The Arrangement

by Cassie Verano

  Poking her lips out, she said, “Lingerie? Bath and Body? Sex toys?”

  “Damn, is that what you think I’ve spent the last decade learning about? No, I’ve sat beside some top CEOs at the helm of some multi-billion-dollar businesses.”

  “Who’s saying that those products can’t become multi-billion-dollar businesses? I mean, we’re talking about sex toys and things that make women feel sensual. There will always be a need for that, as long as there’s a need for sex. You’ve just got to change how you think about it. Besides, think of a certain store that involves Secrets and BBW.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t think that’s it for me.”

  “Oooh! I’ve got it. Your mom’s in the fashion industry with her magazine; maybe you can follow in her footsteps. Or do something similar, like high-end couture lingerie or sex toys,” she said.

  “Couture sex toys?” I replied, laughing.

  Shrugging, she said, “Hey, just a thought. But at least you’d be free to do your own thing and marry whom you want if you wanted to at all.”

  What she suggested didn’t sound bad at all. I loved fashion, and I was always wearing the latest designs. Whenever my mom and sister visited New York for fashion shows, I’d accompany them.

  Senait surprised me when she’d shared that the clothing she and her friends wore were her designs. She’d convinced me to wear a few of them, and I had to say, baby sis had game.

  But if designing was her niche, and fashion magazines were mom’s, I had no idea where I fell in that spectrum. All I’d ever known was Sheffield Tech. I’d cut teeth on that company and grew up at my father’s feet learning the ins and outs of the business.

  My family expected that I would be the one to be his successor as his firstborn child. Especially since he’d never had a son, and we all knew there was no way that Senait would follow in his footsteps. She was too carefree to give anything to the company that benefited her to ensure its success in the future. If she did anything business-related, it would surely be fashion and not software and technology.

  But for me, it’s what I was created to do. It was in my future, the moment my mother said they’d conceived. Anything outside of that for me was inconceivable.

  Shaking those thoughts off, I smiled at Chanda and said, “Let’s play, girl!”

  Chanda smirked and winked at me from underneath her mask. I’d accepted Lake’s invitation to Prestige’s annual masquerade ball, unbeknownst to my parents.

  They both shunned the club and everything that they knew about it, condemning it as a bed of sin. My father had forbidden my sister, Senait, and I from ever stepping foot in the club's doorway.

  Famed for its exclusivity and ability to cater to the rich, every wealthy family in North Carolina had a membership. Except for mine.

  Whatever sexual proclivity, fantasy fetish, or any other habit a person desired, one could find it at Prestige for the right price.

  I’d been here before as a guest, astounded by the lavish surroundings, the barely clad women and men, the gambling, nightclubs, and exclusive restaurants.

  I’d only heard rumors about the floors that catered to sexual fantasies. Tonight, I hoped to see and experience it for myself.

  A thrill of tingle ran through me as I anticipated what lay in wait for me. I was thankful that the mask I’d donned covered my identity and knew that it would allow me to engage in whatever I chose tonight.

  “Girl, what if you meet a man tonight, and it turns out to be Russell?” Chanda said.

  Scoffing, I rolled my eyes and said, “I seriously doubt that I will run into Russell. I mean, he loves having sex with lots of women, but he wouldn’t dare step foot in this club. He’s too worried about what his dad will say. Everything he does is to please his father.”

  “Well, with that wandering dick of his, does his dad cheat on his mom?”

  “Girl, I have no idea. I just know that he and I don’t share sexual chemistry. So, I have no idea how we’re supposed to have kids one day,” I said with a shudder.

  As we made our way around the corner of the room, I checked out the guests that weren’t on the floor. Those who were at photo booths or the tarot card table.

  “Oooh, look!” Chanda cried out, pointing up.

  I trained my attention on the aerialists overhead as I watched to see what would come next. Within seconds, the woman was spiraling down silk scarves from the ceiling. Midway down, she swung upside down with her left leg stretched parallel to the ground. The male aerialist slid partway down and ended in an upside-down split.

