Three Simple Rules (The Blindfold Club #1) (5 page)

“Forget it, I don’t need it,” she said immediately.

My heart sank. Even with Payton dropping her bonus, I’d need to get someone to agree to sleep with me for $12,000. It was so much money. Who would pay that?

She threaded her hand in mine and gave it a squeeze. “You can do this.”

There were four other women offering their services for the evening, and they’d all arrived by the time Payton and I entered the lounge. She introduced me to them, but I couldn’t focus and forgot their names immediately. They were stunningly beautiful and exotic like Payton. Was I there as some sort of twisted affirmative action? The token average girl in case a customer wanted a helping of that?

And while these women were friendly and pleasant, they were also my competition. I was so screwed in every sense of the word.

“It’s okay,” Payton said. She must have sensed I was mentally freaking out and eased me down onto a chair. “Let’s go over some of the code talk.”

“Code talk?” There was a red drink in my hand suddenly, delivered by a blonde woman who looked like she’d just stepped out of a magazine ad. I thought I’d already met all the other women, but she was new.

“That’s cranberry and vodka,” the woman said. “I’m Tara. I’ll be your sales assistant.”

“You?” I took a sip of the drink blindly. “They’re going to want to sleep with you rather than me.”

Payton gave me a tight look. “Tara’s the best at sales. I already told her where you need to get to.”

“I’m sorry,” I said to the mesmerizing blonde, trying to calm myself. “I’m really nervous.”

Tara sat beside me. “I’ve been there. You just have to let yourself enjoy it. There are plenty of women who would pay to have this happen to them. It’s a fantasy.”

I set the drink down on a nearby side table. I suddenly didn’t want any more alcohol in my system. I wanted to keep my wits about me. “Tell me about the code.”

“If I talk about the weather when a client first comes in, he’s average looking. If I talk about sports, he’s hot,” Tara said.

“And if he’s fugly,” Payton added, “she’ll talk about traffic.” Tara shot her a knowing look as if they shared an inside joke.

“But if I’m wearing a blindfold, why does it matter?”

Payton’s eyes fell on me like I was a dummy. “Ugly guys pay more for pussy. A lot more.”

“I’ll negotiate the price,” Tara said, “but it’s always your call on accepting the offer. You won’t be able to see his body language, and he’ll think that’s to his advantage. When he makes a bid, where I touch you indicates what I think I’m seeing. The closer to your head I get, the closer I think we are to reaching his limit.”

I didn’t understand. She was going to touch me?

“For example,” she continued, “if he offered ten thousand for Payton and I touched her on her ankle, I think we can get him up quite a bit. If I touch her on the shoulder—”

“I’m going to take it,” Payton said.

Okay, I guessed it made sense. I hadn’t thought much about the pricing or negotiations, and I was relieved not to have to.

Time was rushing along, and when I glanced at my phone it was ten minutes to eleven. There were noises downstairs, stirrings as if clients had begun to arrive. Joseph appeared in the lounge, chatting with a few of the women near the door. I wondered dimly if he’d had his dick in everyone’s mouth at one point or another.

“Number four, Tara,” he said when he passed by.

That was the number of the room I’d sell myself in. Tara handed me a silk robe and showed me where I could put my clothes and purse, and then looked at me as if waiting for me to do something. I couldn’t fathom what, until the five other women in the lounge started to undress.

They weren’t bashful. Two of them laughed and told jokes with all their business hanging out. Some of them were watching as if judging me. I hurried to catch up, pulling the silver dress over my head. I couldn’t wear a bra since the dress was backless, so that one move told them I came to play.

I stepped out of my underwear and heels so I was as naked as a jaybird, and shrugged into the soft robe. Payton slid an arm into her own robe and cinched it shut as she gave me a wink. In spite of everything, I cracked a smile.

My bare feet were cold on the stairs as I descended in a single-file line, and then marched determinedly down the long hall to my room.

“Enjoy yourself, Evie,” Payton whispered as she passed by. “If you like it, he’ll fucking love it.”

I stared at the brass number four attached there, wondering what the hell was going to happen to me behind that door.

I turned the knob and pushed the door open.

chapter

FOUR

There wasn’t a bed in the room softly lit by a crystal chandelier. Taking the center of the space was a long table with a leather cushion top, similar to a doctor’s office, but . . . decidedly less clinical. It was, for lack of a better word, sexy. Every inch of the walls and ceiling were covered in alternating textures of black fabric in an intriguing sequence. A clever disguise for soundproofing. In the corner sat a white wingback chair I knew wasn’t for me. There was an easel with a dry-erase board on it. My willing list in big, easy to read print.

The door latched behind Tara, and I was gripped with full-body terror.

“Can I take your robe for you?”

Her voice was like honey. My clumsy hands undid the knot at my waist and let it slide off my shoulders, catching it in my hands. It felt like real silk. I handed it over and watched her hang it on a hook behind the door.

“Is it warm enough in here?” she asked. “I can adjust the thermostat.”

She must have asked because I was trembling. “I’m fine.”

Tara’s hand was warm when she set it on my arm in a friendly way. “You’ve got a beautiful body, and I’m not going to have a hard time finding a buyer for you. But it’s your first time here, so don’t worry. I’ll find the right buyer. One who deserves you.”

It was a simple gesture, but it calmed me.

