“It doesn’t have to be a different guy. You can request the same one,” she answers excitedly.
“I don’t know about all this,” I mumble. I watch Christy pull her phone out and start typing quickly. I don’t know who she’s writing, and I don’t ask, but then she turns her head and smiles at me.
“You’re all set,” she says happily.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you get the same guy. And tell me how you bagged the owner?” she asks.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, J is the owner. Rodney is the manager, and I know him, but J? He’s typically unattainable.”
“Why? He doesn’t get involved in his club?”
“Not with new girls, from what I’m told. He has different tastes,” she says, and I nod. I know that much from when he cut me with the knife. I chill washes over me as I think about it. I can’t believe I actually liked him doing that to me.
“I don’t know about this,” I tell her.
“It’s fine. Everyone is screened, Sky. Nothing bad will happen to you there. That’s not what that place is all about. It’s about pleasure and letting go. It’s about having a good time,” she tells me as I look at her.
“Isn’t it just weird?” I ask her.
“What part?”
“All of it. Random sex with a strange man? The things he was doing to me.”
“What did he do to you?” she asks as I sigh. I don’t know if I should tell her. I don’t know if I can get that personal with her about this stuff. But then again, I got that personal with a stranger.
“He … he had a knife, Christy. He dragged it around my body,” I tell her. Her eyes widen as she looks at me.
“Holy shit. Did you like it? Did it hurt?”
“You’ve never done it?” I ask her. She shakes her head.
“No. Rodney doesn’t get into that stuff. All the guys are different, though. They all like different things,” she informs me.
“It didn’t hurt. It … it felt good.”
“See! You liked it. That means you’re going back with me tomorrow. No excuses,” she says.
“I don’t know, Christy.”
“I do know. You need this. You need to get out of your head,” she tells me. Christy might be right. Maybe I do need this.
“Okay.”
“Okay? You’re going to go back with me?”
“Yes, I’ll go back with you but under protest!”
“Oh, you’re going to have so much fun. I’m serious; that place is amazing,” she tells me. I know she loves going there, and she loves being with Rodney. That place is all she talks about.
“What are we doing tonight?” I ask since it’s still early.
“You want to hit Blue Stars?”
“The dance club? Why not. I could use a night off,” I tell her. I run my own boutique. It’s my pride and joy and something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s taken me years to build my brand and make enough to have my own store. Now it’s all that matters to me.
“You deserve a night off. Let’s get ready,” Christy is relentless. I finally give in and shove off the couch, standing to my feet.
“You win,” I tell her with a smile as I head to my room to get ready for the night.