It could be the folks next door, your old high school teacher or the neighbourhood store clerk.

In fact, it could be the person next to you right now on the C-train. Don’t look up — they might be reading this story.

Yes, that’s right — it could be anyone you know. It may even be you.

Fact is, ordinary Calgarians are enjoying some extraordinary sex, and it’s happening all over the city – but it’s where it’s happening that may surprise you.

Many might not know it, but there is a sexual subculture in Calgary, and people are getting down and dirty in a variety of creative ways behind closed doors. There are four member-only adult clubs in the city catering to sexually adventurous and “open-minded” individuals and couples.

I venture down to one of the clubs, to see if Calgarians really are getting into the “swing” of things. To outsiders, it’s likely known as a swingers club, but to the people inside the doors, it’s better known as a place where “open-minded/like-minded” people enjoy one another’s company in an “alternative lifestyles” setting.

This one I chose is one of the more upscale clubs. On a regular night, it hosts up to 40 people and boasts hundreds of on-and-off regulars.

Some may find the notion of “sharing their partner” impossible or downright disgusting, but as Dan Savage of Savage Love sex advice fame summarized in his March 1, 2007 column: “GGG stands for ‘good, giving and game,’ which is what we should all strive to be for our sex partners. Think ‘good in bed,’ ‘giving equal time and equal pleasure,’ and ‘game for anything—within reason.’”

And while I know people who open up their bedrooms to spice up their lives, I wanted to explore this extracurricular activity a little further.

The club owner said it was OK that I visit the club. Once I told a few friends, they surprised me by inviting themselves along. Perhaps I have ignited their sexual flame and sparked an inner curiosity. But I’ve decided to go solo. And maybe, just maybe, I buy a sexy garter belt and stockings for the special occasion. I’ll never tell.

FANTASIES AND FETISH

The club owner warned me that Friday nights, a fetish night for the kinky, are usually quieter than the more social Saturday nights.

When I think of the words fetish and kink, I conjure up images of leather, bondage, whips and chains. It’s probably an understatement then, to tell you the thoughts running through my head on the way to the club were vividly dirty.

It’s hard not to let my imagination run wild as my car stereo blares Rihanna’s latest song, “S&M,” with lyrics like: Cause I may be bad, but I’m perfectly good at it/ Sex in the air, I don’t care, I love the smell of it / Sticks and stones may break my bones / But chains and whips excite me.

Pulling up to the club, it resembles a simple business centre — save the red lights at the door. Instantly, I liken this feature to Amsterdam’s infamous Red Light District and find myself wondering what else would be similar to the popular Netherlands destination.

After some gentle self-coaxing, I parade up to the doors and saunter in with eyes wide open.

At first glance, the club is small but it’s very classy and modern — and it is very clean, which is a relief. I’m a bit of a germ freak and I’ve seen some scuzzy, dirty bars.

The walls are dressed with attractive art and there is a kitchen area with snacks, pop and water, which is free with the membership costs of getting in the club. Couples and threesomes are intimately grinding one another on the dark dance floor. In the corner, a black cage is empty.

I thought I’d be in the midst of a leather-and-bondage crowd. I thought I’d hear whippings and lashings. I thought I’d see things I’ve never seen before.

What I did not expect, though, was three typical dressed people talking at a table. Of course, I’m thinking that they are likely wondering if I am in the right place, but they seem in their own little world.

I go upstairs, known as the designated “play area,” to find some action, but, again to my surprise, there isn’t any.

The parenting maxim “nothing good happens after midnight” is engraved in my mind, so I glance at my phone and discover it’s only 11 p.m. Will it get busier? But after striking up a conversation with a couple of regulars, I discover this is probably it for tonight.

Next, I run into Jade, a self-described “domme” — a dominatrix who is dominant during BDSM (or bondage discipline, sadism and masochism).

Jade, who I figure is in her 40s, tells me she is involved in a relationship with a man who is also very dominant, then she has switched roles to become submissive, something she describes as “very challenging.”

“It’s the same as it would be in the vanilla world,” she says. “You could meet 10, 20 or 30 men over your lifetime, but then you meet the one that makes you want to take on a different role.”

