The Corinthian Club is on the eleventh floor and it’s billed as a Corinthian Club-level guests-only bar, but that’s not entirely true. Two hundred locals pay an exorbitant fee for twenty-four seven access. Because let’s face it—the whole point of New Orleans is New Orleans. Travelers staying in the hotel couldn’t even begin to create the kind of atmosphere this place gives off.
It’s got a speakeasy vibe going, gentleman’s rules and everything. Ladies are in charge here. You’re not allowed to approach a woman. You must let her come to you. You are not allowed to raise your voice. There is no fighting in this bar. You’re not even allowed to drop your name. These rules are printed on the keycard required to enter the floor. And you are reminded as you enter.
When we arrive, there are only about two dozen people sprinkled around the tables in clusters. The performer for tonight won’t even start for another hour and a half and no one is sitting at the bar.
But that’s OK. I lead McKay to a reserved booth elevated above the rest and with a view of everything but the stage. Let’s face it, no one is coming here for the music, even though our talent can match any other club in New Orleans.
This is a place for hookups.
Discreet hookups.
And not just any kind of hookup, either.
It’s the dirty kind.
The whispered kind.
The unforgettable kind.
Guests are told this upfront. Hell, that’s why most of them stay at the hotel. We don’t offer prostitutes, not even high-end call girls. But there is an expectation that if you’re a man, and you take a seat inside the Corinthian Club, you’re gonna end up in a hotel room naked before the night is over.
“Well,” McKay says, taking his seat. “This is a surprise.”
“Do you like it?”
He looks around, taking my question seriously. I like that about him. For most people the question is a throwaway. Polite small talk. But McKay doesn’t do small talk. “Yeah,” he finally says. “I could come here. It is open to the public?”
“It’s open to you, if that’s what you mean.”
He grins at me. “I know it’s open to me.”
“No. It’s private. But locals buy in one year at a time.”
He lets out a breath. “I don’t think I’ll ever catch up with you, Adam.”
“What do ya mean by that?”
He looks at me, blue eyes serious, maybe even a little sad. “Four years, ya know? It’s not that long. Not in the big scheme of things. But I missed a lot. It feels like every time I turn around, I find out you’ve accomplished something else. Like maybe I was holding you back.”
I just blink at him. “You’re serious? McKay.” I actually laugh. “That’s not how I see it. Not how I saw it while I was doing all these things, either. I was doing this for you.” He makes a face. “Trust me. Every time I came up with a new idea like this I thought to myself… what would McKay think? Would he be interested in this? Hotels.” I do a noncommittal shake of my head. “Nah. You’re not the kind of man who wants to be a real estate mogul. But the bars inside the hotels?” This makes him smile. But I stop smiling. “I know I’ve apologized, and I’m not gonna do that again because it’s dumb. You already know I’m sorry. But I want you to know that I missed you. And if I have to choose you or everything else in life, it’s you, McKay. It’s you.”
I know what he’s thinking right now. What about Maggie?
And I’ve thought about this. Because at some point, I will have to make a choice and it’s always better to be prepared. I point at McKay. “You. I would choose you.”
He slumps back in his chair a little, relaxing, like I just lifted a load off his back. Then his eyes drift up to meet mine. “It’s you too. Regardless of all the other stuff.” He means sex, but he’s not gonna say sex. “It’s still you, Adam. We’re just partners, man. That’s all there is to it.”
“I like partners. Everyone needs a partner.”
McKay nods. “Life is fucking worthless without one. Even if it’s your dog, ya know? If you’ve got a partner, you’ve got a lot.”
I smile and nod. Then a man comes to take our drink order.
We get whiskeys. Then we watch as the place comes to life around us. I like this part of the night. Most people want to show up late. They don’t wanna be there until the party is raging. But I have a soft spot for quiet beginnings. And McKay is almost introspective when he’s in public, so he slips right in next to me and we watch it all unfold.