by Cole, Fiona
She cocked her head and looked around as though searching for the right words. “It’s not really a sex clu—.”
“I am not standing on a street corner to make money. I’m desperate, but not ready for prostitution.”
“No. No, no, no.” Her hands rose up, halting that line of thought. “Think of it more like . . . performing.” She paused. “Sometimes naked.”
I blinked, several times, waiting for her to tell me she was kidding. Something. Anything to explain what the hell she was talking about. I sat there, mute, unable to form words, unable to ask questions. Unable to anything, really.
“It’s called Voyeur.” Caving under the silence, she picked up her fork and moved food around her plate before spitting the rest out on one breath. “People come to watch other people do things. It can range from showering to . . . performing with someone else.”
Olivia looked up through her lashes, giving me time to digest what she’d just said. I sat there, dumbfounded. Words swam around in my head, but none of them would coalesce to form complete sentences. There was one that stood out, however: Maybe.
“He said over Thanksgiving he had to fire a girl for sleeping with a customer on the clock which is a big no-no. I’ve heard it pays really good money. It’s also a bar. Maybe you could work as a bartender, but you wouldn’t make as much.”
Voyeur. I knew that word. Saw it on some porn site maybe? Read it in a book? It’s when someone likes to watch others. Usually in sexual activities.
Could I let someone watch me?
When the immediate answer wasn’t no, I let my thoughts expand. Maybe was morphing into possibly.
I wasn’t a virgin or a prude. I’d experimented with the boyfriend I had in high school, and then other boys my senior year when we broke up. I wasn’t going to pretend that I knew all of it since I was only nineteen. But I wasn’t so naive and inexperienced that the thought shocked me.
“With your body and looks, you would probably be a shoe-in.”
I laughed. “Thanks, Liv.”
“What? You’ve got the whole girl-next-door thing going on. If the girl next door was a sex kitten.” She curled her fingers into claws, making me laugh with her rawr. “You’re fit and petite. People like that.”
“Petite and fit is a nice way of saying no boobs.”
“Hey, you’ve got a good handful.”
I laughed when she held up her hands like she was measuring. “Besides, it’s not a strip club. I’ve overheard that the more natural and normal you look, the better.”
“Overheard?”
“Well, my uncle doesn’t talk too openly about it when I’m around, but he gets loud when he drinks.”
Biting my lip, I considered my other options. They felt weak and unstable. So did this, but at least if I didn’t make it to next semester, I could say I tried everything.
“Okay. I’ll check it out.”
* * *
That night I sat across from a tall, blond man with crow’s feet stamped around his eyes, the only thing showing his age. Otherwise, his slim build hinted at a youth he no longer possessed. His blue eyes matched Olivia’s, and I could see the family resemblance. He wasn’t at all the Ron Jeremy look-alike I’d expected. His casual looks and easy smile had set me at ease.
I’d been there for almost half an hour answering questions and telling him about myself. When he would stop to write things down or turn to his computer, I clasped my sweaty hands together and looked around the dark office.
I didn’t know what I was expecting, dildo statues on the shelves? Pictures of naked women? Books on Kama Sutra?
Actually, there was one on Kama Sutra on the shelf, right next to Moby Dick and Little Women. Hell of a selection.
“There’s no paying for sex,” he said firmly, pulling me back to the rules he was discussing. “I don’t run a prostitution ring.”
“That’s good.” One side of my mouth tipped up in an awkward smile, showing off how uncomfortable I felt. He just laughed and continued.
“The rooms change for different themes throughout the month. A bedroom is kept constantly, but sometimes there’s an office setup, a bathroom, a classroom, a bar. Pretty much anything you could think of. There are also various rooms based on what you’re willing to do. Some rooms, like BDSM, require training before you’re allowed to work in them. I keep my workers safe. All clients sign an NDA protecting your privacy. You will also sign an NDA so they’re safe as well. They pay a lot of money to be here, and it’s important I provide a safe environment for them.”
The more he explained, the more comfortable I felt. This wasn’t some run-down strip club where everything was a free-for-all.
“Clients can watch in an attached private room through a one-way window or sit in the provided chairs inside the room. But no one touches the performers. Ever. You don’t touch the clients. Ever.” His blue eyes held me in place and I nodded. “You will have a panic button close by and a guard outside the room should you need them.” His long fingers flipped a page. “Any questions so far?”
“No, sir.” The words were barely whispered. Each rule he read off made me feel better, but also increased my heart rate at the possibility that this would happen. Was I excited? Scared? Nervous?
Definitely all of the above.
“You can call me Daniel. Or Mr. Wit.”
“Okay.”
He looked back to his list of rules. “There are no cameras or recording devices of any kind. Phones are left in the locker room or at the door. You can perform up to three times in a shift, and the rest of the time, you will be working the bar and common area. You will fill out a form upon arriving and clients will be able to look through the performers in a computer system. You may not always be selected.”
He passed the sheet over to me to look over and instructed me to sign. It had the fifteen dollars an hour base I’d make when I was there, as well as the range I could be paid for each performance. Based on the hours we discussed and the prices next to each performance, I had the opportunity to make almost a thousand dollars a week.
