Play Room: A Society X Novel Read online

  “Nice job on the quiches,” Adrienne calls out. “I think you’re going to have to make me some to take home.”

  I shrug. “As long as you make me your famous chocolate chip cookies.”

  She holds out her hand. “Deal.”

  After shaking her hand, I lean against my car. “What are you ladies doing tonight?”

  Dani checks her reflection in my sideview mirror and fluffs her hair. “I have a date. Hopefully, it goes well.”

  I went to high school with Dani, but she graduated two years ahead of me. She has shoulder-length, curly brown hair with thick thighs and a curvy backside. Her husband cheated on her last year and she’s made it her goal to lose the weight even though I think she looks great. She’s surrounded by more men than I could ever dream of. Sometimes I wish I had her problem. My only issue is that I’m clueless when it comes to men.

  Adrienne waves her off. “You’ll be fine. Just don’t have sex with him.” Adrienne’s around thirty-five, and ten years older than me, with an amazing body and gorgeous blonde hair. She’s also happily married with a kid on the way.

  Dani scoffs. “Please, I have no intention of sleeping with him.” Then she winks at me. “At least, not until the next date.”

  “How do you find the confidence?” I ask her.

  Her smile fades. “What do you mean?”

  I can feel the heat rise to my cheeks. “You’re comfortable with your body and with men. I don’t know how to be like that.”

  Dani and Adrienne glance at each other and they snicker. “Alex, please tell me you’re not still a virgin,” Adrienne says, completely shocked.

  It’s embarrassing to admit, but I am. “Is that bad?”

  Dani puts her arm around me. “Not at all. It’s just rare to find a woman your age who hasn’t had sex. However, I do remember you being somewhat of a goodie goodie in high school.”

  She’s right. I was, and everyone from my past still sees me as Alexandria Miller, the girl who never does anything wrong. “Why do you think I moved away? If it wasn’t for Sandy, I wouldn’t be here.”

  Most of the guys I’ve tried to date can tell I’m a virgin the first time they they kiss me. It’s the reason they all run away. I’m inexperienced and they don’t want a woman who doesn’t know what she’s doing. My parents were really strict growing up, so dating was out of the question. It took going to college to find a semblance of freedom. It’s a freedom I haven’t been able to let go of. I love being on my own, except it does get kind of lonely. That’s why I concentrate on cooking and figuring out new recipes.

  “Do you want me to see if my husband has anyone he can set you up with?” Adrienne asks.

  I shake my head. “It’s no use. I don’t know how to be intimate with men.”

  Dani snorts. “It’s not hard, sweetheart. You’re gorgeous with that sexy brown hair with blonde highlights, glittering green eyes, and luscious lips. Any man would be lucky to have you. When you like a guy, you get to know them and then you do whatever your body tells you to. Easy peasy.”

  “Easy for you to say, you have experience. The closest I’ve come to sex is kissing. I know what happens during sex, it’s just the getting to that part I need help with.”

  Adrienne steps closer and lowers her voice. “Have you ever tried watching porno?”

  My cheeks flame bright red, but not out of guilt. I shake my head. “I was always afraid of getting a virus on my computer. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been curious, but I was always too afraid to click the links.”

  She waves me off. “You’ll be fine. If you want to know about foreplay, just watch some videos on it. Trust me, the things a man can do for you are insane. My husband and I have a pretty healthy sex life.”

  “Obviously.” Laughing, I glance down at her belly.

  “You could always try out that club in downtown Portland,” Dani suggests. “My cousin goes there and she loves it. She has sex with random guys in the dark room. It’s her favorite.”

  “Wait, what?” I shriek. “What club is this?”