Jade says she still wants to take charge in the bedroom and experiences inner conflict over the decision.

“As a domme, I had some standing and respect in the kink community. Although I have lost none of my dominance, people now see me as a submissive and look at me differently,” she explains. “At the end of the day, though, my feelings for my partner will be the thing that overcomes everyone’s perception of me.”

Jade’s close friends know of her penchant for bossing men around, but with the roles now reversed, she keeps her secret from the corporate world — even if she dons a subtle collar signalling she has a master. Only people in the culture recognize it.

“It would be frowned upon should I be more open about my lifestyle. A lot of the kink world is hidden. People do keep both lives separate. Everyone knows someone, so a lot of the corporate world kinksters do not play publicly.”

She calls her partner “master” and happily wears a leash, particularly in kink surroundings, but only in places she deems safe.

While the corporate and vanilla worlds may not openly accept the underworld of fetishes, Jade believes it’s at least more acceptable than polyamorous lifestyles.

So far, the sexiest scene I’ve witnessed is a woman leading a man on a leash. But there’s still Saturday, and if what Jade says is true about polyamorous lifestyles, then I’ll be in for a treat.

PRIVATE SESSIONS

The club owner told me Saturday nights are the cat’s meow, so to speak, so I anticipate arriving later to ensure the after-midnight cliché comes true.

As the owner explains it, people come to meet like-minded people. Sometimes they hook up, sometimes they don’t, but without expectations, there’s always something for everyone on Saturday nights.

Feeling like a seasoned regular by now, a woman happily greets me by name at the door, and I walk into a much different atmosphere. As the thumping bass greets me, this feels like an entirely different club tonight: People are dancing and chatting, and within 10 minutes, several introduce themselves and their partners.

The wall is adorned with a big screen projector playing adult movies. It’s nothing I haven’t seen in a Sunday night drag queen show.

After mingling for a while, I head upstairs, where there are several rooms with comfy leather couches, a swing, and of course, two beds, with another one in a private area. There are about a dozen people up here, most coupled. Over the loud music, I hear sounds of couples enjoying time with each other — moaning and naughty laughter. Preventing me from seeing exactly what is going on in the room are curtains over the doorway, which indicates it’s a private session.

I am approached by a couple who sit on a couch beside me, and although I don’t realize it at this point, I later believe they were likely trying to pick me up. The club owner earlier told me that couples usually figure out within five minutes if they are going to get anywhere, so this couple leaves after just two minutes. I’m more of a voyeur, anyway.

My night gets better. I run into Kevin (not his real name) who isn’t hard on the eyes. He says he’s happily married with two children. He and his wife, who is apparently here as well, enjoy meeting other open-minded, adventurous couples. Swingers as they might be, he says they are “no different than other couples.”

“We enjoy the company of the people here, and it’s a place where you feel comfortable and safe in living out some of your fantasies,” he says. “I think everyone may know someone in the lifestyle. They just don’t know it.”

FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS

He’s right. Surprisingly, I run into an old acquaintance — a guy who worked the door of a bar I once frequented. And on the wall I see a photo of a shirtless friend wearing a black leather collar. I wonder how many people I actually know who are in this “lifestyle.”

This is a hidden world, perhaps, but lest we forget, this is conservative Calgary. I admit my preconceived notions, and while it’s not an innocent birthday party in your parent’s basement, don’t reach the extreme depths of my dirty mind.

Yes, there are adult clubs in Calgary. But we should all remember the words of former prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau: to stay out of the bedrooms of Canadians. These bedrooms included.

These open-minded people are just like everyone else: They are educated, attractive and kind people. In fact, the people at this club were friendlier than some of the people you meet at the neighbourhood pub.

My weekend of voyeurism was an experience, but there wasn’t a whole lot I haven’t seen before, at parties and bars. I did break a cardinal rule by going there with expectations, but that is the thing: You never know what to expect or who you’ll meet. Before venturing in, I had some dirty, dirty visions in my mind. But voyeurism doesn’t seem as deviant as it sounds. Perhaps one day I’ll go back. And perhaps I’ll get comfortable enough to become part of the community.