Behind the Bedroom Curtain

During the years my girlfriend and I lived in New York, we shared a place with a middle-aged couple to save money. One room. Two beds. Nothing but a curtain between them. Late that first night, strange noises suddenly started coming from the other side… My name is Ethan Carter. Last December, I got engaged to my girlfriend, Hannah Brooks. We wanted to earn more money, so we took the advice of someone from our hometown and moved to New York together. Rent in New York was outrageous. Most places cost several thousand dollars a month. After thinking it over, my girlfriend and I decided to save money by sharing a place with another couple. It was a one-bedroom apartment with two beds, separated by a curtain. The beds were practically pushed together. If you rolled over in your sleep, you could end up bumping into the person on the other side. And you could hear every little sound. There was no privacy at all. But it was the cheapest place we’d found, so we figured we would put up with it. Our roommates were a middle-aged couple. I’d assumed older people would be more conservative. Once we moved in, I discovered they were far wilder than either of us! The husband’s name was Richard Blake. He was in his fifties, with an ordinary face and deeply tanned skin. He looked like an honest, hardworking farmer, but he was nothing of the sort. His wife, Vanessa Morgan, was stunning. She looked barely past thirty, mature and seductive. She wore so little that one glance was enough to make my face burn. She also loved costumes. Every night, she and Richard would role-play without the slightest concern for the other people in the room. I was only twenty-two, with a healthy sex drive. How was I supposed to resist that? Just imagining Vanessa on the bed in one of those outfits was enough to torture me. Hannah wasn’t doing much better. Since we’d started living together, she’d discovered how much she enjoyed intimacy. Hearing Vanessa and Richard going at it left her restless, too. But we were both too shy to do anything with them right there. We could only hold back and sneak in some time together whenever they went out. Their energy seemed endless, though. They hadn’t taken a single night off all week. They also seemed determined to be as loud as possible, making our lives miserable. Then they got even bolder. Every day after work, they brought home strange-looking toys. Hannah had never lived in a big city before and had no idea what those things were for. She found out that night, when Vanessa started using them with Richard. Her face turned scarlet. And tonight, they were pushing things even further. On the other side of the curtain, Richard urged her on with a wicked grin. “Come on, honey. Put the restraints on. And the stockings. You’re the prisoner, and I’m the guard. Tonight, I’m going to give you a very thorough interrogation.” Richard slapped Vanessa’s full backside, and she let out a playful little cry. “Oh, you’re terrible,” she teased. “You come up with something new every night. You’re going to wear me out.” “There are people right next to us. Aren’t you embarrassed to say things like that?” “Don’t play innocent, honey. You like having an audience.” The curtain was thin. They were like silhouettes in a shadow play. Whatever they did, I could see it clearly. Vanessa stretched out one long leg and slowly rolled on a stocking. Then she slipped into a pair of elegant high heels. My heart pounded as I watched. Next came a collar and restraints around her wrists. Wearing nothing else, she knelt on the bed like a prisoner. Her curves and the way she held herself sent images racing through my head. Then their role-play began. Their silhouettes pressed together. The crack of a whip filled the room, followed by Vanessa’s cries and pleas for mercy. My mouth went dry, and heat spread through me. I couldn’t help pulling Hannah into my arms. Her skin was hot, her breathing quick. The longing in her eyes told me the scene had affected her just as much. Just as I was about to lose control, a long silicone object somehow landed on me. I picked it up and stared. It was one of Vanessa’s toys! “Sorry, Ethan. This is my first time using that model. I’m still getting used to it. Could you give it back?” The curtain slowly parted. Vanessa made no effort to cover herself as she appeared in front of me. Her lovely face was flushed, her eyes heavy-lidded. The torn stockings on her legs nearly made my heart skip a beat.She was another man’s wife, and Hannah was right beside me. I couldn’t let myself stare. I quickly lowered my gaze and held the toy out to her. Vanessa didn’t take it. Instead, she gave me a knowing smile and said in a helpless little voice, “Oh, my hands are tied. Since you’re being so helpful, could you put it back where it belongs?” Where it belonged? My eyes widened. I almost dropped the thing. I’d thought fooling around with other people in the room was as far as they would go. I never imagined she would take it this far. This crossed a line! Hannah was furious. She snatched the toy from my hand and threw it onto Vanessa’s bed. “Vanessa! Can’t your own husband help you? Asking my boyfriend to do something like that is way out of line!” Vanessa smiled. “Relax, sweetheart. I only asked him for a little help. It’s not like I’m going to eat him alive. Why are you so upset?” Hannah’s face burned. “You—you have no shame!” Vanessa didn’t argue. She just gave me an amused look, picked up the toy, and slowly returned it to where she’d wanted it. After letting out a satisfied sigh, she pulled the curtain shut. I sat there in a daze. What I’d just seen was seared into my mind. Every movement kept replaying, making my breathing quicken. “Ethan, find us another place tomorrow,” Hannah said angrily. “I want to move out right away!” “No one should have to live like this. I can’t take it anymore.” I hurried to comfort her. I was reaching my limit, too, but this was still the cheapest place we’d found. All I could do was ask her to hold on until payday, when we could think about moving. Fortunately, Hannah was understanding