The Secret Life of a Unicorn

CHAPTER ONE

Nerves don’t usually get the better of me, but this New Year’s Eve I was taking a leap into the unknown. I was excited but as the time drew closer the butterflies were fluttering. There I sat in a hotel room in Sheffield with my best friend, who was my partner in crime and never questioned any of my crazy and random ideas. It was New Year’s Eve and we would have been spending the night out together anyway, so why not do something completely different to the usual drinks around town. Ellie was happy to come with me for moral support but also to satisfy her own curiosity. We were going to a Swingers Club. I had had the idea a few months ago and had been looking online to see what it was all about; but tonight no matter how much I had read about it I guessed reality may be somewhat different. In our minds there were of course the stereotypical images of sleazy men, desperate housewives and keys being thrown into a basket. From what I had read on the internet, these ideas were far from the truth.

The Swingers lifestyle is for couples who are in Poly-amorous relationships; they are in a loving and emotionally satisfying relationship with their partners but they physically enjoy the company of other like minded sexual people. These couples would go to Swingers Clubs and parties for both social and physical interactions with other sexually open minded people. I was particularly drawn to the idea that there was no cheating in the relationships; after the night out each couple would go their separate ways, having enjoyed fun with their partner but with no element of being lied to.

There were a couple of reasons why I had found myself sat in a hotel room sipping on a glass of wine waiting to experience a swingers club. About a decade earlier when I was a sweet and innocent twenty year old at university, I was in a relationship with a man who was twelve years older than me (I know, perv’ right?!) Anthony was a very attractive and sexual man, for my first proper boyfriend he opened my mind to quite a few things. Anthony always wanted to take me to a swingers club but I was only twenty and it seemed far too daunting for a young fairly shy country girl. The village where I grew up was very small and had an extremely close community; news and gossip soon spread and like jungle drums the latest scandal would have boomed round the locals before you could say boo to a goose. The last thing I wanted was such gossip reaching the ears of my parents who are conservative, well mannered and brought me up to have morals. The locals were not well travelled and thought driving the 10 miles to the nearest large supermarket was an adventure. Any whispers of swingers may have killed a few off. The reason Anthony had suggested that we try a swingers club was because he once said, and I will never forget Pippa, I do believe that you are bisexual. Announced as if it was part of my overall description of Pippa, 5’7, 110Ib, dark hair, blue eyes, and bisexual." Apparently most swinger couples were made up of a bisexual wife who liked to sleep with other women without keeping anything from their husbands. Now at this point my twenty year old mind was all over the place; I wanted to, but I didn’t want to, what would people think? What did I think?! Part of me would have loved the opportunity to see what it was like to sleep with a woman but the other part of me didn t visualise anyone else being around to witness it. Anthony had planted the seed; the idea was in my mind just waiting for the right time to germinate. The relationship with Anthony ended after little over a year. Anthony was my first proper boyfriend, our personalities clicked brilliantly and we had such good banter as we were both sharp witted and sarcastic. As much as he opened my mind to a world beyond the village he was also the first man to open my eyes to what men are capable of when he broke my trust. I was in shock when I found messages on his phone from other women and there were a few nights where he stayed out all night. Once doubt weaves its’ way in and trust in a relationship is broken, things will never be the same again no matter how much you try. Of course he denied everything. I questioned and blamed myself; if I had gone swinging with him then would he not have seen a reason to go looking elsewhere and we would have still been together? But if I had gone with him I would have been doing something that I wasn t quite sure about just to please him, which was completely against my nature. Everything happens for a reason and leads us on a path of self discovery. Anthony was the first but not the last man to break my trust, as the boyfriend after that went one step further and was caught cheating. I could feel my heart hardening, I would never let myself go through this again. I tarred them all with the same brush and genuinely believed that from my experience they were all alike. It made me start thinking about relationships and how men had always let me down. With swingers there is complete trust and both parties are open with each other about their sexual desires. This was refreshing to me and I wanted to know more.

There was also the question of my bisexuality. I always knew that I found some women attractive and part of me always wanted to overcome that curiosity. Like most girls I had shared drunken kisses with my best friend in the pub but that’s where we drew the line; anything sexual would have to be with another woman as Ellie and I wouldn’t be able to do it. Our friendship is far too valuable to risk ruining with a curiosity.

The wine was going down rather easily and I could feel the buzz starting to flow through my veins. I had read about Liberation, the Swingers Club in Sheffield which is said to be one of the best in the country. The website said that for NewYear’s Eve all were welcome and dress code was Sexy & Fancy. Having no idea what this really meant I was hardly prepared to waltz in there wearing only underwear and a smile. Both Ellie and I opted to go for short sexy dresses that had class and sophistication; we wanted to look upmarket. As we were getting ready and giving each other a fashion show of outfits, we started going through all of the potential scenarios that we could come across.

