RISK

by Sam Skyborne

  Outside, the cab was just passing a park.

  “Wait, I have an idea,” Maxine said and tapped on the perspex separating them from the taxi driver. “Change of plan, please pull over.”

  When Toni got to The Vox, the place was crowded. She could see why Lizbeth suggested it was better to check out the venue in the afternoon. The music, surprisingly a collection of late 90’s pop, was pumping through the place and hot sweaty bodies were heaving on the dance floor. The cubicles were stuffed cheek to cheek with groups of people out for a good time with their mates.

  Toni slowly advanced through the human sea. It was a mixed crowd of women, men, trans, some dressed in drag—an array of outfits from boiler suits to business suits, from elaborate costumes to fairytale frocks.

  When she finally got to the bar she ordered herself a rock-shandy from the young girl with a shaved undercut and two piercings in her bottom lip behind the bar. She then slipped her a large tip and gestured for her to lean forward so she could talk in her ear.

  “Where will I find Sasha?” Toni felt a little stupid. She was not even sure that her name was really Sasha. What kind of people asked to see Sasha? What would the bartender think she was after? It doesn’t bear thinking about too much, she decided.

  The young bartender leant back, smiled knowingly, and pointed to the far end of the venue, in the direction of the Dark Room.

  Toni nodded and pushed her way back through the crowd, trying not to spill her drink as she dodged flailing limbs and flamboyant hairdos.

  It was a little quieter in the short passage leading to the Dark Room. At the entrance was a very attractive androgynous woman in a tuxedo seemingly guarding the door.

  “Hello, how can I help,” she asked when Toni approached.

  “I am looking for someone I met here a few weeks ago… Sasha.” Toni said.

  “Yes, of course.” The woman said, indicating the closed door to the Dark Room. “You’re in the right place.”

  “Is it okay to just go in?” Toni asked.

  “Yes, of course.” The woman smiled. “That will be forty-five pounds though.”

  Bloody hell! What is going on in there?

  Rather than voice her surprise she propped her drink on the little table in front of her and fished in her wallet for the money.

  “Enjoy the show,” the woman said with a wink. By now Toni was getting accustomed to customer service that meant being flirted with.

  The Dark Room looked somewhat different to her last visit. Although most of the room was still in relative darkness, she could see that the semi-circular couches were now arranged all facing in the same direction away from the door towards a bright halo of light that lit a slightly raised stage.

  On the stage Toni recognised Sasha. She was strutting around apparently telling a story. She looked quite different from their previous meeting. She was wearing light brown suede chaps with tassels down the sides and a matching suede waistcoat. She had a whip coiled on her hip and a cowboy hat on her head. She looked radiant and gorgeous.

  Next to her on a metal swivel chair, tied up and blindfolded was a younger boy, about early thirties, with short dark hair also dressed in chaps with braces over a white shirt which was unbuttoned.

  Toni looked for somewhere to sit. That was when she realised that most of the couches were already occupied by couples. She decided, rather than risk ending up on a couch with a total stranger, she would just stand in the back and observe. She had no intention of staying long. If there was an intermission in the show she would nip over to Sasha and ask the questions she wanted and then be off.

  Toni turned her attention back to Sasha’s story.

  “I found this young fine farm boy in my barn sleeping rough the other day,” she said into the microphone in her hand. “Now I am sure you can imagine my delight.”

  The audience oohed.

  From Toni’s position in the back she had an oblique angled view of the proceedings. Sasha spun the chair in one direction and paced in the opposite direction around her quarry as she narrated. It was only once she rounded the young man that Toni realised Sasha was entirely naked under her chaps, as was the young man—correction woman, as it turned out.

  “And a fine young specimen he is.” Sasha stopped behind the chair and halted its rotation facing the young man towards the audience. From behind she ran her fingers across his shoulders, up the back of his head pushing his head forwards and then back up. She slid her hand over his shoulder and down his chest where she lingered, touching his small breasts under the shirt. Toni could see him arch into her touch, parting his lips slightly.

