Depths of Depravity (5 page)

“
Well, I can’t confirm what actually goes on in the place. Like I said, I’ve never been there. But it’s clear that it’s not a place meant for men or women who are already in a monogamous relationship.”

“
Okay,” I nodded. “That’s what I needed.”

“
You needed to know that men go to strip clubs to get their rocks off?”

“
Not just any men. Rich, affluent men.”

“
The best kind of men.”

Lily smirked at me. I laughed not just from the look on her face but from the relief of finally getting somewhere.

“Thanks, Lily.”

I headed out of the office and quickly headed home to get started. I was
full of energy and a renewed enthusiasm. My next destination was clear. I had to get ready for a trip to Platinum. I knew that it wasn’t just some ordinary strip club. With so much money flying around, there had to be a story here. Now I just needed to figure out what that story was. If things didn’t go as planned with Landon, I was sure that I would stumble across someone or something just as interesting. The angle I took with my investigation was flexible. I just needed to dig and find out the biggest secret I could.

Chapter 5

This wasn’t the first time I had to spend time in a place that was unsavory, to say the least. But if you want to find out all of the little details, you have to go to the place that’s the shadiest. I could only hope that there was enough light for me to see in even the darkest corners of Platinum. Maybe I wouldn’t learn anything specific about Landon Schrader. But at the very least, I was going to find out exactly what made the place so special. There had to be something to write about in Platinum. There was a story here. I was going to find it.

It had been awhile since I went out on the town. Even though this was for an assignment, it didn
’t mean I could slack off. I still had to dress the part. I searched my wardrobe for the perfect outfit.

“
Something sexy but not trashy… Something classy but not reserved…”

I never planned on heading out to a strip club, let alone by myself. But this was the direction all of my instincts were pointing me in. If I
’d have known that this is what my gut was going to tell me, I would have gone shopping. I opened my closet completely and there buried in the back of it was a slightly wrinkled black dress I had worn only a few days ago. It was the same dress I was wearing when John dumped me. I took a moment to myself to try and forget the memory that was still fresh.

It
’s time to let him go and make some new memories.

I smiled as I pulled the dress out and squeezed myself into it. I was desperate to associate the dress with something,
anything
, besides the time my boyfriend left me. I looked in the mirror and laid everything on more than usual. I pulled my brown hair back away from my face then tied it up over my head. One last glance in the mirror confirmed that everything else was in the right place.

“
Now what?”

I grabbed my purse then hopped into my heels and sauntered toward the front door. Just as I reached it, I suddenly remembered the most important thing. I headed back to my desk and pulled the digital recorder from the top drawer. With all of my tool
s in place, I headed out into the night and toward my destination.

Platinum was located just on the edge of downtown. Once you got past all of the skyscrapers and traffic, there was a small black building located just a few blocks away. It was a sole build
ing with a massive parking lot that was filled with nothing but limousines, overpriced sports cars and luxury sedans. Only the truly wealthy actually spent their time out here. I didn’t know much else about it because I never stepped inside of the building. There was never any need. As I headed into the parking lot in my old beat-up coupe, I wondered why I never considered doing a piece on a place like this. There was bound to be something or somebody interesting inside.

I immediately got a sense of the typ
e of crowd this place attracted. The building was lined with nothing but security. Burly men dressed in suits two sizes too small for them stood like towers around the doors. The affluent men I saw in Roy’s photos were scrutinized before they headed in. These weren’t your average guys just looking for a good time. These were men who had an air about them that was regal and arrogant.

I took a deep breath and gathered myself.

“All right, Victoria. This is not a big deal. You can do this. Find the story.”

I wa
s doing my best to calm myself down and psych myself up all at the same time. As an investigative reporter, I had to constantly remind myself that everything would be worth it as long as I got to the truth. That was more important than anything. It was my obligation. My own discomfort and hesitation was something I had to put off to the side.

Nothing I said to myself worked like I had planned it to. As I walked toward the entrance, the butterflies began to flutter around in my stomach. I was fighting off my
nervousness while trying to look like I belonged in a place like this. I got in line behind a few gentlemen. They were good-looking but generally nondescript businessmen. I thought about Lauren when she said there were tons of men in the city that worked in offices like my now ex-boyfriend. I never imagined I would run into a couple of them so quickly. But they ignored me as the line moved.

When I got to the
front, the bouncer eyeballed me up and down. He was just as imposing as the rest of the security guards. He had to look over his chest to see that I was standing there. Even in my heels, I barely reached his stomach. I stared up at him and held my ground.

“
You have an ID?” he said to me.

“
Oh, right. ID. Let me see…”

I dug around in my purse to search for some identification. It wasn
’t as simple as pulling out my driver’s license though. I had to find the right one. Right now, I wasn’t a reporter. I was a woman just looking for a good time. When I handed him my ID, he stared at the photo. He twisted it back and forth to make sure that it was real then looked back at me. It was a fake but the guy I bought it from was an expert at making it look authentic.

“…
All right,” the bouncer said. “Have you ever been in Platinum before?”

“
No, I haven’t.”

“
Women’s cover is one-hundred dollars.”

“
What?”

I was shocked at the price. He stared at me and repeated what he just said except slower.

“Women’s cover is one-hundred dollars. Or you can pay the men’s cover if you want.”

“
How much is that?”

“
Five-hundred.”

Men were paying five-hundred dollars just to get in here. There had to be something going on inside. I had to stop myself from choking. I had never heard of any place,
anywhere, having a cover charge that high. I looked around in search of some other way to get into the club without having to pay the price.

