Chapter 3
Riaz~
“I fucking love this place,” Roger remarked enthusiastically, and all I could do was grin.
Currently, we were at The Fantasy Factory, sitting at the bar because Roger had a crush on one of the bartenders, though I was pretty sure that the feeling wasn’t mutual.
Of course, I was just going by how she was treating him just like she was all her other customers, so I could be wrong.
I also didn’t frequent The Fantasy Factory enough to gauge what to expect from its bartenders.
See, The Fantasy Factory wasn’t like other clubs, but that was the point.
The owner had opened the place about two years ago, and its crowning glory was that it was a sex club that catered to women.
Supposedly, women could come here and explore their deepest fantasies with no judgement or threat to their person.
Now, while the first floor came across like any other bar or nightclub in the city, the second floor was something else entirely.
It consisted of four rooms where you could observe or participate, but I wasn’t too sure since I’d never visited the second floor.
At any rate, each room represented something different, and if you were so inclined, you could experience degradation, voyeurism, BDSM, or multiple-partner play.
All-in-all, it was the perfect place to get laid, but only if you followed the rules.
Rumor was that the owner didn’t fuck around, and if you were caught breaking any of the stipulations, then you were banned for life.
“I thought that we were here for the bartender?” I asked pointedly.
“We are,” he answered easily. “But if she really isn’t interested, it’s not like we’re not surrounded by other options.”
I shot him a look. “Us? I wasn’t aware that this was a group thing?’
Roger grinned. “What? Scared to accidentally cross swords?”
“I’m for whatever the woman wants, if that’s what she wants,” I replied before taking another drink of my beer. “I’m also pretty sure that you should let the woman bring something like that up.”
“You’re no fun,” he complained, though he knew better. Roger Edmonds was a close family friend, and having grown up in the same neighborhood, he knew all of us Marcos well.
“I’m plenty fun,” I retorted. “I just prefer it be the woman’s decision if a gangbang is on the menu.”
With both our gazes locked on Roger’s romantic interest, I immediately noticed a very familiar face taking a seat at the other end of the bar, and I had to blink a few times in disbelief.
Now, while I didn’t care what any of these people were doing here, I couldn’t help but wonder what in the world would make Teal Cromwell come to a place like this.
The couple of times that I’d spoken to her, she had come across as just too reserved to ever walk through these front doors.
Of course, she could just be here for a drink, but I doubted it.
The Fantasy Factory’s reputation was a bold one, and so it was safe to say that the entire city knew what this place was.
However, she could also be here to meet someone, but there was only one reason to meet someone here, and I should know since I was here with Roger.
Now, because I wasn’t a psychopath, I watched Teal order a drink, and then I waited a few minutes while she nervously glanced around, and my guess would be that this was her first time being in a place like this.
When the bartender returned with her order, Teal paid with cash, which was another dead giveaway that this wasn’t her normal haunt.
Cash gave you an immediate opening to leave whenever you wanted, unlike opening a tab.
After a few more minutes, I looked over at Roger. “Hey, you good on your own?”
He immediately looked disappointed. “You’re leaving?”
“No,” I answered, shaking my head. “I just see someone else that I’d rather hang out with.”
“I’d be offended if you weren’t also killing my vibe,” he quipped, but I just ignored him as I grabbed my drink, then made my way to where Ms. Teal Cromwell was sitting primly.
Now, walking over, I was very aware that approaching her like this might blow up in my face, but there was only one way to find out, and I’d never been afraid to wander in unfamiliar territory.
Truth be told, that character trait was probably why I was so successful now.
The unknown fascinated me more than it scared me, so I was always up for an adventure whenever I had free time.
Plus, I also wasn’t afraid of rejection.
I had a healthy enough amount of self-confidence that it didn’t hurt my feelings or anything like that.
Being a grown ass man, I was very aware that not all people clicked, and more often than not, it was never personal.
