ADORE
I do not want to be known as the thirty-year-old virgin, but I'm quickly getting there.
It's not like I haven't had any chance to lose my V card. There was this one guy right after high school that I dated who tried to get in my pants. Another guy I worked with at a gas station shortly before I started college. I even brought home a hot one-night stand from a club only to change my mind at the last minute.
For most of my teenage and young adult life, I felt like losing my virginity should be something special—that I should wait for the right man. And while I still want it to be epic, I'm done waiting. Mr. Right hasn't come along yet, and if I wait much longer, I'm going to end up a sexless spinster.
Tonight is The SX Club's annual Virgin Dating Game night. I signed up for their newsletter a long time ago when my friend and her boyfriend started going but have yet to attend. They've invited me numerous times, but the thought of showing up single is daunting. The vast majority of the year, it's a swingers club. Once a month, they have a themed night. Nothing they've ever had going on has piqued my interest until now.
“How do I look?” I twirl in front of Tanika in my silky red slip-dress. It's more lingerie than clubwear. Not appropriate for most places but perfect for a members' only sex club where they encourage women to show up in as little as possible.
“Like sex on heels.” She sits on my bed, watching me with a smile.
I know that below her trench coat she's wearing something far more scandalous than I am. Her boyfriend will be joining us when he gets off from work. They almost never miss a Saturday at The SX Club.
“I just hope I can walk in these things.” I glance down at the red stilettos I'm wearing, something I pulled from the dark depths of my closet that haven't seen the light of day since I bought them when I thought I wanted to get back into clubbing. My feet haven't been tortured by high heels in a good three years. As it is, I feel wobbly in the shoes. Not quite confident, but they make my calves look sexy as hell.
“I'll catch you if you fall.” Tanika winks at me.
“Hopefully, a handsome guy catches me if I fall.” I fret with my long brown hair in the mirror. I straightened it for the occasion, but I can tell it's already trying to curl.
“You never know who you'll meet at The SX Club.”
She sounds more hopeful than I feel. I can still remember her description of the members the first time I asked about the club. Mostly older couples. Themed nights bring in a different crowd, though. She told me that there is more of a mix at their BDSM events. She hasn't been to their Virgin Dating Game night yet. And why would she? She hasn't been a virgin since she was a teenager, and she never went to The SX Club before she started dating Gilbert six months ago.
“I'm probably going to be the oldest virgin there.” I stare at myself in the mirror, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Pfft.” Tanika rolls her eyes. “You're probably going to be the only virgin there.”
“Really?” I turn to her. To be honest, I had half expected that people would lie about it. It's not like they're giving physicals at the door to make sure you're intact.
“You know that place is mostly about roleplay.”
“Well, I guess whoever ends up with me will win the grand prize.”
“Of course, they will.” She jumps up, her brown curls bobbing. “You'd be the grand prize anywhere we went.” Tanika hooks her arm around me.
“I think you're just biased.” I cock my head to the side and smirk.
“Maybe. Are you ready?” She watches me grab my purse.
“As ready as I'm going to be.” I take a deep breath, picking up my keys from my dresser and heading towards the door.
We drive half an hour to the club. It's situated in the middle of a strip center in a less savory part of town. The sign on the building is small and doesn't even have a light. If not for Tanika telling me where to pull in, I probably would have passed it.
The only indication that it's a club is the line out the door. We park and file in behind a couple at the end. The guy is dressed in street clothes. The girl is in her underwear and a tank top. I instinctively glance around for police, wondering if she'd get a citation for indecency if she were seen. I have a feeling that cops probably don't bother much with this place.
The line moves at a snail's pace. When we finally get to the front, I have to fill out paperwork before I'm able to pay for my membership and am let into the club. I take a few steps inside and then wait for Tanika to lead the way.
“Are you nervous?” she asks as we head towards the bar.
“Not really.” I'm honestly a lot more relaxed seeing how casually everyone is dressed. I wasn't sure what to expect, though I did imagine a lot more fetish wear.
“What do you want for mixers?” Tanika pulls a bottle of Crown Royal from her purse. The club is BYOB, but the bar provides mixers for a small fee.
“Coke,” I tell her, scanning the room for The Virgin Dating Game registration table.
“Like anything you see so far?”
The bartender sets two cups full of ice on the bar with two cans of soda. Tanika gets to work mixing our drinks. I need the liquid courage, but I don't want to get too buzzed. Otherwise, I might make a poor judgment call.
I frown at the incredibly small selection of single guys. There are more women here than men. It's going to be slim pickings. Most likely, I got all dressed up for nothing.
“The night is young,” I reply, trying to sound hopeful.
“Let me give you the grand tour and then we'll get you registered.” She puts the bottle of Crown back in her purse before handing me my drink.
“Maybe I should get registered first.” I think of the last time I checked the time. The event is going to start soon. Missing it would defeat the purpose of coming here, not that I'm expecting much anymore.
“Alright.”
I sip my drink as she leads the way. I'm glad she knows where she's going because I'm lost. There are several tables set up around the room, most of which are selling sex toys and lingerie.
Tanika leads me to a table in front of a door that people keep walking in and out of. There's a staff member standing outside making sure that people don't carry their drinks in.
“Hiya, Ashley,” Tanika greets the woman at the registration desk in her normal chipper voice. “I've brought a virgin for you.”
“A real virgin?” Ashley eyes me suspiciously. My cheeks instantly flame.
“Bonafide.” Tanika nods.
“Well, I'll be.” Her surprise seems genuine. “You looking to lose that cherry tonight?” she addresses me.
“If all goes well,” I reply nervously. The way she says it so casually makes me wonder if this is such a good idea after all. Any man I end up with tonight has probably slept with half of the women in the club. Do I really want to lose my virginity to someone like that?
Stop. You're going to talk yourself out of it. This is what you came here for. Besides, you can walk away at any time. It's not like you actually have to go through with it. I give myself a little pep talk.
“Alright. Well then, just write your name down on this sheet of paper and pin your number to your dress strap. In a few minutes, we'll get you seated. This is going to work a lot like speed dating. We're going to sit you down at a table, and you'll have a chance to speak to each gentleman who signed up for five minutes. They'll be wearing numbers, too. Should you meet one that you like, or even a few that you like, remember what number they're wearing. At the end of the speed dating session, you'll write down the numbers you're interested in on your card.” She slides a blank index card over to me. It has my number written on top and circled. “If one of the men submits your number to us, it's a match. You'll be set up in one of the voyeurism rooms, and let the fun begin!” She makes it sound like the most exciting thing in the world.
It feels like my stomach is full of marbles rolling around in a nervous frenzy. This is getting more real by the moment.
“Sounds great,” I choke out, scrawling my name on the sheet of paper next to my number.
“Awesome.” Ashley stands to help me pin my number onto my dress. “Now, let the game begin!”