Open Doors Read online

  Another heavy sigh that saddened her. “What’s the five-year plan, again?” he asked.

  This time, it sounded like he was really listening to her and her words weren’t just washing over and around him like a river around a boulder. “To have all our loans to the club paid back, and to have the club earning enough every month to pay expenses, with a little in reserve for repairs and improvements. So that it’s a self-sufficient beast that doesn’t need cash infusions every time we turn around.”

  “Did I mention how much I love you?”

  “A few times, yes.”

  “If in five years, we’re at that point, or sooner, and you want out of this, we’ll see about selling it to someone.”

  She gentled her voice. “I’m not saying that right now. I loved seeing everyone happy, too. I want this to succeed, but not at the expense of us. Just work with me, and listen to me when I say stuff. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  She smiled. “Trust me, I don’t care what anyone says, you’re Mastering right.”

  He chuckled.

  Chapter Eleven

  “We really need a class for newbies,” Leah said over dinner at Sigalo’s.

  Everyone gathered around the tables for dinner looked at Marcia.

  She set down her fork. “Okay, why do people look at me for stuff like that?”

  Derrick leaned in and kissed her. “Because they know who the true brains behind this operation is, and it’s not me, that’s for damn sure.”

  Six weeks into things following their first “real” party, as they thought of the second one. The club—which it now officially was—was scheduled to be open the first three Saturday nights of every month. That meant at least one—if not two—Saturday nights free every month for Derrick and Marcia and their volunteers.

  They’d had few problems so far. They’d refused memberships to three people who’d cropped up on the USDOJ sex offenders database. Derrick knew the sheriff’s office had sent undercover officers to the club, because one of them and his wife joined.

  The man had come in early for one of the play sessions, after watching a rope demo and joining, and had a private talk with Derrick.

  He’d told Derrick that as long as they kept doing what they were doing, they wouldn’t run afoul of the law. That once it was clear several different random visits had proven there wasn’t any sex going on, or any alcohol allowed, the club had dropped from the sheriff department’s list of interest.

  He’d also related the story of how the last undercover officer who’d been sent a couple of weeks earlier had almost been thrown out of the club when he’d asked one of the DMs if it was possible to hire anyone for sex through the club.

  Only after the guy claimed he was new and apologized profusely did the DM finally relent and let him stay.

  “Then he sat our guy down in a corner for over an hour and lectured him about proper etiquette in the lifestyle, what to do, what not to do, consensual play, all of that.” The detective laughed. “Our guy told our captain there was no way in hell he was coming back, because he didn’t want to sit through another lecture like a scolded kid when there were more important things to be focusing on. Like shutting down meth houses and human trafficking, not bothering people getting their consensual kink on in a warehouse.”

  Derrick had breathed a silent sigh of relief that his faith in his volunteer DM staff hadn’t been misplaced. “Any idea who the DM was, so I can thank him?”

  “A guy named Tony, I think.”

  Derrick laughed. “Then he’s damn lucky he didn’t get tossed out. He must have done a good job sucking up. Tony doesn’t hesitate to kick people out if they cause a problem or violate a rule.”

  Three people had shown up drunk and made it past the front door, just to be turned around by Tony and sent back out to sober up. And another guy, who’d started to follow his girlfriend into the women’s bathroom late one night just before closing, had also received a shoulder-tap from Tony before the couple could get up to any forbidden activity.

  When he’d tried to say he was only going in to help her with her corset, Tony had nailed him. “Try again. I saw you pull the condom from your bag, and she was naked in here twenty minutes ago, so she can’t claim she’s shy. You can help her with her corset out here.”

  They hadn’t been back, not that Derrick really wanted people like that as members, anyway. Someone who didn’t want to agree to follow their rules, or who wanted to try to skirt them, those weren’t people he wanted there.

  The most common violation they dealt with was cell phones being pulled out and glanced at to see the time. Those problems had drastically dropped when he’d found a large wall clock, with a digital screen you could see in the dark from nearly anywhere inside the playspace, and hung it over the bathroom doors.

  People couldn’t claim they couldn’t see it.

  “What kind of class, exactly?” Marcia asked, slightly mollified by her husband’s compliment.

  “I think we should have a couple of different ones,” Kaden said. “A general one, an overview of the lifestyle and kink in general. Then maybe one for submissives, especially female submissives. And one for Dominants.”

  “What about us switches?” Gilo asked with a grin from where he sat on the other side of Leah.

  Kaden rolled his eyes. “I’ve seen you be more of a brat and a SAM than a switch.”

  “A guy’s gotta have a hobby.”

  “You’re more like a bad habit,” Tilly playfully teased from her side of the table, where she sat next to her Master, Cris.

  “So back to the topic,” Leah said. “That was one of the things you’d said you wanted to do. I know we’ve had demos and stuff, but I think a regular class for newbies would be great. Hold it the same day each month so it becomes a fixture. It’ll help draw new members in. Even hold it the Saturday after the monthly munch so you can announce it there and hopefully get even more of a draw.”

  Derrick looked at Marcia. “I don’t have time to do it. You’d have to be the one to do it, so it’s your call.”

