Mallory smiled as she took in the conversations going on around her after coming back to the now from her daydreaming of her earlier afternoon romp with David.  She caught some of the comments to Mr. Schilling from Constance on the food and the wine, but she was more interested in the dynamics of his project.  Food and wine were great, but they were not her thing.

She had learned from David earlier that all the last-minute guests had been assigned escorts/liaisons to cater to their needs, but she had not been expecting that they would join them for dinner.  She was learning a lot from David, and not just what to expect from this weekend.  She smiled at something James, Constance’s escort who was sitting next to her and directly across from David, said even though she had not heard exactly what he had said.  Her attention was either focused on trying to talk to her host, or on David. 

“Mallory?”  David quietly questioned her.  “James was asking you if you were enjoying your evening so far?”  He smiled again, but softer, more serious this time.

Mallory snapped out of her fog and slowly turned to focus on James.  “Yes, James.  I’m enjoying myself very much.”  She gave David a sidelong look and then darted her eyes to Constance.  Hoping he would understand what she was silently asking.  Could you please engage Constance, so I can get a chance at Mr. Schilling? 

David softly chuckled as he got the message.  “So, Ms. Wells, how has your evening been so far?”  He turned to Constance and with a smile that could blind someone with those excellent white teeth of his, he began to entice the woman slowly away from Mr. Schilling.

Mallory quickly turned to Mr. Schilling.  “Mr. Schilling, I’d like to thank you for allowing me to enjoy this weekend and also for allowing my magazine the first chance at writing about your event.”  She smiled softly as she tilted her head to her left. 

“Please, call me Ben; and I hope you will allow me to call you Mallory?”  He queried as he seemed to relax a little after his attention being focused so intently on Constance. 

“Yes, of course.  Call me Mallory.”  She looked across the table slightly to see David was totally engrossed in what Constance was saying.  She thought she heard something about the proper way to prepare… duck? 

After finding out from Constance that she was only there to write about the manor, the food and the party side of the event, Mallory had relaxed more.  She hadn’t remembered who Constance was at the magazine when David had first told her she was there, but after seeing her Mallory had remembered.  Constance Wells was the magazine’s Martha Stewart/Dear Abby substitute.  She handled all formal life questions and articles from decorating to how to pick the proper wine on a budget.  She liked Constance well enough, but at times, she found her to be a bit much.  She could only assume she would also be gifted with a sexual encounter as well.

The woman was only in her late forties, so she was not as old as she gave the impression of being at times.  She was what Mallory’s mother would have called a handsome woman.  She was well-toned and her features sharply defined, more towards a masculine angle, but still beautiful.  She had soft auburn hair and sharp grey eyes.  She appeared to be a very business type woman, but in reality, she preferred to let life be more about fluff and fun.

“So, Mallory, are you really enjoying yourself so far or are you just being polite in the hopes of learning what’s in store for everyone?”  Benjamin asked as he picked up his wine glass for the young girl to refill as she moved silently around their end of the table. 

Mallory thought about that question and realized that she was more excited than she had originally been since spending time with David.  She still was looking forward to whatever her encounter would be, but she was also excited to spend time with David as well.  “You read me well, Ben,” she shifted slightly to focus more on the man next to her.  “But you are right, I’m very excited for what you may have in store for me.”  She spoke softly.

Benjamin Schilling was not what she had been expecting.  From the moment he came into the lounge during cocktails, he had surprised her several times.  He was young, not too young, but not the sixty-something-year-old she had imagined.  Nor was he short squat or balding, she mused as she thought of the image she had labeled the man with from the first mention of him from Nate.  Ben Schilling was tall, over six feet, slim, but not lanky and he had dark almost black hair with sultry navy colored eyes.  He was fair-skinned for such dark hair, but it suited him.  He was a man she would have enjoyed spending time with.

He did not attract her near as much as David did, but if she had not met David, she would have found her attention focused on him totally.  He was a fine specimen of a man and she could not help wondering if maybe he had cloned himself for someone this weekend.

“Well, I think you will be pleased.  I personally hand-picked your encounter and I can say that I was happy with the outcome; and after seeing your answers to the little questionnaire you filled out, I think you too will be more than happy.”  He smiled even white teeth at her, then he turned slightly to focus on David and his manipulation of Constance.  Turning back to find Mallory had followed his gaze, he added, “Although, I can see you are also happy with your escort as well?” 

Mallory jerked her head back to her host and felt the heat of her blush slowly working upwards her throat.  She smiled though when she spoke.  “Yes, I’m very happy with my escort.  But that doesn’t mean I won’t be just as excited to be with my fantasy encounter as well.”

“Good.  I want you and all my guests to enjoy yourselves and know there will be no restrictions this weekend; other than basic rules for the safety of all concerned.”

“Yes, about that, what exactly will your rules be?  There was nothing included in the paperwork I received.  I’m assuming all guests received similar packets, albeit theirs will be more detailed since they have been in the planning for months now,”  Mallory stated.

