Page 2

Vivian

I fidgeted with the pink silk ribbon around my left wrist as Kit and I made our way further inside the club. I’d decided to wear it on my left, to avoid drawing attention to the phoenix tattoo on the inside of my right wrist.

I was glad my friend knew exactly where to go and what to do because I felt like a fish out of water.

Even when Kit told me she worked at an “upscale” sex club, I’d envisioned something like the strip club I worked in: neon lights, sticky floors, a couple of disco balls, red vinyl booths with slits down the center that exposed the foam underneath. That was not the case at Velvet Underground.

I’d never seen anything like it. Even the air smelled expensive, like spiced rum and cedarwood.

Everything dripped luxury, from the soft lighting to the dark wood and gold trim. The purple velvet seating seemed so plush, I was afraid if I sat in a booth, I’d sink in and disappear. Gold velvet curtains framed private booths, and the bar looked like it belonged in a five-star hotel.

I think everyone wearing fancy masks while elegantly dressed in black tie and evening gowns added to the glamor of the night. I half-expected to see Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway drinking martinis at the bar.

“Wow. So, this is where you work.”

Kit grinned under her pink feathered and jeweled mask that matched her dress and lipstick perfectly.

“It’s pretty over the top, I know.”

I made a point of surveying our surroundings. “It’s beautiful, though.”

She glanced around, too.

“Yeah, seeing it through your eyes makes me appreciate it again. I think being here four nights a week has made me blind to the sheer opulence of the place.”

I looked down at the sequined white dress I’d found at Goodwill to match the white Venetian mask with rhinestones that Kit had bought for me. It covered the upper half of my face, but even hiding behind a mask, one thing was clear—I didn’t belong here.

We’d barely stepped up to the bar when a tall, dark-haired man wearing the hell out of a tux appeared at my side.

He had on a black domino mask, which seemed to be the mask of choice tonight for the men.

A few were sporting Phantom of the Opera -style half-masks, and a couple had ornately decorated Venetian masks, but they were in the minority by far.

It was almost as if the club had handed out domino masks at the door to any guy who’d arrived without one and wouldn’t let them in unless they put it on. (A theory Kit later confirmed.)

“Well, hello. Aren’t you a breath of fresh air.”

I smiled at the handsome stranger. “And aren’t you the charmer.”

“Can I buy you a drink, maybe get to know you a little better?”

Before I had a chance to accept his offer, Kit interjected. “We just got here, so we’re going to mingle for a while before we ‘get to know’ anyone.”

He chuckled, undeterred.

“Fair enough. But still, let me buy you both a drink.”

I was pretty sure with Kit working here, her fellow bartenders would hook us up with free booze, but she smiled and said, “That’s very kind, thank you,” then ordered us two glasses of champagne as he told the bartender, “Put those on my tab.”

While we waited for our drinks, the stranger asked, “So, will I have the pleasure of bidding on a date with either of you ladies next week?”

Again, Kit answered for me. “No, we’re just here for the party tonight.”

He raked his gaze up and down my body, then rested it on my tits when he replied, “What a pity. Then I definitely hope we can chat later.”

“I look forward to it.”

He walked away, and Kit leaned over and told me, “You will not be “chatting” with Grayson DeLuca later. That man would eat you up and spit you out!”

“Isn’t that the point of why we’re here?”

“Trust me on this.”

“Of course I trust you. You know these men, I don’t. We should have a signal for who you approve of and who you don’t. Like you scratch your chin if they’re a nay, and tug on your ear if they’re a yay.”

She laughed. “Or, how about I just subtly shake my head yes or no?”

I grinned. “That works, too.”

The bartender appeared with our glasses of bubbly and winked at Kit before he put them down, like he was letting her know he knew who she was.

We lifted the flutes in a toast.

“To new adventures,” I said with a confident smile, although it felt like a kaleidoscope of butterflies had taken flight in my stomach as I thought about what those adventures tonight might entail.

“To new adventures,” Kit echoed then clinked her glass against mine.

