Chapter 2
LEXI
With a small relieved smile, Lexi pulled up to LifeS on her own. The solitary drive and blasting music had done her good. Here she could be herself. Whether it was a themed event or a night out after a long week where she just needed to dance it off, Lexi loved LifeS.
The darkness, the anonymity, the music and dancing - not to mention any bougie drink she liked, any way she wanted it. She stood and handed her keys to the valet; all Memberships came with automatic valet parking, complete with a sticker for her aging Mazda.
Byron and the others weren’t there yet so she waited outside, breathing in the early autumn air and checking out the building. It had once been a warehouse she knew, but had no idea what for. Whatever it was, she mused, it was a hell of a lot of space.
What was now the LifeS Club took up almost an entire city block, tucked into the warehouse district on a quiet street.
A light winked on in the upper floor and not for the first time, she wondered about the owners.
Or managers. Someday she wanted to thank them for giving her an out from real life; a pressure release, and it seemed to her they did a great job of running the place.
Shayla and Dave walked up just as Byron’s Bentley came to a stop in front of the club and she forgot all about it.
With Byron fingering the bracelet (shackle, she mentally amended) they went in and she figured even if the rest of the night sucked, she could dance, hang out with a new friend, and not have to worry about driving home since she didn’t live all that far away.
So much for hanging out with Shayla, she thought a little while later. At first it had been fine; they’d all gotten drinks in the main bar area, she and Shayla had danced to a couple of songs, and then they’d made their way back to the Members Only side of the building.
There was a small line waiting to get in, but Byron walked right by all of them without looking back.
Dave followed Byron, and of course Shayla went with them, but Lexi didn’t feel right about jumping the line.
The line wasn’t long, so she waited at the back.
She had her own Membership, so she didn’t need anyone’s else’s card to get in.
All Members were required to scan their Membership cards with barcodes to gain access to the private side. The moment they’d gotten through the doors, Dave had taken Shayla to one of the Voyeur rooms that Lexi had never been interested in.
Byron had been waiting just inside the heavy double doors once she stepped through and put an arm around her. He murmured close to her ear, “You don’t wait in lines anymore babygirl. You’re with me.”
She felt a little nauseous but didn’t bother yelling a response over the music.
They drifted down the main corridor, lit with deep purple neon, and flashing strobe lights that pulsed in time with the bass reverberating through her sternum.
Off the corridor were different rooms of varying themes, interspersed with smaller lounge areas and bars.
At the far back was another dance floor, which was her primary goal, but Byron seemed in no hurry to get there.
She wanted another drink so she gestured towards a bar where she recognized the bartender Randy.
His face lit up when he saw her and immediately Byron turned her towards another bar in the corner, full of almost naked female bartenders.
Lexi rolled her eyes and figured her hard iced tea would taste the same, and she’d catch up with Randy after she ditched By.
It was very clear that Byron wasn’t into dancing, even after the next drink at the bar. And the way he shimmied his shoulders and scrunched up his face to one song made Lexi not even want to try.
After saying again and again she had no interest in the Punishment Room, or the Orgy Room, or the Strippers, Lexi suggested they go to the Gladiator Ring.
Aside from dancing, it was the one room Lexi could get into.
The room was set up like an arena, with high-top tables and stools lining the outskirts.
They entered just as the lights were lowering for the next fight and for the first time she didn’t mind Byron leading her as she watched the arena.
She sat at the table as Byron greeted a couple of people.
Lexi smiled a brief hello and nodded when asked if she wanted a drink, but her attention zeroed in on the ring.
The first man was immense, and Lexi could tell he used steroids. His muscles looked like they were trying to escape his skin, and his nipples were so hard she could see them from across the room.
“My money’s on him,” a guy said from behind her.
Lexi wanted to see the other guy, and the spotlight didn’t disappoint.
He was shorter than the first man, but lean with broad shoulders.
Swimmer’s build, she thought, her eyes narrowing as they completed their warmups and the MC got the crowd revved.
His footsteps were steady, whereas the bigger guy seemed too top-heavy, lumbering around.
“Fifty bucks on the other guy.” Lexi said, pivoting around to see who’d spoken earlier.