  “So what I have decided to do, in the name of charity, rather than keep this pure delight all to myself, I am auctioning him and his talents off to the highest bidders, folks.”

  The crowd roared.

  “So let’s start off with a kiss,” Sasha said, taking her whip off her belt. “Would anyone like to open the bidding for a kiss from this fine young man. Believe me it will be worth every penny! Those succulent soft lips can kiss you straight to oblivion.”

  “Fifty pounds!” someone shouted from the audience.

  “Opening bid of fifty pounds from the lovely person in the red check shirt, thank you very much. Any higher folks?”

  “Sixty!” somebody else shouted.

  “Sixty over here from the lady with beautiful shoes. Where did you buy those, Love? They are gorgeous. Come tell me after the show. Any other takers?”

  “Seventy!” came the bid from a man in the front row.

  “Seventy-five!” came the next bid from his partner sitting in the semi-circular couch with him.

  “Ooh, I see. There is a domestic bidding war going on here now. I like it!” Sasha teased.

  The audience laughed.

  “Pool your resources boys and I will give him to both of you for a kiss. How’s that?”

  The one man said something that Toni could not quite hear.

  “Oh, these guys drive a hard bargain. Hundred pounds for a kiss each,” she explained to the audience. “Anyone willing to top that?”

  The audience remained silent.

  “Ok, ladies, gentlemen and in-betweens, one kiss each for one hundred pounds. Going once. Going twice. Sold,” she cracked her whip with a loud clap on the floor, “to the two gentlemen in the front.”

  Sasha went over to the young boy and helped him up into a standing position, arms still tied behind his back, legs slightly spread for stability. A stage-hand dashed onto the platform and removed the chair.

  “Come up then gentlemen, and claim your prize.”

  The two guys got up and headed up onto the stage to the cheer and roar from the audience.

  Only once they were up in the light did Toni see they were two dapper women in suits.

  “Hello gentlemen, welcome to the stage. What are your names?” Sasha held the microphone up to each one as they introduced themselves as Freddie and Emile. “Okay. Great to meet you. Now remember gentlemen, no touching unless you want to risk a five-hundred pound fine.”

  They nodded. She led them to stand one on either side of the young man.

  “So who is going to go first?” Sasha asked.

  Emile instantly volunteered his partner.

  “Oh, I see. It is like that, is it?” Sasha teased and the audience laughed. “I’ll jump if you jump first.”

  “Okay, now, come to think of it, I don’t know our young specimen’s name either.” She walked up to him and held the microphone in front of his mouth. “I had other more important things to do with him and we had not got to the name part in our relationship yet. What is your name, my darling?”

  “Tom,” came the quiet answer.

  “Tom? Yes, of course it is,” Sasha said.

  The audience laughed.

  “Actually we will call you anything you want you gorgeous creature!” She ran her hand down his torso again exposing one of his breasts.

  “Now, Tom, since you are blindfolded and not able t
o see I will try to talk you through the execution,” Sasha said. “The lovely gentleman on your right has thrown his partner under your bus first. So, if you could turn towards your left and prepare for that prize kiss number one.”

  Tom did as he was told, now standing face to face with Freddie. Emile stood a little further off.

  “It’s okay sweetheart, I am sure you are allowed to watch. You can stand closer.” Sasha encouraged Emile to shuffle in. “In fact for no extra charge I will allow you to stand right up behind Tom, and place a hand on each of his hips, just so you don’t feel left out. After all I am sure that is why you ordered a double.” Sasha winked conspiratorially at the audience and then helped Emile place his hands on Tom’s hips.

  “Are we ready?” Sasha enthused to the audience. They gave a little cheer. “Once again ladies, gentlemen and in-betweens, are we ready?”

  The crowd roared.

  She turned to Freddie. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  Freddie stepped forward hesitantly, not really knowing where to put his hands. He went to touch Tom’s cheek but hesitated. “Is it okay to touch his cheek?” he asked.

