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Silicon Glamour was not open to walk-in business.
    â€œIn that case,” I said, “you’ll have to come with me.”
    Still he resisted. “It’s Saturday,” he said. “No one will be there.”
    â€œI’d think Saturday would be a busy day for an outfit like theirs,” I replied. “But look, if you don’t want to go, don’t. My search for Alissa will end before it begins.”
    Only then did he admit he ought to make an appearance. The James Dean type had visited Rod yesterday to tell him the director of SG wanted to see him.
    Rod sketched their methods as we drove in his Volvo down Interstate 280 to Palo Alto. It was not easy to retain the services of Silicon Glamour, but it was even harder to leave. They were unlisted and did not accept calls unless you were dialing from an approved number. You had to have an introduction from a previous client or an endorsed contact, and even then had to undertake a wooing process before you could actually hire their services. Once you were hooked, their rates began to rise.
    â€œI’d think they’d do it in the reverse order. Does it work?” I asked.
    â€œConsider their market. Executive-level Silicon Valley people who don’t have the time, or maybe the social data set, to secure the right companion for a big event. You don’t want to be one of those guys standing around with your hands in your pockets, talking shop with the other stag engineers. So you’ve got an exceptionally high-percentile group, and the last thing they want is some cheap escort. SG is smart. They play hard to get. It works like a real date: You have to convince them you’re SG material and then you have to pay a premium price, all of which makes their services more desirable. It’s all very high class and aboveboard.”
    I kept my opinions about its classiness to myself, but got to ask the question I’d attempted last night. “Meaning no hankypanky?”
    â€œExactly. It’s in your service contract. You’re liable for damages. The associate can be fired. The people who work there, both men and women, sign a four-year contract. SG invests a lot in them in terms of training and appearance, and they don’t want the associate to run off with the first high-tech millionaire they meet.”
    â€œThey tell you all this up front?”
    â€œNo, Alissa told me. As we got to know one another.”
    â€œDid you pick her out yourself?”
    Rod gave me a glance of wide-eyed dismay. “God, no. I didn’t initiate this. It was Mike Riley’s idea. I told you that.”
    â€œHe just sprang her on you?”
    â€œPrecisely! We were going to this banquet at the close of a data visualization conference. Big event. He met me at the door. This great-looking girl was with him. I remember she was wearing a little black dress that fit her perfectly. Her hair was down and she wasn’t wearing too much makeup. I thought, Jeez, Mikereally knows how to score. Then he put her on my arm. He says, ‘Rod, this is Alissa, she’ll be your date tonight.’ And she gave me this smile.”
    â€œLike the one in the picture.”
    â€œYeah, that catlike smile, that Egyptian goddess look. We were in this flow of people. She hooked her arm into mine and I couldn’t get out of it without making a scene. It made me angry, though, Mike springing her on me like I couldn’t take care of myself. I wasn’t very nice to her at first. I made some sarcastic remark, asked her what her specialty was in data visualization. She said she had a special power to visualize the CEO over there in his Armani suit naked. There was something about the way she said it, I had to laugh—I happened to know the guy and he’s a real ass. She was young, but she had this savvy. She kept on making comments that were quite funny about the attendees. It was fascinating; we just clicked. I never understood what