Kennedy

The day finally came, and for the first time in seven years I’m able to breathe. I hate that I feel like this, but when you’re strapped down for so long, the feeling of being free is just so liberating.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like that,” Chris observes, walking into my office. Chris Marshall is my business partner and one of my closest friends. We graduated college together and started up our own law firm. For three years now, Marshall & Vaughn has been the most highly sought out law firm in Portland.

Smiling wide, he sits down in front of my desk, his green eyes lit with excitement and his blond hair gelled to perfection; he’s ready for our night out. Glancing down at the paper in my hands, I breathe a sigh of relief.

“It’s because I’ve never had a reason to. The only thing that’s made me happy over the past few years is this firm.”

With a failing marriage, I had to put my focus into something. Neither Aaron nor I wanted to put forth the effort to keep our relationship intact, so we went our separate ways. We married too young and had different goals in life. There were plenty of good times shared, but it wasn’t enough. I can’t even begin to tell you how long it’s been since we’ve had sex.

Leaning over on his arms, Chris winks. “All of that’s about to change, my dear friend. Now that you’re officially divorced we’re going out to celebrate. No more late nights at the office for you.”

Chris is the one who tried to persuade me not to marry Aaron in the first place, that he wasn’t the right kind of guy for me. I wish I would’ve listened to him, but my parents loved Aaron and I wanted to make them happy. Now I know to do things that make me happy; work is my escape.

“Oh yeah? How are you going to stop me?”

His eyes twinkle and I know I’m in trouble; he’s up to something. It’s confirmed when Elaine and Sara appear in the doorway, dressed for a night out on the town. Elaine’s wearing a short, flared black dress that looks sophisticated with her pixie-style brown hair while Sara looks sexy with her curly blonde hair pulled high to show off her shoulders in her strapless red dress.

“Where are you off to?” I ask them.

They glance at each other and smile. “The same place you are,” Sara informs me.

I glance down at my black skirt and blue blouse, knowing I’m not dressed for whatever it is they’re planning. Elaine waves me off. “You look amazing, Kennedy. You could wear a plastic bag and still be as beautiful as ever.”

“That’s right,” Sara agrees. “You’ll fit right in where we’re going.”

Sara is our receptionist and in her early thirties just like me. Chris and I became friends with her in law school, but she dropped out to help support her parents who were ill. Now that they’re both gone, she’s hoping to finish up her schooling. Elaine, on the other hand, is in her forties and happily married with a son in high school. She’s mine and Chris’ assistant.

Chris holds out his hand. “There’s a party in your honor tonight. The girls and I have been planning it all week.”

Taking his hand, I walk around the edge of my desk to join them. “A party? Where?”

They all grin at each other and then Chris waggles his brows at me. “Let’s just say it’s about damn time you went there with me.”

Heart racing, I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Is he talking about Society X? It’s an elite club Chris is a member of and I’ve often been curious about it, but never wanted to go while I was married. Even though Aaron and I were done a long time ago, I felt I should wait until our divorce was final. Now there’s nothing holding me back.

“Are you trying to say we’re going to Society X?” I ask.

Just being able to go inside is a thrill in itself. Chris told me numerous stories of his times there in the sex rooms. Society X is a club where you can experience an upscale, striptease type atmosphere and if you’re a member you can enjoy a lot more. Only high profile people can afford to be a member but Chris said it’s worth it.

Chris pulls me toward the door. “Yep, and we’ve all banded together to make sure you have the best night of your life.”

Sara nods happily as we walk past. “It’s called the Big D party. The people at the club loved the idea.”

“Great,” I laugh. I can’t wait.

When we get out to the parking lot, I climb into my car and follow them there. The club is packed when we arrive, a line wrapping around the building. We all park and Chris opens my door. “You ready?”

Exiting the car, I point at the line. “How are we going to get in? It’ll take hours.”

Sara and Elaine join us, both thinking the same thing by the expressions on their faces. Chris chuckles and puts his arm around me. “That’s because those people aren’t members.” We walk up to the front of the club and the guy standing at the door waves us up. He has a handsome face with the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen and muscular arms. The way he looks at Chris leads me to believe they know each other; it has to be Max, his infamous cousin.

Leaning down, Chris whispers in my ear, “That’s my cousin.”

“I figured,” I say with a smile. “I can almost see the family resemblance.”

Chris beams. “Really? You think I’m that hot?”