and agreed. I thought we could endure it a little longer. But the next day, they did something neither of us could tolerate. When we came home from work, Richard and Vanessa were already cuddling on their bed. I glanced over and saw jeans and a plain white T-shirt laid out in front of Vanessa. Richard had a T-shirt and a pair of casual pants in front of him, too. Relief washed over me. Ordinary clothes! Even the most tireless man had to run out of steam eventually. Maybe we would finally get a decent night’s sleep. Still, why did those outfits look so familiar? I couldn’t work it out, so I stopped thinking about it. After dinner, Hannah and I washed up and got ready for bed. But we’d barely lain down when the noises started again. This time, they were even louder! “Ethan, I can’t believe you thought of this. You’re incredible!” “Hannah, I’ve got something even better. Want to see?” “Yes!” I stared in disbelief. Why were they calling out our names while they were having sex? Then it hit me. No wonder their clothes had looked familiar. They were copies of the outfits Hannah and I wore! Knowing what this couple was like, I came to a disturbing conclusion. Their new role-play characters were us! Hannah realized it, too. Her face darkened, and she yanked the curtain open. Vanessa was wearing the same clothes as Hannah, with matching makeup. She looked coy and seductive, and she was still moaning my name. Every now and then, she glanced at me. When her sultry gaze met mine, it felt as though something had squeezed my heart. She was remarkably good with makeup. Right now, she looked like a thirty-year-old version of Hannah. The sight of her left my mouth dry. Hannah pointed at them with a trembling finger, her teeth clenched. “You… You’ve gone too far!” “We’ve put up with all your disgusting games, but now you’re pretending to be us? Don’t you have any shame?” Vanessa knelt on the bed and smiled at her. “Sweetheart, is there a law saying a married couple can’t role-play?” “If you want, you and your boyfriend can pretend to be us. We wouldn’t mind. We’ll even lend you our props.” “Keep going, Ethan Carter.” Richard chuckled. “Whatever you say, Hannah.” Their complete disregard for us sent Hannah over the edge. “You shameless creeps! You’re disgusting! We’re moving out tomorrow!”Hannah had made up her mind. We had to leave immediately. She couldn’t stand another second there. But finding a place wasn’t easy. After several days of searching, I still hadn’t found anything suitable. Every apartment was either too far from work or too expensive. Just as I was starting to despair, my phone rang. It was one of the rental agents whose numbers I’d saved. “Hello, Mr. Carter. I found a private room for five hundred a month. It’s reasonably close to your workplace, too. Would you like to take a look?” That was fantastic news. Five hundred dollars a month was unbelievably cheap. I agreed without hesitation. He had another appointment and couldn’t show me around, so he gave me the address and told me where to find the key. I could view it myself. But when I arrived, I was stunned. The apartment was gorgeous and fully equipped. Space cost a fortune in New York. If someone had told me the rent was twenty thousand a month, I would have believed it. I figured the agent had tricked me. But just as I turned to leave, the door closed. The person who shut it was Vanessa! She wore a fitted business outfit, projecting confidence and maturity. The black stockings on her legs made my pulse jump. She walked toward me with a seductive sway, her eyes fixed on mine. “What do you think, Ethan? Do you like it? You can stay here as long as you want. I won’t charge you rent.” She leaned so close she was almost pressed against me. Her warm breath brushed my skin, and my heart hammered. I was already at a loss. Her words made me even more confused. “What? This apartment… is yours?” Vanessa smiled. “Surprised? Wondering why I’d squeeze into that shabby shared apartment with my husband when I own a place like this?” I nodded. It made no sense. Vanessa sighed, a hint of sadness entering her eyes. “The truth is, my husband has a psychological problem. He needs other people nearby when we make love. Otherwise, he can’t get an erection.” “It’s gotten worse as he’s grown older. So he found another way to cope. He became obsessed with role-play. He especially likes pretending to be another couple while they’re right there watching!” “That’s the only way he can feel like a man again.” I listened, speechless. Was that really a psychological problem, or was he just a creep? No wonder their games were so outrageous. It was unbelievable. “You said I could keep living here. What exactly did you mean?” Vanessa’s eyes softened as she slipped her arms around my neck. “Well, lately I’ve discovered I have a little problem of my own. I like other women’s strong, healthy men.” Her eyes traveled over me hungrily. “If you agree, you can live here rent-free. And I’ll give you a hundred thousand dollars a month in spending money!” My heart lurched at the offer. My breathing sped up. A hundred thousand dollars! But then I pictured Hannah’s sweet smile. I shook my head hard and pulled away. “No. I have a fiancée. I can’t abandon her!” Vanessa smiled. “I’m not asking you to. You can stay with her. All you have to do is come over whenever I message you. If neither of us says anything, no one will know.” “And you can use the money for your wedding, can’t you? I want your body. You want my money. We both get what we need.” I had to admit, Vanessa knew how to negotiate. She’d gone straight for the thing I wanted most. Hadn’t I come to New York to make enough money to marry Hannah? Now I could make that dream come true with just a little effort. “Okay. I’ll do it.” Vanessa lit up. Desire filled her eyes as she eagerly took my hand and led me toward the bedroom. “Come on. Let me see how strong you are!” With her coming on to me like that, I couldn’t hold back. I scooped her up and rushed into the room. At the time, I had no idea that this one reckless decision would nearly destroy my life.