No. No, I did not think he was happy, in general. I thought he was happy with me, when we were together. It wasn’t like he said he was happy, but we had a good time together.
A really good time.
“Well, Ash says the band is absolutely loving working with him.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Apparently Xander had his doubts. Concerns, I guess, that it wouldn’t go well. But Ash seems thrilled about the way everything is going so far. He says Cary keeps sending him feedback on the music they’re writing that blows his mind. He says Cary is a genius.”
I smiled. “Yeah. He’s pretty incredible.”
Danica smiled at me. I was glad we got to talk about this a little, face-to-face, before the other girls got here. Because talking about Cary and the band’s work in the studio was private. That was part of the reason I’d met her a bit early.
And while I had her here, all to myself, I figured I should ask her about that other private thing…
“So, I’m just gonna say this, and it’s gonna sound weird,” I warned her, “but here it is. Cary told me he has a membership to a private sex club.”
“Uh…”
“Hold your judgment. He said it’s really expensive and he met with a woman there, another member, who he’d have sex with. I think it was the convenience, but also, because he likes to be a little… dominant during sex.”
“Oh-kay,” Danica said, listening with stunned attention.
“I don’t mind any of that. I was a little shocked at first, but I got over it. He promised me he’s not going there anymore, now that we’re involved. And it doesn’t weird me out all that much or anything. I guess I wanted to make sure that that isn’t crazy of me, though. You’re my gauge. You know, my sanity gauge.”
“Right…”
“And also, I wanted to know if you’ve ever heard of a sex club called Bliss. You know… through Madeleine?”
“Uh… no.” I could practically see my best friend scraping together her thoughts and struggling to come up with a response to all of that. “No… I don’t think you’re crazy, obviously. I think you need to trust your judgment and your gut instincts, and you know better than anyone else what’s going on in your relationship with him, and if he’s trustworthy.”
“He is. I think.”
“Okay.” She considered that. “And you’re sure he’s not still going? And he has no contact with this other woman? And he was safe when he was there, like using protection? Etcetera?”
“Yes. I mean, I can only go by what he tells me. But I do trust him.”
“Okay.” She took a sip of her drink. “Wow. I was not prepared for that.”
“Sorry.” I grinned and tapped my cider to hers, and we took a swig together. “What about Madeleine, though?” Danica’s aunt Madeleine was a self-described Dominatrix, and I’d wondered if she might have any intel on the club. Being in that scene and all, maybe? Not that her scene was my business, but obviously I knew all the gossip about Danica’s family, as she knew mine.
“Uh, no,” she said. “Sorry. Madeleine and I have a strict agreement to absolutely not share any details about our sex lives with each other. I may have instigated that rule myself after I learned she was a Dominatrix when I was seventeen. And I’m not sure I could break the rule, even for you.”
“Yeah. Okay.” I got that, really. I probably wouldn’t want to hear about my aunt tying guys up and whipping them or whatever it was she did.
“What about Xander?” I asked. “Remember that ‘date’ he went on last year with that rich guy, for the charity bachelor auction thing? Courteney said the guy invited him to some sex club. Do you think it was Bliss?”
Danica’s eyes widened. “I don’t know. How many expensive sex clubs can there be in this city?”
“I have no idea. I didn’t know there was one.”
“Do you want me to ask Courteney?” she offered.
“No. I don’t want any chance of it getting back to Cary. And anyway… it doesn’t matter. Cary told me he wouldn’t go anymore. So maybe that’s really all I need to know.”
“Do you really believe him?”
“I do. He gives me access to everything. Like his phone, his texts, whatever. He’s very open with me that way. It was weird, though… I actually saw it on his schedule a few times. On his calendar, like