Bars of a Feather
Jayda Oliver walked into her public bar and smiled. She and the other four women had worked long and hard, pouring all their pooled resources along with some blood, sweat, and tears into opening this unique bar in the small town of Mallory in Tennessee. It was with a sense of pride that she walked in today. It was opening day and they had planned for this for the last month. Placing ads, distributing flyers, and buying ad space in every outlet they could find and afford for more than a month.
Mallory was situated in a mountainous area between two larger cities in Tennessee. That meant The Hideaway would attract business from both bigger cities and the small town of Mallory. The restrictions and taxes were less burdensome in Mallory compared to the other cities, too, which paved the way for more profit for the women.
For now, it was only Jayda and her four friends who would be running the bar. Later, when the business proved itself profitable, they would hire a few employees.
Jayda didn’t lock the doors when she entered even though The Hideaway wouldn’t be open for another six hours because Jazmyn, Madison, Tavia, and Pepper would arrive any minute now. Last minute preps to get set up and a little pre-opening celebration would keep them busy until at least five that evening. Six o’clock was the grand opening. They would remain open until three the next morning—if there were still any customers at that time.
The other four women all entered together having been on the same mission. Their laughter echoed through the bar as Jayda set up the five shot glasses for them and the one extra for the spirit of luck, which they always toasted with the first drink of their day together. The little ritual had started way back in college when they had done it as a joke before studying for an exam. The next day, with hangovers, all five of the friends had passed their exams. Jayda wasn’t sure when they started actually believing that their ritual brought them success and luck, but now, even she believed it. So, they never broke the ritual. Today would be no different in that respect.
“Did you succeed, my ladies?” Jayda asked as she poured the liquor into the shot glasses carefully.
Pepper said, “Did we ever? Oh, my god, Jayda. You have no idea what you missed.”
“I’ve been to that bar before, Pepper. Remember? I’m the one who gave you directions to Harley Heaven.” Jayda grinned.
Madison interjected, “Drake Carter. Did you ever meet him?” Madison pulled her shot to her.
“No, just Trigger and Daric. They were the two there the day I went. It was a dead hour so I guess they didn’t need anyone else around. My lord, those two were big and brawny enough that I can’t imagine needing to worry about anything if they’re there.”
Laughing, Pepper reiterated, “You have no idea what you missed. Those guys are so hot they could melt my tattoos right off my skin with a touch. Mmm.” Pepper made a kissing sound and laughed again.
“Well, I’m sorry I had to miss it, then. Maybe next time.” Jayda picked up her shot and the friends toasted luck and turned their glasses upside down on the transparent bar.
Tavia said, “You won’t have to wait that long; they’re coming here tonight for our grand opening. Kinda.” Tavia gave a sheepish grin and looked to Jazmyn.
Jayda eyed Tavia suspiciously and then turned to Jazmyn. “What did she mean by ‘kinda’?”
Jazmyn pushed her shot glass toward Jayda for another drink but didn’t answer.
“Kinda early for you to start serious drinking, isn’t it?” Jayda poured the drink nevertheless.
“Not really.” Jazmyn threw back the shot, still not answering.
Jayda loved them all but she was becoming agitated at the delay; she had things she wanted to finish instead of playing this guessing game with them. “What did she mean? Someone tell me, please. I’d like to get finished with all this as soon as possible.” She held up her hands, entreating an answer from any of the four.
Clearing her throat, Tavia leaned over the bar and ran one black-lacquered fingernail down Jayda’s cheek. “They will be here in…” she checked her watch and then grinned, pinching Jayda’s chin between her thumb and forefinger, and finished, “exactly two hours.”
Jayda exclaimed, “Two hours? You told them two this afternoon? We don’t open until six. Why the hell would you do that, Tavia? We want to make an impression—and preferably a very good, very professional impression.” She slammed the bottle down on the shelf under the counter.
Madison, in a sing-songy voice said, “I don’t think they’re coming to check out our professionalism, Jayda. Not the way they were looking at us up there today. We might be christening The Hideaway in a much different way than we’d planned.”
The four of them fell about laughing and making seductive gestures to one another while Jayda stood behind the bar wondering where the hell these women came from and what they did with her friends. “What did they give you, Spanish Fly? What’s wrong with all of you?” Jayda’s temper had finally been awakened.
“They didn’t have to give us anything, Jayda. They are plenty enough all on their own; trust me; you didn’t see what we saw today. Whew!” Jazmyn fanned her face with her hand.
Pepper pulled out her cell and said, “Look, Jayda.”
Jayda glowered at Pepper but leaned to look at the screen anyway. Two brawny, heavily muscled, gorgeously sexy men stood in front of a bar. They were grinning in a way that made Jayda wonder what lurid thoughts were running through their heads. One was shirtless and the other was wearing a wife beater and they both sported tattoos scattered from their necks down. Mr. Shirtless might have even had ink that ran below the waistband of his weathered denim jeans.
