He checked his reflection in the mirror one last time, making sure the wig was in place. His heavy beard had been dyed a temporary shade of red by one of the girls in makeup. A quick scan of the parking lot assured him that no paparazzi would capture his entrance into the club. Taking a deep breath to calm his shaky nerves, he exited the car and made his way to the front door.

From the outside, one would never guess what lay behind the heavy oak door. The small white sign above it, lit by two bulbs giving off a faint pink glow, had only one word written in broad, black calligraphic strokes - and he laughed at the irony of it. Approaching the door, he noticed a rather large man standing outside, guarding the entrance. Before the man could speak, he handed him a printed card and waited.

The doorman spoke into the barely conspicuous mic and nodded, returning the card to his shaking hand. A gentle smile was exchanged, as if the stranger knew he wasn't there of his own will. Looking around one last time as the door opened, he decided this place could be anything - a supper club, a private meeting place for some exclusive fraternal order, anything at all. He closed his eyes, took another deep breath and entered the door, not knowing what to expect.

Stepping into the hallway, a sense of peace washed over him. The same pale pink lights lined the ceiling on either side of the walls, which were painted the same shade as petals of delicate English tea roses. The wainscoting reminded him of his grandmother's cottage back in Sheffield. He immediately felt at home. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the reason he was here.

"Good evening." His thoughts were interrupted by a soft female voice and he opened his eyes, studying the beautiful woman as she approached. Her skin was the color of caramel, her black curls framing a face so well sculpted it was almost unreal. Her eyes were the color of burnt topaz - contacts perhaps? She extended her hand and he took it in his, her smooth skin a perfect contrast to the calluses on his fingers.

"My name is Vivian," she said. He cleared his throat, fully intending to return the introduction when she laughed softly. "No need to introduce yourself," she said, running her thumb over the back of his hand. "Your assistant told me you'd be arriving tonight. And even with your disguise, I would recognize Boromir anywhere! Your eyes give you away."

A chuckle escaped his lips, more out of nervousness than anything else and he smiled at her. "I'm going to give you the guided tour," Vivian said as she turned. "Do you have any questions before we get started?" His mind was racing. He had a million questions, with no way to really formulate them, so he shook his head instead. "You do know why I'm here, don't you?" he asked.

She spoke to him as she gestured for him to follow her down the hallway. "Your assistant said you were researching a part for a movie," Vivian responded, opening a door and leading him into another hallway. "Yes, I am," Sean said, looking around. "It's an independent film, a story about a proper British businessman who lives a double life, actually."

Vivian nodded, smiling as he went on to explain the story. The character he would play, a man named Geoffrey, transfers to Los Angeles for business. He meets a young lady in a club and has an affair with her while waiting on his wife to join him. He is introduced to a wild lifestyle, slowly becoming sucked into it by his new lover, forcing him to live both sides of his new existence without allowing them to cross each other.

"That sounds like most of our clientele," Vivian said with a small laugh. Sean smiled at her, pulling a notebook from his pocket. "Do you mind if I take notes?" he asked her. "I want to make Geoffrey as real as possible." Vivian nodded in agreement. "Not at all, as long as you're discreet. I'm sure you understand that some of our regulars wouldn't want their presence here to be known."

"Of course not," Sean said, the crinkles around his eyes showing as he smiled. Vivian stopped in front of a doorway. "Our offices," she said, pointing to the door. "My husband and I started this club about 5 years ago, to provide ourselves and some friends with a place to…explore their alternatives." As she spoke, Sean detected a slight hint of an accent.

Vivian noticed his smile and returned it. "I lived in London for ten years," she said, answering the unspoken question. "My mother moved there from Bjergsted. That's where she met my father. He was visiting from Cairo." Sean nodded, then stopped, studying Vivian. She smiled. "Yes, Danish mother, Egyptian father," she said. Sean nodded again. "That would explain your natural beauty," he told her.

Another laugh echoed. "You are quite the charmer, Mr. Bean," she said walking farther down the hallway. Sean followed her with a smile on his face. "Our club has 100 employees," she continued, "each of them trained in a different aspect of bondage, submission, or domination. They have their regular clients and are very discreet."

Sean wrote something in his notebook, then looked up at Vivian, the nervousness apparent on his face. "So, you have these…average Joes," he began. "They come in here and pay for…services…" His voice trailed off and Vivian turned to him, smiling. "There is no sexual contact allowed between the clients and my employees," she explained. "We're here to enlighten and enhance, not to do the nasty, so to speak."

A faint blush crept over Sean's cheeks and Vivian put a comforting hand on his arm. "It's a common misconception," she said. "We do have rooms where our clients can…engage in whatever activity they desire, as long as they bring their own partner with them." Sean nodded again, making note of Vivian's remarks. As they approached a closed door, Sean noticed a small glass pane in it.

"One of our viewing rooms," Vivian told him. "Some people come in here to participate; some come just to observe." Sean wrote something else in his notebook, then looked up toward the door. Vivian nodded, understanding what he wanted and Sean stepped forward, peering into the tiny room. "We've had several people come here to get information," Vivian said. "Actors, writers, professors even."

Sean smiled, trying to imagine one of the instructors from RADA walking these same hallways. The thought amused him greatly and he laughed out loud. "The thought is rather funny, isn't it?" Vivian said and Sean nodded. "The funniest thing, though," she said, watching the activity in the room, "is when they come back on their own to do more than research."

