Page 205 of The First Taste

Across the street, I notice that the girls have paused at the entrance to the disreputable-looking gray building that towers over the street corner. It must have been a very nice church when it was built. But time and weather have done their work on the building's outside, with water leaving dark streaks down the side of the building and the windows mostly boarded up.

The girls seem to make a decision, falling into a vee formation as they climb the broad stone steps of the gray stone building. The girl at the front tucks her long blonde hair behind her ear and steps forward, all but disappearing in the church’s Gothic-styled hooded cupola.

As I look on, I cannot help but to count the extravagant, showy signs of great wealth that the girls have proudly chosen to wear. One of the girls is wearing expensive, red-soled high heels. I see a glint of diamond earrings nestled in the earlobes of another. One girl clutches a tiny black Prada bag. I cannot see what they are wearing beneath their black wool coats, but I am sure it is short, tight, and expensive.

For a moment, I wonder what it would be like to be one of those girls. What would my life be like?

I admit to myself that it is not at all like it actually is. These girls don’t have to worry about whether or not their next paycheck will be able to buy them groceries and pay the rent. It must be nice...

"Talia!"

I turn my head to see Olivia hurrying down the dark street. She holds a newspaper over her head to shield her from the rain, but it isn’t working. As she rushes toward me, a halo of droplets shines in her dark hair, and her cheeks are bright pink.

Try as I might, I can’t help but smile at my best friend. She's usually late and a little frazzled.

"Olivia!" I greet her. "How are you?"

She tosses the newspaper onto an overflowing trash bin, making a face and dusting off her dark jacket. Then she grabs me by the arm and pulls me along toward the church's front door.

"Hold on a minute, Talia." She calls out to the girls that have only just begun to disappear through the door. "Stacey? Wait! We’re here!"

The group ripples, stopping before the door in a graceful pack. A girl turns and looks impatiently behind her. I realize it's the girl with the bright red-soled heels.

My pulse speeds up. I clench Olivia’s hand. She’s too busy to do more than give my hand a pat in response.

"Oh." She stares down imperiously as Olivia rushes to pull me up the stairs to join them. "You made it after all. I thought you might bail."

"Sorry for the lateness," Olivia starts.

But Stacey has already dismissed her, ushering the other girls ahead of her into the gaping doorway. To the right of the doorway is the small bronze plaque that reads,The Raven’s Head Club, By Invitation Only.

My stomach does flip-flops. We’re in the seediest part of Harwicke right now, with the docks on one side and the run-down warehouse district on the other. The few blocks surrounding the church seem desolate. And yet, here is a plaque admonishing trespassers.

It’s all quite odd.

My eyes dart over the large, curved doorway, seeing only a black morass within. Aside from the pervasive rap music, there is not even a hint of what is inside.

"Olivia," I say. There is a bad feeling in my gut that demands that I absolutely should not go inside.

She clutches my arm tighter, hissing her reminder. "Talia, you’re the one who got all emotional and told me that you’re worried that something is wrong with you because you still haven’t lost your v-card."

My entire face floods with heat. "Shh! Are you crazy? Don’t announce that to the world."

"I’m not trying to shame you, Talia." She squeezes my arm and tilts her head. "My intentions are just to get you out of the rut you have been in. To meet some new people and let loose just once. I’ve known you for almost twenty years, and yet I can’t remember you ever just having a good time." She cocks a brow. “And this place? It’s apparently crazy inside. It might call itself a bar, but I hear that it’s really a sex club.”

She drops her voice, whispering the last two words. My cheeks flush and I shake my head. “We aren’t the sort of girls that go to a sex club. You’re a frigging PhD student, I’m a retail employee.”

She cups my face, using her thumb and forefinger to squeeze my cheek. “Loosen up. If you want to shed your v-card so bad, there will be plenty of guys inside just lining up to claim it.”

I scrunch up my face, considering her words. She’s right about the fact that I cried on her shoulder about being an uptight virgin just last week. Could this party be a gateway into a more relaxed, happier life for me? I know it’s a sex club, but… I don’t want to die a virgin, do I?

"I know what I said," I acknowledge. “I just hoped that you had forgotten about the whole thing.”

She sighs and pulls me closer. "You promised me that you would come to this party. Give it a chance, at least."

I swallow the retort on the tip of my tongue and try not to make a face. "I know. I’m keeping an open mind."

But I’m not. As we step through the doorway, a gust of cool air swirls around my ankles. Smoke trickles down from the darkness above. Rap music blares around me, vibrating the worn leather of my purse.