  After fumbling around in her purse for a few moments, Dani hands me a business card. “It’s called Society X. Basically, it’s a strip club with other benefits. She’s tried to get me to go, but I haven’t had the courage to try it out yet. It’s supposedly a whole different world there.” She winks. “But if you become a member like my sister, you get to reap the rewards of the sex rooms. Like I said, the dark room’s her favorite. It’s pitch black and she goes in there with another man she can’t see. They can do whatever they want. There’s also a viewing room, but she doesn’t like that one. I think next week she’s going to try the play room.”

  Adrienne blows out a sigh. “Holy shit, that sounds intense. If I wasn’t happily married I’d have to try it out.”

  “What’s the play room?” I ask, completely intrigued. I thought clubs like that only existed in the movies. Who would’ve thought there’d be one in real life?

  Dani’s eyes twinkle. “It’s a room for anything basically. If you don’t want sex, you can find a partner who just wants oral. Or if you have a foot fetish, you can be paired with someone who wants to suck your toes. Whatever you want, you can get. The people you get paired with aren’t allowed to know your name or anything about you. It’s all anonymous.”

  My whole body tingles with the idea of being able to go in there without any judgements and be able to live out the inner fantasies I’ve kept hidden for so long. It seems surreal, but then reality hits me like a ton of bricks. Shaking my head, I hand Dani the card back.

  “Sorry, D. It’s just not for me.”

  I say it, but I know the truth. I’m going to check out Society X.

  Three

  Kai

  My arms quiver as I lower myself to the ground. My chest barely touches the mat before I push myself back up and grunt out, “Twenty-five.” Pulling my knees up, I lean all the way back so I can stretch my muscles out before starting another rep of push-ups.

  The gym is bustling with people, mostly women with a majority of them using the treadmills. Up until this week I’ve never had a problem working out, but I find it hard to concentrate with all these hot, sexy chicks flaunting their curves in their skintight spandex pants. Never have I had this problem or felt like I’m chomping at the bit to get laid until my haphazard lunch with Bryant when the only thing served was a plate of tits and a buffet of pussy.

  It’s some kind of fucked up sorcery—that place he took me to. I can’t get it out of my mind, and I have never been one to visit titty bars or gentlemen clubs.

  I’ve done all of my dating through friends, or there’s been a time or two when I’ve gotten online and chatted with a few women. Mostly those turned out to be straight up hook-ups. You spend so much time sexting that while you’re trying to make it through the meal all you can do is think about the nudes the lady across from you has sent and count the minutes until you’re at each other’s place.

  Starting the next rep, I lower myself to the ground, exhaling on my way down. The intake of air is supposed to help me rise up, but the strain is real. This is my forth set, and while I’m not out of shape, my body is burning. I pound out as many as I can, choosing to rest in a two-minute plank before making my way over to the treadmill.

  As my luck would have it, the only one available is between two hot chicks—one blonde and one brunette. Both with asses that make my mouth water. I really need to get laid.

  “Hey, good looking,” another hot chick says as she walks by. As if by instinct I turn, only to watch her walk up to another guy. He’s fucking huge and looks like he could break me in half. Instead of heading to the treadmill, I turn toward the locker room.

  Cutting my workout short is never favorable. In fact, it makes me feel like a failure. I pride myself on staying in shape, following a healthy diet, even when I’m on the road. I am the type of guy who sends his suits out for dry cleaning, who likes his shoes polished, but I can also be laidback. Give me the sun and som
e bitchin’ waves and I’ll surf the shit out of them.

  Now that I have extra time, I decide to head home to take a shower. So far, I like Portland, at least what I have seen. I thought about asking Bryant to show me around, but fear I might end up tied to a bed at a brothel or bent over some slab of wood, getting my ass whacked by a leather whip. Bryant may be into that freaky shit, but I certainly am not.

  Jogging back to my apartment, I opt to take the stairs over waiting for the elevator. All I can think about is how long it’s been since I’ve had sex. Never, in my life, have I been like this. Usually a quick hand job and I’m good to go, but Rosie and her sisters aren’t getting the job done, apparently.