Sean contemplated that for a moment as he watched a schoolgirl laying across the lap of an older man. Sean became mesmerized as the man, his tweed jacket and pipe obviously meant to be the uniform of a headmaster, swat the naked behind of the young woman. He turned to Vivian, curiosity evident on his face.

"That's Leslie," she explained, pointing to the young girl. "She's actually 35. Don't let the innocence fool you. She's one of our best receivers." Sean looked from the scene in the room, back to Vivian. "Receivers?" he asked. Vivian nodded. "You'd be surprised by the number of people - men and women alike - who fantasize about spanking young schoolgirls. Leslie enjoys being spanked, so this is her character."

"Hmm," Sean responded and Vivian smiled. "When she leaves here, she goes home to her husband and three children, assuming her 'normal' life. You might think that our employees are just here to do a job, but they are fulfilling their fantasies as well." Again, all Sean could do was nod as he followed Vivian to the next room.

They made their way down the hall, looking into the rooms and observing various activities as Vivian explained each of the scenarios. At the end of the hallway, Sean could hear muted music and laughter. He eyed the doorway curiously. "That's our lounge," Vivian said. "We have a cocktail bar, dance floor, a wonderful DJ."

Sean cocked his head. He had expected so much more. Vivian noticed his confusion and smiled. "The club has four levels," she said, pointing to an elevator hidden in the corner. "The bottom level - no pun intended - is for what most would refer to as 'safe play'." Sean nodded. "So, what you're saying is, the higher up we go, the more…intense it gets?" he asked.

"Exactly," Vivian replied. She pushed a button on the elevator and stepped inside, motioning for Sean to follow her. As they began their ascent, she continued. "We require the use of a safe word with all our employees." She looked at him to see if he understood what she had said. When he nodded, she spoke again. "All of our rooms are monitored on closed-circuit TV, much like security cameras in a store. We have a group of 10 security personnel who keep an eye on things."

The elevator door opened to reveal a similar hallway. Sean held the door open as Vivian stepped out. "This level is designed for activities that are considered a little kinkier," she said, peering into an empty room. She opened the door and entered, reluctantly followed by Sean. He looked down at the tile floors, noticing the drains. The walls had removable shower heads and he turned to Vivian.

"Water sports," she said in explanation. "Golden showers, sometimes a little blood play." She pointed to the shower heads. "Easy clean-up." Sean just nodded. "They're also used for shaving, or for our clients to shower after a session." Back in the hallway, Vivian showed him another room filled with candles. "Hot wax can be a very sensuous tool, as long as it's not too hot." Sean made another note and followed Vivian to the next elevator.

"Weekends are usually busier," she said as the moved onto the third floor. "Now, this level is for what most people would consider the hardcore options." A quick glance into the room revealed a man laying on a latex covered table. Sean gasped as another layer of latex was put on top of him and a vacuum hose attached. "What in the bloody hell is that?" he asked.

Vivian smiled. "That is a vac-bed," she said, pointing to the man as the latex began to collapse, fitting around the contours of his body. "Isn't he going to suffocate?" Sean asked, his voice cracking a bit. "Not at all," Vivian said, pointing to a red mouthpiece. "There's a hole there for the mouthpiece so he can breathe. The air is removed from inside, and he'll be totally encased in the latex, but still able to breathe properly."

Sean shuddered involuntarily. "What's the purpose of that?" he asked. Vivian smiled wistfully. "Total bondage," she replied. Sean looked away and Vivian placed her hand on his arm, leading him away to another room. "This is the mummification room," she said. "Same principle, different technique." Sean made another note, then looked around for the elevator. He was almost afraid to see what the next floor held, but his curiosity was getting the better of him.

"The top level is designed for two purposes," Vivian said, as if reading his mind. "We have private rooms for our partnered clients," she explained, entering the elevator. "And we have a few…special rooms. I believe most people would refer to them as peep shows." They stepped out into the well-lit hallway and Vivian turned to Sean.

"As I'm sure you understand, I can only show you a couple of rooms here," she said. "I can't violate my clients' privacy by showing you any of their activities. Except for the special rooms." Sean nodded in agreement. "Tell me about these…peep shows?" he said. Vivian took his arm and led him to a doorway. "I'd be happy to," she said, opening the door.

The room was dark, except for a large window at the end of the room. There were comfortable chairs in the darkened part, all facing the window. A couple of people sat in the dark, but Sean couldn't make out if they were male or female. Behind the window, two women were slowly undressing each other. Sean felt a warmth rush over him and he silently willed his body to behave.

"The people behind the window are a couple of regulars," Vivian explained. "Occasionally, they volunteer to give a performance for our customers who like to watch. They can't see their…audience so they feel completely free to engage in whatever activity they desire." Sean watched as the two women kissed each other, their hands starting to travel downward.

"We have straight couples, ladies, even a few gentlemen who like to show off," she said, turning toward the door. Sean followed her, looking back over his shoulder as he went. Vivian chuckled softly as she closed the door. "Would you like to go back in and watch?" she asked. "Or would you like to see another room?" Sean gulped hard, looking at the doorway. "Show me another," he said, motioning down the hallway.

Tbc…..

Read Part Two of Gypsy's Fornøjelse