  Kel coughed something that suspiciously sounded like “Mastering wrong” before laughing.

  “I could put together a PowerPoint presentation,” Marcia said.

  “I’ll help you,” Loren offered. “I might not be able to teach it every month, but I’ll switch off with you.”

  There were assorted “ooohs” catcalled around the table from several men.

  “Ha, ha,” Loren said. “Grow up, guys. No girl-on-girl action from this girl.”

  “Damn,” Ross muttered, inciting another round of laughter from everyone. “Well, a Dom can dream,” he said.

  Loren and Marcia started tossing ideas around, with input from Leah, Tilly, and several other women.

  Derrick looked across the table at Kaden. “Your slave’s an instigator,” he teased. “Can’t you do something about that?”

  Kaden arched an eyebrow at him. “I could…but this is much more fun.” He grinned.

  * * * *

  The first class was scheduled. Marcia and Loren honed the PowerPoint presentation over the next week and a half until they had an outline they were happy with, one which could be covered within an hour and hopefully not overwhelm everyone.

  Loren used her past scuba diver instructor experience to fashion a relatable and easily understood analogy to explain the widely diverse world of kink, fetish, and alternative lifestyles.

  They weren’t sure if they’d even have any students show up. Marcia had Derrick buy a large flat-screen TV and hang it on the outside of the office wall. They already had cable TV with their Internet service, so they could use it for events like throwing Super Bowl parties, or movie nights, if they ran a cable for it through the office wall. She hooked her laptop up to it with an HDMI cable, and voila.

  Loren and Marcia arrived early that Saturday afternoon to prepare. Derrick would join them shortly to watch the office while they taught.

  And as person after person fi
led in, signed the short-form privacy agreement on their sign-in sheet on the office desk, and took a seat in the club, Loren and Marcia quickly realized they had a problem.

  It was looking like they would have a full house for this class.

  By the time Derrick arrived twenty minutes before the class was to start, Loren was inside with the over thirty people, talking to them, while Marcia was still checking people in.

  “Holy crap,” Derrick said as he walked around the counter. “Why didn’t you call me?”

  “Been a little busy, dear,” Marcia said, sliding past him. “Make sure everyone signs in.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Inside. It’s packed in there.”

  The look of relief on Loren’s face when Marcia walked in was priceless. By the time they started the class, they had nearly fifty people in attendance. The women took turns talking, as they’d rehearsed. At the end of the presentation, nearly everyone there filed back into the office to get membership applications.

  Loren collapsed into a chair. “Wow,” she whispered. “I had no clue it would be that popular.”

  “Me, either.”

  They heard Derrick yell from the office. “Marcia! Loren!”

  Marcia giggled. “Shit, I think he’s overwhelmed.”

  An hour later, they had all the new member applications processed, everyone was entered into the computer, and they were checking people in for the evening play session.

  Having the office definitely made a difference in the ambiance of the larger playspace. The office currently wasn’t much more than a painted room with lights and a counter, on which the computer and printer sat, but it made a difference when people walked into the dungeon. No more jarring daylight or security lights filtering in from outside, and the extra layer of noise buffering helped, too.

  Eventually, they’d like to offer products for sale, but that could come later.

  For now, it was an effective way to screen people before they made it into the playspace, and turn any sketchy people away who were looking for a “sex club.”

  And they’d turned away several of those, so far.

  But it would help them keep their members safer, and that was well worth the expense.

  * * * *

  “How about here?” Kaden held one end of the whiteboard, Derrick the other.

  “No, I don’t like it there.” Marcia turned. “Try it here, where people can see it when they come in.”

  They were preparing for the club’s six-month anniversary the next night. They’d added one Friday night to their monthly schedule, as well as being open every Saturday night now. Jenny had become their head volunteer, even though she preferred working out in the dungeon and not in the office.

  But with her care and attention to detail, having her there meant Marcia and Derrick could take off at least one Saturday a month and not worry.

  “I think she’s right,” Jenny said. “They should be able to see it when they come in.”

  “Why do we need a whiteboard now?” Derrick said.

  “Because I’m sick of printing up schedules,” Marcia said. “It’s better to have it there, then they can take a business card and write the dates on it that they’re interested in, and I don’t have to waste money printing up schedules that don’t get used.”

  “Can’t argue with logic,” Kaden said.

  “You realize this is all your fault, right?” Derrick asked him. “‘Hey, you should totally open a club.’”

  Kaden snickered. “I don’t think that’s what I said, exactly. And why do you think we’re helping out? I feel guilty.”

  Apparently guilty enough to make sure that supplies seemed to magically appear in the club every week, like cups, plates, bottles of soda, and the like.

  When Marcia had asked around of the six people who had keys, not including Kel’s key, everyone—including Kel—had denied it.

  But Derrick suspected Kaden and Leah. Leah always helped with clean-up and knew what needed to be purchased before the next party.

  Sure enough, the past several times Marcia had gone shopping, she’d returned to the club only to find the supplies replenished.

  Now she stopped by the club on shopping day and checked before she went shopping.

  Like clockwork, the stuff still appeared.

