Turning into the driveway, he continued on for a few seconds into the large plot of concrete, easily able to hold eight other cars, and still have some room to spare. Reaching the garage door, he stopped just in front of his large, 90s-style mansion. Mainly taking the appearance of white stucco and faux stones, it matched the handful of large houses surrounding the area in their private community. Pulling on the emergency brake, and grabbing the paper bag as he unbuckled, he made his way up the walkway to the large wooden door. Stepping inside, he set the paper bag down a moment to take off his coat, and hang it in the adjoining closet.
Just before getting settled, he stopped in front of the ornamental mirror in the doorway to examine himself. His friends and family always told him he was a good-looking guy, with his dark brown hair; and a charmer to have blue eyes like his. Even for a guy in his early thirties, he had done very well for himself, and looked as if he’d barely aged at all. Out of everyone living in the private community, he and his wife, Nicole, were probably the youngest homeowners in their community.
Michael had found his success years ago when he entered his career in journalism at a respected, local paper. After working there a couple years, the company was facing a financial crisis, and bankrupted its owner. He liked working there too much to let it fail, so he bought the company for a low price, and with the help of a modest loan. Less than a year later, Michael had succeeded in getting the business back on it’s feet, and even rising above and beyond where it was. In two years, it had expanded, and was currently one of the top news distributors in the middle Tennessee area.
Being the good guy he was, Michael had even brought his old boss back on the force in an administrative position, to repay him for giving Michael a chance. It had also been how Michael met Nicole. At the time, Nicole was a writer for an advice column, and caught his eye one day. They married a year later, and had been together ever since.
As he made his way into the living room, he sat down on the couch, and flipped on the tv. As he got comfortable, he heard a voice come from another room, “I smell french fries.”
Nicole came out from a hallway, and joined her husband on the couch, opening the paper bag, and pulled out the hot food. They sat there, enjoying their food as they watched a reality show they both enjoyed on their huge television screen. They could have afforded to hire a private chef to come in and cook their meals every day, but they had both come from modest upbringings, and didn’t see the need for such luxuries. But, with Michael’s company currently worth over two billion dollars, they could certainly enjoy the fine things in life.
Once they had finished their food, Nicole got up, heading to the kitchen, still dressed in pj pants and a tank top, “I’m getting a glass of wine, do you want anything?” she asked, looking back at her husband.
Michael shook his head, “No, I’m good.”
His wife turned back and turned a corner into the kitchen. She returned a moment later with her wine in hand, and sat back down, taking a sip. After a few minutes, Michael looked at his wife, appreciating her body for a moment. Despite looking like she had just gotten out of bed, her strawberry blonde hair was brushed and straight. She made it a point to work out when she could to keep her slim figure.
Feeling very attracted to her at the moment, he placed a hand on her thigh, moving it up and down along the soft fabric covering it. Nicole, still watching tv, slowly blinked her eyes, almost looking annoyed, “Not tonight, hun. I’m really just not in the mood.”
Michael brought his hand back to his lap, and returned his attention to the tv. A few years ago, when things were going really well for them financially, they began to go on little adventures. They loved travelling together, and their sex lives were quite active. Almost every night, they would try something new to keep their passion burning strong. Lately, their sexual bouts were much more sparse, and even more vanilla. They couldn't figure out if they had simply tried everything, or were just getting bored.
If past experience was any indicator, it was unlikely Nicole would change her mind at any point that night. Getting up, Michael decided to go to his study, and sit at his desk while he enjoyed some porn on his computer. He had the feeling his wife was already aware of his reasons for doing so, but never said anything regarding that issue. All that did was support the idea she was starting to lose interest.
The next morning, Michael had gotten up early to work out at the private club he signed up for only last year. He and his wife liked to stay in fairly good shape. Nicole, however, signed up for a local gym, where she took spin class and yoga. Their mornings were often spent apart. After two hours of running along the track, and some calisthenics, he showered, and went to the smoothie bar for a drink.
“Hey, Mike!” a voice called out from the seating area nearby. Turning to look at the source, Michael saw a man with short, blonde hair, and wearing gym clothes. He recognized the man as his good friend, Avery. He had also done very well, financially. He wasn’t a CEO, but he was very high up on the food chain in a packaging and delivery company that had gone international several years back. He waved back at his friend, and took his orange and pineapple smoothie from the barista before going to sit with him.
