“Are you saying I’m hot?”
She flushed. “No. I meant if they were hot.”
I started laughing and a smile finally broke across Ash’s face too. I raised my glass and held it out across the table.
“Here’s to a fantastic new business relationship.” I stressed the word business and we clinked glasses.
We chatted while we ate dinner. “So how are you finding your room?” She asked me. “What kind did you book?”
“Just a standard, to keep costs down for now. Can we prioritize getting our apartments done though?” I wiped my mouth with a napkin. “Do you eat here a lot? I guess it’s handy, being close to the club.”
“Oh I’m staying here. My treat for my promotion at work. I have the worst apartment, it makes you want to have a bath when you leave. So I decided I’d pay for a small suite for a week. I know I’m going to die when I get the final bill, but I have toweling robes, a jacuzzi bath, a huge flatscreen, a couch, desk, and the most comfortable bed ever. For once, I’m actually resenting having to go to work as I just want to starfish and eat chocolates - of which they left a complementary box on my bed.” Her eyes lit up.
“Hmmm, sounds a lot better than mine. So you’re a chocolate woman, huh?”
“Yes,” she patted her stomach. “Hence I’m not a gym bunny.”
There was nothing wrong with Ash’s body. She was tall, and willowy, with long brown hair but I refrained from commenting about her appearance. Just as we agreed, it was strictly professional.
She finished her meal and groaned. “Oh, I’m so full. I just want to go to my room and sleep for a week but work awaits. Jess said you were coming over tonight to look around. I have time to show you a working night.”
I indicated for the waiter to bring us separate bills. I would have paid for both but could guess that Ash would demand we pay our own way. We signed the tab and then got to our feet.
I pointed in the direction of the exit.
“After you, boss. You lead and I’ll follow.”
For now. I thought. Until I can run the floor my own way.
Chapter Four
Ashley
So the reason for his sudden change in personality had been revealed. Now that was out in the open and the air cleared, I hoped we could begin a great working relationship. I was glad that Aidan had already showed him around the club when it was closed so he knew what all the rooms were. It was a totally different experience to see the club full though and I saw his Mr Cool persona drop a little as he walked into the main bar area where a guy was sitting at a table, his pants around his ankles while a woman blew him.
“I knew what the club was about and yet when you see it directly in front of you, wow, I guess that takes some getting used to?” He looked at me, his head tilted.
“A week in and it’ll seem second nature.” I told him as we headed to the bar. I gestured to Damien, one of the head bartenders. “Can I have a coke please, and a beer for Lucas.” I introduced him to the rest of the bartenders. We took our drinks and headed to a table away from the guy moaning in ecstasy as he prepared to shoot his load down the woman’s throat.
“So, how long have you worked here?” He asked me.
“Sixteen years. I started off working for the original owner, Henry.”
His eyes widened. “You must have been very young?”
“Yeah, eighteen.”
“Did this not come as a shock to you then? All the sex and debauchery?”
I smiled. “At first. I’d taken on a job as Henry’s assistant and I didn’t know what all his businesses were. He was mainly a property developer; so yes, I admit I was a little shocked at first, but like I said, within a short space of time you just become used to it, seeing it day in, day out.”
He leaned close to me. “So, does the arousal wear off? Because seeing that guy over there being deep throated has me in the throws of what I think may be the start of blue balls.”
I laughed at his honesty. He wasn’t being lewd, just open, and I would be the same.
“At first you’ll be constantly turned on and then after a while you’ll become immune to most of it. All I find is that particular scenes might give me a frisson now.”
“So I guess something that you might be into would still turn you on, is that what you’re saying?”
“I guess. Just occasionally I’ll walk past something and well, parts of me show they’re still alive after all.”
He took a drink of his beer.
“So, a week in and I won’t have to walk around with my briefcase in front of my trousers?”
“Yes, you should be good by then.”
There was a suspended silence for a moment then he broke it.
“So, my cousin bedded a bartender?”
“He did. Though she didn’t work here very long. You know her other job, right?” I hoped he did, because it wasn’t my place to tell him.
“That she was an adult movie actress? Yeah, he told me. I have to admit I took some convincing that he’d found the woman of his dreams.”
“She certainly is and just as understanding seeing as her boyfriend owns a sex club and an adult movie company.”
“He always was weird.”
“You two were close I take it?” I realized I was getting personal. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer that. It wasn’t a business question.”
“It’s fine. Yeah we were. I kinda became a second brother to him after Rick died. But you know, time moves on and our lives went in different directions, until recently, when he decided to bring me into his sorded enterprises.” He smirked.
“Well it will be nice to have a team to work with. My job was getting ridiculously busy and given Abandon’s future plans, I was due a breakdown anytime soon.”
“See, now you won’t have to have one. You can just call me on my cell and we’ll go grab a coffee. Caffeine keeps me sane.”
