Page 11 of Forbidden Mistress

When we arrive, we’re driven around to a side entrance for Exeter House. There, we enter through the discreet doors of Obscura. It’s already bustling, but a security guard outside seems to know who I am before I even inform him I’m here for a job. Strangely, his eyes linger on my necklace before he looks up into my face.

“You’re here to talk to Ms. Lawrence, I believe,” he says in a harsh New York City accent.

I nod, and we’re shown in directly. Haley clasps my arm excitedly, and we are taken past the reception area and into a small office around the corner.

We barely have time to say a few words to each other before a petite and exquisitely dressed woman, her chestnut hair styled in an an elegant updo and a thin golden cat-eye mask enters the room. She’s wearing a tight calf-length black dress, four-inch stilettos. She looks stunning. Her vibe is professional with a slight edge to it. I like her already.

The woman’s gaze shifts between Haley and me. “Miss Fitzgerald?”

I raised my hand slightly, then lower it because I realize I look dorky, like I’m in class or something. “Yes. I, um, brought my friend, Haley Ortiz. I hope that’s okay.”

The woman nods once. “Miss Ortiz, you are most welcome. I am Ms. Lawrence, and I will be providing you with your employment documents. If you agree to the terms, we can sign and you’ll do a shift tonight. Your host is expecting you.”

“My—my host?” I stammer as Ms. Lawrence places several documents in front of me. I glance down, remembering my folded up resume in my purse. I was going to use it to negotiate up a better hourly rate, but my jaw drops when I see the figure on the papers in front of me. The pay rate has been filled in already. Four hundred dollars an hour. What…what the fuck? My mind races to do the math—at ten hours per week, four weeks per month….

“Hart is your host. Your job will be assisting him in one of the VIP rooms.”

“Assisting? And um, what does that entail?” I’m suddenly realizing that my lack of curiosity and questions about Obscura has left me incredibly ignorant. Adult club? But…what is that exactly? And do all jobs at Exeter House pay this monumentally well? I spare a glance at Haley, and she’s reading the same paperwork I am.

“You won’t be asked to do anything you don’t want to do. Consent is of the utmost importance here. You will not be touched unless you’ve given permission first.”

I swallow. “Okay…and I keep my clothes on?”

She smiles and nods. “That is completely your choice, as well. No one may force you to remove your clothing or force you to perform sexual favors. You will, however, likely be seeing a lot. Obscura is an exclusive adult club, after all.”

I nod. “Oh—okay. And if I decide the job isn’t for me?”

Her smile is perfectly in place, never faltering. “You may resign at any time with two weeks’ severance pay.”

Oh! That’s…beyond generous.

Ms. Lawrence points to the places where I should sign, then discreetly dismisses herself after receiving a text, saying she’ll be back in a few minutes. I suspect it’s a ploy to give me some privacy, so I can ask Haley’s opinion.

Haley has been reading the entire document as I’ve been talking, and she tells me that everything looks standard. I nearly faint with relief, like I’d been holding my breath, afraid someone would tell me this is all a dream.

I frown. There has to be a catch to this, right? I’ve never gotten this lucky. Or maybe all the good luck ever due to me has been saved up for this one moment. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket on the way home.

By the time Ms. Lawrence returns, all the flagged places have my signature on them and she collects the papers with a satisfied smile. “Welcome to the Obscura family, Ms. Fitzgerald. Have you given any thought to what your club pseudonym will be?”

I blink a few times. “Ah, my pseudonyn?”

Ms. Lawrence hands us each a mask. Mine is brownish and covered by faux fur and a little cute black nose on it, like a woodland animal. Haley’s has gold glitter and white feathers. They cover roughly half our faces, from the nose up.

“Identities are fiercely protected and discretion is key at Obscura.”

“Okay…”

“For now, we’ll call you C, your first initial, but you’ll have to come up with a more permanent one. Your host might be able to help you with that. But again, it’s very important that you never take off your mask or disclose any personal information. Violation can be grounds for dismissal. Do you understand?”

I nod. Ms. Lawrence raises her brows in disapproval so I clear my throat and say, “I understand the terms.”

She smiles again. “Very good. Well, if there are no other questions, I’ll have you escorted to your shift. Ms. Ortiz, you won’t be permitted into the VIP rooms unless invited by a member. However, you are free to enjoy the bar, the dancing, and the public rooms.” She hands Haley what looks like a wooden coaster. “First two drinks are on me. Enjoy.” She informs me that she’ll be emailing me a handbook of the club rules that I must learn and tells me I can study up on them tonight after my first shift.

We’re required to surrender our phones to the cloak room—as Lexi had said—before we can enter the club proper. We put on our masks, as instructed, and soon, Ms. Lawrence is leading us through the labyrinth of an exquisitely upscale and luxurious, if dimly lit, nightclub.

Once we move through the thick double doors, music hits us like a wall of sound. Okay, so far so good. Perfectly normal for a nightclub, right? We enter from a balcony area that looks out onto the sleek, black dance floor. Everyone here is masked and many are scantily clad. Everyone dressed to the nines.

We follow Ms. Lawrence down the staircase to the main floor. The décor is black and polished gold chrome, shiny black marble with gold veins running through them. Everything drips wealth and decadence. The bar, at the center of the large room, is circular, and nearby is a large sunken lounge with low tables, velvet couches cloaked in dimness. All along the walls, there are private booths with dark curtains, some pulled to create a mini-room of sorts.

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