I stared back at the bouncer then tried to give him an excuse without letting him know who I was.

“Listen,” I said. “What’s your name?”

“
Bran.”

“
Bran, I’m not actually here for the same reason as these other men.”

“
It doesn’t matter. If you want to get inside, you have to pay the cover. Unless you’re talking about working here.”

“
Yes. Yes, that’s why I’m here.”

I said
it without hesitating. I didn’t plan on actually seeking employment here but the opportunity presented itself. I had to take it. Bran handed my ID back to me then eyeballed me once again. My role had switched from casual observer to hopeful stripper. I stared back at him seductively, hoping that he wouldn’t see through the facade. Bran sighed then looked back into the club.

“
I don’t know if Franklin’s actually looking for new talent but it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Follow this man and he’ll take you inside.”

B
ran pointed at one of his fellow security guards and I followed him inside. I had done it. I managed to get my way into the club without paying the exorbitant cover charge. I didn’t get in the way I had hoped but I convinced myself that maybe this was for the best. Maybe I could learn more about the inner workings of the club if I actually worked here.

As soon as I stepped inside, I finally got to see all of Platinum for myself. In front of me, a thin woman spun around on a pole on a small stage while men s
at around a railing. They showered her with dollar bills as she did her best to show off her flexibility. Behind her were two similar stages where the same thing was happening. It was everything I was expecting. But there was more than just the women pole-dancing.

I looked up and watched as two women danced in cages. They shook and gyrated their bodies to the beat of the low music that was wafting through the air. The dim red lights made it look like they were just silhouettes dancing against a background.

To the side, there was a bar. The same two men that were in front of me in line were busy chatting with a couple of scantily clad women. The vixens giggled and laughed as the men spoke to them with huge smiles on their faces. I couldn’t tell if they were actually enjoying the men’s company or if they were setting them up for something else.

On the other side, there were men sitting on long couches. Each one of them had their arms around a girl while they enjoyed the show on the stages in front of them. Ther
e were bottles of champagne all over the table and empty glasses indicated that there was cause for celebration.

The one thing I noticed more than anything was that the men all seemed to be cut from the same cloth. It was the same thin
g I saw outside in line and the same thing I saw in Roy’s photographs. They were all dressed in suits like this was some kind of formal party. Not a single one of them looked like he earned less than a six-figure salary. I suppose that made sense considering the steep cost just to get in.

“
Wait right here.”

The security guard instructed me to stand at a spot at the edge of the bar. He disappeared behind a doo
r shortly after. I stood there and observed the atmosphere of the club while patiently waiting for him to return. After taking everything in, I finally remembered that I was suddenly being set-up for a job interview. I had to remain focused.

Look for the s
tory… Look for the story…

I tried to remain as inconspicuous as I could. It was hard to differentiate one man from the next. All of them looked like they were someone important. If one of them walked up to me and told me that he was the owner of a large an
d successful company, I would find it hard to doubt him.

At the same time, all of the women looked like they belonged in the company of these kind of men. All of them were just nothing more than a matching pair of underwear. Their bodies were nearly flawle
ss. It wasn’t just the lighting. Their figures were something that I was envious of. On stage, I could see how firm their bodies were from how they worked the poll. There wasn’t a single part of them that was sagging and there wasn’t a blemish to be found. I was beginning to think that I wouldn’t even make it through the interview.

I was beginning to wonder where the security guard was. He disappeared behind the door and didn
’t return for longer than I was expecting. I leaned against the bar and after taking everything in, found myself bored. I wanted to walk around to see if there was anything to write home about but I was worried the bouncer would return and kick me out. I looked down at my feet and tried to think of something to pass the time.

“
You look bored.”

I jerked my head up and saw a man leaning against the bar next to me. I narrowed my eyes softly as I stared at him. I was doing my best to try and get a good look at him. The lighting of the club wasn
’t perfect but after a few seconds, I was finally able to see him clearly.

He was smiling a gorgeous smile at me. I couldn
’t tell what color his eyes were but they were mesmerizing just the same. His brown hair was short and styled in a way that complemented the rest of his face. He had a strong jawline that was clean-shaven. He was dressed in an expensive-looking suit just like every other man in the club, the jacket bunching up around his broad shoulders.

“
I hope I’m not interrupting,” he continued to smile. “You just looked like you weren’t doing anything else at the moment.”

“
No, I’m not,” I said, smiling back at him. “I was just waiting.”

“
You were waiting for someone?”

“
Yeah. The security guard—”

“
Security? Am I bothering you? Just let me know. I’ll leave you alone. There’s no need for you to tell security.”

“
No, that’s not what I meant,” I laughed. “I mean, he’s talking to the manager, I think.”

“
The manager? That’s even worse. I kind of like coming here. I don’t want to get kicked out.”

He continued to smile at me. I grinned at him and started to sh
ake my head. There was something about him that was so disarming. Even with a bunch of naked women dancing around us, I found myself already comfortable around him.

“
You’re not going to get kicked out,” I said. “At least, not because of me. Don’t worry, I won’t tell on you.”

“
Good. Because if it’s wrong for a man to walk up to a beautiful woman and start a conversation, I would have been kicked out of here a long time ago.”

When he winked at me, I could immediately feel myself beginning to blush. I turned m
y head away from him and looked down at the ground, trying to hide my grin. The bartender thankfully showed up and took his order to help take his attention away from me. But as soon as the man received his drink, he turned back to me.

“
So you’re here to see the manager?” he asked. “So if it’s not to kick me out, why are you going to talk to him?”

“
Actually… I might be working here.”

“
You’re looking for a job here.”