Raw Silk

by Lisabet Sarai

  The pattern continued; the messages became more intense. On Wednesday night she received the longest and most explicit yet. She read it over several times, with an odd, hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  Kate,

  Believe—believe in me, and in your own dreams.

  For I will make them real.

  I am the one, the Master.

  Give me your nakedness, your naked heart.

  As you open yourself to me, so I will satisfy your lust.

  Come.

  Gregory

  There was no message waiting Thursday morning. Kate found that she was dismayed and disappointed. She did not allow herself to examine these feelings too closely.

  Around noon, Edward Harrison knocked on her office door. “I just got off the phone with Gregory Marshall,” he told her. “We’ve reached an agreement on the projected 3D project.” She heard satisfaction in his voice. “The arrangement should be quite lucrative for DigiThai, even if the project is not a success. So, I would like you to give this top priority from now on.”

  Katherine’s stomach did a flip at the sound of Marshall’s name. “Of course, Edward,” she said. “I’m eager to get started.”

  “Keep me posted on your progress,” he said. “And do not, under any circumstances, talk to Marshall about your work, if he should call for information. That man is a snake; I wouldn’t trust anything he says.”

  Katherine nodded, distinctly uncomfortable at this assessment. As an antidote to her discomfort, she threw herself into her work. She spent the afternoon reviewing her notes on the 3D problem, checking references, and thinking hard.

  Immersed in her researches, she did not notice the passing of time. It was past eight o’clock when she finally looked up, realising that it was dark and that all her co-workers had left long ago.

  She was pleased at what she had accomplished. As she stood up and stretched luxuriously, working the kinks out of her muscles, she recalled that she had not heard from Marshall all day. Maybe he had given up on her? He did not seem to be the type to relinquish a conquest so quickly. Perhaps now that he was subsidising her research work, he felt that it was inappropriate to have a social relationship? That certainly seemed unlikely; rarely had she met anyone who seemed less concerned with propriety. Could it be that he had experienced some emergency or disaster, which was distracting him from his attempts at on-line seduction? Katherine suddenly felt concerned.

  The Patpong district was only a few miles away, at the other end of Silom Road. Maybe she should get a cab and drop by The Grotto, just to check on him. He was, after all, a client; his well-being was important to DigiThai, especially since this recent deal.

  Even Kate did not find these arguments convincing. Still, in a few minutes she found herself at the corner of Patpong 1 Road, standing there slightly bewildered in her tailored suit and heels, trying to decide what to do next.

  The side street was crowded and noisy, with a carnival atmosphere. Vendors hawking fake Rolex watches and novelty cigarette lighters vied with loud rock and roll that poured from curtained doorways. Garish neon signs identified dozens of bars and clubs: ‘SuperStar’, ‘King’s Castle’, ‘Sexy Night’, ‘Butterfly’. Kate tried to look comfortable strolling down the lane, as girls called out to her from the entrances. “Come inside, please. Take a look. No cover charge. One beer, fifty baht. Come inside, Madam.”

  Her path was suddenly barred by a stocky dwarf of a man. He leered at her. “Free show, Madam. Free show upstairs.” He held out a laminated card listing the various acts. “Pussy ping pong ball show. Pussy banana show. Man woman sex show. Come upstairs.”

  “Excuse me,” said Kate brusquely, pushing past him. She walked doggedly on, her heart pounding madly. She felt vulnerable, and highly visible, in her stylishly short skirt and high-heeled pumps. She tried to remember whether she had seen any other Western women since she had entered the street. She felt the eyes of both the Thai and the Western men following her.

  Then, a little way down the block, she saw the turquoise lights advertising The Grotto. Below the sign, just outside the dark-draped doorway, stood Gregory Marshall, talking to a striking Thai woman.

  An odd relief washed over Kate. She hastened toward the couple. As if sensing her approach, Marshall looked up. She could swear that she saw a genuine smile of welcome on his face, as she drew herself up in front of him.

  “Kate! What a pleasant surprise! I did not expect you—tonight.” He made a slight movement, as if he were about to bend down and kiss her, then caught himself. He did not touch her, though Kate thought she could feel the heat emanating from his black-clad frame.

