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  “Yep. So, you’re good. I have a feeling you need this. I think it’ll do you good.”

  “Spoken like someone who truly lives in my head,” I joked.

  “Trust yourself,” he advised. “Give yourself permission to let go for a couple of hours.”

  I let what he said marinate for a few seconds. “Words of wisdom. You’re good for this soul,” I told him, feeling lighter, more confident. I shook the feelings of self-consciousness, and pocketed the words of encouragement. “Thank you. I needed the reassurance.”

  Minutes later, I was inside of a dimly lit lobby with marble floors, at the entrance to a row of elevators. I turned around to look behind me, and saw my driver standing watch. He threw his hand in the air to wave me off. It was reminiscent of the first day I dropped Skai off at kindergarten. He was me waving off the child going into the world for the first time as an individual. Kind of tugged at my heartstrings a bit.

  I looked past him, and in the distance, I saw two other town cars pulling in, which let me know that more attendees were on the way. At that exact moment, the metal doors parted and I stepped in. I inserted the silver and black key card I’d been given, then watched anxiously as the doors closed and the compartment began to ascend.

  The closer I got to my destination, the more relaxed I became. The sense of freedom that engulfed me was sudden and brand-new. I felt bold, and I enjoyed the feeling. Growing up, living on the edge, had never come my way because I went right into the responsibilities of adulthood. From student, to parent, and off to be a wife. I honestly felt like a grown woman having a delayed stage of delinquency. That rebellious stage that I should have hit somewhere around my junior or senior year of high school.

  I stepped from the elevator and the scenery welcomed me in a comforting embrace. The place was enormous, luxurious. There were people everywhere. I didn’t feel alone. I didn’t feel put on display. In that instant, I was able to let the layers of insecurity fall away like petals in the wind. I became something of an alter of myself. I embraced it all.

  If my Mama could see me now.

  -8-

  Zane Cabot stepped off the elevator and onto the 13th floor, wearing a dark blue Dolce & Gabbana round-neck t-shirt, a pair of black silk Derek Rose pajama bottoms, and a pair of black leather slippers. He figured if he was going to come out of the house wearing the type of shit he wore to bed, he was for sure going to add a sense of normalcy to the arrangement.

  He stood in place for a few moments feeling the bass of the music, and looking to see where his next stop would be. But the search was over, when he spotted a woman in the distance, standing as though she had been studying him.

  Maybe she was.

  He slid his hands into the pockets of his pajama pants, then took off in her direction. He stalled midway to turn around and look behind him once more. For what, he didn’t know exactly. Probably just extra precaution.

  He proceeded on his way. “Hello, Mr. Cabot,” the woman greeted when he was inches from the shiny podium she was guarding. He offered a smile to the petite, brown-skinned woman wearing a sheer tangerine bodysuit that left nothing to the imagination. Nothing. Literally, everything she had to offer was on full display. Starting with the firm D-cups, and the dark chocolate areolas that formed a beautiful circle around perky nipples. “Welcome to the 13th Floor.”

  Zane looked in the distance and saw that there was easily 300 people in the room. He then looked at her, and asked, “How did you—”

  “I’m tasked with knowing every person that comes through the door, Mr. Cabot.” She laughed at the inquiry. “And I had a full three days to learn all 400, in attendance.”

  “Damn. Wow. Okay. Well, in that case, Thank you. And hello to you,” he replied, boldly assessing the rest of what she had on display.

  Zane ran a hand across the top of the soft lawn of dark blonde hair at the top of his head, then offered the woman a smile that revealed the attractiveness of his deep-set blue eyes, structured cheekbones, and nice teeth.

  She did a flirtatious scan that started at Zane’s face and travelled along the firmness of his shoulders and chest. When her eyes found his again, she asked, “Did you have anything that needed to be stored during your stay?”

  He was tempted to say something slick like, Yeah, my dick. But Zane refrained, knowing that he was there for a reason, and for someone in particular. And it wasn’t her.

  “Nothing to store,” he finally answered, leering past her at the activity playing out in the background. “Some scene going on here,” he offered.

