by Vivian Wood
But don't you think you've earned the right to enjoy a few months off after all these years of hitting the books? a voice whispered at the back of her mind.
Shrugging off the idea, Meredith glanced at Lily, who was back in front of the mirror again, styling her hair. She seemed to be deciding between wearing it in a high ponytail or leaving it down. Either way, she would still look hot.
“Anyway, this is the last party we'll be attending together for the next couple of months. Let's make the most out of it. I didn't call in every favor I had to get us on the VIP list for this party just to be all doom and gloom tonight,” Lily said, breaking the awkward silence.
A mischievous smile appeared on Lily's face as she turned to face her. Meredith was more than aware of where the conversation was headed, and she was dreading it.
“Who knows? Tonight might be the night you finally lose your V-card, Mer,” Lily squealed in excitement.
“Hey! Don't say that,” Meredith protested quietly, bowing her head as she felt her cheeks grow hot. Yep, she was already twenty-three but still a virgin. And she was proud of it.
“Oh, come on,” Lily groaned, stomping her foot like a kid about to throw a temper tantrum.
“I'm not a prude, and you know that, Lily! I'm just... saving it for someone special,” she said defensively, staring at the floor.
Meredith may have been born and raised in the city, but she'd always believed giving up her virginity was something to be taken seriously. She wanted it to be with someone who would make her feel breathless – someone extraordinary.Just like in the movies, she wanted it to be magical.
Lily snorted. “I know. I've seen all those romance books you read.” She shook her head, but then her expression softened.
“You've got some catching up to do, but your first time is going to be special. And tonight? Tonight is definitely special.”
Feeling amused at the 180-degree turn of their conversation, Meredith raised her head and smiled at her best friend. Lily was right. Tonight was going to be special. It was the first party they'd be attending after graduating from college, and they were ready to make the most of it.
“Whatever,” she murmured, trying to downplay the excitement that had started to engulf her. Deep down, she couldn't deny she was hoping things would turn out to be magical.
But she had a feeling this night was going to end up bad.
Chapter Two
Meredith took a deep breath before exiting the limo, following Lily's lead. They'd arrived at a luxurious mansion in the middle of the city. She was used to the party scene, but for some reason she was feeling more anxious than excited. She'd had ample time to think during the ride over, and she couldn't stop imagining any number of worst-case scenarios.
Relax. It's not like anything bad's going to happen, she quietly reassured herself, then did a series of breathing exercises to calm her nerves.
“Relax,” Lily muttered as if reading her mind, then slipped a silver silk mask adorned with crystals into place. She gave Meredith a light nudge, urging her to put on her mask, too.
“Do we really have to?” she asked, suddenly feeling unsure and reluctant.
Masks weren't exactly the first accessories she'd have picked out. But part of her found the idea appealing. Concealing their identities meant they could dance and drink with abandon, hiding behind the guise of anonymity.
“Yep. I told you, some very famous people are here. No one's allowed in without a mask, and that's pretty much the only rule for tonight.”
She rolled her eyes, but Meredith obliged and followed suit. The mask covered more than half of her face. She startled slightly when she saw a masked usher approaching them, but then she realized the mask rule applied to the staff as well. They're really taking this whole anonymity angle seriously, she thought.
“Good evening, ladies. Your names, please?” said the usher after taking a small, polite bow. He stood expectantly, holding a clipboard to his chest.
“Lily. Lily Waldorf,” her best friend said taking the lead, gripping her wrist to emphasize they were together. “And Meredith Fields.”
After a few moments of scanning the names on his clipboard, the man nodded and smiled at them. Despite his mask, Meredith could tell he was attractive, making her feel less anxious and decidedly more excited about what the night had in store for them.
It’s going to be an interesting night, she thought with a smile on her lips.
“This way please,” the man spoke in a louder voice as they stepped into the mansion.
Booming music reverberated throughout the halls, and the air smelled like booze. Looking around, Meredith saw people getting into cozy booths lined up like tiny turtles. As she stole a glance at a couple on her right, she caught a glimpse of both a tiny couch and bed within the plush enclosure.
The center of the large ballroom was packed with sweaty bodies gyrating to the heavy thumping bass of the music. She blushed when she realized most of the women were wearing much less than her and Lily. Some were even wearing what appeared to be nothing more than strategically placed strips of leather and latex, and she tried desperately not to stare.
Be happy you’re in a dress.
A masked waiter passed them by, and Meredith was more than happy to quickly down a shot of tequila. A little liquid courage couldn't hurt, right? She turned to ask Lily if she wanted a shot, but her friend was nowhere to be found. Looking around, she slowly realized Lily was already dancing with a masked stranger, looking for all the world like she was having the time of her life.
