Without Question

by Pamela Christine

  "I’m afraid not."

  "No!? Why?"

  "You'll have to ask your Dad. I'm going out."

  "Where are you going?" They both asked together.

  "Just going out with Sal for a drink."

  "But you went out with her a couple of weeks ago," Jake protested.

  "Oh, well, that's just not good enough is it, two nights out in two weeks."

  "Well, no, Mum, it's not that. It's just that you don't normally go out that much."

  "Exactly, and I work hard, so I think I deserve the odd night out." James just carried on eating his tea, oblivious to it all, no doubt his mind was wrapped up in work.

  "So, Dad, can you drop us off in town?"

  "Don't see why not. Do you want a lift too, Alex?"

  "Depends what time you’re going. I’m meeting Sal at 7:30."

  "Aww, no, Mum, we’re not meeting the lads till about 9:30." James looked up from his plate.

  "9:30! That's a bit late to be going out isn't it?"

  I interrupted the conversation. "It’s ok, I'll make my own way there." I got up from the table and left them discussing the pros and cons of going out early and late.

  I popped in the shower and again began thinking about the night ahead, wondering if I should go or not. I slipped into my dressing gown while I dried my hair and drank a couple of glasses of wine in the process. I took my black lace bra and matching thong from the drawer. I think I had only worn it once before. The minute I put the dress on, I got that feeling again. I felt sexy. I didn't feel the need to wear tights as my legs were still tanned from our holiday.

  Matching black jewellery and black stilettos finished the look. I felt ready to go. I booked a taxi to collect me straight away. I didn't even mention it to James again; he would have only moaned, and it wasn't worth it. The taxi blew his horn as I was just putting the last few things in the dishwasher. I shouted bye to everyone as I left but didn't get a reply.

  Chapter Seven

  When I reached the wine bar, Sal was already there (as usual). She looked stunning in a short black dress and seamed stockings with her hair pinned up.

  “Wow, look at you,” I said.

  "Well now, I could say the same. You don't scrub up so bad yourself!" We both laughed.

  "Cheeky Sod."

  "Aww, I'm only joking, Alex. Are you excited?"

  "Erm… mixed emotions. I suppose it's the thought of the unknown."

  "Well, don't worry. I hope it meets your expectations. It might not be what you were thinking…" And what was I thinking, I didn't know, I hadn't a clue. I’d never been to anything like this before. I was probably the most inexperienced person around.

  We sat and chatted for a while. I was gulping wine like someone waiting to go on a blind date. My stomach was doing somersaults and I felt sick. I mentioned to Sal how apprehensive I was.

  "Oh, Alex, you’ll be fine! Just treat it like a night out, meeting new friends. Have a dance, relax and enjoy yourself."

  "Oh, right, so you can dance?"

  "Look, I think it might be best if we get off now… then you can see for yourself."

  Sal phoned a taxi, and it was outside within minutes. I think we were then travelling for about twenty or thirty minutes, during which we didn't speak much at all. I was staring out of the window trying to work out exactly where we were going.

  We came off the main road and followed a narrow country lane, then turned onto the start of what appeared to be a long driveway and found ourselves in front of some very large gates. The taxi driver got out of the cab and pressed a buzzer to the side. Words were exchanged – I couldn't hear what – and the driver got back in whilst the gates opened.

  "This is a bit cloak and dagger, isn't it, Sal?" It reminded me of a film or something.

  "Stop panicking, its fine."

  We drove for a short while, then came to what I could only describe as a stately home. Sal paid for the taxi, and we made our way up to the door. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would leap out of my chest. Sal rang the bell, and a tall, handsome guy opened the door.

  "Good evening, Miss Preston, are you well?"

  "Very well, thank you, Adam."

  The entrance was amazing, with large statues of naked men and women, marble floors, a winding staircase and six doors that lead off from the entrance. I could hear music in the distance; Adam showed us through the first door which I was assuming was the main hall.

