***
Max walked slowly to the restaurant with Sophie’s arm tucked under his. He had a foreboding feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had already seen a few Mercedes and BMW’s that he recognized. Some of the old Johns were still frequenting the club it seemed. Maybe they had a contingent of Japanese men come over for business. They were the ones that paid the highest to get taken to clubs like these. And they were always taken to ‘The Games’ because it was innocent and fun. The X Club was for the men and women who knew what the lifestyle was about and had a lot to lose. Men like him, and men like Senator Frank Phillips. The X Club was for the men of power who liked to take control in all aspects. Max never wanted Sophie to see that place.
“Hello, we have a reservation.” He greeted the Maître d’. It was still Pierre and as always Pierre’s face was blank as a slate. No one would have thought they had known each other for years, that Pierre had been his hook-up for a countless supply of drugs and women.
“What name is the reservation under, Sir?” Pierre looked down at the pad in front of him, pen in hand. Maxwell wanted to laugh at how seriously Pierre took his role.
“Max.”
“Mr. Max?” Pierre looked up.
“Yes.” Max paused. “I’m here for games night.”
“Oh, I see.” Pierre looked at him and smiled tightly and then looked at Sophie and frowned. Max knew what he was thinking. Sophie looked too innocent and too gentle. She didn’t fit the look of the normal kind of woman that came to these places. She looked too fragile but Max knew that Sophie was strong enough to withstand the men of ‘The Games’. It was The X Club that he was most scared about.
“Can we go down, Pierre?” Max slipped up and addressed Pierre by his first name and the man frowned at him again. He looked agitated and scratched his head nervously.
“I guess so,” he finally said and opened a side door. Max grabbed a hold of Sophie and they walked through it quickly. Sophie gasped as they walked through a dark corridor. The only light came from tall white candles and classical music played as they walked. She thought she recognized Bach. The corridor was fragrant, and reminded her of jasmine. She heard light laughter coming from further down and she felt her heart beating quickly. This was it. She was finally going to see inside Max’s secret world. “Ready?” He turned to her and smiled and she squeezed his hand, too overwhelmed to say anything.
They walked into a large room that had bright lights and a lot of beautiful women. There was a long bar at the far end and lots of vases of beautiful and exotic flowers. Max nodded at Sarafina, the Eastern European Mom to all the girls. She was sitting on a long chaise chair talking to a middle-aged Mid-Westerner. The guy looked like it was his first time in paradise and Max held a smile. He supposed this was like a candy store for men. He saw the man turn and look at Sophie and he grabbed her closer to him. He didn’t want anyone to get any ideas.
“So, where is everyone?” Sophie looked at him curiously. “I don’t see anyone having sex,” she whispered into his ear and he laughed.
“What exactly do you think a sex club is?”
“Where people have sex?” She frowned and looked embarrassed.
“So, let me tell you a little secret,” he whispered back into her ear. “We’re not in the club yet. This is the façade for the cops and the losers who think they are coming to a whore house like that guy over there.”
Sophie turned and looked at the guy with Sarafina and studied him closely. “He doesn’t look like a freak.”
“A freak?”
“You know, the type of guy that would come to a sex club.” Sophie’s face turned red as she realized what she had said. “Oops, I’m sorry, Max. You know what I mean.”
“It’s okay.” He laughed. “I’ve been called worse. Let’s get a drink.”
“Should we drink?”
“Yes.” He smiled at her warmly. “They need to think we are inebriated enough to not judge the others. We won’t get in without consuming alcohol.”
“Oh wow. Okay.” Sophie walked up to the bar and tossed her hair over her shoulders. Max watched her sashaying with a smile. This was a Sophie he had never seen before. “I’ll have a Tequila Sunrise, please.” She looked over her shoulder at Max. “And whatever the man’s getting.” She took out a twenty dollar bill from her purse and laid it on the bar. “Keep the change.”
Benny, the bartender, looked at her with a smile. “I’m going to need another twenty for your drink alone.”
“Forty dollars for one drink?” Sophie’s voice rose and Max walked up to her quickly.
“Don’t worry about it, Benny. I’ll take care of you.”
“Thanks, Mr. Max. It’s good to see you again.” The bartender beamed at Max and Max tried to look away, hoping that Benny would get the hint. “I’ll have to let Gina and the girls know you’re here.”
“That’s okay—” But before Max could finish his sentence Benny was calling out to someone across the room.
“Gina, Mr. Max is here,” he shouted out to a tall statuesque blonde and Sophie watched the scene unfold in front of her like a movie scene.
“Why Max, it’s so good to see you.” The blonde came up to Max and pressed her lips against his. He was so taken aback that he didn’t immediately withdraw from her gaze. “Tasting as good as ever.” She tinkled while pressing her ample bosoms into his chest. He smiled at her coolly, and introduced her to Sophie.
“Gina, I’d like you to meet Sophie.”
She turned around and studied shy and nervous Sophie, who looked beautiful and completely out of place. “Your new assistant?” she asked with raised eyebrows. “She looks different from the rest.” She reached over and grabbed Sophie’s br**sts in her dress. “And her br**sts are real?”
Sophie stood there with a dazed look in her eyes, like a deer in headlights. Max wanted to grab her close to him and protect her but he knew that there was no way they would get in if he was acting like a protective father or husband.
“She’s not my new assistant.” He smiled, not wanting to say more than that.
“Oh?” Gina looked at him hard then, studying his face. “You do look different.”
“Thanks.”
“I haven’t seen you at X recently either.”