I gripped the pen.
I was signing an agreement of the rules.
Because I was going to be an employee at Voyeur.
A sex club.
Goose bumps sprang up across my skin. The scrape of the pen across the paper sounded loud in the quiet room. But it felt like I’d re-opened the door to my education, and that made the smallest of smiles twitch on my lips.
“Okay, Miss Derringer. The final process requires you to submit to an STD test as you will be interacting with other employees, and we keep everyone safe. Then, another of my associates will look you over for me.”
Look me over? My expression must have given away my alarm because he chuckled and rushed to explain. “Her name is Agnes. She does this part to prevent me from getting sued for sexual harassment. But I can’t have you going out without her approval. I hate to say it, but the job is based on looks. While you look good in clothes, I need to know you don’t have a swastika tattoo on your ass for as much as you’ll be naked.”
The reminder of my nudity made me swallow. I was comfortable in my own skin and never hesitated over nudity, but anyone would be nervous to strip down for a stranger and perform.
“Personal upkeep is also continuously checked on. We need our employees clean and healthy, so we do regular checks.” He extended another paper across the desk. “Here’s the list of things that you can sign up to do. Feel free to look it over.”
My eyes almost bugged out of my head when I looked at the sheet with a list and check boxes on it. “This is the checklist you’ll be filling out each time you begin a shift to let members know what you’re comfortable performing that night.”
Anal.
Caning.
Solo Masturbation.
Joint Masturbation.
Vaginal Penetration.
Non-consensual Play.
Daddy Play.
Asphyxiation.
Dry sex.
>
Multiple partners.
Oral sex. (Male)
Oral sex. (Female)
I remembered back to when I thought I wasn’t a prude. Or when I said I’d experimented. Apparently, I skipped the caning experimentation phase and couldn’t say I was sad about it. Doubt began to creep in.
“Don’t let the list alarm you. These are at your own discretion, and I try to provide something for everyone. We have a wide clientele, and we keep it a judgement-free zone. If you’re unable to do that, then we should stop here.”
“No. No. I just . . .” A nervous laugh bubbled up. “No judgment. Different strokes for different folks. I’m just not sure I’m ready for a gang bang.”
Daniel was pretty damn handsome when he smiled. “Fair enough.” He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands on his tight stomach. “We try to make our employees as comfortable as possible and try to provide realistic scenes for our customers. Therefore, we usually pair up the same couples each time. Next time you come in, I’ll be sure your partner will be here so you two can meet. Jackson is off today.”
He stood, and I did the same. “Let’s find you a locker and introduce you to Agnes.”
I stared at his broad back as he walked toward the door and one thought raced through my head.
I’m in.
* * *
Chapter Two
Callum
“You need to get fucked, man.” My best friend, Reed, stated this like a decree.
I bit back my initial response, which was that I wished that I could, and grunted instead. I was in no mood to encourage him. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to work.
“You’ve been so damn focused on your job.”
“I like my job.”
Reed took a long pull from his beer bottle, eyeing me with skepticism. I mimicked his motions and held his stare with one of my own.
“I don’t know why you didn’t take that bigwig job back in Cali when we graduated. I mean, I know I’m pretty, but you didn’t have to stay here for me.”
Nothing would ever get me back to California. I got out of that state as soon as I could. My parents still lived there, but they knew my stipulations and came to visit me instead. They knew my demons wouldn’t let me rest if I ever went back.
“I like it here,” I said, defending my decision. “It’s too sunny and there’s no snow in California. At least not in Sacramento. Cincinnati suits me.”
“I suppose I just sweeten the deal,” he joked.
“Nah, I’m really just here for your wife and her delicious meals.”
He rolled his eyes. “Speaking of Karen, she told me you gave her friend a peck on the cheek and bolted after your date.” He said it like I’d made her tuck and roll out of the car. “Listen, Cal. I say this with all the love, but Lucy is Karen’s slutty friend. The woman loves sex, and I was sure you would’ve taken her home.”
I nudged my spoon up to better line up with the knife centered on the napkin as I thought about how to answer. Reed had been my best friend since college, but he didn’t know everything there was to know about me. He didn’t know my secrets, and I wanted to keep it that way.
“She was nice. Just because we went on a date doesn’t mean we need to have sex.”
“How long has it been, Cal? A year? More?”
“Reed,” I said, my tone warning him to drop it. I didn’t want to answer that question because it had been a lot longer.
“It’s been more than a year since you broke up with what’s-her-face. I know you’ve dated, but when have you gotten laid?”
I took another drink of my beer, looking around at the other patrons of the restaurant avoiding meeting Reed’s eyes.
“You. Need. To. Get. Laid,” he said again.
“I get plenty of action.” I didn’t need to explain what kind of action I was referring to.
“No, you see plenty of action.”
“We all have our kinks,” I said avoiding that topic. “I’m sure you let Karen tie you up all the time.”
