They arrived at a posh apartment complex located in Lakeview District, a trendy neighbourhood that had sprung up in the south-west section of the city closest to the bay area. It was an area dedicated especially to yuppie, liberal-minded folks with twenty-first century mind set: plenty of eccentric-type nightclubs, gay bars, tattoo parlours, karaoke nightclubs and blocks of shopping malls. Howard seldom had any activity that brought him here except on couple of occasions when he had driven by but never to visit anyone residing in the area. It was so out of his realm to want to even attempt that. It was 08:23 pm. When they left home Howard had almost expected Dave was taking him and Ted to the same place where he had first met Shango. He was a little disappointed that it was not so. But if there was to be any comfort, they were bound to meet Shango again, this time with their friend Ted tagging along so they were sure to make excellent company.
Dave drove into the building's underground garage and they got out and entered a door which led into the lobby. They got to an elevator and Dave knew what button to press when they got inside. Neither Howard nor Ted knew what they were expecting to find here. Dave seemed to relish keeping that information to himself. It did nothing to rid from Howard the pensive feeling that tonight he was going to discover more than whatever he bargained for. And still he dared himself to want to find out, if only to assuage the curiosity drumming in his heart.
The elevator deposited them on the fifth floor. Dave took a left turn in the hallway with Howard and Ted coming a step behind. They came to a door and Dave pressed the bell and smiled at them while they waited.
The door opened to reveal an effeminate-looking individual wearing a sequined dress that stopped at the mid-rib. It took Howard seconds to realise he was staring at a man . . . or was he really? It was a little hard to tell from the meagre light. He had the contours of a woman but for numerous aspects that betrayed him when he stepped out into the hallway to hug Dave. His brunette hair was shaped like that of a page boy. He was decked in exotic make-up with fake eye lashes and jewellery holding a wine glass in his hand; he looked so much like a Gypsy queen than anything else. The timbre of his voice and even his body gestures were feminine to the near point of parody.
There was raucous noise and upbeat music coming from within the apartment.
"Dave, darling," the effeminate man pulled Dave closer and kissed both cheeks. "So good to see you. So nervous was I to think you might not show."
"I didn't feel mean to come alone. I brought two friends who're dying to meet Master Shango."
Dave did the introductions. The effeminate man's name was Charmaine. He raised his palm at Howard who seemingly had no choice but to kiss it; Charmaine burst into giggles when he did. Ted too did the same. He did not seem too baffled by the man's outlook. The man ushered them inside, through a corridor that opened into a large living room that boomed loud music and wild noise.
A chandelier hung from the ceiling that gave off a discotheque of revolving colours upon the crowd that filled the room. Dave went ahead with Charmaine; both of them got swallowed by the teeming gallivanting bodies of party-goers. Howard and Ted remained at the threshold for a moment before deciding to join in the flurry. It felt like being caught in a ribald costume type of wild party. Almost everyone was gaudy dressed. They were women and men as well there were cross-dressers like Charmaine; some were naked and did not appear to care.
Charmaine came and grabbed their arms and propelled them through the revelry to a den that was much quieter. Few people were there lounging on sofas, some of them were even making out. A black man was sprawled on a divan with two white men decked in women's clothing including hair wigs, make-up and high heels, taking turns at sucking his cock. Charmaine led them to the bar across the room and went around the counter while Howard and Ted sat waiting. He tried not to be drawn towards watching the threesome affair.
Charmaine gestured at the display of exotic bottles of liquor sitting on the wall shelves. "What will it be for you lovely gents?"
"Beer for me," Ted answered.
"You good with Coors or Budweiser, honey? Those are all the beers I have for now."
"Yeah, sure, Coors will do fine."
Howard opted for something stronger—Charmaine fixed him a glass of scotch with ice and lime.
"Welcome to my home, darlings." Charmaine pushed a bowl of grapes in front of them after handing them their drinks. "And as long as you're friends of Dave and you're here for Master Shango, consider my castle yours. You boys aren't allergic to us cross dressers and sissies and trannies, are you?"
Both men looked at each other for a moment as if trying to comprehend when he meant before then shaking their heads like marionette puppets.
"That's supper great. Some boys would love to just freak out at such. If you don't mind me getting a little candour, I'm gonna share a secret with you darlings. Getting a blowjob from any LGBTQ fellow is the best ever," he laughed. "I'm serious, it's to die for. Trust me on that."
"Is there a difference between a transsexual and a . . . any of the other names you mentioned before?"
"Depends whichever way you want to look at it, darling." He popped a grape fruit into his mouth. His wrists carried a collection of bangles that made clicking noise with every hand gesture he made. "For simple-minded folk it's all the same. Not saying they're wrong, but who am I to tell them otherwise. We're society's ghoul that walks in both worlds. Being who we are has its perks."
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Howard asked. "Isn't it the same as being gay?"
"As I said, it all depends on how you want to look at it. Your friend Dave isn't any different from me, same goes with you both. You're here for the same thing as I am—we were put on this earth to serve our gods, our Black Masters, men like Shango. All white men are so," he chuckled as he popped another pair of grapes into his mouth. "Sounds bold, but it's the truth, even though many won't admit to it. It takes time for it to sink in for most. But when we realise it, we know we can't stop loving it." He gestured at the two sissies across the room still kissing and sucking the black man's rod. "It's like joyful narcotic for the soul, black cock is. We love to fight over it like horny cats."
"Is Master Shango around?"
"Oh yes, he around," Charmaine pushed a strand of hair into place above his face. "He's in one of the rooms fucking Lisa right now."
