Naughty

by Velvet

  “So, who is she?” That was Kennedy, in the kitchen with Naomi, balancing the tray of crudités in her arms. “I answered the front door when you were upstairs, and there she stood.”

  “Her name is Mira Rhone. She’s the CEO of FACEZ and a client of Jacob’s.”

  “FACEZ? What a small world, that’s where Nigel works. How did the CEO of FACEZ wind up at our little ole meeting?”

  Naomi rolled her eyes to the ceiling, and then explained, “Jacob called out of the clear blue and said a client of his was interested in joining our book club. I guess he was tired of me complaining about looking for new members.”

  “Well, she doesn’t seem like a big-wig muckety-muck. When I opened the door, she was extremely friendly,” Kennedy commented, and turned toward Tyler, who had come back in the kitchen from upstairs. “Oh, hey, how’s it going?”

  Tyler hadn’t seen Kennedy since moving back to New York. They had met at Jacob and Naomi’s wedding. The ceremony was small and intimate, with Kennedy and Tyler the only two bridesmaids. Unlike Naomi, Kennedy wasn’t homophobic. She and Tyler chatted easily throughout the entire weekend, joking about the hideous teal blue chiffon dresses and matching satin slippers they were forced to wear. “It’s going, Kennedy. How’ve you been?”

  “No major complaints, just the usual minor ones,” Kennedy joked while balancing the appetizers with one arm. “Let me take this tray into the solarium before I drop it on the floor.”

  “Please don’t drop the crudités. It took me too long to cut up those vegetables. Tyler, can you bring in the fruit tray?” Naomi asked, pointing to a silver platter sitting in the middle of the island.

  “Sure.” Tyler’s heart rate accelerated as she carried the beautifully arranged melons, berries, and kiwi down the hallway to the solarium, where Mira Rhone was waiting. Tyler was anxious to meet her blind date. She had let go of the hurt that Liz had caused her and was ready to move on. Tyler was a one-woman woman, and desired to be in a relationship. She crossed her fingers underneath the tray and prayed that Mira Rhone wanted the same thing.

  “Mira, this is my sister-in-law, Tyler. And this is Kennedy, my best friend, who opened the door when you arrived,” Naomi said, making introductions all around.

  “Nice to meet you,” Kennedy said, shaking Mira’s hand. She thought about mentioning that she was dating Nigel, but didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. Besides, she didn’t know Mira, and didn’t want to disclose too much personal information on a first meeting.

  Tyler was a walking bundle of nerve endings and nearly toppled the tray over at the sight of Mira. She was absolutely tie-your-tongue-up-in-knots gorgeous. And that was exactly what happened as she stumbled over her words. “Uh, hi, hello, uh, I’m . . . uh, nice to meet you,” Tyler finally said, setting the tray on the cocktail table.

  Mira looked into Tyler’s eyes, and without stumbling over one word said, “Nice meeting you as well.” She shook Tyler’s hand, but held it a little longer than normal. Tyler wasn’t as butch as Sam, but she was attractive nonetheless.

  “Welcome to the Naughty Book Club. Shall we get started, ladies?” Naomi asked, motioning for everyone to have a seat.

  Over the next hour they munched on the raw veggies, mini sandwiches, and fruit while discussing the plot line of A Few Dollars and a Dream. The general consensus was that the story was interesting enough, but predictable. Mira didn’t participate in the discussion. Obviously, she hadn’t had enough time to read the book, so she just sat back and observed. From time to time, Tyler caught Mira cutting her eyes in her direction, checking her out on the sly.

  “So much for this novel,” Naomi said, tossing her copy on the cocktail table. “I’ve been thinking that maybe we should read a juicier book. Maybe something that’s a little more erotic.” She wanted to make a segue into talking about the Black Door, and this seemed like a good intro. Naomi looked over at Kennedy, trying to give her a hint as to where this conversation was headed.

  “Hmm, that sounds interesting,” Kennedy said, immediately catching on.

