When the music was going after they were open, though, the club took on a life of its own and that’s when Landon truly felt like he’d done something worthwhile. He had hired an amazing D.J. named Clarissa and she’d helped him arrange the speakers for the best acoustic effect. She had been with Rapture since the first night they opened the doors.
Rapture was something Landon was proud of. He’d built this place, although not with his hands—he’d used his inheritance, of course, but Rapture was a safe space for him and for Verity, and for anyone who stepped through the arched wood doors.
Rapture was a second home for many people he’d met over the past four years. Even on the nights he lay awake alone in bed playing the what-if game that Verity hated so much,what if I hadn’t opened Rapturewas one scenario that never crossed his mind.
3
Gregory
Gregory smootheda stray hair down the back of Justin’s scalp then rubbed his neck reassuringly.
“You excited?”
Justin glared at him. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Micah disagrees. And you do too.”
Gregory snapped the buttons on his shirt and gave himself one last check in the mirror. He’d found a gray hair yesterday, right above his left ear. He was too young to go gray. He was barely mid-thirties. His dad was just shy of sixty and he didn’t have a single gray himself. Gregory wouldn’t have put it past his mother to make his dad color it if she found one, but if that had happened, it had been done well.
Gregory double-checked his hair in the mirror and smoothed the sides down. The gray was gone. He’d pulled it out of course, then glared at it before flushing it down the drain. He turned away from the mirror and watched Justin lace his boots up.
Six years ago, Gregory had met Justin through Micah, when Justin had been new to the lifestyle, and new to Micah who had politely requested Gregory show Justin the literal and figurative ropes. Justin had expressed interest and Gregory had trained him with Micah’s preferences in mind and the rest was history.
Justin and Micah were a perfect match, so when they asked Gregory if he could plan the collaring ceremony for them, he’d been happy to do so. Rapture was a club that Justin and Micah frequented so it seemed like an appropriate location, and the person he’d spoken with when he called was more than willing to oblige.
“Are you bringing anyone?” Justin asked.
“God, no.” Gregory laughed and shoved his street clothes into his duffel bag and tossed it over his shoulder.
“Maybe you’ll find a sweet little sub to play with tonight.” Justin raised his eyebrows suggestively. Ithadbeen awhile since Gregory had anything that lasted more than a couple scenes—his last relationship died off years before. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss the connection, but after his breakup, he threw himself into work and never looked back.
“Maybe,” Gregory agreed in an attempt to diffuse the topic.
“You know Verity is a switch,” Justin tossed over his shoulder on his way into the living room.
“Who the fuck is Verity?” Gregory followed him out.
“The manager, or owner? I’ve been going there for years and I don’t know to be honest. They are always behind the bar though. I don’t think they’ve ever not been there when Micah and I have gone. And good God, Greg, they’re beautiful.”
“There’s more than one?” Gregory cocked his head.
Justin crinkled his eyebrows together and scoffed at him. “Verity prefers they and them for pronouns.”
“Oh…” Gregory scratched the back of his neck.
“You’ll see, man. It’ll make sense when you meet Verity. There isn’t a better way to describe them.”
Gregory was well aware that the world wasn’t a he-she only kind of place, but he couldn’t remember ever meeting someone who preferred alternate pronouns before. But none of that mattered; Greg wasn’t looking for a switch because he wasn’t a switch. He’d learned very early in his life that there was a certain way he liked things, especially in the bedroom, and that was a rabbit hole he’d fallen down before he’d even graduated high school. Gregory and his high school boyfriend had learned about their preferences together, and fumbling teenage sex had quickly turned into something far more fulfilling than a seventeen year-old should have been having.
“Did you want to catch a ride with me?” Gregory asked. “I figure you and Micah will leave together so I don’t know if you wanted two cars.”
Micah had been adorable earlier in the day. He’d pleaded with Justin to be allowed to get ready at a friend’s house, treating the ceremony like their wedding day. Justin had obliged him after closing his cock into a steel cage and plugging his ass with one of their larger toys. Gregory wasn’t there for any of that, but Justin had told him with a gleeful and sadistic smile.
“Yeah, that’s cool. You ready?” Justin flipped the hallway lights off.
“Areyouready?” Gregory countered with a laugh.
Justin shoved him out the door and locked up.
