by Jan Springer
She swore her mouth dropped open in shock.
Oh, wow. Okay. Had she had read this situation all wrong?
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and get each other?” Adam said huskily.
“Oh and one more thing. If you do go, leave your grandmother’s wedding ring at home,” Carson said with a wink.
Jaxie! She’d told them about the ring. She felt her face heat up even more.
They both strolled toward the exit and in a moment they were gone.
Okay, if that wasn’t a hint they were going alone, then yes, she had been reading this like the doubtful person she’d become. She needed to step back into her free-spirit personality and she had to start right now. It was time to reclaim her life. With her decision made, incredible power flowed through her.
She reached for the phone. It was time to put a call in to Jaxie.
Chapter Four
Wow. Things really had changed from the last time she’d been here at the Club. The newly renovated dining area was larger and roomier. And already crowded with so many people.
She stepped away from the doorway to allow a jovial crowd behind her to enter the Club, and then she gazed around the room. Shades of blue was the color theme. Dark blue strobe lights streamed from ceiling lights and danced over the gyrating dancers on the dance floor and calming baby-blue streams of light splashed from wooden nautical-style lanterns set on the dining tables.
On one far wall a gorgeous neon sign glittered with the words Welcome to Bring Your Own Toys Menage Night.
The half-dozen waitresses were dressed in blue jeans and midnight-blue tank tops, and they bustled like butterflies from one table to the other gathering orders or depositing pint mugs of beer.
With a quick wave to Jaxie, who grinned from behind the bar area, Jewel strolled toward a nook at the back of the Club’s dining area where she found an empty intimate table for two. It was secluded here, yet it also gave her a half-decent view of the entire room as well as some of the dance floor.
She’d arrived early on purpose. She wasn’t much for crowds and from past experience she knew she would need a couple of drinks to settle her nerves and mellow out a bit.
“Hi, Jewel. Glad you could make it,” a familiar voice said.
Jewel gazed up and was pleasantly surprised and relieved to find Rachel smiling down at her.
“I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” Jewel blurted. She held out her hands for Rachel to see how much her fingers were trembling.
“A drink will settle that and then you’ll wonder why you were so nervous,” Rachel said softly.
“You know me too well. Am I that transparent?”
“Actually, Jaxie told me you would need something. Did you want your usual?”
“A Jaxie Strawberry Special?” Jewel asked just to make sure Jaxie had remembered right.
“With strawberry shaped ice-cubes,” Rachel replied with a smile. Relief poured through Jewel, but it only lasted a split second.
“Thanks so much,” she whispered and gave Rachel a wobbly smile.
“No problem. I’ll be right back.”
Rachel left and for a few brief moments uneasiness whispered through her as doubts cracked into her fragile composure.
Why was she here? She wasn’t ready for a ménage? She wasn’t good enough to have a man of her own to pleasure her, let alone two.
“No, no, no, that’s your ex talking, not you, Jewel. Stop thinking stupid thoughts that Mark put in your head and start thinking with your own mind,” she whispered to herself.
I am good enough. I am a perfectly healthy sexual woman. I just had a rotten boyfriend whom I allowed to walk all over me and steal my confidence. I am aware of the signs of an asshole now and I will not let it happen again. Now push that bullshit thinking out of your mind and get some freaking enjoyment out of tonight, no matter which two guys you end up with.
She scanned the room searching for Adam and Carson. She didn’t see them and disappointment and doubt rocked her.
No, she couldn’t do this. Yes, she could. Oh boy, her emotions were all over the place. She’d had sex with some hot strangers before meeting twisted-in-the-head Mark and she’d enjoyed herself.
That was before meeting Carson and Adam…and the thought of having any other men touching her than those two turned her off completely.
No, she couldn’t go through with this. It was Carson and Adam, or no one. She made a move to stand, but Jaxie suddenly placed Jewel’s drink on the table in front of her.
“Oh, no you don’t. You are going to hang around and get yourself properly laid, girlfriend,” Jaxie said with a grin.
“I can’t,” Jewel whispered and she meant it.
Jaxie’s forehead burrowed into a bunch of wrinkles. She sat down opposite of Jewel.
“You’re not ready?”
“Not with strangers. But with Adam and Carson, yes…”
“Say no more. You want those two men. Your wish is my command. But only on one condition. You swear that I had nothing to do with it.”
“With what? What do you mean?”
Jaxie’s entire club was set up around her keys and the fact that no one knew who they would be paired with…unless the occasional rumors that Jaxie was a matchmaker and secretly matched couples together, were true?
“I’m seeing that you are having a moment of confusion,” Jaxie grinned.
“I don’t understand,” she admitted with a shrug.
“All will be revealed,” Jaxie said. She nodded to the drink she’d just brought.
“Drink up, but don’t get drunk. I want you ready and aware at the key picking ceremony.”
She stood and winked at Jewel.
“Trust me, sweetheart. I won’t let you down. You can thank me afterward. I gotta run.”
“But…” But Jaxie had already left.
Shit! Thank her for what? Jewel stared at the strawberry daiquiri with the cute little strawberry shaped floating ice cubes.
