A Night in Valhalla

"Nobody has Mr Shaw. We are very careful to ensure that the only people who know about Valhalla are those that we allow to know."

The scale of what I was seeing amazed me. I was fast becoming a believer and I hadn't even got past the inner door yet. This was just all too well organised and elaborate to be a scam.

This was something else altogether.

It felt as if I had just stepped out of the 'minor leagues' and into the majors.

I placed my wallet, watch and phone inside the box and watched with fascination as it was locked with an ornate gold key.

"One last check Mr Shaw and we will be ready to proceed" my host said with a smile.

One of the security guards approached me then and began to run a hand-held sensor of some kind over my body. There was nothing sinister about this. Actually it was pretty similar to the kind of scanning you might go through before stepping onto a plane.

The security guard nodded briefly to Miss Morgane and we were ready to proceed.

To be honest, it felt a little like I was Charlie Bucket standing in front of Willie Wonka. Somehow I had found myself a golden ticket and the gates of the chocolate factory were about to open up just for me.

'A world of pure imagination.'

When those doors finally opened I saw before me a room bathed in soft light. The sound of soothing music wafted about somewhere in the background.

"Welcome to the reception room Mr Shaw" Miss Morgane continued, "Our associates will bring you anything you ask for while you relax. This is simply a gathering area where our members meet and conduct business before they proceed to the area and activity of their choice."

What I saw was a modern and spacious room. A selection of low tables were surrounded by expensive leather bound couches. There were also more private booths that lined the walls of the room.

The 'associates' that miss Morgane referred to were a collection of the most beautiful women dressed immaculately in that same black evening dress that I now realised was a uniform. They were moving from table to table and serving drinks as they conversed effortlessly with their patrons.

Many of the patrons they served were familiar to me. I can't say that I had met any of them personally, but I knew who many of them were just the same.

One or two business moguls, a couple of professional athletes and a smattering of lawyers.

"I'll make the introductions." My host informed me as she gently placed a hand on my lower back and motioned me toward one of the tables.

"Excuse me gentlemen. I'd like to introduce our newest member Mr Alan Shaw."

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. One of the men at the table was William Price, a business genius still in his early forties who was worth over a billion. Another was Jeff Moore, a football player who had racked up millions from his personal endorsements alone.

"A pleasure to meet you Mr Shaw, we know all about you." William Price said with a smile as he extended his hand and shook mine firmly.

"Likewise," Jeff Moore added and then greeted me in a similar way. The other men at the table also followed suit.

"You know who I am?" I said trying not to sound amazed.

"Yes.........And you're gonna fit right in around here." One of the others at the table added.

"It is Mr Shaw's first visit and there is much to show him." Tara Morgane informed them.

"You ain't kidding. Young Mr Shaw's head is gonna be spinning after today. Hell I practically wanted to move in after my first visit!" William Price said grinning from ear to ear.

"Come Mr Shaw lets continue our tour" My host urged, "There is someone at the bar that you may want to meet."

She had to practically drag me away from that table. I was led towards the bar where two women sat sipping drinks and talking nervously. They didn't wear the uniform that all the other women wore, which prompted me to ask a very stupid question.

"You have female members?"

Tara's incredulous reply took only a few moments to arrive.

"This isn't the 1950's Mr Shaw. Over thirty-five percent of our members are women. Some are the spouses of other members while others are very successful business women in their own right."

"I meant no offence," I said scrambling to repair the damage from such a ridiculous question.

"It's quite understandable Mr Shaw. There is a lot to take in on your first visit."

One of the women left the bar then, but the one that remained was well known to me.

"You must be Mr Shaw." She said without being prompted.

"Yes that's right" I practically stammered.

I was actually talking to Grace English.

Perhaps I should explain.

Grace English was known to everyone as perhaps the most successful attorney the state had ever known. Still only in her mid thirties she had only ever lost one case in her career and even then it was rumoured that she had thrown that case just to watch her client (a serial rapist) burn. That one case alone had earned her the respect of a lot of people.