"Who's Lisa?"
"Lisa's my wife, darling. I'm still a he, even though I'd rather remain a she for black men. Oh, which reminds me, we ought to go see how they're doing. Just a minute, darlings."
He grabbed two bottles from the wall and two cocktail glasses and hummed a tune while he set about mixing drinks. Howard sipped his scotch whereas Ted swivelled in his chair to watch the ongoing threesome across the room.
The black man was up on his feet and one of the sissies held up his dress and went on elbows and knees on the duvet and the black man went on fucking him. Ted watched the other sissy remove his clothes and then he too assumed similar position beside his partner. The black man got done fucking the other then came onto him. Howard felt just as embarrassed watching the scene but like Ted found unwilling to turn away from them.
"Okay darlings," Charmaine came from around the bar holding both drinks in either hand. "Let's go find out Master."
Howard and Ted left their drinks on the counter and went with him.
The party was ongoing as they navigated their way through the frolicking crowd, some indulging in some form of foreplay or another. Howard observed women making out with men, women making out with women and men making out with each other too and it got so surreal he almost could not tell them apart. Charmaine did stop now and then to brief exchange words and sometimes a kiss with anyone that strayed into his path yet made sure nobody tampered with the drinks he carried.
At the end of the room was a corridor with other rooms branching off it. Other people roamed the corridor back and forth, chattering amongst themselves or making out; some slipped in and out of other rooms. Howard caught sight of further revelry going on in one of the rooms they passed as Charmaine led them to the one at the end of the corridor where people seemed to have gathered to get a peek at whatever was going on inside. Charmaine called out and gestured at them to make way which they did, and he looked over at Howard and Ted and gestured with a nod of his head for them to follow, which they did.
It was an austere bedroom with large windows looking out into the city beyond. A king-sized bed occupied the room which was the focus of everyone's attention. People made room for Charmaine as he ventured forward. The crowd was surprisingly quiet. In the midst of the quietude came the grunts and moans and body-slaps happening on the bed.
Olu Shango stood at the foot of the bed fucking a woman in doggy position. She was pale-skinned with an exotic collage of tattoos covering her arms and halfway down her backside. Shango gripped her hips exerting forceful grunts as he rammed her pussy hard while pulling her backwards at him. His pelvis slapped against her butt, jerking her forward with force. The woman clutched the sheets while screaming from each thrust; her screams reverberated around the room like a soundtrack of lust.
"There's my gorgeous," Charmaine announced and advanced towards them. "Hello, honey. I brought you a glass of Margarita and lemon, mixed just the way you like it."
Howard and Ted watched him hold up his wife's face to her offer the drink. Shango slowed his pace to enable her sip her drink.
More people pushed into the room. Howard glanced about and observed some women moaning pleasurably as too some of the men were masturbating to the action; including trannies who shamelessly stroked their lifeless penis as they watched. Howard thought he was stuck in a sensational madhouse but in no way felt crept out by everything.
"That's my sweet darling," Charmaine cooed after Lisa finished her drink. They shared a kiss and then came over to Shango and offered the other glass to him. "I brought your favourite drink, sir."
Olu pulled out of Lisa's pussy and accepted his cocktail drink. Charmaine fell to his knees and a rousing murmur arose as the crowd watched him suck Shango's cock. Howard surveyed the crowd, almost everyone was grinning at the sight of Shango having his pipe cleaned by a fellow tranny. Most would have loved to trade place with Charmaine to be granted such opportunity.
Lisa came off the bed and knelt beside her husband and the room cheered as both shared cock-sucking duty. Howard swore from being jostled from behind as more people pushed further into the room to watch.
Done with his drink, Olu tapped Charmaine's shoulder and handed him the empty glass. Lisa rose to her feet and jumped on Shango who caught her and deftly inserted his cock between her legs. They were back to grunting and whimpering as Shango squeezed her firm butt as she pressed against him with her feet locked behind his back.
Charmaine stepped aside as Shango lowered Lisa onto the bed. The crowd kept edging closer till they were about four feet from the bed. Shango locked his hands under Lisa's butt and was pounding her harder than before. She squealed her lust, her fingers dug into his shoulders as she took every thrust of penis muscle he fed into her. The crowd seemed to hold its breath when Shango's thigh muscles suddenly tensed seconds before he let himself explode inside her womb.
Everyone went ecstatic when that moment happened. Howard again marvelled with awe as he appraised the crowd cheering, clapping and pumping their fists in rapt excitement. Two trannies rushed to the bed as Shango rose to his feet and they knelt before him and begged for his cock before he then allowed them to take turns cleaning him up; one sucked his cock while the other rimmed his ass.
Charmaine had his wife to himself. He got onto bed and buried his face between her legs. The room stank with the pungent odour of semen and sweat. Howard felt something sticky on his pants and realised with mild disgust that someone had sprayed cum on him. He looked around for Ted who had been pushed farther from him by the teeming crowd. He looked sweaty and flustered having watched the action amid the weird crowd they were with.
"What do you think?" Ted had to raise his voice for Howard to hear him.
Howard shrugged his shoulders, but then he knew that was not enough of an answer for Ted.
"Like I'm lost in space," he answered.
They looked towards the bed and saw other people fawning over Master Shango. Some of them bowed their heads at him like the black god Dave earlier mentioned he was.
Dave.
Howard turned to Ted. "Have you seen Dave around?"
Ted shook his head. Howard turned around and fought to get out of the room like he was fighting to reclaim his sanity.