Page 102 of Ask Me Something

We requested the check and finished our drinks.

* * *

Holy shit,we were on our way to a sex club. I had barely paid attention to anything else after Catherine had dropped that initial bomb shell once we got into the car.

She was still talking nervously. “They are supposed to be discreet, giving clients wigs and masks. They have these classes for women who only want to get their confidence up.”

I was speechless.

“Say something, please. I’m scared shitless, but if I can’t learn to give myself an orgasm and only have my ex as my last memory, I’ll go crazy.”

I spoke carefully, knowing how fragile her self-confidence was. “Okay, first off, I think you’re beyond brave. I’m in awe at how much courage it takes to want to do this, let alone trusting me with it.”

She swallowed hard and regarded me for a moment. “But…”

“There’s no but to it. I think getting out of your comfort zone and doing something like this may be what you need.” I could never imagine myself doing what she proposed, and for that reason alone, I applauded her bravery.

Her smile could have lit up a room.

I hesitated but had to say it. “The small ‘but,’ however, is to ask if you have thoroughly researched this place. How can you guarantee your anonymity and safety?”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you for not criticizing. I knew that I could confide in you. This place was recommended to me by a woman I met in Paris. She’s recently divorced, and when I asked what her secret was for being confident, she told me about this club. She recommended someone there specifically. At first I was appalled, not that I let her know that. But then she stressed that it wasn’t sex; it was about building sexual confidence.”

Clearly, I was behind the curve when it came to what to expect in a sex club. “Uh, so you’re not having sex?”

She shook her head. “It’s an option, but not with the guy she recommended or the package I signed up for.”

I could only nod, thinking about the various “packages” they had available. “If I’m accompanying you, what does that mean exactly?”

“Oh, no worries. There’s a bar where you can sit, and you can wear a mask, too. I was thinking maybe you could wait for me. And then if you hear me scream, you could, like, call the police or something.”

My eyes got big even though I knew she was kidding.

“Sorry, bad joke. I think it’ll be fine, but I don’t know what to expect. Evidently, I have a meeting with the woman who runs the place first to discuss my options and what I’m looking for. And if you’re uncomfortable because of your relationship, I get it. You don’t have to go with me.”

Brian and our rules. Shit. “I don’t want you going alone.” I meant that. “But I think we need to tell someone where we are. Sorry, my dad was a cop for many years. I’m only thinking of safety. Is there anyone we could trust with this?”

She shook her head. “Not that I could confide in. Any chance you could trust Brian?”

Oh, boy. He was going to have a coronary. But I wouldn’t hide it from him, either, like he’d done with Jamie. And I’d warned him that we’d have to revisit the rules with regards to me accompanying Catherine. “Okay, I’m texting him to let him know that I’m going with you to the address.” She flashed her phone over with the destination while I typed. “The name is vague enough; Travesty could be any bar in New York City.”

“Hey, I know you’re mad at me, but I’m out with Catherine and we’re going to a new place across town at the address I’ll forward you. Do you mind if I check in with you in a couple hours so that someone knows where we are?”

His reply came quickly. “WTF kind of place is it that you’re worried about being safe?”

I forwarded the name and address and thought about my options in answering the question. I could play dumb and say I didn’t know exactly what it was. I could be honest, or I could say I’d talk to him tomorrow. Option three sounded good, but I didn’t get a chance to respond because once I forwarded the name and address, I got the following text.

“Absolutely not. Call me NOW!”

Wait, did his response mean he knew what this place was? “Catherine, if I type in Travesty online what does it say it is?”

She blushed. “It says it’s an exclusive member’s only club and gives a number. I couldn’t see anything online linking it to the activity. Also, I was told that we have to sign something when we get there saying we can’t post anything doing so, either. They are very discreet with their clientele.”

That was a relief and made sense, but how did Brian know of it? I texted him back. “No can do. About to go inside. We can talk later.”

“Do you have any idea what kind of club that is?”

I quirked a brow while reading his words and replied, “Do you?”

“YES, which is why you are not going inside. We have an agreement.”

“I’ll be sitting at the bar. I don’t want her going alone. And this needs to remain in extreme confidence!!”

Catherine looked nervous when the car pulled up in an alley. “To be on the safe side, someone will come out and give us masks to put on before we go through the door. You’re doing a lot of typing over there. Everything okay?”

“It’s fine.” Then I read his next message.

“You are NOT going in there.”

“Last chance, Sasha, are you in or out?” Catherine asked as the car came to a stop.

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