Claimed: The Decadence Club Read online

  I had to suffer two more weeks of dishwashing before I got a callback. The number was unfamiliar, but I didn’t have anything to lose. I answered it with a grunted, “Hello.” It was early, at least by my standards. My shift at the restaurant had ended at midnight, and the call came in before I was ready to get up for the day. While I didn’t really make an attempt to sound pleasant and personable, now I’m pretty sure my displeasure was more than evident.

  “Mr. Davis, its Angela Winters.” Her voice slithered into my ear and did things that I didn’t want it to. It reminded me just how long it’d been since I was last with a woman. “I’m calling to confirm you starting with us on Friday night?”

  “What time do I need to be there?” I asked, relaxing back on the twin bed I slept on. “What’s the dress code?”

  “I don’t suppose you have a decent black suit, do you?” she hummed in my ear. I’m was beginning to think she was doing this on purpose.

  “I’d have to check my wardrobe,” I didn’t bother hiding my sarcasm. My closet consisted of worn out jeans, t-shirts, and the ‘interview wear’ that I picked up at the thrift store. I doubted I’d find a suit that would meet her inspection. The wage I made in the kitchen was just enough to give me a roof over my head and food in my gut. “Yeah,” I said after a length, “sorry, no suits.”

  “I figured as much.” She didn’t even sound irritated, I just gave her the answer she expected. “Do you know your measurements off hand or do I need to come get them from you myself?”

  “I’m not a fucking charity case,” I snapped, sitting up. I was wide awake now, and there was no chance I’d be getting back to sleep.

  “No, Mr. Davis,” she agreed with me, “You are soon to be an employee of mine, and there is a certain appearance that I want my employees to present to our guests. So, your dress code, or uniform if you will, will consist of a black suit with a crisp white button down. If you are unable to get your own, then my options are to provide one for you or not employ you. I am offering to do the first, the question here now is which you would rather I do.”

  No nonsense, bitch told me how it was going to be. It really didn’t give me a choice unless I was cool with keeping up with dry, cracking skin dishwashing afforded me. I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to keep myself level. “I don’t know my measurements. I wear a large shirt and thirty-six, thirty-eight size jeans.”

  There was a noise that came through the phone that I couldn’t decipher. Did she snort? “That is something I can work with. I will need you to be at the club by six to ensure that your uniform will fit you properly. Understand?” She spoke in statements, telling me what she expected, questions that weren’t in a mocking tone threw me off a little.

  “I’ll be there.” I felt relieved, I tried to figure when would be a good time to give my ‘notice’ to the kitchen. “How much are you paying me?”

  “I’m surprised it took you this long to ask,” she sounded amused, she probably didn’t realize how desperate I was. “Fifteen dollars an hour for the first ninety days, if things work out as I am hoping then we will discuss a raise after an evaluation. How does that sound?”

  Considering I was making minimum wage right now, that was a huge fucking improvement. “I’m not a fucking charity case,” I felt the need to repeat.

  “Mr. Davis,” she sounded irritated now, “there is a difference between being generous and being charitable. I am being neither. I am offering you a little over the median income that most bouncers make. Do not be stupid and argue the case with me purely based on some egotistical sense of pride. If you prove your worth then you will earn the pay, if you do not, then there will be no reason to keep you around. I don’t give a damn about your ego, I am not giving you a handout.”

  She kept talking like that and I was going to end up liking her. “Understood,” I grunted.

  “Very good.” She didn’t sound pleased, which was a relief on some level. “I will see you Friday.” She ended the call with that curt reply, and I tried not to be dumbfounded.

  I got up from the bed and decided I’d take the time to get a work out in. Then I’d drop the news to my boss that my last day would be Thursday.

  I might be getting excited about that shit.

  2

  I was eager to get to work, a first since I got out. I was relieved that the fact that I had briefly been a jailbird didn’t concern her. I made sure to take the clippers to my head to get rid of my shaggy look, though I hesitated at the meager start I had to a beard. I decided to leave it, and if she complained I’d take a razor to it. If not I’d count myself lucky.

  I got to the warehouse early, surprised that the lot close by looked a little empty. There were a few cars in it, but not many. Why not have me come in at seven? I knocked on the metal door and waited, apprehension making my shoulders tight. I still didn’t know what I was getting into, I just had a vague idea.

  I’d never really felt the need to get too adventurous with women. I basically just worked with what got us both off. So, I was ignorant about what Angela’s club might offer. What more could there be to it than maybe a little hair pulling?

  The door opened, and another man was behind it. He looked about the same age as I was and from the way he held himself, I knew he had to be another bouncer. Even in a black suit and tie. Was this the shit she was going to have me wear? “You Davis?” He didn’t bother to offer me his hand, just cocked an eyebrow at me.

  “Yeah.” I raised my chin a little, watching his expression. He has sharp almond eyes, and he was a little smaller than me. I sized him up, and it felt like he was returning the favor. “Who’re you?”

  “Kenneth Lau.” He didn’t press for more. “I’ll be partnered with you for the night.”

