Dark Alley: The Complete First Season (Dark Alley Seasons Book 1)

by D. S. Wrights

  Alice could imagine that as the assistant to a consulting team to the board members of such a massive holding company such as Grantham Global, she could at least expect to earn as much as Bianca currently did, maybe even more. As assistant, only one single thing was more important than excelling in juggling calendars, contacts, and computers: trustworthiness.

  As Alice stepped into the elevator that would bring her to the ground level, she realized how highly her boss must think of her, when recommending her not only to his new team but also giving her the opportunity of joining the race to become a managing board assistant.

  With a proud smile on her lips, Alice realized that she now knew exactly what to do to distract herself from overthinking her upcoming ‘yoga class’. She would find out more about Grantham Global and the managing board.

  Sixteen

  When getting ready for the night, Alice felt like she was walking on clouds. Before being introduced to the Dark Alley she probably would have dreaded taking on a new job, but now she felt blessed, and she was looking forward to the interviews.

  Alice knew what she was capable of, she knew she could take the reins in her own hands and she could take on the new responsibility. All this, her experiences at the club had shown her. She wasn’t scared, nervous maybe, but not scared.

  Alice had spent most of her time on the computer, after doing the chores she had neglected throughout the week, trying to get more information about the different board members. The only group photo she had found had been too small to really distinguish any faces on them, and there had been no chance to enlarge them either. However, she wouldn’t allow herself to be discouraged. She managed to get at least a list of names, which she already had begun to work on, entry by entry. She concentrated completely on her task, so that she almost forgot to get herself ready.

  Alice knew she would be arriving briefly after the Dark Alley opened up, but she didn’t mind.

  With the very same feeling of weightlessness, Alice entered the establishment this Friday night and had a swing to her step and her pussy eager for some special treatment. She couldn’t deny that she was horny, her need had been moisturizing her panties, which was why she wasn’t wearing any when she walked up to Big Guy with a playful smile on her lips. She was so ready for some action. Trying to not think of this place had turned out to be torture, but in the end, it was a good thing because Belladonna didn’t care for which man she would meet, as long as he did his duty towards her.

  “Miss Belladonna,” Alfred greeted her with a genuine smile that warmed her heart.

  “Alfred,” she greeted him with a broad smile, which he reacted to in the very same way.

  “What can I do for you tonight, Madam?” he asked softly, and Alice inexplicably felt the urge to wrap herself around his neck.

  Every time she saw Big Guy, he reminded her of a huge teddy bear even though he didn’t look like one at all. Alice just knew from how he gave himself that he was a kind man. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had a nice lady to take care of him, which lead to the question if he ever used the Dark Alley for himself. Yet, the idea of meeting Alfred in the alley felt wrong, almost like getting it on with a sibling. He was a guardian to her, a big brother. Although she knew absolutely nothing about him, she felt safe in his presence, and that wouldn’t change.

  “I would like to place a new order,” she said, her voice growing stronger with each word.

  Big Guy didn’t show any expression on his face, which somehow gave Alice a feeling of relief. Although she had to shake her head thinking about how easily she made her request moments later when she walked down the main alley to the clubhouse.

  “I would like to meet a new male who would love to submit himself to me unconditionally, just inform me when someone like that shows up,” she told Big Guy, primarily because she didn’t expect many males of this club to be into submission, but maybe she was completely wrong with that assumption.

  And that was another reason, apart from her early arrival, why Alice wasn’t overly surprised when Big Guy asked her to wait in the clubhouse until a matching partner would show up. His tone and expression didn’t imply that her request was unusual, so she figured sending her to the clubhouse without asking for a subsequent order was a good thing.

  With her face safely hidden behind a mask, Alice could almost feel herself changing more with every step as she became Belladonna. It might only be her imagination, but it seemed that there was more spunk in her step, she walked straighter, and from the hips.

  How could she ever give up this feeling? And why couldn’t she take a little bit of that aplomb back home with her? Walking down the alley straight to the clubhouse, she listened to the sounds from her left and right and smiled.

  That was when Alice realized that she could, in fact, take some of Belladonna’s power with her into reality. After all, this woman was her and soon she would have a new job. That was out of the question.

  Somehow, she was sure that she wouldn’t mess up the interviews. And although Maxwell was hoping for her to stay with him, the new position as an assistant to the management board of Grantham Global was a huge thing for her. Before the Dark Alley, she would never have dared to aim for such a high goal, and even though it hadn’t been her idea, initially, but Alice now knew that she had to get that job. Not for the money, not for the status, but for herself. Because if that job was hers; becoming Belladonna, would happen on its own. She was sure of it.

  That was when she realized why her boss had been so calm about her second interview. The Alice he knew didn’t aim high and wasn’t ambitious because she never had been. Bianca had used her entire skillset to get the job she now had, and Alice basically had to be forced to become the assistant to a department manager.

  A confident smile appeared on her face as she walked through the door of the clubhouse. The change was already happening.