Putting on her poker face, Jayda looked up at Pepper and asked, “And? They’re good looking guys. I don’t see that causing any of you to fall all over yourselves.”
Pepper said, “Nope. You’re right. It was a little more than that. Did you know there was a private section to their little biker bar? It’s locked and guarded all the time. And the best part? It’s underground except for the entrance.”
This caused the four to go into their laughing frenzy again. Jayda waited for it to pass.
“No, I didn’t know about it. But what good is it to the public if it’s private, guarded, and locked all the time?”
Jazmyn ran her hands down her sides slowly and seductively. “Mmm. Girls, we have to get one of those rooms, don’t you know it? You don’t want John Q. Public having access to a place like that, Jayda. I think the boys use it for their own private liaisons with women and possibly for other nefarious interactions.”
“So, what the hell is this underground room?”
“It’s a dungeon.” Madison said in a tone full of mystery. “Once you’ve been in there and returned topside, you’ll never be the same again.”
Tavia, Jazmyn, and Pepper gave a collective, “Amen!” Then they threw their arms in the air and fell out laughing.
Then with a warning and in all seriousness, Pepper said, “It’s a sex dungeon, Jay. The place seems endless when you go into it. Everything is red and black and chrome down there. The corridors lead you into and around rooms that you can tell with one look what the room is intended for. I counted thirteen rooms, but that probably wasn’t all of them. It looked like there were areas that were closed off with thick wooden doors and locks.”
Madison added, “I just bet some people go down there and are never heard from again. I’m telling you, it was the sexiest experience of my life, but it was also the scariest.” She motioned for another drink, too.
Jayda, dumbfounded, tried to understand what they were telling her. Those places were illegal in this part of the world. Not only could you be shut down, fined, and arrested, but no telling what the community would do.
Madison tapped her shot glass on the bar. “Today, please. Or, just hand me the damn bottle.”
Jayda handed her the bottle. “Do you know how illegal sex dungeons are? I mean, if you have one in your home for your own personal use, the cops can’t do anything, but in a public establishment like that?” The thought still caused a stir of excitement in Jayda’s chest. She had always had an eye for the bad boys who liked toys. Unfortunately, she’d never found one who could keep up with her appetites.
Madison laughed and downed her drink. “You, of all people, Jayda. I would think you would appreciate that little addendum more than most.”
Jayda shot her a sour look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Tavia replied, “You’re the one with stripper poles and two rooms of your house that are dubbed Toyland One and Two!”
Jazmyn added, “First time I went to your house, I thought you were some sort of dominatrix for hire, or something.”
They all cackled at that. It was true, Jayda knew. But, long ago, they had all made a promise to each other and to themselves that they would always live out loud, never hide who they were or how they felt about anything just to conform to the rules and strictures of a world that didn’t give a damn about them.
Jayda had taken that oath very seriously. More so than the other four, she now realized with some agitation.
Pepper asked, “It’s really no different than the private booths we have in the back, I guess.” She pointed toward the two big chrome doors that separated the private section from the public section of the bar.
“Yes, it’s very different, Pepper. We don’t supply the toys, just the private booths. What goes on back there is of little concern to us or to any of the other patrons. We can charge for admittance and kick anyone out for any reason at any time with no refund. The customers who go back there know to keep it private and keep it civil.” Jayda started toward the stairs. She wanted to go up and check some neon tubing that had been acting quirky.
Pepper yelled after her, “Whatever makes you feel better, honey.”
Jayda gave her the finger as she ascended the stairs. She knew Pepper was close to being right about the private booths. They had all known what would most likely go on back there when they put them in, but it hadn’t stopped them. There were only three oversized booths, which were more like little party rooms. One had actual doors the customers could close and the other two had thick velvet drapes that could be pulled for privacy. Each contained a translucent pole lit from within with different colored LED lights. This pole was situated dead center of each booth. They weren’t necessarily stripper poles, but the women had figured that’s what they would be used for when the drapes were pulled or the doors were closed.
One booth had a 1957 Chevrolet that had been cut in half. The front from the hood to the front seats was on one side of the booth and the rest of the car—the backseat and the modified, open trunk were on the other side. The trunk had been custom fitted with extra thick padding and faux leather coverings. And, again, they all five knew what these would most likely be used for and had even personally measured the height and width to ensure that couples could make the most out of the furniture whether sitting, standing, bending, or lying down.
But there had been no actual sex toys put into place for customers to use or to influence what they did back there. None of them had wanted to run a sex shack, but they could also see the profit in catering to a little private time for a certain set of people out there.