The Gilded Cage’s facade stood out among the various shops and social hubs dotting both sides of the street with its oppressively reflective windows divided by matte black supports. The awning encapsulating the revolving door was made of golden metal that curved downwards from the building and into the ground, intersected by horizontal curved bars at fixed intervals, much like a bird’s cage. A man in a black suit who was large enough he could disguise himself as a refrigerator stood in a gap between the bars.

I was walking close enough for my clothes to brush Jules’, but I had managed to not cling to her on the short walk from the alleyway. Cunt was waiting a few feet from the entryway and walked in step with the two of us on our approach. As we stopped in front of the bouncer, she slid her hand around my waist and pulled me to her without saying a word. I opened my mouth to protest, but no words summoned their way to my lips. I was still buzzing from the alleyway, and it felt nice to be held by her. Jules brushed a few strands of hair from my face as I leaned into Cunt. I felt like I was floating on air, a shared moment with Cunt and Jules in which no words needed to be spoken for each of us to enjoy one another’s company.

Then we came face to face with the bouncer. “ID, Ma’am.” He held his hand towards me and waited. I tried my best to not be disappointed by the break in silence.

Right. This is real life.

I reached into my bag and showed him my wallet. It only took a glance for him to nod in approval. “Have a lovely night.” He turned to Cunt and reached into his suit pocket, pulled out a roll of money and handed it to her. She slid it into her vest and nodded before moving past, with me in tow.

“Aren’t bribes supposed to go the other way?” Jules asked, amusement in her voice. Cunt laughed as we slipped into a compartment of the sliding doors. The reflective mirror-like coating on all of the windows made everything get dark as we pressed through the revolving door. For a few brief seconds, there was only enough light to see the silhouettes of a mirror of us, Cunt with me on her arm, Jules huddled close. It was a lovely image.

“I sold him a car. Good guy, so I let him pay in installments. We knew we’d see each other here.” Jules nodded, her curiosity sated.

Blue light flooded my vision as we slipped beyond the threshold of the club. The space to our left was filled with tables and couches arranged in a wide circle with an open space in the middle. A group of women, twenty maybe, wearing leather and latex and lace sat on the white furniture, some wearing collars, others carrying leashes or otherwise unadorned. A few more women kneeled beside the couches or rested on hands and knees with feet propped onto their backs. Each of them embroiled in some conversation or another. Laugher pierced through the loud, slow, bass-heavy music that pulsed from speakers unseen. There was a lot more laughter than I’d expected.

Blue string lights stretched over every surface above waist level, creating a dim, cool atmosphere. More women sat to a bar on our right. Cunt and Jules were quiet, pausing to take in the atmosphere with me. Jules took a deep breath and visibly relaxed. I shifted and moved away from Cunt, fingers unwrapping and unzipping my parka. Underneath, I was wearing a sleeveless black mesh top with a thin red bandeau covering my breasts. The top tucked into my loose black skirt that fell over my upper thighs.

I had to part with the two to hang up my coat. I tried to make a show of stretching for one of the higher hooks on the wooden pillar, reaching onto my tippy toes, leaning forward so that my skirt rode up a little, shivering a little at the breeze across my otherwise bare nethers. A small show for the two women who had shown me such a good time seemed worth the effort. I was met with disappointment when I turned to find their view blocked by a platinum blonde with straight shoulder-length hair, wearing nothing but high heels, a black bikini bottom and a red band around her left arm.

Turns out, Jules’ alterations didn’t block jealousy.

Deflated, I took the opportunity of my company being distracted to pull out my phone and send a message to Robin. ‘I’ve arrived’. I had two missed calls from her, from around the time Jules and I were in the coffee shop.

Oh well.

I slipped my phone into my purse again and closed the distance to my paramours, slipping around the group to settle between Jules and Cunt amid some explanation by the blonde. “Pretty much the usual crowd. Amelia walked in with someone new and immediately went upstairs.” She giggled vapidly, high pitched, practiced, empty despite her conversation. Pink painted lips, wide, prominent brown eyes. Her breasts were round, and larger than any pair I’d seen this bare. Her nipples were covered with two pieces of black tape each, an X across them. I tried not to stare out of habit, but partially due to spite. My stomach was twisting more than it should just at the idea that Cunt and Jules found her more interesting than my display. It was silly, but no less true.