“Do you mind?” Tara gestured to the table. I took a deep breath and sat down, and was surprised to discover the table was soft. “Scoot back and lie down, please.”

As I did so, I steadied my breathing. This was happening, deal with it. Tara bent down and opened a cabinet beneath the table, and when she stood, she had two pieces of black fabric in her hands. The first I recognized – a blindfold. The second was a long swath of black ribbon that disappeared over the side of the table.

“I’ll show you how this works.” She dropped the blindfold beside me and held up the ribbon. “Can I have your wrist?”

I held up my hand, and she wrapped the end of the ribbon around it, pressing it closed.

“Velcro?” I asked.

“It’s strong. You won’t be able to undo it with one hand, but if your client wants to, it’s easy.” She undid it and handed me the blindfold. “It’s time.”

Oh, god. I slipped the elastic over the back of my head and then lowered it over my eyes so everything was black.

“Make sure it’s where you want it. You won’t be able to adjust it in a minute.”

I did as she suggested, putting the elastic behind my ears. My breathing increased when her hand closed around my right wrist and strapped it down to the table.

“Can you test that for me?”

I tried to lift my arm but could only move it a few inches. Her high heels clicked softly on the floor as she rounded the table to stand on the other side. It took no time for her to do this one.

The modest part of me cringed inside. Yet there was a darker part that was turned on. It’s better to have regret of what you’ve done, than what you failed to do, it whispered.

“How are you?” she asked. “Does your nose itch? My nose always itched as soon as I was bound.”

“Well, now it does,” I replied. She laughed and ran her fingers over my nose, and then they were gone.

“Room four is ready,” she said in a hushed voice, obviously not to me. She must have an earpiece as well. Her heels tapped out a slow rhythm away, and I heard her sink into the chair.

There were a million thoughts running through my mind while we waited in silence. The straps weren’t uncomfortable, but they weren’t great, either. I wanted to get on with it even as I was petrified. What if he wanted to start with one of the three boxes I’d checked at the last minute? Disaster, that’s what would happen.

I heard the door swing open and I stopped breathing. Heavy footsteps entered, and I could make out his raspy breathing.

“Good evening, sir,” she said. “Can I show you what I’m featuring tonight?”

“Yeah,” he said. The heavy footsteps plodded closer. “Good lord, I think they get better with each room.” He had a southern accent.

“I don’t know, I think you’ll find she’s the peak. And she’s an exclusive.”

“What’s that mean?”

“She’s here for one night only. She can be yours alone.”

“Yeah?”

They lapsed into silence for a moment before Tara spoke again. “You don’t sound like you’re originally from here.”

“Nashville.”

“Oh? Bet the traffic took some getting used to.” So, he was fugly, as Payton had put it. Maybe he could put up top dollar and be done in five minutes . . .

He sighed. “She’s real pretty and all, but I’d kind of like to see them all before making a decision.”

“Of course,” she said in her honey-sweet voice. I heard the door open and close. “Thanks for telling me he’s showrooming,” she grumbled, again I assumed into the earpiece. “Okay, got it.”

It sounded like she returned to the chair.

Without my vision, it felt like hours had passed.

I waited.

And waited.

But the door never creaked open. I tried counting in my head to distract myself. What if no one else came? Whoring myself out was bad enough; what if no one wanted me?

“Tara?” I asked, panic rising in me. It had to have been at least thirty minutes, and I worried she’d left and I hadn’t heard her, or she’d fallen asleep.

“Yes?”

“Does it usually take this long?”

“No, but we’ve . . . run into a situation.”

What? “What kind of situation?”

“Someone’s requested a hold be put on you. He’s not a member of the club, and only members have that privilege.”

My heart leaped into my throat, making it difficult to breathe. Blake. Was he going to screw this up for me? Was he going to come in here and have me? The door swung open abruptly, and there was a sharp intake of breath that made me tremble.

“Good evening, sir,” Tara said. “I believe this is what you’ve been waiting for.”

“Yes.” It was almost inaudible, making it impossible to recognize.

“She’s an exclusive, one-night only experience. Please, take a closer look.”

His footsteps were quiet as he came near. I had to remind myself to breathe, to relax.

“Are you a sports fan, sir?” Tara asked.

“I’m sorry?” he said, sounding caught off guard. And not at all like Blake. Maybe familiar, but my nerves made it difficult to concentrate.

“I usually try to work it into the conversation subtly, to let her know when I think a potential client is attractive. I wanted to make sure she understood the level of attractive we’re talking about here.”

“I’m flattered.” I could hear the smile in his words.

“Would you like a taste?” she asked him. What did that mean? Then her breath was warm on my neck. “I’m going to touch you now.”

I jumped when her fingers dragged across the skin of my stomach. Lower, and lower. Was she going to–? Soft, delicate fingers stroked me. I tried to jerk away, but the straps kept me in place. I’d never fooled around with another woman. I could appreciate the beauty of the female body, but I never had any desire to explore anything outside of my own. I liked good, ole-fashioned sex, and knew I still had a lot to learn there. Adding women into the mix seemed overwhelming

It didn’t matter. Her fingers were stirring my folds where I was shamefully wet, and the slightest of moans slipped out before I could choke it back.

She drew her hand away from in between my legs, and there was a noise I couldn’t place, like a kiss. No, I figured it out. He was sucking on her fingers.