Monroe: The Dynastic Collection: An Alpha Billionaire Romance Read online

  “Remember,” Susan said at the end of the run through, “we do not mention guests by name, not even to each other unless it is a dire situation. Their privacy and safety are the two most important things we protect. Do not say that Mr. Smith is in Section 6. Simply say it is Section 6. Never get into the habit of calling them by name. Unless they ask you to, of course.”

  Alice finished writing in her notepad and flipped it shut. It would be her Bible for the next few weeks as she got used to this job. “Anything else I should know?” The doors would be opening in twenty minutes. After that, there would be nothing but on-the-job training as Alice shadowed Susan for the whole night.

  The trainer narrowed her eyes into serious slits. “I know you have experience in hosting in lounges and clubs, Ms. Culver, but do not think it means you have seen everything. You’ve seen nothing until you have worked here a few weeks. Tonight alone you’ll probably see things you didn’t even know were possible.”

  Alice swallowed. “I’m prepared.” She had been prepared for the unexpected ever since she was shown the ins and outs of the private rooms. The ones stocked with bondage gear and plastic sheets. One of Alice’s many jobs was cleaning those rooms up if she had a spare moment. Semen and sweat, here she came!

  The Dark Hour was, to be frank, a sex club for the insanely rich and sometimes famous. Millionaires played there. Billionaires ruled. Important men brought potential investments here for an after-dinner wind down. Sometimes their wives came too. A conversation with one of the performers – a dominatrix, to be sure – initiated Alice into the idea of cock rings and anal beads live on stage. There would be half naked women wearing collars and completely naked men being trotted about by male and female Masters alike. The dress code was the strictest around… unless you came naked. That was okay.

  The front area did not allow sex, but in the back lounge it would not be uncommon to see blowjobs and even full-blown intercourse occurring between exhibitionists. Alice would be expected to do her job as if she saw nothing out of the ordinary.

  She thought she was prepared. She had nearly ten years of hosting experience to fall back on. Every place was different with their quirks and procedures, but they weren’t that different. There wasn’t even that much difference between blue collar guests and the billionaires. Okay, one smells better than the other. They were both as likely to be entitled dipshits, though.

  Alice thought she was prepared.

  The doors opened at seven. Within fifteen minutes there were four parties already settling in for drinks and hanky-panky. Alice didn’t deal with the check-in procedure every member and their guests went through, but she shadowed Susan as she sweetly greeted them in the club proper and brought them to their seats for the evening. Some men reached into their expensive suits and pulled out stacks of hundreds so Susan would show them a better area, or even a VIP room. Alice knew that Susan was not supposed to pocket more than twenty percent for herself, but she had to wonder what really went on when someone wasn’t watching.

  The money was the biggest draw to this job. At twenty-eight, Alice still had way too many student loans and, yes, credit card debt. She wasn’t about to be thrown on the street, but money was tight from month to month. Her last job paid $13 an hour plus tips, and it was far from enough. The Dark Hour started her at $20 an hour! After careful calculation, including tax withholdings, Alice figured she could make over a hundred bucks a night working at The Dark Hour. That didn’t include the tips. Susan pocketed about $50 in tips for herself. From one table!

  I don’t care what I have to see or deal with on this job. I’m going to make serious bank!

  Oh, she saw some stuff, all right. Within an hour she saw her first blowjob and a woman being led around by crystal nipple clamps. Luckily, Alice was so busy learning her job that she couldn’t be bothered by any of it. The guests smelled good, drank priceless drinks, and spoke Romantic languages off the cuff, but they weren’t that much different from what Alice was used to. So what if they dropped a hundred bucks on a single shot of liquor? So what if they ordered these drinks while a beautiful young woman was face first in their laps? So what if they pulled Susan aside and asked for a private room, which the experienced hostess gave to them without another word? The only thing off about that was hearing moaning and screams of pleasure whenever Alice walked up and down that particular hallway.

