It was one of only three places that offered an "immersive, curated experience." I'd stammered out my request over the phone, nervously outlining my desires to an absolute stranger, wanting to hang up at every second.

"We are perfectly prepared to provide everything you've mentioned," the young woman on the phone had soothed. "Your experience will be entirely at your discretion."

Now, sitting in the pretty office of the agency, with sun streaming in through a lovely stained glass window, a beautiful woman—a succubus, I suspected, based on her otherwordly beauty and delicate horns—smiled gently at me.

"You'll be able to stop, leave, or rest at any time. You have your safe word, as well as a remote that will assist you in controlling your scene or putting a stop to it altogether. You and your partner will be secluded, but we always assure our clients who ask for these kinds of dynamics of two things," the woman said, a familiar recitation for her. "First is that you will be able to reach us at any time via a number of security measures we offer you. And second is that your partner is a professional. If at any point you find yourself uncomfortable, unsatisfied, or frightened, they want to know. They want you to have a pleasant experience, regardless of what you've asked for. No matter how they behave in scene, their only goal is to offer what you desire."

I swallowed hard and nodded, my right hand holding down my knee to keep my heel from jiggling.

The woman—Astraeya, the name tag read—smiled sympathetically. "This is your first time, so your partner will be especially attentive to your boundaries. Five days is…it's quite a dive into the deep end."

I opened my mouth to answer but couldn't think of anything to say. The interview over the phone had been thorough as I'd made the appointment, but they'd told me the one in the office would be even longer. I couldn't decide if I wanted to stay here in this office, going over delicate logistics forever, or ask if we could skip the rest and let me dive into that deep end she'd mentioned.

"Then again, you have a great deal you'd like to accomplish," Astraeya added, grinning and glancing down at her notes. "First things first, no blood play."

"No, thank you," I gasped out.

"Do you still consent to your partner going without prophylactics?" she asked. "Both your test results are clean—I'll show you his—and you both have the necessary birth control."

She was so matter-of-fact, as if it could stop me from setting myself on fire with embarrassment. "Yes, I consent," I squeezed out.