  It was just like entering any other club. There was a bar to the left with a very dishy cocktail waiter, and tables placed around the room. The dance floor took up the middle of the room and the lighting was low, creating a very seductive atmosphere. The music seemed to hover around the eighties and nineties which suited me down to the ground.

  We made our way over to the bar, and I was starting to feel quite relaxed. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. Sal seemed to know a lot of people (mostly men) and was having brief chats with them as we passed. I couldn't hear what was said due to the music, and I found myself wondering if she had slept with any of these men.

  "Well?!" I called to Sal

  "Well, what?"

  "Have you slept with any of them?"

  "That's a bit personal, Alex!" We both started laughing. "And that would be telling."

  We had a couple of drinks and went for a dance. I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about, and I certainly didn't think it was worth all the money, which I then realised we hadn't paid. "Sal, who do we pay?"

  "It's ok, I've already taken care of it."

  "When? I didn't see you?"

  "I paid over the phone on my card. It's easier that way, and anyway you don't pay tonight. You’re my guest."

  We carried on dancing and were approached a couple of times, but I think Sal knew I felt awkward. I don't know what she said, but the guys didn't hang around. We had another drink and found a seat.

  “How did you get rid of those guys, Sal?”

  “I told them we were a couple and not interested in men.” I stared back at her and we both collapsed laughing. "So, shall we go for a wander around?"

  “Well, to be honest, Sal, I'm ok in here. I’m quite enjoying it."

  "Oh, come on! That's what we’ve come for, so you can see what all the fuss is about!"

  I nervously sipped my drink and smiled back at her. "Yes, of course, but I'm quite enjoying it in here now."

  "Alex, are you getting cold feet?"

  "Don’t be soft! Of course not! Come on, let's go." I quickly finished my glass of wine and followed Sal.

  As we approached the first door, it was then I noticed they all had signs on them. The first one we entered was called The Sensory Room.

  "We'll start you off on something quite tame," said Sal. The heady feeling the wine had given me seemed to have suddenly worn off.

  Sal slowly turned the large brass door knob, and my heart began thumping yet again. There were six separate areas in this room, each containing various pieces of furniture and ‘equipment.’ On one bed lay a woman, probably mid-thirties, wearing stockings, a basque and thong, with a base colour of black and trimmed with red. The basque tied at the back with red ribbon. She lay face down on the bed and standing over her was a middle-aged man, completely naked except for a mask. He held an ostrich feather in his right hand, which he slowly ran over the woman. I covered my face as I felt I might giggle. Sal looked over at me sternly and shook her head. It was clear this place had rules, but at the same time, it didn’t.

  On the next bed a naked couple were playing with food, strategically placing it on each other and then eating it off. On a third bed a man lay completely naked except for a blindfold. A woman was teasing him, giving him minimal access to her, by brushing herself against him. I didn't know what to think at this point, except I found it all a bit weird.

  "We maybe ought to go, Sal."

  "Why, what's wrong?"

  "Nothing, I'm just not sure this is for me." I made my way back to the door we came throug
h. I exited into the hallway and caught my breath. I had felt like I was suffocating in there.

  "Are you ok?" I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to see a tall man stood behind me, wearing a smart suit and tie. He extended his hand out to mine. "I'm Thomas - or Tom to my friends."

  His hands were strong, yet soft to touch. I was guessing he was some sort of business man due to his attire, a strong silent type, Sal would have said.

  "I'm Alex…" I felt myself blushing as I said it, wondering if I should have given my real name.

  "Well, Alex, would you like a drink?"

  I glanced over his shoulder to see if I could spot Sal and just caught sight of her going into another room. And then I found myself saying, "Yes thank you, Tom. I'd love a dry white wine please." We made our way into the main room again. Tom ordered our drinks from the barman and said, "Let’s grab a seat over here."

  Chapter Eight

  We sat down in a quiet corner of the room, which made it possible to have a conversation without shouting at each other.

  "So, what do you think of it here, Alex?"

  "Sorry, what do you mean?"

