Looking around herself she found a small dolly that she could stack four boxes high. She was cursing and mumbling angrily to herself so loudly as she was packing up boxes she didn't notice that someone had walked into the tent. After watching her struggle with putting the fourth box on the dolly for a moment. Her friend Markus stepped out of the shadows and asked, "Do you need some help with that?" Emery screamed in surprise turning to see who was in the tent with her. She caught her foot on the wheel of the dolly and tripped sending the box of dried herbs and flowers flying as she impacted the ground.
Emery laid on the ground watching as flakes of flowers and herbs rained down on her. Damit Markus you big ass jolly green giant Emery yelled. Throwing a hand full of dried flowers at him. Markus watched in shock until Emery threw the flowers at him. Markus chuckled lightly but even then it was a deep guttural laugh that reverberated through the tent. After a moment of glaring at Markus Emery started laughing uncontrollably as well. She was sure she looked hilarious. Markus reached out and grabbed her around the wrist hauling Emery to her feet sending little pieces of flowers and powdered herbs flying everywhere. Then to her surprise, he wrapped her up in a big hug and spun her in a circle. Setting her down about where they had started.
Emery held onto his arms to steady herself. little mouse why are you so jumpy today Markus said in his very thick accent. He held onto Emery's arm so tight it kinda hurt. It was almost as if he were afraid to let her go. Emery could tell something was bothering him but she chose not to ask about it he would tell her when he was ready. Instead, she chose to glare at him don't call me a mouse, she said through clenched teeth. He threw his hands up in defense hey you started it by calling me a green giant first mouse he said playfully. So what's wrong with you? He asked, picking up a dried flower. "Take your pick of reasons. The horrible nightmares I've been having or the meeting with the dean. Oh oh, I know-how about the fact that my brain seems to be freaking out and I have trouble telling the difference between reality and my nightmares.
Wait I know it's because the universe has a thing for my ass today. Why else do I keep falling on it? Markus frowned down at her for a moment. You do have a nice arse lass he said with a completely straight face. Emery punched him in the arm and winced, shaking her hand in pain. Oww Emery complained Markus smiled at her failed assault shaking his head as he started cleaning up. They fell into a comfortable silence as they picked up the flowers and put them back in the box. Ari called you I take it, Emery asked.
Markus blinked in surprise and then made a disapproving snort. Nay Markus grunted. Right, Markus and Ari didn't get along at all. It was easy for Emery to forget that sometimes. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Emery stared at him hard for a moment. There was something wrong. She could tell he was upset. Emery opened her mouth to ask him about it but the tone in his voice made her think better of it.
The two of them gathered the rest of the boxes before standing up. Emery took a quick look around the rest of the tent-making sure they didn't miss anything. The tent was now empty except for the display case that belonged to the college. There were six boxes altogether. Markus grabbed the three heaviest boxes and Emery dragged the dolly to the car. Are you going to the club tonight Emery asked kinda quietly? She already knew what his answer would be? I always do. He set the boxes down and leaned against the car giving her a piercing look.
But you never do little mouse so the real question is why are you coming. Emery glared at him she hated when he called her that. Don't call me that. Would you rather I call you dwarf? Markus drawled out the last word with his ridiculously hot accent. He raised an eyebrow questioningly. Emery grunted her disapproval. That's what I thought Marcus said. "Ari convinced me to go out with her apparently she needs to decompress or something before her family's ritual's tomorrow."Markus glared at Emery, "I bet she does. Emery laid the dolly flat and started digging through her backpack for her keys "I'm going to ignore that snide comment Emery grumbled intent on finding her keys. Ah-ha," she said holding her keys up in the air.
Emery unlocked her trunk and opened it. Turning to grab the first box she said "I've had a really bad day, so I'm just going to pretend you guys get along for once ok?" Markus got a sheepish look on his face like a scolded child. Emery sighed" I'm sorry Markus it's just been a really shitty day." Emery leaned over and kissed his cheek lightly. I didn't mean to take it out on you.