He didn’t take the bait and pushed on, letting out a growl, throwing his hands up. “You frustrate me, man. Look at you.” Reed gestured to me across the table. “Women flock to you. They dig all those muscles you go to the gym for. Karen raves to me about your eyes.” He fluttered his lashes and put on a woman’s breathy voice. “Callum’s eyes are so blue. They’re so bright.”
I laughed. “Jealous?”
“Yeah right. I satisfy my wife plenty. You’re just an enigma.” His eyes flicked to his left before leaning back. “I bet you don’t even realize the girl approaching our table has been watching you the whole time. She’s probably just coming over to be disappointed when she asks you out and you say no.”
I may not have been eager to be intimate with women, but that didn’t mean I didn’t date and appreciate a woman’s company. It didn’t mean I wasn’t attracted to them. I’d noticed the blonde across the room almost as soon as she walked in. My lips twitched when I thought about how I was going to make Reed eat his words.
I took one last swallow of my beer and then set it down, exactly back on the wet ring it had left on the center of the napkin. Satisfied with the fit, I leaned back and mimicked his position.
“Hi,” the woman said once she reached our table. “Excuse me, but I noticed you across the restaurant, and I just couldn’t leave without coming over to introduce myself.”
Her voice was soft and feminine, and I could imagine sharing conversations with her. I rotated my body toward her to get a better look. She was beautiful. Tall and slim in her black pants and flowy cream shirt. She looked professional—organized.
I shifted my lips into my most charming smile and extended my hand. “Hello. I’m Callum.”
“Shannon.” Her slim fingers slipped in my palm, feeling soft and fragile.
“Nice to meet you, Callum.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. “Well, I don’t want to keep you, but I wanted to see if you’d like to get coffee sometime.”
I glanced quickly to Reed, making sure he was watching, satisfied by the smirk that was going to crumble.
“I’d love to have coffee with you, if you want to give me your phone number.”
“Yes. Yes, of course. I left my phone at the table but let me write it down and you can message me with yours.”
When she bent over and scribbled her number with the pen the waiter left behind, I smirked at Reed. I had to fight letting a laugh slip out when he mouthed, Fuck you.
I cocked an eyebrow and turned my attention back to Shannon.
Maybe she’d be different than the others. Maybe she’d be the one to help me move past my nightmares.
* * *
Chapter Three
Oaklyn
After stripping down to the most minuscule pair of undergarments I’d ever known, Agnes gave me the approval I needed. Afterward, I went to the doctor they told me to use, and I got my STD test done. Lying on the table, a young female doctor between my legs, I wondered if she knew I was there because I needed to be clean for my performances. I wondered if she cared or judged the work I was going to do? Either way, she didn’t let on and I left the office, called only a few days later to let me know everything came back clean. No shocker there since I always practiced safe sex.
After finding out I was good to go, I’d headed to the Bursar’s Office armed with a whole new plan and plea to get me through the semester. To say I was lucky was an understatement. The man who listened and saw me almost break down in tears had helped me immensely.
We set up a payment plan to get my semester paid for before spring break, and he also found a spot for me in another work study program in the physics department. It seemed an easy solution since I was already in the building for my work study in biology.
For the first time in a couple of weeks, I felt like I could breathe, as though a weight had been lifted from my chest. The semester was going to be hard, but I wasn’t scared of hard work. My determination woul
d keep me going. And next year, I’d be more careful. It would be easier. I just had to focus on these next few months.
However, I still kept my feelers out for other jobs, hoping to find something less . . . just less than Voyeur.
Less than the black pumps and Santa dress I currently wore. My breasts lifted to perfect display.
“Derringer.” Daniel called my name as he walked in with a tall, shirtless guy. To say he was attractive was an understatement. He looked like a modern-day James Dean and my jaw almost dropped taking in his bare chest and tight black jeans.
“My eyes are up here,” he joked.
“Be nice, Jackson.” Daniel issued a warning before speaking to me. “This is your new partner, Jackson.”
He reached his large hand out and I lamely placed mine in his, watching it get lost in his long fingers. “Hi, I’m Oaklyn.”
“Hey, Oaklyn. Can’t wait to make out with you.”
“Stop scaring her, Jackson.” Daniel glared at Jackson before turning toward me. “We keep it professional around here. Yes, there will probably be sexual acts between the two of you but think of it as an acting job. There will be a probationary period of sorts with you two to make sure the chemistry is there, and if it doesn’t work out, you’ll try another partner. So, don’t let Jackson scare you. He’s one of the nicest ones I know.” He turned his attention back to Jackson. “Don’t get yourself into a harassment suit. I’d hate to lose you.”
Jackson put his hands up in defeat. “Alright. I’ll lay off.” He turned to me with earnest eyes and a warm smile, different from the sexy smirk from earlier. “It’s nice to meet you, Oaklyn. If you have any issues, just come to me, and I’ll help you out.”
“Thank you,” I answered.
“But we probably should get together to talk soon. Get comfortable with kissing each other so it all seems more natural.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
My nerves had crept in and limited me to simple one- and two-word answers.
“I have paperwork calling my name,” Daniel said. “I’ll leave you two to it. Oaklyn, come to me if you have any issues or questions.”