Page 2 of A Night of Indulgence and Sloth
“Make sure you—” I start, but she interrupts me.
“I know, Lily. I’ll check the peephole before opening the door. I promise.”
Standing from my bed—which is also our living room couch—I stretch, hoping to relieve some of the stiffness from my muscles. My body is always coiled tight after a nightmare, and it usually requires at least an hour of calming yoga to loosen up again.
“Who is it?” I ask, curiosity and a little fear slamming through my insides.
“Breakfast!” she singsongs, bringing a bag of food to the coffee table along with a beautiful black envelope. “I almost forgot. This was in the mailbox when I checked it last night.” Her eyes shimmer with excitement as she hands it to me. Embossed in silver letters, my name stands out like a beacon against the black of the envelope. We usually only receive bills, so I’m equal parts excited and nervous to find out what’s inside.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Open it!” My sister’s enthusiasm spurs me into shoving down my fear and carefully breaking open the seal.
Inside is a thick piece of black cardstock with an elegant design on the top and words etched in pale blue. Tilting it slightly, the areas in blue turn almost white as they reflect light back at me. Flipping it over, I find only a single website on the other side.
“Oh my God,” Calantha squeals, taking the card from my hands. “They accepted your application for the lock-in! You lucky bitch.”
“Am I supposed to know what that is?” I’d never heard of Club Rapture before, and I sure as hell didn’t apply for anything, so why would I be getting an invitation to any club? I was a certified homebody, only ever going out for work unless my sister was with me. Hell, I even made our grocery orders from the comfort of our tiny apartment.
“It’s only the hottest, most exclusive club in NYC, Lily. Seriously, how have you never heard of it?” She hands the invitation back to me, and I read it over once again.
You're invited to the exclusive Club Rapture for a night of decadent sin and slothful debauchery. Leave your inhibitions at the door, and come explore the darker side of pleasure.
A shudder runs down my spine as I realize what this is. A sex club. And this isn’t just any event, but one that requires me to be locked inside. Memories of all those nights trapped with my uncle’s special guests threaten to break through until my sister places her hand on my shoulder.
“I can’t do this, Calla. Not after everything.”
She pulls me into her arms, once again seeming to hold all my broken pieces together. “Do you remember the time we went to the zoo with mom and dad? I was terrified to go inside the feeding enclosure because of that kid who claimed he lost a toe to one of those creepy looking goats. And you know what you said to me? You told me that just because something is scary doesn’t mean we should run from it, and that sometimes, it’s the things we fear the most that bring us the greatest joy. I fed those animals with all the confidence I could muster, even though I was terrified, and that’s when I realized I wanted to work with animals someday.I think this would be good for you, Lily. When was the last time you put yourself first? You know I won’t force you, but Ireallythink you should go.”
Her words hit me hard, and my eyes prick with tears because she’s right. Before our parents died, I’d been fearless. Well, maybe not fearless, exactly, but I never once let it stop me from doing something. After what happened at the farm, I’d become someone else. Someone who feared everything and would rather stay tucked away from the world than actually experience something.
“But I didn’t even apply. They probably meant to send this to someone else, and it wouldn’t be fair for me to take their spot.”Jeez, could I have come up with a lamer excuse?
“So… don’t hate me, okay? But I signed you up…” Her gaze darts around the room, never fully resting on me. “It wasn’t guaranteed that you’d get in, but you did, and I really think you should go. It’s alright to be a little selfish sometimes, Lily. Take care of yourself by going to this club and letting someone else take care of you.”
Her words settle inside me like rocks at the bottom of the ocean, weighing me down and allowing me to really consider what she’s saying. I can’t go back to the person I was before, but maybe I can move beyond my fear. If Calantha is right, then this might just be the first step toward overcoming my past, a way to take back my sexuality and fearlessness until I recognize the person looking back at me in the mirror.
We might have been safe from the farm, but I was still trapped there. Club Rapture could be just what I need to break free of the hold my past has on me.
Liliana
Today was the day, and I was a ball of fucking nerves.
Clearly, my usual routine of checking the mail once a week wasn’t very smart. Now I was stressed as hell with no time to freak out. Even if I had checked it last week, it wouldn’t have been enough time for the planner in me. And it baffled me that invites to something like this weren’t sent months in advance, though I suppose I didn’t have much experience with exclusive parties. Maybe this was how they usually worked, but it left me a jittery mess. Part of me wished that Calantha would have told me she’d signed me up, but deep down, I knew I’d have only used the time to talk myself out of it. The fact that I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement when submitting my R.S.V.P made chills run down my spine, but Calla assured me this was only for my protection and the club’s too.
The event started at ten pm, and I had absolutely nothing to wear. All I had was lounge clothes or business outfits that I’d just purchased for my new job at Exalta Solutions.
I interviewed last week for the executive assistant position and received an offer on the same day. The company was new,only operating for about seven years, but that hadn’t stopped them from accomplishing incredible things around the world. Not only were they active in the health sector, offering support for those in need of therapy and other medical and mental treatments, but they also helped create technology that kept children, teens, and young adults safe.
During my interview, I’d been shocked to learn that two men, Aiden and Kaleb, had started the company together after college. To my further surprise, Kaleb had joined us halfway through the meeting and spoke at length about their values and the future mission of the company. It was eye-opening and reminded me that this was exactly what I wanted to be doing, even if I was struggling to figure out how I’d work for two powerful men after everything I’d been through at the farm. Regardless of all that though, it was exactly the type of company I’d wanted to work for, and I was so excited to start on Monday.
Hopefully my plans tonight would only bolster my confidence so that I could do an even better job instead of the opposite. I sure as hell didn’t need a traumatic breakdown mere days before starting, that’s for sure.
Considering my lack of acceptable clothing, Calantha practically drags my ass out on Saturday morning to help me pick the perfect outfit. Before the farm, I’d never have believed my sister would be the one to help me choose a sexy outfit or convince me to attend a sex club, but damn, how things have changed.
The moment we enter the boutique, she takes charge, and before I know it, I'm whisked into a dressing room and dumped with at least a dozen outfits. Every single piece of clothing looks more like a scrap of fabric than anything else, but I’ll try on a few just to please her.
I grab the one with the most fabric—a neon pink romper with well-placed cutouts—and nearly laugh out loud at my reflectionin the mirror. I swear these dressing room mirrors are the absolute worst. More often than not, they appear warped, almost like what you’d find at the circus.
Hesitating, I step from the dressing room, and my sister practically squeals.
