DIRTY DRINKS AND BAD DECISIONS

My face burns so hot I’m almost convinced steam is about to start pouring from my ears!

"I... I don’t have..." I stammer helplessly, clutching my drink tighter like the sweating glass can somehow save me from this conversation and across from me, Rhyssa hums lazily, completely ignoring my desperate attempt to crawl away from the topic. "Ooh, Let me guess..." She drawls, swirling the amber liquid in her glass. "Muscular, tattooed... piercings... rippling abs and six inches of veined goodness in his pants?"

I nearly choke as a horrified strangled sound escapes me and heat floods my entire face until it feels like my skin would peel off from the heat! Rhyssa simply arches a brow. "Too much?" She asks innocently and flutters her lashes at me. "You prefer growers then?"

I stare at her in speechless horror as she takes another sip of her drink, entirely unbothered. "My boyfriend’s a grower." she says conversationally. "Or so he says..."

My throat goes dry as the words just keep pouring from her mouth. "He swears he’s gonna get bigger when we have sex," she continues with a scoff, "but I barely even notice when it’s in..."

I almost drop my glass! How is she saying these things so casually?! Like she’s discussing the weather instead of... instead of... My brain short-circuits completely and Rhyssa clinks her glass against mine with a grin completely oblivious to my reaction.

"Oh well..." she sighs dramatically. "Here’s to getting good dick! Lord knows how scarce it is nowadays..." I can only stare at her wordlessly as she takes a final drag of her cigarette before trashing it. This woman is insane!! She's all beauty, confidence and terrifyingly vulgar insanity wrapped in red silk and sharp eyeliner!

Suddenly she notices my shocked expression and her smile falters. "Wait a second..." Her eyes narrow suspiciously. "You have had sex before, right?"

My eyes widen and panic detonates inside me.

"Of course I have!" I blurt out way too loudly and my heart rate speeds up "Pfft! I... huh... I... with my boyfriend. Yes... With my boyfriend all the time." The lie crashes out awkwardly, limping and malformed like it broke both legs on the way out of my mouth!

Rhyssa slowly lowers her glass and her feline stare sharpens. "Oh my God..." she whispers and my stomach drops as she suddenly leans forward until her face is inches from mine, studying me like a detective sniffing out a crime scene. I instinctively lean back and her eyes widen dramatically.

"Holy fuck," she gasps. "You’re a virgin, aren’t you?!"

I blanch. "N-no!!!" But she’s already shaking her head rapidly.

"Nah girl..." she says immediately. "Abort mission! Abort the entire damn mission!" Mortification crashes through me in violent waves and I scoff "I am not a virgin!" I hiss but she's nodding now...

"Hell yeah...You absolutely are one."

"I am not!" I gape at her. "How would you even know? I said I'm not!"

Rhyssa points at me accusingly. "You blushed when I said abs..." And I sputter, floundering for a suitable remark to that as my face burns hotter. "What... Well excuse me for having dignity!!"

She snorts so hard she nearly spills her drink. "Dignity?" she repeats. "Baby, this club has a man downstairs right now getting whipped by a woman dressed like a nun..."

I nearly choke on air. "A WHAT?!"

"Exactly..." She leans closer. "Which is why this?" She gestures vaguely at me entirely. "...this whole little virgin adventure you’re planning? Is a terrible idea."

I stiffen instantly and her teasing tone softens slightly. "Listen sweetheart, these men are beasts..." she says bluntly. "Every single one of them is looking for the next easy fuck." Her gaze flickers over me carefully. "And you..." She sighs. "You seem to me like the type to want sweet cuddles and mushy shit like rainbows and butterflies... You won't get that here."

Something icy slides through my chest immediately and I straighten in my seat. "I don’t see how my sex life is any of your business." I say coldly. "I don’t even know you... And you know nothing about me."

Rhyssa studies me for a moment and the playful edge in her expression dims slightly. "I'm just giving advice..."

"Well I don’t want it!" The words come out sharper than intended and for a second, silence settles between us beneath the pounding bass vibrating through the nightclub walls. Then Rhyssa sighs...

"I can already see that crazy look in your eyes," she mutters, taking another slow sip of her drink. "The kind that says you’re gonna do this anyway..."

I stare at her icily but she's right... I will get laid tonight one way or another... I'd rather die than let my first time be with Pierre Moretti and his smelly sweaty palms. Rhyssa raises one hand in mock surrender. "Okay, little tiger. I won’t judge."

Little tiger? What am I? A pet?

Rhyssa tilts her head thoughtfully. "But can I at least get you into the VIP section?"

I blink in disbelief, "What?"

"On the house..." She shrugs. "I'd be pissed as hell if your first time was with a fleabag like Dante..."

