The waitress set their food in front of them, and they all dug in. Once they were done, they each ordered one last drink.
“What time is it?” Gillian asked when the table was clear.
“Ten forty-five,” Brad said after pulling out his phone.
“It’s time to wrap this up and move on to the next engagement.” Piper signaled the waitress. “We just need the check. Thanks.”
“Do we get any hints now?” Michael asked, draping his arm behind his wife, using his thumb to caress the small of her back.
“Absolutely not. We’re so close to the finish line, why would we spoil it now?” Piper teased. “Plus, I know you’re going to love it. Or at least I think you will. If not”—she shrugged—“we can go home. I bought a new video for us to watch on that killer TV you installed.” She turned to Brad. “Michael told me I have you to thank for that. I heard you were instrumental in the installing, and without you it would still be in the box.”
“Not a problem,” Brad said. “I was happy to help.”
“So we’re going to an event, huh?” Michael asked.
“It’s best to give it up, brother,” Brad commented. “They’re not going to tell us anything. Gillian won’t tolerate questions from me at this point, so I’m not going to even try.”
Gillian placed a palm on his chest. “That’s right, baby. You just keep those beautiful, full lips closed. If you do, you’ll get a special reward.” Her hand slid up his pecs to his lips, then she pressed a single finger there for a moment, until Brad opened his mouth and took it inside and sucked.
Michael had no doubt that this night was going to be interesting.
They paid up and followed Brad and Gillian out to the parking lot. Piper got behind the wheel, and Michael slid into the passenger seat.
Piper drove out of the parking lot. “We’re not going very far,” she told him. “But that’s all I’m giving you.”
Michael glanced around at their surroundings as she drove, but he wasn’t familiar with this area at all. A few blocks later, Piper followed Gillian through a series of short turns, finally pulling into the parking lot of a warehouse.
Michael sat up as they got closer to the building. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “Is that a red number one painted above the door?”
Piper glanced out the windshield to where Michael pointed. “Looks like it. Why?”
He turned to his wife, grinning from ear to ear. “I know where we are.”
Piper’s face dropped. “You do? Have you been here before?”
“No! Of course not,” he assured her, leaning in to give her a kiss. “You’re not going to believe this, but this was the last thing on my top five.”
“Are you kidding me?” Piper said. “How did you find out about it?”
“I’m sure you haven’t forgotten Beth, right?”
“The blonde who walked in on us while I was blowing you under your desk?”
“The very same. After you left, she gave me a card, telling me to call her, so I did. But when we decided not to do anything else, I figured it could wait.”
“Oh.” Michael watched as some of the joy in Piper’s face seemed to drain away before his eyes. “Will she be here tonight?”
“I think so. That was the plan anyway. She’ll be surprised to see us, since I told her we weren’t coming.”
“Are you…does she want to have sex with you?” Piper paused. “I guess we could do that.”
Realizing why his wife’s mood had just changed, he immediately leaned over and covered her lips with another tender kiss. He let it linger, his hand cupping the back of her neck, before he pulled back. “No, Piper. I don’t want anyone but you tonight. And she doesn’t want me. She actually wants…you.”
“Me?” Piper’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about? Is she a lesbian?”
“Nope, she told me she’s bi. And she’s totally into you. But I don’t think it’s about sex. It’s just about touching and pleasure.”
A rap outside his window startled him, and he turned to see Gillian. She cocked her head at him. “Well, are you two coming or not?”
“We are,” Piper answered as she opened her door, a smile beginning to form on her lips. When Michael didn’t get out of the car immediately, Piper stuck her head back in and gave him a full smile. “You know, I might just want to meet up with this Beth and see where the night takes us.”
Michael was hard again instantly.
* * *
As they all walked toward the door with the red numeral one painted above it, Piper felt giddy. She’d been so relieved by Michael’s news that he didn’t want to have sex with Beth, and vice versa, she felt like she might fly.
“I can’t believe you had this on your list and knew someone to get us in!” Piper exclaimed, her arm around her husband’s waist. “I find that to be a crazy coincidence.”
“Michael knows about this place?” Gillian turned as Brad opened the door for them to enter. “Dang, that makes so much sense now! When I called my contact and gave her our names, she acted like you guys were already on the list. I just pretended she was fucking with me and carried on, like I usually do when life throws me a curve ball.”
“Michael put us on the list, if you can believe it,” Piper said as they entered a dark, industrial hallway. A big staircase was to the left.
A single guard stood inside against the wall.
He approached them as soon as they came in.
“I’m big, but that guy is huge,” Brad said with a low whistle. “Must be on some steroids.”
The guard’s face was masked in red fabric, and he was naked from the waist up.
“That’s massive man candy right there,” Gillian said, seemingly unfazed by his size. “What do we need to do to get by you, sir?” she asked him.
The masked man made a show of looking them over one by one, his eyes traveling up and down as he went. He took his time. Then he simply nodded and pointed to his right.
They all shuffled in that direction, Piper trying not to giggle too loudly as she passed him. “Well, that was…a little strange,” she said as they got farther down the hallway.
“They must have people with fetishes here,” Gillian commented over her shoulder. “That’s the kind of guy you have standing sentinel at a BDSM party. More than anything, that guy is meant to titillate first and keep out the riffraff second.”
“Welp, I’m happy to say the titillation part worked on me,” Piper said. “But how does he know who the riffraff are from the regular clientele?” They made their way to the single door at the end of the hallway.
Brad pulled it open.
There were no markings on this one, not even another red number one.
“I’m assuming,” Gillian said, “that in this neighborhood, anyone who doesn’t look like they work full time for the man gets verified. That hunk of a man took one look at you guys and let us all in. If Brad and I had come alone, who knows? He probably has a list on his phone and has to take it out from time to time to check.” Gillian stepped aside to let Piper and Michael walk through the door first.
“By the way, I still don’t know where we’re going,” Brad said, bringing up the rear. “But I think I have a pretty good idea.”
“Oh, honey,” Gillian said. “No, you don’t, but I think you’re going to like it anyway.” As she passed, he affectionately grabbed her ass.
“If you’re here, I’ll like it just fine,” Brad growled as he shut the door behind them.
They had entered a large foyer where the décor took on a very different feel. The walls were painted in deep purples and trimmed with gold. There was dark plum carpeting, large potted plants in every corner, palm fronds reaching up to the ceiling, and there was modern art hanging on the walls. It was hard to see any more small details, because the lights in the sconces were set very low. There was just enough illumination to see an archway to the right.