What had Jaxie just insinuated? Was she seriously going to make sure Jewel was getting the key to Adam and Carson’s room tonight? Was Jewel really going to indulge in some heavy no-strings sex with the two men she’d been fantasizing about?
Or had Jaxie just injected some hope into Jewel in an effort to keep her here?
No, Jaxie wasn’t so cruel. Besides, it would be bad for business if Jaxie forced sex on unwilling people. She needed to trust that Jaxie would come through for her. She would need to trust that Carson and Adam would not hurt her.
* * * * *
Go easy on her. She’s had a bad breakup and you two will be her first men in quite awhile. Jaxie’s words from several days ago when they’d called to make arrangements for tonight shifted through Adam’s thoughts as he showered in one of the Key Club’s stalls.
His gut clenched with anger. Some sorry son of a bitch had hurt Jewel. That’s why he’d seen hints of sadness in her eyes. He should have pushed Jaxie for more information on the bad breakup, but he’d kept his mouth shut out of privacy for Jewel. When, or if, she decided to tell them what had happened, was up to her.
He was glad Jaxie had warned them though. She really cared about her friends. For as long as he’d known her, she’d always looked out for her friends, treating them like family. It was probably because she didn’t have a family of her own. Her parents and younger siblings had died tragically when Jaxie had been in college.
She was such a nice person, he always wondered why she didn’t date or why she hadn’t married.
“Hey! Get your ass in gear!” Adam called from the other side of the shower curtain.
Carson’s thoughts about Jaxie vanished and snapped right back to Jewel. Damn, he couldn’t wait to watch her pretty eyes scrunch with pleasure when they used the toys on her.
“Be out in a second,” he called and turned off the tap.
Yep, he was sure tonight was going to be a night Jewel wasn’t going to forget.
* * * * *
The instant Carson s
tepped out of the shower, Adam tossed a towel at him. His friend caught it with ease and he began drying his chest with leisurely strokes that made Adam impatient to get on with tonight. He wanted to see Jewel again.
“Hey man, what’s your hurry?” Carson asked with a grin. His eyes sparkled with amusement, but as Adam dropped his gaze and spied Carson’s massive erection, he knew his friend was toying with him and he was just as eager to get on with the event.
Jewel would be impressed with Carson’s magnificent size and she would appreciate Adam’s size also. With the toys as their aids, they would give Jewel a great welcome back to sex evening. Perhaps they could even take their relationship beyond the safe confines of The Key Club.
“Now who’s the one who’s stalling?” Carson chuckled as Adam realized he’d been standing here so deep in thought, he hadn’t noticed Carson had slipped on his red robe and stood staring at him with a crooked grin.
“There is one problem. The key to our room. Where is it?” he asked.
Adam shrugged and his impatience roared to new heights.
“Jaxie didn’t drop it by while I was in the shower?” Carson answered.
Adam shook his head.
“Oh crap.” Carson grumbled and he slumped onto the bench.
“You can say that again,” Adam replied. Dejected, he joined him to wait.
* * * * *
Jewel’s breath caught as Jaxie called out her name.
Goodness, it was her turn to pick a key out of Jaxie’s top hat. What if she picked the wrong key? What if she ended up with two guys that she didn’t feel comfortable around? Maybe she should just shake her head and bow out of this ménage?
Jaxie’s eyes twinkled with encouragement and Jewel relaxed – a little. She needed to learn to trust again and she had to start right now with Jaxie. The room was silent as Jewel stepped forward and took her place in front of Jaxie, who held the top hat high enough so Jewel could not see inside.
She reached up and dipped her hand into the hat. Cool metal touched her flesh as she sifted through the jumble of keys. One key in particular nudged insistently against her palm. Should she pick that one? Indecision raged. She caught Jaxie’s gaze but she could only read a mischievous twinkle that urged Jewel to follow her own instincts.
She pulled out the key and the women gasped and so did Jewel. It was gorgeous and glistened silver beneath the lights. The head was shaped like a Queen’s crown and tiny red jewels sparkled at the peaks.
“Congratulations you’ve picked the key to the Red Room. Please follow standard procedure and I will meet you in the change room with further instructions.”
She tried to read Jaxie’s gaze, but she couldn’t. Gosh, the woman had a damned good poker face. She merely smiled and nodded for Jewel to move away.
She scooted aside to allow the next woman into position. Immediately, her attention drew back to the key. It was so beautiful. The stones twinkled beneath the lights and if Jewel didn’t know better, she’d think they were real red sapphires.
“Wow, The Red Room, you are so lucky. That’s one of my favorite rooms,” Rachel whispered from behind her.
Jewel turned to find Rachel standing there.
“Well, hello again,” Jewel greeted. She noted that Rachel looked tired, but despite that, she had a genuine wide grin and clasped Jewel’s hands with eagerness.
“I’m so excited for you. I think you’ll be pleased with your accommodations for the night.”
She wanted to ask Rachel if she knew for sure that Jaxie had set her up with Adam and Carson, but Rachel suddenly let go of her hands and excused herself, claiming she had to get back to work.