Pippa, you do realise that we are going to stand out like a pair of deer in headlights, said Ellie.

Well, true but we are just going to check it out and see what’s what, I am sure we aren’t the only newbies that will be there. And then we started to question; what if we got chatted up? What if we didn’t fancy anyone? What if no one fancied us? The latter, without wanting to sound big headed was not likely to be the case. We are known by our friends as the Dangerous Duo, as we are always out together, both single having failed to find decent boyfriends. We are down to Earth fun loving girls. The pub landlord of where we usually frequent would describe us as:

Two peas in a pod, they balance each other. Pippa is the quieter one until she gets to know you, where Ellie is far from shy and springs at you like a jumping bean.

We certainly brought out the best in each other and there was never a dull moment. I did wonder at times that if anyone tuned into our conversations they would probably recommend that we get our heads tested.

As I slipped on my diamante stilettos and adjusted my dress, I felt my heart double in pace when I said Right, are you ready? The wine had certainly helped as we strutted down the hotel corridor. The club was about a mile down the road and there was no way that walking in heels was an option. A taxi was arranged and it was the first time that I had ever been embarrassed to say where we wanted to go. The taxi driver did not bat an eyelid.

No problem, be a good party there tonight.

It was obviously not the first time he had taken people to Liberation. I made a bit of chit chat with him as you do but it was literally 3 minutes before we pulled up outside the club.

I felt my throat go dry as I stepped onto the curb and looked at the club. Liberation was lit up and I could hear dance music coming from inside. In my mind I felt I had a sexy confident allure like Marilyn Monroe whereas in reality I probably came across like a fumbling fairy. There were two doormen either side of the entrance who were watching as we tottered up. They opened the door with a friendly Hello and that was it, we were in. I grabbed Ellie’s hand to reassure her that we were in this together and I would not leave her side. We couldn’t go straight in as we had to register a membership with them. The lady behind the bar was entering my details into her computer.

Two bisexual females? You two are Unicorns, she smiled at us both.

I had no idea what she implied but smiled politely as she handed over a red membership card and wished us a great night.

The social area was pretty much like a regular bar with seating dotted around and a large dance floor with a DJ playing modern dance and pop music. The decor was like nothing I had seen before; with mirrored walls, seating which had been dressed with red velour fabrics, and of course huge flat screen TVs playing porn. There were already quite a lot of people in the club and the bar was getting busy. My eyes scanned the room to try and take as much in as possible. I saw that the dress code of Sexy & Fancy really had been taken seriously. There were some couples that had done themed fancy dress; where the husband was the doctor and the wife was the nurse. Some husbands or boyfriends preferred not to do fancy dress but looked nice and smart in shirts and trousers. It was the wives and girlfriends who went big; there were some ladies in fancy dress, some in corsets, some in fishnet body-stockings, and others were wearing nothing but lingerie with stockings and stilettos. They all looked fantastic and no matter what their size or shape they had the confidence to wear what they wanted to because it made them feel sexy. Whether because I felt like the deer in headlights and everyone was looking in our direction, I made a rather deliberate move to the bar for a glass of reassurance (vodka) mixed with diet coke. We took our drinks and made our way across the room to the edge of the dance floor. I noticed two doors, one leading through into another room and the other leading up some stairs.

One of the chaps who works with the doormen approached us and introduced himself as Gary. He asked if we would like a tour of the club so we knew the rules and generally what was what. I nodded and felt Ellie grasp my hand a little tighter. The tour started in the main social area where couples mingled and danced. Gary asked if we had been to any clubs or parties before - in unison we shook our heads.

There’s nothing to be scared of, swingers have more respect for each other than regular people in regular bars. The main simple rule of the club is ‘no means no,’ so it is entirely your choice if you want to participate but if you don t fancy it then no one will be offended.

Hearing that was a relief. I am generally a nice person and wouldn t want to offend anyone or be rude by declining offers (if any) to join a couple for relations. Gary said that Friday nights were for couples, single men and single ladies. Saturday nights were reserved for couples and single girls. This gave couples a more relaxed evening without the hassle of single men wanting to join in the fun. Singles guys were ten a penny and never in short supply for couples wanting another man for company. Single bisexual girls however were very rare which is why they are known as Unicorns. I liked the idea of being a Unicorn; a mythical creature of which many stories had been heard but not witnessed. Gary led us through into the adjacent room which was the dungeon area. This was quite dark with very low lighting. This was where people would come to be tied up, dominated and punished. There were different types of contraptions where one could be held and restrained. I didn’t really like the thought of that, I like to know that I can get away if I don’t like a situation. From the expression on Ellie’s face she was thinking the exact same thing.

Does it get busy in here? I asked.

Not really, he said Every night is different and the play rooms upstairs are usually the busiest.

