Derrick chuckled. Oh, boy. Another sacrificial lamb.

What?

We can always use volunteers, Marcia a.s.sured her. Out in the office and inside. Doing things like keeping an eye on the garbage cans, wiping tables down, making sure we have sodas and ice and all those kinds of non-kinky stuff.

Mel relaxed. Oh. Id be happy to do that for you. That would easily keep her busy and doing something. She didnt mind helping out. It was the least she could do considering her friends had taken her in"literally and metaphorically"to help her through this life transition.

In fact, if it hadnt been for the fortuitous timing of her arrival at Marcias house that one day, and if she hadnt seen what was on Marcias laptop at the time, she might still be struggling to decide what to do with Mike. Might still be agonizing over a decision.

Might be stuck there, letting him convince her she was wrong and sick for even thinking what she was thinking.

Might have let him talk her into thinking she really did need counselling because he was the one who was normal, not her.

There was already one car parked in the lot outside the club when they arrived.

Derrick chuckled. Good ole Jenny.

Whos she? Mel asked.

Shes a gift from heaven, Marcia said. Shes our head volunteer, and shes amazing. We couldnt run this place as easily as we do without her. She cant be here every weekend, but she helps organize all the volunteer schedules so we know we have plenty of help every week. And she helps out at several of the coffee times and munches as either a host or making sure she goes to talk about the club and our events to help bring newbies into our 101 cla.s.ses.

Derrick unlocked the office door. The lights were on, but no one was inside. He stayed behind in the office while Marcia led Mel inside. They found Jenny in the main s.p.a.ce, in the kitchen area, organizing and arranging things for the evening.

Marcia made the introductions. Jenny, this is our friend, Mel. Shes going to be staying with us for a while, and shes going to help out here, too. Shes completely new to the lifestyle.

Jenny brightened. Nice to meet you! Mel loved the collar the woman wore around her neck, a piece of iridescent, round metal rod with a ring in the front. Has she filled out paperwork?

She did the last time she was here. She sat in on my 101 cla.s.s.

Okay. So lets go get you a volunteer badge and Ill show you from the ground up.

Jennys a taskmaster, Marcia playfully called out behind them.

And you love it, maam, Jenny called back.

Didnt say I didnt.

Mel chuckled. The playful, light, airy feel to their banter was such a relief from the heavy cloak of seriousness she normally felt at home.

When was the last time she and Mike had joked around? About anything?

Never.

The rare occasion she could pry him out of the house to go out to eat, all he wanted to do was listen to the radio. When she tried to hold a conversation with him, she received one-word replies, if she was lucky.

Holy c.r.a.p, my life is f.u.c.ked up.

Jenny got Mel a volunteer badge and started showing her the computer system while Derrick shuffled a few chairs outside, presumably for smokers. Mel tried to focus on what Jenny was showing her, but one thought kept intruding.

She was done waiting around for Mike. It was a quiet certainty inside her, not a still vaguely possible outcome.

She knew shed be filing for divorce, as soon as she could.

She needed to make her life happen. And she was the only one who could do that. For too d.a.m.n long, shed let her life be dictated by what she thought a good wife should do.

Those days were over. If Mike had even been willing to make a few small changes, she wouldnt be at this point. If he made her feel like he still loved her.

If he made her feel like she wasnt alone.

How long was she supposed to keep trying and beating her head against a stone wall of resistance, with a man who had outright said he had absolutely no desire to change and thought there was nothing wrong with their marriage?

Life was too short.

At dinner, Mel had learned about a past friend of Derrick and Marcias"and friend to many there at the table"who had pa.s.sed away not too long ago. Basco had been young, only a couple of years older than her.

She didnt want to realize she was about to die and had wasted her precious time on the planet.

Maybe eventually shed find out BDSM wasnt for her. She didnt know. From Marcias cla.s.s, she learned there was a wide variety of partic.i.p.ation levels and types of play. It intrigued her, and she was done with not doing things because of Mike.

She wanted to explore. She wanted to learn. Shed feltstagnant for so long, she needed to free herself from the mental and emotional mire.

If nothing else, she wanted some d.a.m.n friends who liked to laugh, and these people fit the bill quite well.

Fortunately, Jenny didnt throw her to the wolves with the computer system. She showed Marcia how to run the tablet they used to process credit cards, and a.s.signed her to that task, as well as making sure people signed in and got wristbands once theyd paid.

That she could handle.

The nice thing was she got to meet everyone as they came through the door and started learning their names. In the first hour, shed met at least thirty new people, a few whod been at dinner and some she remembered from her visit a few weeks earlier.

And a couple of those people remembered her, too, which gave her a secret thrill.

How stupid is it that Im happy people remember me?

That was something to stick in her mental process later inbox to deal with. Not right now.

Not tonight.

She decided she would shut off the comparisons, the self-pity, the slowly smoldering anger at Mike over what shed let him do to her, and to them, over the past several years, and focus on being present, on the now.

On what was shaping up to be one humdinger of a night.

After the initial crush of new arrivals, Marcia had another volunteer switch off with Mel. She then took Mel inside and showed her the main tasks that would crop up throughout the night, easy stuff that was so vanilla it struck her funny bone from the irony.

