Models: Phoenix Marie
There was something special about Club Fantasy. It was tangible from the moment they stepped inside. A quiet energy that wreathed around the new arrivals as lively as a spring breeze, growing stronger with each step they took.
It took until they entered the VIP lounge that Vander understood what set Club Fantasy apart: even with nobody around, it didn’t feel empty. Usually places designed to hold hundreds became eerie without a crowd. Stadiums and theatres, theme parks and tourist attractions, even schools after lessons had finished and all the teachers had gone home – in the absence of people they seemed hollow and purposeless.
But Club Fantasy didn’t feel vacant. The warm lighting in the lounge, the wood-panelled walls of the entry hall, the soft music playing in the background – every detail imbued the space with a character and life that other places lacked, right down to the single martini stood on the bar. And beneath everything was that constant impish energy.
If Vander hadn’t known better, he’d have said Club Fantasy had magic in its bones.
‘This place is amazing.’ Perri’s voice was hushed. The small diamond on her engagement ring rested against his skin when she slotted her fingers between his. ‘How lucky are we?’
Vander smirked. ‘Well, given the circumstances, I’d say we’re more than just lucky.’
Perri shoved him playfully. ‘Hey, don’t complain. Just because we’re forgetful, doesn’t mean we don’t deserve this.’
Vander raised an eyebrow but said nothing. It had been several months since the congratulatory letter landed on their doormat and even now he still wasn’t quite sure he believed it. Despite the fact neither he nor Perri remembered entering, the letter informed them they were the lucky winners of a competition run by Club Fantasy, the prize for which was an all-expenses paid bachelor and bachelorette party, including an unlimited tab, access to the club’s VIP areas, and accommodation for them and all their guests. It was the kind of night Vander and Perri could never have afforded themselves, and though they suspected a scam, when they called the club a lady by the name of Lena had confirmed it was entirely legitimate.
Now they were finally here Vander couldn’t deny the quiet excitement tingling up and down his spine.
Of course, not everybody in attendance was quite so reserved.
‘Holy shit, have you guys seen this bar?’ Declan said, leaning halfway over the counter to ogle the fridges behind. He was soon joined by Spencer and Justin, though neither were as besotted by the booze as their friend. ‘And it’s all free! I’m going to get so wasted tonight, you don’t even know. They’ve got stuff here I’ve never even heard of before!’
‘Funny, I figured you’d know every bottle by heart,’ Jessie muttered. She’d only met Declan earlier that day, but already she was glad she wouldn’t have to spend the night in his company.
Turning to Lee, Jessie opened her mouth to make some sarcastic comment at Declan’s expense, but the words died on her tongue when she noticed his expression. Her boyfriend was watching the trio of jocks silently. Jessie’s heart felt like it was being crushed as she noted the torment in Lee’s eyes, and not for the first time she found herself wishing there was some way she could make him smile.
‘Hey, babe, check out that dancefloor,’ she said, leading him by the arm to the end of the bar. The far wall was entirely glass, including a huge door that opened onto a broad platform overlooking the club’s main floor. Jessie could already imagine how good the view would be when the place was open. ‘Still, no dancefloor will beat the one I met you on.’
To Jessie’s delight her comment was rewarded by a sincere smile.
They weren’t alone on the balcony for long. With a determined stride, Lydia marched out dragging Kendall by the wrist. ‘There,’ she said, releasing her friend and jabbing a finger at the empty space below. ‘Take a good long look, K, because this is the place you’re going to meet the hookup to end all hookups.’
Jessie laughed, a sound that only made Lee’s smile all the wider. ‘You’re not still trying to hook her up are you? Haven’t either of you changed at all since uni?’
Lydia threw up her hands in mock despair. ‘Don’t blame me, blame her! I’m telling you, she’s practically a lost cause. But I swear, I’m going to find her a date tonight if it fucking kills me!’
‘Yeah, like I’ve never heard that before,’ Lee scoffed, and while he fell into conversation with their old university friends Jessie’s heart swelled as she saw the man she’d fallen in love with peeking through the nerves and self-doubt.
Back in the main lounge, Vander nudged Perri and nodded in Lee’s direction. ‘God, I hope he’s able to stay like that.’