Perking up immediately Markus gave her a devilish grin and winked at her. You can yell at me any time, gorgeous. Emery rolled her eyes "down boy down," she chuckled. In no time they had finished putting the boxes in her trunk and the back seat of her car. Emery got in her car and leaned out to look at Markus, "I'll see you at the club tonight." He leaned against her car and gave her a playful smile. I'll be fashionably late like always so you better save me a dance sweet cheeks. Emery gave him a half-hearted smile "For you darling anything," she said attempting her best flirty eyed look.
Shaking his head Markus chuckled you really need to work on that. I'll see you later little mouse Markus said pushing off her car and walking back to the festival still shaking his head. Emery shrugged and closed the door to her car. It was amazing how much she enjoyed the scenic route through the woods home when she wasn't in a hurry to get to the college. It was lucky for her that she did two because there was only one way home.
She pulled up the compact dirt driveway where she parked just in front of her house. There was no garage door or any kind of cover for her poor car. It was a sacrifice she was willing to make though because it meant there was nothing to tarnish the look of her lovely little cottage made of old cobblestones and wood paneling. Lush green grass lined either side of the driveway. On the right side of the driveway, the yard had a big apple tree in the middle.
There was a cobblestone walkway that hugged the house. It went from the front porch past the top of the driveway and disappeared around the corner of the cottage into the shadows. On the left side of the driveway just behind the walkway was a line of alternating berry bushes and lavender bushes. They laid under the windows that were spaced evenly along the side of the house in front of her.
The windows letting off a faint glow of light. I must have forgotten to turn them off Emery thought as she got out of her car. She played with the keys as she walked up the three steps to the little porch. It was just big enough for a chair or two and a small table. The light spilling through the glass on the door added her with just enough light to unlock the door without much hassle. As Emery hung her keys up by the door she couldn't help but wonder what to wear to The Church.
The church was a high-class invitation-only Sex club. That Emery was pretty sure was part of a secret society. So other than the obvious reasons she tried to steer clear of it. She didn't want to find herself accidentally in the middle of something she shouldn't be involved in. Besides It wasn't like she had the appropriate attire for a sex club just laying around.
Biting her bottom lip Emery pondered what would be the appropriate thing to wear to a sex club as she lazily walked over to the base of the staircase Emery flipped the light switch on the wall causing the light at the top of the stairs to come on. Filling the stairway with the dim glow of yellow light. Emery took the stairs two at a time when she reached the top she took a right and walked the short distance to her room. As she walked into her room she took an immediate left and stubbed her toe on the end table that sat by the door.
Cursing out loud she grabbed at her foot. Knocking herself over the only thing keeping her upright was the fact that she fell in just the right way to pin herself up between the wall and nightstand. With her free hand, she went to turn on the lamp and almost knocked the lamp over. With a shriek, she let go of her foot and grabbed the lamp with both hands to steady it. Turning on the lamp she frowned at the clothes she threw on the floor earlier and found herself wondering yet again what is the appropriate attire for a sex club.
Emery found one of the main reasons she hated going to the club is because everything you did meant something from the drink you ordered down to the clothes you wear. This made picking out the right outfit essential. If she wore a skirt or a dress they thought her to be a sub. If she wore leather she risked being thought a dom. With the right kind of jewelry, she could be mistaken for a sub or the right pair of boots she's a dom. Emery had learned these things the hard way.
She always had to be careful to find the balance between dom and sub because she was neither and clung to that distinction as if her life depended on it. In some ways, it felt like it did. Emery didn't have anything against the lifestyle it just wasn't her life or her style. It was her friend's life. In their world with their cliques, she never really felt welcomed there or included like her presence was barely tolerated at her friend's behest. As for it not being her style Ari and Marcus were always calling her a prude and maybe they were right she wasn't comfortable enough with herself to show a little skin as Ari would say let alone that comfortable with anyone else.
