Safe and Sane

He'd decided to visit Rumors on a night that, hopefully, it wouldn't be as busy and he'd have an actual chance of talking to Mona. Not that he really knew what the "club scene" was like in Boulder or that Rumors counted as part of it.

Black paints and coat, crisp white shirt. Nice shoes. Good lord, it had been awhile since he'd done this sort of thing. He paused just inside the doorway to let his eyes get adjusted and to get the lay of the land as it were.

It had been a long night, full of demanding patrons and semi-competent colleagues. It wasn't physical tiredness that pulled at Mona, but her nerves that were in a rather sad state after a night spent trying to get their waitresses to at least pretend that they were pros and could serve ten cocktails in a row without spilling them somewhere.

"Djävlar," she hissed as she noticed that the barman tonight had failed to get the maintenance on the dishwasher going. She crouched down, skirt riding up her thighs, and opened it to pour some salt in before setting the drain cycle.

She stood back up to find Joakim watching her with an amused smile from the other side of the bar. "What?"

The club had been transformed. The main room was no longer recognizable as a lounge; it had been made over with mood lighting and subtle decorations. On one end there was a huge buffet, the bar was open and tended. There was even room for dancing on a small wooden floor that had been laid down on the opposite end of the room. Scattered about were bowls of candy of all kinds.

One of the smaller lounges hosted traditional party games -- bobbing for apples, donuts on a string, even a table set up for carving small gourds and pumpkins. A few of the private play rooms on the main level had also been opened, set up for groups or exhibitionism, but as in previous year that wasn't the focus of the night. And, in case anyone had forgotten a costume or hadn't been able to find one, the smallest public lounge was being used as sort of a large wardrobe.

A large poster in the hallway announced the categories for the costume contest: scariest, funniest, the most creative, best couple or group, and -- of course -- the sexiest.

Mona had made sure to make all necessary arrangements with India by calling and texting the younger woman's despised cell phone. Calling a few days in advance to confirm the scene, the time and place. Texting just a few hours ago to confirm the number of the suite she'd booked at the club. The suite with an adjoining bathroom where she had lit a few candles ten minutes before their appointment, the suite where she had brought quite a few of her toys. She did not like using the club's.

Now she was waiting in the room, sitting on an armchair, long legs crossed. She was in a corset and stiletto boots, all black, a riding crop resting across her thighs, and thinking about the scene to come. Working herself up to be in the right mindset when India arrived.

That was a very easy mindset to put herself in.

At last. The final element of Beth's venture was ready to open, the gallery ready to her satisfaction and Jason's, and displaying (after a certain amount of discussion) a selection of pieces created by each of the artists who would later be holding their own show in the gallery.

The cafe was brightly lit against the dull weather outside, and the store was still open downstairs, but the focus for today was on the gallery, the seating area at one end, and the works on display (and sale) there.

Mona had just seen one of her subs off after a scene, and she walked back into the common room to get herself some more water. She would change later; right now she felt quite simply too good in the leather pants, stiletto boots and red and black corset.

She leaned her hands on the counter when she saw somebody bent down in front of the fridge. "Mind getting me a bottle of water?"

I have someone interested in a threeway scene. One of my regulars. We need to find a time to meet her together. Let me know.

M.

Mona was patiently waiting at a table in Beth's café, a latte in front of her. She was slightly early, and watched the people around her rather than looked at any of the books while she waited.

Thankfully, she didn't have to wait very long.

Let me know when you have time for a cup of coffee.

The evening was slowly starting, with the first patrons of the night coming in. Since it was quiet, Mona was letting their main bartender handle everything while she sat in a booth in the corner of the room and reviewed the list of supplies for their next order. She now and then sipped some of her tomato juice, but her attention was quite clearly on the order until someone joined her in the booth.

Anyone but Joakim would have asked first.

Someone in the cafe definitely had a resource of obscure holidays. This Wednesday fell on National Aviation Day, and one of the members of staff had obviously decided it was a good idea to mark it, but hadn't been quite sure how. Several model airplanes sat on top the counter and were suspended from the ceiling, swaying gently in the draft from the AC vents, with no explanation at all.