The Afterworld Read online

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispers to me as I drift into a contented sleep again.

  3

  Let’s Go Crazy

  The line isn’t as long tonight as it was Saturday night. I don’t usually go out on a Sunday, but the enticing thought of The Afterworld and what goes on inside is too strong. Thinking about seeing Ally again brings lust forward in my mind. It had been an amazing experience, one that I want to relive.

  “So how adventurous are you going to be tonight, Lucy? Sex with a stranger maybe?” he asks with a big dopey grin on his face. He is enjoying this. It should annoy me, but it adds to my excitement.

  “You mean another stranger,” I smirk. “I was thinking about Ally,” I admit.

  “I’m sure she’ll be more than willing. She had a great time with you last night.”

  “I did too. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to come back tonight.”

  “You can even have sex with more than one person tonight. That would be hot,” he says as we move forward in the line.

  “I don’t know if I’m ready for that. It was new enough for me to have sex with you and Ally together. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait to get in there, but I’m not sure how adventurous I’ll be. Will we be taking the purple banana thing again?”

  “Yes, if you want to.”

  “I want to.”

  And I do want to. More than I can admit to myself. How can it hurt? I’m going to be coming here every night and dropping a pill. I have a job, responsibilities. This is just some harmless fun. Surely after tonight I will be able to wait until at least next weekend to come again.

  We make it to the front of the line and are ushered in by the bouncer. The moment we enter the club, the buzz passes over my body and dizzies my mind once more. I suddenly feel so much lust I can barely breathe. Same as the night before, there are couples everywhere in different stages of sex. Unlike the night before I don’t want to drag my eyes away. I want to be a voyeur. I’m the opposite of uncomfortable, which is a direct contradiction from the night before.

  I find myself scanning the room in the hopes of seeing Ally. Every golden head on the dancefloor or in passionate embraces urges me to go over and see if it’s her. Matty grabs my hand and leads me to the bar.

  “Don’t worry, she’ll be here. She’ll find us.”

  Overwhelmed with every gluttonous emotion, I seek out his mouth and kiss him harder, longer, and deeper than I ever have before. I want him right here and now. I haven’t even taken the magic pill yet and I feel alive, like every nerve of my body is exposed and ready to spark like a live wire.

  “Save some for me,” comes a voice behind me, in my ear.

  I pull back from Matty and turn to find the object of my desire. In one swift movement she sweeps my brunette hair behind my shoulder and runs her hand down my spine. The tingle of movement over my body gives me that sizzling feeling again. Every little touch sets my body on fire and my lust into overdrive.

  “Nice to see you again, Lucy,” says Ally with a seductive smile.

  I want to taste her again so badly I can’t stop myself and, before I register what I’m doing, my mouth is on hers. I relish the feeling of her piercing in my mouth and remember how it had felt between my legs the night before. Excitement floods my pants and I can’t remember feeling this wet before.

  Stopping, Ally pulls back and offers me her seductive smile again before reaching into her pocket and placing the drug I’ve been craving on my tongue. The world explodes into light and dizziness. I feel like I’m on top of the world, that I can conquer anything, but all I want to conquer right now is Ally. I want to assume the role she’d taken the night before. I want to take the initiative.

  My boldness surprises me, but the drug lowers my inhibition. Taking both Matty and Ally’s hands I lead them to one of the couches in the far corner. There is already a couple in throws of passion, so we’ll have to share the couch with them. Last night, before the purple banana, I wouldn’t even have considered it, but right now all I crave to do is make Lucy come while Matty takes me from behind.

  I encourage Ally to lay on the couch with my hand before removing her jeans and lacy underwear. I then do the same to my own clothing before I get down on my knees and run my tongue up and down the inside of Ally’s thighs. With one hand on each knee, I open her legs wide and lean forward to taste her sweetness before me.

  Following my instinct and thinking about how I liked it, I begin my second exploration of a female with my tongue. As she had the night before, she tastes sweet and once I start, I don’t think I’m ever going to get enough. Her moans grow louder as I flick and lick her.

  Matty must have read my mind because before I know it, he’s inside me. It almost makes me come straight away, so I concentrate on Ally’s pleasure, tempering mine. I will let go after she has. Even as I feel her body spasm I keep going, knowing how to prolong the feeling. I don’t know how long I kneel at her sweet spot or how many times she comes, but as she shudders out another orgasm I let go and join her.

  My whole body tingles with satisfaction, gratification. I lift my gaze to see Ally’s smiling, pink stained face and this adds to my excitement. I caused that contented look and I want to do it again. With her. With other girls. The feeling of power, of having that control over someone’s pleasure is exhilarating. I don’t recognise the person I’ve become, and rational thought should cause me embarrassment, horror at what I’ve just done, but I’ve caught The Afterworld buzz and I don’t think I’m ever going to get enough.

  I’ve become a glutton for her sex. I’m a glutton for her and I don’t want to stop.

