“You need to promise me something,” he said.
I hesitated. “What?”
“You’ll have a good time while you’re out there. Don’t limit yourself because you’re scared or lack the confidence. Step out of your introverted self and live a little. And don’t forget to take mental notes. You’ll have your story sooner than you think.”
“Okay, I’ll try. But you’re asking a lot. PJ bottoms, a glass of cheap chardonnay, and reality TV sounds pretty good right now.”
“Quinn, I swear. Now, go get yourself ready, don’t just put on black for the sake of it or so you can blend in, and have a good time. Let loose a bit.”
AXEL
WE’D JUST LEFT the restaurant, which was our first request by owner for the night, and we were all in good spirits as we rode in the limo to the club. Knox opened a bottle of Jack and began to pour everyone a drink, while Teddy started cutting lines on a mirror.
I tried not to groan. As much as I was trying to have a good time, I was tired and not really in the mood for partying. I’d never admit it to anyone, but the only reason I went at all tonight was for the possibility of seeing Quinn. She had been on my mind ever since last night. Hell, “consuming my thoughts” would be a better way to describe it.
The line outside the nightclub always made me feel odd. All these people patiently waited to get inside, when my crew and I would just waltz up to the door and be escorted in the minute we arrived. I knew it was all part of the scene and nightlife, but it made me feel arrogant. I swallowed the lump in the back of my throat, feeling my palms sweat against my whiskey glass. As we parked, everyone took turns snorting their lines and then began to move toward the limo door.
“Hold on, give me a sec,” I said as I wiped at my nose after taking my line. I downed the whiskey as quickly as I could. I needed some artificial courage to kick in before I faced the night.
“Just bring the bottle with you,” Teddy said, sniffing hard, and wiping away the residue of the coke beneath his nose. “I’m ready to get my party on.”
I turned to Knox, who checked his image in the mirror one last time. His eyes were wide as saucers and blood shot, but I knew he didn’t give a fuck less. Hell, I knew I looked the same, and just hoped Quinn didn’t notice or, at the very least, care. I took another long swig of booze to help ease the flips going on inside my stomach. “All right, I’m ready.” It wasn’t the appearance that made me nervous, walking by all the club goers, or the fact that I had enough drugs on me to sell that could lock me up for the rest of my life, but rather who may be inside. The girl stole all my game.
Teddy reached for the door and put his classic meet-and-greet smile on. “Let’s do this.”
Knox and I laughed which sounded deep and distorted as the drugs kicked in and numbed my soul. I grabbed what was left of the Jack and followed him into the club.
QUINN
“THEY HAVE VIEWING ROOMS HERE,” Felicity informed me as she excitedly pulled me through the crowded club.
“Viewing rooms? What do you mean?”
“There are rooms where BDSM sex acts are going on. This will be great for your research! Talk about dark and gritty.”
My heart skipped. “Wait. You want to go watch people have… sex? What’s BDSM?”
Felicity continued to tug my resistant weight past dancing bodies. “Exactly! And you’ll soon see.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a little plastic baggie. Inside were tiny little pink pills. “Here, take one of these. It will help you loosen up. You look like you are about to have a panic attack any minute.”
I shook my head. “No, thanks. I don’t do drugs.”
“I know.”
“What is it?”
“Just take it.”
She put the pill to my mouth and pressed lightly. I could have turned my head, or resisted. I could have held my ground and refused to take the drug. But deep down, I didn’t want to. I did want to loosen up. And I felt sick to my stomach at the thought of seeing Axel again, so maybe this would help. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself again, and maybe this magic little pink pill could instantly turn me into one of the cool kids. It was worth a shot.
I opened my mouth and allowed Felicity to place the pill on my tongue. It tasted bitter, so I swallowed it as fast as I could. For a split second, I pictured how Alice in Wonderland drank from the bottle and could relate to the darkness of her tale. God that fairytale was really messed up. I only hoped I wouldn’t be seeing a white rabbit running by me once the drug kicked in.
“Let’s get a drink, and go watch some scenes get acted out. You’re going to love it,” Felicity said, tugging on my hand. “The bar is crowded. It’s going to take forever to get something.”
Maybe it took forever to get our drink. I don’t know. Everything seemed like a blur, I was losing sense of time, and I still didn’t see Axel.
Walking into the viewing room, I could smell the arousal. I could almost taste the sexual need of the raven-haired beauty splayed naked across the makeshift bed. Her ebony curls concealed parts of her breasts, allowing her hard nipples to peek between her cascading hair. Her pale body glistened in the colored club lights that swirled around her as she writhed in want.
Oh shit, the drugs were kicking in.
I felt lightheaded, hot, weak. The lights seemed to spread out in long lines. My ears felt as if they were clogged. My heart beat fast.
Shit. I was on drugs.
I was going to be like one of those characters in a Lifetime movie and die at a club.
Shit. I was going to die at a BDSM club and I didn’t even know what that was!
Shit. Why did it feel like I was speaking my thoughts?
As if Felicity knew I was on the verge of calling 911 and telling them I was about to overdose, she whispered in my ear, “You’re fine. It’s just kicking in. Give it a minute, and it will even out. Just watch the scene and relax.”
I nodded, and swallowed hard. A warmth oozed through me slowly, and I didn’t exactly mind how I felt. I felt gooey but I liked it. I decided to do as Felicity instructed and I watched.
A gradual hush worked through the crowd as the bass music still pounded from the main room. I positioned myself near the exit so I could observe, but flee if it ended up being too intense. I watched in amazement as a man with a scarlet-red scarf around his neck walked into the room. He was obviously the person people wanted to see, the man who would act out the scene.
He closed his eyes as if taking in the energy, the smell, the passion rushing through the audience’s veins. It was almost as if I knew this man could feel our desire, hear each breath we took, and taste the anticipation of the show to come. His dominance almost took my breath away.
Or was it the fucking drugs? Shit. I was high.
His
dark brown hair rested slightly below his ears: his pale skin and ominous appearance gave him an aura that intrigued me. I watched the black jacket he wore sway as his body moved. The tight, black pants clung to his muscled thighs. His button-down white shirt revealed enough of his chest to make me and every audience member’s mouth water in anticipation of glimpsing more. Watching his performance pulled at every sensation in my body. I wanted to run away, close my eyes, or do anything but stand in that room. On the other hand, my curiosity about the taboo won over.
“Master?” the woman on the bed questioned, her head lifting off the mattress to better view the man.
“No. I’m here to prepare you for his return,” the man with the red scarf answered softly.
“I want Master.”
“You will have him.” The man moved to the bed. “Place your arms above your head,” he commanded.
The dark-haired girl hesitated for a moment. Any doubt she may have had was overpowered by the seductive energy this man possessed. Her dark eyes twinkled with arousal as she gradually brought her hands over her head, laying her head down again. Her lips parted in desire, beckoning the man for the simplest of touches. She arched her back just enough to thrust out her hardened nipples, pleading for him to take them under his control. The man reached for each of her wrists, wrapped them with the red scarf from around his neck and tied them to the headboard of the bed. He then pulled two additional scarves from his pocket, grabbed each ankle and repeated the step of securing her to the bed.
“Kiss me,” the woman begged as she gasped.
I could see the moisture along the soft folds of the woman’s completely denuded pussy. She gyrated her hips in desperate need to be satisfied. I could only imagine how the woman felt. The sexual spell this room had on the spectators was all-powerful. It was an assumption, of course, but I could almost feel the craving, needing, longing, and desire that people felt as everyone watched. I could feel the pulsating between my own legs. Surprised by my feelings, I couldn’t look away. I hungered for more.