I wink. “Maybe you can get a job here.” He stands up straighter and I can’t help but laugh. Chris is a very attractive man, always turning women down left and right. Before I met Aaron, my parents fell in love with Chris. They never understood why we didn’t date until I told them he was gay. My mother always said it was unfair how all the good looking guys preferred men. I have to agree with her.

Max saunters up to me and shakes my hand. “You must be Kennedy. I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Max. I’ll be the one showing you around the club.”

“It’s good to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you, too,” I say, winking up at Chris.

He flourishes a hand toward the door. “Shall we?”

Sara jumps ahead of us and holds onto Elaine’s arm as we walk inside. Max and Chris are behind me, whispering words I can’t hear but it’s obviously funny by the sound of their chuckles.

There’s a stopping point up ahead where people are asked to leave their things. Apparently, no phones are allowed in the club. “Ladies, all you have to do is leave your electronics such as cameras and phones. You’re more than welcome to carry your purses in,” Max informs us.

We walk up to the front and drop off our things. There are other employees walking around inside and they all look professional, dressed in tuxedos. There’s nothing cheap about Society X. From the fixtures to the expensive flooring, you can tell the owner had to spend some serious money to make the club as elite as it is.

Max leads us past the slew of people inside to a hallway that drops us off at two doors. One is labeled Men and the other Women. Max smiles at us all and opens the door to the Men side. “I’m assuming this is where you want to go, right?”

“Um . . . yeah,” Sara laughs. “I don’t swing the other way.”

Giggling, Elaine nudges me in the side. “So she says.”

Sara moves up to the door. “I heard that.”

Max focuses on me and I nod. He opens the door and the deep thump of the music vibrates from my feet to all through my body. It’s dark, but I can see all the different flashes of light above the tall wall. Women holler out and I can only imagine what they’re seeing. When we turn the corner, my eyes go wide.

Chris comes up from behind and whispers in my ear, “Ready to get this party started?”

“Yes,” I breathe. Chris says something to Max and then it isn’t long before I have a drink in my hands.

There are men everywhere, walking around half-naked and talking to the women. I’ve never seen so many gorgeous people in my life. My ex-husband is a decent looking man, but nothing like what I’m seeing. I didn’t even know that people like this existed in Portland.

Max leads us over to a private table and we sit. “In about an hour, we have a surprise for you. Actually, it was Chris’ idea. He thought it’d be just what you needed.”

Eyes wide, I suck in a breath. “You’re not going to make me go into the dark room, are you?”

Everyone bursts out laughing and Chris shakes his head. “No, crazy woman. You’re not ready for that. But what’s going to happen is just as exciting. You’ll thank me tomorrow.”

Is it wrong that I’m excited? I’m thirty-three years old and it feels like I’m back in college, having fun without a care in the world. I’ve missed so many good years being stuck with Aaron.

Society X is known for its sex clubs. If you’re a member, you can choose between three rooms: the dark room, the viewing room, or the bondage room. The dark room is where you’re in complete darkness with another person you don’t know. It’s the appeal of the room, to have sex with a stranger. The thought seems pretty tempting, but I’m more of a visual type of person. The bondage room is completely out for me. I don’t like the whips and chains kind of stuff. The viewing room, however, could be very interesting. In there, you can watch whatever fantasy your heart truly desires. Chris loves that room; it’s what got him hooked to the club. Some will say he’s addicted.

Max brings me another drink and it’s just what I need to loosen up. There’s so much going on in the club that I have to experience it all. Standing, I reach for my drink. “I’m going to walk around for a bit before my surprise,” I tell everyone. Sara starts to get up and join me, but then one of the strippers comes by and begins to talk to her. She mouths the word ‘sorry’ at me but I wave her off, laughing.

There are tables all throughout the room with ladies filling almost every seat. The guy on stage is dancing for a group of women who keep shoving money down the front of his G-string. It isn’t just one-dollar bills either. The women here have money to burn.

My gaze roams around the room until a certain man catches my attention. He’s younger than me, but probably not by much, maybe in his mid-twenties. His body is amazing, but it’s his face that got me. There are ladies all around him, but for some reason, he has his eyes on me. They’re dark, most likely a shade of brown from what I can tell. I bite my lip and try not to smile, but it’s hard not to. It’s been so long since I’ve had a man look at me like that.