  “Oh, sweetie, you haven’t seen anything yet. I promise you there’s nothing like the 13th Floor that you’ve seen.”

  “If you say so,” he retorted. “I guess I’m off to enjoy the ambiance.”

  “Enjoy,” she cooed behind Zane as he went on his way into the party area.

  Zane looked around impressed at the décor of the floor. Whoever was in charge of all of it, had done an excellent job. And they had a lot of territory to cover. Even looking in all directions, he still couldn’t see what all the floor had to offer. It was that large. The entire space had to be the size of two football fields. From what he could see, there were sections with different themes. And above each section, hung oversized lighting structures. They came down from the ceiling, and lowered into the assigned room. What was most interesting about the lights was that they provided a soft ‘glow’. Some had purple, some silver, others red. Fascinating, was the fact that you couldn’t fully see into the rooms until you were up on them. And there were really adult situations happening inside, from what Zane could see. He couldn’t help but smile at the single scene that he had a view of.

  This shit is going to be interesting, he deduced.

  There were a few scenarios playing out. Quite a few people were coupled-up. Some kissing, some dancing, others groping, conversing, and some just observing like he was. Beautiful women, with nice bodies were everywhere. All shapes, all sizes, all nationalities, all clearly ready for whatever the evening held. As far as revealing, the nightwear that they donned pretty much mirrored what the hostess up front wore. Different styles, of course, but there were no secrets with what was underneath. A deliberate act, no doubt.

  But again, Zane wasn’t there for them.

  As interesting as it all was, there was a person for Zane to see, and a place for the two of them to be. So, he kept on his search. It was as though each time the music changed its tempo, Zane changed his lens, turning left to right.

  And then, there she was.

  Giselle McCall…

  He knew her immediately.

  Even in a room filled with a plethora of attractive women, her beauty stood out. It jumped out at him the same way it had when he got the picture and short dossier on her. The defined shape that was something of a silhouette beneath the cream-colored silk. The back of her neck was exposed, causing him to wonder how a kiss to the base of it would cause her to react. Her shoulders broad, yet feminine. Statuesque. His eyes travelled down her back and to the modest protrusion pushing the fabric out just a little bit. Her ankles firm and shapely inside of high-heeled shoes. He wanted her right there, but he knew he would have to work his way up to that.

  Now that he had found her, he could stop and observe, study, learn.

  So, from the time the big hand on his Jaeger-LeCoultre was on the two, until it was on the six, he watched. He watched her, watch them.

  “Can I offer you a Scotch on the rocks, sir?” The person startled Zane. They were so close to him, that the heat of their breath brushed against his earlobe. But he recognized it was because with the music, they might’ve gone unheard.

  “Absolutely. I appreciate it,” he said, accepting the glass from the offering, then watching just a few seconds as the brunette took her leave. He took a long gulp of the scotch, allowing the burn of the expensive liquor to cascade down his throat.

  With careful strides, he moved to approach her. But first, he took one last look at her
backside. Within seconds, he was with her, standing side-by-side. She kept her focus, uninterested in looking to see who just took a position next to her. As patient as he wanted to be, Zane couldn’t wait to see, up close and personal, the face that had captured his curiosity.

  Pick your words carefully. You don’t want to scare her off.

  “You like what you see?” he asked her casually, standing to the right of her. He leered at the scenery before them momentarily, a smile grazing across his face. Then he turned to the side, leaning against the view so that he could see her.

  “It’s interesting, that’s for sure,” she responded. Her tone was flat, but not in a rude way at all.

  “I agree. Very interesting. I’m probably the only person here who has never seen anything like this.”

  Her cheekbones gave a peek-a-boo when she offered something of a smile. “Uhh, no. That would be two of us,” she admitted.

  “But are you enjoying it, is the question to ask?”

  Her smile opened a bit more at his inquiry, her long lashes batting with a triple blink. “Why do you ask?” she queried.

  “I’m curious.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I think you’re absolutely stunning and I’d love to know what makes a beautiful woman like you, tick.”

