Initiative (Suncoast Society #31)(44)

“I’m an attorney. Would you want me half-assing something you asked me to do?”

“True.”

They made it back to the table just as Susie was emerging from the bathroom. If she noticed anything amiss, she didn’t say.

Grant hoped he was right, that in four weeks they’d be formally collaring her in front of everyone.

Because it would break his heart to lose her again, and he damn sure didn’t want to do that.

Especially when he knew it’d devastate Darryl, too.





By the time dinner ended nearly two hours later, Susie had almost managed to forget the final objective of the evening was to get her to the club. Everyone she’d met so far was absolutely friendly and…

Normal.

This could have been a group of people from the dealership. Or any of the people she and John used to see socially on a regular basis.

Anyone.

She supposed that was the point Grant and Darryl had tried to hammer home to her all week as they kept talking her through her nerves.

On the car ride over to the club, Darryl turned. “So?”

“Yes, they were nice and almost normal. You were right.”

He laughed. “Not exactly the answer I was looking for, but I’ll take it.”

“I didn’t freak out,” she said. “Do I get brownie points for that?”

“Of course you do.”

She did, however, feel a little badly that she and John had never met with any of these people before. Several of them, people who’d been around for a while, like Ross and Loren, Eliza and Rusty, Tony, even Cris, remembered John from the early days, as they called them.

“We’re very proud of you,” Grant told her. “Just keep in mind how nice everyone there was if you start to get overwhelmed at the club.”

“Are you going to…”

“To what?” Grant asked.

“Are you going to play with me there?”

“Not tonight. But yes, at some point, we will. Don’t worry, I’ll probably beat his ass first that night anyway, just to get you in the mood.”

“Gee, thanks,” Darryl said, snickering.

“You’re complaining?” Grant asked.

“Nope. Not at all, Sir.”

Even though they’d warned her ahead of time, she was still a little underwhelmed to see that they were pulling into an industrial warehouse complex.

“It’s in here?”

“Yep. Right under everyone’s noses,” Darryl said. “Don’t worry, they’re perfectly legal.”

She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but walking into the club’s office, she realized it wasn’t anything like she’d expected. Tony and his wife and slave, Shayla, had walked in right after them. Apparently he was a volunteer there, too, and told the volunteer he’d handle Susie’s orientation.

After filling out paperwork and having her driver’s license checked and run through a national database for sex offenders, Grant paid her membership fee and the entry fee for the men and they were sent inside.

And…again with the underwhelmed.

“Well?” Darryl asked.

She looked around. It was dimly lit, but…

“It’s not supposed to be a strip club,” Grant said, looking amused.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to think.”

Tony walked up. “Don’t worry, you’re not the first person to think like that when they come here.”

He went over the basic rules with her, none of which she’d have any problems adhering to. “If you guys want,” he offered, “Shayla can shadow you for the evening, if Susie has questions.” Someone called for him, and Tony excused himself.

Darryl and Grant turned to Susie.

“What?” she asked.

Grant smiled. “Would you feel more comfortable if Shayla stayed with us?”

She looked around again. There appeared to be a doorway to a whole other section on the far side of the room. “I guess I’m being pretty silly, huh?”

Shayla smiled. “Not at all. Lots of people are really nervous or downright scared their first time here. As Loren likes to tell newbies, it’s both the weirdest and most boring thing you’ll ever see.”

“How is that even possible?”

“You’ll see,” Shayla, Darryl, and Grant all said in unison, which cracked them up.

“Thank you for the offer, but I guess I’ll be okay,” Susie finally said. “I know they wouldn’t bring me here if there was going to be a problem.”

“And that’s exactly the good kind of trust to have. Holler if you need me. Uh, unless Sir has me tied up.” And with that, Shayla took off.

The first item on the agenda seemed to be a rope bondage demo by a guy named Kel and his wife and slave, Mallory. Grant and Darryl staked out chairs at a table in the social area and sat on either side of Susie, explaining what was going on to her. Periodically, people would stop by to chat with the men and by the time eleven o’clock rolled around, Susie couldn’t even remember everyone she’d met.

She certainly wouldn’t deny her eyes had been opened. Compared to what she was used to—which she’d thought was some pretty out there, kinky shit—she was actually on the vanilla end of the scale, all things considered.