'Sometimes the only way you can win is to lose.' That now famous sound-bite had practically made her a house-hold name. After that she switched sides and became one of the most sought after prosecutors in the country.

Grace English was, in fact, quite beautiful in person. Long, auburn hair and pale green eyes. She wore the same dark blue skirt and jacket that had now become her trademark, and a string of delicate white pearls adorned her neck.

"Mr Shaw will be attending your presentation in the main lecture theatre tonight." Tara Morgane cut in before I could say a word.

This was news to me. I was actually quite excited at the opportunity to attend some kind of private seminar for the rich and famous, but something didn't seem quite right about the situation.

The Grace English I had seen in the media and on television was a fearless and unstoppable tiger that swept all opposition before her.

The woman I saw before me now was nervous and on edge.

"We have made all the preparations you requested, plus some extra ones that will make this the most memorable public presentation you've ever given. You must be very excited and anxious to get it started," Tara Morgane said smiling deeply.

"Yes....The waiting is killing me." Grace English confessed.

"I'm very excited to hear what you have to say." I said, practically butting in.

Miss English seemed to visibly relax then and she let out a nervous laugh that broke the tension.

"Thank-you Mr Shaw. I needed that." She said before adding "I will look for you in the audience and give you a smile if I can."

"Have I missed something?" I said to my host as she led me away from the bar.

"You really are quite adorable Mr Shaw. I can tell you're going to be very popular around here."

Why did I feel like I had just been patted on the head like a five year-old child who had made a bad joke? It turns out that was more or less exactly what I had just done.

"I'm going to leave you for a few moments to chat with our other members. We have about twenty minutes before Miss English's presentation begins. After that I'm sure you will have many questions and perhaps wish to finalise your membership details."

"Thank-you Miss Morgane."

"You may call me Tara if you wish Mr Shaw."

"Well then Tara, you may call me Alan." I replied with a smile.

"Well then I will see you soon Alan. I have managed to secure front row seats for the presentation."

The next twenty minutes were enlightening to say the least.

Every man or woman I talked to had a similar story to tell about their rise to success.

All of them were also very enthusiastic about telling me just how much more successful they had become from all the contacts they had made here at Valhalla.

In the space of that twenty minutes alone I had collected four business cards and two enquiries into some inner city real estate that I was looking to move.

"And then of course there's this place" one of those people had said as he made a sweeping gesture and motioned toward everything that surrounded us. "It's the things we can do in this place that really draw us here."

"And what exactly are those things?" I pressed further.

"All of the things we can't do out there in the world." was his cryptic answer.

I felt a hand on my shoulder then and looked around to see the smiling face of Tara Morgane.

"I'm here to escort you Mr....." she stopped herself in mid sentence before starting again.

"I'm here to escort you to your seat Alan. The presentation is about to begin."

"Lead on Tara." I said with a smile as she took me by the arm and led me through a doorway and then down a broad corridor.

Everyone else who had been in the reception room also followed.

"Are all of the presentations given by Grace English this popular." I asked as I took note of the procession of people that followed.

"This will be Miss English's first public presentation here at Valhalla. Virtually every member wanted to attend but the space in the lecture theatre is limited to only 45 seats."

"I guess I'm lucky" I replied.

"You are very lucky Alan. I will be accompanying you to assist in any questions you will undoubtedly have. Public presentations happen almost weekly here at Valhalla but they are usually given by 'Associates'. Seeing one given by a member is a real honour."

"I'm not sure I understand." I confessed.

"That is why I am accompanying you Alan. There is much that you do not know about us yet, but I will assist you in any way I can."

Tara lead me through a door and then into an amphitheatre that reminded me a lot of some of the lecture halls I had sat in in college.

A large semi-circular stage was set into a wall on one side and a thick red curtain behind it hid some kind of back-stage area.

Strangely there was no lectern or designated spot where a speaker would stand.

Instead a single, sturdy looking wooden chair was placed in the middle of the stage facing the audience.