  Stripping out of my gym clothes, I step right into the shower, not minding that the water is freezing. I give myself a minute before I look and find my dick bobbing against my stomach.

  “Mother fucker,” I mutter as I grip him hard. It feels good, but it’s not enough. With my other hand braced against the wall, I imagine all the women I saw today, without clothes and … spinning around a stripper pole.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I say, pumping hard. Since when do I find that attractive? I never have, so why now? I reach for my shampoo and dump a handful over my clenched hand for lubrication. In my mind, I’m tricking my dick into think he’s being lubed up by something else.

  “I need to get laid.” My breathing turns labored as my hand slides over my shaft. My hips start to buck, my feet slip, and my free hand is now grasping the showerhead so I don’t crash into the wall or fall on my face.

  That would be an epic story to tell in the office. “Hey, new guy, what happened to your face?”

  “Oh nothing, just a little hand job gone crazy this morning.”

  My inner musings are prolonging the situation. I imagine any girl that I know, bent over the side of my couch with my hands gripping her hips while I pound into her sweet pussy.

  “Ahh,” I groan as my release comes hot and fast. “Finally.”

  I wash my hands fully before proceeding to take a shower. The last thing I need to do is show up at work looking like what’s his face from Something About Mary. As funny as that movie is, I have a feeling that if Mr. Ward asked me what’s going on and why I had sperm gel in my hair, I don’t think he’d appreciate my answer of, “You see, boss, Bryant took me to a strip club and now I can’t get it out of my head.” I’d be fired on the spot, and that isn’t something I want to happen.

  Dressing quickly, I decide to let my hair air dry. The drive to Ward Enterprises is rather short, but due to the high volume of downtown traffic it takes me longer than necessary.

  Thankfully, when I step into the elevator, it’s all men, which helps with my earlier problem. If I can avoid being near women for a bit, I’ll survive the day. As much as I don’t want to, I’m going to have to seek out some one-night stands. Which means finding the city’s hotspot and wooing some women.

  It has to be one night because I am in no way capable of a relationship right now. The hours that I keep do not bode well for new relationships, and that would be unfair to whomever I wanted to date. I figure with a place as big as Portland, I’m bound to find a few women who won’t mind some no strings attached sex.

  Stepping into my office, there’s a vase of fresh flowers on the small circular table in my office. I’m assuming Ward’s assistant put them there. I’ve never been much of a flower guy, which is probably why my last girlfriend broke up with me.

  The chair at my desk is leather, and soft against my fingertips. Ward promised me the world if I took this job and so far he’s kept his word. I pull out the chair and sit down, sinking into the luxuriously fine material.

  “I see you’re settling in,” Ward’s voice echoes through my office.

  Sitting up straight, I motion for him to come in … not that he needs an invitation. “Just admiring the chair, sir.”

  “Please, call me Parker,” he says, sitting down across from me. “Tell me about Sweet Briar.”

  Leaning forward, I rest my clasped hands on the top of my desk. “Sweet Briar is one of those places that time forgot.”

  “What do you mean?” he asks, interrupting me.

  “The city built up around it and people left the small town for the bright lights. Towns like Sweet Briar were swallowed up. One problem with every city is weak infrastructure, over usage of cars and roads that aren’t wide enough to accommodate the traffic. People opt to live in the city or close to work, instead of living in the small communities.”

  “And we change that?”

  I shake my head. “We can’t do anything about the roads, but we can bring the town back to life. With the brand new grocery store and strip mall, it’ll appeal to buyers. Particularly families who are looking to escape the hustle of the city for the quiet life.”

  Parker seems to like what I’m saying, which I suppose if he didn’t I wouldn’t be here. Thing is, I’m good at my job. He knows this.

  “Sweet Briar holds a special place in my heart. I’d like to see it become a thriving community again.”

  “Me too, sir … I mean Parker.”

  “You’ll get used to it,” he tells me, but I’m not so sure. There’s an air about Parker that demands respect. “How’s everything else? Portland treating you well?”

