It was at Fire Palace that the owner reminded me that we might not be doing enough to make things discreet for our members, especially the women. “We should be doing more to protect our members’ privacy, especially the women who don’t feel comfortable just walking around our club. Maybe a masquerade evening once a month.”
A few people at the table perk up in interest. Emerson nods as I move on.
I scan through my memory of the trip…landing on the moment I watched Drake and Isabel kiss for the first time and how I felt after that, stealing her away because I had to have her at that moment. “Quickie rooms,” I say. “We were at a club, and they had these stalls that you didn’t have to rent, but you could use…for a quickie.” A grin starts to tug on the corner of my mouth as I remember that night. I notice Charlie, Emerson’s girlfriend, biting her lip as she blushes and quickly types what I’m saying on her laptop.
“Quickie rooms…I love it,” Emerson replies. “And Drake?”
My head snaps up to stare at him. “No, I was with Isabel,” I say quickly to correct him, my cheeks starting to suddenly burn.
Emerson smiles. “I mean…can Drake build us something like that?”
Fuck me.I can’t believe I just thought he was asking if I fucked Drake in a quickie room. I’m now fighting the urge to bolt from this room like a coward.
“Oh,” I reply, clearing my throat and feeling the eyes of everyone in the room on me. “Yeah, easily.”
“Great,” he says, and I could be imagining it, but I swear he’s watching me with more scrutiny than usual. I squirm in my seat. “Anything else?”
The next one is easy, but I feel a lot less excited and proud of the memory as I say, “Dark rooms.”
“Dark rooms?” Garrett asks.
“Yeah. Pitch black. Completely anonymous. Anyone in there can do anything they want…with anyone they want.” I swear they can all read my mind as I remember that night. It plays on repeat in my mind.
The club owner had offered to let me see the room with the goggles on, and the next thing I knew, I saw Drake standing there with his jeans unzipped and a kid barely old enough to drink touching his chest. All of the years of watching Drake flirt with men, kiss them and go to bed with them, I’d finally snapped.
“Interesting…” Emerson replies.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Garrett adds with a laugh. Being the voyeur he is, of course he hates that idea.
“And it’s safe?” Maggie asks.
“Very. The rooms all had cameras, bouncers with special goggles to see in the dark, and condoms were mandatory. I felt very safe there. It was really liberating actually.”
“You used it?” someone asks, and I don’t even catch who it was. I was too caught in the memory, and I probably shouldn’t have let that last part slip.
“Um…yeah. I went in there. Drake and I both did.” Jesus, why am I still talking?
The table nods collectively, and I wish I knew what they’re thinking. Could they possibly suspect what really happened during our trip? Surely not all of it. Not me asking Drake and Isabel to sleep together because just the thought of it turned me on. Or Drake going down on me in a dark club. Or the three of us fucking like animals in Vegas. Or falling in love with my best friend. They definitely didn’t see that one coming.
“Sounds fun,” Emerson says after a long, awkward silence. “The dark rooms might be a little harder to create with our limited available space. Not unless Drake wants to build another level on the club. Where is he anyway?”
Garrett answers before I get the chance. “Hunter must have been a real cockblock all week because Drake’s out there laying the moves on Geo, probably getting his dick wet as we speak.”
My jaw clenches. I don’t blame Garrett because these are the jokes we make all the time. This is what we do, but now it grates on my nerves like never before.
“You’ll meet with him at some point and get a quote for some of these renovations?” Emerson asks, his face set in a serious expression.
“Of course,” I reply.
“If he has any ideas for the dark rooms, I’d love to hear them.”
“I’ll let him know,” I say.
Then Emerson just nods and I can’t help but feel as if he’s staring at me for a reason. Like he can read everything behind my eyes, and it makes me uncomfortable as hell. So I avert my gaze and write myself a couple notes on my notepad.
The rest of the meeting goes by without incident. After everything is done, I make a quick exit to avoid any unnecessary small talk or prodding questions. I’m too anxious to find Drake. What if he’s not at the bar? What if he got a room with someone?
I squeeze my fists together at the thought as I march out toward the main hall. For Isabel’s sake, that would be fucked up.