Much like the other lecture halls I had sat in as a student, the seating was also arranged in a semi-circular fashion. The front row was at floor level and each subsequent row ascended in height much like a mini Colosseum.

Unlike those cramped lecture halls in college however, this place was spacious and extravagant.

Comfortable leather seats were waited on by a collection of female associates who would quietly fill the patron's drinks or tend to anything they needed.

"I've never seen a lecture hall quite like this." I said to my host as she ushered me to my seat in the front row and then took one beside me.

"Well Alan, I'm not sure anyone's ever given an actual lecture here."

I was now totally confused.

As I looked around me and watched the seats begin to fill I now noticed that the rest of the patrons were roughly an even mix of both male and female members.

Many of them had come from some place other than the reception room. There was obviously much more to the Valhalla complex than I had seen.

When all of the seats had filled, the lighting then gradually began to get darker. I sat expectantly in that peaceful half-light and watched as the stage was bathed in a soft amber light.

A hush fell over the room as Grace entered and walked timidly toward that stage. She sat in the chair that was facing the audience and then nodded to something or someone at the back of the room.

If I didn't know better I would have sworn that she actually looked petrified.....but then again....maybe it was something else.

"I don't understand what's happening" I whispered to Tara as my confusion grew by the second. She simply squeezed my arm and gave a short reply. "The answers will come."

A female associate then approached Grace English on stage. She produced a long black silk scarf and then proceeded to blindfold the now shaking woman.

I couldn't believe what had just happened.

"This is some kind of initiation ritual right?" I whispered.

"No Alan. Grace has been a member for two years."

Tara Morgane smiled then. She thought for a few moments before adding something that would change my perception of this place forever.

"Tell me Alan. If you could make your wildest desire or fantasy come true, without any kind of risk of discovery or consequence....would you do it?"

"Well....Yes....Of course." I finally replied.

Only now was it starting to dawn on me what was going on.

"Well Alan. What you're about to see is Grace's most desperate fantasy made real. We are watching her only because she desires to be watched."

"Are you telling me that I'm about to see Grace English get fucked on stage?" I couldn't believe I was actually saying those words.

"Yes Alan. In just about every way possible."

A rush of adrenaline washed over me as the reality of what I was about to see hit hard. I felt my heart rate shoot through the roof and I began to move uncomfortably in my chair as I tried to conceal the fact that I was now fully erect.

"You are meant to enjoy this Alan" Tara said softly before continuing. "I introduced you to Grace at the bar because I knew it would get her off even more. The idea of a brand new member watching her get fucked on their first night here would have made her practically wet herself."

Christ just hearing that made it so much worse. Every part of my body began to light up as intense arousal coursed through my veins.

I became aware of a noise then. A familiar sort of 'tap, tap, tap' sound that echoed through the hushed silence. It sounded out of place.

It was the 'clip-clop' of high heeled shoes sounding out against the hard wood floor as someone approached slowly from behind the red curtain.

Grace visibly stiffened as she heard that noise. It was closely followed by the sound of rustling fabric as someone eased through a slit in the curtain and then walked up behind her.

A beautiful blonde woman in a very tight red dress stood behind her now. She stared down at Grace with utter contempt before slowly walking around her in a circle and inspecting every inch of her.

The woman held something small and rectangular in her hand but I couldn't quite make out what it was yet.

Tara Morgane leaned in close to me then and began to whisper softly.

"We went to a lot of trouble to secure the services of this woman as an associate for tonight. She was not willing at first but her input will undoubtedly make this something truly special."

I couldn't help asking the most obvious question.

"What does she have that's so special?"

"The most important thing of all Alan..........History."

"I had no idea Grace English was a lesbian." I replied.

"She isn't Alan. The situation is a little more complex than that."

I left it at that. It is only now, after the fact, that I can reveal part of what I was really seeing.

Grace English didn't know it yet, but the woman who was about to kick things off and get it all started was someone she had successfully prosecuted and put behind bars for prostitution two months ago.

It was a win/win situation for everyone.