Emery sighed she supposed she should quit procrastinating and start digging through her clothes. An hour later Emery found herself looking in the mirror for the fifth time with her clothes spread all over her bed, floor, and dresser. A sick feeling lingered in the pit of her stomach as she thought pulling at the sleeves uncomfortably this will have to do. She was wearing a long black pencil skirt that came down to her knees. It had lace trim. Starting at the waist of the skirt was a curved line of nine black pearl buttons that split the skirt in two. The bottom three were decorative but the top six she fought with for a half hour just to button the skirt together. So there was no way she was gonna take it off.
The top she was wearing is called a batwing shirt. It was made out of chiffon. one sleeve was long and flowed around her wrist. The other sleeve was just off the shoulder the fabric laid loosely showing just enough curve that she didn't look like she was wearing a sack of potatoes. The blouse was a vibrant red she added a necklace to set the top it was the most expensive thing she owned.
It was in a drop chain style. In the center was a small princess cut diamond. Just below the diamond were three jeweled shamrocks that were in a line one above the other. The shamrocks were filled with small emerald chips. Her shoes were dull black heels.
They had a round toe with petite laces that lead up to a lace-trimmed edge that sat around her ankles. Although they were a five-inch heel and hard to walk in. The perk to them is standing in the heels put her closer to the guy's chest or shoulder area. Where normally she stood round about their belly button. It must be a height requirement for the guys in the club to be like six feet or something.
Looking in the mirror Emery sighed she looked like a school teacher. She figured what the hell if she was going to look the part she might as well own it grabbing a hair stick she finished the look by pinning her hair up loosely in a bun. She opened the door and walked down the small hallway to the daunting spiral staircase. Staring down at the stairs trying to figure out the best way down.
She could slide down but didn't trust the buttons holding her skirt together not to pop off. She could walk and break her ankle and then her neck probably given her luck recently. Finally, Emery decided to take her heels off and run downstairs barefoot. Gravity helped her down the stairs a little too fast. Emery had to practically run just to maintain some semblance of balance. As she went flying off the last step, Emery grabbed the railing and swung herself towards the door. Her stocking couldn't get any traction on the smooth worn-down wood floors and she was heading straight into the wall by the front door. Relieved that she was able to kinda hop skip to a stop just before hitting face-first into the door.
Emery looked up at the ceiling silently thanking whatever power may be that she wasn't going to have to show up at the club with a new nose job. Carefully she slipped her shoes back on using the wall to make sure she didn't fall over. She grabbed her keys off the wall and scampered off to her car. She made her way down the winding roads of the forest out onto the lone asphalt road. She drove what felt like forever before reaching the city. Making her way through the city streets she was trying to talk herself out of turning around and only succeeded in making herself feel more miserable about it.
She thought to herself what the hell am I doing going to a sex club. She never really found going there fun. I mean it could be if you got past all the awkward you don't belong here stares. Somebody who wasn't one of her BFFs talking to her wouldn't hurt either. If she was honest with herself it wasn't fun it was downright uncomfortable. Everyone always stared at her as if she was a five-course meal. She never really knew where to look with the naked and half-naked people roaming around the area where her friends usually sat. like if you stare too long you're checking someone out and if you blush and look away then your prude and heaven forbid you look at a dom's sub too long without permission even if you are just checking out their cute three thousand dollar heels.
Emery emerged just outside the city limits forcing her to pay more attention to her driving than her frayed nerves. She was driving up a cliff that overlooked the shore. The Church sat atop it like a sort of lighthouse that said enter if you dare. From what she heard the place was ancient. It used to be an old fort to ward off enemies during medieval times. Then turned into a castle and once the castle was abandoned it was a cathedral. Which is how it got its current name. Now it was a prestigious sex club. She wondered if it was even legal to take a historical landmark and do something so scandalous to it.
Over the years the compound had been added to and modernized. So it had modern luxuries like electricity, a kitchen, and indoor plumbing. She guessed you wouldn't consider those things a luxury unless you could imagine what it would be like to live without them. She made her way carefully up the winding streets of the cliff and finally to the drawbridge that was put into what once was the back wall of the castle. Emery waited to be let in as her thoughts wandered back to why this was a bad idea.
