Dark Room (Society X #1)

by L. P. Dover

  “I hope Alex doesn’t find out about this,” I say.

  Meredith rolls her eyes. “Please, he’s over on the women’s side with his friends.” If this is going on over here, I can only imagine what is going down on the other side.

  “Would you ladies like anything to drink? It’s on the house tonight.” I gasp and turn around. I was so engrossed with the show, I didn’t even notice the guy who walked into the room.

  Rachel keeps her gaze on the dancer. “I’ll take a Bloody Mary, please.”

  The guy smiles at me. “Anything for you?” he asks.

  “I’ll take a glass of Riesling, if you have it.”

  He nods. “I’ll be back shortly.” He strolls out of the room and soon enough the show is over. The dancer still has a raging hard on while he walks around, working the room. The women in our group slide money down his underwear and grab him a few times before he comes over to us.

  “Did you enjoy the show?” His blue eyes twinkle and I freeze.

  “I did,” Rachel murmurs huskily. “But what I really want to know is, when will it be my turn?”

  He taps her on the chin. “Who knows, you might get lucky tonight.”

  Once he’s out of the room, Stacey comes over and sits with us. She guzzles her drink and fans herself with the napkin. “All I have to say is, that was hot.”

  Meredith chuckles. “I can tell. Looks like you really enjoyed yourself. I’m sure your thong is proof of that.”

  Stacey blushes. “Was it that noticeable?”

  Eyes wide, I clap a hand over my mouth. “You got off from him dry humping you?”

  Nodding, she covers her face. “How could I not? He’s gorgeous and knows how to move. Thank God nobody can record this shit. I’d be in some big trouble.”

  That’s for damn sure. Our drink orders finally arrive and I take a sip of my wine. Stacey gets up and makes her rounds, blushing more as she goes along. “How did you get this set up?” I ask Meredith.

  A small smile spreads across her lips. “I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you.”

  Rachel leans over. “Try us.”

  Clearing her throat, she sighs and pulls out a necklace from beneath her shirt. It’s a silver chain with a small, silver X pendant. “You see this?” We both nod. “It means I have elite status here. I’m sure you know what that means, right?”

  “Shut your mouth!” I gasp. “Are you serious?”

  She giggles. “Yep.”

  “Have you been in the, um . . . sex rooms?” I ask, lowering my voice.

  “All the time, honey. I’m telling you, nothing is better than a good, anonymous fuck.”

  I’m speechless, but Rachel clearly has much more to ask. “When did you start getting involved with this? We saw you just two months ago at the dress fitting and you didn't mention a thing.”

  Meredith leans in closer. “It was shortly after that. One of my co-workers asked me to come here with her and one thing led to another. See, every night, the owner has his escorts walk through the club, picking out potential members. You’ll notice some of them walking through the room, looking at everyone. If you’re lucky, they’ll pick you.”

  “Lucky? Is that what you call it?” I ask.

  She rolls her eyes. “Call it what you want, Mia, but if they pick you, you’d be stupid to say no. You’re single and I know you like to get dirty. Or at least you used to.”

  Rachel pats my back. “That Mia’s still in there. She just needs to get over her dumb ass ex.”

  “I’m already over him.”

  Shrugging her shoulders, Meredith picks up her drink and tosses it back. “In that case, you have nothing to lose. If you pass the application process, you get one free fuck. Afterward, you pay a monthly fee to be a part of the club. With membership, you get VIP treatment from the club and can explore the different rooms. The dark room is my favorite.”

  “What’s the dark room?” I ask, trying not to sound intrigued. Although, deep down, a small part of me is jealous.

  Before she can answer, Stacey hollers her name. “We’ll talk later,” she explains quickly, before rushing to her sister’s side.

  “Do you think we should go out into the club so the escorts see us?” Rachel asks, craning her head to see through the entryway.

  “Are you serious? You actually want to be a part of this?”

  Her eyes go wide. “Hell yeah. I’m not ready to settle down and have kids. I want to live life while I’m still young. Once you get married, you’re stuck with the same dick for the rest of your life. Talk about boring.”

