Chapter 1

“Hurry up, Chloe,” Victoria shouted impatiently. “Club Luxe

closes their doors in two hours and traffic is already going to be a bitch.” She tapped her foot and lifted her phone to check the time:

8:00 PM.

The sounds of a young woman fighting with her dress and releasing exasperated groans filled the apartment. “I’m sorry, Vica, but I can’t just throw on something and instantly look gorgeous like you do,” Chloe said on the verge of tears. “I’m a total mess.”

Victoria couldn’t help but smile a little as she walked around the corner to assist her friend. Of course, she had absolutely no idea what Chloe was talking about. With cute red curls and buxom, creamy breasts peeking out from a low-cut blue dress, Chloe looked like a man eater. “Honey, you look amazing,” Victoria said reassuringly. “Don’t stress.”

“Really?” Chloe asked sweetly. “Because I don’t feel it. Look at you!” She pointed to the mirror accusingly.

Victoria did have to admit that she looked great. Her black dress was trimmed with gold, while a daring slit up the side revealed her long and shapely leg. The fabric covered her breasts, but there were tasteful spaces where the material was sheer. Her naturally tanned skin gave her an exotic quality that she took full advantage of. “Yes, but it’s not about how you look compared to me. It’s about how you feel about yourself. If you believe you’re a bombshell, so will the men,” she said confidently. She flashed her friend a smile and gave her a gentle pat on the back.

Chloe seemed like she wanted to say something else but instead let out a sigh. “You’re right. I still can’t believe I’m letting you take me along,” she said as she put her hands on her hips.

“But it’s exciting, Chloe, and this could be a huge break for my career,” Victoria said with a sly grin on her face. “Besides, I’m sure you’ll find someone that makes you forget all your worries.”

“I doubt it,” Chloe huffed with a shake of her head. “I’ll just get a couple drinks and leave after a few hours or something.”

“You can’t, remember? This isn’t a normal club. Once the doors lock, no one gets in or out until the morning,” Victoria explained. “There’s no escape tonight. We’re going all the way.”

Chloe bit her lip nervously and she gulped down some air before saying, “Right, I forgot about that.” She sighed again and stood up straight. “Alright, let’s just get this over with.”

Victoria smiled and squeezed her friend’s shoulder. “My editor is going to love this exposé,” she said with excitement dripping from every word.

“Every investigative journalist in Chicago has been dying to get this story.”

“I still don’t see why your boss thinks writing about a sex club is worth anything,” Chloe mused with a tone of disbelief. “What’s so special about a sex club?”

With a coy smile, Victoria double-checked to make sure her recorder was tucked safely in her purse. “Not just any sex club, Chloe. A sex club for the one percent. Society’s elite. A chance to see just what America’s royalty does with their spare time.”

Chloe shrugged her shoulders. “Probably the same as the rest of us,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

Victoria sighed and gave her friend a teasing look. “Honey, I bet you still have sex with the lights off,” she said with a chuckle.

Chloe’s face turned as red as her hair and she looked away. “I just look better in the dark. It hides all my cellulite.”

“What cellulite?” Victoria asked with a laugh. She reached out to pull her friend into a hug. “Oh, Chloe. I do love you, never change.”

Chloe hugged back. “Don’t worry. It’ll take more than a night at a sex club for the ‘one percent’ to take away my sainthood. Besides, I’m only coming to watch out for you.”

“Thanks,” Victoria said softly. “It really does mean a lot to me.”

The girls embraced for a moment longer before Chloe pulled away with an adoring smile. “Let’s go get you that story, Miss Chase.”

“Jesus. Downtown is a bitch,” Victoria complained as she veered across traffic in her blue Mitsubishi Lancer, attempting to snag up the last parallel parking spot. The wheels hugged the ground as she drifted into the spot and Victoria let out an exhilarated whoop.

“Do you have to drive like a crazy person!?” Chloe asked in near hysterics.

Victoria just laughed as she opened up the car door and stepped out. “We made it here in once piece, didn’t we?” she asked as she walked toward the club.

“You’re impossible, Vica,” Chloe retorted in irritation.

“You can yell at me later,” Victoria said as she picked up her pace. “We only have ten minutes to get there.”

