Chapter Two
Robyn
It turned out that yes, Sasha really was that crazy, because several hours later, after being plied with multiple beers to persuade me, I found myself dressed up ready to go out on an erotic research mission to the local bars in Soho.
Heaven help me.
More to the point, heaven help my poor readers.
We nearly made it out of the front door, but just as I was reaching for the latch it swung open to reveal intense disapproval in human form – also known as Chloe – who gave my attire one long, sweeping look and placed both her hands on her hips in instant admonishment.
Ah yes, dearest Chloe.
As well as sharing my flat with Sasha I also have another roommate. She’s a little … how can I put it politely? Stuck up? Boring? Prissy? She’s lovely, but she’s definitely a bit more of a prude than Sasha and myself. She works in risk management, and the caution she implements into her work has transferred into the rest of her life. Considering that she is mid-twenties like Sasha and me, her behaviour is sometimes more akin to that of a sensible old lady.
‘Jesus Christ, you look like a couple of hookers. Where the hell are you two going dressed like that?’ she sighed, stepping inside the apartment and slamming the door behind her. Flicking the lock, she then turned and gave us both a raised eyebrowed look. Perhaps we weren’t going out, after all. Not in the immediate future anyway.
Her words regarding our outfits might have sounded a bit harsh, but to be fair Chloe was probably right. The alcoholic buzz from my earlier beers and shots had begun to wear off and as I glanced down at the clothing that I had allowed Sasha to dress me in, I winced. Luminous pink boob tube, leather miniskirt and knee-high boots. It was a long way off from my usual attire, and I suppose Chloe wasn’t far from the mark with her “hooker” label.
Needless to say, after we’d explained our plans for the evening, Chloe was firmly against it. ‘Oh, come on, Chloe,’ I started, putting on my most persuasive tone. ‘It’s just for research. I need to get something published soon, and to hit the right market Sasha thinks I need to see this stuff first hand.’
‘Why am I not surprised that this was your idea?’ Chloe muttered, glaring at Sasha who was still grinning away happily.
‘I’m only going to help Robyn with her research. I’ll behave, I promise. Pinkie swear?’ she said solemnly, holding out her little finger towards Chloe. Both Sash and I knew this promise would never be adhered to – Sasha was not the most honest of girls at times – but Chloe, being the newest addition to our flat, was luckily oblivious of this and narrowed her eyes before linking her little finger with Sasha’s and shaking it to bind the agreement.
‘Okay fine. Research. Perhaps a quick drink, and then we leave,’ Chloe stated and crossed her arms firmly over her chest.
Sasha and I exchanged shocked glances. ‘We?’ Sasha asked carefully.
‘Of course, I’m hardly going to let you go on your own, am I? So what exactly does one wear to visit a sex club?’ she asked sourly, making a huffy gesture and putting her hands onto her hips again.
‘As little as possible!’ Sasha giggled gleefully.
‘Don’t think for one second that we’re going out with you two dressed like that. Go and change your bloody clothes and then we’ll go,’ Chloe ordered. She might be a bit prudish, but Chloe was definitely the stand-in mother figure around our place, and so, with grins splitting our faces, Sasha and I dutifully headed to our rooms to change.
The knee-high boots stayed, but I exchanged the micro miniskirt for one that fell to just above the knee and peeled off the boob tube in exchange for a nice silk blouse. A look in the mirror showed the result. I looked sexy, but not whorish. In other words, much better.
Sasha had taken charge of our night out, and after popping into one of the bars in Soho to get recommendations of local venues we now stood staring up at a disused theatre. It certainly didn’t look like the hottest sex club in town. The exterior looked bland, as if the place was vacant, but the guy who had given Sasha the address said that behind the plain frontage was a wild night ready to be enjoyed by all who ventured in.
The plaque on the door stated that this place was called Club Twist, and below the name was a tag line – ”Explore your twisted side”. Pointing at the words, Sasha grinned. ‘This sounds just like the type of place we need, doesn’t it?’
Explore your twisted side? My stomach squirmed with nerves. What the heck was I doing here? I tried to tell myself that I was young, free, and single, there was absolutely nothing wrong with what I was doing, but only ended up exhaling harshly and shaking my head at my stupidity, I was going into a sex club – of course there was something wrong with what I was doing!
Wiggling her eyebrows at me in glee, Sasha grabbed the large brass door handle and pulled it open, allowing a rush of warm air and the deep, throbbing bass of dance music to escape.
Here we go then.
Our nervous laughter and wobbly footsteps were abruptly stopped by a burly man standing just inside the door, who informed us that this club was so exclusive that you could only gain entry as either a member, or a listed guest. We opted for guest status, and he took some details from us and stamped our hands with a red, coiled logo. We were each given a booklet of ten guest passes and ushered towards a dark corridor. After the ten passes were used up (although I doubt I’d ever be making use of the other nine), we either had to become members, or never come back.
He gave us a definite smirk as we entered, but with our attire and shocked faces we must have screamed “never been to a sex club before” and he was clearly wondering what we were doing here, too. My heart was galloping painfully, and I started to find it hard to breathe. Yep, I was on the verge of a major panic attack.
I calmed down surprisingly quickly, because inside was nowhere near as shocking as I’d been imagining. It wasn’t sleazy, sticky, or coated in plastic. In fact, the interior was the complete opposite: tasteful, relaxed, and spotless. There was a bar along one wall, a large, bustling dance floor, and a few pedestals with some erotic dancing taking place on them. I’d had visions of huge orgies, or stages with where full-on sex occurred, but from my first few glances I couldn’t see either of those.
Yes, there was more skin on display than in other nightclubs I’d been to, and yes, there was some rather provocative dancing, but apart from that, it had a chilled vibe, and looked like any other London venue for a night out.
No sooner had we entered the club then Sasha had downed a vodka shot and shimmied her way onto the dance floor. Watching her progress, I couldn’t decide if I should be impressed, or terrified by her ability to instantly attract the opposite sex. She’d been on the dance floor for no longer than five seconds and she was already surrounded by a circle of men and somehow managing to practically dry hump every single one of them.
‘She made me a pinkie promise that she’d behave herself!’ Chloe spluttered, before staring at me aghast, then striding off towards Sasha murmuring something about “going to rein her in”.
Looking down at my gorgeous, but hugely uncomfortable new boots with a wince, I chose to grab a stool at the bar, instead of following her. The short walk here had nearly finished me off; dancing would just about cripple me.
Making myself comfortable on the stool, I started to mentally list all the interesting things around me that would make good fodder for my book. There was plenty. What with all the Spandex, leather, exotic dancing and other more intimate things going on, I wasn’t short on things to look at. Next time I’d have to bring a notepad. There was way too much stuff here to remember it all.
Suddenly, the most bizarre feeling tingled through my body. Electricity seemed to zing across my skin, warming me throughout. Then, as if on cue, the hairs on the back of my neck all stood up in unison. It was unnerving, just like the sensation of someone watching me, so I began to pass my eyes over the club goers to see if I was right.
Everyone seemed caught up in their own particular pleasures, be that drinking, dancing, or kissing. Watching as Sasha attracted the attention of yet more men on the dance floor, I rolled my eyes at her flirtatious moves, then giggled as Chloe tried and failed to control her.
Shaking off my earlier sensation of being watched, I turned my gaze back to the bar, and that’s when I saw him.
He was exactly as my dreams had conjured, and as I registered that his steely eyes were focused solely on me from the other end of the room, a surprised gasp leaped from my throat.