Fire Woman

Both of them were dressed in dark business dress suits, like Emily. They look okay, she thought with a shrug. She accepted the clerk's offer to watch her bag, then walked over to the couple and got their attention with a polite cough. "Excuse me."

"Yes, ma'am?" the man asked, then blinked. "Oh, you're Ms. Emily Cartwright!" He stood up and extended his hand, as did the woman beside him. "Boris Garin. My wife Elena Ruiz and I own this place."

"Emily Johnson," Emily introduced herself. "My maiden name will soon again be my legal one." She shook her head, then shook hands with Boris and Elena. She bent down to shake hands with the latter, who dwarfed her by about seven inches or so. Then, with their encouragement, she sat down with them at the table. "You wanted to speak to me regarding the Nobles Game?" Emily kept her voice low and her movements limited in case inappropriate audiences were nearby.

"Yes," Elena said, smiling. "First, welcome to Garin-Ruiz. Among the English translations of both our surnames is 'Nobles' by the way- that's why we picked it as a code phrase."

"I see. And 'dame' is still my station in that Game, before you ask. I know it can get fluid. You two are what, duke and duchess?" Bisexual married couple, Emily reminded herself, with hall passes. A straight couple are knight and dame. A married straight couple without passes, just there to observe others, are count and countess. A homosexual couple are Spartan and Scythian, if married with passes, samurai and miko if no passes. Squire, damsel, ronin, and shieldmaiden are the single equivalents. Dragon and unicorn denote single bisexuals, while some other terms to which I didn't really pay attention cover trans, cross-dressing, and nonbinary people. "I'm still learning the lingo."

"We understand," Boris answered. "Yes, we're duke and duchess. Have you picked an alternate file code name? Your first choice, 'Fire Woman', was taken."

"Sorry to hear that. What about 'Bombera'? That's the Spanish translation of my first choice, if you don't know." Emily spoke fluent Spanish, but knew not every person of Latin descent was similarly talented. Elena looked Mexican, but that could mean nothing.

"Hablamos espanol," Elena told her with a smirk. "Do you have some personal connection to firefighters? I'm only curious."

"My birth mom was a firefighter," Emily replied. "Died in the line of duty when I was still in diapers. My dad and my stepmother were insurance adjustors, they raised me. They still honored my birth mom though, always. So do I. I had this superhero persona as a kid based on the name of her job. It later became a tabletop role-playing game character and a professional nickname."

"Yeah, Jake told us," Boris said, grinning. "We just wanted to hear it from you. Your entry to the Game is approved, pending this interview, and we have your guide lined up to meet you later. You know the playboy entertainment mogul Doug Ramsay?"

Emily blinked. "Yeah. I've read his autobiography, 'Millennial Casanova- Volume 1', and some of his thriller fiction novels." Seen the TV series and movies based on them too, she added to herself. And a few of his interviews in various media. I've thought about him at private moments a few times also. Jake told me celebrities came here for swinging, I guess Doug Ramsay's one of them. "Is he my guide?"

"Yes," Elena said. "His Nobles name is Frost-Fire, station knight. And you once knew each other."

"That's... crazy." Emily was not sure what they were talking about. Doug Ramsay's autobiography had mentioned a girl named Emily Johnson as his first crush, but she didn't think it was her. The only guy named Doug I've ever known for a long time was that shy boy who played superhero games with me in the first grade, she recalled. And his last name wasn't Ramsay. I know celebrities use fake names for professional purposes, to hide from stalkers... she called up a mental picture of the mogul. Maybe... she couldn't remember exactly what her old playmate had looked like. Deciding to check a possibility, she made a Friendship Society gesture at Boris and Elena.

They both gave the right return gesture. Okay. "Is Doug Ramsay a mutual friend?" Emily asked, using the Friendship Society code phrase for asking about a fellow member.

"Yes," said Elena. "He's a Regal. That's above Viceroys, which is what we are, and Friend, your level."

"Thanks." Emily felt her nerves settle. Friendship members were supposed to be of higher moral character as they increased in rank. Then again, the Society did include many libertines. Doug Ramsay, per his autobiography and reputation, was definitely one of those.