  The crowd cheered them on as I jerked my attention away from them to continue to peruse the crowd. I stopped to speak with a few people trying to detect the tone of their voices, but I didn’t recognize any of them.

  “May I have this dance?” a man asked in a low voice, approaching me from the side.

  Glancing at Chanda, she smiled at me, gave a brief nod, and then walked away.

  Not once had she given me a chance to decline the man’s offer. I knew what she was up to. Chanda would make sure that I wouldn’t chicken out and that I would stick to my promise to let loose tonight.

  “Sure,” I said, offering him my hand as he led me onto the floor.

  We danced to a classical song, and I used that time to assess his height and bearing. It wasn’t Lake.

  My mind wouldn’t let go of the kiss we’d shared. I’d been so surprised that all of my feelings had come rushing back to full strength as though they’d never left. And with the kiss and those memories came other memories.

  The feeling of his arms around me, his kisses on my neck, his hands on my breasts, my legs wrapped around his back, and how he felt inside of me. I wanted...needed to feel that one last time before I pledged my life to another man.

  After I’d finished dancing with the first man, I danced with two others, confident that they weren’t Lake either.

  “I’m starving. Are you ready to get something to eat?” Chanda asked when we met up again.

  “Not really, but I’ll sit with you,” I said, walking with her as we headed to the tables.

  Dinner was being served, but the food was the last thing that was on my mind.

  “So?” Chanda asked after we’d been served.

  There were five other people seated at our table, three men and two women.

  “So, what?” I asked, toying with the salad that I’d ordered, despite my lack of hunger.

  “Did you find your Prince Charming in any of the men you danced with?”

  “Of course not. I wouldn’t be sitting here with you at this table,” I replied drolly.

  Chanda laughed. “Either that, or you found him with another girl already. I’ve told you—”

  “I know what you told me about Lake and...that’s fine. I mean, I’m marrying another man, anyway. It’s not like I’m expecting the man to get down on his knee and ask for my hand in marriage. Even if he wanted that, we know that could never happen.”

  “Right, because you’re determined to marry Sheffield Tech, which includes marrying a man that you don’t even love and who’s possibly an asshole.”

  “Shhh!” I grumbled harshly, glancing around the table to ensure no one else had overheard her remarks.

  Chanda waved a hand.

  “No one cares about that tonight. Everyone’s here to get their freak on, and they could not care less who you are or aren’t marrying. Besides, I told you that everything that happens at these things stays here. If someone overheard you, they’d never repeat it beyond these walls. And frankly, they wouldn’t give a damn,” Chanda explained.

  I rubbed my hand across the back of my neck. “Yeah, but still,” I said, looking around.

  After we’d finished our meal, I danced with two more men before I was ready to give up and go home. My plans had failed. I wasn’t even certain if Lake had shown up tonight. So far, my efforts to seek him out had been unsuccessful.

  I’d just spotted Chanda on the floor with some man when someone else
approached me asking for a dance. I accepted the dance, and we made small talk while he tried unsuccessfully to woo me.

  Just as I’d finished what I considered my last dance of the evening, someone else was approaching me with a smile. I hated to have to turn him down, but I was over the evening already.

  But it was the voice that I heard behind me that had my attention. Spinning around, I stared up into those sparkling emerald eyes and questioned how I’d ever wondered if those other men were Lake.

  I was very familiar with his eyes, but for a while tonight, I’d forgotten about them. Forgotten how they lit up whenever they landed on me or grew darker when desire filled him. Forgotten how they could communicate his feelings to me with no words.

  “May I have this dance, Liltee,” the voice repeated.

  CHAPTER 8 – LAKE

  NEW GUESTS POURED THROUGH the doors, and I diligently made my way in that direction, keeping my eyes trained on them.