‘Oh, me too,’ Perri nodded, leaning gently against his chest. ‘Jessie said she’s totally out of ideas to boost his confidence. I really hope tonight gives him a chance to relax. And not just him,’ she added, tilting her head back towards the main group.
Vander knew who she was talking about. Though most of their friends were mingling happily, a handful had ostracised themselves from the core gathering. Juliet, Kenzo and Elliott all stood at a distance, the former two swiping aimlessly on their phones, the latter taking a sudden and uncharacteristic interest in the wine list. As well as avoiding the group they kept one another at equal distances, like magnets repelled by any risk of socialisation.
‘Here’s hoping,’ Vander agreed. Then he frowned. ‘Didn’t that Lena lady say there’d be somebody to greet us when we arrived?’
As if on cue a sultry voice met their ears. ‘Ah, you’re all here.’
All eyes swivelled to the new arrival. And all those eyes bulged as they realised who she was.
As the founder of Club Fantasy, Phoenix was one of the most famous women in the country. Though it had only been open for a few years it had already earned a reputation as an unforgettably wild night out, and there was no doubt that Phoenix played a key role in the club’s infamy. Rumour had it if she took you to bed you would never be the same again, and though this was a fate many guests had experienced, none ever discussed it publicly. Nevertheless, on any given night at least half the club’s patrons were there hoping to catch the eye of their hedonistic host.
Simply put, Phoenix was the face of her club, and she always looked like a fantasy bought to life. Today was no exception.
Standing beneath the arch that led into the private lounge’s main room, her glossy lips wore a seductive smile. Her voluptuous figure was wrapped in a close-fitting black dress, the hem of which barely grazed her upper thighs. Black sequins shimmered with the slightest movement, giving her the appearance of a constellation trapped in human form. Her golden hair was pulled back and she regarded them with infinitely deep eyes as she fiddled with the dangling chain of her earring.
Unsurprisingly, the jocks of the group were conflicted over which asset they should ogle first: the juicy pout, the shapely legs in their fishnet stockings, the ample cleavage made even deeper by the tight fit of her dress. Not that Vander could blame them – few members of the group were actually managing to raise their eyes all the way to her face, their gaze instead snagging somewhere more sordid on the way up.
‘The bride and groom to be, I presume?’ She strode forward to shake their hands. ‘A pleasure to finally meet you.’
‘And you,’ Perri nodded, making a visible effort not to stare at Phoenix’s impressive tits.
Noticing the drink on the bar, Phoenix smiled. Crossing to pick it up, she stroked the counter affectionately before taking a sip.
It was at this point that Maddie found her voice. The vain blonde beauty had spent the entire journey to the club glued to her phone and only glanced away to eye up any fit guys they drove by enroute, but even those hungry stares paled in comparison to the intense admiration with which she looked at their host.
‘Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. You’re Phoenix. Like, the Phoenix. I think I’m gonna cry – you’re my absolute idol, you know! My friends are going to die when they find out I met you! Oh my god, can we have a selfie?!’
Phoenix did something then that Perri had never seen anyone do before: she silenced Maddie with a single glance. ‘I don’t think now is the time for that, do you?’ she said firmly. Taking another drink, a smirk plucked at her lips as Maddie turned her eyes to the ground and stashed her phone in her pocket. Yet when she continued there was a note of warmth in her tone. ‘Come and find me later tonight and we can have some girly time then.’
Maddie’s giddy eek forced Perri to bite back a giggle.
All at once Perri realised that Phoenix’s presence carried more weight for one of the group in particular. A glance in Kelsey’s direction confirmed that her book club friend was totally starstruck. Not long ago Club Fantasy had advertised a position as Phoenix’s assistant. Kelsey had applied, only to miss out on the role in the final interview. Now they were in Phoenix’s presence Perri could see the dismay written over Kelsey’s face – dismay which melted into flushed embarrassment when Phoenix caught her eye and cast her a fiendish wink.
