In the last few days, I’ve had the full rundown of who’s who at the club from Gaby. She’s told me all about the seriously hot Giordano brothers and cousins who own the club, and that Mimi is married to one of them. Gaby was able to tell me the club’s history and how she hopes Mimi will promote her one day to manager, and a whole host of other things I zoned out on.
I’m doing it again not because what she’s saying is boring—it’s more the case of me being so nervous I might throw up.
“Do you have a name for this guy?” I ask, and she quirks a brow.
“No, no names. He’ll tell you his name if he wants you to know it when you see him. I think he’s a banker or one of the playboys. Just pray the sex is good, girl.” She laughs. “I once had a seventy-year-old man who couldn’t get it up, and I had to wait for him to take his pills.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Don’t worry. I hope that doesn’t happen to you. Let’s hope you get a celeb. They absolutely never give their names.”
“Are there any instances where the guys don’t want sex?”
She gives me an incredulous glare. “No, this is The Dark Odyssey.” She stops walking and looks me over. I stop too. “Paige, the club has a policy that you never do anything you don’t want to do. The moment you find yourself in that situation, it stops being a fantasy and it’s red, red, fucking red. Are you okay with this? I presumed since you agreed to anything that you’d be fine… You’re looking a little pale though.”
Pale?
I feel the word might be green because I feel like I’m going to be sick. Bile has been churning and rising in my stomach since I woke up this morning. It’s been getting worse by the minute.
I swallow hard. “I’m just a little nervous. But… what happens if I can’t do it?”
What comes to my mind is a preference of two evils. What was better? Working the Playboy Lounge and knowing I might have to do certain things I might not be comfortable with but could gear myself up to do? Or this, where I know I’m going to have to have sex with this person.
Jesus… just the thought sends goosebumps rushing down my arms.
It doesn’t help that the uneasy look on her face gives me the answer.
“Paige… I’ll be real with you. A lot of girls work here for the glorious amount of money. That’s no surprise, but… what the owners of the club are definitely not keen on is any situation where it’s clear you’re uncomfortable with what you’re doing and it becomes something else. When that happens, it ruins the fantasy they’re trying to create here. Do you get what I mean?”
I nod. I get it. Essentially, people like Megan who don’t mind doing certain things will be fine. People like me? No.
“I understand.”
“Good, because when you agree on your contract to do anything, they don’t take it lightly if you don’t agree to do what you said you’d do. They’ll know straight up that it was all about the money, and it will more than likely mean the end of your job here.”
My God… I can’t let that happen to me.
“I need the job,” I say, not meaning to give so much emotion away.
“I figured. But please think about it all before you do anything you don’t want to do. In the end, nothing on earth is worth feeling bad about yourself in that way. It’s a sex club, Paige. The things that happen here can’t exactly be erased from your memory, and when you’re actually working, it’s a whole other story.”
“Okay, and thanks. I appreciate you telling me that.”
She gives me a warm smile and a reassuring nod. “This is kind of it. The room is just there at the end of the corridor.” She points ahead of us. “Guy must be seriously rich if he booked that suite. Are you going to be okay?”
“Yes.” I smile a smile I don’t feel.
“Good. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,.”
She gives me one last smile before she leaves.
I watch her disappear around the corner and then face the passage ahead of me.
It’s beautiful and in keeping with the Venetian décor of the club. Everything around me is cream and gold. Gold chandeliers and lights that look like pure starlight line the length of the corridor.
Gaby is right in saying that nothing would be worth the bad feelings I’ll have if I do something I don’t want to, but I always think it depends. In my case, I really am doing this for Mom.
I think I added that whole thing about me staying in college to make some part of it be for me too. It’s not true though.