see her, but mostly she felt confused. “How do you know?”

“Because, uh, because you’re cute, duh!”

“Oh,” Fluttershy said, a little disappointed and a little flattered. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. So Sapphire—” Velvet giggled again “—usually prefers to meet somewhere public first, and then only does in-calls, but I’m certain she’d make an exception for you. Also, since we don’t need to do all the other stuff, she should be able to meet you pretty soon. How about tomorrow evening?”

“That soon?”

“Yeah, unless you want to wait longer. It’s up to you. But I’d recommend, uh, jumping on this right away. You never know what might change if you wait.”

Fluttershy remembered Pepper and the vaccinations. “Okay. I can do tomorrow.”

“Cool! Would you prefer to meet her at your cottage, or the at the White Hill Hotel?”

“Um, the White Hill,” Fluttershy said. The White Hill Hotel was Ponyville’s only hotel. Fluttershy would have preferred if no other ponies saw Sapphire coming to her cottage, especially another white unicorn with a purple mane and blue eyes she knew. She didn’t know how she could explain this to her.

“All right,” Velvet said, standing up and extending her hoof. “I’ll come by tomorrow afternoon and let you know what time, and you can tell me then what room number to give Sapphire. Oh, and don’t bother bringing any bits. Sapphire never charges.”

Fluttershy stood up and lightly shook her hoof. “Thank you.”

“Uh huh,” Velvet said. “Have a good night.”

Fluttershy wished her goodbye and then left the building. As she walked home, she felt light and bouncy, and she wondered and hoped that Sapphire would have a voice like a ballerina, a voice that washed over her coat and wings and withers like cool, clean cloudwater.