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She went on. “But you knowyou shouldn’t even suggest it because they’re at work and they haveto be nice to you and you’d be a creep. It feels like if everyonewho works here is paid to have sex with me, it’s a license to be acreep.”
“These are professionals.”It was the only ethical way to run a resort like this.“Professionals who understand the fantasy and kink elements that gointo the Ascend Red experience.” I cringed. “Yikes, that soundedvery brochure of me.”
“I’m worried,” she admittedas I pulled us into a space behind the castle. “What if I’m notfree spirited enough to appreciate things here?”
She’d been eaten out androughly fucked during breakfast. “I don’t think you have anythingto worry about.”
But I understood where shewas coming from. I turned off the cart and put an arm around hershoulders. She’d worn a fluorescent green bikini that pushed hertits up, and all I wanted to do was rip the straps rightoff—
I cleared my throat andcollected my thoughts. “The concept of Ascend Red—how it runs, thesexual freedom from the moment you arrive here to the moment youleave—baffles a lot of people. It can be overwhelming. When youreturn to the world outside, that’s when you appreciate it themost.”
“Is that what people tellyou?” she asked. “Or is it part of the ‘Ascend Redexperience?’”
“Can we pretend I neverused that wording?” I shook my head with a reluctant laugh. “Butreally. It’s something I felt the first few times I camehere.”
“But you’re the one whodesigned it,” she said, narrowing her eyes.
“I designed it. But Ihadn’t realized what it would feel like to be here, in a spacewhere truly, anything goes, and you can have whatever you want.” Ipaused. “I’m mindful of the fact that I own this place, though. Ionly play around with staff members I can trust to be honest withme, and who won’t feel pressured to do things they don’t want to dobecause I’m their employer.”
She relaxed. “I’m glad tohear you say that. I guess it’s what I was worried about, in thefirst place. That nobody here could consent because you’re theirboss.”
“I’m never involved inhiring or firing situations,” I added. “I’m not anyone’s boss. I’mjust the most important guest. Hence, my caution.”
“That makes sense.”Seemingly satisfied with my answers, she turned and swung her legsdown, the lacy shawl tied as a makeshift skirt around her waistparting to reveal one long, slender leg.
I grabbed my cane andhopped out; it was a good day. Maybe having Charlotte with me wassome kind of painkiller. Still, I didn’t want to chance a fall, soI’d brought the cane as an insurance policy. I reached for theother set of keys in the pocket of my shorts, and she groaned indismay.
“You weardad shorts.” She scoffed dramatically. “You’re old enough to be myfather and you’re wearingdadshorts.”
I could take some gentleribbing about our age difference, but that was a low blow. “I amnot old enough to be your father. I would have had to have been inhigh school.”
“People get people pregnantin high school. I don’t know what to tell you,” she sing-songed,following beside me to the private entrance to thecastle.
“If you want to call meDaddy, say so,” I huffed in half-pretend annoyance. “But you’dbetter be into spanking.”
“Oh, I am!” she assured meas the door opened. Then, her voice cut off abruptly.
The private entrance ledimmediately into my box high above the “theater.” Though the roomwas empty of people at the moment, it was impressive enough on itsown. Decorated like a scaled-down eighteenth-century opera house,the theater was equipped to host any number ofperformances.
For example, the go-go cages on eitherside of the stage could be occupied while someone was flogged,fucked, or otherwise exhibited. The floor could be filled withseats for an audience or cleared away for something moreinteresting to watch from the mezzanine. There were blue tarps anda huge inflatable pool set up.
“I believe tonight is thelube orgy,” I said, pointing to the waist-high pool. “That will befilled up, and they put in small ones there and there—”
“That sounds amazing!”Charlotte clapped her hands excitedly. “Can we do that?”
“You can do that while Iwatch.” It took way too long to shower that stuff off, once you’ddipped yourself in it.
“Okay.” She sounded alittle disappointed. “I don’t want to do whatever I want while yousit around and watch. I want to fuck you too.”
“Do you think I’m lettingyou leave here without doing me more than you do anyone else?” Igestured to the second door in the box. This one locked from theinside. “After you.”
We walked the short wayfrom my box to the theater lobby and out the doors. The snack bararea didn’t serve popcorn, but was set up to sell vibrators,dildos, beads, anything someone might need to enjoy themselves at ashow in this particular venue.
The theater lobby openedonto the lower level of the castle’s main entrance. Thecheckerboard floor and hardwood contributed to the overallClueatmosphere of thebuilding. To the left, a corner led to a locker room. To the right,the entrance to the more hard-core of the castle’sdungeons.
“Anything with watersports, needle play, knife play, all of that happens in there,” Isaid, pointing to the doors. “If you’re interested in that, I wouldbe happy to set you up with a suitable partner for it,but—”
“Now who didn’t do theirassigned reading?” she mock scolded me with a cluck of her tongue.“I said no to all that stuff. No judgment. It just isn’t forme.”