She took one final look in the mirror. Nodding her self-approval, she reached into the closet for her black heels. She’d need to hurry if she wanted to make it to the restaurant by 8:30. Switching a few things from her purse to the clutch, she grabbed her keys and left her apartment.
Twenty minutes later, the valet took her car when she arrived at the tall building of the restaurant. She’d never been here before, but Jules and her husband came every couple of months. It’s hard to believe Gerri was able to make reservations for tonight at last minute. Jules always had to schedule weeks in advance.
She took the elevator to the top floor. Her reflection in the mirrored doors gave her a chance to put a wayward curl back in place. The soft chime of the elevator sounded just before the doors slid open to a grand foyer leading into the restaurant. Annette ran her hands down her dress, ensuring no wrinkles were seen as she walked up to the hostess podium.
“Welcome to Skyline. Do you have a reservation?” The hostess asked, picking up her pen.
“The reservation is under Bryan Steele,” she told the hostess.
“Follow me.” She smiled and started walking deeper into the restaurant.
Annette looked around as she followed the hostess. She didn’t think Skyline would be this packed on a Tuesday night. A few tables were marked reserved and all the other tables were occupied. As the hostess lead her through, Annette looked for a table with only one gentleman seated but she didn’t see any. Most had couples or a group of couples. One table near the rear of the restaurant had two men sitting together. If nothing else, she’ll have a good view of those two studs. As the hostess walked closer to the table with the two men, Annette’s heart skipped a beat.
“Here you are.” The hostess turned and walked away, leaving Annette a little confused. She looked around for a reserved table but there wasn’t one marked on this side of the restaurant.
“Annette?” One of the men asked as they both stood and faced her. “I’m Bryan Steele.”
“I’m Annette,” she said. “But of course you already know that. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Hello Annette. I’m Tony Glacier.” The other man shook her hand and pulled out a seat for her.
Annette was a little taken back. She knew she was going to meet Bryan, but Gerri didn’t say someone else would be here, too. Is Tony here for a bail out? Deciding to ride it out, she took the offered seat.
“You look confused,” Tony stated.
“I… well, I am honestly. Gerri didn’t mention there would be two of you.” She might as well put it out there now.
“We’re kind of a packaged deal.” Bryan chuckled.
“You get one, you get the other too,” Tony commented.
Be careful what you wish for. That’s what Gerri had told her. She wasn’t really expecting two men at once though. What is she going to do with two? A smile broke as she thought of the possibilities of having two men at the same time. It had always been a fantasy. Now, thanks to that godsend of a matchmaker, her fantasy could become a reality.
“This pleases you.” Bryan nodded.
“Who wouldn’t be pleased?” Annette blushed. “Look at you two.”
“He is rather handsome, isn’t he?” Tony asked, nodding towards Bryan.
“Yes, he is,” she replied. Then things began to click into place. “Oh, you two are together?”
“We are.” Bryan nodded. “We’re a bonded pair looking for our third, our female.”
“Interesting,” she nodded. The possibilities are endless with these two.
“We just haven’t found a woman that hits us both in the right ways.” Tony winked at her.
“You think Gerri can find such a person,” she smiled at them both.
“I think things can get interesting to say the least.” Bryan smiled back.
“How did you find out about Paranormal Dating Agency? I didn’t think it was wide known to humans.” Tony asked.
“Actually, she hooked up my best friend with a shifter. They got married this past weekend.” She told them.
“By chance would that be Ronan and Braelynn?” Bryan asked.
“Yeah, how did you know? I would have remembered if either of you had been there.” She asked a little shocked she’d never heard Braelynn mention them. Bryan and Tony looked at each other and smiled, then turned to her.
“We own Heads N’ Tails. Braelynn used to come to the club almost daily before she met Ronan. They still come by together,” Tony answered.
“She was always trying to get me to go with her. It’s just not my scene,” she admitted. Braelynn told her about Heads N’ Tails. From the way she understood it, it was like a regular club but those that go there are looking for loving. Annette was happy just going out to the local clubs and dancing the night away without expectations. She dated a few guys that enjoyed the scene but that’s all she could stand them for. After that, they’d get sloppy and clingy; driving her nuts until she’d explode and dump them.
“How do you know if you’ve never went?” Tony asked her.
“I went once looking for Braelynn. I was more focused on finding her than what goes on in the club. Other than making sure I wasn’t on the menu.” She smiled and took a sip of her wine.
“It all depends on which floor you go to,” Bryan said. “Before Braelynn met Ronan she’d only been to one floor. There’s something for everyone there. We have a fine restaurant similar to this, where dining can be enjoyed under the stars.”
“Now that, I could handle.” She smiled. She’d been in the restaurant business for most her adult life. “I’d like to see that part one day.”
“Once you see one, you’ll get curious and want to see the others,” Bryan insisted.
“Yeah, just ask Braelynn.” Tony laughed.
“She’s mentioned it had other floors, but at that time she didn’t know what was on them,” she said. “The upper level I went to didn’t seem like the one Braelynn described.”
“Each floor is different.”
“I thought it was a sex club for different shifters,” she admitted.