  I didn’t stop assessing him, I could take him if need be but it would probably be a battle of speed over sheer strength. I’d have to have a good guard for the guy to not knock me down. “I need a partner?”

  “For the first night.” He turned and started to lead the way in. “She’s expecting a big turn out.” There was a certain reverence in his voice when he said ‘she.’ “It’s better to be safe, rather than sorry, by having one too many staff on hand.” He led me into the main part of the club, and I was taken back by the changes that had been made since I was last here.

  The main room was decorated classical with ash wood on the floor and a light brown on the walls. Tables were set along the walls and small dinettes arranged around the room. Except in the middle of it, where a long metal thing lay on the floor. Was that a cage?

  “What the fuck?” I hadn’t intended to say it out loud.

  “It’s the chandelier.” He didn’t even stop to explain further. “I’ll get you to help me raise it up later. Back here’s the break room and the clock, I’ll show you how to work it so you can get on it.”

  There was a bar against the wall and a door beside it that said ‘Employees Only.’ Another man stood behind the bar, he looked like he was taking inventory of the bottles of alcohol on the shelf. He was a stick compared to me, wiry and I was betting I could break him in half. He gave us a glance went back to his list before doing a double take. He set the clipboard down and whistled, “Oh baby, please tell me you’ll be my daddy.”

  That pulled me up short. Was he talking to me? I made sure that the glare I gave him was clear that I wasn’t by any means into that, nor would I take his flirting. “No,” I growled at him.

  “Nico,” Kenneth barked from ahead of me. “If you’re going to flirt like that with your coworkers you are going to get a punishment.”

  “Only if you tattle.” The other man stuck his tongue out, and I elected to go into the ‘Employees Only’ door.

  I didn’t know what he was talking about and I didn’t care to find out. I didn’t wait for the other bouncer, I just took in the break room. It looked like I expected it to, with lockers tables and a desk to one side. There was a mirror, and digital box that I could only assume was to be used to clock
in. It took little effort to figure it out, but I was surprised to find my name already pre-programmed in it.

  I guess she figured out I was desperate for the job. I clocked in and then waited to see if the boss would appear. I took a seat and decided to get comfortable. I was surprised by the fact that the boss hadn’t been the one to greet me, I couldn’t figure out the why behind that but I assumed I’d see her when I walked in.

  “Don’t sit around and wait for the club to open.” Kenneth seemed to be done flirting with the guy at the bar. “Let me give you a tour and a rundown of your responsibilities. C’mon, she’ll be back soon, and I don’t want her to think that I didn’t do my best to make you familiar with the place.”

  Again it was that reverent tone. What the fuck was with that tone?

  I got up, and I followed him; he gave me a brief tour of the set up of the club. He showed me six rooms, taking time to open each door so I could see the inside. A few of the things they had in common were stark white walls, cement floors, broad mirrors on one wall, and an arrangement of implements that I was unfamiliar with but I could easily guess their uses. I didn’t know how to feel about it, but when I looked back to my co-worker, I could see my lack of a reaction made him unhappy. I could only shrug, hoping he would get the hint and keep on with the tour.

  From the hallway of sex rooms, he took me to another door and this one he led me into. It was a dark hallway, and I clenched my fists in case he got ideas, but then found what he was showing me. The mirrors in the rooms we had just toured were one way. I could see the brightness of those white walls, the whips, and chains all on display.

  “Isn’t this an invasion of privacy?” I asked, not bothering to look at him. I didn’t know how to feel about being able to watch people commit sexual acts on one another. Porn was one thing, walking into a hallway and having my pick of a couple fucking was another.

  “When they join the club or pay the fee for admission they agree to this. Honestly,” he stepped up to a mirror and looked into the empty room as he spoke, “it is for safety. To make sure no one is pushing boundaries. As long as you don’t stand here with your dick out, there’s not really a problem.”

  “So, you’re saying you’d be okay knowing someone is watching your every move?” I demanded; I knew I wouldn’t be. I never was good with an audience, even in a jail cell when it came to taking care of certain needs I would either find privacy or suffer from blue balls.

  Kenneth shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “If it's between having a good time and being raped, I’d rather someone watch, so the latter didn’t happen.”

  I let it go because he was right.

  “It’s this way all the way around.” He gestured ahead of him. “The hallway wraps around so you can see into every room. I think it’d probably be safe to check in on each one once an hour. She might think differently, but unless she says, so that’s the plan.”

  “So one of us watches the main room, and the other keeps an eye on the sex rooms?” I asked just to verify. It didn’t sound like a bad plan. “You can have the hallway.” I turned around to make my way out of the cramped space. “I’ll take the main room.”

  “I think it would be better to trade off,” he argued as he trailed behind me.

  I grimaced, I didn’t like the idea of watching other people, but I wasn’t gonna tell him that. I fought to think of an excuse. “Aren’t you more familiar with the ongoings of this shit?” I rolled a shoulder as I tried to play nonchalant about it. “Wouldn’t you be more apt to being able to tell what is consensual and what isn’t?”