And that’s where we headed next. We wandered back into the bar area and noticed the dance floor getting busier. The air was filling with fun and flirtations. We worked our way up to the top floor where all they play rooms were. Even though I had done a bit of back ground reading, seeing all this with my own eyes was quite surreal. In one room there was one huge mattress which could probably fit around twenty people. This room was for couples but single guys were aloud in on invitation. I noticed boxes of baby wipes and anti-bacterial gel on the shelves, making the reality of what happens in these rooms quite apparent. We moved around to another room which had mirrored ceilings and walls. Another room with a glass wall so that the people would be on show and watched from the corridor ‘more for exhibitionists,’ I thought. There were a couple of rooms which were private; with no mirrors, glass or peep holes. Gary said it was very rare that anyone would play on their first outing to a swingers club but it had happened in the past. Again Ellie squeezed my hand and shook her head as if to say ‘not flipping likely with us mate.’

We wandered back down to the bar where Gary went back to his post and let us start to mingle with the crowd. Looking around there were all age groups from twenty-something to sixty-something and because it was New Year’s Eve all members were welcome. Couples were chatting to each other and it seemed quite a liberating place. You could come and talk openly about your desires and fantasies with no judgement whatsoever. The tunes that the DJ was playing were right up our street and it wasn’t long until we felt the beat and edged closer to the dance floor. As with every night out be it sober or not Ellie would always be straight onto the dance floor. Fortunately we were both well oiled and bounced onto the dance floor. Dancing together was our happy place; we would not be venturing upstairs on our first outing in a swingers venue. It didn’t take long for us to feel relaxed and start enjoying the atmosphere and my tongue loosened up to talk to people. I started with simple comments like I like your dress, or Isn’t it busy? I know it sounds lame doesn’t it but swingers are normal people and not completely sex obsessed.

While Ellie was happy bouncing around, I took a break and struck up conversation with a young couple from Doncaster. Jane and Paul looked an approachable couple for a bit of a chat so I could get any inside tips on the swinging scene. Jane was wearing an elegant black dress and had her blonde hair cascading down her back; Paul looked like the Milk Tray man all in black and admittedly looked dashing and sexy. I am quite fortunate in that I can strike up conversation with anyone and could probably talk to a tree if I had to. So finding an initial conversation with Jane and Paul was a breeze, a compliment on her outfit is usually good as it shows one to be friendly and none threatening. They were a nice couple who had been swinging for about two years on and off. They said some couples do it every weekend but with their work and family commitments they couldn’t. They told me that the term ‘Swingers’ was a bit old and outdated as it portrays possibly the wrong image and these days it was preferred to be called the ‘Lifestyle’. To me that definitely sounded a lot fresher and less stereotyped. When they found out that neither myself nor Ellie had ever been to a club before, they said we couldn t have picked a busier night to throw ourselves in. Paul went to the bar and I stayed chatting with Jane. Jane asked me if I had joined a swingers dating website called Swinger Party; where couples could contact each other to arrange dates and invite to clubs and parties. Having no idea that such a website existed I must have looked like she was talking Greek. She laughed and said it’s a great way to make friends and then going to clubs is less intimidating if you already have arranged to meet people. I had at this point had a fair few drinks so my memory was failing to absorb the name of the website. Jane took my phone number and said she would text it to me the next day. I thanked them for talking with me but didn t want to intrude on their evening so left them to it and bounced back onto the dance floor where Ellie was still bopping away.

At around 11:30pm the club was packed and you could hardly move. It was a mission to get to the bar so we ended up getting a couple of drinks to save the hassle of queuing again. The place was filled with a fantastic lively atmosphere and people were drinking, dancing, talking and flirting. I was really enjoying myself and felt it was a great place to come and free yourself from day to day reality. It was a completely different world with people I would never normally meet. You could wear whatever you wanted without the negative judgement. It was also a relief that Ellie felt safe and was having a good night as after all this was my idea. The countdown to midnight was fast approaching and the TV’s changed to show Big Ben and the New Year Celebrations. Everybody in the club joined in with the countdown and at the stroke of midnight they grabbed who they were with and shared cheers and kisses. I of course grabbed Ellie and we cheered in the brand New Year. I could see myself easily being part of this lifestyle. It would fill a void that I had and let me see things in a whole new light.

