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“Once a month, our club has a special theme night. Tonight happens to be the masquerade ball. It was mentioned on the invitations. You must have missed it when you received it.”
“Yes. We sure did.”
“I’m afraid without a mask, you can’t get in. That’s also one of the rules mentioned.” She curves her lips in a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes and coldness emits from her. “You need to read them more carefully next time around.”
“I guess we should,” Luna says, disappointment dripping from her in spades. Judging by Samantha’s stance, she won’t let us in and already suspects something is wrong with the invitation.
My best friend was really excited about this too, and I’m not sure what’s going on with her guardian, but it must be huge if she succumbed to this kind of trickery to raise his hackles.
The guy tracks her every move, so I’m positive he’ll show up to get her any minute now.
Well, then.
Rolling my shoulders back, I decide to finally snap out of my stupor that lasted way too long and claim back the person I’ve always been.
Someone brave and not nursing a broken heart because her brother’s best friend rejected her.
Unrequited love is not a good enough reason to become a boring doormat.
“Samantha, let me reintroduce myself to you.” Luna freezes next to me while Sam just blinks. “My name is Jimena Cortez. And as you probably guessed by my last name, Santiago is my brother.” More intense blinking. “He told me about the masquerade ball, but he just said to wear a costume.” I tap on my head. “We have wigs. We had no idea we needed masks.”
Luna groans, clearly thinking I’ve lost my mind to come clean like this while Sam finally mutters, “I see.”
“But I’m sure you have some masks lying around just in case someone forgets.” Knowing the dark four, they’d have that option available so their guests can pay even more money to get inside. I won’t be surprised to discover the masks cost an extra million or something. “Can we have those?”
“I don’t think—”
Before she can protest some more, I take out my phone from my pocket, scrolling through the pictures and showing one of them to her. “This is tonight during my parents’ anniversary party.” Her eyes widen. “So I’m not lying.” I drum on the counter, hating to use my position to get what I want, but hey! Live wild and all that, plus what I’m about to do won’t get her in trouble anyway.
The dark four never blame their employees unless one of them has ill intentions or betrays them.
“Santiago didn’t mention anything about you.”
“You can check if my name is on your banned list. Otherwise, why would he mention my name?” I muster up all the confusion I can master, and I have to give her credit. She indeed starts typing and checking my name, it seems. “Nothing?”
“No. Your name is not on it.”
Of course it’s not. My brother would have never put my name on such a list.
She sighs heavily and shakes her head. “I hope you’re not going to get me into trouble, Jimena. Your brother is not the forgiving type.” She reaches under the counter, grabs something, and places two black masks in front of us. “Wear those, and I’ll walk you inside.”
“Don’t worry. No matter what happens, my brother won’t say a word to you.”
For the first time, I see softness in her gaze that she quickly loses. “Either way, it promises to be entertaining.”
Since she goes around the counter despite heavy footsteps following us, announcing new guests' arrival, we pick up the masks and put them on. A shiver rushes down my spine at the touch of silk gliding over my skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake.
Even the simple masks make you think about sinful thoughts. I can hardly wait to look inside. For all my bitching earlier, the rumors drove my curious nature crazy over the years, so I allow for the excitement to wash through me, and Luna jumps up in joy. “This is going to be epic.”
“Yeah. Let’s enjoy our five minutes of freedom to the max.” She laughs at my sarcasm, but she shouldn’t because, knowing my brother, he’ll find out about us soon.
We follow Sam as she navigates through the hallway and pushes at the doors. My eyes widen the minute we enter. I drink in the environment around us, and my jaw drops open at the couples on the dance floor practically dry humping each other as they kiss passionately.
Although my initial shock is replaced with an even bigger one when I spot threesomes and foursomes in the different corners, masked strangers engaging in the most carnal things, and my cheeks heat just from looking at them.
What is it like to just be so open and free with your mind and body, to focus only on the pleasure and not think about who might see them?
The feeling must be glorious, and the curious part within me is jealous because I know I won’t ever reach this level of…acceptance? When it comes to myself.
