Page 37 of Back Room Host

At least that’s how he emphasized it, as if that were the name of this …establishment?

It was pitch black, and when the bouncer also closed the door behind me, I couldn’t see anything anymore and bumped into Juri, who had unexpectedly stopped. Dull noises reached myears, and on the ground, I saw a strip of blue light. It wasn’t until the bouncer pulled a heavy curtain aside that I realized we were in an airlock.

My eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. The man wore a black suit and elegantly gestured for us to follow, reminding me of a butler. With my mouth hanging open, I followed the two of them. They whispered to each other, and I couldn’t understand what they were saying.

But I didn’t care. My whole attention was on this room. The atmosphere was entirely different from upstairs in the club. There was no longer any sound of the concert. Here, darkwave music played, the dark synthesizers buzzing like electricity through the thick air, and the chants echoed through the dimly lit room, which actually reminded me a bit of a cave. Around us were a few sofas and tables. At first glance, there were hardly any people to be seen. The butler led us past a few tables, and then I realized that there were at least ten niches on the left and right, almost all of which were occupied, where visitors were enjoying themselves.

Oh man. Where am I?

While Juri sat down on a couch, I could tell he knew his way around here better than he let on. Only when the bouncer, the butler, or whoever the guy was, left us alone did I sit down next to him.

All of a sudden, I became aware of the distance between us.

Too close? Too far away?

Somehow, I wanted to be closer to him, as the situation overwhelmed me a bit. The couple in the opposite niche was kissing wildly, and the woman was already topless. But I didn’t want to get too close and invade Juri’s personal space.

“Do you know the butler?” I asked, somewhat puzzled.

Juri smiled. “He refers to himself as a host.”

Gradually, I became aware of the noises in this room. From the next niche, there was a soft moaning, and from somewhere opposite, there was a clapping sound. Not hand-clapping, but one that sounded like two people having sex.

When the host returned, he placed two drinks on the low table in front of us. I looked questioningly at Juri, who sat completely relaxed, lighting a cigarette and grinning.

“Whiskey cola,” he said in a deep voice, exhaling the smoke.

I can smoke here?

Good idea.

With two quick movements, I tensely blew out the smoke. All of this made me more nervous than I had expected. By now, the couple in the opposite niche was lying on the sofa, so they were no longer visible from my seat. But that hardly reassured me. The dim light heightened my other senses, and I noticed the sounds around us even more. Juri smirked. And even though he was barely visible in the dim light, his dark eyes twinkled in his pale face.

“Relax,” he said, leaning forward and tapping off the ash. He picked up his glass and took a sip. “Everything’s fine.”

“And people come here to …” I struggled to find the right word.

“To have fun,” he explained, leaning back again.

“And this is a typical … back room?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said, lost in thought. “There are probably all kinds of variations of it.”

The feeling that he had been here before had a calming effect on me. Not feeling as tense anymore, I leaned back and let my gaze wander around the room. As I smoked my cigarette, the dark and erotically charged atmosphere engulfed me.

“Interesting,” I muttered.

Juri laughed again, so I turned to him, pulled one leg up, and rested my elbow on the armrest. “What? It really is interesting.I’ve never been to a place like this. You apparently have. And how long does one stay here?”

As my eyes became accustomed to the darkness, I could make out Juri’s striking features in front of me. He appeared as if he were carved from stone and didn’t seem inclined to respond. Instead, he stubbed out the cigarette and took a sip. As he put the glass back down, I noticed his graceful movements.

Has he always moved like this?

Or does this place have a subtle effect on him too?

Juri shifted back in his seat and tousled his hand through his hair. Just being next to him aroused a desire in me. I felt an attraction between us and wondered if he noticed it too. His calmness and confident demeanor made me doubt it but also turned me on. And my pants were getting tighter.

Fuck! Can this be happening!

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