Safe one night stands. A part of her liked the idea.
Since the envelope was too big to be stashed into her purse, Alice tucked it under her arm and gave the doorman a nod.
“Thank you, and have a good night,” she said with a smile and started to walk away, wondering if she should ask him for his name.
Then again, the no name policy might apply to him, too. It would make sense, apart from the fact that she had seen his face.
“Thank you, you too, Miss,” Big Guy answered.
Maybe the answers to some of her questions were in the envelope. She would take a closer look at it when she was home. There were other things to take care of first.
Alice pulled out her phone and checked. There were no messages, but something else caught her attention. She had been in there for an hour. This thought made her stop right then and there, blinking, only until a whimsical grin appeared on her lips. She still had to wrap her mind around what just happened.
She speed-dialed Bianca.
Her best friend would be wide awake, worrying, and certainly waiting, for her to call. It took only one ring for her to pick up.
“Alice, are you alright? Do you need me to pick you up, call the police, bring Matt?” Bianca instantly babbled into her ear, and Alice laughed out loud.
“Calm down, I’m fine,” she answered, still chuckling. “Better than fine. No need to worry, I’m already on my way back home.”
“Should I pick you up?” Bianca asked nervously.
Alice’s smile faded as she realized that this was the perfect moment to deceive her best friend. If she wanted to have a shot at this Dark Alley Club, Bianca would never be allowed to know, she would never be able to talk to her best friend about any of it.
“No, it’s fine, really,” she responded, allowing her disappointment and uneasiness to take form in her voice. “I’m taking the metro. I’m tired.”
She knew that she should tell her that it had been a hoax and that nothing really happened, but Alice couldn’t bring herself to truly lie to Bianca.
“Are you really okay?” she asked again, concern in her voice.
But then again, it was the perfect moment to lie to her. Bianca would try to comfort her and never ask about the Dark Alley again. Maybe Bianca would tell her that she had told her so, and talk about how much worse all of this could have ended.
“Yes, I just wasn’t really prepared,” Alice admitted. “It’s a club.”
There, she wasn’t completely lying, but she wasn’t spilling secrets, either. Still, she couldn’t help but feel bad about not telling the full truth.
“Wow,” Bianca answered. “Is it some sort of underground thingy? One of those secret clubs that play all the hard stuff?”
“Something like that, yeah,” Alice answered and looked up as she arrived at the gate, which a man in a fine suit opened for her. “It’s pretty exclusive,” she added and nodded towards the man as a thank you.
He walked towards a dark limousine and opened the back door for her. Alice gave the man, who was obviously her driver, a smile before her eyes caught a movement on the other side of the road. There was some guy wearing all black leather, sitting on a black motorcycle, who was just about to either put his black helmet on, or take it off, was looking straight at her.
Even though she wasn’t able to see his eyes through the tinted visor, she could feel his eyes on her. Was this her stranger from tonight? Which one of the guys she had met last night could actually be him?
Alice suddenly realized she was staring and that her driver was still waiting for her to sit down in the back seat. She could still hear Bianca's tinny voice over her cell phone.
“Yes, I’m still there,” Alice answered quickly and took her seat. “Listen, I’m on my way back home.” The driver closed the door. “We’ll talk tomorrow if it’s really necessary, okay? I’m taking a cab back.”
“Okay. Good.” Bianca’s tone was all motherly. “Sleep tight, sweetie. I’m sorry it was such a disappointment.” Her friend made her presumptions, and Alice didn’t say anything to make her believe something different.
“You too, hon,” she answered instead and hung up, putting her phone back into her purse.
Her eyes landed on the envelope on her lap, feeling its weight. She picked it up and turned it in her hands, trying to fathom the amount of pages that were in there. She answered lost in thought to the driver’s inquiry for her home address, not even noticing when the car pulled out.
♠ ♣ ♥ ♦
Since it was night and the streets were close to being empty, Alice got home way faster by car than by public transit. Plus, she felt much safer in a limousine, than on the metro at this time of night. She only could shake her head about it, after the driver had opened the door for her and she stepped out right in front of her building.
“Thank you,” she said quietly, and the man with grayish hair returned her smile, nodding briefly.
“Any time, Miss,” he responded, closing the door. He made no move to return to the driver’s side.
Alice realized that he would stand and wait until she was safely in her condo.
“Good night,” she said, a broader smile appearing on her face; she could really get used to this treatment.
“Good night, Miss.”
She turned around and walked up the steps to the front door and opened it, sliding inside quickly.
Alice almost dropped her envelope, but caught it before it slipped past her knees. As she straightened up again, she watched the black, elegant limousine drive off. It was really a strange feeling – strange but good. Shame that she probably wouldn’t be able to afford a membership with a private driver. But she allowed herself to dream.
With a soft smile and the awareness that she wasn’t wearing any panties, she walked straight to the open elevator and stepped inside.
