“Hey, a thousand dollars is a lot.” His brown eyes twinkle with mischief. “I think it’s only fair that we get some extra insurance.”
“Okay.” I feel sweat beading on my forehead.
“We’re gonna lock your dick in a cage.” Andre flashes all his teeth. “Keep that Big Nick Energy nice and snug for a whole month.”
“A cage? What the hell are you talking about?”
Andre whips out his phone and pounds in a search with his fat fingertips. When he finds what he’s looking for, he smiles and holds the phone out to me. I stare at the foreign device, not sure what I’m looking at.
“It’s called a chastity cage,” Andre explains. “Your dick stays in that steel tube. And it connects to a cock ring that goes around your nuts and the base of your shaft. Everything is held in place. I’ll put a mini padlock on to make sure you don’t cheat.”
My mouth hangs open. I can’t quite comprehend the concept. “I’d wear this all the time?”
Andre nods. “Yep. It’s rust-proof and skin safe. You can piss through it, take a shower in it, whatever. The only thing you can’t do is your favorite thing. You’ll wear it for the entire month.”
“What about boners?”
With a laugh, Andre says, “Big Nick is no match for steel. Your dick will learn.”
“Andre, come on. This is crazy. Can’t you just trust me?” I look around the room. All eyes are on me, and every single face is filled with doubt. Nobody thinks I can do it.
“We’re talking about a thousand dollars. Easy money. You just have to wear this for a month.”
I look to Connor, searching for some guidance. He always knows what to do. “It’s your choice,” he says quietly.
“If I lose, do I have to pay you guys?”
Andre shakes his head. “Of course not, Nick. We’re all brothers here. Nobody expects you to cough up that much money on your own. It’s really simple. Winner takes all, or else nobody pays a cent. It’s the easiest cash you’ll ever make.”
“Easy money, huh?” I can’t imagine going that long without sex. Usually I have to bust a nut at least once a day. Sometimes twice if I’m really amped up. A month will be impossible. But I know my brothers have my back. If I lose, it’ll be alright. No harm, no foul. “Okay. I’m in.”
“Good.” Andre shakes my hand. His grip is strong, powerful. “I know a place that’s open all night. They’ll have just what we’re looking for. Let’s go.”
At this very moment, I know my fate is sealed. The guys are all counting on me to fail. I refuse to lose this bet.
CHAPTER 2
The street is dead. Not a soul in sight, and the only sound is the unsettling whisper of the wind. But one small window burns bright amidst the shadows. A neon pink sign hangs over the door:Open 24 hours.
“What is this place?” I ask.
Andre eyes me like I’m asking the stupidest question he’s ever heard. “An adult novelty store. You’ve never been?”
I shake my head, annoyed at the way he’s acting. “No, I haven’t. The first clue might have been when I asked what this place was.”
“Alright, alright, no need for that.” He slings his arm around my shoulder like we’re best buds. “They sell sex toys here.”
“Well that explains it then. You don’t need sex toys when you’ve got this.” I gesture to my crotch.
Andre pats my chest a little too hard. “Not for long, you don’t.”
We step inside. I’m surprised to find the store is clean and well-lit. Mannequins are prominently displayed, their ghost-white bodies modeling lacy red lingerie on the female and some sort of shiny black briefs on the male.
There’s a tiered table in the center where all sorts of colorful toys are displayed next to bottles of lubricant. This is not what I expected. Many of the vibrators are bright, playful hues of pink and purple. There are a few traditional penis-style toys mixed in, with flesh-colored skin and detailed veins.
“Dude, why are we in a dildo store?” I ask.
“Relax. The cages are in the back.” Andre tilts his head toward the rear of the store.