Rose & Thorn: Renee/Seth

Chapter 3

It wasn't the first time Seth had walked into a sex club with a friend and it likely wouldn't be the last, but it was the first time that the friend also happened to be the wife of another friend. More like a brother. Somehow thinking of it that way made it feel even stranger, so he was doing his best not to dwell on the details as he and Renee left their phones at the front desk, got their bracelets, and headed into the club. Many Rose & Thorn locations were repurposed buildings, formerly hotels or warehouses—he had even been to one that had been a church—and the buildings' former lives always lent a particular flavour to the architecture and decor. This particular one seemed to be a new build, so it didn't have a tangible history. It also, he noticed, had a medical clinic on the main floor. "That's different," he remarked, slowing down slightly as they passed the clinic. The windows in the front were cloudy—for privacy, he assumed—but signage indicated that there was a certified doctor on site at all times and that no drugs were kept on the premises.

"Yeah." Then Renee giggled. "I guess it makes sense. Most people wouldn't want to go to the hospital to get a butt plug removed...."

"Can't blame 'em." Seth glanced around, trying to figure out a theme for the building. There were a lot of rounded edges that reminded him of sci-fi movies, yet there was something almost art nouveau about the place. "Did you want to find a room first or go to a shop or... browse?"

"Trying to get rid of me already?" Renee teased. "We can find a room first if you want. I'm fine with one of the regular floors." Glancing over at the bay of elevators, she narrowed her eyes. "Looks like there's ten floors, so we'd probably want first or second." She patted his shoulder as she added, "Since I'm guessing you're not going to want to be chained to the wall on our first night."

Seth did his best to contain his reaction, but he knew his eyes went wide. Jon had shared enough details of his sex life that Seth knew what he was into and had a pretty good idea of what Renee enjoyed, and it made him wonder how much of their Rose & Thorn nights was going to be common knowledge. "Yeah, that's more of a second-night activity." Remembering what Renee said as they had been finding a parking spot, he added, "Or should that go after the monster dildo?"

Renee laughed, hooking her arm through his. "Who says we can't multitask?"

"Yeah, well, just remember that the most strenuous thing you do at work is hold a microphone. I have to lift grown men over my head." Seth glanced around, but even the visitors' lounge—meant mostly for drivers and patrons who were waiting for friends to finish—wasn't where he expected it to be. "There's normally a directory somewhere...."

"Seth Rollins? Needing directions?" Renee feigned a gasp. "You really are flustered, aren't you?" She gave him a quick hug and stepped back. "Why don't we have a quick drink before we do anything? Not enough to get drunk or anything like that," she insisted, "but just to... relax. We can talk about what we want and what we don't want and all that."

That sounded like a better way to start than leaping right into strap-on selection, so Seth nodded. They found the directory after taking one more turn and discovered that there was a lounge right beside it. After ordering drinks at the bar, they headed for a booth in the back. Strictly speaking, most of the lounges within the club were still considered public and sex acts were only allowed in specially designated ones. Seth still glanced at the seat quickly before sitting just to be careful. "I'll have to check my card balance before we hit the store," he began. "I should be good, because I don't think I've bought much the last few times I've been here, but I never think to keep track."

Renee swirled her drink and laughed. "Be honest: have you been making your dates pay for everything? Using dates liberally, of course." Glancing around at the other patrons, she smiled. "Though I think Jon and I did come to a Rose & Thorn for a date once, but that was more convenience than anything. We had run out of condoms at the hotel and the club must have been closer than the convenience store, I guess. One of many dates I didn't tell my mother about."