Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
I wondered how long it took her to get her husbands to go along with that arrangement, because I knew for a fact that they hadn’t come with self-sufficiency pre-installed. I’d already met enough billionaires to generalize about that.
“I would ask you how you liked your burgers, but I’m not so good at guessing their level of done-ness,” El-Mudad apologized.
“In my house, it was ‘get what you get and don’t throw a fit,’ I said, laying my hands on the back of a chair. “Is this...?”
“Sit anywhere,” Sophie said, reaching to pull out one of the chairs. I noted that the head of the table had a plate. I wondered who sat there. My money—not that I had any—was on Neil. There was something so commanding about his presence; he wasn’t unusually handsome, but charisma radiated from him. I could see why he’d appealed to Matt, and I couldn’t help imagining the two of them together.
Maybe I would get to see it for myself.
Matt took a seat beside me as Neil situated himself at the head of the table, as I predicted. Matt sipped his “mimosa” and asked, “So. How did you all enjoy the island?”
Sophie blushed furiously.
“Exquisite,” Neil said, lifting a glass of ice water. “You’ve outdone yourself.”
El-Mudad brought the platter of meat from the grill and situated it between us all. “I was skeptical, at first, but it turned out to be a good way of reintroducing myself to swinging.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Matt replied.
“We were strictly exclusive for a while,” Sophie explained as she sat down. She lifted a breadbasket and passed it to us. “I didn’t know what everyone liked, so I went with brioche or pretzel buns. I hope that’s okay.”
“Fantastic,” Matt affirmed as we made our selection and handed the basket off to Neil. “About the bread and the return to experimentation. I’m glad you felt safe indulging at Ascend Red.”
“It was eye-opening, even for us,” Neil said with a chuckle.
“And otherwise opening.” Sophie covered her mouth with her hand. “I was the one who didn’t want to talk about sex.”
“It’s difficult to do that when the last time we were all together was at a sex island,” El-Mudad pointed out.
“And now you’re building an Ascend club in Manhattan, I hear.” Neil sounded like he was making a polite inquiry but knowing where he’d heard it from and the discussions Sophie and I’d had about it, the small talk was veering into business territory.
“And Sophie is going to come work for us?” Matt asked, looking around the table.
He better not have been looking for permission from her husbands, or we would be having a conversation about misogyny later.
Sophie nodded and reached for a bowl of salad and offered it to me while she responded. “Absolutely. As long as you’re aware that I won’t be a forever employee. I’m not good at sticking with jobs.”
I appreciated her self-awareness.
“You can come on as a consultant for the project, and if you decide to leave afterward, well. No harm done,” Matt said. “I know Charlotte is excited about the prospect.”
“Sophie is the most fashionable person I know,” I said, though my gaze canted to El-Mudad and his sort-of cheesy ensemble. Her fashion sense didn’t seem to have any sway over her husband.
“And you’re looking for investors?” Neil asked, gesturing to a tray of condiments. “Please, help yourselves. Sophie has kept us... informal.”
“I’ve housebroken you to not need seven courses and full service,” she said with a snort. “Charlotte, you have to try these fries. Sweet potato wedges and garlic aioli. Neil does them in the air fryer.”
I was getting whiplash from the bizarre conversation. On the one hand, I had billionaires talking about sex clubs, and on the other, a cheerful wife bragging up her husband’s skill in the kitchen. This couldn’t have been normal life for either side of the broad economic spectrum around the table.
Matt cleared his throat. “Investors, maybe. Early adopters would be better for word-of-mouth.”
“El-Mudad is a member at Black Orchid. They have a non-compete clause in their membership documents,” Neil explained. “And quite a hefty fee to break the exclusive membership. What is it that Ascend Manhattan plans to offer that Black Orchid can’t?”
Every single eye at the table turned to me.
I laughed nervously. “I didn’t realize I would be pitching today.”
Neil winced apologetically. “I’m sorry. I’ve put you on the spot.”
“No, it’s okay.” I didn’t want to blow this. I just didn’t know what, specifically, we were going to have to offer. I summoned up business Charlotte. The garlic aioli would have to wait. “We’re still very early in development, but our goal is to give our members the Ascend Red experience without leaving the city. Of course, some things will differ. We can’t legally offer sex with the staff, for one thing. But the element of limitless potential will still be there. Themed parties, whole floors dedicated to different kinks, exhibitionist spaces and private accommodations. Matt’s priority with his property is to make fantasies come true, and that’s a philosophy Ascend Manhattan will ascribe to, as well.”