I want you

The game

What is that!?" Riley asked in alarm.

That in question was a sleek, strapless number made of leathery material, sure to hug a person's body in all the right places. It exuded confidence and style, and even intimated Riley a little.

Black in colour, with a corset in the middle and bows in the front, any one who chose to wear that would certainly be the center of attention.

Riley gulped, stammering. "Y-you can't expect me to wear t-t-that, right?"

Charlie threw the dress onto the bed. "That's my outfit." she said with a small laugh. "You can wear something from my summer closet."

Riley turned to find a cupboard revealing various regular looking dresses, all in bright colours, not a hint of black or leather in sight.

She let out a breath of relief she didn't know she had been holding. Thank goodness, she didn't have to go out looking like she whipped people for fun.

She still didn't know if she really wanted to wear it, but she couldn't help but feel a little dejected now that the opportunity was no longer available. It would have been exciting, and she wanted some excitement.

She picked out a short green dress. Charlie nodded in approval. "Happy to see you left the bondage of boring pastel colours."

Riley laughed. She was feeling better already.

They shared Charlie's tea since Riley had never got round to deciding on a flavour, then hailed another cab, ready to paint the town red.

"So, this club isn't really what you're going to be used to Riley. But I assure you, as long as you stick with me, I'll keep you safe."

Riley gulped, wondering at the back of her mind whether it was too late to turn around and go back home. Suddenly, her warm bed seemed much more appealing than a night of drinking and whatever else Charlie had planned.

"Um, actually-"

"No! I'm not going to let you cancel! I know that look in your eye, you want to go back to bed! Let me just tell you now, your imagination is making it seem like your home is more comfortable than it really is, just because you're scared." Charlie said, crossing her arms around her chest. "Adam has probably left dishes in the sink, your cable subscription has expired and there's nothing good to eat in the fridge. Am I right?"

Riley scowled. Her cable subscription really had expired, now that she thought about it. She'd reminded Adam about it a week ago, and he had just grunted, saying he didn't watch TV anyway. "How did you know that?"

"You think you're the first person I've dragged out with me on a workday? I know all the excuses in the book! Now quit complaining, we're here."

While Charlie was busy haggling for a fair price for the ride, Riley started to assess the building. Her eyes narrowed as she took it in.

It was quiet, unassuming, and, well, plain. A dark brick façade with a small, neon sign that simply read “The Spot.” She had been expecting something a bit more… exciting? All that buildup from Charlie, the secrecy, the insistence on dragging her out on a workday—it didn’t add up to this.

“Seriously, Charlie? This is it?” Riley asked, a note of disappointment creeping into her voice.

Why would she wear such a pretty, daring dress just to come here?

Charlie just grinned as the taxi drove away. “Trust me, you’ll be thanking me later. Now let's go inside. I'm cold."

"I told you to wear a jacket. That dress is gorgeous, but pneumonia doesn't care about beauty."

Riley said as she followed Charlie to the door. Inside, the atmosphere was dim, the lighting low and moody, with the hum of bass vibrating through the floor. A couple of people milled about, but the entrance hall was quiet, almost too quiet for a club. Riley was about to comment on it when Charlie grabbed her hand.

A smirking man in quite an odd getup was smiling at them. Riley felt a bit uneasy, it felt like he was looking into her soul.

Stay close,” Charlie said, her voice low. “You don’t want to get lost in here.”

Riley frowned, about to ask what she meant, and whether she knew the person, but then they were at the front desk. A woman dressed in a lethal red dress leaned casually against the counter, her eyes assessing as she looked Riley up and down.

Charlie stepped forward, exchanged a few words with her, and was handed a small white handkerchief. To Riley’s surprise, Charlie turned and began tying the hanky around her arm.

“What are you doing? What’s this for?” Riley asked, eyeing the fabric curiously.

“Newbie status,” Charlie replied with a wink. “It’s your first time here, so you get the white. Don’t worry; it’s just a signal to others that you’re new.”

Riley was about to protest and say she didn't need everyone knowing her business, but then she caught the gaze of that weird man again. She quickly closed her mouth and let Charlie keep on tying.

Riley noticed Charlie didn’t take a handkerchief for herself. She raised an eyebrow. “And you?”

Charlie chuckled, adjusting the knot on Riley’s arm. “I’m a veteran. No need for the hanky.”

"You seem very pleased about tha–" Riley's train of thought vanished completely derailed when her gaze drifted over to the woman at the front desk—and she froze.

Behind the counter was a display unlike anything she had expected, or even seen before.

A neatly arranged collection of tools hung on the wall, each one meticulously labeled with a price tag.

Blindfolds, a whip, a length of chain, polished handcuffs, and other implements she couldn’t quite identify. Her breath hitched, eyes widening in shock as realization started to dawn on her.

This was no ordinary club.