He's dated over a hundred women in his lifetime, Emily recalled. That's what the media says. Many who are famous and more who are not. A younger playboy than Hugh Hefner, but same type of personality. Or, per his own statements, a different personality. He says he doesn't view women as objects, holds them all as something special. He's a serial seducer, but not the disrespectful type. His reputation backs that assessment. There are the usual tabloid rumors otherwise, but they never seem to last or be supported by more serious media. Married twice. The first time for several years and faithful per all evidence I believe, including his autobiography. The second is recent, but it was sealed to the mass media despite the fact that I heard the event a few weeks ago had hundreds of attendees. I don't know his second wife's name. Open marriage, I suppose. Perhaps he intends to continue swinging this round. I wouldn't mind getting to know Doug Ramsay, and finding out the truth about him. Guess this is my chance.

"You said he knows me," she prompted Boris and Elena. "How?"

"We'll let him explain," said Boris. "Is he okay as a guide for you?"

"Sure. Any other concerns for my entry into the Game?"

Elena and Boris exchanged a glance, then looked back at Emily. "About your marriage..." asked Elena.

"What about it?"

"Your Nobles application said it was ending soon," said Boris. "I talked to Jake, and he confirmed that. Are you upset with him, or us?"

Emily smiled, understanding. "No. Jake and I have been separated since 2008. I had cancer, and he no longer found me as attractive once I recovered. On top of that, I'm a criminal attorney. I had a bad case in 2009, something that made me change careers from prosecution to defense. The people I represent... I'm not always able to separate how I feel about them from my own relationships."

Neither Boris nor Elena raised an eyebrow. "That led to the ongoing differences with your husband?" asked Elena.

"Yes," answered Emily. "Please don't say you're sorry. I hate hearing that."

"No worries." Boris frowned. "Your application just got us curious."

"Did Jake say anything bad about me?"

"No." Boris shook his head. "I know Jake is a member of other swingers' networks besides the Nobles Game. You allowed him to stray from you?"

"Yes." Emily bit her lip and looked around. No one in the lobby was paying attention to them, so she kept speaking. "I met Jake in college. We dated, got married in law school, had a son. We agreed to stay together until Matt graduated high school. Matt knew we were separated and didn't want to fight over him. I requested that attitude of Jake, raised Matt to accept it. Jake and I... we're still good friends and we still love each other, but it's not sexual. You probably know a lot of couples like that, right?"

"We do," replied Elena. "Some waiting to sign the divorce papers, some still sorting things out in other ways, some... hopeful."

"We're not any of those." Emily crossed her arms. "It's been over a long time. We had sex a lot before my cancer, then... in the years afterwards, I had to accept I was no longer his type. We still tried many times, but... eventually I let him have a hall pass and I fell back on my extensive porn collection. You know that stand-up comedy routine about how every guy has such a collection? So do many women. I'm one of them."

Elena grinned. "Me too."

Emily smirked. "I know about this 'ethical non-monogamy' stuff. I just... I didn't want to get involved in it. I didn't want to have to leave Jake or our son. Not until Matt grew up. Don't misunderstand me. I have desires, fantasies... but my real life is more important."

"And now you're settling that life," Boris speculated. "Adjusting it."

"Exactly," confirmed Emily. "Society has the common belief that marriages are always strong, pure. But they aren't. People get bored, stupid, have affairs. Or they have secret sides to their sexualities their spouses can't always accept. Or people change." She grimaced. "I hope we won't have to dwell on that."

"It's not necessary," said Boris. "If you're curious about Doug's marriage, or ours..."

"Let me guess," Emily interrupted. "Stable but open. Jake said most of the married women he's strayed with described their marriages like that. They stray because they want fantasies, threesomes, alternate lovers... other taboo things. Your Game is a way for people to get those things. Don't worry, I don't care about any of that stuff in a negative way. I don't want to expose anyone here. As long as people are obeying the law, and mutually enjoying whatever they do behind closed doors..." She looked around. "I try to keep an open understanding mind. Sometimes it's difficult, others it's easy. The job I have, my marriage, my collection..." She shrugged. "I just want to join the swinging lifestyle and have fun with it."

Boris slid a magnetic card towards her. "We've arranged a line of credit for you here. That's valid at all our attractions, including the casino. Initial limit's five thousand. You can add more and monitor it using the website listed on the back. We set it up with Jake's funding."

"Thank you." Emily tucked the card away.

"Did you want to know about Doug's wife?" Boris asked.