  "Oh, come on, I know it's your first time," he smirked.

  "Is it that obvious?"

  Tom laughed. "I'm afraid so, you look a little bit lost."

  "That's probably because I feel it. This was my friend’s idea and I'm not sure it's for me."

  "Have you seen it all?"

  "No, just that one room."

  "And did that put you off?"

  "Well, it just felt strange and I wasn't sure it was for me."

  "Maybe I should show you round…?" Tom took my hand and led me out of the room. He opened the door to The Fantasy Room and ushered me in. My first sight was a round bed in the middle of the room.

  Two women were on the bed, one dressed in a leather one piece, and the other had only a thong on. There was a man sat in a chair near the bed masturbating while he watched the women. Tom looked over and asked, "Would you prefer to go upstairs?"

  I looked across at him wondering what could conceivably be upstairs. He grabbed my hand again and led me into the hallway, where we made our way up the large staircase.

  "Are you ready for this, Alex?" I nodded slowly, wondering what could possibly be behind the next door.

  “Adagio for Strings” was playing gently in the background, and there were numerous bodies entwined on cushions on the floor. It was hard to tell what arm, leg and voice belonged to whom. There were screams, moans and groans as everyone pleasured each other. A wave of shock came over me. It was like some sort of X-rated movie you hear about.

  "So, what do you think to this, Alex?" I could hear Tom’s voice in the background.

  I looked back at him and smiled nervously, then spun round to head back out the door. I hurriedly made my way downstairs as he followed. Tom led me back down stairs, made his way to the bar and ordered us some more drinks. I glanced around the room but couldn't see Sal anywhere. I wondered where she was, and more importantly, who she was with. Tom nodded towards an empty table. "Come on." I followed him over and we sat in silence for a while.

  "So, Alex, is this not what you were expecting?"

  "Erm… well… yes and no." Tom just laughed. I looked back at him in annoyance.

  "Well, it's either one or the other, Alex. I don't think it's what you were expecting."

  In all honesty I didn't know what I was expecting; I hadn't thought it through. Although it seemed like a good idea at the time, after a couple of bottles of wine, I think I had made a mistake. Just because I had experienced a new sexual encounter, it didn't mean I had to expose myself to a whole new world of intimacy. I could feel the tears welling up; in an effort to disguise my upset, I briskly blinked and casually glanced around the room.

  "Look, Alex, I didn't mean to offend you. I’m just curious as to what brought you here."

  "It was not what but ‘who,’ and the ‘who’ is my friend – Sal." I glanced over to Tom and threw him a sarcastic smile.

  "That's better, nice to see you smile. Shall we start again?"

  I glanced down at my glass and caught sight of my watch. It was 1:30am. "Jeez, I better get home."

  "That's a shame, Alex… Come on, I'll take you."

  "No, I'm fine, I wouldn't dream of it, and anyway you've been drinking."

  Tom looked across at me and smiled. "I meant I'll book a taxi."

  I glanced back at him. "Listen, that's really nice of you but, it... well, it wouldn't be right and...."

  "It's ok, Alex, I'm aware that you’re probably married, most people here are. I’ll book you a taxi."

  Tom got up from the table, took his mobile out from his pocket and left the room. I stayed seated trying to make sense of the evening and wondering what walks of life the clientele here were from. Whatever it was, they all seemed very comfortable in their skin and happy to be there, something I didn't feel.

  Tom walked back in the room and beckoned me towards the door. I got up, grabbed my bag and walked towards him. He caught my hand in his and we made our way over to the exit.

  Adam was still there. "Goodnight, Mr Clark."

  "Night, Adam."

  A taxi was waiting for me outside. "Look, Alex, I've really enjoyed your company tonight. Maybe we could meet for a drink sometime? This is my card, give me a ring."

  "Tom… I'm not sure that's a good idea."

  He gently kissed my cheek and I climbed into the taxi.

  It felt like I was home in no time. I didn't speak a word to the driver. I suppose I felt quite embarrassed about where he had collected me from. I arrived at my house and reached for my purse. "It's ok, Mr Clark has paid."

