Samantha was worried that she'd be wobbly in those new heels when she slid them on her feet that morning. As she tightened the straps around her ankles, she wondered if she should have gone with the more sensible flats that she normally wore for work. But she was feeling a little more dangerous today. Besides, she was damn proud of these new heels. They were Jimmy Choo heels, after all. The new collection, in fact.
Samantha had confidence in her appearance; years of running had rewarded her with a toned and sculpted body, and these new heels had really sealed the deal. Glancing down at her new prized possessions, she was pleased that it perfectly complimented her gray short sleeve dress.
After a short Uber ride downtown, she reached the entrance of the building and steadied herself, taking a deep breath as she walked in. She loved the sound her heels made as they clicked along the tile floor, announcing her arrival. To Samantha, it was the sound of power.
***
At first, she scoffed at the idea of ever stepping foot in
Satisfaction
. Now, it seemed mildly amusing.
She still couldn't get over the fact that Doug had sent her for this story. But Samantha had learned long ago that it was no use trying to argue with her Managing Editor. So here she was, stuck with reporting a story on a highly exclusive sex club which had recently opened downtown. It was "a surefire way to garner more readers," according to Doug.
In the end, work was work, and this was a legitimate news story.
And now, after nearly two weeks of intense research and a brief phone conversation with Caleb, the club's operations manager, Samantha was ready for her first visit to the newly opened branch of
Satisfaction.
She had familiarized herself with this franchise, mostly from her connections in America's financial world, about how this place makes fantasies come true.
Unlike most sex clubs in murky areas,
Satisfaction
was located on the top floor of a commercial building, the first of its kind. It was meant to be a place where financial big shots, men and women alike, could take time from their busy days to "relieve stress," as discreetly advertised.
It was 10 am on a Monday when Samantha made her first trip there. Typically, for these types of personal on-the-record interviews, she'd wear something casual like skinny jeans and a button-up shirt. Stylish, yet professional.
She hoped the height of her heels and the length of her skirt wouldn't diminish her status in the eyes of the people she'd be meeting. Her legs were stellar and she also secretly hoped that they'd garner some attention from people with high taste. It always give her a little thrill, though she'd never admit that.
She made her way up to the top floor, expecting a dimly lit, seedy lobby with overweight greasy men.
Instead, she was astonished to see an upscale lobby with a professional ambiance, with sunlight filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city. Since it was morning, there was even a table in the waiting room with an array of breakfast pastries, coffee, and freshly squeezed fruit juice for the guests.
Samantha was greeted by an ordinary receptionist whose hair was in a librarian's bun. She was escorted down the hall by a staff member in a suit - they all wore suits - and hoping to see something salacious, she couldn't help but peek into each room. But much to her secret disappointment, there was nothing going on this early in the day.
She soon found herself in the main office, sitting across a large, mahogany desk from the branch manager and co-owner of
Satisfaction
. Caleb appeared to be a few years older than she was and everything about him was groomed and polished. Even the pens on his desk were lined up perfectly.
Samantha placed her phone on his desk, glad that he had agreed to let her record their interview. The conversation was cordial at first. Nothing out of the ordinary. When she had him laughing at her jokes and leaning back in his chair, relaxed, Samantha knew it was time to work. His guard was down and it was her chance to finally sink her teeth into the story. Journalism, after all, was about exposing the truth.
"So, what does it feel like running the most controversial sex club in the city?" she asked with an almost disarming manner, batting her eyelashes in the process.
Caleb played along. "Controversial? Why? Because of our location, or the clients we cater to?"
"Both. It's a gutsy move to locate a sex club in the financial district, marketing to men with a lot of money."
"Are you implying we don't cater to women?" he smiled with a questioning eyebrow raised.
Samantha fired back with a smile of her own. "Are you denying that the vast majority of your clients are men?"
"Not at all. It's true; the majority of our clients are men."
"Doesn't that bother you at all?" she asked in earnest. "In the age and cultural climate of the #MeToo movement, don't you find it a bit tacky to run a business where powerful men use women as their playthings? Just a few months ago, there was a massive march on the street right around where this building is located, with tens of thousands of women showing their support for one another."
Despite her slightly hostile interview approach, Samantha was no prude. In fact, she had done a few stories in the last few years about sexual liberation and equality. Her issue, as she was sure Caleb had realized, was with the potential power imbalance a place like this could have.
He remained firm. "Are you honestly asking me that? That seems like a bit of a low blow, don't you think?"
"Speaking of blows, this club has rooms specifically for oral sex, with some being traditional 'gloryholes' so men can have quick relief during their coffee breaks from the office. And as I recall, there are rooms for spankings, group activities and so forth."
"May I respond to that?" he asked curiously.
"Please do."
Caleb measured his words. "I'd be happy to go on the record and state that men and women are 100% equal here. We firmly believe that a woman's pleasure is just as valuable as a man's, regardless of money or stature."
"Is that so?"
"You don't believe me?"
"I only believe what I see," Samantha stated. "And from what I've read, women here are nothing more than holes for men to stick their penises inside."
"Well, that's the problem. You haven't actually seen anything. We've only been in my office so far."
"I think you may be a little over confident." She paused. Was she pushing him too far? Was this strategy working?
He checked the time. "It's a quarter past 10. By this hour, we should have clients down the hall. As you must know, the markets have been a roller coaster lately and there's a lot of stress to release."
What a scoop - this would elevate her story to the next level instead of just doing a crummy interview. Her interest in seeing this place in action had piqued. Maybe she could convince her boss to host a piece in a more prominent area of their publication. Shrewd decisions usually paid off, in her experience.
And if she was honest with herself, she had felt a twinge of arousal and a slight dampness between her thighs, thinking of what she might see. She crossed her legs and hoped Caleb hadn't noticed her bodily reaction.
"That could be interesting," she said courteously. "I would love to have a peek at the services you provide."
He smiled, "Hopefully not to tear us apart in your new article."
"Is that what you think I'm planning to do?"
"Not exactly. I've always been good at reading people, and I think you have... well, maybe I'm too much of a gentleman to say it."
Samantha lifted an eyebrow. "Like most journalists, I've received my fair share of hate mail. Whatever you want to say, I can handle it."
"It's a fairly racy comment."
"Even better. Go on."