We walked into the ballroom after they scanned our tickets, and my eyes widened at how many people were inside.There were many beautiful women wearing gorgeous gowns, accompanied by men in suits and tuxedos. I wanted to take out my phone and snap pictures, but they made it very clear that this event required discretion and respect, so we had to turn our phones in at the door. We even created nicknames because we were not supposed to ask for anyone’s real name. The mystery of it all only enhanced the excitement.
“Good evening, ladies. Would you like one of our signature cocktails?” A masked gentleman held out a tray filled with little vials. They held different-colored liquors, which took me by surprise.
“What is in them?” I asked.
“Well, these are mixed by one of the top mixologists in the city. The green is for love, red is for pleasure, and blue is for mystery.” Raylee and Samara threw caution to the wind and grabbed one for themselves while I pondered which one I would choose.
My hand lingered over the vials until I grabbed one of the red ones. I drank it before I had the chance to overthink.
“Okay, bitch!”
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Raylee and Samara gassed me up as I held the empty vial in my hand.
“You ladies have a great night, and don’t be afraid to try anything you see in here.” For some reason, I sensed he was speaking about more than drinks and finger foods.
We walked together for a while until Samara wandered off. Raylee and I remained together for an hour, then she was approached by a tall, caramel-colored gentleman. They both wore the same-colored wristband, so she accepted his request to speak with her.
“Have a good time, cousin. If at any point you feel unsafe, text the group chat. I have mace in my purse.” She informed me,but I had a feeling she said it as a warning to her new gentleman friend, too.
“Okay. Be safe.”
“Always.
I watched the two of them walk off into the distance. My eyes scanned the crowd as I watched the people in the room. I loved people-watching, and tonight would be no different. There were men and women of all shapes and sizes. They were all sporting different-colored wristbands and interacting with various crowds.
The man at the check-in explained what all of the wristbands meant. They wanted everyone to be safe, so there were colors to represent your sexual identity as well as what you were comfortable with. For instance, yellow was for trans women interested in trans men, while purple was for lesbians interested in other lesbians or cisgender women. There were multiple signs that showed what each color represented to eliminate any misunderstandings and allow everyone to explore as they pleased.
When I asked Raylee if this was an underground sex party, she told me it was whatever I wanted it to be. It made me nervous, but I decided to take their advice and go with the flow.
The music ranged from old school R&B to Jazz, and I loved the variety. I grabbed another drink from one of the men walking by. I decided to get another red vial to make sure I was drinking the same thing throughout the night. When I drank the first one, I tasted a hint of Tequila, so it was the safest choice for me.
“Oh, shit. I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” A deep voice crooned as he held me around the waist. When I glanced up at the tall gentleman, I gulped. While part of his face may have been covered, his jawline was strong, and his eyes were alluring.
“It’s okay. I’m kind of short in comparison to you.” I wanted to smack myself for being so lame, but I had no idea what else to say.
“I guess you have a point.”
There was an awkward silence between us for a moment until he took my wrist into his hand. His head tilted as if he were pondering his next move, and I wondered if he could hear the wild beat of my heart.
“Did you come here alone?” The handsome stranger inquired. Well, I assumed he was handsome, given the rest of his body seemed to be handcrafted by the man upstairs.
“Umm, no. A couple of my friends are here with me.” I glanced around but couldn’t spot any of my girls.
“You seem a little out of place. Is this your first time coming to one of these events?” His comment was more of an observation than flirtation. A part of me wondered if he was even interested in me.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Hell yeah. I’ve only been to a few myself, but it’s cool. The experience is whatever you make it.”
I bit down on my bottom lip to conceal my nervousness. The deep cadence of his voice caused my body to react in unexpected ways.
“You smoke?” The question caught me off guard, but I nodded eagerly even though I shouldn’t have. He led me out of the room and to a back exit of the building. I should have been afraid to be with a stranger in a place I was unfamiliar with, but instead, I found myself comfortable with him. His presence gave me a sense of safety I hadn’t expected.
We passed the blunt back and forth as silence hung in the air. It was surprisingly comfortable as the cool air gave me goosebumps.
“What are you looking for?”
I peered at him, waiting for him to elaborate on his question.