  4

  Hangover

  The next morning, I wake up with the worst hangover I’ve ever endured, but this isn’t a hangover from alcohol as I only had a few drinks; no, this hangover is from purple pills, a late night and exhaustion from sex. I spent nearly the whole evening pleasuring or being pleasured by Ally and Matty, as I had on Saturday night.

  Shame sends goose bumps over my body and I suppress it. It is done, I can’t change it. It just can’t happen again. I’m usually quite reserved, shy even, not the gluttonous sex fiend I’ve been the last two nights. With a shake of my head, I drag myself out of bed to shower and I hope I won’t fall asleep at my desk.

  I glance in the bathroom mirror to see bloodshot eyes and the pale look to my skin that one gets from a late night or partying to excess. My skin is already ashen enough without the look of sallow tiredness.

  I’ve been told I’m pretty and though I don’t agree with the sentiment myself, I know I I’m not hard to look at. With bright dark blue eyes, long dark hair that reflects gold, and my fair skin, I’ve never been short of male attention. I’m also tall, around 5’9”, and I’ve been likened to a younger version of Lorelai Gilmore more than once. Although I’m flattered by the compliment, I don’t agree with the comparison.

  Due to my tall frame, I like tall guys like Matty. He stands at 6’2”, so it makes him just my type. Even though we aren’t ‘together’ we both don’t sleep with anyone else, as far as I know, except for the last two nights at The Afterworld. I love Matty as one loves a best friend, but who knows what could happen. My feelings could change, run deeper one day, his too, but to be honest I’m not a hundred percent sure of his actual feelings for me, or what he considers our status to be. For now, what we have works for us.

  Now I’m running late for my job at Atkins and Stein where I’m a legal secretary, so I have a quick shower, don one of my suits and run to catch the train.

  I close my eyes and let the movement of the train lull me into relaxation. I can’t let myself fall asleep or I will miss my station, so I rest my eyes. Once again, I hope I’ll be able to stay awake at work. Though I don’t find my job of typing out all types of legal documents boring, sometimes, when I’m tired, like I am today, it is easy for my eyelids to get heavy.

  I use my commute to think about the last two nights. What have I gotten myself into? What I
did with Ally is something I never thought I would do. Going down on a girl, even kissing a girl and a threesome is something I would not have contemplated before. In post-coital bliss, I may have mentioned to Matty that I was curious about sleeping with a girl, but it’s not a fantasy I normally have. I feel my cheeks heat up at the thought of what I’ve done and how much I liked it.

  It can’t happen again, especially not on a school night. The club seems to have ensnared me and changed the person I am. Obviously taking drugs added to this and I vow not to do it again. Matty and I often smoke a joint before going clubbing, but I’ve never touched anything harder. I don’t even know what type of drug the addictive purple pill was.

  I can’t continue this way. I’m a professional woman. I was a vanilla girl who’d never had a problem being this way before. Sure, sex with Matty was always good and not too vanilla, but the things I did at The Afterworld were not me, no matter how much I liked it at the time. I have to talk to Matty and tell him I won’t be going again.

  We reach my station and with tired limbs I stagger from the train and down the block to my work place.

  There’s a group of us, five to be exact, that work as secretaries. We each have our own cubicle for privacy due to the sensitive nature of the work. Even though there is an entrance to my cubicle, it isn’t very wide, and one can sort of get hidden within the box. Some days I find it a little suffocating, but today I rejoice in it. I can hide all day while I try to stay awake.

  I deposit my bag in the bottom draw of my desk and turn on my computer. I put on my Dictaphone head piece and set up the first audio to transcribe. I’d grabbed a coffee on the way to my desk and I drink from it while waiting for the computer to load, welcoming the caffeine hit. I finish it quickly and surmise I will probably need another one soon. I will live on coffee all day to stay awake. Finally, my computer is ready and I open the program and hit play.

  “Lucy, wake up, Lucy.”

  A whisper and a hand shaking my shoulder wakes me. I look around for a moment and realise I’m at work and have been asleep at my desk.

  “Are you okay?” asks my closest friend at work, Cally.

  “Oh … ah … not really.” Feigning illness is my best approach here. “I think I should go home.”

  “Go, I’ll tell Roz. Get some rest, you look terrible.”

  “Thanks, Cally, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I check the clock to find it’s 1 p.m. How long had I been asleep? How much work did I actually do? Cally will cover for me and take on my load. I owe her one and promise myself I will return the favour.

  Half asleep, I wander from the building to the train station.

  I relax again through my train trip, go home, strip off and crash on the bed without pulling back the covers.

  Once again, I’m woken by whispers and shakes. I open one eye to find Matty sitting on the bed with his adorable half grin and head tilted to the side. His tousled golden hair indicates he has not been awake long himself. His hazel-green eyes shine with excitement.

  “What are you looking so happy about?” I manage to mumble.

  “I feel great and rested and ready to go to The Afterworld again. I can’t wait to see you all pleasure filled and eager to please.” He grins.

