Lisa was glad to have her sister over for the evening. After the divorce and the kids moving out, the loneliness was getting to her. She wondered how her sister had made it through her divorce and still seemed so happy.
"I just don't get it, Amber," Lisa said, wiping tears from her cheeks. "How do you do it? You make it look so easy."
"It wasn't easy at first. It gets better as time goes on." Amber moved closer and wrapped her arms around Lisa. She then brushed Lisa's hair out of her face and kissed on her cheek.
Lisa was thankful for the embrace, though she knew it wasn't going to satisfy the real desire she had. "It's being alone at night. You know..." she said, not looking Amber in the eyes.
Amber gently let go and nodded. "I know exactly what you mean," she replied. She hesitated, and then stood up. "I'm going to share something with you, but you have to swear you'll never tell anyone about it, ever, OK?"
Lisa knew Amber was serious by the subtle shift in tension.
"I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere," Amber said as she briskly walked out of the room. Moments later, Amber returned carrying a small black piece of plastic. At first, Lisa thought it was a credit card, but she didn't see any stripes or logos.
"Lisa, I want you to try this for me. I can't tell you exactly what it is, but I'm confident it will help you. It's helped me. Please promise you won't think less of your little sister, OK?"
Confused, Lisa nodded. "Of course, Amber. There's nothing in this world you could do that would make me think any less of you."
Amber held out the card. "Listen very closely," she whispered, even though they were alone in the house. "When you're ready, take this card to 2265 Ember Avenue. There's a red door. Give it to them, and they'll help you out."
At this point, Lisa started to feel a little uncomfortable. "What is it?"
Amber blushed a little. "It's a sort of society that I'm a member of. I'm not really at liberty to say any more, so you'll have to trust me." She pressed the card into Lisa's hand.
Lisa was surprised by the weight of the card and wondered if it were metal.
Amber brushed her skirt and said, "I have to go. Work in the morning. But thanks for the wine, and if you ever need anything, let me know."
They hugged, and Amber left. Lisa examined the card. On one side it had an address, and on the other side it had the numbers 3557 etched into it. She placed it on the table and finished her wine.
***
A few days had passed since her evening with Amber, and Lisa still hadn't gone to the address on the card. She did, however, pull the card out and look at it from time to time. She even tried texting Amber to get more details, but Amber didn't respond. Lisa tucked the card back into her purse and got back to work.
Later that evening as she was wrapping up, Lisa noticed the card next to her keys where she had placed it as a reminder to go check out the address that night.
Her GPS said, "Arriving at your destination, on the right." Lisa was still undecided. The entire drive over she had continued looping through every excuse not to go. Somehow she still found herself at the address. Something was compelling her to go. Maybe it was because of how serious and adamant Amber had been. Or perhaps her loneliness was consuming her. She didn't want to break down again. She'd called Amber too many times.
Lisa walked up to the large red wooden door, hesitated, and looked around. No lights were on and the building looked abandoned. 3557 Ember Avenue was etched onto the door in the same style as the card.
She knocked and waited for what seemed like an eternity. Raising her hand to knock a second time, she stopped and waited, and then dropped her hand and turned to walk away. Just as she turned around, Lisa heard a lock click and turned to see the door open a crack.
A slender young face peered through the crack in the door. "Can I help you?" he asked while looking to see if anyone else was accompanying her.
Lisa fumbled for the card in her purse and held it up to the crack in the door. A white-gloved hand gently took it from her, and the door closed. Then the chains on the locks slid open. Appearing to be in his early thirties, the man was wearing a full tuxedo and looked rather dashing. He bowed and motioned for her to enter.
Lisa stepped into a long hallway that had antique molding and a deep red carpet. The host closed the door behind her and returned the black card.
"Obviously, this isn't your card. Where did you get this?" He appeared more cautious than upset.
"My sister Amber lent it to me. She thought I would enjoy this," she said, looking around.