My eyes widen. "Wait... you’d do that for me?" The question escapes before I can stop it and Rhyssa snorts. "Don’t get emotional on me now... I'm just shocked to meet someone crazier than me is all."

"I’m not emotional!... Or crazy..." I mutter the last part and Rhyssa laughs again and then slides off her stool. "Come on."

My pulse skips. "Wait... now?" She arches a brow at me, "Do you want to get laid or not?"

"I don’t know..." I glance uncertainly around the crowded club. "Maybe I should just stay here..."

Rhyssa gives me a look and then, before I can protest further, she grabs my wrist and pulls me along with her. "Okay... move your ass, virgin princess."

Excuse me?! But she’s already dragging me off the stool and I stumble after her, scrambling to keep up as she weaves through the crowded nightclub like she owns the place and people move aside for her automatically. Several men grin at her and shout out compliments which she ignores... A bartender literally salutes her with a bottle of tequila and she blows him a kiss in return.

Who the hell is this woman? The music grows louder as we go deeper into the club and through the Fancy booths while several bodies grind together beneath flashing neon lights...

We reach the back of the club where the lighting dims considerably but somehow the bass becomes heavier here. Slower and throbbing... It makes me giddy and sends a weird shiver of excitement through me... Oh no... The alcohol was definitely kicking in!

A pair of massive black double doors stand at the end of the corridor guarded by two enormous men dressed entirely in black and the atmosphere changes as we near the doors... Suddenly it seems very real and I begin to second guess everything... What are you doing Barbara???

I slow down instinctively and Rhyssa notices immediately. "Nervous?"

"No..." She looks back at me and her mouth twitches "You just squeezed my hand hard enough to cut off circulation... You can back out if you want you know..."

I release her wrist instantly. "I am not nervous." I repeat stubbornly and she chuckles "You’re adorable..."

I'm not a freaking child! Yet she keeps calling me adorable and cute! It's annoying as hell. I glare at her and one of the muscular guards smirks slightly as we approach. "Evening, Rhyssa... Looking gorgeous as always."

"Hello boys..." she purrs. The taller guard’s gaze slides toward me and his eyebrow lifts. "New girl?" They both take in my skimpy outfit and my exposed boobs hungrily and I nearly combust under their penetrative stares and Rhyssa grins wickedly. "Behave..." she warns them. "Or she’ll melt..."

I say something improper under my breath as the guards chuckle and Rhyssa hooks her arm through mine and steers me forward. The guards immediately step aside, just like that... No other questions asked, which means she definitely has some kind of status here.

My curiosity spikes. "What exactly do you do here?" I whisper and she flashes me a grin over her shoulder. "A little bit of everything..."

Well... That answers absolutely nothing. But before I can ask again, she pushes the double doors open and my breath catches...

Soft red lighting spills across dark walls lined with mirrors and black silk drapes. Velvet couches curve around low glass tables and crystal chandeliers glimmer overhead... People are lounging everywhere! A man wearing only leather straps walks past me holding another man on a leash and my eyes nearly burst out of my skull! Rhyssa notices and gives me nudge, "Don’t stare." she says casually and I look away, "I wasn’t staring..."

She chuckles again "You looked seconds away from passing out..." And I retort angrily "I'm just observing!!"

She smirks "Sure you are..."

Heat crawls back into my cheeks as I look around... Everything here feels unreal, like I accidentally stepped into some hidden world that exists beneath ordinary life. One where everyone is hotter, louder and bolder... Where shame doesn’t exist and people touch each other openly without hesitation.

A man presses a scantily clad woman against the wall nearby, sucking her tongue while someone cheers and I almost trip over my own feet again while watching them. Thankfully Rhyssa catches my arm before I fall. "You okay there, Bambi?"

"Will you stop with the nicknames?!"

She smirks at me smugly "You walked into a sex club looking like you’ve never even seen a penis before... You’re definitely Bambi."

"I have seen one!" I snap and she gives me a look. "Online photos don't count..."

"I hate you." I grit out the words and look away as she gives me another playful nudge, "No, you don’t..."

Unfortunately... she’s right. Which is ridiculous considering I’ve known her for less than an hour yet somehow she already feels like I've known her my entire life... Like chaos in human form or the kind of person who could drag you into hell and somehow make it fun.

Beside us, a woman in a silver dress straddles a man’s lap while another feeds him strawberries while someone else disappears behind a curtain with a hand wrapped tightly around their throat. My pulse pounds harder.

This place feels different from the nightclub downstairs... More intimate, expensive and... dangerous.

Rhyssa leans close enough for her lips to brush my ear as she gestures to the seductive sinful scene surrounding us. "Back here..." she purrs, "is where all the real fun happens, love."

A shiver runs down my spine as she smiles slowly.

"Welcome to the Pleasure Den."