  “Okay. So, perfect stranger, you . . . wants to know what makes perfect stranger, me . . . tick.”

  “Precisely. And we don’t have to remain complete strangers. Especially, because I feel like I know you already . . .”

  “How could you . . .”

  In that moment when she finally turned to face the person vying for her attention, her words trailed. Zane wasn’t sure why exactly, but when her eyes met his, it made sense why he couldn’t take his off of her.

  -9-

  My, oh my…

  When he said that it felt like he knew me already, that’s what made me ditch the front row seat I had to the ménage in front of me. And trust; it was hard to pull away. Watching the three of those people in there, hard at work, and enjoying it to the fullest, made me realize that sex with a human was something I needed to get back into ASAP. Toys were good and all, but that flesh on flesh . . . that was sex, and the healing my vagina needed. I mean, first of all, dude that swallowed ole girl’s entire womanhood like it was a pill he needed in order to breathe . . . Whew! Had me tingling and throbbing in a place that hadn’t been visited with a man’s touch, in way too long.

  That tingling and throbbing sensation is more than likely, what made my now-horny ass turn around to see who was talking to me. He didn’t sound like he was going away any time soon. And the tone of his voice was nice. Deep, but not too deep. Soothing. Or was that just me? And he paced himself with his line of questioning. Aggressive as he needed to be to show his interest, but not so aggressive that it was pushy, or that it made me feel like he was invading my space.

  So, I turned around.

  Thing is, I didn’t expect to be met, with who I was met with.

  Not in a million years did I think he would be as nice looking as he was. And not in a million years did I think he would be . . . white. Caucasian. But there he was, standing six or seven inches taller than my five-foot-eight—with the heels, mind you. So, essentially, he towered way over me on a normal day.

  I noticed the blue eyes first. They made me think of the ocean for some reason. They weren’t that dull blue, but a really pretty blue. Then the blond hair. Hmmm, isn’t that something. Blond hair, and blue eyes. That combination had never, ever caught my attention. Hadn’t even piqued it in the slightest. But whether it was a throbbing clit, the seductive bass spilling out into the atmosphere, or the sexual freedom of this place . . . tonight that combination, and the man possessing it, had my attention span locked in a room with no way out. This man looked good. I’d even call him fine. I’d even add, ‘…as fuck’ on the end of that. His hair was loosely layered on top, and short on the sides. A close-cropped goatee that some barber took great care with.

  The body wasn’t bad either. He worked out, for sure. Maybe even a runner. But he definitely hit the weights, as evidenced by the pecks that were on full display in what I knew to be a designer t-shirt. No tattoos in sight, but he either had a tan or naturally bronzed skin because he looked a little almost-ethnic under the lighting. I couldn’t see too much of his leg and thigh detail in those silk pajama pants, but I was sure there was some definition there. No way he’d be cut up top and leave the rest of him unattended to. No way.

  Found myself wondering what the rest of . . .

  Giselle!

  Who would’ve ever thought in a million years that I would be even the least bit attracted to one of his kind? Surely, not me. And surely, not anybody who knew me. But that was slowly changing, as I tried my damnedest not to objectify his ass, top to bottom. Especially, because he was looking so intently into my eyes, that he would’ve caught the action. If he hadn’t already.

  I almost forgot that I was stuck in a ‘moment’, until I heard, “What were you about to say?” His ass probably knew damn well that he had me stumped.

  I blinked a few times, as though I was snapping myself out of some kind of trance, then smiled up at him. “Umm . . .” I stammered. “Just struck me as odd that you said you felt like you knew me already. I mean, how can that be? I’m a thousand percent sure that if we’d met before I would remember.”

  “Really?” he asked, those blue eyes dancing.

  “Yes. Really.”

  “And why is that? Because I’m the white guy that you swore, you’d never entertain?”

  “Oh wow!” I gasped, louder than I intended. Being caught off guard will make you do that. Thank God for music, or heads might have whirled.

  “Well, I’m right, aren’t I?”

