“The emotional impact was pretty intense, though,” I objected to Georgia. “If I couldn’t handle that…”
She took my arm and started walking me into the party. Soft music hummed through the air, and as we entered properly, there seemed to be small groups of people chatting quietly in every corner, all with intricate masks and all dressed in some combination of formal wear and revealing undergarments.
“It’s bad enough you’ve been single for so long,” she said. “If I’m going to maintain my reputation as the hottest, most sexually renowned lesbian in Denver, I can’t go around having a dear friend who never even tried to explore his kink.”
“Is that who you are now?” I laughed. “I hadn’t gotten the memo.” We stepped into what appeared to be the main living room, an expansive space with a small bar against the back wall and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city and mountains. “What about you, anyway? Are you going to have fun tonight?”
She shrugged, releasing my elbow. “I’ve explored plenty in the kinky arts, but it’s not really my thing. Unless someone special catches me with an enticing offer, I’m here as moral support and accountability.”
“Accountability?”
“So you don’t run away.”
An older man in another gray suit stepped up beside us, a tray of drinks in his hand. “Welcome,” he said. “Champagne? Beer? We also have mixed drinks at the bar.”
“I’ll have an Old Fashioned,” Georgia said, nodding toward the bar.
I grabbed a champagne, drinking from it immediately. “Thank you,” I added, when I came up for air.
The man nodded politely. “There are several bedrooms and playrooms. If the door is open, please do enjoy watching and appreciate the scene from a distance. If a door is closed, that scene is private. We remind all of our guests to obtain full consent before any physical contact or sexual play begins and hope that you enjoy your evenings.” He nodded again slightly, then turned to Georgia. “And I’ll return shortly with that Old Fashioned.”
I hadn’t realized I had been holding my breath, but the second the man walked away, I let out a long puff of air. “That’s it?” I asked Georgia. “Now what am I supposed to do? Just walk around and ask strangers to bend me over their knees and spank me?”
“Isn’t the embarrassment part of what turns you on?” she asked, taking my champagne from my hand and sipping. “Mmmm, fancy.”
I grabbed the glass back. “Yes, technically, but the fantasy never starts with groveling for it. It starts with, like, getting in trouble with the football captain or being called into the boss’s office and disciplined in front of a bunch of other employees.”
“Everyone is here looking to explore and play,” she pointed out. “I think you just strike up a conversation, same as you would at any party, and take things from there.”
I adjusted my mask, which was already feeling a little itchy against my nose. “At least no one will be able to recognize me when I’m getting rejected. Earning a reputation as a kinky spanking bottom would not be good business sense for a man who owns a sweet little candy store.”
The man reappeared, passing off a cocktail to Georgia before sliding away wordlessly. “Ah yes,” Georgia joked. “The responsibilities and trials of being a small business owner.” She raised her glass in the air. “To Sweet Sensations.”
I clinked my champagne flute with her cocktail. “And to Georgia’s Sport Supply,” I added, naming her store.
Georgia took a sip, then lowered the drink to her side. “On that note, you should get started,” she said, patting my back encouragingly.
“What do you mean?”
“We both know you’ll spend the whole night cracking jokes with me in the corner if given the chance.” She shrugged, then started walking away. “I’ll come check in soon,” she said over her shoulder. “Do a little loop. Have fun!”
I opened my mouth to object but clamped it shut when I realized how loud she had been. Having the whole party know I was anxious would not help things move along. Eager to get away from the few people staring, I turned the corner back into the hallway and set off to explore.
The hallway was long, with soft lighting and generously spaced rooms. Some of the doors were closed, and I heard muffled moans and cries of something between agony and ecstasy coming from within.
A shiver went down my spine.
It wasn’t like I needed to be spanked to feel sexually satisfied. I’d never been spanked, and I had felt very sexually satisfied before, without a doubt. But from the second I started masturbating and exploring my sexuality, I always circled back around to these fantasies.
Pink cheeks. Bare hands.
Embarrassing.
Which made it hotter.
I glanced in a room as I passed it. One tall, muscular woman had another woman, just as strong, tied to the bed. They were both naked, and the woman on the bed looked like she was writhing with pleasure. The standing woman bent down and ran her lips in a slow trail over her partner’s belly.
I snapped my head forward and bit down on my lip. Even if open doors meant that viewing was encouraged, I had come to find something very specific, and I didn’t want to get distracted by ogling other people’s kinks.