  Instead, he turned to the Thai woman next to him and put his arm around her shoulder. “Noi, this is Kate, from DigiThai. The one I told you about.”

  “Kate, allow me to present Noi, my partner in The Grotto. Noi works as my mamasan, keeping the girls safe, and keeping them in line.” He kissed Noi briefly but deeply on the mouth. “I don’t know what I would do without her.”

  Kate felt a tightening in her chest. Jealousy, anger, and embarrassment struggled within her. Noi was remarkable, there was no doubt of that. She stood much taller than the average Thai, topping Kate by at least half a foot. A silk headband of bright red circled her brow, keeping her unruly black hair out of her eyes. Like her partner, she was dressed in black. Her slender, athletic body was perfectly suited to the leather miniskirt, spandex tank top, and laced-up, spike-heeled boots. Her high cheekbones and almond eyes suggested a Mongol princess. Her full, smiling lips reminded Kate of Gregory’s; behind that smile was a twist of something devilish.

  Noi reached out and took Kate’s hand. “I’m happy to meet you at last,” she said. She seemed sincere. Kate wondered uncomfortably what Gregory had told this woman about her.

  Gregory casually laid his hand on Noi’s shoulder. “Noi, would you mind showing Kate around? Kate, I have a few things that I must attend to. I’ll join you shortly.”

  “Of course. Come with me, Kate,” said Noi, not relinquishing Kate’s hand. She pulled Kate through the draperies. Inside, all was lit in red. A steep stairway rose before them. Faint music drifted down the stairs. Kate smelled jasmine incense, and just a hint of male sweat.

  At the top of the stair was another door, padded with red leather. Noi pushed it open and nudged Kate through, into a kaleidoscope of colour and sound.

  The room was generally dark, stretching into an unseen distance. But here and there, the ceiling pulsed with light, in rainbow hues. To her left, a wall of video screens flickered and danced with vivid images. On this side of the door, the music swelled and broke like waves. Kate could feel the vibrations of the bass in her stomach.

  An elevated platform outlined in lights rose in the centre of the room. Female forms in various degrees of undress swayed and writhed on the stage. The swirling, seething lights painted their flesh in unnatural colours.

  Benches and round tables lined the room. These were crowded, with mostly Western men. Each of these men, Kate saw, was surrounded by a bevy of Thai girls, laughing, chattering, sitting on his lap, cuddling and flirting.

  “Sit here,” instructed Noi, indicating one of the few empty benches. Kate tried to ignore the curious stares of the customers on either side of her. The mamasan settled in next to Kate, her bare thigh pressing against Kate’s. Kate shifted position nervously; Noi followed suit, keeping their skin in contact.

  “You are very beautiful,” said Noi unceremoniously. “Gregory did not exaggerate.”

  Kate felt her cheeks burn. She did not reply.

  “You’re just in time for the live show. That will begin in just a few minutes. In the meantime, what do you think of our dancers?”

  Kate turned her attention to the stage. Half a dozen Thai women were dancing. All were lovely, but Kate was struck by how different they were, in appearance and demeanour. A curly-headed, compact woman wearing only a sequined G-string and patent leather boots did energetic bumps and grind
s, a lascivious grin on her lips. An innocent-looking girl in a pink tank suit moved slowly and gracefully, serious and dreamy, face half-hidden in her long hair. One woman wore torn stockings and chains around her waist, her eyes hidden behind a glittery silver mask. A willowy creature, bare-breasted under her lace chemise, danced sinuously in rhythm with the music, ripples starting in her pelvis and moving fluidly up her spine.

  Kate swallowed. It was warm in the bar. Noi’s thigh was hot against hers. The sensuous dancers and their erotic costumes made her feel a bit faint.

  “The dancer in lace is particularly good,” she said, trying to make conversation. “Sexy and feminine at the same time.”

  Noi laughed. “You mean Lek? She is a katoey—a lady-man!”

  “Lady-man? You mean a transvestite?”

  Noi nodded. “Yes. We have many lady-man dancers. Customers come, buy them drinks, and never realise!”

