April was met with a small lobby, all painted black. A large, burly woman in a suit stood by a set of doors which led to the club inside. Another woman sat behind a small desk beside the door, a tablet in her hand.
The woman at the desk greeted the couple in front of April, waving them through. The bouncer opened the door and let them inside. April caught a glimpse of the flickering lights beyond before the bouncer pulled the door shut.
“Can I help you?” the woman at the desk asked.
“Someone invited me here,” April said. “A friend.”
“Are you on the list?”
Great, a list. Vicki hadn’t said anything about a list. “I don’t know.”
The woman looked her up and down skeptically. “Name?”
“April Reid.”
The woman tapped at the screen on her tablet, frowning.
April’s shoulders sagged. It was unlikely that Vicki had bothered to put her on the list, especially after everything that had happened. Coming here was a stupid idea.
“There,” the woman said. “April Reid. You were invited by Victoria Blake?”
“Yes,” April stammered.
“Then she’s responsible for you while you’re in here. You’ll need to sign these.” The woman grabbed a clipboard from under the desk and handed it to April.
“What is all this?” April asked, flicking through the pages.
“Club rules, waivers, a non-disclosure agreement. The usual.”
The usual? What had April gotten herself into?
“A first-timer, huh?” The woman asked.
April nodded.
She smiled. “I know how scary going to a BDSM club for the first time can be. Don’t worry, you’re in good hands with Vicki. She’s one of our regulars.”
A BDSM club. Of course Vicki would spring this on her. Was this supposed to be some kind of test? Was Vicki trying to scare her, to see whether April was serious about being her submissive? It didn’t matter. April wasn’t interested in that anymore. She did not want a repeat of the other night, no matter how much the thought of it turned her on.
Maybe this was a bad idea.
“Is everything okay?” the woman asked.
“Yes,” April said. “It’s fine.”
She sighed. She was going to regret this. Without even reading the documents, she scribbled her signature at the bottom of each page and handed the clipboard back to the woman.
“Great.” The woman gestured toward the door. “Welcome to Lilith’s Den.”
The bouncer opened the door wide. Focusing her mind on her goal, April strode into the club.
Music assaulted her ears. The dimly lit room was filled with women, drinking, talking, dancing. It almost looked like any other club. However, the patrons were mostly dressed in black, with only flashes of other colors to be seen. Some, like April, wore dresses. A few wore suits. Others wore lacy corsets or elaborate contraptions made of straps and leather. April’s jaw dropped when a woman edged past her wearing nothing but latex pants and duct tape over each nipple in the shape of an X.
The club itself? It contained the usual tables and chairs, and there was a bar at one end. But around the room were all sorts of unusual pieces of furniture, some of which had people tied to them. A large wooden cross, a horse-shaped bench. Most of the crowd’s attention was turned toward the large stage at the far end of the room where a woman was being led around on a leash.
April stood rooted on the spot, staring at everything. For the second time that night, she felt the urge to turn around and walk out the door.
Then, she spotted Vicki.