Chapter 1
One
Mya
“You need to loosen up, Mya. All you do is teach and sleep. When the hell do you do anything fun?” Jenny rolled her eyes and took another sip of wine.
We were sitting in my living room with a bottle of wine and a cheese board that looked way more impressive on Pinterest than on my coffee table.
Some chick flick played in the background, long forgotten as the conversation spiraled toward the same topic it always did: my social life.
Or lack thereof. It was girls’ night, and since it was my turn to choose, I decided on a night in.
It’s what I always picked and what I’m comfortable with, but that meant my friends got to make fun of me for it every chance they got.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like going out. It was just so loud.
I got overstimulated, and the night ended up draining my social battery. Staying at home was easier for me.
“I have fun,” I said, stabbing a cube of cheese a little too aggressively. “Just because I don’t want to scream over bad club music or sweat through a crowded room full of strangers doesn’t mean I’m boring.”
“Right,” said Kara, lying on the floor with a glass in her hand. “You know what’s boring? Explaining fractions to eight-year-olds for the tenth time in a week.”
“I like explaining fractions,” I muttered.
“Mya, babe,” Amber chimed in from the couch. “You’ve been stuck in the same loop since college. Teach, sleep, overthink, rinse, repeat.”
“I don’t overthink,” I started to say, but they all stared at me.
Okay, maybe I overthought a little. Or a lot.
It was part of having ADHD. My brain was like a browser with twenty tabs open and at least five of them playing music.
Half the time I couldn’t remember what I walked into a room for, but I could tell you the square root of 225 and recite the lunch schedule for every day of the week.
Jenny leaned forward. “Look. One night. One club. That’s all we’re asking. Come out with us. Just once.”
“I don’t even have anything to wear,” I tried.
Amber stood, already making her way to my closet. “That’s a lie, and you know it.”
Kara grinned. “You promised us not to let you die alone. Well, this is us helping you!”
I groaned, head falling back against the couch.
My brain was already spiraling, thinking about going to a club.
The noise, the lights, the people, the way I’d end up hyper-aware of every conversation around me and none of them at the same time.
But I also hadn’t had anything to drink in a while, and the wine made me feel lighter.
Maybe I could just go for a little bit. One drink. Dance to a couple songs. Then Irish goodbye my way home before midnight.
“…Fine,” I said finally, waving them off as they erupted into cheers. “One night. But if I lose my hearing or get beer spilled on me, I’m making you all do classroom duty with me next week.”
Jenny smirked. “Deal. Now go change into something that screams, fun elementary school teacher, and not, I’m here for a PTA meeting.”
* * *
When we all got out of the Uber, the building was so dark, it looked almost hidden.
Like if you didn’t know it was here, you wouldn’t have known.
I couldn’t even tell where we were or the name of the place.
My stomach was doing little flips, nerves setting in with each step we took.
I really wish I never let them convince me of this.
“Where are we?” I asked any of them. But of course, they just gave me a sly little giggle and told me to follow them.
When we walked in, it looked more like a hotel lobby than a club. Which instantly made me more nervous. Why the hell was it set up like this? There was no music, the lights were bright, and nothing about it screamed club. It was too clean and quiet.
“Jenny,” I said, turning to her with a pointed look. “Where are we?”
“It’s an exclusive club, so to keep everyone safe, you have to check in.”
“Uh, okay?” I shrugged. Not exactly knowing how I felt about this, but knowing I didn’t want to be here.
The other girls went up to the desk, seeming like they’ve been here a hundred times and knew what they were doing. Meanwhile, I was lost. I slowly made my way to them while Amber was getting a blue band put on her and turning in her phone.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
The woman behind the desk offered a polite smile as she locked Amber’s phone away behind her. “Have you been here before?”
“Uh, no.” I shook my head.
“Welcome to Play Time,” she said. “We ask that you either leave your phone in your car or hand it over for safekeeping. No phones are allowed past this point.”
She gestured to a tray of colored wristbands.
“These help others understand why you’re here and what you’re open to.
We also ask that private rooms only be used if you’re with someone who has a key.
Those are reserved for members. The main area is open to all guests, and the upstairs is VIP-only. Invitation required.”
