“This is it?” I muttered to myself as I stepped toward the building. “Who in the hell would pay for something likethis?”
A wall of muscle in a black shirt stepped out from around the corner, “Can I help you with something?”
“Yeah, actually. I’m looking for—” my eyes dropped to his nametag.DUSK. “Is that really your name?”
The corner of his mouth lifted in amusement, “Yup. My mom loved sunsets. What is it that you’re looking for exactly?”
I wasn’t sure what I felt more, empathy for the man in front of me,or pity. I answered without taking my eyes off his nametag, “A club. I’m here to take some photos.”
Dusk seemed to have no idea what I was talking about as he looked around at the buildings surrounding us. “I’m sorry.There’s no—”
“She’s with us,” a smooth voice announced as someone else stepped around him.
I immediately recognized the tone, knowing it was the man from the phone call I’d taken earlier. Turning toward the sound, I found a tall, bronzed figure standing there in a black tank top and ripped jeans.Kyrin. My eyes scanned over his body, locking in on the tattooed sleeve that covered his right arm. Moving my gaze to his face, I found it completely covered by a white mask.
He stepped toward me and held out his hand. “You must be Ember.”
I blinked once, my attention still glued on the mask. “Yeah,” I answered, drawing the word out. “That’s me.”
“Nice to meet you,sunshine,” he replied, spinning me and making my dress fan out before handing me a mask of my own. “I presume you read over things and understand this is required.” I frowned, shifting my camera as he turned and gestured for me to follow. “I’d put it on now,beforewe walk in. It will ensure that no one will approach you.”
“Is this really necessary?” I asked, slipping the mask on.
Kyrin laughed, deep and warm. “Yes.”
I didn’t respond as I followed him around the corner and past a wall that looked exactly like the others. The only difference wasthisside had a door that was bigger and a metal sign next to it with a large silver S, almost like a monogram.
Pulling open the dark door, we entered a small lobby—an area that definitely didnotmatch the aesthetic outside. Thewalls were actually cute, fitting the generic cookie cutter mold of an office. Kyrin approached the desk I quickly realized was for registration. A woman in a strapless dress sat behind it, her black hair hanging far below the medical mask she wore. A light tapping sound came from her fingers as she moved them across her keyboard. The sound stopped as soon as we entered, and her attention settled on me. “You must be the photographer.”
When I nodded, she asked for my ID before motioning to the keypad on the edge of her desk. “Please put in your birthdate and zip code.”
Punching in the numbers, I glanced over at Kyrin. “I draw the line at my social security number.”
Kyrin opened his mouth to respond, but it was the receptionist that spoke. “Cuteandfunny, I see why you hired her.”
Shaking his head at her comment, he tapped the pad. “Sounds like you're already looking for a membership card.” When I held his stare through my mask, he shrugged with one shoulder. “It’s just how we do things here. There’s no walk-ins and no exceptions to the rules, even for temps.”
Holding my tongue at that term, I looked back at the woman behind the desk. After a few seconds, she handed my ID back, and the door beside us buzzed. With a wink, she motioned toward the door. “Have fun, beautiful.”
As soon as it opened, the music from inside swallowed us. I couldn’t see right away, but as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, it felt like my senses were hit all at once. This wasn’t likeClove, where the subtle warm scents wrapped around me. Myentirebody reacted the moment he opened that door, even my feet began to vibrate with the pulse in the floor, alive with the music. My eyes moved quickly, making out different people who weaved within the shadows. The door didn’t just open into another room—it opened into chaos.
Beautiful chaos cloaked in different forms of stimulation. At first, it was the music that caught my attention—a seductive metal track layered with violin. Next, the neon lights traced the floor, piercing through the low-hanging fog. No matter where I looked, something else demanded my attention, pulling my gaze deeper into the club.
Everyone inside wore a mask, but for some, that wasallthey wore. Most were completely naked. Not only naked, but in the middle of various sexual acts.
Looking at everyone around me, I realized two things. One, I now understood why everything here revolved around privacy, including the masks. Two, I also knew why there had been no pictures in my research.
This was a sex club.
I had been hired to take pictures in asex club.
I swallowed sharply as my gaze snagged on someone across the room, someone who had clearly been watching us. Being one of the few people that was fully clothed, he wore a white mask like ours. Leaning against a metal column next to a flight of stairs, his attention stayed set on us. If not for the mask, I might not have noticed him at all. Dressed in a black long sleeve with his arms folded across his chest, he nearly blended intothe surroundings. The more I focused, the more I made out his dark jeans and army boots. My mind recalled the internet article I’d found, and somehow, with one-hundred percent certainty, I knew this had to beSilas.
His head dipped in acknowledgment before he turned toward the stairs and motioned for us to follow. Kyrin moved before I did, obviously seeing the same instruction. Grabbing my hand, he led us through the large crowd of people that filled the space. Looking around us, I became hyper-aware of just how bright my outfit was to those around me. Not only did I seem completelyoverdressedcompared to the other guests, but my yellow dress stuck out like a sore thumb. I suddenly felt like a streetlamp in a graveyard.
Was that why he had called me sunshine? Because of my dress?
I squeezed his hand to get his attention. “You could have told me there was a dress code,” I yelled over the music.