After pressing the button for her level, she leaned against the back wall, wrapping her arms around herself and the envelope, careful not so bend it.
Alice wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight unless she opened it and fully examined the contents. The clock in the lobby had said it was only just after eleven pm.
First thing Alice did when she entered her flat, was kick off her shoes and then walk into the kitchen, placing the envelope on the breakfast table. She then got some water ready for her tea, but paused before switching on the kettle. Somehow she felt like she should take a shower. Even though she didn’t feel dirty, Alice couldn't ignore the idea.
Since she wasn’t heading out again, but sooner or later would end up in bed, Alice got rid of her makeup and had a long, hot shower, all the while wondering what the full contents of the envelope could be. Her thoughts then drifted to the stranger who had provided her a ride home.
Had he been the same guy who had invited her?
Was that possible? It would mean that he had either been waiting for her, or was living close by. There were some condominiums close to Elm Street, some really expensive ones.
Or was he the mysterious biker, who had watched her getting into the car?
Thinking of the latter gave her goosebumps of the eerie kind. Had he followed her home? She hadn’t checked the street after she got out of the car.
The bad feeling persisted as Alice stepped out of the shower and dried her off.
She quickly got into some comfy pajamas and undid the tight bun of her hair, she had put up to make sure that it didn’t get wet. With a short stopover in the kitchen to switch on the kettle, she returned to her bedroom to get some knitted stockings for her feet.
Alice was about to return into the kitchen when she was distracted by her reflection. Did she look differently than before she stepped out this evening? She definitely seemed more relaxed than earlier, and she knew it had nothing to do with the shower.
Letting out a long sigh, she tried to physically shake free the ongoing paranoia in her mind. It was as if she could hear Bianca's worrisome voice in her head.
The loud whistlin
g of the kettle brought her attention back to the present, as she darted back to the kitchen. After preparing a mug of tea, she finally sat down at the table in front of the dark envelope.
Should she really open it now? Or should she wait until she had a good night’s sleep? All of the sudden she felt uncertain about the whole Dark Alley experience – but why?
With closer inspection under the bright light, she found that the envelope was held closed with a thin red cord. All she needed to do was open the knot and uncurl it. Carefully, she slid her hand inside and pulled out a stack of papers that had been split into three sections.
Alice laid them out in front of her. Two stacks were a contract, and the third almost looked like a brochure of sorts. Each stack was riveted together in the upper left corner.
For whatever reason, Alice’s heart started pounding again. She was nervous and excited; it felt like being offered a chance to become part of a conspiracy, or a secret group, and that alone was reason enough to sign right away.
Alice gave the brochure a closer look. Its title was nothing but a simple line: “For your consideration.” She turned the page. The first line caught her breath.
Miss Alice Turner.
They knew her full name! Alice gasped in disbelief. How could they have found out so quickly? She buried her face in her hand, groaning out loud when she remembered that she had left her purse and ID with Big Guy. Her heart now was pounding because of a completely different reason. How quickly they could have gotten all her information?
Alice jumped up, almost knocking her chair over and went back to the doorway where she had left her purse. She quickly rummaged through it.
Everything was still there. Pulling the phone from it, she hastily checked her bank account. There was no charge pending. Was all of this a sophisticated con to shake horny people down for money?
She would have to monitor her accounts on Monday, just to make sure, which meant she would probably worry herself to sleep and be a nervous wreck all during Sunday.
Or – she sat down at the table again – she didn’t need to worry at all, if she believed that this was the real deal. After all, she wasn’t a billionaire, not even close. Her money wasn’t even worth the effort.
Alice gave the contract a closer look.
It had already been signed by a notary. It held a non-disclosure agreement, a part where she agreed to hand in a full health check on a six-month-basis, another where her signature made sure that the club wasn’t indictable in case of any damages inflicted by a member, and eventually an agreement form to the rules of the club.
Alice had no idea that free, safe, and no-strings-attached sex would be so complicated. Yet it made sense.
What wasn’t in the contract was a form for which kind of membership she wanted to obtain. Alice went through the papers again, checking if she had missed something, but she hadn’t.
So she gave the brochure another look, and found out that if she was to sign the contract and apply for a membership, she would be on probation first. This had actually been something Big Guy had mentioned. After that she would be allowed to pick a code name and choose a membership of her choice. It was interesting to see women having to pay smaller fees for similar services.
All in all it was too much to take in, and apart from that Alice was sure that she wouldn’t be able to afford any of the higher membership levels. The club also guaranteed safety as long as they were on or in the club’s property, which included transportation.
She let out a groan as she noticed that she had forgotten her tea. While she had looked through the contacts it had cooled off and was much too strong to drink now. Probably a sign that she should just go to bed and let it all sink in.
Pouring the cold tea into the sink, Alice went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth, watching herself in the mirror. She knew that she wanted to give it a try. This was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. She just had to. The idea, of being able to have more safe one-night-stands, was simply too tempting.