“It’s much more than that,” Bryan told her. “Each floor is different. Humans needed a place where they could cut loose from the world outside and just be free. You can get as adventurous as you want and no one will judge there. Same goes for the other levels. Each one is set up for different beings. Vampires can get fresh blood from donors, without risking illegal blood draining. Though not every floor is in use yet. We’re still renovating many levels.”
“So what type of shifters are you two?” Annette asked before thinking about if the question was even appropriate.
“We’re both dragons,” Tony stated.
“Seriously?” She was surprised. “Like big, fire-breathing badasses?”
“Bryan can breathe fire,” Tony said.
“You can’t?” She asked.
“I’m an ice dragon. I can’t breathe fire, though I can freeze anything quicker than liquid nitrogen,” Tony bragged.
“Chilling.” Annette laughed.
“You have no idea.” Tony winked at her.
“This is fascinating,” she admitted, as the waitress brought a bottle of wine to the table.
Conversation never slowed as they enjoyed their meal. Bryan and Tony told her about their multi-level club. Bryan offered to give her a tour of their restaurant and she happily accepted. She couldn’t believe her luck. Two men just for her. Two fine ass men at that. They had their lives in order. No time for slacking with these two. They had drive and ambition, something that had been missing from her previous boyfriends. She wanted to know everything about them. She’d definitely would like to see them again. The meal went by in a flash; it wasn’t enough time.
“Would you like to go dancing?” Tony asked her.
“I’m always ready to go dancing,” she replied, eager to spend more time with them.
The waitress brought the check by the table. Bryan placed cash in the check holder as Tony pulle
d her chair out for her. It was a gentleman’s gesture, and she welcomed it.
“Where would you like to go?” Bryan asked her as they each took an arm and escorted her out of the restaurant.
“I thought you may take me to your club.”
“Not until you’re ready,” Bryan assured her.
“I’m ready now.” She told him as they stepped into the elevator. “I’ve been on one of the upper floors, remember? I can handle it. Besides, if we want to continue seeing each other then I’d like to see what I’m getting myself into.”
Bryan and Tony looked at each other then smiled over at her. Her heart melted seeing their smiles. They were complete opposites, yet very much the same. She was going to love finding all the differences.
“Please.” She turned to face them and ran her hands up their arms. “It would be fun.”
“Oh, there’s no doubt about that,” Tony teased.
“Alright, but be careful what you wish for,” Bryan said, as the door to the elevator slid open.
“The last time that was said to me, I got both of you. I’ll take my chances.” She laughed. She hooked her arms around theirs as they escorted her out.
Tony rode with her in her car as she followed Bryan to Heads N’ Tails. Annette hoped they wouldn’t be going to the sex crowded levels. A level with good music and good drinks was all she needed for the moment.
Four
Heads N’ Tails was bigger than Annette thought possible. She didn’t pay much attention when she came with Ronan. Of course, she was pre-occupied with finding out what happened to Braelynn. She had thought that Heads N’ Tails was only a couple of levels of the huge building. Instead, she found out every floor of the building was or will be part of Heads N’ Tails. Bryan and Tony had spent the last six years transforming the building into a popular place for all types of shifters and paranormal creatures.
“We’ll take you to one of the softer levels.” Bryan escorted her into the elevator. They didn’t even stop by the front desk as she did with Ronan. Then again, when you’re with the owners, you don’t have to check in.
“Softer levels? What all types of levels are there?” Annette couldn’t help but ask.
“There’s pretty much anything you could want. There’s a level to relax, and shoot a game of pool. Then there’s levels where you could get chained to the wall and sexually tortured,” Tony said.
“It’s whatever your personal preference is,” Bryan chimed in.
“How would you know what level to go to?” She asked.
“There’s only two ways you can get to any level. You have to be a member or come with a member. There’s a membership form we use to help us program membership cards. Take Braelynn for example. On her form, she was anti-shifter, therefore, her membership card would only let her go to the human level. There are no shifters there other than employees. There’s also a strict no shift policy in place on that floor,” Bryan explained.
“What about the other floors?”
“The rest of the floors cater to paranormals, mainly to shifters. So, the rules aren’t as strict,” Bryan said.
“We don’t have to go in if you don’t want to,” Tony told her as the elevator stopped and the doors slid open.
“Oh, I want to.” Annette took their arms encouraging them to lead the way.
“If it gets to be too much we can always retreat to the penthouse. We definitely have ways of entertaining you there,” Tony teased as they stepped off the elevator.
“Like a wall of sexual torture?” She smiled.
“Not on the first date,” Bryan assured her, smiling.
“We’ll leave that for date number five.” Tony held up his hand with his fingers splayed out.
“Tony, don’t scare her,” Bryan warned.
“Oh, he’s fine. I’m not scared at all,” she said, hiding all signs of her nervousness.
Annette had expected a level like the one Braelynn had told her about. Where people were practically naked, dancing on each other. Instead, everyone seemed to have all their clothes on. The dance floor was packed. Annette couldn’t blame them; the music had an excellent beat. Tony led the way to the bar. Without waiting for the bartender, Bryan went behind the bar and began mixing up some cocktails.