  She wouldn’t say that if she found someone she was in love with. Taking a look around the room, there was a lot going on out in the club. “Okay, fine. Come on, Rach, let’s take a look around. If we’re not allowed to, we can say we’re going to the bathroom.”

  Shrieking in excitement, she jumps to her feet. “Thank you, thank you! Let’s go.”

  We wave at the other ladies in our party and head into the club. On the other side of the door, the music is playing and the dancers on stage are pumping along with it. They give everyone sneak peeks of their junk and I can’t help but catch my breath.

  “I wonder if the owner has to see everyone’s giblets before they get hired. I’ve never seen so many huge cocks in one place at one time,” I murmur in her ear.

  “I know, right? It’s heaven. Why can’t I find a guy who's gifted like that?”

  “Join the club and I’m sure you can have all you want.”

  Her eyes widen. “Do you think we have a chance? We’re both sexy as hell. And you’re a trainer for Christ’s sake. You look better than me.”

  “You’re more outgoing than I am.”

  She shrugs. “So? As long as you have what they want, I don’t think it’ll matter.” We walk around the club and every so often I see some of the escorts studying individual people. However, I never see any of them looking at me.

  Meredith catches up to us and grabs our shoulders. “Girls, the night’s almost over. I think Stacey’s worn a hole in her panties from all the grinding.”

  We all laugh and follow her back to the VIP room. Stacey’s leaning on her elbow, about to fall asleep. “Thank goodness her wedding isn’t tomorrow.” I giggle.

  “She has three more weeks to back out if she wants to.” Stacey hears Meredith and flips her off. “Just kidding, sis.” She turns to us and smiles. “She hates it when I say that. Are you two staying a little longer? Stacey is riding back with Alex.”

  “I’d like to.” Rachel pouts her lips and turns to me. “Just a few more minutes?”

  “Fine,” I grumble. Saying our goodbyes to Stacey, some of the other girls help her out of the room. Once they’re gone, Meredith joins Rachel and me back in the VIP room. It’s just us, which is perfect because we have full view of the stage.

  “So, tell us about this dark room,” Rachel prods.

  Smiling wide, she leans forward but then stops when her gaze meets something at the door. “I think you’re about to find out for yourselves.”

  “Good evening, ladies,” a voice calls out. Rachel gasps and my heart thunders out of control. It couldn’t be true, could it? Turning, I focus my attention on the tall, dark and handsome escort. He smirks and nods toward the door. “I was wondering if you ladies would be interested in exploring all of the possibilities the club has to offer.”

  “Yes,” Meredith answers before we can. “They would love to.”

  He winks at her and laughs. “It’s good to see you again, Ms. Chambers. Do you want to come with them?”

  “Of course.”

  She and Rachel get up and follow him out the door, leaving me to stew in my seat. “Mia, come on!” Rachel demands when she notices I’m not following them.

  “I don’t know if this is such a good idea.”

  Sighing, she walks up to me and takes my hand. “You can do this. Don’t you owe it to yourself to live your life? When you’re old and gray, you can look back and say, ‘I d
id this and I wasn’t afraid.’”

  “I don’t think fucking strangers is an accomplishment.”

  She shakes her head. “No, but living out your true fantasies is. Not many people get the chance to do that. Now let's go!”

  Taking a deep breath, I follow them down a side hallway to a closed door. The escort types in a code and it opens up to another hallway. Once the door shuts, he turns to face us. “You two have been selected to be a part of Society X’s elite. I’ll tell you more about it, but first, is this something you think you’re interested in? If not, I’ll be happy to escort you back to the main room.” He stares at me, but I stand firm and nod once. “Good, let’s get started.”

  We walk down the hall to another room, where he picks up a couple of documents and hands them to us. “These are your applications. Fill them out, and later on in the week we’ll let you know if you passed all the requirements. More information will be given to you then, but for now, just know that we’ll take care of your needs—meet your every desire.”