Darn! Indecision made her hesitate. Should she hang around and wait to talk to Jaxie and get assurances that Jewel had picked the right key? Or should she just go with what was happening?
She opted for the latter. Yes, it really was time to cut loose. She tossed the gorgeous key into her tiny sequin purse and headed upstairs. Protocol dictated that everyone should shower and change into robes and then wait for their instructions in the change rooms.
Jewel nervously nibbled on her lower lip and headed for the door that would lead her to her ménage evening.
* * * * *
“And this is for you,” Jaxie said, as a half hour later, she handed Jewel a bright red envelope. The two of them were alone in the change room, mainly because Jewel had taken extra long to shower and prepare herself with scented lotions. Then she’d waited for the other women to receive their different colored envelopes and instructions. When the room was empty, Jaxie had focused her attention on her with sparkles of anticipation in her eyes.
“This is also for you,” Jaxie said. She smiled warmly as she handed Jewel a small red gift bag.
“By now you probably guessed you are getting what we call the Red Room. It’s down aisle C. The red door. I’ll leave you to change into whatever has been gifted to you.”
She turned to leave, but then swung back around. Her eyes were filled with warmth.
“I’m glad you decided to trust me. You won’t be sorry, hon. I have to get going. Have a wonderful evening.”
Jaxie waved and quickly whisked out of the room.
Silence permeated the area and Jewel worried her bottom lip as she tore open the envelope. The letter shook in her trembling fingers as she read the words scrawled in bold handwriting.
Jewel,
We are pleased you picked the key to our room. Please dress in the beautiful lingerie and leave your luscious hair down. We look forward to pleasuring you. Your safe word is red. If at anytime you feel uncomfortable, use the word red and we will stop immediately.
When you get to our room, please do not undress. Climb beneath the sheets and place on the blindfold that is supplied. We will do the rest.
Your pleasure partners.
Oh my gosh. They were up to something daring that’s why they’d supplied a safe word. She inhaled a shuddering breath. What did they have in mind?
Several moments later, Jewel’s heart cracked a furious tune as she stood, clad in a red robe, in front of the red door in hallway C. The key insignia on the door matched the key she held.
This would be their room for the night.
She swallowed against her suddenly dry mouth, slid the key into the hole and turned. A click followed. She opened the door, stepped into a short hallway, and closed the door behind her. She hung the key on the hook, beneath a red placard with white letters that instructed her to leave the key there.
There was another hook with a sign instructing her to hang up her robe. She trembled in anticipation as she slipped it off and hung it up. Now she was clad only in the beautiful red lingerie the men had purchased at her store the other day. Minus the panty. She hadn’t been able to find it. Whether it had been omitted on purpose she wasn’t sure, but she’d opted to go with no undies of her own.
She followed along a short hallway, which led to a cozy room. The room was large and decorated in blood-red, wheat-yellow and mushroom-colored hues. At first glance, it appeared to be just any ordinary bedroom. The walls were painted light beige and a plush oval red carpet had been lain over a dark brown veneer floor. A brass king-sized bed dominated part of the room. Tossed on the bed lay mushroom-colored puffy pillows and a pretty heart-patterned quilt.
Upon closer inspection, she spied eyelets on the bed posts and discreet hooks dangled from various areas on the ceiling. A couple of large storage cabinets were set against a far wall and frilly white curtains hung at each of the three windows.
Her breath halted as she spotted the red blindfold placed on top of one of the pillows.
Okay. Here goes.
* * * * *
“You two boys look totally frustrated,” Jaxie laughed as she entered the men’s change room and spied Carson and Adam. They sat on a bench seat clad in their red robes wearing severe pouts.
When they saw her, relief poured over their faces.
“We’re waiting for the-”
Carson stopped as she held up the key.
“Your partner is waiting for the two of you in your room.”
“Jewel?” Adam asked.
Anxiety laced his voice, but Jaxie refused to waver. No matter how much she wanted to tell them the truth, she needed their trust. It would be good for business if people learned to trust her. Besides, she loved getting people together. It filled an empty part of her heart that she was sure would never be filled again.
She shrugged off the dark cloud that suddenly loomed over her emotions. She didn’t want to think about the past. She wanted to be happy and to get these two together with Jewel. They would be the perfect match. She could feel it deep inside.
“You boys wound me with your doubts. Why don’t you go and have a look. Who wants the-”
She held up the key and Adam grabbed it before she could finish the sentence.
“Eager little beavers aren’t you?” she laughed.
Happiness spilled through her as Carson leaned in and gave her a sweet kiss on her cheek.
“You are a doll, Jaxie,” he whispered and then pulled away.
To her surprise, Adam grabbed her by her shoulders, pulled her close and planted a fast kiss on her mouth. Then he hugged her warmly.
“You’re the best, Jax,” he said, and let her go. His eyes sparkled with something she recognized as true admiration.
Another shot of happiness shifted inside her heart and she felt giddy with excitement.
“Ah, come on guys. Get out of here and show that girl what she’s been missing.”
She watched them leave and brushed away a renegade tear.
Man, she really loved her job.
Chapter Five