“So, what’s this auction Grayson was talking about?” I asked before taking a sip of champagne.

My friend had been in the middle of a drink and choked when my question came out, making her pat her chest. After she recovered, she murmured, “Baby steps, sweetie. We’re starting you on the bunny slopes tonight. An auction is the equivalent of a black-diamond run.”

****

Jeff

I’d almost skipped tonight’s party, but the moment I saw her from across the room, I congratulated myself for deciding to come after all.

She looked like an angel in her white dress with sequins glinting under the lights.

Half her face was hidden by a mask, and I couldn’t help but want to get closer.

Then I saw DeLuca approach her at the bar, at least, I was pretty sure it was Grayson, and decided to hang back and observe from the other end. Hopefully I hadn’t missed my shot by moving too slowly.

I watched her companion smile and shake her head, then a minute later, DeLuca nodded and walked off.

That’s right. Move along.

She’s my angel.

Hopefully.

At least for tonight.

The vision in white was laughing with her friend, champagne glass in hand, head tilted back as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

She caught me watching her, and I raised my glass in a silent toast. She lifted hers in return, a shy smile playing at the corners of her mouth. That was all the invitation I needed to make my way over. I stepped away from the bar and weaved through the crowd, never taking my eyes off her.

Her blonde hair caught the light like a halo as she laughed at something her friend said.

She tucked it behind her ear while her lips tugged into a smile that looked practiced.

Every move she made felt deliberate, like she knew eyes were on her and she was performing.

Maybe for me, and I didn’t mind one bit.

Her eyes found mine again, and I didn’t hesitate to step in closer.

She turned to face me, and her smile faltered, barely, but I caught it. She didn’t seem afraid. Hesitant, maybe, but not scared. Maybe she was deciding how much trouble I was.

Smart girl.

But she pulled her shoulders back and lifted her chin when she looked me in the eye, and I knew she had some sass.

Just my type. Those were more fun to break.

I let my gaze drop to the pink ribbon on her left wrist and lightly brushed my thumb over it. “Pink ribbon,” I murmured, eyes locked on hers. “Curious and open. I like that.”

Then I noticed the hand holding her champagne flute, more specifically, the phoenix inked on her right wrist. “But this has me curious,” I murmured, taking her glass and setting it on the bar so I could lift her hand and press a soft kiss to the tattoo. “I’d love to know the story behind it.”

She didn’t pull away, which I took as a good sign, even as she replied, “That’s a conversation for another time.”

“Good. It means there’ll be another time.”

She gave me a wicked smile. “But I thought tonight was more of a one-night-only kind of party.”

I leaned in closer. “Then I guess I’ll have to make tonight count.”

She let out a soft laugh, her eyes dancing. “Oh, I have a feeling you will.”

I lowered my head, the smell of her citrusy shampoo mixed with her floral perfume tantalized my senses as I let my lips brush her ear. “Then let’s find somewhere a little more… private. Somewhere we can get to know each other better without all the noise.”

She glanced at her friend, who I noticed gave her a subtle headshake, before she turned back to me with an apologetic smile. “I don’t think so.”

Well, that wasn’t what I was expecting.

I stepped back and held her gaze for a beat. I could almost feel the disappointment rolling off her. Or maybe that was my own.

“What a shame.” I nodded my head at her, then toward her friend—who I was pretty sure was Kit, the bartender. I don’t know what her problem with me was, I always tipped well. “Enjoy your evening, ladies.” I turned and walked away to scope out the rest of the prospects.

But I couldn’t help but look back. She was still watching me. Still calm. Still sassy.

I liked that probably more than I should’ve.

I took another lap around the room, drink in hand, pretending I was scouting options. But the truth?

None of them intrigued me the way she had.

That didn’t mean I was going home unfulfilled. I’d come here to scratch an itch, not catch feelings.

So, when a leggy brunette with a grey bracelet straddled my lap without asking, I let her. My dick might’ve been disappointed earlier, but he wasn’t picky.