Wicked Good Fun

LUST

UNWRAPPING A HOTEL INTIMACY KIT
A luxury hotel is full of extravagances, some of them surprisingly racy. At Nine Zero, handy “intimacy kits” include Pjur Eros (a German lubricating gel), antiseptic towelettes, and “vibra-ribbed” lubricated latex condoms. These come standard in every room, so an awkward phone call to the concierge won’t disturb the heat of the moment.

The Langham Hotel’s “Ultimate Aphrodisiac Kit” is more oriented to creating the moment than consummating it. It contains champagne, bubble bath, chocolate, and strawberries (or the sexy foodstuff of your preference—strangely, burgers are among the most popular choices). Imagination really is the limit. Forget to pack the whipped cream and girlie mags? The Langham offers a 24-hour concierge service that will bring you and your playmate(s) whatever you require to complete a night’s diversions. (Nine Zero Hotel, 90 Tremont St., Boston, 617-772-5800, www.ninezero.com; Langham Hotel Boston, 250 Franklin St., Boston, 617-451-1900, www.langhamhotels.com)

SHOPPING FOR LINGERIE
From a man’s perspective, it’s a genuine pleasure to look at lingerie. But shopping for it can be unnerving. The suspicious stares, the blank looks of the sales assistants—it gets to the point where a sensuous fantasy in lace feels more like a mark of perversion. Women, it seems, don’t like strange gentlemen handling their panties.

That’s why unaccompanied males ought not risk it. So bring your significant other when visiting Newbury Street’s Lingerie Studio. The walls of this long, narrow shop are hung with frilly unmentionables, and there’s nowhere for even a discreet male presence to hide itself. An open floor plan, too, confronts the brave souls who risk entering La Perla without a feminine escort. It’s all a guy can do to avert his eyes from the tasteful yet scantily clad mannequins. Fortunately, both stores have sites on the Web, where most men may be more used to looking at naughty images anyway. (Lingerie Studio, 264 Newbury St., Boston, 617-437-0700, www.lingeriestudio.com; La Perla, 250 Boylston St., Boston, 617-423-5709, www.laperla.com)

LEARNING TO BELLY-DANCE
Long ago, Middle Eastern belly dancing was used in goddess-worship ceremonies; the sinuous movements, it was believed, helped prepare women’s bodies for childbirth. The skimpy outfits and public performances were a later bastardization, a dose of modern tawdriness. And a good thing, too, we say. Today’s belly dancers inflame their audiences with seductive patterns such as hip lifts, drops, and thrusts; delicate step-and-hop combinations; flowing arm movements; and the ever popular high-speed shimmy. The moves are designed around the natural actions of a woman’s body—which means even the most uncoordinated movers and shakers need only a few lessons before they’re ready to give a private performance. (Call to preregister for belly dancing lessons at the Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-547-9363, www.dancecomplex.org.)

OGLING WAITRESSES
If ever there was an honest name for a bar, it's the Rack. The Faneuil Hall pool hall/club/pickup joint employs the most attractive female waitstaff this side of a $20 cover charge. Wearing their sex appeal on their sculpted midriffs, they're friendlier than the colder beauties of, say, Mistral, and less tacky than the good ladies of Hooters. They've even got a live webcam pointed at the bar, so you can ogle without ever having to order a specialty martini. (The Rack, 24 Clinton St., Boston, 617-725-1051, www.therackboston.com)

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