Subst.i.tute a church social for the kinky stuff, itd be exactly the same.

Except without a naked woman wrapped in a rope harness scooping herself a helping of balled melons onto a paper plate.

The other reason I wanted you in here, Marcia said, is to watch. Crawford is about to start a fire cupping demo.

Whats that?

Watch. Marcia pointed to where a guy had a ma.s.sage table set up in a corner near the bathrooms.

Tall and willowy, he had brown eyes and long, black hair streaked with grey that hed pulled back into a low ponytail with a piece of leather cord. He almost reminded her of a wizard, not from his manner of dress"jeans and a black, long-sleeved b.u.t.ton-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows"but from his manner.

Several people had gathered around. On the table, a naked woman lay facedown. As Mel watched, Crawford used a lighter to light something inside small, rounded gla.s.s jars and stick them to her back.

Its actually an old Chinese medicine technique, Marcia told her. Theres also cupping with suction cups, but the fire cupping adds heat to the mix and makes it feel even better.

Whats it do?

If you ever get really bad shoulder knots? Its amazing. Im such a fire cupping s.l.u.t. There is a lot of stuff it supposedly helps. He also does acupuncture. Hes one of the few demonstrators who can legitimately say, Im a professional, when he does stuff like this.

Can I go watch?

Sure. Thats why hes here. h.e.l.l even do it to you, if you want.

Heat filled Mels face. I dont know if I could get naked in front of people.

Youre wearing a bra, right?

Well, yeah.

Thats like a bikini. Unless you dont have underwear on. Marcia smiled.

The heat in her face deepened. Im not going commando.

Its okay, Marcia said. You dont have to try it if you dont want to. And if you did, and want me or Derrick to stand right there, we can. You can wrap a towel around you, if you want. Youd be facedown on the table.

Actually, she did want to try it. My neck and shoulders are really tight, she said. Stress. And being hunched over computers all week.

Then its perfect. Want me to introduce you?

But isnt that like interrupting his scene?

Normally, yes. But hes doing a demo, and I know him, and I know that he doesnt mind talking to people and answering questions. If I didnt know all of that already, Id say wed wait to talk to him until after.

That being said, Marcia grabbed Mels hand and led her over and around the group, until they were standing at the head of the ma.s.sage table and a couple of feet away.

Crawford glanced their way. Are you bringing me a fresh victim, Marcia?

In fact, the guy reminded Mel a little of Professor Snape, except with a playful smile and without the heavy British accent.

Shes a friend whos really new to the lifestyle. A close personal friend. And shes on a computer all week. I thought, what better way to dip her toe into the kinky pool than to toss her at you?

His serene smile looked calm, relaxed, as he lit whatever it was inside another of those gla.s.s globes and quickly stuck it onto the womans back. There were now eight of them there, and Mel could see purple discolorations forming under some of them.

Ah, I get to pop a newbies fire cupping cherry. You know I cant resist that. Why do you tempt me so?

Because youre evil in all the good ways, dude. Marcia grabbed Mel by the shoulders and made her trade places with her. You stay here. Ill go grab you a couple of towels.

Mel nervously swallowed, but nodded.

So, Crawford said. What is your name, my dear?

Amelia. Mel, she quickly corrected. At work, she was Mel. She wanted to be Mel here, too.

Crawford. His focus didnt shift from the woman in front of him even as he kept talking to Mel. Did Marcia tell you what Im doing?

Sort of.

He started to explain again. She suspected the people gathered around had already heard some of this. But as he prepared another cup with what turned out to be alcohol and lit it, quickly adhering it to the womans oiled back, he gave her a detailed step-by-step of what he was doing, and why.

Sotheres no s.e.x?

A few people laughed, but it wasnt the bad kind of laughter. Crawfords smile widened. There can be, but not usually. Too much risk of dislodging the cups and having them hit the floor and shatter. And s.e.x isnt allowed here anyway.

Oh. So its justthis is what you do?

One of the things. This is something therapeutic I do with my clients in my office. Where things can really get kinky here is with acupuncture and a violet wand.

I dont even know what that is. Shed heard a couple of people talking about them.

I can demonstrate that later tonight, he said. They can be interesting.

Does this hurt? What youre doing to her?

The woman on the table turned her head to face Mel. If I could tie him up and take him home with me, I would. It feels amazing.

Sorry, Celia, Crawford said. You know I dont swing that way, love. Im strictly a Top. More laughter from the spectators.

Marcia returned with a couple of towels. Can she be next?

Sure. I hadnt yet selected my next victim.

Marcia gently b.u.mped hips with her. Dont let him fool you. Hes the sweetest d.a.m.n s.a.d.i.s.t youll ever hope to meet.

Marcia, darling. Quit ruining my reputation. I will have zero street cred with the international s.a.d.i.s.ts union if you keep that up.

Theres a s.a.d.i.s.ts union? Mel asked.

That made everyone laugh, including the woman on the table, who was desperately trying not to laugh. Crawford reached over to place his hand on top of one precariously jiggling jar toward her far side.

No, Marcia finally managed through her giggling. That was a joke.

Oh. Her face heated again. Sorry.