It was suddenly hard to convince myself that coming here hadn’t been a mistake.

“If she wanted privacy, why would she even- Whatever. I don’t care.” Cunt spoke quickly, annoyed at her own inquisitiveness. As I settled between Cunt and Jules, Cunt put a hand on my shoulder. “Oriole, this is Brandy.”

Brandy’s eyes lit up with delight and inquisitiveness as her attention turned to me, “Oh, I just love new faces. Is this your first party? I’ve never seen you around. First time with us, or first time ever? Do you top, bottom, what are you into?” She bounced on her toes in excitement with each question. They were so rapid they were almost dizzying. “I can introduce you to all the best people, no matter what you want. I promise!”

“Th-thanks.” I watched her bounce a little before responding, given her eagerness to do so. “First time ever, here or elsewhere. I think I mostly bottom? I’m not sure, I’ve only ever played with hypnosis or Jules before today, and that was online.” I felt Jules wrap her arms around my shoulders and pull me into her, her open leather jacket wrapping around me just a little. My stomach knots unraveled in an instant.

“Cunt’s already agreed to show her around, Brandy, but any help at all would be appreciated.” Jules’ voice was low, and the way she held me was possessive. I blushed more. Brandy’s smile widened.

“She likes to be pushed around.” Cunt added, her voice low. Brandy giggled a little more and hooded her eyes. She stepped towards me and wrapped arms around my shoulders, pulling me tighter against her. Jules braced herself to keep me from stepping back as Brandy pressed her breasts into my face, gently enough for me to shift to breathe. She was soft and warm. I shivered in her grasp.

“Well don’t you worry, little Ori. Brandy’s here to help you take flight.” Brandy’s voice was deeper, breathier. Both she and Jules ran nails over my scalp, scratching as I squirmed between them, whining out wordlessly. I felt pitiful and small and wet as hell as they continued their assault, Brandy pressing into me more insistently every moment. She giggled again, but it was hard to take it as an indicator of emptiness when I was being smothered by her. “Brandy will introduce you to all the best tops. Maybe I’ll top you myself. Wouldn’t that be a treat? It’s so rare I switch, but if you’re really as easy as it seems you are, maybe you could be a little Brandy-pet?” I whined louder. Jules and Brandy were warm and soft, and it was becoming harder to breathe.

I loved it.

Her hands ran over my mesh shirt. One hand groped a breast while the other reached around to my ass. Her fingers crept under the hem of my skirt, fingers tickling at my bare ass. Her eyes lit up. “Did you come here bare, birdy?” She giggled into my ear, her breath hot as her fingers dug into the flesh of my ass. I arched into her, her breasts smothering a moan. “You’re such a naughty little thing. Mmmm I’m going to need to snatch you up and punish you, aren’t I?” Her voice was becoming more forceful, flowing from her lips quicker with each word, like she was trying to overwhelm me verbally as well. “Maybe, just maybe, you’ll—Aaaahhhh!” Brandy arched her back into me hard, her body quivering and seizing as she let out a startled moan.

“Wouldn’t that be embarrassing. Now, Brandy, we’ve talked about you pretending to be a domme, haven’t we?” A new voice, high pitched but more natural sounding than Brandy’s, like a little girl imitating a high-powered executive she saw on TV. Brandy shifted away from me and quivered.

“Y-yes, Miss Amelia.” Brandy broke away from me with an apologetic look on her face. Amelia was shorter than I was. She was holding a slightly melted ice cube between two fingers. I had a few guesses on where that ice cube had been moments before. Her hair was long, black, and held back with a hair band that had glossy red devil horns sticking out of them. Between that, her baby blue overall dress, multicolored striped top, and candy gloss pumps, she gave off an uncomfortably childish vibe. Her dress hugged tight enough to curves that told me she was an adult, but if she didn’t revel in being mistaken as very young at a glance, she was putting in a lot of wasted effort.

“We were in the middle of something. You don’t interrupt other people’s scenes, Amelia.” Cunt was curt, gruff. I could feel Jules take a deep, exasperated breath. She’d seen this encounter before.

