Helene hid a smile as Gideon gave the youth a kiss on the lips. She cast a quick glance up at Philip.
"That is Gideon's wife. She sometimes likes to dress as a man."
Philip didn't even blink; if anything, his gaze became even frostier. "And they met here.
How . . . interesting."
"Yes, it was quite romantic."
"I'll take your word for it."
Helene led him toward the far end of the salon so that he could see the whole room. To her right, a group of young women and men were engaged in a game of cards that necessitated stripping off various items of clothing. Screams and giggles arose from the table as one of the women slowly rolled down her stocking and tossed it and her silk garter onto the steadily growing pile of clothing.
"These are the more public rooms. My clients are able to enjoy a series of entertainments, participate in group sexual acts, and enjoy themselves without worrying."
"I can see that."
Philip's tone was scarcely encouraging, his face even less so.
Helene faked a laugh. "You disapprove, sir?"
"Of course I disapprove. Such behavior is scarcely appropriate in public, is it?"
"It depends how you define 'public,' sir. This is a private club. People pay to belong to it and for the privileges it offers them."
"The privilege to behave like rutting fools."
Helene shrugged. "There is nothing wrong with that, is there? Sometimes we all need to be foolish."
"If you insist, madame."
The scathing glare he gave her ignited something fierce and low in her chest. How dare he stand there and judge her and her patrons? She raised her eyes to his, a challenge in her gaze.
"Perhaps you should leave now, monsieur. This is only the beginning of the foolishness. I would hate to shock you."
A muscle twitched in his cheek. "I doubt you will do that. Please, show me more."
"If you insist, monsieur."
She led him back through both of the large public salons, making sure he got a good view of the naked jugglers and the exotic dark-skinned woman performing the dance of the seven veils. He said nothing and his face betrayed no emotion. What had happened to turn him into such a dull stick of a man?
In the hallway beyond the two salons, Helene paused.
"Beyond the public areas are more secluded rooms." She gestured at the line of doorways. "On this floor, we cater to the more popular sexual fantasies."
"How do you decide what they are?"
His quiet question surprised her, and she glanced up to find him watching her intently.
"Over the years, certain scenarios have been requested by our patrons many times. I keep a list of those favorites. When people stop enjoying a particular scenario, we simply change the theme and introduce another from our list."
"How efficient."
"This is a business, sir."
Why was she so intent on impressing him? Not only had he forgotten her, but he was treating her achievements with utter contempt. What had he expected to find here? Hadn't Gideon told him exactly what she provided? Well, if she couldn't impress him, she'd make sure she shocked him right down to his conservative, fuddy-duddy—no doubt churchgoing—toes.
"Would you like to go into one of the rooms?"
It was a deliberate challenge, and she waited for his response with a calm smile.
"Why not?"
"Perhaps you would like to choose which room to enter. The themes are on the doors."
He glared down at her. "I'd rather you chose. You are the expert."
At random, Helene pointed at the third door on the left. The plaque on the door read BLIND man's bluff. "Let's go in here, shall we?"
He followed her into the darkened room and took a seat next to her. She focused her attention on the center of the room, where an oiled naked man was being tied to a black-painted backdrop. A narrow white silk scarf covered his eyes. When the man's hands had been secured above his head and his ankles locked in place, a collective sigh of feminine approval echoed around the room.
Helene hid a smile as one of the women in the audience crept forward and began
"That is Gideon's wife. She sometimes likes to dress as a man."
Philip didn't even blink; if anything, his gaze became even frostier. "And they met here.
How . . . interesting."
"Yes, it was quite romantic."
"I'll take your word for it."
Helene led him toward the far end of the salon so that he could see the whole room. To her right, a group of young women and men were engaged in a game of cards that necessitated stripping off various items of clothing. Screams and giggles arose from the table as one of the women slowly rolled down her stocking and tossed it and her silk garter onto the steadily growing pile of clothing.
"These are the more public rooms. My clients are able to enjoy a series of entertainments, participate in group sexual acts, and enjoy themselves without worrying."
"I can see that."
Philip's tone was scarcely encouraging, his face even less so.
Helene faked a laugh. "You disapprove, sir?"
"Of course I disapprove. Such behavior is scarcely appropriate in public, is it?"
"It depends how you define 'public,' sir. This is a private club. People pay to belong to it and for the privileges it offers them."
"The privilege to behave like rutting fools."
Helene shrugged. "There is nothing wrong with that, is there? Sometimes we all need to be foolish."
"If you insist, madame."
The scathing glare he gave her ignited something fierce and low in her chest. How dare he stand there and judge her and her patrons? She raised her eyes to his, a challenge in her gaze.
"Perhaps you should leave now, monsieur. This is only the beginning of the foolishness. I would hate to shock you."
A muscle twitched in his cheek. "I doubt you will do that. Please, show me more."
"If you insist, monsieur."
She led him back through both of the large public salons, making sure he got a good view of the naked jugglers and the exotic dark-skinned woman performing the dance of the seven veils. He said nothing and his face betrayed no emotion. What had happened to turn him into such a dull stick of a man?
In the hallway beyond the two salons, Helene paused.
"Beyond the public areas are more secluded rooms." She gestured at the line of doorways. "On this floor, we cater to the more popular sexual fantasies."
"How do you decide what they are?"
His quiet question surprised her, and she glanced up to find him watching her intently.
"Over the years, certain scenarios have been requested by our patrons many times. I keep a list of those favorites. When people stop enjoying a particular scenario, we simply change the theme and introduce another from our list."
"How efficient."
"This is a business, sir."
Why was she so intent on impressing him? Not only had he forgotten her, but he was treating her achievements with utter contempt. What had he expected to find here? Hadn't Gideon told him exactly what she provided? Well, if she couldn't impress him, she'd make sure she shocked him right down to his conservative, fuddy-duddy—no doubt churchgoing—toes.
"Would you like to go into one of the rooms?"
It was a deliberate challenge, and she waited for his response with a calm smile.
"Why not?"
"Perhaps you would like to choose which room to enter. The themes are on the doors."
He glared down at her. "I'd rather you chose. You are the expert."
At random, Helene pointed at the third door on the left. The plaque on the door read BLIND man's bluff. "Let's go in here, shall we?"
He followed her into the darkened room and took a seat next to her. She focused her attention on the center of the room, where an oiled naked man was being tied to a black-painted backdrop. A narrow white silk scarf covered his eyes. When the man's hands had been secured above his head and his ankles locked in place, a collective sigh of feminine approval echoed around the room.
Helene hid a smile as one of the women in the audience crept forward and began
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