“Yes, correct.  The packet you received is different from the other guests.  The rules are simple; the clones reside here and only here.  They are for fantasy purposes only; no relationships are to be expected.  Without sounding crude, they are only here for entertainment.  They are not available at any time other than your allotted time.  I have fourteen guests plus yourself and Ms. Wells, and they are all on rotation during the entire weekend.  I am equipped to handle four fantasies at one time, so your encounter or encounters will be only at certain times.  There is enough time set aside for each guest to have four to five encounters over the entire weekend.  With other guests, they were given the option of the same clone or clones for all encounters or multiple partners in different fantasies.  For you and Ms. Wells, I have not been able to accommodate that many for you, so that is why you two are the only ones with escorts.  To give you at least some options.  You may have as many encounters as the other guests, but they will be with the same clone.”  Ben spoke clearly and precisely as he explained how the event would go.

Mallory was impressed with the other details as he spoke of the many different options guests had been given.

“But, Mallory, I will state that while guests are allowed any fantasy they wish, they have been instructed that there will be nothing illegal done.  They can have a, for lack of a better word, a rape-like fantasy for instance, but it is clearly understood that it will not be played out as a violent actual rape.  No clone will be treated as the victim nor will they be forced to commit such a violent act.  BDSM is different; role-playing will be more in the order of that type of fantasy. Anything can be performed for the clients’ wishes as long as this is understood. Nothing that will cause insult or injury to either the guest or the clone will be allowed ever.” 

“I totally understand that, and certainly agree with that,”  Mallory replied firmly.  “But I can’t help but think each time you refer to the sexual partner as a clone, you say ‘the’ clone as opposed to ‘your’ clone.  That is most what I am interested in.  I want to be sure I convey exactly how you feel about them.  And I’m getting the feeling from you that they are people.  I mean they are exactly like you or me,”  she said softly.

“Yes, Mallory.  They are people.  Just because science is now able to replicate a human being, doesn’t mean their thoughts and very existence are any different than yours or mine.  They think, they breathe, they eat, and they use the bathroom.”  He smiled at that.  “I mostly feel they are my family, and I will protect any of them as I would you or any other guest.  People are people.  I am not crazy, and they are not my experiments.  I am just trying to improve the possibilities of humans surviving longer than they do now and cloning is the future.  My God, Mallory just think of the possibilities!  We could end cancer with new healthy organs and cells.  We could cure Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.  We can keep disease at bay and save our mothers, our fathers from a disease that robs them of their very thoughts, not to mention their lives.”  He spoke more vehemently as his excitement shown through.

Mallory couldn’t help but feel his excitement.  “That is a wonderful way to think of the possibilities, Ben.  I look forward to talking more in-depth tomorrow about just those things.  I want to focus on what is possible and that is an excellent start.”  She took note that Ben’s eyes sparkled as he became excited and he was even more handsome.  She could not help but be caught up in his excitement of his success.  But yet something nagged at her in his statements just now, something contradictive.  But she’d replay it later back in her room.

“I know this weekend event may seem silly in comparison of what is truly possible with the ability of cloning, but I want people to know that the clone is still a person, and they can help us in many different ways, not just through science.”  He paused as he noticed the others at their end of the table were now watching his and Mallory’s exchange.  Malloy followed his gaze and noticed how both James and David seemed to be in complete agreement with Ben.  “Besides,” Ben continued.  “I think allowing people to have a fantasy is also mentally healthy for their own growth as well as the clone.  People need to unwind and be able to enjoy something privately for their own health.  Most people are stressed so much after this pandemic and all the devastation it has caused in businesses and just in the way we live; people are having to work harder to get back to where they once were and it isn’t good for our mental health.  But doing something they can enjoy and then walk away from with no strings, can be quite liberating.” 

David met Mallory’s eyes and smiled softly.  “Yes, and maybe they can discover other ways of being happy along the way.  People can let go of things that weigh them down while here.  They will be able to know that they can leave all titles and worries at the door,” David spoke softly.

Ben took note of the looks between Mallory and David.  He smiled as he also noted that Constance Wells shared a similar look with her escort, James.  Maybe his other plans for this weekend would also work.  Just maybe not only would people understand both the need for physical health and mental health, but they would also understand the need for emotional health.

He had made a promise to Allen Bennington though.  Ben would do what he could in exchange for Allen’s money to back his project and he was going to do the best he could.  He felt bad that Mallory was just an innocent bystander in all this, but it could not be helped.  He needed funding and Allen had promised him his and many others funding if he would do this one favor for him.  Getting rid of Constance Wells did not bother him that much, the woman was annoying, and he could see why Allen wanted her out of his life, but Mallory was a different story entirely.

To begin with, David appeared to like her, and David was family.  He would just have to do the best he could to keep her in the dark, so she wasn’t involved in any of this.  He would have a talk later with David about keeping her away from Constance as much as possible.  He looked up then to see his assistant, William give him the signal from the other end of the table.

“Everyone, I believe that with dessert done, it is time to get on with the event we are all here for.  If you’d please finish your drinks and join myself and William in the front hall, we will begin the tour of our special facility in the lower levels, and then the first four people on the rotation will be escorted to their encounters.  I know everyone is as excited as I am for this weekend, so let the festivities begin!”