"Good evening," he said, his voice like silk, but there was a hint of suspicion underneath.
"Good evening," I replied, with just a touch of sultry innocence. When I got to the check-in station, I reached into my clutch and pulled out a thick roll of bills, making sure it was easily seen by him. "I’d like to enjoy the evening . . . privately."
“Who is your member sponsor?”
“I’ve been told one isn’t required for the right price.” The man’s eyes flickered to the cash, then to my face, but only briefly. There was no recognition. I’d done my homework, of course. No one up front tonight was someone I’d met. The right disguise, the right attitude—it all had to be perfect. I unrolled bills until he gave me a nod. Ultimately, the glint of money worked its magic.
"Just a moment, please," he said before walking a few paces toward a small, hidden door behind the main entrance.
I waited, allowing the minutes to stretch like an eternity. My fingers tightened around the roll of bills.Was he actually swayed by the cash?
Finally, he returned, a slight smirk on his lips.
“What is your designation this evening, ma’am?”
“Tell me what you have? It is my first time here after all.” My red-painted lips stretched into a bright, sultry grin, and even in the low light of the entry, his cheeks blushed.
You need a better backbone to be front desk, mister.
“Are you a dom, sub, either, neither, or unavailable?”
Twirling the long, straight black locks of my wig, I looked him up and down before declaring, “Sub.”
He programmed the indicator light to shine bright yellow and proceeded to tell me the basic rules of the club and that if I wanted to engage in any pleasurable activities, then there were private rooms on the third floor, but if I had more than two drinks, I wouldn’t be given access to them. I broke off the required bills and slipped them to him as he gave me the light.
A full access light? Not even a guest bracelet?If I were to use the upper rooms, how would those be paid for?
That was two nights in a row that I’d been able to buy my way in. Last night at least I got the bracelet. Fucking imbiciles.
"Right through the double doors, ma’am," he said, stepping aside and gesturing toward doors I knew all too well. This was where only a select few were allowed to come and indulge their most forbidden fantasies. And I was about to walk through, like a ghost in the night.
As I followed him, my heels clicked against the hardwood floors, my pulse quickened, and my mind raced.
What if someone recognizes me? What if—
The door to the main room opened, and I then walked into the lavish lounge, smiling as the world of sin and pleasure came into view under soft lighting. As expected, the patrons inside were too busy indulging in their own pleasures to notice me entering my own domain. It was perfect. Too perfect.
The doorman looked over his shoulder as he stepped aside. "Enjoy your night, miss.”
Nodding, I stepped deeper into the room, letting a heavy breath out. Last night, it had been eight hundred dollars. Today, it had been fifteen hundred.
No wonder our numbers were holding steady. If people were basically buying a one-night pass and that cash was being pocketed, why would they need a membership? Pushing it from my mind for now, but knowing it was going to be addressed, I decided it was time to see what else wasn’t running the way it should.
This was my club and my rules.
And tonight, no one knew who I truly was.
Chapter 16
Ijabbedatmyphone screen with an urgency that bordered on desperation, my thumb pressing Elin's contact number again. The device buzzed against my palm, the call connecting, only for me to be met with the greeting of her voicemail for the umpteenth time. My jaw clenched tighter with each failed attempt to reach her, a storm brewing inside me as I envisioned the little notification of my missed calls piling up unanswered on her end.
"Dammit, Elin," I muttered under my breath, frustration simmering in my veins. The club’s ambient noise faded into a dull background hum as I paced the length of the dimly lit corridor, the phone pressed to my ear like a lifeline slipping through my fingers.
The last ring echoed in my ear before it cut abruptly to her recorded message, the familiar lilt of her voice grating against my nerves. "You've reached Elin. I can’t come to the phone right now, but leave your message after the beep."
"Call me back." The words came out sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t seem to care. With a sigh that did nothing to easethe tension coiling in my shoulders, I turned and leaned against the cool wall, allowing the shadows to swallow me whole. Why was this such a big deal? Why was I losing my shit because she wasn’t calling me back? Why did I feel like a simple delayed shipment was worth all the turmoil that was going through my body?
My gaze swept across the crowded bar until it snagged on a silhouette that made my heart thrum an erratic beat. There, perched elegantly on a barstool, was a woman with raven-black hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall of the darkest skies. She was so similar to Elin, my Goddess. The way she commanded attention, respect, the set of her shoulders, the profile of her nose and jaw. Yet, the notion seemed insane. Why would she masquerade in our club, a place where shadows clung to secrets?
