It's not easy being twenty-two, fresh out of university with a degree, and not being able to find a job. You feel self-assured with the graduation certificate, why wouldn't you? It's all you have been working towards for 4 years. I really thought journalism was different, but I, like my friends, had a taste of reality, and along with it, great humility.
I changed tactics and applied for any job that may get me in the door, so that one day I may be lucky and get to do some real journalism type work. I said yes to the $30K salary job offer, to be the administrative assistant for Cleo magazine's investigative journalism unit. This was the unit that researched projects and travelled to exciting places to pull together interesting stories. I reported to one of the senior journalists, Amanda Smith. Amanda knew that I was keen to become a journalist and she promised that she would utilise my skills wherever she could.
Six months passed and I was enjoying working at Cleo. The work was administrative, but at least interesting, and I worked with a dynamic team. I was still waiting for the opportunity to do some journalism when it came with a strange request. It was late December and almost everyone was away on annual leave, when Amanda called me into her office excitedly. I was wondering what she was going to announce, imagining a whole lot of scenarios.
"Susan, I have a story for you," she said. "It's a strange topic but I bet the others would grab it if they were not on leave, and we have been given only one opportunity to do this research. You are to go to this address on Thursday night at about 10pm, and spend a few hours observing."
Amanda walked towards me and handed me an address. "Oh yes. Susan, it's an exclusive swinger club. They never let journalists in. We have been trying for three years now and they are giving us only one chance and that is to go to their Halloweens Party this Thursday," Amanda continued as she walked out of the office with her keys in her hand.
"What more do I need to know about this? Do I go alone? Is it safe?" I asked in a slight panic.
I was anxious about going to this place. What if this happened? Or what if that happened? I supposed it was a great opportunity to write a story that gets a lot of readership, so I should just go along and view it as any other story I had to write about.
The day arrived. I was more anxious and nervous than I ever anticipated I would be. My friends told me that it would be fine. I was going as a professional observer and it would be interesting. My boyfriend dropped me off outside the entrance and waited for me to go inside.
I stood anxiously in front of this black door with a polished silver doorknob and I pushed the ringer. There was no sign of a club. It was in the middle of a residential area and it could have been anyone's home.
A female voice answered "Hello, can I help you?"
"Hi, I am Amanda from Cleo" I replied quickly and in a nervous monotone.
"We are expecting you, come on up the stairs to level 2. I will meet you at the top," she went on.
I waved to my boyfriend, who thought this was a funny experience. He wanted to join me but I told him this was professional business and only I was invited as the journalist from Cleo. I had told him I would a taxi home.
The door clicked open and I opened the door and went inside. I walked up the two flights and then find myself in a dimly lit reception area with a bar counter at the far end of the room. It resembled a mixture of a hotel lobby and a bar.
A lady approached me. "Happy Halloween! Welcome! I am Felicity. Please come sit with me at the bar, there are a few things we need to discuss." She sat down on a barstool. She was wearing a short black mini with high heel shoes and a black jacket. Her face was well made up and she looked no more than 30 years old.
"What would you like to drink?" she asked me.
"A martini" I answered not really thinking and only saying the first mix that came to mind.
She called a bartender and asked him to make 2 martinis.
"Ok, let's get down to business now! You are a journalist and nobody tonight needs to know that. It would destroy the ambiance," she said sternly.
"This is the main entrance. On the other side of the bar there are several rooms, each with a theme. One is a lounge room with couches, another is a spa with a hot tub, another is a BDSM room, and then there is a room with all mirrors and beanbags. Another has beds and a few smaller more private rooms. You will see later." She handed me a martini as she took a sip of hers.
"There is no forced participation, everything is by consent and people do as much as they are comfortable with."
"We are expecting about 6 couples tonight, and about 3 single women. There may be others who have not called beforehand. It is a Halloween party so everyone is coming dressed up." Felicity looked me up and down and said, "You are dressed as if you are going to work."
I replied quickly. "Well! Yes, I wore this navy skirt and jacket to work today."
"Well, you are going to stand out like a sore thumb. Come around with me to the back and I will give you something more appropriate to wear for a Halloween party".
I followed behind Felicity as she stepped on a stool and looked around in the cupboard at the back of what appeared to be the admin office.
"Here this should fit you, it's stretchy, and it's more in the theme of Halloween than your work clothes. It's also the only thing I have to give you, so put it on." Felicity handed me a black spandex dress.
"Put your clothes in this bag and I will return it to you when you want to leave. It will be safe with me, so leave your purse and handbag in it too!" Felicity continued talking in an assertive tone, while dropping a plastic white bag by my feet and then walking away to answer the doorbell.
I stayed in this half-lit office and I took off my navy jacket and then unbuttoned my blouse and laid them on the desk. I unzipped my skirt and let it drop to the floor. I then peeled off my skin coloured pantyhose and for a moment I could not believe I was standing in a strange office in a swingers club in only my white Lacey 32A bra and a pair of black sheer thong panties. It felt surreal. I lifted up the stretchy black dress. I stepped my feet into it and I pulled the material up over my hips and then slid the straps over my shoulders. The material was stretchy and it stretched tight around my hips and butt. It was quite short probably ending just at the bottom of my butt. Before I could turn around to look in the mirror to see how short and how tight the dress was, Felicity was back to collect me.
"Great that fits you like a glove; it's only a pity you insist on wearing that bra underneath. It looks a sight," she said, looking at me in a way that made me feel even more self conscious.
"Don't you have anything else I can wear? I feel uncomfortable in this," I replied to Felicity.
"Well we don't provide clothes; we are not a clothes shop, unless of course you want to borrow my swimsuit from my gym bag?" Felicity asked me.
"Actually, I will take you up on that" I answered.
She opened up a black bag and pulled out a light blue bikini bottom which had string tie on sides and a stringy triangular top.
Felicity just stood there, waiting for me to try it on. I would have preferred if she just left me in some privacy. I had to just do it as she was standing there watching over me. I pulled the very tight spandex dress off me, and slipped out of my undies and into the bikini. It fitted me well, except the rather big top, so my small pert breasts were drowning in it.
Amanda escorted me back into the club and switched off the lights behind us. She led the way and guided me into a darkish room with mirrors on all the walls and ceiling. There were mattresses along the front wall. My eyes adjusted and although I was the only one standing there was a couple already on the mattress.
"This will give you a taste of what happens here," Amanda said as she left me standing there and took off to answer the bell.
I focused in on a woman leaning forward with her naked butt facing me. She was well tanned with a g-string-tan. She was leaning forward and giving a guy a blowjob. I could not see exactly what was happening, but it felt surreal to be watching this. I stood there transfixed almost scared to move from my position, my eyes glued on this blonde head bobbing up and down.
I was the only person there, watching and it made me feel uncomfortable. I looked around and saw the dimly lit side lamps reflecting on the mirrors. I noticed 3 big steps behind me which stretched across the room like a stadium and I sat on the front step facing the, I suppose you can call it stage or mattress, whatever...
There was music playing in the background but I still heard the sucking noise as this woman went up and down on this guy with her lips engorged around his penis. I don't think they noticed me. I felt like a sore thumb watching this couple and I started feeling really uncomfortable.