“Good evening,” a voice calls out from behind. My heart jumps and I turn around, gasping for air. A guy in one of the Society X tuxedos holds a hand out to me. “I’m Jared. You’re Kennedy Vaughn, correct?” He has dark hair, gelled in messy spikes, and a really cute smile.

I shake his hand. “Yes,” I reply curiously.

He hands me a card. “We’ve been watching you tonight. If you’re interested, I’d love to talk to you more about becoming a member. We think you’ll be a good addition to our clientele.”

“Is that something you say to all the ladies?” I ask with a laugh.

His gaze turns serious. “No, Ms. Vaughn. We’re very particular with the people we choose. I know Mr. Marshall has something planned for you tonight, but if you’re willing, I’d love to invite you back for a tour of the rest of the club. That is, if you’re interested.”

It takes all I have not to look at the mysterious guy across the room, but I can feel his eyes on me. “Thank you, Jared. I’ll think about it and let you know.”

He nods once and smiles. “Sounds good, Ms. Vaughn. I look forward to hearing back from you.”

He saunters off and I turn around, my heart falling when I can’t spot my guy. He’s probably off in a back room rubbing up on someone else. Why do I care anyway? He’s most likely gay just like most of the men who work in strip clubs.

Tossing back the rest of my drink, I take one last look around the room and am about to head over to my table when a voice murmurs in my ear, “Looking for me?”

Gasping, I turn around. It’s the guy from across the room and I’m right about his eyes—they’re a soft brown with a gold ring around his pupils; very sexy. His cologne wafts in the air and it’s intoxicating. It takes all I have not to run my fingers down his rock hard abs.

“You’re a little full of yourself, aren’t you?” I counter.

He shrugs. “Not really. I was just hoping you were. My name’s Hunter.” He reaches for my hand and keeps his gaze on mine as he kisses it. My body shivers and a smile crosses his lips. “I haven’t seen you in here before.”

He slowly lets my hand go and I have to remind myself to breathe. “I’m Kennedy. It’s my first time here. Apparently, my colleagues thought it’d be a good idea to celebrate my divorce.”

His smile widens. “And the night is getting better. You don’t look old enough to have been married. Must not have lasted long.”

“Five years. We were just two different people. And I’m not as young as you may think.”

His gaze roams over my body in appreciation, making everything inside of me tighten. “You can’t be more than thirty.”

“Thirty-three,” I correct him. “And you’re what … twenty-one?” I know he’s older than that, but it’s fun flirting with him. I’m never going to see him again after tonight, so why not?

He bites his lip. “Twenty-five. How old is your ex-husband?”

“Thirty-six, why?”

I can feel the warmth of his body as he moves closer, his lips only a breath away. “Just thought I’d see if you’d be interested in someone younger. I’m positive I could make you feel things your ex-husband couldn’t.”

My body trembles and thoughts of sneaking away to a dark corner with him run rampant in my mind. However, like all strip clubs, they’re made to speak like that. He’s probably said the same thing to a dozen other women within the past hour.

I step back. “Thanks for the offer, but aren’t most of you gay?” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.

He tries to hold back his smile and fails. His fingers grasp a strand of my auburn hair and he twirls it around. “I’m not gay, Kennedy,” he murmurs, drawing closer. “If you stick around long enough, maybe you’ll find that out.”

“Kennedy,” Chris calls. I jerk around and he’s standing with Sara and Elaine, waving me over. Hunter has already walked off but makes sure to glance at me over his shoulder as we retreat to opposite ends of the room. Chris glances at Hunter and then at me. “I see you’re mingling tonight. He’s cute.”

I smack his arm. “Not going to happen.”

“Are you ready for your surprise? Max is ready for us,” Sara says excitedly.

I laugh. “I guess so.” Max waits for us by another door that leads out of the stripping area. When he opens it, there’s a long hallway with other doors.

We follow Max to a door on the left, but he stops with his hand on the knob, his gaze on mine. “You don’t have to participate if you don’t want to, but Chris thought you’d enjoy it. I wanted to go ahead and warn you now.”

My heart thunders in my chest. “What exactly will I be doing?”

He nods toward the room. “This is the viewing room. We have a dancer all picked out for you, but your friends have requested to have you up on stage with him. Basically, all it’ll be is a lap dance.”

“And we get to watch,” Sara pipes in. “But I’ll be happy to switch places with you.”

Chris puts his arm around me. “Nope, this is something she has to do. It’s time she lives a little bit.”

As Max opens the door, I take a deep breath. I’m ready.