"Avery, good to see you. How are things?" Michael asked politely.
"Not bad, business is good, stock's going up." Avery replied, trying not to look like he was bragging.
"That's good. Anything exciting going on?" Michael inquired.
His friend shook his head as he took a sip of his smoothie through a red straw, "Not really, just the usual."
Michael nodded, looking away. His friend must have sensed there was something on his mind.
"How are things with you and Nikky?" he asked, his voice sounded slightly concerned.
Michael came out of his thoughts, and forced a smile, "Things are fine."
His friend furled his eyebrows, not convinced, " fine? " he mimicked, "What do you mean 'fine'?
"It's not a big deal," he reassured his friend, "we're just going through a bit of a dry spell, is all."
Avery's head popped up, as if remembering something, "Oh, yeah, been there before. Not a fun experience."
"Does it ever feel like you just get bored?" Michael asked, "Like you just don't seem to be adventurous anymore?"
"Sure," Avery shrugged, "everyone goes through that, I guess. It's perfectly normal."
“Did you?” he inquired.
His friend nodded, “Of course.”
"So what did y'all do?" he asked his friend.
"Well... for me and Monica, it was different. But, couples in your case have a lot of options. You can do couple's therapy, find some new experience to share, take a romantic date, things like that."
This didn't make Michael feel any better. He and Nicole had done these things before, and it didn't seem to help.
"How was it different for you and Monica? What did you do?" he inquired, curious to know what his friend had tried, but Michael clearly hadn't.
As if caught in some dilemma, Avery sat speechless for a moment, his mouth partially opened, trying to figure out what to say.
"It's... hard to explain. And I don't know if it's something you and Nikky would try."
This only heightened Michael's curiosity, and intrigued him.
"What are you hiding, Avery?" Michael asked, his eyes narrowing, "Come on, we're all friends. If it worked for you, then I must know."
Avery didn't respond right away. He simply looked down, his eyes shifting, like he was considering something. Michael was quiet, patiently waiting for his friend to decide. After nearly two minutes of silence, Avery responded.
"If I tell you, can you remain discreet, and open-minded?"
Michael nodded.
"You're sure?" he responded, sounding quite serious.
Michael nodded again.
"Ok," he leaned in, and spoke in a hushed tone, "There's an exclusive nightclub in downtown Nashville. It's members only, but I can sponsor you and Nikky. It saved my marriage, and I think it can do the same for you."
A nightclub? Michael thought to himself. He had his doubts, but he trusted his friend.
"Call me next Thursday, and rent a hotel room near this address." Avery instructed, jotting down something on the back of one of his business cards, "You'll want to dress nicely. Classy, but not too formal. Tell Nikky to dress for dancing."
Michael was starting to think he might be serious. An exclusive nightclub, with a dress code, and needing sponsorship? Those types of places were few and far in between nowadays. Whatever made this club so exceptional had Michael intrigued. He picked up the business card, and studied the address.
"Anything else I should know about?" he asked, almost feeling timid by what this place might be.
Avery stood up and thought a moment, then replied, "That's about it, just remember to keep an open mind." and with that, Michael's friend left.
The following week passed by relatively uneventful. Michael told his wife about the conversation he had with Avery at the club that day. He told her about the exclusive nightclub, the dress code, and how it would somehow fix their relationship. Surprisingly, Nicole was on-board with the whole idea, noting how Monica always seemed to be so upbeat. Neither of them had spoken to Avery, or Monica, since that day, but were confident their friends had their best interests in mind.
Thursday had rolled around, and the couple had packed some of their nicer attire, and booked a room at a hotel only a short taxi ride away from the address. After an early dinner, the couple got dressed for the night. Michael put on one of his nicer button-ups, with a blue blazer, and deep blue slacks. He decided not to wear a tie with it, thinking it would look too serious. Nikky had chosen a silky red dress that stopped just above her knees, and hung over one of her shoulders.
She was still in the bathroom, fixing her hair when Michael got a phone call from Avery, "Hello?" he answered.
"Michael! Buddy! Are you guys nearby?" Avery exclaimed, sounding pretty excited.