  Convinced that none of them could be her, I was just about to turn away when a woman moved slightly out of my line of sight. I stared, wondering if it were a trick of the light or if that had been her. Moving to the left just a little, I glimpsed her again.

  A woman in a silk and lace champagne, gold, and purple gown, which opened in the front over a large silk petticoat, glided across the floor.

  Could that be her, I wondered.

  I drew closer to her, stalking the shadows so she wouldn’t see me immediately.

  She fingered the diamond choker at her throat, drawing my eyes in. The woman swallowed nervously as her chest rose and fell, pulling my gaze down to her cleavage, pouring from her square neckline.

  Slowly her head turned as she scanned the occupants of the room. A black silk gloved hand rested at the choker on her neck before she slowly made her way into the interior of the club.

  I needed to get just a little closer to see her eyes peering through the champagne, gold, and purple mask. A few tendrils of curly hair fell loose from the elaborate matching headdress that she wore.

  A couple of guests looked her way, but she continued to move through the crowd. I wasn’t too far behind when someone stopped her and asked for a dance. Tilting her head sideways as they spoke, I could only guess she was trying to detect if she recognized the voice or not.

  Finally, she granted someone’s request for a dance, and they took to the floor.

  There was no doubt in my mind that it was her. I moved to the side of the dance floor, patiently waiting for her to finish the waltz she performed to the accompaniment of the orchestra I’d hired for the night.

  I waited through two more dances as she danced with a different guest to each song, moving to where the orchestra sat before the last song ended.

  Giving a brief nod to the conductor, I signaled that I needed to speak with him.

  “Randall, you guys can take a break now,” I said to the conductor after the third song ended.

  “Thank you, Mr. Chambers,” he said with a smile.

  With a wave of my hand, I signaled to the DJ to begin his set before I returned to the floor to find her gone. We were halfway through the first song before I spotted her again.

  She had just finished the third dance and moved towards a corner when another man approached her wearing a confident smile. I eased up on her from behind, my voice quiet and confident.

  “May I have this dance, Liltee?”

  She spun around and tilted her head to the side.

  I repeated myself, “May I have this dance, Liltee?”

  With a warm smile, she nodded. Satisfaction flowed through me as I noticed the other man’s shoulders drop in disappointment. I took her hands in mine and led her onto the floor.

  “I didn’t think you were going to make it tonight.”

  “I wouldn’t miss this for all the money in the world. I ensured I added your name to the guest list. Why would I miss this?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, a pleased smile on her lips before she glanced away.

  “You look very lovely tonight,” I whispered in her ear.

  “In these large skirts?” she asked as she turned back to me with a smile.

  “Of course. I’d forgotten how stunning you are when you’re in formal dress, but I could never have imagined how exquisite you’d look in eighteenth-century French attire.”

  Laughing, she shook her head and narrowed her eyes at me.

  “Or were you imagining how I might look in eighteenth-century French lingerie?” she teased.

  My gaze grew serious as it rested on her lips and then back to her eyes. “Or more like without it.”

  Xiomara’s breathing grew intense as her body became a rigid line.

  “Relax,” I encouraged, pulling her closer to me.

  I smiled crookedly at her before she pushed back against me. Resisting her efforts, I pulled her back into my embrace again, her body pressed flush against mine as a light moan escaped her throat.

  “Don’t run, Liltee,” I whispered in her ear. “This party is all for you. Isn’t this what you wanted?”

  Those beautiful brown eyes found mine once again, holding a question in her gaze.

  “What do you mean all for me?”

  “Once a year, Prestige puts on this masquerade ball. It’s all about allowing those who wouldn’t otherwise indulge in their wildest fantasies to do just that. With no excuses to the outside world and nothing to escape beyond the safe barriers created here. Kind of like...Vegas. What happens here tonight stays here. The owners of the club host the ball, but since one of those owners is my best friend, he permitted me to host this year’s party. But with that decision came a pretty hefty price. I wanted complete control of the guest list. I want to remove the barriers between you and me, Z, in the outside world. For one night, I want you to forget about everything else and just give in to your fantasies. Trust me with every part of you tonight,” I said, trailing a finger over her bare shoulder before I ran it back up and lifted her chin.