  “What do you think, folks? Should we let this lovely gentleman touch Tom’s cheek?” She nodded to the audience. “After all a kiss is not really a kiss without some body contact.”

  She walked over to Freddie. “Okay, step closer. Tom put your arms out and embrace the handsome Freddie here.”

  Tom complied and pulling Freddie in close so that a large part of their bodies touched.

  “Okay. You ready?”

  Freddie nodded. “Take it away.” A drum started rolling which initially startled Freddie a little but it seemed he was now too focussed on the task at hand. He put one hand on Tom’s shoulder and with the other he went for his cheek again. Their lips touched and they began the most beautiful, long, sensual, kiss during which the drums kept rolling. After a few very long moments they pulled apart at which the drumroll ended and a clash of symbols sounded, like they had just performed some kind of unbelievable circus act.

  “Wow! Ladies, gentlemen and in-betweens, that was amazing, don’t you think? That definitely stirred my E-METER?” She said suggestively touching her crotch. “I could feel that, huh? Could you?”

  The crowd applauded.

  “Okay, ladies, gentlemen and in-betweens, now let’s see if Emile can do better.”

  She followed the same set of instructions, rotating Tom to his right, getting them to stand close together and encouraging Freddie to get in close behind Tom.

  The drumroll started and Emile started to kiss Tom.

  Toni could not believe how sensual it was. Three women on stage, identifying as men, in an embrace, kissing. Certainly not a sight Toni was used to. She liked what she was seeing and the idea of it was a definite turn-on. It somehow represented a sense of freedom Toni had never considered before.

  In the middle of Emile’s kiss, Tom shifted his position, moving back a little and turning at an angle more toward the audience opening up a gap between Emile and Freddie. As a result of his move, Freddie lost his grip of Tom’s hips. Tom took hold of the idle hand and placed it on Emile’s chest, encouraging Freddie to touch Emile’s breast. After a bit of encouragement, he did slowly start to caress his partner’s breast. Tom put an arm around both of them and slowly moved them closer together, while still kissing Emile. Freddie was watching the kiss.

  Tom slipped out of the kiss leaving Emile in a bit of a daze. Then he gently guided the couple closer into a long languid kiss of their own.

  The audience applauded loudly!

  When they finally broke apart Sasha took her cue. “Oh my goodness, ladies and gentlemen and in-betweens, that was an extra treat for you! Please give it up for Freddie and Emile.”

  The audience applauded loudly.

  Freddie and Emile, now both a shade of scarlet but both looking very happy took a little bow and went to take their seats.

  “Wow! If that is how the evening starts, I might need to go freshen up in a minute,” Sasha said.

  During the lull after the kiss auction Toni glanced around the room. She was not surprised that the audience had seemed more relaxed in their couches. A number of them had seemingly been inspired by the show and were now avidly kissing their couch partners.

  The best part of the next hour was filled with the continuation of Sasha’s auction. She offered up a number of different interactions with Tom including a fondle of his chest, Tom feasting on a lucky winner’s breasts, to finally Tom being made to kneel down in front of one lucky winner, who was rendered two thousand pounds lighter for the pleasure, and give her a blowjob.

  About a third of the way through, Toni realised that the show was really incidental, a sideshow, to get the clients in the mood for a bit of action themselves.

  At one point, she became aware of moans coming from a couple standing quite near her in the dark. In the dim light reflected from the stage she could see that the couple stood one in front of the other and the one behind was giving her partner a hand job while they watched the show.

  Despite having no intention of staying for the full show, Toni found herself still in the Dark Room when Sasha took her final bow. It was a show unlike any other Toni had ever seen. She had been entranced. Her plan, to leave after doorstepping Sasha during the interval, was completely forgotten. Luckily, she managed to find Sasha afterwards as she came out of her changing room.

  It was both strange and a relief that Sasha was now dressed in flared jeans and white cotton shirt which contrasted nicely with her dark skin.

  “Well, look who has returned,” Sasha crooned. “Hello de-tec-tive.”

  “Hi,” Toni said, hoping Sasha had not seen her in the audience.