  “It won’t be hard to figure out who’s into it and who isn’t,” he tried to argue. “So, you’re not into any of this? Why are you here?”

  “Everybody needs a job,” I deadpanned as I went back into the break room. “Where’s Angela?” I asked because I was starting to get irritated.

  “She had an errand to run.” He sat down at the table as he spoke. “It’s opening night, I imagine there’s a lot that she’s worrying over. You can wait until she gets here.”

  I grunted, and I watched him pull out his smartphone, something I didn’t have. I was stuck with a cheap flip phone, and there was no chance of getting on the internet with it. I missed out on a lot of things in my moment of stupidity, but six months was enough to break the habit of needing a device and needing to stay informed.

  Now I was all about minding my own damn business.

  Someone pounded on the front door, and somehow it managed to carry all the way back here. I turned to stand, but Kenneth bounced up from the chair and was out of the break room before I could say a damn thing. I heard the door open, and I stood, spotting the speakers. That explained why the noise carried.

  “Mr. Lau.” I heard Angela’s voice through the speaker. “I’m sorry that took so long,” she huffed lightly. “I had to guess Mr. Davis’s measurements, and I have a feeling that I went too large.”

  “Nico and Mr. Davis are here, Mistress,” I heard him respond. “Nico came and flirted with him, he didn’t take it well.” It sounded like he was giving her a report. “He’s not from the community?”

  The title confused me, and I came out the door to see a grown ass man kneeling at Angela’s feet. She stood in the doorway taking the information from him with a neutral expression and with a garment back over one arm. Community? I didn’t understand it, and I stood back in the hallway by the bar watching and listening.

  “Mr. De Santego,” she looked up and her eyes connected with mine for a beat before she looked to my left, where I assumed the bartender was, “it’s inappropriate to flirt with your co-workers.” Her tone conveyed disappointment. “That will require a punishment before the end of the night. See to it that it doesn’t happen again.”

  “Y-yes Mistress.” The flirtation that had been in the other man’s voice before was gone. There was fear, but even from here I could hear his want even if I couldn’t see him. Really? How could you be afraid and turned on? I didn't get it.

  “What the fuck?” I said, bewildered. Seeing this, I realized I had pinned Angela all wrong, and I really had no fucking clue what was going on.

  Her blue eyes bored into me, and her brows came down. She looked irritated, but I wasn’t about to get down on my knees. “Mr. Lau, take care of Mr. De Santego. Give him a punishment that you see fit, but do not do anything that would impede him from working. If you make a mess, you both can clean it up.” All the while she spoke I had her full attention. I was distracted by how she managed to give them commands so I couldn’t win this staring contest. There was so much to take in, and the club hadn't even fucking opened yet.

  Instead, I watched as Kenneth stood and turned towards me. He cleared his throat and nodded towards the hallway. The bartender stepped from behind the bar, and I could see dejection on his face, but he was quick to follow the other man down the hall. I didn’t know what the punishment would be for him, but I didn’t think it was warranted.

  Whatever was going on, the issue seemed to be taken care of because Angela approached me not at all concerned about what she set into motion between the other two men. “Mr. Davis, you’re earlier than I expected.” She gave me a smile before elbowing her way around me. “Forgive me for making you wait, I had some issue with getting you a suit and I have a feeling I will need to borrow you to make sure I get a good fit for you.”

  “What the hell was all that?” I turned around so I could follow her. “I am not fucking kneeling at your feet, and you are not dolling out fucking punishment to me.”

  She didn’t even stop, she kept on into the break room like I didn’t say a word. She went to the bathrooms that took up the back wall and stepped into the designated men’s room. “Let’s get this on you and see how it fits,” she said, ignoring my complaints.

  I was rattled. I followed her into the bathroom and just glared at her. “Woman,” I growled out, “fucking talk to me about what I just saw.”

  She didn’t stop from unzipping the garment
bag and only spared me a glance. “Mr. Lau and Mr. De Santego both signed an agreement that would allow for punishment. They are both from what Mr. Lau referred to as our community. Meaning they enjoy varying degrees of BDSM. Does that clear things up for you?” She had a black suit out and hung it on the door of one stall, “You didn’t sign such an agreement so the only kind of punishment that you would face, if it is warranted, is a write-up... or termination, if necessary.”

  Good. I had no idea what the other kind of punishment involved, but I felt like I was at ease with that reassurance. I had some normalcy. “I’m not kneeling at your feet,” I repeated, in the event she got any ideas.

  “While I’m sure you do paint a pretty picture on your knees, Mr. Davis, I’m well aware of the fact that you aren’t that type of person,” she said with a heaved a sigh. “Now enough meandering about your pride and ego. Get undressed, so we can see how this fits you.”

  “Get out, and I will put it on,” I countered. There was something about her standing there that made me feel uneasy. Like I didn’t want her to see me vulnerable. I didn’t want her to see any sort of weakness.