The man nodded. "Clearly, you haven't been told much. And that's for the best." He extended his arm, which Lisa instinctively took. "Over the years we've discovered that keeping this a secret is better for all parties involved," he said as he continued leading her down the hallway.
Stopping at a black door, he grabbed a door handle, then looked at Lisa and winked. Something about his gentle personality and classy stare were incredibly disarming. Lisa felt as though she had known him for years.
The door swung open to a large room, empty except for a single red-velvet upholstered wooden chair in the room's center. Aside from a few floor-to-ceiling mirrors and the chair, the room was bare. The man guided her over to the chair and motioned for her to take a seat. Lisa sat down slowly, sinking into the soft padding.
"Now try to relax," he told her, "and keep an open mind."
They waited for a minute or two in silence. Then came a gentle knock on the door. The man's eyebrows rose with excitement and he grinned widely as he glided to the door. With a single gesture, he swung open the door and bowed.
Surprised, Lisa's jaw dropped as a tall, handsome man walked into the room wearing only a mask and small pair of black underwear. As he walked in, another man dressed exactly the same followed closely behind. The second man was slightly shorter, with his hair pulled back into a ponytail. His abs were even more defined than the first man's. Behind him was a young woman wearing a skimpy thong and bra. They all appeared to be in their thirties.
"Oh god," Lisa thought to herself. "Strippers," she whispered. She expected the music to kick in like she'd experienced at one of her friend's bachelorette showers. Instead, they walked in complete silence. All in line, they stopped right in front of her.
Lisa's heart began to pound and her cheeks turned bright red. She was immediately bashful. It took her a second before she looked anyone in the eye. She glanced up quickly. The man in the middle was staring past her. The other two were staring across the room. She then looked over at the host as he closed the door and walked up next to the girl at the end. He adjusted her mask a little, then turned to face Lisa.
"I trust you're pleased at our selection," he said softly.
Her selection?
Like mannequins in a window, they all stood motionless. She looked over each one carefully. Lisa's eyes traced across the broad shoulder of the first man, then down his arms and across his chiseled pecs and abs. Her heart raced and her breathing quickened. She bit her lip. She'd never been interested in a woman before. She looked at the parted red lips of the young woman before her, her supple breasts gently rising and falling as she breathed. Lisa noticed that her nipples were slightly protruding through the thin silk bra. Her soft curves stood in such contrast to the hard edges of the men. The girl held a small red rope and tassel in her hand, as did the others.
After a few moments, Lisa stood up, took a step forward, and pulled the rope in the hand of the man on the left. He didn't let go. He didn't even look down at her.
Embarrassed, Lisa looked over at her host. She wondered if she'd made a mistake by tugging the rope. The host simply smiled and nodded and tapped the shoulders of the girl and the other man. They turned and walked out of the room.
Lisa stood awkwardly. She was a good foot shorter than the first man, now that they were standing side by side. With one hand, the host grabbed Lisa's hand; with his other hand, he grabbed the tassel. He placed it in Lisa's hand and said, "Follow me." He turned towards the doorway and walked out.
Lisa glanced over at the man whose gaze was still facing the other side of the room. She started for the door, and the man quietly followed her into the hall. As they stepped out, the host opened another door just a few feet away. He motioned for them to enter, and they both walked in.
Lisa found herself in a dimly lit room. A few candles flickered on a dresser. In the center of the room was a large red bed. Shocked, Lisa turned to the host and exclaimed, "Wait, they aren't strippers!"
"Of course not," he replied. "They're members. Just like you." He smiled and took a bow. "Knock if you need anything," and with that, he closed the door behind them.
Lisa's thoughts were racing. How in the world had she gotten into this situation? How could Amber have recommended this? Amber must be a member. She would never have guessed her sister would participate in something like this.
Oh god, Amber is going to ask about this.
She walked over to the bed and sat down. The hunk of a man still stood motionless across the room.
"So, you're a member?" came out far louder than she had intended. Obviously, she was nervous because her voice trembled as the words came out.