  “Did you enjoy the show?” Sasha said.

  Shit!

  “I was hoping you wouldn’t slip out undetected afterwards. What a nice surprise you came to look me up.”

  “I actually came to ask you for your help,” Toni decided to cut to the chase feeling decidedly uncomfortable.

  “Oh?”

  Toni suddenly realised what that must have sounded like. She could only guess what kind of help people usually sought from Sasha.

  “No, no, nothing like that!” Toni said swiftly.

  She took out the short list of names that Terry had seen Erika interact with at the club. “I was wondering if you could introduce me, or point me to these people. They were friends with Erika Ransom-Evans.”

  “The dead girl?” Sasha said, glancing at the list. “So you are a detective?”

  “No, and I am not with the police. I’m just an interested party.”

  Sasha looked Toni up and down. Then she decided. “Well, what do you want to know about them?”

  “Do you know who these guys are?”

  Sasha looked at the list again. “Well, it is a little difficult to be sure since these are just first names you have given me, but if they are who I think they are, they are all regulars to the Dark Room. If you hang out there you will get to know them soon enough. Unfortunately I am not allowed to specifically introduce you. It’s the rules of my job and the club rules.”

  “Ok, I understand that. Can you at least tell me a little about each of these guys so I know who I am looking for?”

  “For starters honey, you need to be less hung up about gender or you will be eaten alive in this place.”

  Toni was not sure what Sasha meant.

  “The people on this list do not all identify as male.”

  “Oh, okay. So sorry, please excuse my ignorance. Does that mean they were male and some of them now identify as female?”

  “Well, yes, some of them. But there are at least two on that list that are 100% cisgender female and proud to be.”

  “What?” Toni tried to keep the surprise out of her voice. “Who?”

  “Sam, her long-term ex, for starters. Come to think of it, I used to see her and Erika hang out a lot in the Dark Room.”

  “Really? I w
as led to believe that Erika had developed a preference for men?”

  “Oh? You have obviously been speaking to that creepy new girlfriend of hers.”

  “Who? Do you mean Antoinette?”

  “Yes. Fruit-loop if you ask me. Despite all ‘her help’, Erika was as into pussy as she had ever been. Just, now, she was riddled with guilt too.”

  “What else do you know about Erika?”

  “I felt sorry for the girl. Caught between two controlling women. She didn’t stand a chance?”

  “Two women?”

  Sasha nodded. “That fruit-loop and her politico wife. They were as prescriptive as each other, leaving Erika very little room to breathe. They both wanted to completely control her and they both did not take kindly to being disobeyed. She liked them like that. What can one do?”

  “She told you that?” Toni clarified.

  Sasha nodded. “Erika was a confused vulnerable soul. The last time we spoke she even said she was thinking of going back to that cunt-triarch of a wife.” Sasha rolled her eyes. “What can one do?”

  “You seem to have known Erika very well?”

  “Darling,” Sasha said moving closer and putting a finger on Toni’s jugular notch. Toni swallowed. Then Sasha traced her finger down the front of Toni’s shirt to her navel as she spoke. “It is my job to know everyone, in every sense of the word, especially in the dark.”

  It took Toni a few seconds to recover. She felt herself suddenly flush. She cleared her throat and stepped awkwardly backwards. “So can you remember if you saw Erika the night she died or even better who she was with.” Toni tried to avert the attention from her.

  “Yes, of course.” Sasha said, clearly enjoying her discomfort. “She spent the early part of the evening in the Dark Room with Sam and Claudette and then later I saw her with some new dude and I think they left together.”

  “By ‘dude’, do you mean man?” Toni felt stupid for needing to ask.

  “Could be,” Sasha said vaguely. “I didn’t get to know them intimately. Could also have been a butch dyke or anything in-between. All I know was what I saw. They were wearing a grey posh suit and a hat like some Al Capone impersonator. Come to think of it, they even had dark glasses and those swanky leather gloves. I was half expecting them to pull out a cigar next.”