I couldn’t help but study Lucas while I was directly in front of him. As long as the coffee we were grabbing wasn’t back at his hotel room we were fine. Stop your mind from going there right now. I lectured myself. Seriously, I saw good looking men all the time, usually with their clothes off, so why was I getting flustered by this one? Maybe because he has his clothes on and you’re wondering what’s underneath , my traitorous mind said.
“Right, shall I show you around the rest of the club? Then we could go up to check out the apartment space and you could let me know what sort of thing you’re looking for? The sooner we can get plans submitted, the quicker we get our apartments.
“Are you living in yours full-time then? Not just when working?”
“I can’t see the point. I’m here most of the time anyhow. May as well live here, I practically do already.”
He got off his seat.
“Come on then. Let’s see Abandon in action.”
The first place I took him to was through to the rooms with the large beds and big glass windows where you could watch the action.
Lucas groaned. “This place is going to kill me.”
I laughed. I was so used to it all these years later, that it was amusing to see someone so affected by it. All the staff went through it, but it made Lucas seem more human.
“Seriously, is there a back office with photos of really ugly hairy bodies, and cold showers?”
As I looked at Lucas I was taken aback by the sheer hunger in his eyes. He looked at me through hooded lids. His voice was raspy. He was deeply turned on by his surroundings and I felt a stirring somewhere I shouldn’t when I recognized his lust fueled gaze. I quickly turned away.
“Look, let’s have a break from this and go up to the upper floor.”
It was strange going up to a floor usually busy with office workers. We exited the elevator into the lobby and were greeted by silence. It was eerie and I was pleased I hadn’t come up here on my own. I could detect the close proximity of Lucas’ body to my own, his heavy breath near my ear. I needed space.
I pressed a swit
ch and light flooded down the offices as the main lights flickered on.
Lucas shielded his eyes from the bright glare after the dim golden ambience of the floor below.
“This way.” I informed him.
He followed me down to the offices that would be converted to our apartments. We had to pass Aidan’s office on this floor and I headed inside to my desk and picked up a notepad and pen.
After I’d explained how the plans looked and what our apartments would contain, I turned to Lucas.
“So, any specific requests? Decor etc?”
“A hotel room look. Gray, black, white, chrome. All mod cons. I like to cook so a kitchen is important. A speaker system where music can be heard in every room. A comfortable sofa and a massive flat screen. I like to put my feet up when I relax. A large shower cubicle because I find in some hotel rooms or apartments I’ve rented that I’m squashed up against the glass when I’m trying to wash.”
An image of Lucas’ naked chest crushed up against the cubicle, water showering down on him came unbidden into my mind. I became aware of my breasts engorging, pushing against my bra, my nipples hardening. I must stop this, I need to work with this man. I don’t do relationships and Lucas has already taken me into his confidence about what happened with his last female boss.
I took a few steps away from him.
That sounds good. I think I’ll talk with the designer about both being like that. A hotel room look is a great idea. I’ll make sure we get the workspace we’d get in a hotel room too. Once the designer has come up with some visuals, I’ll get Jess to set up a meeting with us and Aidan so we can get everything approved.”
“Good job I like you, given we’re going to be working together and neighbors.” He smiled.
“Well, a lot of the time you’ll be working when I’m in my apartment and vice-versa so it’s not like we’re going to be in each other’s space too much. I’ll have my VIPs to entertain. Speaking of which, I need to get to my office and make some calls. I want to meet with some and get some idea of what my VIP club is going to look like. Are you going back to the club?” I asked him.
“I’ll go and check out the rest of the rooms and then I’m going to call it a night and go back to the hotel. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow sometime.”
“I’ll be in from 2pm. I’m working until 4.”
“Yes, we need to get Jess to look at our schedules because I need to learn about Abandon as soon as possible so that you can be a little freer, get to relax now and then.”
“That’ll never happen.” I told him. “This club is my life.”
PART TWO
ABANDON
to yield (oneself) without restraint or moderation; give (oneself) over to natural impulses, usually without self-control
Chapter Five
Lucas
“This club is my life.”
It was months now since I’d heard Ash state those words and yet they still held true. She was like a beautiful robot. As a business woman I admired her greatly. She was professional - courteous but took no nonsense - and Aidan had been right to ask her to take on the role of Manager. She excelled at it. I’d watched over the last few months as she’d held court over the many professionals we’d had to employ to see Abandon XL come to fruition. Tonight was the night of the first official booking. Ashley had already held a discreet opening night inviting only a select few guests and the place was already booked out for months ahead.
I had now taken over as Manager of Abandon and we had staff in place so that both establishments ran efficiently and so we could actually see our brand new apartments from time to time. We’d both finally moved into them last week. Aidan had insisted on paying for Ash’s hotel room when I’d told him where she was staying. She wasn’t happy but when he moved me to a suite on the same floor and I didn’t protest she stopped complaining.