  Without any interest in her surroundings apart from finding the waitress to ask for a booth, so that she wouldn’t sit there in the open like a free meal on a silver platter. That thought in mind, her stomach started to rumble. She had dinner, but barely had tasted anything, because her mind had been busy digesting the new information Maxwell had dumped on her and now when that had been sorted out, Alice’s body demanded attention, but not only on the kitchen front.

  The waitress approached her midway, asking for where she would like to be seated, and walked her to a spot close to the bar but away from the hallway leading to the stairs. It was not until Belladonna was sitting that she was reminded of that she was early, as close to no seats at the place was taken. Yet, the waitress already returned with her neat Scotch and the menu card.

  Belladonna couldn’t help but imagine herself being approached by all the men she would have adventures with one day. The idea of being one of the most wanted women at the Dark Alley had an alluring appeal.

  Today, however, she was satisfied to be left alone. Maybe that was another reason why members could use a neutral mask, Belladonna wondered, so that they wouldn’t be approached and be left alone since they couldn’t be recognized by partners they already hooked up with.

  It totally made sense.

  Belladonna’s mouthwatering meal was served only fifteen minutes after she had placed the order, which was another perk of being early at the alley. If that place opened earlier in the evening, she could imagine that many people would only go here for dinner, and maybe that was the reason why it didn’t open earlier in the evening. Because, this place was about one particular physical pleasure only.

  The more she thought about the facts she knew about this place, the more sense they made to her, and the more she realized how well thought out this club really was. So, she could actually understand Aquarius’ fascination with the Dark Alley.

  She felt slightly worried about what lay further down under the surface of this club. When it was planned out this well, who knew what else was possibly happening behind the closed doors of this exclusive club?


  One thing Belladonna knew for sure: right now, she didn’t want to know. Not only wasn’t this her business, but she also didn’t have the brainpower to sort it out.

  It was when Belladonna was about to finish her second glass of red wine that the waitress approached her on her own accord and with a smile on her face.

  “Miss, we have a possible match to your order,” she said and handed over her tablet PC, which showed her what the request of the newly arrived member was, “please let me know if you want to confirm.”

  Belladonna’s glance brushed over the lines, describing height and physique and stopped on what the man who called ‘Core’ was asking for: a demanding dominant, body type unimportant, who might be interested in a repeated meet-up for him to be trained harshly to meet her expectations. His reward would be him being allowed to fuck her.

  Belladonna couldn’t help but cock one brow, as she read some words that were marked with a check mark. This guy wanted to be refused and bossed around, even be slapped, whipped, and collared. She could feel her face flush. Would she be able to be what this guy wanted? A domme?

  “I would like to confirm the order,” Belladonna spoke, the lump in her throat inaudible, and handed back the tablet PC. “Is an alley available?”

  Trying wouldn’t hurt, and if she liked it, she probably would be in need of a particular new set of clothes. Her heart was racing, and her stomach felt crowded with celebrating ants, as she thought about the secret stash of books about female doms she had managed to collect.

  There weren’t as many as she had expected. She found the idea of being a domme herself utterly captivating, even though she had enjoyed her time as a submissive with King.

  “Yes, Miss,” answered the waitress before even looking at her device and Belladonna couldn’t help but wonder if she just knew that there weren’t many guests, because it was so early, or if she had checked before she came to tell her about the candidate.

  Belladonna decided that it wasn’t important.

  “I’d like another glass of wine please,” she smiled at the waitress slightly, “and a small sparkling water. Have him go first and tell him to wait.”

  “Of course, Miss,” the waitress imitated her expression and let her fingers dance across the smooth surface of the tablet PC. “It’s alley number three.”

  “Thank you,” Belladonna answered.

  This time, the smile that was addressed to her seemed to be genuine. She wondered if the servers at this place got a salary since most of the drinks and meals had to be part of the membership. Brian, Aquarius’s brother, telling her that he needed this job made even more sense if they had a real salary.

  The waitress returned to her with her wine and water right away, even though the clubhouse slowly started filling and Belladonna thanked her with another smile, before leaning back and watching the new guests enter and take their seats. A few curious looks landed on her as she was one of the few guests already waiting. She had to remind herself to be more patient and force herself to go to the alley past midnight and not one second earlier.

  Maybe she should go to that gym she was paying for since Christmas with only having been there like ten times. She figured that it couldn’t hurt.

  Drawing on the edge of her wine glass she wondered what Core would think of having to wait for her. She was easily reminded of her torment of waiting and now, thinking about it, it made total sense that this was the first test of not only the submissive’s resolve but also his or her willingness to be the submissive. Belladonna remembered the facts about Core she was allowed to know. He was six foot and one-inch-tall, his physique between average and athletic, in his thirties, submissive. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was really what he claimed to be and if this wasn’t just a kind of hidden power play. But why should he lie about that? He had no reason to in a place like this. No one needed to lie at the Dark Alley or make things up. Even though the face was masked, the soul was laid bare.