  "But when? And how? I mean he doesn't know where I live."

  "Oh no, he has an account."

  "I see… ok, thank you." I left the taxi and made my way into the house.

  The house was silent. James would be in bed and I'm sure the boys would still be out. I made myself a hot drink and switched the TV on for a while. After around ten minutes, I found I couldn't concentrate and actually felt quite tired, so decided to make my way up to bed. But I couldn't sleep. James was snoring away, and my mind was too preoccupied with the events of the evening. How had I let myself get involved in it all? It just wasn't me.

  I must have drifted off to sleep as the next thing I heard was the boys coming in. I could hear them rustling up something in the kitchen, which was a regular occurrence in our house after a night out.

  The next day I rang Sal to see how she had got on. "Yeah, it was a good night. Al, what happened to you?"

  "Oh, I was just tired, I got a taxi home."

  "Oh right, I thought you had hooked up with Tom."

  I was surprised that Sal knew him, although I guess I shouldn't have been. "Do you want to meet for lunch tomorrow, Sal?" I was curious to know what had happened and how well she knew Tom.

  "Yeah, sure, let's say one, shall we?"

  "Yes, that's great, see you tomorrow."

  Just then James walked into to room. "Who's that then?"

  "It was Sal, just meeting up for lunch tomorrow."

  "Must be nice to be able to do lunch as often as you two do." I glanced across at James and threw him a smile; he didn't even look up, his head buried in the newspaper.

  The next day I met Sal for lunch at a little coffee shop in the town centre. "So, what happened with Tom then?"

  "Nothing. We just chatted, had a drink and then headed home."

  "Hmm, so he didn't want you to give him a slapping then?" Sal giggled as she said it.

  "Hell no, what you on about?"

  "Nothing… forget it."

  "Sal, have you and Tom...? Well, you know what I mean."

  “No, he's not on my wavelength. We don't like the same things."

  "So, what is he into then?"

  "Oh, you'll find out soon, when you see him again…"

  I looked across at Sal. "What makes you think I’ll see him again?"

/>   "Well, when you go back!"

  "And who said I was going back?"

  "Oh, come on, Al, you’re not giving up on it, are you? At least give it a chance." Sal got up from her chair. “Just nipping to the loo."

  I stared into my coffee cup. There was something about Tom, and I suppose I should thank him for paying for the taxi. Just then I remembered the business card he had given me. I reached into my handbag, rummaging around trying to find it. Damn, I thought, it was in my other bag. I would have to look for it when I got home and give him a ring. Just to thank him, that's all.

  Sal returned from the loo. "So what happened to you on Friday night, Sal?"

  She casually took a sip of her coffee, looked across at me, gave a cheeky grin and replied, "Not much, really."

  "So, you didn't get off with anyone?"

  "Alex, it's not about ‘getting off’ with anyone, it's just sex. Pure sex, that's all."

  "You seem so casual about it."

  "That's because that's what it is, Hun, just casual sex. A bit like your Maria in Greece."

  "No, it's not the same at all. I mean, it wasn't planned at all, it just happened."

  "So, you don't think this Maria has done this before?"

  "Well, no… at least I don't think so..."

  "Alex, you have a lot to learn about life."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "Nothing. Look, I've got to go. We'll catch up next week, take care, Hun." Sal leant forward, kissed me on the cheek and headed out the door. I sat for another ten minutes looking out of the window. People-watching was a favourite pastime of mine. I was wondering what tangled webs everyone else had created in their lives. I glanced at my watch and realised that I should be heading back home too.

  Chapter Nine

  I couldn't really concentrate on anything when I got home. My mind was preoccupied, thinking about Tom, wondering what his world was like, marriage, children, etc. There was no one at home, and the boys were nowhere to be seen, and judging by the pots left on the table, they had already helped themselves to some lunch. I made myself a coffee, popped a CD on and chilled out on the sofa. Then I remembered the card.