“I’m not going to pretend this ain’t playa, but what is this? I’ve heard of it, but I have never been here,” I declared once we were comfortable in our section with a bottle of dark liquor.
“As much as you get around, I can’t believe you haven’t been to Nightstand.”
“Hey. Stop talking shit and enlighten me.”
“Well, what you see is what you get. Nightstand is an adult club that hosts everything from orgies to erotic painting parties. It’s a private club, so most members toss their inhibitions out the window when they’re inside.”
I nodded while sipping my drink and taking in her explanation. “How long have you been coming here?”
“I’ve been a few times, but I became a member a few months ago. For Christmas, the club gave us a free night’s pass for afriend. A good girlfriend of mine was supposed to come with me, but she chickened out at the last minute.”
My brows collided. “Oh. So you gave me a secondhand gift.”
“Don’t make it sound so bad, Loso. I thought you would enjoy the scene.”
“I’m just fucking with you. You did what you could, Melli.”
With my drink in my hand, I sat back in my seat and inspected my surroundings. At least nine couples were in private sections, and most of the women were dressed in a costume or very little clothes. The stage was dark, but a short, pudgy man moved props from one side to the other as if preparing for a performance. I couldn’t see a DJ, but I could hear her voice every so often. I hated to compare Melli’s gift to Essen’s, but my heart recognized the difference. When Essen bought me a present, she gave me something sentimental. Melli went with something less . . . thoughtful.
“Welcome to Nightstand, lovers.” A chocolate woman with long locs ushered a serving tray toward us. “Party favor before the party starts?”
My focus went from Essen to the tray of white pills resting on a stack of red bows.
“Come on, baby! Let’s pop a molly.” Melli grabbed two pills. “We’re going to turn up tonight, and I want you to get loose with me.”
I assessed the pill when she dropped it into my palm. Familiar with its power, I knew I’d be up all night burning any electrolyte in my body if I took the drug. Experiences with the stimulant left me with flashbacks of nights I could barely remember, and the essence of women I barely knew. Even still, I wanted to make the most out of my trip to Nightstand. Melli’s gift may have been shallow, but I wasn’t ungrateful.
“Fuck it,” I muttered before I dropped the pill on my tongue then washed it down with Hennessy.
“See,” Melli sang. “I told you we would have a good time tonight. I can’t wait for the day you start to trust me.”
“I let you decide where we would kick it tonight, and we ended up in a sex club. This is theexactreason Idon’ttrust you. I’m not mad at you though. The set up is fresh.”
“And the performances are even better. Tonight, we’re getting a burlesque style show.” She twisted her hips. “I can’t wait to see what they wear tonight.”
Once I confirmed I could smoke in Nightstand, I rolled a blunt. The more time that past, the heavier my limbs got. I hadn’t popped a pill in years, but when I started to crave something to chew on, I knew the molly was in effect.
Melli gave me a lap dance while we waited for the show to start. I relaxed, hitting my drink and my blunt while she rubbed up and down her body. Every time she moved, the sheer dress squeezing her curves crept up over her ass. The sight of Melli’s round cheeks mixed with the drugs in my system made my dick brick up. Shamelessly, I pulled it all the way out, then snatched Melli into my lap. I wasn’t inside of her, but she rolled her hips against me, sending my teeth into her shoulder. As my vision circled the room, my hands roamed over her thighs, soaking up the warmth of her skin. Everybody in the club seemed to have gone from chill to ready to fuck, and I was sure it was because of the molly.
“What. The. Fuck,” I grumbled in a hushed whisper, or at least, I meant for it to be low key.
Despite her presence holding my vision hostage, I couldn’t believe Essen was across from me dressed in a red and white two-piece made of fur. The chocolate bombshell looked breathtaking in a Mrs. Claus inspired fit, and her smooth skin was bathed in glitter. A pair of red reading glasses kept her big curls out of her face, giving me a clear view of the pleasure smothering her face. When she spun around to face the niggashe was with, her ass cheeks spilled out the bottom of her skirt. Not a piece of panties was in sight, and she didn’t seem to care. My hand smoothed over my beard at a sight almost too powerful for me to stand.
“Don’t turn away. Look at her,” Melli cooed. “It doesn’t look like the princess is as innocent as you thought, huh? Someone’s being a naughty girl.”
A part of me wanted to push Melli away and go drag Essen’s little ass out the club. Yet, the part of me that was higher than a giraffe’s coochie kept me in my seat. I moved to look away, but Melli reached back and forced my chin back in Essen’s direction. The party planner appeared oblivious to the web she tangled inside of my gut. Her slanted gaze was hidden by dense lids, but confidence oozed from her body language. She grinned as she moved like a hippie at a festival surrounded by people yet finding solace in her own thoughts. I swallowed back the urge to call out her name though I couldn’t control the moan that slipped through my lips when I noticed her peeking areolas creeping from the cup of her bra.
“You knew she would her here?”
“I’ve seen here her before. I bet you don’t think she’s better than me now, do you?”
“Oh. So you on some setup shit?”
Melli gave me a cocky grin while fluffing her hair. “There’s no better gift than honesty.”
My eyes went back to the main attraction as a helpless feeling washed over me. Essen didn’t look like she was in distress even though that’s what consumed me. I couldn’t think of any explanation for why my best friend’s little sister could have for being in a sex club other than this was where she wanted to be. On some playful shit, I always accused Essen of being sneaky, and finally, I saw her in action. Hell, I watched her for so long, I started to feel like the sneaky one.
“Daddy,” Melli moaned. “Don’t let her ruin our time together. Tonight, I want you to take care of me. You can worry about yourfamilylater.”
