I took a seat on the black leather seat opposite his desk, feeling very,verymuch like I was in over my head.
“I hear you’d like to join my club.”
“I think so, yes.”
“You think so?” His eyes narrowed. “It’s intimidating the first time, I’m sure. But you don’t have to worry, Benny. I’m very serious about protecting my members, and their secrets. That’s all.”
“Rikky mentioned that.”
“Yes, Rikky…” His lips pulled into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “He highly recommended you. There’s normally a whole process involved—joining fee, background checks, that kind of thing—but Rikky wants you in, so… welcome to The Veil.”
I knew Rikky and his family were involved in some messed-up shit, but if I’d just joined a cult because of him, I was going to be so fucking pissed.
“Paperwork first, shall we?” Shady opened the top drawer of his desk, retrieving a clipboard with several pages attached, and handed it over to me. “Please answer as honestly as you can. Noone but me will ever see it, and it’s crucial for me to find you the best possible matches to make your experience here a pleasant one.”
I took it and the pen he offered, grateful when he turned his attention to his computer rather than watching me fill it out.
The first page was simple enough: sexual and physical preferences, boundaries, how I identified. I marked that I was open to being matched with either men, women, or other, and that I had no strong preferences for appearance. As long as we had the same interests, it didn’t matter to me.
Then the checkboxes: lists of kinks and interests for me to mark as yes, no, or only with the right person.
It quickly became obvious that this place catered to people far more extreme than I was in sexual appetite. There were things I hadn’t even heard of and marked “no” just to be safe. The clipboard felt heavier in my hands as I handed it back to him when I was done.
“Once you retrieve your phone, you’ll have a new app called V installed,” he explained. “It will provide you with the door code, which changes daily, as well as an anonymous messaging system where you can message your matches. All messages are permanently deleted after twenty-four hours. If the club holds event nights that align with your preferences, you’ll be notified through the app.”
I nodded, feeling like I’d just exposed more of myself on that paper than I ever had to another person. At least there was comfort in knowing I didn’t have to go through that charade upstairs every time I came here.
“Will you be staying any longer this evening?”
“No, I think I’ve had enough new experiences for one evenin’. Is there like… openin’ hours or somethin’?”
Shady smiled. This one seemed more genuine. “We’re open all night, and down here, it’s always night. A Shadow will give you the grand tour when you next come to play, then.”
“Alright.” I stood up, needing to get back outside to inhale some fresh air. This room smelled like incense, and sitting here this long had made me feel a little woozy.
“Your profile will be set up within twenty-four hours, Benny. Have a lovely evening.”
“You too. Um… thank you.”
“You can leave now.”
“Yep. Goin’.”
The office doors opened for me, and I made my way briskly back to the entrance, collecting my things and getting the fuck out of there.
Despite the facial recognition needed to unlock my phone, I found there was a new app already installed, like Shady said there would be. A silver “V” icon.
I also found that all the messages Rikky had sent me about how to access The Veil had been deleted.
seven
Harper
SIX SECONDS.
My eyes opened in the darkness, the bedroom silhouetted in a dull reflection of city lights and the predawn sky. Navy to cobalt. A monochromatic foreboding of a new day for me to deal with. Any moment now…
Beep beep beep beep. Beep beep beep beep. Beep beep be—
