Rose & Thorn: Liv/Rhea

Chapter 4

The robes are actually really nice, Rhea thought as she swiped her card through the suite's internal security reader so she would be able to get back inside. Liv was still sprawled on the bed, grinning and gasping, and Rhea wanted to be able to get in without worrying about her lover being able to stand up and stagger to the door. After she stepped out of the room, she tucked her membership card into one of the robe's deep pockets. She knew all the suites at Rose & Thorn came stocked with several robes—either to accommodate multiple members or multiple messes—and that further ones were available free of charge at the shops, but she had never used them herself. Not as a robe anyway, Rhea thought with a smile as she clomped down the hall in her half-laced boots. She had used them as impromptu towels before and replacement blankets on occasion—and the sashes for a great number of things—but actually wearing one made her feel strangely domestic.

As she entered the store, Rhea felt only a small pang of guilt over leaving Liv to recuperate in their room. Liv was by no means a prude, but Rhea wasn't sure if she would worry about looking rumpled and thoroughly fucked as she browsed side by side with strangers. Rhea was more accustomed to the Rose & Thorn attitudes—and she also knew that most people there were wrapped up in their own affairs, too focussed on the pursuit of their own pleasure to notice those around them. She still didn't want to be gone too long, though, so she grabbed a harness—and, after a moment's consideration, a second one for good measure, in case Liv was uncomfortable wearing a damp one. Remembering Liv's comment about her tattoos, she strolled down the edibles aisle and grabbed some fruit-flavoured markers. When she got to the restraints section, though, Rhea had to pause. They had chosen a rather basic room, and while many of the Rose & Thorn suites were equipped with built-in brackets and hooks, she hadn't paid enough attention to what was in their specific room.

"Can I be of assistance?" The clerk beside Rhea reminded her of a shorter, stockier version of Damian Priest, with spiky hair and a snakebite piercing. "We have a smaller selection of restraints on this floor, but if there's something specific you're looking for," he added, "I can call one of the other locations within the building and get items put on hold for you."

Rhea's gaze skimmed the selection. Handcuffs would always work, but they were too boring, at least for her. "We don't have too much more time tonight," she hedged, "so something here should be good. I just forgot to check the equipment in our suite."

The clerk took a sleek card reader from his pocket. "I can scan your card and find out your room number," he offered, "and I'll get a readout of its amenities."

"Thanks." Rhea handed her card over and moved from the handcuffs to the more intricate shackles. Some of them looked too intimidating, at least for a first date of sorts, so she waited as the clerk read up on her room.

"Thank you." The clerk handed back her card and showed her the listing on his device. "It looks like you have a basic suite, so you don't have any built-ins. You can switch rooms if you like, of course, but we also have restraints that fit under the mattress." He grabbed a plastic box labelled Display and pulled out something that looked like a slightly distorted X. "The vertical strap is the centre," he explained, shaking out the straps and spreading the device out on a nearby table. "The offshoots come up from the sides of the mattress and can connect to any of our cuffs that have a ring." Then he grabbed a cuff from a random bin and demonstrated. "All the straps are adjustable, and this unit will fit any bed in the building, so it's always a safe bet. Many of our clients buy one from us to use on their travels, since they fold up so discreetly."

Rhea could see that. If you weren't really sure what you were looking at, it could easily be a pair of men's suspenders or a few belts that were tangled together. "Excellent. I'll take one of those and four lined cuffs." Then she held out the markers. "I'm guessing these are like the lube, right? You can't let another customer use them, so if I buy them, we can take them when we leave?"