It takes barely more than fifteen minutes to answer all the questions, and he emails the application back to Clover with a note that he has an STI test scheduled for the morning.

That night he dreams of leather and strawberries.

IN THE morning, he once again awakes to an email from the club.

Dear Rowan,

We are pleased to invite you to become a member at The Menagerie! We feel your interests and experience will make for an exciting addition to our club. Please let us know when you are available for an in-person meeting at the club to complete your membership and fill out remaining paperwork. It should take no more than 30 minutes, though you are free to stay after if you would like.

Best,

Clover Monroe

Membership Coordinator

The Menagerie

Rowan can hear his blood rushing in his ears. Like before, the fast response surprises him—more so after having to review his application. But even if it had taken them weeks to respond, it wouldn’t have mattered.

He double-checks the club’s hours and sends a final email to Clover, fingers shaking with excitement.

Hi Clover,

Great! I can come in this Saturday at 7pm. Does that work?

Rowan C.

When he receives an affirmative reply barely fifteen minutes later, his heart races. Finally, he has something to look forward to.

He’s in.

Chapter 2: Malcolm

WHEN SATURDAY night finally arrives, Rowan is nearly vibrating out of his skin. He received his test results from his doctor’s office this morning—all negative, thankfully—which means that he can stay at the club tonight once his membership is finalized.

He doesn’t even fully know what that entails yet, but hopefully he can meet someone at the bar there and spend the night with them. God, just the thought of hooking up with someone who will likely have the same or similar interests as he does has his cock twitching in his jeans.

Since receiving Clover’s email two days ago, he’s jerked off six times and feels like he could go another six rounds at least and still not be satisfied.

He takes a deep breath and tells himself to calm the fuck down. The long hot shower he takes helps. He makes sure to scrub his body thoroughly, wash his hair, and use some leave-in conditioner so he can style his undercut properly without it frizzing up on top like it usually does on these warm summer nights.

He towels off and considers his wardrobe. He still doesn’t have much, but the hand-me-downs from his older brother, Jay, are gone, and he has a mostly full closet of clothes he likes and more options than he’s ever had before. The FAQ portion of the website said business casual to cocktail attire is common, so he searches for something that will fit those criteria without being too formal.