  “So you can get a horse in here?” I giggle, my nerves getting the best of me.

  Meredith snorts, but the guy stares at me and doesn’t laugh. He must think I’m serious. Great. Rachel’s eyes about fall out of her face and she smacks me in the arm. “Mia! Knock it off, would you?” She turns to our escort. “Please continue, and do your best to ignore my friend.”

  He nods and takes us on a tour, showing us the viewing room, the bondage room, and lastly, the dark room. “In the dark room, your partner will not be able to see you. You’ll rely on your other four senses to guide you. This room is purely confidential and anonymous, since you won’t be able to talk with or see your partner. But rest assured, all of our clients are top notch. We’re very particular about who we pick.”

  “So basically, you’re saying you’re not going to invite smelly-ass men with beer guts?” I ask. Rachel snickers and Meredith tries to hide her smile.

  He shakes his head. “No. The only reason we would find someone of that stature is if a client requested it, but so far that hasn’t been the case.” I didn’t think so. “Does any of this sound appealing to you?” he asks.

  Rachel and Meredith both stare at me with hopeful eyes. Sighing in defeat, I hold out my hand. “I’m going to need a pen.”

  It’s been two days since my visit with Bryce, and I still can’t shake the thought of the dark room. The anonymity of it all is the selling point. To be able to fuck without seeing one another makes it the ultimate one night stand. Challenging myself to have a woman submit by touch, taste, and sound is something I’ve never had to do. Most women get a look at what I’m packing and drop to their knees. Where’s the fun? Where’s the excitement?

  I pull into the parking lot of Hudson Gym, owned by my best friend, Andrew “Drew” Hudson. This is one business venture where I’m not involved, except for owning the building the gym is in. When Drew came to my grandfather with his idea, Pops jumped on board. He had known Drew for a long time and wanted to help. My grandfather did just that and only charged Drew one thousand a month in rent. When Pops died, I left that contract as is.

  I’m greeted at the front desk by Mindy, the gym receptionist. “Long time no see,” she says as I slide my membership card through the reader.

  “Been busy as hell this month,” I tell her, which isn’t exactly a lie. I haven’t been to the gym simply because of Mindy. She had asked me to spot her during workouts, which I had no problem doing, but when she started rubbing up on my dick between sets, I had to take a step back.

  It’s not the fact she works for Drew, but that I don’t find her attractive at all. If I can’t hold an intellectual conversation, I lose interest. I’m all for a one-night stand because those end, but hooking up with a chick I see on a daily basis is a recipe for disaster.

  Her smile lingers far too long and I find myself rushing to the locker room. After the past couple of days, I have some pent up frustrations the free weights are more than willing to take care of for me. As I round the corner, I hear odd sounds coming from one of the rooms. A quick peek tells me I’m spying on a Zumba class, taught by Mia, Andrew’s sister.

  “Looking good, ladies,” I say.

  Mia looks back and nods, without missing a step in her instruction. A few of the women groan when they see me, but a majority of them smile and push themselves a bit harder. I stand there like a perv and watch them work their asses off. I like a fit woman, especially one who’s bendy and has the energy to keep up with me. But a little curve never hurt anyone. Besides, the right amount of flesh gives me something to hold on to.

  After a quick change, I’m hitting the free weights. There are a few other guys here, but no one I recognize, which could make things awkward when needing a spotter. I’m praying by the time I’m ready to bench press, Drew will be out of his office.

  Facing the mirror, I want to take the dumbbell in my hand and bash it over the head of the guy standing next to me. Sure, I flex in the mirror—I’m proud of my body and the definition I’ve achieved over the years—but I will not take a damn selfie of my body, in the gym no less. With a shake of my head, I start my reps and since I haven’t lifted in a while I start out low. The last thing I want to do is tear a muscle or strain something.

  Mia walks out. “Hey, asshole.” Her disinterest is heartwarming.

  “Sup, bitch?” I return with a bit of acid in my tone.