"Yeah , we're only a few minutes away. Nikky is just fixing her hair up now."
"Perfect! We're already at the club, it's just opening. I've spoken with the hostess of the evening, and she's expecting you. Just give her your names, and she'll take care of the rest. We'll see you inside, buddy!" The phone clicked as Avery hung up.
Michael was taken aback, but assumed his friend was just really eager to have the night begin. Avery was vouching for them, so he wanted to make a nice impression. He made sure that he looked good, smelled good, their outfits were crisp, and their demeanor was distinguished. Nicole was ready, and the two of them went downstairs and hailed a taxi.
"Can you take us to this address?" Michael told the driver, handing him the business card Avery gave him. The driver looked at the address, and his eyebrows shot up.
"Oh yeah, that place. I know where that is." the driver replied, starting the meter.
“Can you tell us what the place is like?” Michael asked, hoping to learn something.
“Not much to say, never been inside. Just a lot of women walking in, looking like lingerie models.” the driver replied, sounding as if he were sorry he couldn't be more helpful.
Five minutes of silent driving later, the driver stopped in front of a two-storied building that looked more like the front of an upscale restaurant. The only real, distinguishable feature was a sign bearing a large 'm' with an accented dash over it, and a circle around it. Michael paid the driver, and the couple stepped out. They saw other couples making their way inside the building as well. The women who came in with their dates were just as the taxi driver described. They made Nicole look as if she may have been overdressed.
As they stepped inside, they saw a small lobby area, with red carpet, and red, painted walls, and a low, black ceiling with small lights. There was a counter on one side where guests were signing in, and paying a lady at the register. Another woman stood behind the counter, wearing a gorgeous, silver dress. Her hair was auburn, and curled. Her hazel eyes studied the faces of the guests in the lobby, then met Michael's eyes, and smiled, approaching them.
“Hello, are you new here?” she asked with a casual, yet flirty, voice.
“We are.” Michael replied.
“Oh, good! Do you have an appointment here?” she asked, picking up a clipboard.
“Umm, I think so. I'm Michael Davenport, and this is my wife, Nicole.” He replied, following Avery's instructions.
A look of recognition rose in the hostess' eyes, “Right! Our prospective members.” she replied, checking a list, “So you're being sponsored by.... Mr. Avery Coleman?”
Michael smiled, “That's correct, he's a good friend of mine.” He was relieved. Nicole still looked quite nervous as she examined the other women who came in. Probably worried about her husband looking at them, wearing outfits leaving little to the imagination.
The hostess had them fill out an application, then pay a membership fee, and she filed it all away, looking even more perky.
“Alright, let's take the tour!” she proclaimed. She led them through the large doors inside. Michael and Nicole were amazed to see inside was a large dance floor, with seating areas in the corners. The hostess pointed out the VIP areas, pole-dancing stages, a full bar, and a DJ booth. She led them upstairs, and showed them the other areas. They were shown a lounge, where couples seemed to be making out already, some with heavy petting, and a seating area, where groups of people gathered to talk and laugh.
“Oh, I almost forgot to mention,” the hostess interjected, “Since this your first time, we want to express that you're under no obligation to do anything you're not comfortable doing. Feel free to just relax, make new friends, and just watch, if you want,” she said with a smile. As the tour continued, Michael and Nicole looked at each other with a look of concern. Both of them thinking, what kind of club is this, exactly?The hostess took them to another room which looked more like a dungeon with various BDSM apparatuses around.
“This is the room everyone calls 'The Red Room'. As a lifestyle club, we ensure every fetish is accommodated, and make sure everyone is safe in their practice.” the hostess said those words so matter-of-factually. Michael and Nicole were in shock as they realized what kind of club they had been invited to. Any other time, the two of them would have just walked out. But Avery had vouched for them, and Michael had given his word to keep an open mind. He looked to his wife, who was blushing profusely, but seemed to still be on-board.
“Well, that's the whole club! Do you have any questions for me?” the hostess asked, stopping them in the middle of the hall.
The two of them were silent for a second before Michael spoke up, “Do you know where I can find my friend, Avery?”
“Well, I would imagine if he’s not up here, then check the main dance area, you may find him there.” she answered.