Page 141 of Unexpected Hero

I grab my water bottle, untwisting the cap with dramatic flair. “These are facts. Obviously, we’d call it Climax Man.”

“Oh I loved that porno,” she jokes. “Well, as always, that was a lovely tale. And I was just joshing ya. I know you’ve got a beautiful voice. You should definitely sing for us. It’s on Tuesdays. I can’t wait to see you kill it.”

“I’d love to. Do you think Dante will let me? I work on Tuesday nights.”

“Does Dante let me suck cock on the clock?” She rolls the lollipop around her mouth, adding a slight moan, then snaps her eyes to mine. “Lettie, how many times do I need to remind you that this is a sex club? The rules of normal society don’t apply here. That’s why people love this place. To leave the humdrum of the vanilla world behind.” Staring off in space like she’s having a pleasant memory, she giggles. “Hell, Dante’s let me suck his cock on the clock.”

Nice visual.

Wait. That thought was initially sarcastic, but now I’m not so sure. Maybe I should watch a little more than just breezing by on the way to the restroom.

The old Lettie could never.

Shaking off the tempting idea, I refocus on my chance to sing for an audience again. “Do you promise nothing wild is required? I can just go up and sing? I don’t have to bang the KJ or anything?”

“You know the rules of the club. I’ve heard you recite them to guests and members alike. Safe, sane, and consensual. Always. So no one is going to make you bang anyone. Ever.”

A trill of excitement zips up my spine, and I involuntarily clap while shimmying in my seat. “Yay. Then I’ll do it. I can’t wait.”

“What’s a KJ?”

“It stands for karaoke jockey — like a DJ.”

“Oh.” She crunches on the candy, finishing it off in a few bites.

My gaze crawls over the activities calendar, landing on the other item of interest. But if I ask Freya about it right away, she’ll see right through me. She’s been riding my ass about James ever since I moved in with her.

Speaking of which, living there has been a dream. She’s funny, supportive, and respectful. As much as I miss Stella, I’m so lucky to have found someone I can count on in town.

I tap my finger on the page. “Tantric Trivia sounds cool. And it says Jesse is hosting. He’s funny. I bet that’s a fun event.”

“Not sure. It’s new. We’re giving him a shot. It was his idea. If it sucks, we won’t do it next month.”

Delaying a bit further, I ask about a few other items — a masquerade party for platinum members at the end of the month and an edge play mixer for members seeking new partners for the more extreme kinks.

Feigning nonchalance, I keep my eyes locked on the flyer like it holds the secrets to the universe. “So who’s doing the shibari demonstrations? It doesn’t say.”

Nice job, Lettie. You totally nailed the disinterested vibe. Especially when your voice cracked at the end.

“I didn’t include his name because there’s a chance he won’t be able to do all four sessions. I might need to get a stand-in.” When I glance up, her knowing gaze burns a hole in my face. “Yes. It’s him, oh transparent one.”

I contort my face into an angry glare. “Shut up. That was an entirely innocent question. In fact, I don’t even know who you’re talking about.”

“Did you know your nose twitches when you lie?”

“I hate you.”

Pointing at my face, she proclaims, “It twitched again.” She swoops her head to the side, ear to shoulder, and rolls out her lower lip. “Aww, you love me.” She blows me an air kiss. “And I love you too.”

Now, both of my friends know the telltale sign of my truth-stretching. Fantastic.

Freya stays at the front desk with me for the next hour, teasing and chatting me up. Members come and go in steady waves. But even with her distraction, James doing a rope bondage demonstration is all I can see.

Well, I can imagine it. But I don’t know exactly what it’ll look like.

Will I be able to see him doing that with someone? Obviously, Dante doesn’t care if I pop into the main room, but can I handle it without vomiting or crying?

All these weeks without seeing James, and I still think about him constantly. I’m forever wishing things were different.

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