“Charlie,” Riley whispered, unable to tear her gaze away from the display. “What kind of club is this?”

Charlie’s smirk deepened, her eyes glittering with amusement as she leaned closer to Riley, her voice low and teasing. “You saw my room this evening. What do you think?”

Riley’s heart raced, a mix of nervousness and excitement bubbling up within her.

Mostly excitement, because she was finally realising that wasn’t just any night out. This was something entirely different, something daring, something that sent a thrill down her spine.

The ordinary design she had seen earlier was just a front; what lay beyond these walls was a world she had never let herself even imagine.

Charlie led her further inside. The low pulse of music grew louder, and the quiet murmur of voices deepened. The tension in the air was so thick, she could almost taste it.

Riley knew she was venturing into a place that promised to be anything but ordinary, and she couldn't wait.

She stepped through a wall of hanging beads, and her mouth dropped open in shock.

Right in the middle of the room were several throne like chairs, and people were regally dressed, sitting in them, surrounded by other people doting on their every need. "Some people like to be in control, some people like to give up control. I know it looks weird, but it's a great stress reliever." Charlie was saying as she led Riley through the room.

There were people milling about, drinks in hand. Some people were just watching and staring, some people were talking amongst themselves. The music was loud, but not deafening. It felt like a normal club, but then she looked to her left and saw a couple making out, right there in the open.

"Exhibitionists" Charlie said, rolling her eyes. "They really don't care that you're staring. In fact, they encourage it."

They walked past a woman brandishing a whip. She was wearing a mask. In fact, quite a lot of people were wearing masks.

"Anonymity." Charlie responded to her question before she even got the words out. "Some people are scared of who they really are, so they hide. Some people like to separate their desires from themselves, so they wear masks. Sorry, I didn't ask if you wanted one. Do you want to go back to front desk?"

"No...it's okay. It's not like I'd know anyone here. Plus I don't really care either."

Charlie smiled almost proudly. "I knew there was a reason I liked you so much."

"Isn't it because I asked them to to raise your salary?"

"Other than that" she said with a laugh. "Come on. If you're done staring at these folks, I want to introduce you to my friends."

She led Riley down a dark passage, explaining as they went.

"There are various themes that we follow down here. This room-" she stopped at a door that was decorated in glitter and sparkles "is prom themed. So people dress up really nicely and sparkly and role play as kinky royalty."

She points at another door. This one was labeled impact play and there was a graffiti of a person tied to a chair.

"In scenes like this, the existence of a safe word is really important. It's something you otherwise wouldn't say, that lets your partner know you can't keep going, or you're not okay with what is currently happening. Something odd, like Rumpelstiltskin or something. You can't afford to forget your safe word."

Riley nodded, her mind struggling to make sense of all this new information. It certainly took her mind off her boring schedule. She didn't think it was possible to ever be bored here.

Charlie pointed at yet another door. "This is where aftercare happens. It's a really big part of this whole thing. You have to make sure you're partner knows they're loved, you can't just use them and go home. Club policy. Okay, so that's most of the tour done. Any questions?"

"How do you have time to balance this with your accountant job?"

Charlie laughed. "I have insomnia. I wouldn't have been able to sleep anyways, so why not focus my energy on something that actually brings me joy?"

Riley nodded, not totally understanding, but wanting to be encouraging.

"We're not going to stay long because I know we have work in the morning, but I just wanted to let you know that if you ever needed a place to unwind, you can come here." Charlie said, as they stopped at their final door.

This one was quite bland, just labeled number 5.

"Who's number five?"

"Me. I haven't gotten round to decorating yet." Charlie mumbled, opening the door to find people already inside.

"Where the f**k have you been? You're supposed to head the Demo!" A brunette yelled upon seeing Charlie's freckled face.

"And hello to you too Kris. What the hell are you talking about? Ryan told me I wasn't working today."

Well Ryan's a f*****g liar, or he miscalculated. Either way, you're heading the Demonstration, so go go go! Thank goodness you decided to show up on time today."

"I can't go! I brought my friend along, I can't just leave her here, she's new!"

All eyes fell on Riley, who shrank behind Charlie's tall, and angry, figure. "H-hi?" she squeaked.

Riley usually wasn't a shy person. She'd been vice president of the debate club in highschool after all. But somehow, she knew her argumentative spirit wouldn't do her any favours here.

"She can stay with us. We don't bite. Well, Kris does, but the rest of us don't." A man with multiple face piercings piped up. Riley couldn't take her eyes off of his face. Piercings had always fascinated her, but her parents had freaked out so much when her sister had gotten double lobes done that she put the entire idea out of her head completely.

The man noticed her staring at him and smiled, sticking out

his tongue to reveal a shiny metal bud. "I'm Alex. You?"

She blinked rapidly, trying to pull her eyes away from his septum. "R-Riley."