  Kate looked again at the delicate features and rounded limbs of the dancer. She still could not believe it. The dancer caught her glance, and gave her a radiant, slightly sad smile.

  “Why are some of the women dancing topless and some not?” she asked Noi.

  “It is up to them,” said the mamasan. “If they bare their breasts, they make more money. But no one will force them to do it. And it is up to them, whether they go with a customer.”

  “What if the customer insists?”

  “Then I take care of it,” said Noi, giving Kate’s hand a hard squeeze. Kate suspected that Noi could be formidable when she chose.

  The music stopped, and the dancers left the stage. Lek donned a short kimono, then came over to Noi and Kate’s table.

  “Hello, Madam” she said, holding out her hand to Kate. Kate took it, marvelling at the softness of the skin, the perfectly manicured fingernails. “You like my dancing?”

  “Yes, Lek.” Kate could not help but smile. “I like it very much.”

  The katoey seemed overjoyed. “Thank you, Madam, you very kind.” She leaned over, and kissed Kate’s cheek, then spoke to Noi. “You take care of her, okay, mamasan?”

  “Oh yes, Lek,” said Noi. “I will take care of her.”

  The lights dimmed. For a moment the bar was almost quiet, the low murmuring of customers and bar girls the only sound. The sense of anticipation was palpable.

  Then spotlights illumined two doors at opposite corners of the room. Simultaneously, there was new music, something slow and sultry. A saxophone wailed. Two figures appeared in the pools of brightness, a man and a woman. The light tracked them as they walked toward the central platform. They mounted the steps in perfect synchrony, and faced each other on the stage as the two spotlights merged into one.

  The young man had a shaved head and a sensitive, expressive face. Slowly and gracefully, he let his kimono fall to his feet, revealing a lithe, muscled body and a stunning erection. Kate felt her cunt tighten at the delicious sight. Noi’s hand was resting on Kate’s thigh now, stroking her lightly.

  Kate recognised the woman as the curly-haired vamp who had been dancing earlier. However, her teasing, sluttish manner was gone. Instead she stood before her partner, gazing up at him in passionate adoration.

  All in time to the music, the youth took the woman in his arms, bent her backward and tenderly kissed the hollow of her throat. She let her head fall back in ecstasy. Holding her with one arm around her waist, the man deftly untied her kimono. It slipped off her body in a shimmer of satin, baring to the spotlights her swelling breasts, sweet brown nipples and downy pubis.

  The young man ran his free hand lingeringly over her flesh. Still supporting her with his right arm, he used his left hand to part the lips of her vagina. He entered her in one swift motion. Her body convulsed in response.

  Kate could see every detail as he began his thrusts. His cock disappeared as the woman took him all the way into her. Kate could see the way the woman was stretched and filled; her own cunt dampened as she imagined herself in the woman’s place.

  A feather-light touch on her pubic area sent a delicious shock up her spine. Noi’s hand was between Kate’s legs now, her thumb pressing delicately against Kate’s clitoris. Kate did not move, and neither did Noi. The thumb just rested there, a statement, a challenge. Kate felt herself harden in response to the pressure, knew that Noi could feel that her panties were wet. She hardly breathed.

  On stage, the couple moved gracefully from one position to another, always connected, always in rhythm with the music. Now the woman’s back was to her partner, her legs around his waist, her hands on the floor, as he drove his erection even deeper than before. He pulled out nearly all the way after each thrust, so that his audience could appreciate the length and thickness of his penis. The woman’s hair fell in tangles over her face. She clenched her thighs around his body and arched her back.

  Noi increased very slightly the pressure of her thumb. Kate struggled to hold still. She was sweating, and panting a little. The urge to grind herself against the other woman’s hand was nearly irresistible. Her composure and self-control were fast dissolving.

  The couple moved, danced, assumed a dozen different poses. Now the woman was backed up against a pole in the centre of the stage. Her hands over her head, she held on tightly as her lover delved more deeply than ever into her flesh. Her eyes were closed, her lips half-open; she might be moaning, drowned out by the song, which was now surging to a climax.

  Then, the song ended, and abruptly, so did the show. The young man removed his still-erect penis and helped his partner to a standing position. They both bowed to the audience, the man incongruously holding his hands over his genitals as if to hide them.