Emily thought for a moment, then decided she could wait on that. "He can tell me."

"Then your Nobles Game application is accepted," said Elena. "Welcome to the Nobles Game, Bombera. You don't have to use that name, by the way. Just remember it for the Game. I'll add it to your file in our computers when I can. Outside those computers, we let every Noble keep track of their own names, stations, and relationships. The AI app that also monitors them can be updated at any time, I'll send you a link. You and you alone will have full access to your account."

"Good to know."

"The next Nobles Theme Event is tomorrow," Elena said next. "It's a pirate costume night at the Inside Out lounge. We have a shop if you want something suitable, or you can go without. The themes aren't mandatory. Doug will also meet you in that lounge tonight if you want to meet him independent of a mass Nobles event. Would you like us to arrange that?"

"Sure." Inside Out is Doug Ramsay's lounge, Emily recalled. I passed the Nevada version of that nightclub on my shuttle ride here from the local airport. It was pretty obvious. A theme straight out of Saturday Night Live, with covered couches and chairs outside the walls and a faux street scene within. Same as it was in London, as described by his autobiography. That book said Doug Ramsay's first marriage ended several years ago. His current one... I'll ask him. The book didn't cover it, and the mass media hasn't either, other than mentioning it and not identifying his wife. "Tell him I'll be in his lounge around 8 tonight."

"Understood," said Elena. "That's all we wanted to know."

"We hope you'll have a good time here," Boris concluded, "and come back whenever you can."

Emily expressed that she wanted the same things. Then she bid them farewell, collected her suitcase, and headed for her room.

***

Chapter 3: Settling Issues.

***

That evening, Emily walked to Inside Out from the hotel. It was a short distance away. Garin-Ruiz had a system of trails, an electric taxi service, and a monorail train to aid its staff and visitors' travel. Emily did not bother with the taxis or monorail. Her direction sense and a map of the resort covered navigation needs. The usher at the door of Inside Out nodded at her when she scanned her resort card at the reader there. "Your entry here is free, ma'am," said the thin brown-haired man in a formal uniform with a red coat. "Our manager is expecting you."

Emily recognized the man from Doug Ramsay's autobiography. He'd included photos of several of his friends, family, and other associates in the print edition. The man's nametag helped. "You're one of his servants. Wouter."

"Wouter Staal," the usher nodded. "And I'm not a servant. I prefer the term 'adjutant' or 'retinue.'"

"Sorry." Emily tried to remember his exact function from the book. "You do accounts for Doug Ramsay, and security, too. Am I going to meet his other adjutants? Clarke, the main bodyguard? Tess, the doctor? Asher, the mute janitor spy? Jodie Lee, the other spy? I can't remember everyone else."

"Jodie Lee is tending bar inside. I don't know where Tess is right now. Asher is off duty tonight. Clarke's been promoted to resort chief of security here, and he's also off duty this evening. They're inside as customers. Doug can direct you to the others, possibly. I'll show you to him."

Wouter led her into the club after nodding at another nearby usher to relieve him. Emily looked around the lounge as they walked. Bar set up like an imitation outdoor cafe with a lot of celebrity photographs, neon lighting an eating area and an asphalt dance floor made up to look like a street full of immobile cars. A game arcade was off to one side near the DJ booth and restrooms. Emily recalled that the London Inside Out lounge had floors above it with a setup of meeting rooms, themed hotel rooms for swinging hook-ups, and offices. The Garin-Ruiz version was in a smaller building. It probably had the offices but not as many meeting or hotel rooms in the immediate vicinity.

No one under 18 was in the club, though there was a diverse cast of adults including people larger than Boris Garin and smaller than Elena Ruiz. Some couples with wide age gaps also. Emily recognized only two celebrities- Katherine McPhee and Woody Allen, whose relationships both featured significant controversy on the surface but were actually loving as far as Emily knew. She decided to be at ease here as much as she could, and talk about the most disturbing things in her sexual history if asked. See what happened. It was a tactic her college therapist had recommended way back when.

She met Doug Ramsay at a booth near the bar. He was recognizable from his media appearances, handsome and well-dressed in a dark suit with white shirt similar to what Emily wore. Doug thanked Wouter, then dismissed him. Emily sat down with Doug after shaking the mogul's hand. "I'm a small fan of yours," she told Doug. "This place's owners said you know me personally. How?"