We’d become friends and met for dinner when our work patterns allowed. Unfortunately, friends wasn’t enough for me. I wanted more. My every sex-filled dream was about that woman, about that sharp as a knife tongue swirling around the head of my cock; about me plunging within her warm depths. It was torture to be around her, to see her walk around the club, watch as she smiled at a customer and flicked her hair over her shoulder; watch her sit in meetings crossing a shapely leg over the other.
The temptation to take home a different woman from the club each evening had been overwhelming but I recalled Ash’s words to me about not shitting where she ate. Apparently she liked to tell all the staff that in the hope they’d avoid working relationships and help her avoid staffing conflicts when the relationships petered out. You could see why they would happen here though, amongst an atmosphere of constant sex, lust and abandon. Aidan had named the place well.
And I’d thought my floor had enough action but Ash had gone all out to make sure that XL really was about the elite indulging their every desire.
Once again, just like on my floor, there was a bar area with tables and chairs that made the place look like a sophisticated bar. But it was the rooms this bar led to that added the XL. One room had one giant bed in it. It was actually a series of beds that had been put together, mattresses sown to make one large one. The bed could take approximately forty couples and the walls had been hand painted with orgiastic scenes of sexual excess, debauchery and gluttony. There were a series of smaller rooms all with hand-painted artwork on the walls and the fittings you’d expect from a five star plus hotel - each had a bathroom. There was one larger BDSM room complete with ‘equipment’, and a harem room, where one man or one woman could book and choose how many others came into the room with them. The room’s rules were one person of one sex and at least three of the opposite; and that everyone had to receive the ultimate pleasure, no one should be left unsatisfied. Ash had said reverse harems had been the latest trend in ebooks. I’d been surprised when she’d told me she read the titles appearing in the Amazon Erotica Top 100 often as they gave her an insight into current sexual trends and interests.
The harem room had a switch that meant that everything the occupants did would be played out on a screen in the interconnected small cinema. An intercom ran between the two and the ‘actors’ could view who was observing and call for participants to their ‘movie’. The staff knew how to attend to every demand of the divas and playboys who would book Abandon XL, but most would bring their own staff along with them, ready at any notice to supply condoms, a new set of clothes, or a masseur.
In all the months I’d been working with her, to my knowledge she had not had a single date. Her life was indeed the club and she thrived on it. It was as if every success of her work gave her a high, a buzz that had replaced the need for sexual satisfaction and a relationship. I’d never outright asked her about it because yes I would now say I was a friend, but I was a colleague mostly and I knew I mustn’t do anything to jeopardize that. But it was becoming more and more difficult with every day that passed.
Tonight, I had Jess looking after my floor. She was now Deputy Manager, as she now had outgrown her assistant role too. Aidan had met with us a month ago to restructure. Ash was Manager of Abandon XL, and overall General Manager. I was the Manager of Abandon. Jess, and a man called Connor who had worked for GoDown Productions were now Deputies and between the four of us we kept the club running at its best. New assistants had taken Jess and Connor’s places and soon there would be even more advancement as Aidan was in the process of buying a club in Miami.
He’d asked me if I wanted to go there as General Manager. I’d asked him for time to think about it.
He’d looked at me with confusion on his face, but agreed to give me a couple of weeks and said no more.
I did not want to leave. I wanted to stay where Ash was.
But if there would never be anything between us maybe the best thing I could do was go?
Chapter Six
Ashley
The last few months had been a whirlwind. If I’d thought I had been busy before, it w
as nothing at the side of the work undertaken to get the new floor and apartments completed, alongside training new staff and schmoozing prospective clientele. Aidan had insisted on me staying at The Global and I had to say it had been a blessing, being able to relax in luxury when I was eventually able to leave work.
Lucas had proved to be an excellent support and held the reins of Abandon with ease. We’d become firm friends and thank fucking God he had not detected the giant crush I appeared to have developed on him. I was embarrassed at my own behavior, prettying myself up for work, getting into bed at night and replaying every conversation we’d had where he might have smiled at me a little or said something complimentary. He never crossed a line, remaining strictly professional at all times. Unfortunately the more I knew I couldn’t have him, the more I wanted him. I tried to tell myself that it was just the fact I’d had no time for a relationship. Maybe if I just put myself out there again, had someone take me to bed and satisfy my sexual urges, my libido might calm down when I was in Lucas’ vicinity.
I knew that there was no way he’d been a saint since he got here. He must have dated or slept with women surely? But he gave nothing away, kept that side of himself private.
I’d dated no one, throwing myself completely into work, and now the fruits of our labor were here. I was stood at the bar in Abandon XL waiting to welcome the first proper client, a rock star called Denver Lomas. Den was the lead singer of F-Higher (pronounced fire), who were setting the charts alight and currently held the top 5 positions on the American Billboard Chart.
Abandon Page 3