  Suddenly, Belladonna felt the urge to down the wine and water and get to the third alley as fast as possible. She couldn’t wait to test out her own taste, needing to know if she had a domme in her. Yet, she reminded herself, that as a dominant it wasn’t necessary to hurry, so she took another sip of the delicious wine and allowed her glance to scan across the room. Somehow, the longer she waited, and the more time she spent relaxing, knowing that someone was eagerly waiting for her, was a boost to her ego. It was even more than that. It was empowering. Thinking that this man who didn’t even know her, was patiently, and trustingly waiting for her to turn up, sent a strange tingle through her body.

  The heat of excitement was suddenly replaced by a dousing of ice water as a man with a familiar blue mask entered the clubhouse. Aquarius.

  Belladonna didn’t have time for him. She didn’t care if he wanted another piece of her, which definitely still was flattering, but she wasn’t here for him. What she wanted, what she needed was to not tumble down that road of emotional turmoil today. She wanted to be in control and Core was the fastest way to get there. Hopefully, he would live up to her expectations.

  Instinctively Belladonna turned her face and then her back towards the entrance, picking up her glass, but once more only sipping on it. She wasn’t quite sure if she hoped that he wouldn’t see her, or if she did want him to notice her and come over, so that she could blow him off.

  Why did things always have to become complicated?

  Then again, was he really here to look for her? If that were the case, he would find her anyway.

  Belladonna returned to her former position and put down the wine glass to drink the water in one draw. She had decided to leave the wine unfinished and freshen herself up a little. She was sure that there were bathrooms down the hallway, yet, she still signaled the waitress to come to her and show her the way.

  When Aquarius approached her, she was already on her feet and on her way to the bathroom, and she almost bumped into him, as she turned around. Had his blue eyes always been so intense? Even though half of his face was covered, Belladonna could read by the way Aquarius looked at her that something was bothering him.

  Her guess was that it was the same thing that worried her, with the difference that she had two men putting her mind through a ringer and not just one.

  “Can we talk?” Aquarius asked.

  “I have someone waiting for me,” she evaded giving a straight answer, yet expecting him to step out of her way.

  He didn’t.

  “Is it this Diamond guy?” Aquarius sounded irritated.

  Great, just great; was he was jealous?

  “The reason this place exists is so that its members do not have to worry about conflicting emotions, such as the one you are expressing now, Aquarius,” she gave back, not even making an effort to hide her annoyance.

  “Yes, you’re right,” he answered and almost sounded apologetic, but he still didn’t move out of the way. “Listen,” he added after a moment of silence between them. “What I did, when I tried to blackmail you…that was just wrong. I don’t know what got into me. I think…” He sighed deeply. “I think I was just completely in awe of you, and I still am. You are baring your deepest darkest desires, the very core of who you are and I can’t help but be in love with that person.”

  Belladonna swallowed dryly, hearing those last words.

  “I know that's not supposed to happen,” he continued. “And I’m not making this up. I want to get to know you. I want to know your real name, where you work, and where you live, what your hobbies are, and who your friends are. But I’m not going to force myself on you. Just know that I have a real interest in you, and it’s not because of this place, but because of you.”

  Way too many thoughts raced through her mind, and she had no idea which one to follow.

  “Are you going to let me go?” Belladonna asked, and she felt so sorry for this being her response to what she had just heard.

  Aquarius was pouring his heart out, and she wanted to leave. Perfect, ju
st perfect.

  He nodded and stepped aside, his head now facing the ground, looking broken hearted. It was painfully cruel and heart-breaking.

  “Tell me your name,” she whispered as she closed in on him, knowing that this was against the rules.

  “What?” Aquarius blinked at her in confusion.

  “What is your name,” she repeated her question quietly.

  “Tristan,” he answered instantly this time.

  “Alice,” she whispered back, as she leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek and left as quickly as possible without drawing too much attention.

  What the heck did she just do?

  ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦

  Tristan.

  His name echoed in her head with every step she took. His face was haunting her, laid bare to her without the mask. Why on earth was this name so fitting? Why the hell did he want more from her than just the random Dark Alley hook-up?

  The worst thing was that he had tried to blackmail her, and left her with the feeling that he wasn’t trustworthy.

  No, this wasn’t the place to find a boyfriend. This was a place for leaving your worries and concerns at the front entrance.

  And then, there was the fact that Aquarius wasn’t the only one. There was still King of Diamonds, the man she knew that she couldn’t have. Belladonna felt so absolutely sure about that fact, even though King had never uttered a word in that direction. And yet, there was something about the way he behaved that told her he was feeling just as safe as she should feel.

  Staring in the mirror, seeing her face that didn’t fit into this place, pressing a paper towel against her neck to cool and calm herself down, Alice could feel herself grow uncertain, which was the last thing she wanted to feel. No, right here, right now at the Dark Alley, this was the last emotion she wanted to have.

  Watching herself put on the mask with the flowers of the Nightshade, she could literally feel some sort of transformation take place. The uncertainty, the doubt, the literal weakness seemed to retreat when she became the woman called Belladonna. Alice wanted so badly to be that person, that woman, who knew what she wanted and went out to get it. Why was it so difficult to be that person without the mask?