  Xiomara’s eyes fluttered closed, and her lips parted as a gasp escaped them.

  I pressed a kiss to the base of her throat before I spoke again.

  “There’s exclusivity and confidentiality. You can pretend to be whoever you’d like to be tonight.”

  I watched as her eyes flew open again, and she stared at me in wonder.

  “Do you want me to be someone else?”

  “Liltee, I’ve only ever wanted you. Even when I didn’t understand what that meant, nor the sacrifices required to be with you. I wanted you. Even when it scared me to want you so bad. I only wanted you.”

  “Then why did you push me away?”

  “I never meant to. You were this special, amazing girl. Someone whom I respected and admired so much, and I never felt quite good enough for you.”

  “Really?“

  "I swear that’s the truth. You were everything good and pure. Everything that I wanted and nothing of what I was or where I came from. Your beauty, how you viewed the world, and stood for what you believed in. And then to learn that you were a virgin and had chosen me to give it to. I mean, we were friends and had shared a lot, but we never talked about that. I kind of wondered, but when you opened yourself to me, I thought maybe I was wrong. When I learned that I was right, I freaked out about what you were asking of me. I mishandled the opportunity. You shut me out, and then...you left.

  “Lake, I don’t want to be back in this same space with you again that we were before. Me trusting you with my body and you...walking away as if none of it meant anything.”

  “I’m not promising forever; I won’t lie. I don’t know what will happen, but I’m not trying to walk away from you either. Not soon, as long as you’ll keep me around. I’d love to take the time to establish something between us and get close to you again. But, I also know how committed you are to your...arrangement,” I said.

  “How can I trust that anything that happens here will not get back to my family?”

  “I promise to protect y
ou. I’ve never lied to you about anything. Have I?”

  “No,” fell from her lips so easily and softly that I briefly wondered if I’d imagined it.

  We finished the rest of the dance in silence before we started another one. I had planned and timed everything about tonight, including the last song we danced to before our night of dancing, would end.

  When D’Angelo’s Untitled played, excited eyes turned my way before she melted in my arms. This song had been a favorite of hers since our youth.

  “You remembered,” she whispered.

  “I could forget nothing about you,” I said, drawing my hand down her back and pressing her into me.

  I could feel Xiomara’s breathing change. Dropping my head, I pressed a kiss against the side of her neck, forcing a whimper from her throat.

  “You’re not playing fair,” she muttered.

  “You stacked the odds against me, Liltee. I have to bring out the big guns,” I said, pulling her against my hardness, eliciting a moan from her lips.

  Slowly I peeled her glove off her hand, tucking it into one of my pockets. My hand caressed her fingers before I brought them to my lips, kissing them one at a time.

  Flicking my tongue out to lick the pads of each fingertip on my second pass, I watched as she swallowed her response, her eyes growing dark and misty. When I reached her index finger, I slid it into my mouth, sucking at it. Xiomara’s eyes shuttered closed for just a moment.

  Turning her hand over, I pressed a kiss to her palm. Lowering my head, I pressed my forehead against hers and allowed my lips to hover above hers with barely an inch of space separating us.

  Xiomara’s head tilted, seeking my kiss. Just as our lips brushed against one another’s, I switched gears.

  “You have two options.”

  There was a slight intake of breath before her eyelashes fluttered several times, her breath softly caressing my face like a butterfly’s wings.

  “You can walk away from me at the end of this song and never look back. Living with the regret that you never took a chance on me or this night.”

  “Or?”

  “Or...” I smirked glad that she wanted to know more. “You can experience this one night of pleasure that will make you change the way you’ve ever felt about anything before.”