“You dropped this,” I call out to her.

I follow her to the exit on the other side of the restroom. I’ve noticed this other way out before and figured it was for staff. I step out of the restroom and into…another club? This one is swathed in red pulsing light, and the patrons are…

Holy shit.

Chapter 6

BRIDGET

Past

Is this what Felipe was hesitant to talk about? I wonder as I stare agog at a naked woman tied down to a table in the middle of the floor. On her nipples, she has clamps connected by a thin chain. An equally naked man is thrusting himself into her while tugging on the chain. She groans and grunts, “Please, Master, please let me come.” A minute later, he tells her to come, which she does, her whole body trembling as her head falls back with a thump against the table.

A different type of music throbs low in this part of the building. There’s no DJ that I can tell. Instead, I see, in a darker corner of the room, a dominatrix wearing a dark purple mask over her eyes pegging a man bent over the back of a chair. He thanks her repeatedly. A few patrons, some dressed in club attire, others more scantily clad, lounge on sofas or at tables, taking in the activities around them. Looking up to the second-floor balcony, I find two women kissing each other. I feel like I shouldn’t be watching all this, but these people don’t seem to mind onlookers.

Deciding I’m definitely in the wrong part of the club, I take a step back and bump into something.

Darren.

I flush, even though he should be the one embarrassed that I’ve discovered the secret side of The Lotus.

“Now you’ve seen the whole club,” Darren remarks with nonchalance.

“Yeah,” is all I can come up with.

Behind me, I hear a woman cry, “Yes, fuck me, please!”

I turn around, an instinctive reaction to someone screaming. A very flexible woman lies upon a rug, holding both her legs to her chest, while another woman wearing a dildo penetrates her. I watch as her lips purse and pleasure fills her face.

Turning back to Darren, I ask, “This go on every night here?”

“Some nights are quieter, others louder,” he replies, his gaze boring into me.

“It’s hard to imagine louder,” I reply as the woman on the rug shouts at her partner to go harder.

Darren takes me by the elbow. “Let’s sit down.”

What? He wants us to stay here?

He leads me to a small dining table. I take a seat tentatively. A server wearing a leather teddy and over-the-knee boots comes up and asks if we would like something to drink.

“There are no alcoholic drinks on this side of the club,” Darren says, “but that’s not really an issue for you, is it?”

I shake my head. “I’m fine. Felipe made me a Shirley Temple just a few minutes ago.”