No, she said out loud to the car, "Your friends are right you need to have more fun. All you do is work and study and now you have no excuses. The person operating the bridge must have finally found her on the list of approved vehicles because the bridge slowly came down granting her passage into the inner streets of the club. She made her way along a road made partly of old and new cobblestone. She pulled into valet parking in front of the building talking to herself "it's not too late you can still leave all you have to do is backup. Making up her mind Emery looked over her shoulder to do just that when a car came whipping into the line stopping just short of smashing into her.
Two more followed right behind it. Turning back to the front of the line she crossed her arms and sank down into her seat pouting "Oh great. Now she was stuck here in more than one way."Emery was watching the valet as she waited, just like most men who frequented the club he was tall with dark hair.
The valet was dressed in gray slacks, a white dress shirt, and a gray tie. All neutral colors so as not to offend any of the royal families that attended the club. She was next in line driving up so she was lined up with the huge wooden doors. The valet walked around the car and opened the door.
Standing with one hand behind his back he offered her a hand to help her out of the car. Emery took his hand to be polite and got out of the car. Felling awkward she was pretty sure it was obvious she wasn't used to this kind of treatment. She handed the valet the keys and walked around the car to the sidewalk. She forgot all about the valet as she stared up at the enormous white limestone edifice that housed the club.
At the end of the club was a small round tower by small she meant as tall as a house and about as big as one too. It was attached to a hall that had windows that were evenly spaced out down the length of it. The end of the hall was connected to the towering front wall of the club. Seeming as if the pointed top of it lived in the clouds. The small tower and the hall were three stories tall.
The building itself was six stories tall. There was an arched glass window that was centered on the wall. The bottom of the oriental window started at the top of the hallway. The point of the window stopped just under where the roof started. Just past the window the wall connected into a square tower.
The tower brought you around to the sidewall of the club. At the base of the tower was the big arched wooden doors that granted entrance into the fortress that stood before her. The building came down over the doors in layered arches made out of stone. In front of the door were two steps that led down onto the stone path that she stood on. On either side of the walkway was lush green grass.
Just past the grass before the street was tall marble pillars connecting to an arched top every few feet to make a wall of arches around the club. The building was so vast that you couldn't see the whole thing from where she was standing. There were a few tall skinny towers popping out from here and there and the occasional flying buttress that held them up. She realized that she was standing there in awe like a five- year- old schoolgirl on a field trip.
Emery hurriedly walked up to where the line was forming in front of the security guards letting people in the door. As Emery waited in the short line a breeze blew a few stray hairs into her face along with the smell of sea-salted air. Impatiently shifting from foot to foot Emery waited uncomfortably in line for the club. Emery wondered what was taking so long it was like time had slowed down on purpose just to mess with her. Finally to her relief it was her turn next the night was getting kinda brisk and she felt weird enough just being her let alone out in the open like this. When it was her turn she said her name but the guards didn't say anything or really even acknowledge her presence. Since she didn't come to the club often they didn't recognize her.
"I should be on the list my friend Ari invited me," she said. Nothing they didn't even budge. "Hello, earth to the deaf henchman guarding the door hello," she screamed, waving her arms in front of their faces trying to get their attention. Looking around a little nervously she realized a long line was starting behind her. Emery sighed looking up to the sky as if asking for a little help from the gods. Just then as if in answer to her pleas a big fat raindrop hit her right between the eyes. Then as if on cue the sky opened up and began to pour. Great just great Emery mumbled under her breath. Taking a deep breath Emery mentally prepared herself to fight with the men guarding the door. She would have just taken it as a sign and walked away if it weren't for the fact that if she didn't make a scene that was memorable enough for people to talk about Ari would never believe that she showed up. The thought of the self-assigned punishment Ari would inflict on her made her shiver. Ari had a unique way of expressing her displeasure and man could that women hold a grudge. Emery figured it was better to play it safe and cause a scene.