She pointed behind her. “Security staff wear orange and are stationed at doors, hallways, and along the walls. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, find one. Also, there’s a one-drink maximum. Ask for more, and you’ll be removed. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
My mouth went dry. “Where the fuck am I?” I blurted.
“Mya, it’s fine. Pick a band,” Jenny said, already looking through them.
The woman handed me a color-coded guide:
Red: Open for anything and everything, including both genders
Yellow: Up to explore, with only a few soft limits
Blue: Light kinks, may be open to more
Green: Just here to watch
Purple: New, learning, willing to try things
I stared at the paper like it might catch fire. “Jenny, where the hell are we?” I hissed, sharper this time.
She grinned. “Honey, you’re at a sex club.”
“BDSM club.” Amber corrected.
“What?” I all but screamed.
“You don’t have to do anything. Come on, pick a color.” Amber begged.
I grumbled as I told the lady I wanted green. There was no way I was going to try anything, let alone ever let my friends talk me into going out again.
After we all had our bands and gave up our phones, Jenny walked us toward the door to the far right and swung it open.
A guy in orange was there and stamped our hands after he saw our bands.
The bass was already rattling my bones. Lights flickered everywhere, and my brain tried to process all of it at once: the thump of the music, the clusters of people…
not dancing. No, there were half-naked women everywhere, some fully naked, some men naked, some people fucking while others watched, and a threesome in a corner booth.
I gasped at the sight. The fact that people were just…
doing that, in the open. With no concern for who was watching or looking.
There were still many people fully dressed and just watching or sitting next to someone, but it didn’t help the way I felt, considering none of my other friends were wearing a green band. They all had a color that meant something.
“How often do you all come here?” I asked.
“A couple of times a month.” Kara answered.
What the actual fuck. We pushed our way to the bar while I was still trying to process what was going on and how I got dragged into this.
I ordered my one-drink limit and sat at a stool, trying and failing to make eye contact with anyone.
Of course I would accidentally end up at a sex club, cause why the fuck not.
Jenny, ever the social butterfly, had already disappeared into a lounge area, and the rest of my friends were chatting with some people in masks near the fireplace, but it didn’t take long to lose them.
I wandered aimlessly, clutching my drink like it was a lifeline. I couldn’t even tell if it was the glass sweating or my palm. The place was huge, too open in some areas, and too shadowed in others. I spun around quickly, nearly crashing into someone.
“Shit. Sorry,” I said, stumbling back.
A hand reached out fast to steady me by the elbow, gentle but firm. “Hey, easy. You okay?”
I looked up and, for a second, forgot how to talk. Tall. Broad. Dark hair and darker eyes.
“I… think I lost my friends,” I mumbled. “Or they lost me. Either way, I’m… here. Alone. With no idea what I’m doing.”
His mouth ticked into a half-smile. “First time?”
“Is it that obvious?”
He looked me over, polite, but something else too. “You look like someone trying to blend in and panic at the same time.”
“That’s probably accurate,” I muttered, half-laughing.
“I didn’t even know what kind of place this was until the lady at the front asked me to pick a color-coded wristband.
” I knew I was rambling and should probably shut up, but of course that wasn’t an option.
I turned away, being flashed by some lady who was kneeling.
“Oh, fuck, shit, boobs.” I rushed out, covering my eyes.
“Want to sit?” he offered, raising his eyebrow as he motioned to a nearby booth that was tucked a little out of the way. “You look like you could use a second to breathe.”
“Yeah. That’d be good.” I nodded.
We slipped into the booth, my hands shaking as I still held onto my cup like someone was going to steal it from me.
“I’m not sure this is the club I would bring someone to for the first time.”
“Why?”
“It’s more kink and BDSM focused. Some sex clubs have the sex in different areas, so you still get a club feel. Here it’s just… everywhere.”
“I noticed that.”
We sat in silence for a moment, the buzz of the room carrying on around us, full of secrets I wasn’t sure I was ready to know.
“I’m Mya,” I said, offering a hand.
“Nick.” He shook it, his grip warm and steady.
“So,” I said, half-smiling, “you always rescue overwhelmed teachers in fancy adult clubs?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Only the cute ones who look like they’d rather be grading papers.”