“It’s not my fault you can’t keep a slut’s attention for five minutes, Cee. Brandy’s free game.” Brandy shifted a little, her cheeks turning red. “Besides, we’re blueside. You weren’t intending to break the rules, were you, Brandy?” Brandy shook her head, a look of fear, shame, and embarrassment over her face. Amelia was smiling in a smug and childish way, her voice shifting to an innocent tone. Cunt’s face tightened with anger, and Amelia smiled more. I was still catching my breath from Brandy’s assault when her gaze turned to me. She looked me over in a few short glances, eyes shifting over me like a skilled collector gathering first impressions on a new piece. My skin didn’t know if it wanted to tingle or crawl. “Jules’ guest?” Her eyes kept flitting over me until a sly, thin smile slipped over her lips. “I’m going to be busy today, but I look forward to having my fun with you.” She giggled, a tiny ‘tee hee’ that got caught in her throat.

“You’re confident with yourself.” My words escaped before they could be held down. I didn’t want a confrontation, but Cunt’s anger and Brandy’s shame were infectious. “You’re making a terrible first impression if you’re trying to impress me.” Jules shifted behind me, her waist pressing more firmly into my back, breasts into the back of my head. She ran a possessive hand through my hair.

“It’s not me who needs to impress.” Amelia smiled more, her eyes twinkling just a little bit. “Sluts are a dime a dozen, each one a new flavor of candy. I might want to try the new ones, but it’s your job to stay interesting enough to be tried again. I’ll have my fun.” She gave a dismissive shrug before turning her body from to look to Brandy, who had settled to standing behind Amelia. “Brandy. I have a new girl. I want your help breaking my new girl in. She likes to pretend she’s straight. If you’re insisting on pretending to be a top, may as well get some head.”

My own anger went from a boil to an inferno, and with Jules’ filter blocking so many of the reasons I avoided confrontation, I opened my mouth to interject. Jules began to move before my words could slip out, sweeping me away from the two towards the bar. She settled into one of the padded steel stools. I had to climb the first rung of the stool to be able to sit next to her. Cunt hovered over us for a few moments, glancing between us, the bar, and the door.

“Like I said, nobody likes Amelia.” Jules sounded amused, but it sounded a little forced. “It’s usually easier to ignore her.” I could feel the high of my anger crashing into a melancholy in my chest, hot fiery emotions being replaced with slow, cold ones that didn’t quite fill my chest in the same way, leaving emptiness in its stead.

“When you’re a top, Jules.” Cunt pursed her lips. “No offense, you’ve always been on that side. When I advertised as a switch, I had to get the manager’s involvement to get her to leave me alone.” Cunt glanced around again. “I’m going to take a walk around the block. I hate letting her get under my skin.”

“Stay safe, okay?” I tried to emphasize concern in my voice, but I only managed to sound tired and pitiful. “It’s starting to get dark.”

“Of course.” Cunt squeezed my shoulder, then Jules’. Jules looked up to her and smiled.

“I’ll probably leave when you get back, Cunt.” Jules commented. My stomach dropped.

“Already?” I couldn’t keep disappointment from creeping into my voice. She was leaving just as we’d arrived, I had assumed I’d get an hour or two. Jules nodded, smiling a bit softly. Cunt let out a sigh and turned quickly. It was hard to tell if Jules had made her angrier, somehow, or if she was simply making a quick departure. My attention wasn’t exactly focused on Cunt. Jules stayed silent for a long time, looking down to the polished granite bar. My emotions were twisting around. Anger, sadness. I was just a silly girl to Jules. She didn’t care about me coming here other than as a way to have her fun. I stewed for a long time. “You know I came here to see you, right? I don’t care about the party, Jules.” I felt betrayed. It was silly, but it was no less true.

Jules nodded, her smile softening just a little more. Her face looked concerned, but purposely flat. She was bad at hiding the fact that she was hiding emotions. Her eyes were distant in the same way they always are when she reads me, or toys in my head. Her hand went to my shoulder, and then to my cheek, caressing my skin gently. I opened my mouth to speak again, not entirely sure what would come out. I was disappointed, I was angry, and no matter how much I tried there was no way I could hide that fact from her. What was even the point of coming if she left right away? she leaned forward and hugged me. “I’m sorry, Oriole.” Her voice was as soft as her smile.