  “You know how they say life imitates art?” She looked around the room, but no one said anything, so she continued. “Well, I’ve heard of this club that caters to the carnal needs of women. Men work there, but they can’t be members.” She hesitated. “I think it’s called the Black Door.” Naomi finished her sentence and looked directly at Tyler, waiting for her to offer up the goods. But Tyler just sat there like she had never heard of the place, so Naomi went on. “Now, I wonder if this club is real, or if it’s just a figment of someone’s imagination?” Again she zeroed in on Tyler.

  “If it’s an actual club, sign me up!” Kennedy said, hoping that Tyler would acknowledge knowing about the club, but she didn’t.

  How the hell does Naomi know about the Black Door? Tyler thought. She didn’t dare mention that she was doing some freelance work for the owner, since he had practically sworn her to secrecy. Besides, Naomi had such a bad attitude about her sexuality that she would probably throw Tyler out if she knew about her designing masks for an erotica club.

  Oh, shit! Where is this coming from? Mira wondered. She surely wasn’t going to say that she was a card-carrying member. She had just met these women, and as far as she was concerned, admitting that she frequented the Black Door was TMI—too much information. So she sat there like a deaf mute.

  Naomi gave Tyler a hard stare, trying to will her to talk, but Tyler ignored her gaze. Realizing that she wasn’t going to get any information out of her sister-in-law, Naomi let the subject drop.

  There was dead silence in the room until Mira finally spoke. “I have a suggestion for the next book.”

  “And what might that be?” Naomi asked, slightly annoyed. She hadn’t gotten the information that she was seeking, and now the new kid on the block was suggesting titles. That was usually her job.

  “Since you guys thought the plot line of this book was too predictable, why don’t we read a sci-fi novel for our next meeting?” When no one spoke up, she continued. “Anything by Michael Crichton would be thrilling. His books are so unpredictable and extremely engrossing.”

  “I think that’s an excellent suggestion,” Tyler agreed, coming to her defense, trying to make a good impression. “Andromeda Strain definitely had me going.”

  Neither Naomi nor Kennedy seemed thrilled by the suggestion, so Mira made another attempt. “Well, if you guys”—she looked at Naomi and Kennedy—“don’t want to read a sci-fi book, what about The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold? I know it’s been out for a long while, but from what I understand, it’s an outstanding story.”

  “Yeah, it was on the New York Times Bestseller list forever,” Kennedy commented, warming up to the idea and biting down on a carrot. She was tired of the cheesy love stories that Naomi always chose.

  “I wanted to read that book when it came out, but at the time, Noah wasn’t in preschool, and I didn’t have time to think straight, let alone enjoy a good book. If you guys haven’t read it, I think that’s an excellent suggestion,” Naomi said, pretending as if the book were her choice.

  “Sounds good to me,” Tyler said.

  “Well, then it’s settled. We’ll read The Lovely Bones for our next meeting,” Naomi said, taking command once again. “Speaking of the next meeting, who’s going to host it?” she asked, looking around the room.

  “Since I’m new to the group, why don’t I have it at my place?” Mira offered.

  Naomi wasn’t too thrilled at having the meeting at a stranger’s house, but on the other hand, that stranger happened to be a multimillionaire, and she wanted to see the inside of Mira’s home, and maybe get some decorating ideas. “Great. How about a month from today?” Naomi asked everyone.

  They all nodded in agreement. As Tyler watched Mira write the date in her agenda, she wondered how long it would be until she had a standing appointment with the sexy CEO.

  25

  “CAN YOU believe Tyler just sat there like she didn’t know what th
e hell I was talking about?” Naomi hissed. She was still pissed that Tyler had played the dumb role, and not offered up any information.

  “Actually, I’m not too surprised. I mean, it’s not like admitting that you have a membership in the New York Sports Club. What was she supposed to say? ‘By the way, I get my freak on at the Black Door?’ ” Kennedy mused. She and Naomi were at one of those tacky wig shops along Sixth Avenue near Thirty-seventh Street. Earlier they had met with the consultant that Naomi had hired to put together her business plan, and were now trying on wigs to hide under before going to the Black Door for the grand tour.

  “I guess you have a point. Do you like this one?” Naomi asked, adjusting a long platinum wig around her ears.