The blonde (who called herself 'Jasmine',) would get her chance to turn the tables on Grace.

As far as Grace English was concerned, once the blindfold came off and she discovered the truth, the complete 'mind-fuck' of her present situation was probably going to be enough to make her head spin.

Jasmine grabbed a hand-full of Grace's hair then and snapped her head back exposing her throat. Grace went into a slight panic.

"You're scared aren't you." Jasmine said softly.

Grace tried to nod.

"But that excites you too doesn't it."

Her breathing became shallow and rapid.

"Well then, you're about to get a whole lot more excited."

"Good girl." I heard Tara say to herself quietly before adding a few more words. "Following the script almost word for word."

It became apparent to me then just how meticulously planned this was.

"There's a script?" I asked as quietly as I could.

"Loosely speaking Alan, Yes. But an associate can deviate from that script whenever they like as long as they keep to the spirit of the experience."

She went on.

"Miss Jasmine here is our own little wild card. We threw her in just to shake things up. Grace had no idea we were going to use a female for part of this let alone someone she has history with."

"Isn't that a little risky?" I replied immediately.

"We don't take risks Alan. Her personality profile suggests she should be in heaven right about now."

Tara smiled at me before adding "I know you have questions but I suggest we just watch and enjoy the presentation."

She was right of course. I tend to talk a lot when I get nervous but it really was time for me to just shut-up and enjoy the fireworks.

"You know a lot about what's going to happen to you tonight but maybe you're just discovering that you don't know it all." Jasmine said with satisfaction as she continued her tight grasp on Grace's hair.

Jasmine gave a sharp flick of her free right hand and suddenly a silver blade protruded from the object in her right hand which had turned out to be the handle of a flick-knife.

One or two in the audience gasped.

"Tell me what you feel against your skin Miss English." Jasmine taunted as she ran the tip of the blade across the soft flesh of Grace's cheek.

"Oh Fuck" she blurted out and began to shake wildly as she felt the sharp edge against her skin.

"Tell Me!" Jasmine ordered. She placed a little more pressure on the blade just to hammer the point home as she said it.

"Oh god...it's......I think it's a knife" Grace finally stammered.

"Nobody's ever teased you with a knife before have they Miss English?"

"No.....Oh Jesus No."

Jasmine began to play with her captive then. She lightly drew the edge of the knife across Grace's neck and then down in between her breasts before withdrawing the blade and then casually cutting off the top button of that expensive blue suit jacket.

"You're looking a little hot. I think we need to cool you down." She said as she swiftly cut off the two remaining buttons. The jacket fell open revealing an expensive white blouse.

"Place your hands behind your back and clasp them together behind the chair. They will stay that way until you are told otherwise. Understood?"

"Yes." Grace replied immediately before doing as she was told.

"Would you like me to stop Miss English or are you aching to see where this goes?"

"Please don't stop.....It's okay."

"Just okay?"

"More than okay." Grace replied as she continued to shake with nervous excitement.

Jasmine deftly began to snip off each button of that blouse with the knife. More and more skin was exposed as each button fell to the floor. Very soon all the buttons were gone and the blouse hung open.

Naturally it had been tucked into the waistband of Grace's blue skirt and Jasmine wasted no time in pulling it free and exposing as much flesh as she could without actually taking it off.

She then yanked the top of the blouse and jacket down past Grace's shoulders.

"You may unclasp your hands for just a moment" Jasmine instructed as she forced Grace forward on the chair and then stripped off both the blouse and Jacket in one sharp tug.

She then forcefully pushed Grace back in place and her captive automatically placed her hands back behind her and clasped them together without being prompted.

Some minor applause erupted from the audience then. I think we were all impressed by the slick way in which Jasmine had taken control of the situation and Grace English.

I remember thinking that Grace looked beautiful when I met her at the bar, but as more of her body was exposed I became more and more enamoured with her.

She had a toned, almost athletic frame and she wore a sexy white lace bra that accentuated her beautiful 32 D breasts.