"You don't recognize me?" Doug asked her. "First grade, Houston Montessori School. Mrs. Parker's class. I was going by my father's last name then. We're estranged now. His last name was Ellison. You called yourself 'Fire Woman' back then. When I saw your application, I remembered you."

Emily blinked, staring at him. Yes, it was the same boy she had known. She could place him now. Older, wearing glasses, and talking in a British accent instead of stuttering. But the name Ellison had clinched it. "Yes. I remember you now. Small world."

"Yes. It's good to see you're doing okay, Emily, and you've achieved a good career."

"Likewise."

Emily had already thought about sleeping with this man. Now that he wasn't a stranger, it seemed more possible. And desirable, once they established a relationship. That was a necessity for her. I am not going to sleep with strangers again, she had vowed when she decided to explore ethical non-monogamy. I will open myself with a certain etiquette, in a certain progression of events. I have thought about it more now. I won't mind being with a famous person first. I haven't had sex with anyone but myself in years. And the last time I had really good sex with anyone else... that was before my cancer, and before I met Courtney Crowe. She shuddered as she recalled the case that had led her to switch sides as a criminal attorney. "I've read some of your books, Doug. I enjoyed them."

"Thank you. The menu is there, if you want anything to eat or drink. I'm covering expenses for tonight."

"I appreciate that. Can we get some of your signature vodka cocktails?"

"Sure."

She scrawled some requests on an order card he offered her. He did the same, then handed the cards to a passing waiter. Emily then addressed the first topic she had planned. "Are you really an epic Casanova?"

"I try to be, but I would never claim that title. There are still many women I haven't been with- yet."

"I heard you were with Taylor Swift once."

"Yes. That was after my first marriage ended. It was short, as Taylor's relationships at the time usually were. At least I didn't get her to write a song about me."

"Also Princess Meghan of England, Keira Knightley, Erika Christensen, and a lot of other actresses. Athletes too."

"Other celebrities also, and many not so-famous women. Before they got married to their spouses in all cases of currently married women. The affairs I've had with married women are minimal and always in open or troubled relationship circumstances. I'm married myself, second time. As for the women I swing with, I can't confirm or deny anything without them present or if you don't already know. You know about my swinging,, but I... I can't reveal all my partners."

Emily nodded and decided to try another line of inquiry. "You were at Travis County as a Deputy. I was a prosecutor there. It was after you resigned."

"I know," he replied, smiling. "I researched you a bit. We also have some common contacts. Sonya Lakestrider was my training officer."

Emily knew the Deputy he was talking about, but had not seen her in a while. "I read your autobiography after I knew Sonya."

"She remembered you. Sonya told me she thought you were a skilled honorable attorney, whatever side of the courtroom you stood on. Other people still in the department said they trusted you similarly, for the most part. You work in Houston now, but you did have a few big cases in Austin before you left that area. I am interested in your take on one of them. Courtney Crowe?"

"I thought you might bring that up." It had made quite a splash in the media.

"I read about it," Doug told Emily. "It was something crazier than I could write about easily. You can summarize your take for me if you like."

Emily grimaced as she thought about the case. It was so hard to believe, like something out of a TV show or a pulp novel. It had stuck in her memory even thirteen years later. It was significant to her career too. "I... how many details do you know?"

"A lot. Tell me from the beginning, please. Don't worry about confidentiality. I have sound dampening devices at this table." He made a Friendship Society gesture. Emily returned it, then relaxed and went ahead after a passing waiter set down two glasses of water and some shots of Doug Ramsay's famous vodka cocktails. She drank only one of the latter for now.

"A self-proclaimed strip club queen bee- Courtney Crowe, real name Kathleen Ansley- attempted to frame two oil money heirs- Roger and Henry Swift- for aggravated sexual assault. The trio were found unconscious in a hotel room in Austin. A 911 hangup led a patrol cop to them. Hotel staff assistance was required to open the room door. All three were drugged with a cocktail of molly, Rohypnol, and ecstasy. Forensics found the phial of the cocktail in Courtney's purse. Roger and Henry had nearly overdosed on the drugs due to bad reactions, while Courtney came out of her coma more easily. This coupled with other details caused the investigators, including Sonya and another friend of mine, Del Dawson, to suspect Courtney was trying to cover things up."