Damon

 

 

She is making me wait. It is almost six minutes past noon, and Miss Barry has not deigned to call me into her office yet. I'm sitting in one of the leather armchairs in the waiting area right next to her door, checking the time like an idiot. It's not like I have to be anywhere, but I despise tardiness. This is a matter of principle. 

There's not a single soul around. The dark and somewhat gloomy halls of Violent Delights are dead silent. The walls are painted in dark red, adorned with black and white photographs in black frames. Some of the girls who work here or used to work here. I recognize quite a few of them. 

I get up from my seat, driven by the same unrest that has tormented me all my life. Sitting still, waiting - it's not for me. I roam the hall, slowly walking along the lined up photographs at the wall, inspecting every single one of them as if I'm seeing them for the first time. For some of them, that is true. It's been a while since I last stepped foot inside the agency. The last time was here must have been the day I introduced myself to the Madame to be considered as a client. Miss Barry prides herself and this agency in exclusivity, and it's not just the girls who are selected through a thorough application process but the clients as well. Only the best can work for Violent Delights, and only the best – and wealthiest – can enjoy the services they offer. 

All of which makes this fucking waiting game even worse. I check the time again, realizing that less than five minutes have passed since I last checked. This is going too far. 

I turn around on my heel, facing the door to Miss Barry's office to my left. I can no longer tolerate this waiting game. Whatever or whoever is keeping her busy enough to forget about her appointment with me will just have to leave her the fuck alone right this second. I don't have time for this. 

The heels of my heavy shoes echo against the dark walls of the hall when I approach the door to her office in wide, angry steps. But just as I'm about to hammer my knuckles against the door for an impatient knock, it swings open right in front of me. I freeze mid-motion, my hand still lifted in preparation to knock, while my eyes are locked onto the appearance before me. 

Piercing blue eyes lock onto mine, framed with fake lashes in deep black, contrasting the pastel blond hair and porcelain skin of the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. She's tall, very tall for a woman, towering over the Madame who is standing right next to her by close to five inches. Both of them are wearing high heels, but I can tell that she'd be tall even without them. Still, she needs to tilt her head back to meet my eyes with hers.

The dark lady suit that hugs her slim frame is only emphasizing her fair skin and her artificial blond waves. Her pouty lips are painted in a light pink, matching the overall ensemble perfectly. 

"Mr. Graves," I hear Miss Barry piping. "I'm sorry for making you wait!"

I acknowledge her with a quick nod, unable to tear my eyes away from the girl standing next to her. How have I never seen her before? Is she new? Did she just have her introductory meeting with Miss Barry? 

I will have to inquire about her after we're done with whatever business Miss Barry wants to discuss with me tonight. 

The ethereal beauty casts me a quick look, no smile, just an unreadable and somewhat apathetic expression on her gorgeous face as she slips passed me. 

I can't help but move with her, turning around and pinning my gaze on her back as she walks away with hurried steps. 

"Please, come in."

Miss Barry's voice is coming from behind my back, drawing my attention back to reality and back to the reason I came here for. 

I turn to her in an instant, a polite smile gracing my face as I follow her gesture to come in. 

"Again, I'm really sorry to make you wait, Mr. Graves," she says after we've taken our seats. "You know this isn't how we usually treat our clients."

I nod quietly, crossing my legs as I lean back, casting her an expectant look. "You said that there's an opportunity you'd like to discuss with me?"

She smiles and fixes her tight fitting blazer, a sign of nervous tension that doesn't go by me. 

"Yes, I actually have quite exciting news," she begins, her gaze locked onto mine. "As you may or may not know, our agency has done really well for itself in the past few years. We've been growing every month, attracting more and more high-profile clients such as you and employing extraordinary talents, only providing the best-"

"Let's skip the marketing talk," I say, twirling my hand in an impatient gesture. "Why don't we get to the point, Miss Barry?"

She clears her throat, nodding but arching her eyebrows for a split second, displaying just the slightest hint of annoyance.