  This expression of his usually wins me over but it isn’t going to work tonight. “What’s the time?”

  “Seven. I brought Chinese food. Get up, eat and get ready so we can go.”

  “I don’t want to go. I fell asleep at work today. I can’t do that again. How did you manage to get through work?”

  He shrugs. “Just got more stamina than you, I guess.”

  “That’s why I can’t go out tonight.”

  Then he gives me his puppy dog look. The one he’s used on me since we became best friends at seven. I’ve watched him grow from an awkward boy with a head too big for his body, barrel-curled hair and lanky legs, to the gorgeous man sitting next to me. So, to say I think he’s hot will be an understatement, but I’ve never thought of him in a romantic way. Our friends with benefits came more from wanting to lose our virginity with someone we trusted and to help each other learn the art of sex. Neither of us has ever said anything remotely romantic or loving, and we fell into this relationship with our eyes open and with contentment. We don’t question our status, merely live it.

  “Please, Juicy, you know you want to.”

  “How can I resist you when you look at me like that? We can go, but not too late, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  We rush through dinner before setting out to the club. Tonight, I won’t take the purple pill, I will resist. I also consider just being a voyeur and avoid sex with Ally and Matty. As much as I enjoyed both nights with Ally immensely, I want to avoid sex tonight. If I get caught up in it all, I won’t be able to function at work tomorrow.

  I also don’t want to feel like a bigger slut than I already do.

  There’s no line when we arrive. Considering it’s Monday night, it doesn’t surprise me. We make our way to the bar and I ask for water. No drinking for me tonight.

  “So, I assume Ally will be here tonight?” Before I can stop myself, the words are out. I don’t want her to be, I want to abstain. If she is here, will I be able to resist?

  “Yes, she’s here every night.”

  “Doesn’t she have a job? I could barely function today, and if I was here every night …”

  “I don’t know. It’s never come up. Are you keen to hook up with her again?”

  “Um, about that, I don’t think I will tonight.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t want to get caught up in this place. The sex, the pills, I have a professional job, Matty, I have to be somewhat sensible.”

  “Do you mind if I hook up?”

  “With Ally?”

  “No, actually, I met someone here about a week ago and she is keen to catch-up again.”

  A sharp stab to my chest indicates my jealously. Matty wants to hook-up with someone else. I thought we were only having sex with each other even though we aren’t in a romantic relationship. It hurts me more than I thought it can. I suddenly feel possessive of him. I don’t want to share. I want him. Did this mean I love him?

  “Do you want to take a pill?” he asks, taking one out of his pocket. “I got some in case we don’t run into Ally. She hooks up with other people and I haven’t seen her every time I came here in the past alone.”

  Before Matty discovered this club, he didn’t drink a lot, smoked a little pot but never did anything stronger, just as I hadn’t. We would get stoned and have sex or go to a ‘normal’ club, but we never got caught up with anything else. This is a different Matty, who also appears to be caught up in The Afterworld’s gluttony. I’m not sure how to feel about this new Matty before me.

  “I really shouldn’t.”

  “I promise we won’t stay as late, so you can get enough sleep for work tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” I say reluctantly after he gives me that hang dog expression again.

  He slips the pill into my mouth and the sensation washes over me and my inhibitions and concerns slip away. Then he kisses me, and all is forgotten and forgiven.

  His mouth leaves mine and he peruses the room. That stab of possessiveness hits me again. If he hooks up with her, I’m not sure I can handle watching. If Ally isn’t here or caught up with someone else, I will be standing around like a doofus on my own while the man I’ve known nearly my whole life has sex with someone that isn’t me.

  How many times has he slept with someone else? How many girls have there been? Shaking this away, I tell myself not to be stupid. We have never made any promises to each other and I’m feeling way too high to be a wet blanket.

  Matty waves to someone across the room, so I turn, to see a petite redhead making her way over to us. His smile lights up his whole face and I’m not sure I’ve seen this happiness and excitement before.

  The redhead arrives and flashes a smile with perfect white stra
ight teeth. Her eyes look hazel in the low lighting.

  “Lucy, this is Katelin.”

  “Hi,” she says, offering me a smile.

  I return the gesture.

  “Do you see anything you like?” he asks me.

  His iridescent eyes are lit up and excited. It seems he can’t wait to find a dark corner to ravish the pretty waif Katelin. Jealousy and courage from the drug I vowed not to take again, has me perusing the room.

  As I turn to my left to get a better look at what is around, I lock eyes with a tall, dark very hot man. He stares at me like I’m a supermodel and I almost look behind me to make sure it’s me he’s giving the eye to. I smile, and he returns the gesture. It is me he’s checking out.

  “I’ll be fine,” I tell Matty.

  I want to make Matty as jealous as I am and the only way to do that is to hook up with a hot guy. I know the pill is giving me courage and encouraging me to do something I may well regret tomorrow, but I don’t care. I’m young; why not experiment before I settle down?

  Matty kisses me on the forehead and disappears into the crowd with his red-haired conquest.