When I finally reached her, I smiled as soon as she noticed me. “Ms. Cromwell, it’s lovely to see you again.”
“M...Mr...Mr. Marco...” she stammered, and her cheeks brightened with what I was pretty sure was embarrassment. “Uh...hello...uhm...”
Not wanting her to feel like she’d been ‘caught’ doing something wrong, I did my best to sound like we’d just bumped into each other at the supermarket or somewhere innocent like that.
“My buddy brought me out tonight,” I said conversationally.
“He swears by this place, and so far, every beer has been ice-cold, and the bar snacks aren’t too shabby, either. ”
“Oh, so...so, you don’t...you don’t come here often?” she asked, still stammering.
“I’ve been here a couple of times,” I admitted. “The Bachelor Pad room is good for all sorts of parties or celebrations. What about you?”
Teal swallowed nervously, and I waited patiently as she took a sip of her liquid courage before answering me.
“Uhm...this is my first time here,” she replied hesitantly, and that would explain the nervousness.
“I’ve heard...I’ve heard that it’s a...a great place for a woman to.
..to safely enjoy a night of drinking or mingling. ”
“I’ve heard the same,” I replied easily. “I’ve also never heard of anything unpleasant about the place since it’s been open.”
“Yeah, the place has great reviews,” she muttered, though she wasn’t stammering anymore. “I...I kind of researched their website before coming out tonight.”
“There’s no such thing as being too safe,” I remarked seriously. “I ought to know.”
That got the first genuine smile out of her. “I would suppose so.”
“On that note, how is the security system working out for you?” I asked. “Javier informed me that all the kinks seem to have been ironed out after the third day.”
“It’s wonderful,” she answered graciously. New systems were always a hassle during the first week of operations, but luckily, the school hadn’t had too many. “Truly.”
“Good, I’m glad,” I said, then raised my beer in a mock toast.
After we both enjoyed another drink of our choice of alcohol, I finally asked, “So, are you here to just drink and relax, or were you planning on visiting one of the rooms upstairs?”
Her dark brown eyes widened, her cheeks immediately pink again. “Wha...what?”
I gave her the most unjudgmental smile that I could. “Are you here just to have a few drinks, or were you planning on going upstairs?”
Teal looked like she was ready to bolt, but she didn’t. “I’m...I’m not sure. I was...I was thinking about...you know, maybe...maybe watching a scene.”
It really was the shit that women were judged so unfairly about almost everything under the sun.
If it wasn’t their looks, then it was their demeanor.
If it wasn’t their demeanor, then it was their parenting style.
Honestly, the list was endless. So, with Teal Cromell being a teacher of little kids, I could only imagine how much courage it’d taken for her to walk through the front doors tonight.
Making sure that my voice sounded light and easy, I asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, which room? I’ve heard great things about all of them.”
Her brows furrowed a bit as she asked, “You’ve never visited one?”
I shook my head. “No. I’ve only been inside The Bachelor Pad room and out here.”
“Oh,” she murmured quietly, and I hated how she was shutting down, probably assuming that I wasn’t for going upstairs.
“Yeah, I guess I just...” I shrugged, still trying to come across casually. “I’ve never been here alone, so I just haven’t had the chance to see what that second floor is all about.”
“So...so, you don’t think it’s...that it’s weird that people go up there to watch or whatever?” she asked as she fidgeted with her glass.
“Not at all,” I answered honestly. “After all, it’s none of my business what other people do in their bedrooms. Well, as long as it’s not criminal.”
“Of course,” she quickly agreed. “Consent is so important.”
“So...which room has you curious?” I asked again.
Her answer had me biting the inside of my cheek. “Room Three.”
Multiple-Partners.
Now, while I’d been doing my best not to judge the woman, I hadn’t ever expected her to mention Room Three. For some reason, after mentioning how this was her first time here, I had imagined baby steps from the woman, but talk about being wrong.
“Oh,” I replied, needing just a moment to process.