“I was afraid to meet you, and now I just want to stay by your side.” My voice was hoarse and there were tears streaming down my cheeks. She tugged me off of my stool and into her lap, her arms holding me tight. I clung to her.

Coming here was a big mistake, if this was how the party was going to start.

“I know, Ori. I’m sorry. All of this came up this morning.” I gulped air and began to sob on her shoulders, thankful for the music to hide the noise from the partygoers. “We can meet again soon. This week, if you want. I don’t live far from you, we can have more coffee. Anything you want.” I shook, just a little.

“If you want to see me, what’s so important that you have to leave?” I squeezed her more. “Is it another girl? We’re not exclusive, I know there are others. What is it?”

“It’s not like that. It’s complicated, Ori. It’d take a long time to exp—”

“Explain it, then!” I yelled over the music. Heads turned our way, there were a few women staring for a few minutes before moving back to their own activities. I sighed and tried to quiet myself.

“I can’t.” Jules’ voice cracked just a bit. I shook in her arms and shivered.

“This was about more than fucking you, to me. I know you know that.” My stomach dropped as I began to speak. I’d had this conversation with Jules before, it never ended well for me. I was a silly lovestruck girl and she was aloof and found me on a booty call. That would never change. “I...” My throat felt like it was closing, trying to choke back the words.

I love you

She knew this, without the words even leaving my mouth. She could tell how hurt I was, even trying to say the words, knowing she wouldn’t say it back. I looked up to her, eyes pleading. I couldn’t help myself. I was vulnerable and sad, and she was hurting me and I just needed reassurance.

Just tell me you love me.

I tried to project my thought, given how poorly my throat was failing me. I waited. I shook. There was nothing coming from her, no words of encouragement, no confession on her end. She pet my hair, she brushed away my tears, she kissed the top of my head, she gave me every ounce of comfort except for what I needed. Her face was soft, plaintive. I couldn’t tell if she was holding back a confession or just trying to avoid ripping my heart out, but I wished she would just do it already, one way or the other.

She never did.

“You should leave.” Cunt’s voice cut through the gloom. I don’t know how long she had been watching, or when she had come back. Jules nodded. She didn’t say a word as she eased me out of her lap, her shoes clicking as she headed towards the door. I swayed in disbelief watching her move through the mirrored revolving door.

“You’ve got it bad.” Cunt waved towards the bartendress, made a few hand signs, and then grasped my arm. She helped me up to my stool before sitting herself. Two shots of liquor were placed in front of us. I stared at them for a few minutes as my mind caught up with the new situation, and looked to Cunt.

“Why does she do that?” I shivered, taking one of the shots and drinking. It smelled awful, tasted worse, and burned my teeth, tongue, and throat. I hated it. When Cunt slid the second shot offeringly, I drank it, too.

“I don’t know. You’re not the first.” Cunt’s words stung. I shook, a little. “Jules is… I don’t even know. I hate her on the days I don’t love her.” I pursed my lips and looked up to Cunt. I was becoming keenly aware of my smeared makeup.

“You too?” Cunt pursed her lips and nodded, leaning onto the bar and watching me. “I... Is there anything I can do?”

“If I knew, I’d have done it years ago. Acceptance is hard, but it’s the path I took. I had to distance myself. She’s... charismatic.” I took a deep breath, my throat clearing up just a bit. My nose cleared, I hadn’t realized it had gotten clogged. Crying will do that to you. “There’s no way she doesn’t realize she’s doing it, but I don’t think it’s cruelty. She’s… just wired weird. Or something happened. I don’t know.” Cunt laughed. “She never opened up.”

I stayed quiet for a little while, my mind running with new information. I could cry all over again, but having companionship at least made the realization that she would never love me hurt less. This was miles better than the first time I’d been faced with the realization, when I had curled myself in a ball in bed and missed a day of work. Cunt looked to be lost in thought as well. I waved to the bartendress, pointed to my glasses, and held up two fingers. In a few moments, two more shots were slid my way. I slid one to Cunt and sighed, wrapping fingers around my own glass.

She raised her shot and held it out. I clinked mine against hers. We made eye contact, and there was a moment of understanding, of unison. I managed to smile, and she followed suit.

“Fuck Jules.” We both spoke in unison, before drinking the same.