  “And we appreciate every bit of help,” Marcia told him. “Yeah, right there is perfect.”

  Derrick held the whiteboard in place while Kaden marked the position so they could get it hung.

  “So how do you like your new violet wand?” Kaden asked Derrick.

  “Ask her. She’s the one who gets zapped.”

  “I love it,” Marcia said. “It’s my new favorite toy.”

  Derrick turned. “Hey, I thought my cock was your favorite toy.”

  “Correction, the violent wand is my second-favorite toy.”

  “That’s more like it.”

  * * * *

  The night of the club’s five-year anniversary celebration, a group of them sat around one of the tables after they’d finished the end-of-night cleanup. Kaden and Leah, Ross and Loren, Tony, Gilo—many of their closest friends. Marcia had never felt so grateful to have them in their lives.

  “That was fun,” Kaden said.

  Marcia tipped her head. “You feeling okay, Kade?” He looked weary, more so than usual.

  “I’m just tired,” he said. “I’ve had a hell of a case load lately. Lots of trips to the Atlanta office.”

  “Ed said you guys were buried,” Derrick said. In fact, Ed and Hope had left early, Hope putting her foot down when Ed dozed off sitting on one of the couches, while in midconversation with Tony.

  “It’ll even out,” Kaden said. “It always does. Just a new and complicated corporate client. So how are we topping tonight’s party?”

  They’d celebrated the club’s fifth birthday with kinky variations of party games, like mousetrap minefield, and a twist of pin the tail on the donkey, only involving a strap-on and a Fleshlight hung from the metal A-frame they used for suspensions.

  A very quiet and subdued Tilly had helped Loren come up with most of the party games.

  “I don’t know,” Loren said. “I think we outdid ourselves.”

  “Is Tilly doing okay?” Derrick asked. “Between just us?”

  Loren shrugged. “How okay is anyone after something like that? Her world as she knew it ended.”

  “But it’s been a while. A couple of years, hasn’t it?”

  “Three, and the asshole was her life,” Loren shot back. She gentled her voice when Ross reached out and touched her shoulder. “Sorry. I’m just…I still want to kill that sonofabitch. God help that bastard if I ever get my hands on him.”

  “There will be a line for that pleasure,” Marcia assured her.

  Gilo twisted his neck side to side. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m liking the new and improved Tilly. She packs a mean wallop.”

  “I think it’s because you were the only one stupid enough to let her near you with implements,” Loren said.

  “You call it stupid, I call it smart.” He grinned. “I was a masochist in need of a good beating, and she was a submissive in need of giving a good beating to someone.”

  “No,” Marcia said, “I don’t see her submitting to someone again anytime soon. If ever. That’s the sad thing.”

  Most of the men, except Gilo, looked at her with questions in their expressions.

  “I mean, Cris destroyed her trust,” Marcia said. “I’d be willing to bet, especially after tonight, that Tilly explores her toppy side. I watched her playing with you. I know it wasn’t a formal scene, it was more you two screwing around, but I saw a glimpse of the real Tilly for a few minutes. Not that mask she’s been wearing for our benefit.”

  “You might be right.” Loren looked at Gilo. “You didn’t have to goad her.”

  Gilo grinned. “Hey, I was trying to get her to laugh. It worked. You’re welcome.”

  Only a
fter he’d tormented and teased Tilly and generally made a pest out of himself, and handed her a paddle and said, “Tag, you’re it!”

  Then he let her catch him and beat the crap out of him.

  Marcia suspected she was the only one, besides Gilo, who’d spotted the tears in Tilly’s eyes when she’d given Gilo a long, strong hug before leaving, whispering something into his ear before she hurried out.

  She also suspected whatever it was Tilly had said, Gilo wouldn’t reveal it, even under threat of death.

  Now Leah was staring at Kaden. “You know, Sir, I’m going to call it a night. You look as exhausted as I feel.”

  “Then I’m not going to argue with you, sweetheart.” He slowly pulled himself to his feet. “Good night, and see you all next week.”

  After good-byes were said and they had left, Marcia noticed everyone else staring after them, too.

  “It’s not just me, is it?”

  She didn’t need to explain. “No,” Loren said. “Something’s…off. I’ve never seen him look this tired all the time.”

  Gilo stood and stretched. “Well, I’m going to take myself home and put myself to bed, unless anyone else wants to beat me again first.” He smiled.

  “Thanks for distracting Tilly tonight,” Ross said. “Seriously. Yesterday was the anniversary of her mom’s death. Well, okay, Friday was. Technically yesterday is Saturday, now, since it’s nearly three o’clock Sunday morning.”

  Gilo waved it off. “I could tell she needed a distraction. Maybe someone should suggest she take a side gig as a pro-Domme.”

  “She’s already a nurse,” Loren said.

  “Well, that’s perfect, then,” Gilo said. “Aren’t nurses usually pretty sadistic?”

  Chapter Twelve

  Tony made it to the club first. Ed would be along shortly. While Tony wasn’t sure he agreed with doing things this way, this was the plan as it had been laid out in advance by the person whose opinion mattered the most.