It was a guy a little older than her, white with a little paunch, going for a Tony Stark look. Looking at her from over his black horn-rimmed glasses, he rubbed his goatee.
“Do you see the size of him?” he asked, as the bell sounded for the first round. She raised her voice to be heard over the calls of the crowd, but she didn’t break eye contact with the Stark wannabe.
“Deal or no deal?”
“Babygirl,” Byron cut in from across the table, “maybe leave this to the men.”
He sat back with a wink, content his advice would be heeded. Instead Lexi stuck out a hand to Stark.
“Fifty?” she repeated.
She could use fifty bucks, she thought. And even if she lost, completely ignoring Byron would be worth it.
With a glance at the ring, where the men were still circling, she didn’t think she’d lose.
The swimmer had almost an equal reach to gigantor, he would be faster, and she thought his stamina would be better.
Stark was smiling at Byron, and shook her hand.
“Deal, missy. And when I win, we can discuss…” he leered at her body. “Other perks.”
Unbothered by the pudgy lech, she sat back.
She was safe here. She’d read and reread the Membership rules so many times she could recite them.
In the development of any unwarranted touches or attempted douchebaggery by Doms, the Club sided with the sub, every time.
It was one reason she’d agreed to the Membership.
Her attention was so fixed on the fighters she didn’t notice when the waitress came, but after her swimmer lost the first round to a pin, she sat back and saw a rocks glass waiting for her.
She smiled at Byron in thanks and took a sip, almost to spit it back out.
The bastard ordered her water. Across the little table she saw him smirk as he took a sip of his drink.
“You’re making foolish bets, babygirl. Maybe you’ve had enough for the night.”
His attention turned back to the ring and she felt her pulse beat inside her ears.
“You should listen to your Dom, Princess,” Stark said from behind her.
Lexi swallowed back the water and set the glass next to his after the last big swallow.
He was right. She had had enough, she thought, but it wasn’t of alcohol.
The fighters were still between matches for the next few moments; she had time.
She dashed towards the ring to her swimmer’s corner, and ignored Byron’s call behind her.
“Can I just wish him luck?” she asked the bouncer, opening her eyes wide.
He looked familiar, but she didn’t know this one’s name.
He smirked and nodded, yelling for the fighter.
Curious, the fighter came to the corner of the ring and leaned down over the top rope.
He smelled sweaty, but not terrible. Honestly, she liked his scent more than Byron’s expensive cologne.
She leaned towards him and whispered fast.
“Straight kick to his sternum, it’ll knock him off balance. His left shoulder sticks when he pulls back, target it. He’s bigger than you but you’re faster. Run him around the ring, wear him out.”
With a smile she brushed a kiss over his cheek and stepped back. He was looking at her with wide eyes.
She shot a look at Byron and Stark. Stark looked downright amused, and Byron looked about to have a heart attack.
His face was mottled and she could see his hand on the table clenching and unclenching.
On the way back to the table she detoured to a little bar in the room's corner, where she ordered another hard iced tea. It was the cheapest thing at the bar, and she wasn’t about to let Byron get her any more drinks.
By the time she got back to her seat, her swimmer had won the second round and she lifted her glass to his raised hand, ignoring Byron.
The crowd was in a minor uproar about the one-one fight.
It could still be either man’s win, but Lexi was having enough fun watching the crowd she didn’t even think she’d be sorry to lose.
“What did you say to him?” Stark asked, leaning in.
Angling for the innocent look again, Lexi opened her eyes wide and shrugged.
“Just that I bet on him and he should win.”
The next bell sounded, and the guys went in.
Gigantor was swinging for all he was worth, and her swimmer was evading, running him in circles.
Below the table she’d taken out the small key and unraveled the bracelet Byron had put on her.
Enough was enough. She was done pretending she was with him, in any sense. She would see Shayla again.
Lexi smiled full-out when a straight kick to the giant’s abdomen sent him flying backwards, off balance.
Her swimmer followed up with a leg sweep, and hit the floor, rolling Gigantor into an arm lock.
The big guy tried to wiggle out using brute strength, but he was panting and panicked with his left arm trapped.