  All the regulars wanted to meet her. Who was she? When did she start? What was her name? How old was she? She didn’t look a day over twenty-five! That’s good? I’m only twenty-eight? One loud woman wearing a Chanel dress yanked on Alice’s hair to “test her roots.” After Susan calmly diffused the drunken situation, the female guest cried out, “That’s no bottle on her head, boys! Crispin, you’ll love this one. She’s a real blonde!”

  Crispin was about fifty-five and four-hundred pounds. Alice couldn’t say she was tempted to fraternize with him, even if he was worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

  She didn’t need money that badly.

  Were there escorts working the club that night? Absolutely. Susan confessed that some were actually endorsed by the club – the women paid a flat rate to appear for the night and bag themselves a rich client for the evening. Alice saw this happen more than once. Some single woman wearing a simple designer dress would sashay up to some lonely man, whisper in his ear, get a drink, and either be whisked out of the club or into one of the private rooms. Sometimes money slipped between hands. Other times, Alice missed the pay off. This didn’t include the women – and men – who willingly went for free to have a good time on the hard end of a man’s erection.

  Good thing she wasn’t shy about sex. Her roommate Candice was in the sex toy and porn production business. Just because Alice had yet to see some things in real life, didn’t mean she was unaware of their existence.

  Even so, nothing prepared her for what happened three hours into her first shift.

  A woman from the coat check raced up to Susan. “Mr. Monroe has arrived.”

  Susan flinched. “I will take care of Mr. Monroe.” Both women glanced at Alice, standing a respectful distance away. “It will be fine.”

  The coat check girl gave Alice one last lingering look before returning to her post.

  Susan turned to her trainee and reiterated, “No fraternizing.”

  “Got it.”

  Alice was ready to move on. Susan, however, narrowed those dark eyes once more.

  “No. Fraternizing. Understand?”

  A slow nod commenced. Feel like I’m getting talked down to at this point. “I understand, Susan. Is there something I should know about this guest?”

  Susan looked around before closing the gap between them. “Mr. Monroe is one of the owners of this club. Do not upset him.”

  “Oh! I see…” All Alice knew about the club owners was that they were two billionaires. One lived Stateside, right there in the city, and the other was from somewhere else in the world. Beyond that? The only person she ultimately answered to was the club manager Sid, the man who narrowed down the job candidates and led the interviews. She never thought she’d see one of the owners, let alone on her first night. “I will behave, rest assured. I’ll let you lead.”

  “Good.” Susan released her pent up breath. What? Was Mr. Monroe a hardass of some kind? Great. If Susan had been thrown off her balance at the announcement, then what did that mean for Alice? Shut up and shadow like you’re supposed to.

  “Mr. Monroe will be taking the upstairs Diamond VIP area,” Susan said as they moved to the front of the club. “Catalina will be his server. She always serves him when he comes here. If Catalina isn’t here, inform Destiny. She’s his second favorite.”

  Alice wished she had time to write this down. “I thought we didn’t refer to them by name,” she said.

  Susan stopped in the middle of the club, the laughter and music almost drowning out her next few words. “Mr. Monroe is the exception. You will soon learn that he is the exception to everything around
here.”

  After a warning like that, Alice had no idea what to expect.

  She certainly did not expect one of the most handsome men she had ever seen to be waiting at the front entrance.

  Alice assumed that the club was owned by two older gentlemen. Why older? Well, didn’t they have to be older in order to afford a place like this? That’s how it worked, right? The richest men were the oldest ones. A good chunk of the super rich currently in the club were gray in more ways than one. They may have young girlfriends, but they were probably owed such trivialities.

  So to see a man who couldn’t be much older than her walk up and shake Susan’s hand… that was only the first surprise.