After the cheers of midnight had settled down it was hard not to notice that the dance floor and bar had quietened down. A lot of people had ventured upstairs to start their new year with a bang. Of course curiosity got the better of me and I suggested we go and have a look at what was happening. There was something happening in all of the rooms and I could feel the sensual sexual and erotic tensions building. The couples in the play rooms seemed completely in the zone and tuned out that they were being watched. I think as a private person the thought of being watched may be my biggest hurdle to get over. We moved round from room to room and peeked in where we could. There were a lot of hot naked bodies writhing around. It was one of those things where you find yourself drawn to it, not wanting to miss anything. The sensible side of me saw that condoms were used which was reassuring; after all these people may just be one night stands and you don’t know what they could have. Not wanting to spoil the moment, I kept those thoughts to myself to find out about at a later point. In one room I could hear one lady groaning in pure ecstasy and I wanted to see more. As I peered through the window there was a very attractive woman with three men who were touching, teasing and fucking her. She was in her element and her pleasure was more than apparent. Her groans were heavy and her breathing was quickening pace as she was brought to climax. It got to the point where I was almost feeling it with her. She took an intake of breath and then came hard and heavy. Wow. I had never seen anything like this before. I was half expecting everyone watching to break out into a round of applause. The only time I have seen people having sex was in the movies, but this was real. At this point I got the feeling that this was a bit much for Ellie as she hugged me and said that she was ready to leave. As we wandered downstairs to the bar for our coats I asked if she was ok or had been offended by what I had brought her to. She was fine but felt she’d had too much to drink and her feet were killing her.

It was cold as we stepped out of the club. We didn’t say much in the taxi ride back to the hotel but were both smiling as we digested the last six hours of our lives. Back at the hotel room we kicked our shoes off into the corner of the room. I flicked the kettle on as there’s nothing better to help us wind down than a nice cup of tea. I was still buzzing at how I had enjoyed the night.

That was so much fun, thank you for coming with me, I said.

No worries, said Ellie It wasn’t what I had expected. I am not sure what I expected but everyone seemed nice.

I know it was just like a normal night out but with a lot more nudity. To be fair I have seen girls out in town strip down to their bras - but at least in a swingers club it feels safer. The men are a lot more respectful in swingers clubs.

Yes but that could be because they have their wives with them and they would probably get a slap if they were out of line.

True and they would probably enjoy it.

I made the tea and popped a cup down next to the bed where Ellie was sprawled out.

Are your feet still buzzing? I asked.

God yes, I don’t think I’ve done so much dancing for a long time. I blended myself in so I wouldn’t get approached but that backfired when that older woman in a PVC catsuit started gyrating next to me.

We both were laughing and started discussing what we had seen; from the scantily clad and oversized to the fully committed fancy dress costumes. I asked if she had seen the man that looked about our age dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, his eyes were a bright blue and really stood out because he was wearing black eyeliner.

I didn’t see him, said Ellie I didn’t want to make eye contact with anyone.

You daft moose, I laughed He was probably the fittest one there. Not that I would have done anything, God no. He was alright to look at though.

We chatted and laughed until we could feel the adrenaline and alcohol in our blood become less potent. As I lay back on the bed I started thinking back through the evening, from the minute we walked in the door to the moment I saw people having sex right there in front of me. Not at any point did I feel out of place. I felt a rush of liberation as I realised that this was going to be a brand new part of my life. I knew that, now I had taken the first step. This was going to be fun.

The next morning I was woken by noises from the hotel corridor as people were getting up and moving around. With a dull pain in my head I could only manage to open one eye. I fumbled around to find some painkillers to take before the hangover kicked in. I checked my phone for the time, 9:42am. I saw that I had a message from an unknown number but couldn’t focus through my blurry eyes. I stumbled to the bathroom and washed my face with refreshing cold water. It felt as if something had crawled into my mouth over night and died, so cleaning my teeth helped wash away the fuzz from my tongue. Ellie was slowly waking up and was stretching as she yawned. We looked at each other and smiled, we had both seen each other looking better. We wished each other Happy New Year and slowly but surely life returned to our veins.

We got ourselves up and organised ready to check out of the hotel. Part of me wondered if the reception staff knew where we had been and what we had seen the previous evening. It felt good to have a naughty secret.

On the drive back home on New Year’s Day, I actually wanted to go straight to bed and eat comfort food all day. However on New Year’s Day it was tradition to have a few drinks in the village pub with friends and locals. There was no way I could do that without a good breakfast so we stopped at a coffee shop, seeing as neither of us could summon the strength to cook. After all the dancing the previous evening never had a full English breakfast been more welcome. We could feel our bodies thanking us for fuel and our moods picked up as our blood sugar was boosted. The energy eventually reached my brain and I remembered that I had an unread message from a mystery person on my phone. I reached into my bag and opened the screen. It was a message from Jane and Paul, who I had been chatting to in the club.

Hi Pippa, we hope you had a great night. Was lovely meeting you. Don’t forget to have a look at that Swinger Party site. Happy New Year, J & P x.

I felt quite giddy that I had received a message from a couple in the ‘lifestyle’ and eagerly replied.

"Thank you, it was great to meet you both. I’m very excited and won’t forget, believe me! Have a great Day. P xx.’

I couldn’t wait to have a quiet moment where I could get online and see what Jane had