Two Weeks of Sin

She was so close to the edge of orgasm when she heard a moan that wasn’t her own. Her head snapped up and she turned to look at the bathroom door. There was someone else here. She frowned and stood up, drying off before slipping a robe over her shoulders. After she tucked her little friend away she wande

red out to the living room and gasped.

Richard and one of his girlfriends were on the couch in varied stages of undress. They were giggling at nothing and reaching blindly for each other and were clearly out of their minds. She should have been used to seeing her son high but it never got any easier.

“RICHARD!”

He looked up at her blinking as if to clear his vision. “Hey, ma!” he called, waving as his girlfriend started to get dressed.

Richard was never at a loss when it came to women. He had shoulder length blonde hair that was more often greasy than not. He had his father’s eyes and his mother’s delicate face. He made women weak in the knees and Marie couldn’t really blame them. He was a beautiful man.

But right now he was a damn nightmare. “Get dressed!” she snapped, throwing his shirt at him.

He seemed shocked by her reaction but rolled his eyes and started to dress himself. His girlfriend appeared to have some decency and was already clothed and standing near the edge of the couch. Her eyes were glassy and the smile on her face wasn’t directed at anything in particular. Marie recognized the faraway look of an addict.

Once he was dressed he threw his arm around the girl and made a noise at Marie that she supposed was annoyance. He wandered toward the door and stumbled out into the chilly autumn air with the girl in tow.

Marie was left feeling furious and at her wits end. She couldn’t keep doing this. She went to the kitchen to pour a glass of wine for herself when she spotted the tipped over bag. The first thing that she saw was the little black card.

She paused and picked it up, flipping it over in her hands a few times. She had always done everything for her family. Maybe it was about time she did something for herself. This could be the answer to her prayers.

Chapter Six

Marie hadn’t made the decision to go to Mystique overnight. She had considered it for a long time and considered the implications of what she was about to do. At the end of the day, what she was considering was illegal as hell and no matter how she tried to spin it, she was breaking the law.

She had stared at the little slate card for hours, considering her options. This seemed like the only one at the moment, if she was being quite honest. All of her attempts to find the type of man she wanted had ended in utter failure. That was the exact reason she finally decided to go.

After she punched the address into her GPS, she backed out of the driveway and started toward the downtown area. She still couldn’t fathom how the owner of this brothel got away with hiding it in plain sight. Downtown was more than busy and it seemed like it would be hard to hide an escort service from the cops. Wouldn’t someone blab eventually?

She had a lot of questions about Mystique but since they didn’t have a phone, she couldn’t call and ask. She’d have to find out herself. Her conversations with Rachel hadn’t really given her any answers either. Any time she asked about the club, Rachel told her she couldn’t answer any of the questions and instructed her to take the card with her. It was her key through the door, apparently.

A place like that would have to have a pretty secure security system, she decided. Just letting anyone in would be a dumb move on their part. A place like Mystique would have to be secretive and mysterious like the name implied.

Marie was surprised when the GPS led her to a small cafe. It had wrought iron tables and chairs outside with colorful umbrellas shading customers from the sun. There were several well cared for plants scattered about. A few birds fluttered around the tables and took off again. It was such a serene sight.

This couldn’t be it. She’d expected some dark, shady building disguised as a massage parlor or something. This was absolutely beautiful. She looked up at the sign that hung above the door and was almost shocked that it read ‘Mystique’ in the same plain letters that had been embossed into the card that she’d tucked away in her back pocket.

She parked around back and locked her car, looking around to see if this was some sort of trick. Marie took a breath and went around to the front door, pausing to take in the intricate, primal artwork that decorated the outer frame. It was stunning.

When she pushed the door open a little bell rang, signaling her arrival. She was met immediately by a man in a flannel shirt and baker’s apron. The shirt was unbuttoned a bit and revealed his strong hairless chest.

She nearly ran into him, jumping when he appeared before her. “Welcome!” he sang, his eyes bright.

Marie’s head shot up, taking in this beautiful specimen of a man. He had olive skin and dark features. He looked Italian or Greek and had a bit of an accent. His black hair was trimmed short on the sides and the long hair up top was slicked back out of his face.

He had wrinkles around his eyes and lips and was clearly in his thirties. His full lips and long lashes, however, distracted from any imperfections that were noticeable on his face. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, revealing his strong hands and forearms that were dusted in a light powder that was most likely flour. He seemed to have been working on baked goods behind the counter before she’d arrived.

The inside of the shop was rich in color. The walls were a lovely burnt orange and purple, with yellow and gold accents mixed in. In the back of the cafe there was a little reading nook that had a huge couch strewn with various silk pillows. The cafe was still empty since morning rush hadn’t hit yet.

There were tables with books on them and no unnatural light. The huge windows in the front were enough to illuminate the small shop. There were lamps around the cafe but none had been lit yet. The morning sun radiated into the cafe and Marie’s eyes were drawn to the dessert case. Her eyes landed on some homemade caramels and she licked her lips without thinking.

The man who had surprised her before, grinned and went to the case, motioning for her to follow. She did so without even thinking, settling on one of the stools. She could read the man’s name tag now. It said ‘Marco’.

Marco offered her one of the caramels she’d been eyeing and smiled a kind smile, “You’ll enjoy this,” he whispered, his voice rough and more erotic than it should have been.

She took the candy and placed it in her mouth, almost moaning at the way it melted on her tongue. Marie brought a hand to her lips and was about to thank Marco when she heard a woman’s voice behind her. The voice had a distinct African accent that was thick, melodious and filled the cafe.

“Are you giving away my candies again, Marco?”