  As well as a city full of temptation can. “It’s great. I have an amazing view of Mt. Hood from my apartment.”

  “Do you ski?”

  I shake my head. “Not unless skiing is code word for surfing.”

  Parker laughs. “I’m with you there. I’m not a big fan of the winter either. But the mountain is beautiful if you do find yourself up that way. Let me know if you need anything,” he says, standing. “You’ll find everyone very accommodating here. And keep me updated on Sweet Briar. I’m interested in the progress.”

  “Will do,” I tell him just as he leaves. I half expected Parker to hover over me to make sure I’m doing the job to his specifications. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he showed up there from time to time. It just means that every day, I need to be on the top of my game.

  Four

  Alexandria

  Flipping through the channels does nothing to curb my curiosity. Why did Dani have to show me that card? I’m not the type of girl who goes to clubs, let alone sex ones. Deep down, it sort of feels like a lie. Like I’ve been lying to myself. Maybe I am the kind of girl who likes those things. I’ve never given myself a chance to explore my hidden desires.

  I turn off the TV and grab my laptop, typing in the words Society X in the search engine. The website pops up and I click on it. There are pictures of the inside with all the expensive furnishings. It looks very professional and not cheap or dirty at all. The reviews are even top notch and written by multiple celebrities.

  Heart racing, I close my eyes. “Am I seriously going to do this?” I glance at the screen again and sigh. “I guess I am.” It’s only seven o’clock. If I don’t like it, I can leave and get back at a decent time.

  Hurrying to my room, I rummage through my clothes and settle on a silver sequin top, black pants, and my silver heels. It doesn’t take long to get to the club, and when I pull into the parking lot, there’s already a line wrapped around the building. I shiver as I get out of the car. Whether it’s from the cold breeze or my nerves, I don’t know. Taking a deep breath, I make my way to the end of the line. There’s a group of girls standing together who all look around my age. I hope like hell none of them know who I am. The last thing I want is for my family to find out what I’m doing.

  More people get in line behind me and I feel safe hidden between all the people. No one seems to care that I’m by myself. Luckily, the line moves fast.

  “ID, please,” the bouncer asks, holding out his hand. He says it very professionally, which catches me off guard. In the movies, when you see club bouncers they’re always huge and rough looking. Not this guy. He’s still big and muscular, but dressed in a crisp, black tux. I sh
ow him my ID and he nods for me to go inside.

  Once inside, I’m ushered to a desk where everyone in front of me hands over their belongings to a woman behind the counter. She looks to be in her mid-twenties with black hair and light brown eyes, dressed in a female version of a tux. Judging by the rest of the employees, they all have on the same thing. There’s a sign that says no phones, cameras, or electronic devices allowed inside the club. When it’s my turn, the woman smiles at me and I hand her my purse.

  “Is this your first time?” she asks curiously, raking her gaze down my body.

  I nod. “Is it that obvious?”

  Biting her lip, she looks down at my body again. I’ve never had a woman check me out before. “Kind of. You seem nervous.”

  I am, but I don’t want anyone to know that. Casually, I shrug. “I’m fine. Just ready to see what it’s all about.”

  She nods toward the main door where another perfectly coifed man in a tux stood. “He’ll lead you in the right direction.”

  The last of the group before me walks past the other guy, and when I stop in front of him, he smiles. “There are two rooms down the hall. If you want to watch men on stage, go through the one that’s labeled men and vice versa if you prefer women.”

  “Thanks,” I say, hurrying past him.

  I glance down both hallways and head toward the men’s side. The music thumps behind the door and I know I have to open it before a line forms behind me. Taking a deep breath, I open it. Women are everywhere around the stage, hollering at the guy onstage who’s dancing around with a hard-on. Frozen in place, I can’t pull my eyes away from the stage. There are people walking all around me, but I can’t seem to move. I’m embarrassed people will see me watching, but then again, everyone else is, too.