  At the same moment, Noi removed her hand. Kate almost cried out in frustration. Her clit throbbed, swollen and sensitive. She looked up at Noi, trying to read her face, but the Thai woman’s attention was focused on the other side of the room. Following that gaze, Kate saw Gregory Marshall coming toward them.

  She shifted uncomfortably on the velvet-upholstered bench, feeling dampness on her thighs and the heat of a blush on her face.

  “Well, Kate,” said Gregory heartily. “How did you like the show?”

  “Very—interesting,” she responded. She was surprised at how calm her voice sounded. “Not the sort of thing one tends to see in the States.”

  “Indeed!” She heard the familiar hint of mockery in his well-modulated voice. “You’ll find that Thailand is different in many respects.

  “In any case, now I can give you my full attention. I apologise for leaving you so long in Noi’s hands.” Kate could swear she saw the two of them exchange an amused glance. Marshall reached out his hand to help her up from the bench. This was the first time he had touched her that evening. Her flesh burned at the contact. “Come with me. I’ll continue with the promised tour.”

  He led her across the crowded room, dodging the bar girls who scurried about serving drinks, and the new set of dancers headed for the stage. Opening a door in the corner, he nudged her gently through. “Up the stairs.” She felt him close behind her as she mounted another steep stairway, close enough to pinch her bottom. However, he kept his hands to himself.

  The stairs opened onto a red-lit hallway lined with closed doors. The music was muffled here, but she could still sense the vibrations of the beat through the floor. She thought she heard muted voices, and laughter. She understood, suddenly, that these rooms were intended for customers who wanted to take their favourite bar girl or dancer ‘out of the bar’.

  “Here we are,” said Gregory, throwing open one of the doors. She hesitated. “Go on, Kate,” he said quietly. “We both know that this is what you came for.”

  The room was small, but not cramped. Most of the floor area was occupied by a king-size bed with an ornate rattan headboard. A matching rattan armchair stood in a corner. Through the open window, high up on the wall, Kate heard the street sounds of Patpong, the vendors and the raucous music. Flashing neon painted patterns on the wall.

  K
ate felt paralyzed. She stood by the side of the bed, staring at her hands, feeling incongruous in her business clothes, her heart pounding crazily.

  Gregory followed her into the room, closed the door, and relaxed into the armchair.

  “Strip,” he said.

  “What?” Kate looked at him, almost in panic.

  “You heard me,” he said softly. “Strip for me.”

  Not understanding, not believing what she was doing, she began to obey. Her fitted jacket was already unbuttoned; she slipped it off and let it fall to the floor. With one hand, she undid the buttons on her grey silk blouse; with the other, she unzipped her skirt.

  Gregory sat motionless, his shining eyes following her every move.

  She shrugged the blouse off her shoulders, and stepped out the skirt. Her bra unhooked in front. Almost defiantly, she paused a moment, looking back at him, before she unfastened it and dropped it onto the pile.

  Her nipples were painfully hard; she knew that her arousal would be obvious to Gregory. She felt confused, embarrassed, but oddly proud. Her nakedness was nothing to be ashamed of.

  She began to remove her bikini briefs, her only remaining garment other than her heels.

  “No, wait,” said Gregory. “Leave those on—for the moment.” He rose from the chair and walked slowly around her, measuring, evaluating, savouring. He towered over her, and he was very close, but still, he did not touch her. Kate found herself looking at his hands, willing him to use them on her body, but to no effect.

  He stood behind her now. His breath stirred the hairs on her neck as he bent close to her ear. “Now,” he said, almost whispering. “I want you to masturbate for me. Through your panties. Show me what a sweet, hot little slut you really are.”

  He seated himself again, so that he could watch her. “You may close your eyes, if you like,” he said. “This time.”

  Part of Kate’s mind rebelled, horrified. Nevertheless, as if in a dream, Kate began to caress herself. She brushed one hand lightly over her taut nipples, relishing simultaneously the tingling in her palm and the tremors in her sex. Her other hand moved slowly down to her pubis and rested there, her two middle fingers pressing against the swollen knob of flesh hidden by her underwear.