  How is it possible for a guy to look this good? Money, of course. Genetics probably played a part, but it was mostly money. Money paid for that tailor-made suit hugging his body as he walked with a confidant gait. His hand, as it raised to take Susan’s, appeared heavy with such a wide watch on the wrist. Alice didn’t know the name of the watch or the suit. Nor did she know the name of the leather shoes or the black wallet poking in and out of his jacket pocket. What she did know was that Mr. Monroe had the cleanest haircut she had ever seen. There wasn’t a black strand out of place, let alone an eyebrow in need of trimming. This was the guy who didn’t even go to a salon to get his hair cut and brows trimmed. He had a man who came by every two weeks to make sure Mr. Monroe looked suitably kempt.

  Alice also knew that cologne emanating from this man. The only reason she recognized Jean Patou was because she and Candice once went into a perfume salon in New York to pretend they were rich enough to buy such extravagances. This particular perfume stuck out in her memory because of how thick and flowery it was. Jasmine and rose. A striking combination, and it took a bolder man to pull it off, considering it was developed for women. But when worn by a man like Mr. Monroe? No doubt about it. In this case it was definitely a male perfume for the most masculine man. So happened it smelled as good on Alice back at that salon. Maybe some of it will rub off on me. She could only hope.

  “This must be the new hostess,” came a deep voice. Alice remained frozen where she stood, even after a pair of bright amber eyes turned in her direction. “Who are you?”

  Before Alice could open her mouth and subsequently lose her voice, Susan cut in. “This is Alice Culver. Tonight’s her first night.”

  Mr. Monroe gave Alice a cursory look over, eyes lingering on her breasts as they humbly poked from her plain black dress. When they returned to her face, those bright eyes lit up even more… almost as if something switched on in the back of Mr. Monroe’s mind. “Welcome to The Dark Hour, Ms. Culver.” Mr. Monroe extended his hand to her. “I’m sure you’ll be quite successful here.”

  “Th… thank you.” Alice took his hand, too soft to process. Talk about a guy who hasn’t had to do a whole day of real work in his life. Alice enjoyed the softness of Mr. Monroe’s firm grip until the man had to pull his hand away again. “I look forward to working here.”

  “As well as you should.” He looked back to Susan. “Shall we?”

  “Of course, Mr. Monroe. Right this way. The Diamond VIP area?”

  “If you would.”

  Susan led the way and Alice brought up the rear, following not just Mr. Monroe, but his small entourage of assistants, which curiously included one woman. The lot of them went upstairs into a secluded loft bedecked with plush leather furniture and enough warm lights to start a fire. Only a few were turned on, however. Mr. Monroe sat on one of the couches while everyone else spread out around him. There was no real intimacy between him and anyone else. That’s different from the other groups here. Friends sitting next to friends and cracking drunken jokes. Lovers canoodling. Even business relationships were fostered across tables or on the same couch. Mr. Monroe, however, was more than content to put some space between himself and the others. Even Susan didn’t get too close. Nor did Catalina, who took drink and appetizer orders.

  “Is Liza in tonight?” Mr. Monroe asked before the hostesses left. “I should like to see a performance of hers.” He gestured to the stripper pole set up not too far away. “It’s been a long week, and I wish to unwind.” Nobody else said anything.

  “I believe she has started her shift, sir.” Susan retained a careful smile. “I’ll have her come up here right away.”

  “See that you do.” Mr. Monroe flashed Alice a flirtatious grin. “Don’t be too hard on the new girl, either. She seems capable.”

  Susan’s smile faltered. Did I do something? “We’ll go get Liza.”

  “Do so.”

  Susan let out another pent up breath as soon as they were downstairs again. Alice didn’t ask why. Did she have to? That man was intimidating! Seemingly nice, but intimidating. Not just because he was an owner, either… there was something about that confidence that unsettled even Alice.

  Liza was in the back rooms, dithering between a black negligee and a pleather suit. When she saw Susan come into the dressing room with a pale face, she immediately said, “It’s Monroe, isn’t it?”

  “Diamond VIP area, yes.”

  “Hmph.” Liza tossed the pleather suit down and held the black negligee up to her dark hair. “Think he’ll be happy with this?”

  “I doubt you’ll be wearing it for long.”