A good night’s sleep would certainly help. It had often done the trick before.
♠ ♣ ♥ ♦
When the sunlight found its way through the blinds, Alice felt as well rested as she hadn’t had for a long time. She knew it had everything to do with last night's activities.
Alice stretched out her limbs and let out a long pleasant groan. Being wide awake after that, she basically jumped out of bed, slid into her slippers, and went straight into the kitchen where she immediately signed both contracts, and filled in the personal information and bank account sections, all of which was mandatory to the contract.
While she carefully put one copy back into the envelope, she put the other one beneath the brochure of the club. After that, she prepared herself some toast and coffee, eventually filling herself a glass with juice and then sat back down. Chewing on her toast with jam, she stared at the brochure in front of her. Again she browsed to the second page with her name on it, but this time she moved on to the next page.
It started out with the information she already knew.
The Dark Alley was between 8 and 10 Elm Street, and was more than just one passageway. There were two alleys to the right and two to the left.
What was new was that if she walked right past those four alleys she would end up at a stairwell, leading to a door, the entrance to the main club itself. In case all alleys were in use, this would be the place where the members could wait and have a drink.
A person was only allowed to enter the club with a mask on, which had to at least cover the area around the eyes. Every member had to provide themselves with a mask of their choice.
Everything that could identify a member would have to be handed over to the doorman, who would then secure the belongings. By request, he would take the mask for safekeeping, but it was preferred that members enter the alley with their mask on.
The purchase of all drinks in the club would be instantly withdrawn from the member's bank account. Depending on which membership status one had, drinks could also be free.
Alice sighed. She probably would never have a membership of that kind, but in the end she wouldn’t go there to have drinks, but to have sex in the alley. With that in mind, did it really matter?
She would only be able to invite another person to the Dark Alley when her membership had been held for longer than a year. And if she did, she would vouch for any transgression caused by her guest.
There was still no information about the different membership levels, however, it was pointed out that conversations were allowed in the clubhouse and that members were allowed to buy each other drinks.
Impatiently Alice paged forward, only to lay her eyes on an amount that easily was twice her year’s salary. With one swift movement, she shut the brochure and grabbed it along with her copy of the contract. She took both papers to her desk in her bedroom and let it vanish in her upper right drawer. Then she returned to resume her breakfast.
Alice wished in that moment that she didn't have to think about all of this; that she could simply switch her mind off, like the night before, and just allow it to happen.
Maybe she should go there again, tonight. Or maybe she should go there today.
Five
Alice carried the envelope like some sort of shield as she walked from the metro station down to Elm Street. It was 11am and the streets were mostly quiet in this area, apart from a few people who were out for brunch.
She still wasn’t certain if it was a good idea to take a look at the Dark Alley in broad daylight, or if it even was allowed. There was nothing to be found in the contract or brochure. And yet, she asked herself why she hadn’t had the idea yesterday, before she went in head first. Chances are it wasn't her mind that had been in charge of the reins, so to speak, but the fact remained that she had thoroughly enjoyed herself.
Just like the evening before, Alice stopped on the other side of the street in front of the gate, which she now knew would lead her to the club. She breathed in deeply be
fore she made the first step towards it, never taking her eyes off it as she crossed the road.
Alice hesitated as she lifted her hand to push open the gate, and held her breath. A part of her was expecting that it wouldn’t move.
What would she do then? She would have come later during the official hours of the club.
Relief flooded over her as she released the breath she had been holding. The gate moved almost inaudibly and allowed her to step into the alley. Despite this first triumph, Alice was still very nervous.
Would she gamble away her chance to become a member? Or would she ruin her experience of the place if she saw it in broad daylight?
The second thought made her stop in her tracks. Would sex feel differently if she knew how the place she'd had that mind-blowing encounter looked like? She had no idea.
Suddenly something else caught her attention. There was another gate, one she hadn’t seen when she had been here yesterday. All her worries felt now obsolete, because Alice simply knew that this gate was locked.
With a few quick steps she stopped where Big Guy had guarded the door and welcomed her. Alice carefully placed her left hand around one of the bars and pulled and pushed gently. The gate didn’t move an inch.
“Miss? Can I help you?” A stranger’s voice reached towards her from behind and she spun around.
Whoever he was, Alice definitely had not met him in the disco on Friday or in the Alley yesterday. He was half a head taller than her, was slender, almost lean, but not thin. Rather the physique of a runner than just being gawky. His hair was of a darker shade of blond, almost reddish in a way, and his eyes, which held an expression of open friendliness, were clear blue.
“Oh, it’s okay.” Alice felt herself blush; partly because of embarrassment and partly because of this guy.
He was handsome, in a way, not billboard-gorgeous, but definitely good looking, and appeared to be around her age, hopefully.
Dark Alley: The Complete First Season (Dark Alley Seasons Book 1) Page 5