  “Naw.” Kennedy shook her head. “It’s too phony-looking.” She took a short sassy brunette wig off of its foam head. “Here, try her.”

  Naomi pulled off the blond hair and replaced it with the more natural-looking one. She turned her head in the mirror, checking out her profile from different angles. “This one’s hot!” She tugged the bangs farther down on her forehead, so that it covered more of her face. She then took a pair of shades out of her purse and put them on. “Wow, that’s what I call incognito. I hardly recognize myself.” Until Naomi knew Tyler’s affiliation with the club, she wasn’t taking any chances. She had thought twice about going in the first place, but was curious to see what the Black Door had to offer. Besides, with her disguise it was highly unlikely that anyone would be able to identify her, on the off chance that she saw someone she knew.

  Kennedy finally settled on a shoulder-length auburn number. They paid for their purchases, went outside, and hailed a taxi to the club. “So, what name are you going by this evening?” Kennedy asked. They were both using false identities until they felt comfortable enough to use their real names.

  “Sasha Green,” she said, running her hand through the fake hair.

  Kennedy cracked up laughing. “With a name like Sasha, I don’t think she’d be green. On the contrary, she’d be more of a pro. A twirling around the pole pro!” she joked, making a play on words.

  “Touché.” Naomi clapped in mock response. “Well, I think my new name is cute, and I’m sticking with it.”

  “Okay, Sasha, whatever you say. Just remember not to call me Kennedy. I’m Kendra Brian.”

  “Oh, what a stretch, Kennedy Bryant to Kendra Brian. Couldn’t you come up with a more creative choice?”

  “If you do recall, I was put on the spot, remember?” Kennedy asked defensively, referring to her initial conversation with Trey.

  “Don’t get all huffy with me. I’m just kidding.” She poked Kennedy in the side. “Lighten up.”

  “I’m sorry. I guess I’m a little on edge about meeting with Trey. Suppose he asks for ID?”

  Naomi hadn’t thought of that. “Well, if he does, we’ll pretend like we left our wallet in another purse. That’s not so farfetched. I’ve done that on a few occasions. And if he refuses to show us around, we’ll just thank him for his time and leave. Anyway, I can’t join if Tyler is a member. The last thing I need is for her to go running back to her brother telling him that I belong to a sex club.”

  “I’m starting to get an uneasy feeling about going to the Black Door. Maybe we shouldn’t, and go to dinner instead. There’s this new restaurant on Ninety-third and Broadway that I’ve been dying to try.” Kennedy loved to get her freak on, but joining an erotica club was a bit over the top for her. What she did with a vibrator in the privacy of her home was one thing, but fucking a masked server in a room with other people was an entirely different realm of freakiness.

  “What’s with the cold feet?” Naomi asked, surprised at Kennedy’s shift in attitude. “I thought you wanted a distraction from Nigel.”

  “I do. It’s just that I’m not ready to go through a rigorous screening process. Trey mentioned that we’d have to make an appointment with the club’s physician. The thought of visiting another gynecologist is a turnoff. I’ve been going to my doctor for eons, and frankly, I don’t want another doctor looking at my cooch. I think I’d rather wait until Nigel and I do the deed.”

  “Have you even talked to him since dinner at his apartment?”

  “Yeah, we went to a late movie the other night. Girl, he’s so romantic, we smooched and cuddled throughout the entire movie. Who knows, maybe we’ll do the deed, sooner rather than later.”

  “I hear what you’re saying, but don’t back out on me now, Kennedy. Let’s follow through with the tour. I really need to find out how Tyler knows about the club. I’m going to casually ask Trey how he knows her. It could be that they’re just old friends from school, and she’s not even a member. If that’s the case, then I’m seriously thinking about joining. I need sex more than once a quarter. I swear, the older I get, the more I crave the dick. In my twenties, I could care less about making love, but now I’m perpetually horny, and waiting for Jacob to throw me his bone every blue moon just isn’t working for me.”

  “I know what you mean. I guess that’s why older women and younger men are the perfect match in bed. Both are sexually charged. But if you join, aren’t you afraid that this Trey guy will tell Tyler you’re a member?” Kennedy asked.