“Thought you two weren’t working tonight?” The bartender called out. Her long purple curly hair swayed as she walked towards them.
“We’re not working,” Bryan and Tony said in unison.
“We decided to show Annette a little bit of the club,” Tony said.
“Plus, show off our skills,” Bryan added while shaking the cocktail shaker. “Annette, meet Hannah, one of our best bartenders. She bounces around to different floors each night.”
“Until I get my own floor that is.” Hannah came over and shook her hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you.” Annette looked her over trying to figure out what type of shifter she was.
“Hannah wants a pool bar.” Tony handed Bryan three cocktail glasses.
“Think about it.” Hannah looked at her. “A huge indoor pool with a bar built in, like an island in the center. Some beach music or sounds of ocean waves. There could be UV lights for basking.”
“Sounds like a vacation.” Annette laughed.
“Hannah’s head is full of vacations.” Bryan poured the blue concoction into the glasses. “That’s why she insists on taking one every month.”
“The ocean calls and I must answer.” Hannah tossed her purple curls over her shoulder.
“What type of shifter are you?” Annette couldn’t contain herself any longer.
“A beautiful mermaid with a shimmering tail that drives all the sailors wild.” Hannah swayed her hips to make her point.
“Awesome.” Annette was amazed by the different shifters she’d met since Braelynn started dating Ronan.
“Very awesome,” Hannah agreed. “I need the ocean’s waters to keep me energized, so I spend a few days a month down at the beach.”
“Why not just live at the beach? If you love it so much,” Annette asked.
“It would seem like the logical thing to do, wouldn’t it? It’s too dangerous to live out in the open that close to the beach. Monthly trips are enough for now.”
“I believe you need to make a trip to the end of the bar.” Tony nodded towards a guy waiting with his arms propped up on the bar.
Annette watched Hannah walk over to the man. She could tell there was a story there. Maybe if she and Hannah became friends, she’d hear more of it. Tonight, all her focus was on her dashing dates. They had been perfect gentlemen so far.
Bryan handed them a glass of his fruity concoction. She took a sip, letting the flavors coat her mouth. Usually, she drank wine or beer with the occasional shot thrown in the mix. With this fruity mix, she barely tasted the liquors she watched him pour.
“Wow, this is smooth,” she told Bryan.
“Careful, you may not want to drink it fast,” he warned.
“I think I’ll limit myself with this.” She took another sip. “Damn that’s good.”
“Shall we grab a spot?” Tony held out his hand to her.
She took his hand and looked up at Bryan.
“I don’t have another free hand or I’d hold your hand too.” She didn’t want Bryan to think she was playing favorites.
“That’s even better.” Bryan slipped up beside her, putting his arm around her waist. “Problem solved.”
“Indeed, it is,” she agreed as Tony led them through the club.
Annette looked around as she followed Tony. She knew most, if not all, the people here were shifters though they didn’t seem any different than her. Everyone was dancing and having a good time. The way Braelynn had described it, she was expecting to see people getting it on right there on the dance floor.
“Not what you were expecting?” Bryan leaned in to her.
“Not exactly.” She laughed. She wasn’t sure what she had expected, maybe a big orgy on stage
. Her thoughts had her laughing again.
“We said we’d bring you to a softer level,” Tony pointed out.
“This is about as soft as it gets, other than the restaurant,” Bryan told her.
“Guess I was expecting something along the lines of a strip club.” She swayed her hips to the music, causing Bryan to sway with her.
“That’s on the 21st floor,” Tony said with a smile.
“Seriously? You two have it all, don’t you?”
“Almost,” they said in unison. Tony squeezed her hand as Bryan tightened his grip around her. “We’ll have you soon enough. Time is nothing to us.”
She loved their confidence. She tried to hide her blush by taking a long sip of her drink. Tony smirked and raised his eyebrow. They came to an empty couch section. Tony held out his hand letting her sit first.
“I still can’t believe you two have a strip club here too.” She changed the subject.
“There’s female and male dancers. Like we said, we like to cater to all types,” Bryan said, sitting down next to her.
“To be honest, it’s still one of the softer levels too,” Tony admitted.
“No one gets chained to the wall?” She teased.
“Not on that level.” Tony laughed. “You’re hung up on the wall of pleasure, huh?”
“Tony.” Bryan glared a warning.
“What?” Tony looked at Bryan then smiled at her. “I bet she’ll love it once she tries it.”
Her cheeks reddened as heat pooled inside her. A wall of pleasure with these two men excited her more than she cared to express. What could two men do with her all tied up and exposed? Her thoughts raced and she took another sip of her drink. She swayed to the music as she finished her drink.
“I think it’s time you two show me what you can do on the dance floor,” she stated setting her empty glass on the table.
“Shall I order you another drink and have it waiting for you?” Bryan asked.
“No, we’ll grab one later. Right now, I want to dance.” Plus, she wasn’t fond of unattended drinks.
“You heard the lady, she wants to dance.” Tony stood taking her hand in his. Bryan took her other hand and together they led her to the dance floor.
For the Love of Fire and Ice: Paranormal Dating Agency (Heads N’ Tails Series) Page 2