"We want to expand," she says. "So far, Violent Delights is nothing more than an exclusive – very exclusive – escort agency, providing company and pleasure, but no place to live out your fantasies in safe and adequate surroundings."

She pauses, fixating me with her gaze as if to make sure I'm still listening. I urge her to continue with another twirl of my left hand.

"This is what we want to fix," Miss Barry continues. "We want to expand our business by providing a space for our clients and our girls to meet in a relaxed atmosphere, surrounded by lavish luxuries, beauty and pleasure. There will be a bar, a lounge area, and well, of course, some rooms to retreat for private or semi-private adventures."

She winks at me, trying to revoke a reaction from me.

"So, you want to open up a sex club?" I ask.

She scoffs and shakes her head.

"I prefer the term 'kink' club," she says. "But no, it's more than that. First of all, our premises will be very different from an ordinary kink club. Bigger, more beautiful, equipped with everything you could ever dream of – and more. There will be rooms specifically assigned for certain pleasures and fantasies, and they will not be accessible to everybody."

She stops, flinching as if she just remembered something important.

"Speaking of accessibility," she adds. "The club itself will have a new level of exclusivity. Not all of our clients will have access to it."

I huff. "I thought the agency's customer files are already selective and exclusive? Isn't that what you always tell me?"

"Yes, they are," she says, nodding. "And still, we're not approaching all of our clients to become a part of this new endeavor. You see… the opportunity I was speaking of is more than just enjoying something new we're about to offer. It's about becoming a part of it."

Realization dawns when our eyes meet, and I see the request written on her face without her saying the words out loud.

"You want me to become a part of it, huh," I repeat. "That means… you want me to invest in this? Help you make it a reality."

She shrugs.

"To be quite frank, Mr. Graves, we can make this a reality without your financial help, really," she says, trying to sound nonchalant. "I'm merely presenting a business opportunity for you. I'm convinced that your investment in The Velvet Rooms would benefit not just us but you as well. And it would come with early and exclusive access to something very, very special."

"The Velvet Rooms?"

"Yes, that's what we're going to call it," Miss Barry affirms, adding a proud smile to her words.

I sigh, shifting in my seat while I contemplate her offer. It's hard to deny that it does sound intriguing to me. Of course, it does. It's new, it's exotic, it's exclusive. It speaks to me and my never-ending hunger for more.

But I'm not ready to say "yes" just yet. Every investment has to be considered thoroughly, especially when I just decided to put a lot of money in yet another opportunity that lured me with its own promise of newness.

"I will need more information about this," I retort. "And I need to see your business plan."

A smile blossoms on her face. "Of course, Mr. Graves. That goes without saying. I will have more for you in about a week or two. Pictures, plans of the premises, a business plan."

I nod.

"Sounds good. I'll be waiting to hear from you then," I tell her, rising from my seat so suddenly that she jerks in surprise before she follows suit and gets up on her feet as well.

I'm about to make my way out when I remember something.

"One last question," I say, turning back to her. "The blond girl who was here before me - who was she? Is she working for you? How come I've never seen her on file when I asked for a new 'talent', as you call them?"

The smile on Miss Barry's face tells me that she's not surprised at my question. Of course not. She saw the way my eyes lingered on the girl's back as she walked away. Only an idiot would have missed my obvious interest, and Miss Barry is anything but that. 

"Yes, she's one of ours," she replies. "But she hasn't accepted new clients in a while. That's why we never shopped her around."

"I see," I utter, a disgusting flash of jealousy spreading through my core. I can't have her but others could. I fucking hate that. 

"However," Miss Barry adds, leaning forward while observing my reaction to her words. "There's a good chance that you might see more of her – if you decide to get involved with our new endeavor."

"The Velvet Rooms?" I ask. "She's going to be a part of that?"

Miss Barry casts me a mischievous look before she shrugs, a devious smile appearing on her face. 

"She might be."