  “No. Not at all. If he’s a true businessman, he’ll keep my business to himself. I’m sure the club wouldn’t be successful if he was a blabbermouth.”

  “True. If the members were afraid that their identities would be leaked, this would be the last club they’d join. I’m sure in this line of business, discretion is key. But I think I’m still going to wait for Nigel.”

  “Why don’t you wait until you see the inside of the club before you make that decision? I’m sure there are private areas where you can get your freak on,” Naomi said, trying to sway her friend.

  Kennedy shrugged her shoulders. “We’ll see.”

  They rode the rest of the way in silence. Naomi was figuring out the right way to approach Trey, and Kennedy was deep in thought trying to decide when would be the perfect time to fuck Nigel, without jeopardizing their relationship.

  “That’ll be seventeen-twenty,” the driver said, parking in front of the club.

  “I got it.” Naomi took out her wallet, paid the fare, and they got out. She stood at the curb and stared at the building. “This doesn’t look like a sex club.” She commented on the unassuming-looking brownstone, whose only discerning mark was a humongous shiny black door.

  “Sure doesn’t.”

  They each adjusted their false hair, and casually made their way up the walk. Naomi led the way and arrived at the door first. She knocked hard as if she belonged inside. A few seconds later, a small window inside of the front door slid open.

  “Password, please?” asked a deep Michael Duncan–type voice.

  “We have a meeting scheduled with Trey Curtis,” Naomi said into the tiny opening.

  “Just a second,” the doorman said, and slid the window closed. After a minute or so, he opened the door. “You’ll have to put these on before entering.” He handed them each a half-mask. Naomi’s was black with black fringes on the sides, and Kennedy’s was indigo with pink feathers. After their masks were secured, he pointed to a mahogany pocket door. “You can wait inside there. Trey will be right with you.”

  Once inside the parlor, they sat on an emerald green sofa and glanced around. The room had a Victorian-type feel, with a huge, embroidered tapestry hanging on one wall and a gilded beveled mirror hanging on another. The furniture was antique, with overstuffed sofas, chairs, and beautifully carved mahogany tables. The hardwood floor was covered with imported carpets, and an exquisite chandelier hung from the twelve-foot ceiling.

  “This is nothing like I imagined,” Naomi said, wrinkling her nose. “Not that I don’t like antiques. I adore them. I just thought this place would look like a den of iniquity, with bearskin rugs, leather furniture, and those hideous black velvet plantings.” Since they were the only two in the room, she spoke freely.

/>   “I know what you mean. This place seems more suited to the tastes of old-money matrons who sit around and sip sherry,” Kennedy added.

  As they were giving their unsolicited opinions, the pocket door eased open and in walked Trey. Naomi gasped slightly, and Kennedy’s eyes nearly popped out of her head at the sight of him. Trey was over six feet of perfection. He was clean-shaven, and his mocha complexion was flawless. His hair was cut so close that it resembled a five o’clock shadow. He was wearing a black leather mask, so they could see his eyes, which were narrow, sexy slits. If it wasn’t for his full kissable lips, he could have easily passed for a black Chinaman—if such a thing existed.

  “Good evening, ladies. I’m Trey Curtis.” He extended his hand to Naomi. “The doorman told me there were two of you, but I was only expecting Ms. Brian. Which one of you is Ms. Brian?” he asked, without cracking a smile.

  Kennedy spoke up. “That would be me. This is my sister Sasha. She’s also interested in joining, and I didn’t think it would be a problem if she came along for the tour.”

  Trey gave them each a hard look, taking in their wigs and tightly drawn trench coats. It was obvious they were trying to be incognito. He wasn’t surprised. Some women were a bit apprehensive on the first visit, as if they were doing something dirty—actually, they were on the verge of doing the dirty—and felt guilty. “No, it’s not a problem. So tell me, how do you know Tyler?” he asked Kennedy.

  “We went to school together.” She quickly remembered Naomi mentioning that maybe Tyler and Trey went to school together, so she used that lie. Kennedy suddenly started to panic, thinking that if they attended school together then it would cancel out her lie.

  “Oh, I see. She’s a talented artist. Are you an artist too?”