‘Now then, to business,’ Phoenix said, addressing the whole group. ‘As of tonight, Club Fantasy is officially your playground. I’m sure some of you have heard rumours about what goes on within these walls, but I can assure you that this hearsay barely scratches the surface. Allow me to simply say that just a single night of our hospitality will be truly transformative, and I have no doubt that by the time the night is up each and every one of you will have experienced that hospitality first-hand.’
Sipping on her drink as she went, Phoenix slunk around behind the bar and produced a small batch of envelopes which she spread over the counter. ‘As promised, you will all have our very best accommodation for the night. You may have heard already that our rooms vary widely in their theme and design, but rest assured you will be perfectly content in whichever room you have been assigned. These are your room cards.’ She gestured to the envelopes. Each had a name and room number written on the front in elegant handwriting. ‘Your cards also grant you access to our VIP areas, as well as to your bar tab. Simply show your card to any bartender in the club and you’ll have everything on the house.
‘You have a few hours before the club opens for the night, so please make yourselves comfortable and then come down for an unforgettable party. If you need anything at all, I will be in my private booth and would be more than happy to have some company – and I’m sure I needn’t tell you how exclusive an offer that is. Even so, many of my close friends will be at the club tonight, and I’m sure they’ll be happy to satisfy any needs you may have too.’
Finishing her martini, Phoenix set the glass on the counter once again as she came back around the bar. ‘And now all that’s left for me to do is wish you a fantastic night. I hope you enjoy your time with us, and I look forward to getting to know you all very soon.’
With that she stepped aside so the group could claim their keycards.
It was only when she went up to take her envelope that Perri noticed the martini glass. It was full again. Everybody else was so caught up in their excited anticipation that they hadn’t realised, but the glass looked identical to the one that had been waiting for them when they arrived, right down to the thin spiral of orange peel coiled around the rim.
Perri’s gaze snapped around to Phoenix. But her confusion only deepened when their host raised a hushing finger to her smirking lips and gave a conspiratorial wink.
Before Perri could say anything her friends had steered her towards the door and out into the corridor where they headed for the lifts to the club’s onsite accommodation, their overnight cases trundling obediently behind them.
Watching them go, Phoenix’s glossy lips twitched with an impish smile, outstretched hand caressing the surface of the bar as fondly as the skin of a lover. Then she raised the glass in a toast towards her departing guests.
‘Welcome to the first night of the rest of your lives, ladies and gentlemen,’ she said quietly. ‘Welcome to Club Fantasy…’
Thanks for reading!
And here we are again.
At this point it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody that I went ahead and set myself a nearly impossible undertaking for my post-hiatus summer project. For some reason whenever I start planning these things a part of me believes I’m going to set manageable expectations for myself, yet it never takes long for me to realise just how wrong that assumption is. And Club Fantasy was no exception.
Pretty much as soon as I finished writing Fantasy Manor, I knew I wanted to do another Fantasy Universe series set at Phoenix’s club. In truth, I’d been considering it since the end of Fantasy Resort, and at one point a Club Fantasy series was going to be my next big project rather than Manor. However, in the end I’m pretty pleased this series is set after Manor rather than before, because if things had happened the other way around then several stories in this series would either be dramatically different or just outright would not exist.
I have to say I’m really excited to finally publish this series. While admittedly it has taken a huge amount of effort to get finished, the net result is a real labour of love and I am very happy with the results. Not least because I finally get the opportunity to showcase the work of some absolutely phenomenal models who only narrowly missed out on previous Fantasy Universe series. Some of these models have been on my list of possibilities to include since Lake Fantasy, so it is a genuine delight to finally introduce them to this interwoven world of smut I’ve crafted over the years.
I suspect most of you already know this by now, but just in case there are any newbies here (welcome!) my release schedule for these series is always a bit different to normal. As such, for the rest of the month you can expect a new chapter every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, except for the final week of August when there will be a new chapter every weekday, culminating in the epilogue on Friday 29th which acts as the series finale. The first chapter is already out alongside this prologue, so if you’re already wanting more then I hope you enjoy reading that.
Now without further ado, please allow me to welcome you to Club Fantasy, and to the many sordid stories it holds…
Image galleries: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cocktail-topped-with-lime-slice-single-glass-of-dry-martini-in-a-restaurant-over-a-wooden-table-28321213/