Chloe huffed and did her best to sprint in the heels she was wearing. Her feet were already aching and she limped slightly as she tried to avoid getting caught in the cracks between sidewalks. The two of them ran down the street and counted the addresses as they went.

“Wasn’t it 504?” Victoria asked as she continued to rush forward. “502… 506… 508…” She stopped and looked around. “Where the hell is 504?” she asked in annoyance. She could easily see building 502 next to 506, but there was nothing for 504. She glanced across street in confusion.

“Don’t tell me it’s down the alley,” Chloe said with a twinge of fear in her voice.

Victoria looked in front of her to see the eerie looking gap between the two buildings. “It’s worth a shot,” she said with a smile. “Let’s go.”

“Dressed like this?” Chloe exclaimed in horror. “No way! We’re going to get attacked by some creep.”

Victoria turned to her friend and put a hand reassuringly on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I know kickboxing, remember? I’ll wreck anyone that might try something,” she said confidently. “If the place doesn’t exist, I’ll just drop the story. But for right now I need you to be tough and come with me.”

Chloe nodded softly and took a deep breath. “Alright, but you owe me even more now.”

Victoria smiled softly. “We’ll see.”

The girls took their first step into the darkness of the alleyway. The street lights that illuminated the sidewalks at night seemed to have their light swallowed by some invisible black hole. Within just a few feet they were in near pitch black conditions. Victoria could feel anxiety creeping up her spine as they ventured deeper into the alley.

“It has to be around here somewhere,” she said nervously.

“Vica,” Chloe said in apprehension, “let’s just go home.”

Victoria shook her head stubbornly. “No. The tickets cost a small fortune. I’m not going to get another chance like this.” She pulled her iPhone from her purse and quickly jabbed her thumb onto the center button. The screen lit up and illuminated the time: 9:55 PM. She groaned in frustration and unlocked the phone to turn on the flashlight function. The bright LED light pierced the darkness until it was nearly bright as day in the alley. Her eyes glanced around wildly to find the proper number.

“Where are you…” she muttered to herself.

“Is that it?” Chloe asked nervously as she pointed deeper into the alley.

Victoria’s eyes followed her arm and she shone the light to expose the faded number painted over a large metal door. “Yes! It is!” she shouted excitedly. Her pace quickened even more and she nearly dragged Chloe with her to the door. She pounded on the scary-looking iron door and heard a deep echo. When nothing happened she pulled her phone out again to check the time: 9:59 PM.

“You fuckers better open up. I have a minute left!” she bellowed at the door. She pounded again in frustration and sighed as the clock ticked: 10:00 PM. “Fuck!” she cried out.

She felt Chloe’s soft hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’m really sorry, Vica,” she said soothingly. “I know how much this meant to you. This is my fault for being a baby.”

Victoria turned around and tried to conceal her grave disappointment. “No, it’s okay. It’s just a story. I’ll find another way,” she said with a forced smile. “Come on, we’ll find somewhere else to have some fun tonight and not worry about work.”

Chloe nodded her head in agreement and the girls began to walk away from the metal door with 504 painted above it. As soon as they took a step they heard a loud grating sound that drew their attention. Both of them turned around to gaze at a bright red light protruding from a small window in the door. A man stood behind metal bars with a stiff expression on his face.

“Tonight’s password?” he asked robotically.

Victoria’s heart soared, and she mentally did a happy dance as she gazed upon the man. She knew the password from memory but pulled the ticket from her purse anyway to present it to the man. “Tremble,” she spoke softly. She motioned for Chloe to do the same.

The man took both of their tickets and turned to enter the doorway. “You arrived just in time,” he said in a monotone voice that lacked any hint of emotion.

The girls followed him wordlessly and the metal door clanked loudly as it shut. They walked down a flight of dark, winding stairs that took them far below the surface of the city. Carefully and nervously, they walked through the dusky tunnels, further and further away from the normalcy of Chicago and into the unknown underground. The melodic sound of music could soon be heard reverberating through the hall as they approached an ornately decorated pair of double doors. In bright fuchsia lettering was a single, glowing word: LUXE. There was a man standing below the neon lights, and he reached for the door handle, stopping only briefly to look at the girls. “Next time,” he said with an edge in his voice, “don’t be late.”