The night had turned into something I’d never seen before. There I was in a crowded room full of partiers. I sat as close as I could to Dustin so I could feel safe, but I was thankful the lights were dimmed so that no one could see me shaking. The entire room seemed to shake as the booming music forced out any thought I tried to have.

People came up to Dustin, shook hands with him, and they exchanged a few words. After a short while, they would leave. “Who was that?” I’d ask him.

And he’d reply, “No one important.” His answer was immediate and direct. There wasn’t anything that set me off about his tone or posture, although I couldn’t focus on him as much as I wanted to. My focus jumped from person to person around the room.

They all wore expensive looking masks. The anonymity gave them an obvious sense of freedom. A few of the dancers were scantily clad at the least and finely dressed at best. Tuxedos were acceptable, but so were thongs and speedos. “Dustin, what is this place?” I asked him in a whisper.

“Just a local scene I happened upon in my youth. Been coming back ever since. It’s charming, no?” He smirked a little and threw an arm around me, pulling me closer to him. “Nothing to be afraid of. These people just want to enjoy themselves. Just take a look at those two.”

My eyes followed the direction Dustin pointed to, and I could hardly believe what I was seeing. There on the dance floor, while everyone danced around them, was a couple making love on the floor. In my head, I immediately thought back to the pair I’d seen in the alley earlier, and a hot flame splashed onto my cheeks.

“Dustin…are they…?” The words hardly formed in my mouth and when they did. I looked on in disbelief, unsure of how to react.

He chuckled a little and said, “Isn’t it great? The people here are so honest and free with their expression. Brazilians are erotic and sensual people. It’s infectious in the best kind of way.”

“It’s just so…”

“Hmm? What? You really need to let loose.”

Maybe he’s right. I should try to relax a little. It’s part of their culture, after all. I tried to watch them without wincing at the actions, their moans muffled under the music. Somehow, they managed to match their movements to the rhythm and beat.

Watching them and their sensual “dance” sent shivers up my spine. I could imagine the feelings running through them. A potent mixture of lust and adrenaline that drove them crazy. They had to be crazy to do something like this.

In another life where I was bolder, I could still only hope to do something like this. With the mask on, they could do whatever they wanted without any repercussions. Even if tonight didn’t work out, they wouldn’t have to worry about seeing the person the next day. I’d only been in the club for a short time, but I’d already understood its place. If I could understand what drew Dustin here, I might’ve been able to piece the case together more cohesively.

There was something about this place that held him here. The dark atmosphere and the people made me want to stay. It was so alluring to me. To be able to feel myself, to let go of all the stress that’d been built up over the years of hard work.

The heat wasn’t just between my legs. It traveled all over my body. I couldn’t quite grasp it. What made me want this so badly? Secret desires hidden just under a thin surface. I didn’t know whether to admit them to Dustin or to leave it. Before I knew it, I was losing myself again in the music.

I hadn’t realized that Dustin started brushing his lips past my ear.

“Wouldn’t you love to be a part of that, Bianca? To be one of them?” His question caught me by surprise at first, but when I looked over at him, he was leaning back in his seat again.

I was about to answer him when a few men came up to him and whispered some things into his ear. “Excuse me, Bianca,” he said, getting up. “Don’t get into too much trouble, you hear?”

That’s odd. What could be so important? Maybe it has something to do with one of his companies…

“Hey there, cutie!” asked a man wearing a mask similar to that of a parrot’s beak and feathers. “How would you like to dance?” The space under his eyes was where the mask ended so I could see him grinning. Just from the sound of his voice and his build, I could tell he was an older man.

“No, thank you. I’m not really one for dancing…” I tried to sound polite, but I feared his reaction.

“Nonsense. Everyone can dance, little lady. Here… I can teach you if you’d like…” His voice was strongly insistent.

I looked around for any sign of Dustin, but couldn’t find him anywhere. I didn’t keep track of where he went, so without him, I was lost. Unfortunately, his bodyguards had also left with him, so I was stuck by myself beside the dance floor.

The man took a few steps closer to me and said, “I saw you lookin’ at them over there. You had a look in your eyes, babe. We could do it right here and right now. That pretty little boyfriend of yours will never know.”

“Boyfriend?” I blurted out the word without realizing it. “Excuse you, but that pretty boy is my client and I...” I looked around, starting to feel dizzy from all the flashing lights and moving bodies. “I need to get out of here.”

I pushed past the parrot-masked man and dozens of dancers until I made my way outside of the club. It was pitch black outside—hardly any street lamps to help light the area. It was no coincidence that I was in another run-down part of the town. Dustin said the place was “exclusive,” but I was starting to think that it was for all the wrong reasons.

Frustrated with how the night turned out, I practically stomped over to the sleeping limo. I was about to tap on the glass when I realized that the driver had also gone inside with Dustin. “Well, I don’t have any other options…”

I pulled out my phone and hastily dialed the cab service to get a ride. The wait was painfully long, leaving me with a sour taste for Dustin the longer the wait went on. If it wasn’t for him, then I wouldn’t have gotten into this horrible situation, and yet, at the same time, I couldn’t help still admiring him. Thinking about him was enough to make my heart flutter. The butterflies in my stomach I felt at the lobby weren’t just a fluke—his blue eyes did something to me.

Client. Client. I reminded myself again and again as if it would do something. In the back of my mind, I thought back to the dancers. Having such a lustful scene on display was a known taboo. It was wrong to openly show your sexuality in that way. The attraction I felt for Dustin was instant, but it might’ve gone deeper than I’d realized.

Do I like him because it’s wrong? An undercover “attorney” and her client? No…

The cab driver honked his horn, taking me out of my thoughts. “Oh, sorry!” I climbed into the backseat and told him the directions.

“No problem, miss.”

I’d nearly forgotten that the hotel was only a short drive away from the club. If Dustin wants to apologize, I guess he’ll know where to go. It wasn’t long before I was back in front of the huge fountain at the entrance.

I stumbled into the lobby, feeling exhausted all over. It’d been the longest day I’d had in a while. As soon as I was in my room, I threw myself onto the bed and closed my eyes, hoping to fall asleep instantly. When that failed, I turned over to see another card similar to the one I’d seen earlier. It had a different shade than the one from before, being a dark green in color.

There was no emblem this time.

“It’s probably nothing,” I said as I tossed the card into the trash bin. “God, do I need this rest.”