Rowan swallows as he reads the perks of each membership tier. The thing is, he could afford any of them, which is making his head spin a bit. The higher tiers would majorly eat into his savings, but he could swing it if he really wanted to. Only in the past year or so has he started to relax on penny-pinching, something that everyone from the South End is familiar with even if they’ve long since moved out. But with his steady and decently paying job, manageable bills, and an almost unbelievably padded savings account, he’s started to take better care of himself.

Started buying nicer clothes that fit his body better and last longer than a dozen washes. Better skincare and haircare products rather than the dish soap he used to use to scrub the grime off his body. More fresh fruits and vegetables than he’s ever had in his life. The occasional latte or album or new pair of sneakers to treat himself, for fuck’s sake.

The higher tiers are still a little too expensive for him to justify, especially since he might not even like the place, but he can spare $100 for one month to test the waters. Besides, four visits per month seems like a reasonable amount. While he’d like nothing more than to have hot, kinky sex every night like he used to, that’s not practical for him anymore outside of a relationship. And he wouldn’t be going anytime other than the weekends anyway.

He reads through some of the other FAQs, which range from Is sex allowed at the club?—Yes—to Is there a dress code?—No, but our members tend to dress in cocktail attire if not participating in a scene.

Next, he scrolls through the club rules.

There are some that are obvious: All equipment must be disinfected with provided cleaner after each use; no sexual acts in the bathrooms or locker rooms; no outside food or beverages. And some that aren’t—No scenes exceeding 4 hours; no bloodplay or cutting; no breath play. Rowan thinks back to the man they’d helped who had broken this exact rule. He shakes his head. He’s done it a few times with partners and gotten off to it more times than he can count, but he never lost sight of how dangerous it can be if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Members will receive two recorded strikes for breaking minor rules before membership is terminated. Membership may be terminated immediately depending on the severity of the rule(s) broken (i.e., if the safety of other members is compromised). Termination of membership is permanent.

Jesus. It’s pretty harsh, but Rowan knows that BDSM is all about trust and safety, and that members likely wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy themselves if they knew other members were breaking rules left and right with no consequences.