  It didn’t even make sense to lie about it at that point. He’d busted me. My eyes left his and searched the large space. For what I didn’t know. Maybe a lifeline. Maybe a miracle. But there was neither. And when I returned my gaze to him, neither him nor his glare had moved.

  “You’re right,” I confessed. “But look . . . in my defense—”

  “You don’t need a defense,” he stated matter of fact. “You don’t owe me that. But would it be too much to ask if we can go somewhere and talk? Somewhere that’s not as loud, or crowded.”

  Once again, I looked around at all the people moving about, mingling, all over each other. “This place doesn’t seem like there’s a private anything anywhere.”

  “But there is. Follow me.”

  Crazy, was me actually wanting to follow him. I looked at him with a side eye, then folded my arms across my chest in faux contemplation. “Yeah . . . follow you where, exactly?”

  And then he smiled, and his whole face lit up as he responded, “To safety. I promise.”

  Out of curiosity, before we abandoned the spot that had held my attention since I got there, I looked to see if my movie was still playing out. It was. They hadn’t lost any steam, and were still going strong. The one whose dick was in her mouth, had her hair wrapped tight, her thick tresses draped over his knuckles. He appeared to jackhammer her face, with a speed that looked like he had been wound up with a twist of a knob or something. Made me think of the Energizer bunny. That girl was going to be there for a while. But the way she was throwing it back on guy number two, was a clear indication that she was in it for the long haul.

  I didn’t know what my fascination was with it all. Whether it was her handling two men at once, whether it was that they were all okay with being on display for any and everybody to see. But as the stranger and I made our way to another part of the gigantic floor, it became clear that being on exhibition, was the theme. That the threesome I had torn myself away from, was the norm.

  He and I walked past another series of rooms, each holding their own sessions of naughty. I was truly in a freak zone. And I didn’t care. I didn’t squirm. I didn’t do anything except admire and think about the fact that there was a whole other world out
there that I never knew existed. One that I could maneuver without judgment, or without coming down on myself for being fascinated.

  It seemed we had been walking for a long period of time. But I didn’t question, just took in the scenery. We passed a stage where a woman was completely nude, jugs for breasts bobbing crazily, ass all the way out, and her vagina molesting the hell out of a man’s face that was sprawled out beneath her. His whole face was covered! All I saw was hair, and a really small section of forehead. Hopefully, he lived through it all. He held onto her with both hands making sure that his meal didn’t escape. There would be no leftovers. He fed on her like she was coming off of a 3-day fast, and was being reintroduced to food.

  Seconds after passing that visual, we entered a long hallway with stairs at the end of it. “Good evening. Welcome to the Rainfall.” The woman who greeted us was slim, pixie-haired, and looked to be in her early thirties.

  “Hi,” I said to her looking to him to tell me where this place was that we had arrived to. “Rainfall?” I asked.

  The woman smiled. “Yes.” She casually gave me a full-body scan, then looked over at my ‘friend’, and stated, “It’s beautiful in there. And it looks like you’re in excellent company.”

  “She’s definitely in good company,” he countered, looking at me.

  When his hand landed on the small of my back, I immediately felt at ease. Safe.

  -10-

  Licorice.

  Black licorice.

  The scent was strong, and hit the air immediately.

  “Is that licorice I smell?” Giselle asked him when they stepped inside the room. “And lavender. I know that . . . smell anywhere,” she said, venturing further into the room to look around.

  “It’s for sure licorice,” Zane agreed. “The sweet smell I can’t really—”

  “It’s for sure lavender,” she repeated without turning around.

  He knew why she hadn’t turned around. She was too busy admiring the room, just as he was. The mood had been set in the most enticing way. It wasn’t bright by any stretch of the imagination. However, it wasn’t dark either. It was large in size, probably about 1,000 square feet. Maybe bigger. But the size of the place wasn’t the highlight. It was the body of water in the center. The water had a misty fog over it; a fog the color of lavender. Then, from the ceiling was the most beautiful part of the scene. A soft mist pouring down from a wide circular-shaped opening. It fell upon the water like a soft caress, and nothing like the splash one would imagine.