  “Doubtful, indeed.”

  Alice didn’t ask what was going on. Within ten minutes, when she was back out in the gallery helping Susan show a new group to their seats, she saw Liza bounding up the stairs to the Diamond VIP area wearing nothing but that sheer negligee. She would not be twirling on the downstairs stripper poles that night.

  It was almost eleven, three hours shy of closing, when Susan was called away to consult with the manager on something. She told Alice to go take a break until the conference was over. Fine with her. Alice slipped into a small break area and slyly checked her phone in her purse. Phones were not allowed to be out at any time due to privacy concerns. Not like Alice wanted to take video of the third blowjob she saw that night anyway.

  “Shit, are you the only one around? Where’s Susan?”

  Alice looked up at Catalina. “She had to go talk to the manager about something. I’m on break.”

  “Well, you’re not on break anymore. Mr. Monroe wants to see a hostess. Now.”

  Um… Alice could only stare at the owner’s private server.

  “Are you deaf? You do not keep Mr. Monroe waiting.”

  “But Susan said…”

  “Fuck Susan. Go now.”

  Alice went, alone for the first time on the job. She climbed the stairs, looking out for Susan but not seeing her anywhere. Damnit! Oh, well. It was just the owner. Better him than a regular guest who might get her in bigger trouble. The owner knew the rules better than anyone. Right?

  The scene had changed upstairs. Oh, had it changed! The guest count went from four to eleven, and now the VIP area looked like another scene from downstairs. Men making out with women. Women making out with other women. The only women not engaged with some sort of oral dance were Alice and the female assistant who remained taciturn in her seat, neither watching the scenes unfold nor spacing out. Likewise, the only men not partaking in some sort of revelry were the male assistant and Mr. Monroe himself.

  He was busy, though.

  Liza was in the midst of giving him an energetic lap dance the moment Alice arrived. She never touched him, but her naked breasts came close more than once, and her lips always hovered near his ear. Her crotch also kept lowering toward his. A convincing dance to anyone looking on, but by now Alice could see the definite difference between a skilled tease and the real deal. Lots of that was going on downstairs.

  Another employee Alice vaguely recognized drew away from a male guest and hopped onto the stripper pole. While she split her legs vertically and dangled upside down, golden tresses scraping the clean floor, Alice approached the owner of the club and tried her damndest to not look incompetent.

  “Do you need something, sir?
”

  Her voice came out meeker than she intended. So much for not sounding incompetent.

  Mr. Monroe gazed at her from beneath Liza’s breasts. “Have a seat, Ms. Culver.” Wow, he remembered her name? “This spot next to me has been empty all night. I’m bored.”

  Alice traded glances with Liza, who said nothing. Guess I should keep doing my job too. One of Alice’s jobs was to keep guests company if she deemed it worth her while. The owner was definitely worth her while!

  She smoothed down the back of her skirt before sitting, careful to avoid Liza’s moving limbs. Alice did not, however, relax. That was impossible. It was her first night on a promising job at a fucking sex club for billionaires and she was suddenly picked out to entertain the handsome owner. How the hell could she relax?

  “That’s enough, Liza. Thank you for your hard work.” Mr. Monroe held his drink to his lips, eyes never leaving Liza’s naked breasts. The performer hopped down and turned her attention to another lonely man. “So, Ms. Culver,” he said. “How do you like working for my club so far?”

  She shifted in her seat. “It’s been a pleasant adventure, Mr. Monroe.”

  “Please,” he began, and she thought he would ask her to use his first name. “Just Monroe is fine.”

  Well… she was close.

  “It’s what everyone I like calls me.”

  She relaxed, but only a little. “Suppose that means you like me, sir?”

  His face colored again. What did that mean? “I have no reason to dislike you. I prefer things that way.”

  Hope I don’t get in trouble for this. If anything, she could tell Susan or Sid that she was afraid to tell the owner no on her first night. They might not be happy, but they would probably understand. She hoped. “You seem like an agreeable man as well.”