Page 17 of Let’s Be Real

I set my drink down, brushing against her arm in the process. “Not really. But he isn’t one to talk. It isn’t like he’s had much success in that department.”

“The difference is he doesn’t want to find success. I do. Knowing him, he’ll decide it’s time to settle down, go out on one date, and it’ll be a fairy tale. Meanwhile, I’m spending my life kissing frogs.”

“Then stop kissing frogs. That’s a pretty gross habit, you know.”

“How else will I find my prince?” she asked with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

“True.” I chuckled, and after a moment, quiet settled between us as a woman dressed in a sheer purple bra and even more sheer skirt took the small stage at the front of the room.

“Madam Cara,” Samantha whispered, rising to her feet. “I hate to leave you, but I have a few things I need to check on. Stay. Watch the show. I’ll find you later if you’re still here.”

I stayed for a while, still not eager to be alone. Madam Cara’s use of candles was definitely interesting, making me wonder about the cleanup process of wax down there, but my gaze kept wandering to Samantha. She was like a butterfly, flitting from table to table, talking to clients then moving along to direct staff members. She only hovered for moments and rarely stopped completely.

It was no wonder Adrian was able to fall asleep easily, knowing she was here running things. If she’d been running my brain as smoothly as the club, I might’ve been able to fall asleep too.

All I had were SSRIs for that job, and they were nowhere near as smooth as Samantha.

The moans on stage caught my attention. A volunteer was draped over a table, Madam Cara dripping wax all over his penis and balls. The sight made me wince, but the man was at full mast. Despite his pained whimpers, he must’ve been enjoying it. It was a bit of a train wreck I couldn’t look away from.

Madam Cara danced around him, teasing him with her candles until he begged for more. Then she mounted the table, straddling his midsection, and let the wax drip down her torso onto his.

He was bucking beneath her, pleading for more, all while keeping his hands at his sides.

He was so much bigger, but she was the one in control.

It wasn’t my scene. I couldn’t really say I had a scene. But it was fascinating. I ordered a second drink and sipped it through the rest of the show.

Samantha showed up a few minutes after it ended, taking her perch on the stool next to mine.

“You’re still here.”

I lifted my mostly empty glass. “How could I leave with that kind of entertainment?”

“You should come back on Shibari night. We have a couple who are gorgeous together. Even if bondage isn’t your thing, it’s not to be missed.”

“Maybe I will. Though I can’t imagine anything surpassing wax on balls.”

A light giggle burst out of her. “How did that make you feel?”

I moved a hand over my crotch. “Protective.”

“So no wax for Nate Wells.” She mimed scribbling on her hand. “Got it.”

I leaned an elbow on the bar behind me. “I’m not excluding wax, but not…there. There’s nothing enticing about that.”

“Hey, to each their own. Her volunteer felt no pain.” She tapped her chin. “Well, maybe he did, but it was the kind of pain he likes.”

My nose crinkled. “I think I’m too vanilla to understand that.”

“That’s okay.” Once again, her shoulder brushed against mine. “Vanilla is one of the most popular flavors of ice cream for a reason. Nothing wrong with vanilla so long as it’s not judging the other flavors.”

I raised my free hand. “I’m too busy judging myself to worry about what other people are doing.”

She pressed my hand down to my side. “You don’t have to defend yourself to me, Nate. I know you’re a good guy.” Her fingers slid off mine to gesture around the room. “This isn’t for everyone. I get that. To be honest, without the ‘forbidden’ aspect, it would be a lot less fun.”

Before I could stop myself, I asked, “Do you ever get the chance to participate?”

It was none of my business, but she didn’t seem put off by my invasive question. “I have in the past. But like I said, most of the guys I’ve been in relationships with aren’t the biggest fans of my job, so it’s been a while.”