  Those are our nicknames for each other and have been for about two years, ever since she started dating the dickwad, Zac. I hated him from the get-go and told her as much. She’s far too good for him. He’s a pompous, egotistical, cock sucker who thinks he knows everything.

  Mia is now talking with the women leaving her class. From what Drew says, she’s an amazing trainer and the women really respond to her. I watch her through the window and wonder what happened to her. She had been ambitious in college, wanting to be a designer, even going as far as to redecorate my apartment when I had gone on a business trip. Then she’d met Zac and shit changed. From the way I saw things, he was always putting her down, telling her she wasn’t good enough to do what she wanted. She’d initially taken the job here to help out her brother, but I thought it would’ve been temporary.

  I decide to give up for the day and head to the showers. My mind isn’t where it should be and that could pose a danger to me when I'm working out. As I pass Andrew’s office, I take a gamble and knock. I haven’t seen him around since I arrived, which is very unusual.

  “Come in,” I hear. I accept the invite and step into his office. He’s on the phone, and holds up his finger, signaling he’s almost done. I sit in one of the two chairs in front of his desk and stare out the two-way mirror in his office. Mindy is bent over, talking to another meathead and not paying attention to anyone else around her. She’s dressed in a tank top and the world’s smallest pair of spandex pants.

  The setup in Drew’s office reminds me of Society X, minus the porn. Drew can sit back here and watch everyone, and they always have to be on their toes. Or in the case of Mindy, bent over, for a clear view of what she’s offering.

  “What’s up, Parker?” Andrew and I both stand, shaking hands.

  “Just working out a bit,” I reply, sitting back down. “You’ve got a nice view, huh?”

  He turns and looks out the window. It’s impossible to miss the smirk. If he’s tapping that, it’s a good thing I’ve said no. The last thing I want to do is come between him and a piece of ass. “Hit it and quit it.”

  “She works here though. Isn’t that a lawsuit waiting to happen?”

  He nods. “Yeah, I know better, but sometimes your dick does the talking.” He shrugs as if it’s no big deal. “She came on to me. I just didn’t stop her.”

  There are a few women in my office who I’d take for a test drive, but the awkward morning after isn’t appealing, nor is it smart. I have to be very particular about the women I date. They need to be of a high standard, and are usually boring as shit.
<
br />   “Haven’t seen you around lately.” Drew kicks back in his chair.

  “Corporate takeovers are a bitch.”

  “Are you still happy you inherited the family business?” Drew reaches into his small refrigerator, pulls out two water bottles, and throws me one.

  “Thanks, man.” I twist the cap off and down the cold water. “Yeah, I’m happy. The business is thriving. I’m looking at a couple of new investments and I’m starting to travel more.”

  “What about starting a family?”

  I shake my head and laugh. “If you're not, neither am I. And you just confirmed you hooked up with your receptionist, so I'd say that’s not on the horizon.”

  The thought of having a family scares the shit out of me. Right now, I keep long, odd hours and come and go as I please, depending on a pot of coffee to get me going. I can’t imagine having to answer to someone, or being responsible for another life. Hell, I don’t even have a cat. Isn’t that usually a sign you’re ready to settle down?

  There’s a knock on the door and I turn around, being nosey. Mia steps in and glares at me. She mutters to herself as she takes the open seat next to me. Looking at me out of the corner of her eye, I greet her with a wink to get under her skin. She deserves it. When you decide to date a douche like Zac, you must accept all that comes with it.

  I pull on her braid, earning a slap against the inside of my forearm. Drew and I both laugh, only serving to piss her off more. This is making my day. “Well, Hudson family, you have been fun, but I need to get going.”

  “Hope the door hits ya where the good Lord split ya.” Her smart mouth is going to get the best of her someday.

  I bend down to her ear and whisper, “Oh sweet Mia, it warms my heart to hear you’re thinking about my ass.” I kiss her cheek and move before her fist can connect with my jaw. “Drew, stop by tonight for a beer.”

  “And loose women?”

  I can’t help but laugh. “Yeah, man, we can find some of those too.” I shut the door, thinking of how a trip to Society X with Drew might be in order.