Damn Lily.
“Hey!” Lily called out, waving at her as if she'd only just now remembered they'd come to the party together.
Meredith pointed at herself with a wry grin before shaking her head. Dancing while sober was something she had never done in her entire life. She wasn't up for a dance – not yet. Maybe after a few more shots she'd be ready.
She staked out a seat at the bar, content to sit and just observe her surroundings for the moment. Her eyes never left Lily's figure as she gulped down shot after shot of vodka.
Damn, girl. You know how to drink, she thought, praising herself.
When the alcohol finally hit her, Meredith was more than ready to party. She rose from her seat and grinned when a tall blond guy made eye contact with her and took her hand in his, pulling her toward the dance floor.
“I’m Luke,” the blond guy introduced himself, resting both of his hands on her waist before they moved to her back, caressing her skin.
“Meredith,” she said, moving closer to him and dancing seductively, pressing her body to his.“It’s nice to meet you, Meredith,” he whispered huskily.
Meredith moaned when she felt his hand slip under the hem of her dress. She knew he was crossing the line when he touched her bare ass, but she loved what he was doing. The shots had made her bold.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” she murmured as she rubbed against him.
Pulling Luke even closer, she caressed his hard chest, enjoying the feel of his strong muscles underneath her hands. She felt like she was close to shedding her inhibitions, but in a good kind of way.
Just when she was about to suggest moving to a booth to continue their fun in private, Luke was pulled away by another stranger. A woman wearing a red leather corset, black satin thong and black fishnets shoved him down onto the nearest chair before straddling him and giving him the bitchiest lap dance she had ever seen, glaring at Meredith when their eyes met. Luke, on the other hand, looked more than happy to be in his current position.
I should have known he was taken, she thought glumly as she marched back to her seat from earlier at the bar.
Her eyes roamed over the crowd as she searched for Lily, but she couldn't find her. Her best friend was probably already having the time of her life. At least one of us is, she thought.
Just then, Meredith realized that over half of the females in attendance were wearing nothing but lingerie.
“Unbelievable
, right?” the female bartender said after noticing Meredith's obvious staring. She poured her another shot of vodka without prompting. Like everyone else, she was wearing a mask.
“Are they hired performers? Or are they guests?” Meredith asked, genuinely curious.
“Everyone here except for the staff and security are guests,” the bartender answered with a knowing smile. Meredith could tell the woman knew exactly what she was thinking.
“So these women are basically taking advantage of the masquerade to hook up,” she said haltingly, since she'd just pieced everything together. She remembered the furnishings she'd noticed earlier in the booth, and blushed.
“You bet.”
She tipped her shot back, wincing as the vodka burned her throat on the way down, warming her chest. She looked back at the writhing throng of people on the dance floor. These women were from prominent, wealthy families, just like her.
Her gaze came to rest on Luke, who was now making out with the woman from earlier. She grimaced when she saw the woman openly caressing the evident bulge in Luke's slacks.
Fuckers.
“I did not bring you here to watch couples making out,” said a familiar voice at her side. She swiveled around to find Lily, looking like she'd just come down from heaven.
Maybe she really had.
“Where were you?” Meredith asked, looking closely at her best friend's face.
“Somewhere over there – having a little taste of heaven.” Lily had a sly smirk on her face.
Rolling her eyes, Meredith examined Lily carefully. If she was already trashed, it was going to be a real buzzkill. Lily glared at her.
“Mer, will you just relax and enjoy yourself already? What's so wrong about kissing a few guys and having some fun? Besides, you're wearing a mask. You could finally have sex without anyone even knowing who you are,” Lily said matter-of-factly.
“I was enjoying myself. But someone stole my guy from me,” she retorted, crossing her arms across her chest as she remembered how easily Luke had been whisked away.
“So steal him back. Whoever she was, I know she's got nothing on you. Be confident. And follow me,” Lily said with a wink. She downed a shot of tequila before taking Meredith by the wrist.
Meredith found herself being dragged into the crowd once more, dancing with Lily like there was no tomorrow. Her best friend was right. There was nothing to worry about. All she needed to do was let loose.
Tonight, she could be the most carefree version of herself.
Chapter Three
Elijah and Jack stretched as they exited Henry's car, parked several yards away from the mansion. As per usual, they were attempting to keep a low profile in order to avoid the prying eyes of the media. This was their first night out in ages.
Having worked nonstop for months now gearing up for his presidential campaign, Elijah Scott finally had a couple of hours to spare to catch up with his friends. And by catching up, he meant partying and letting loose like the bachelor he was. He didn't intend to waste a single second.
It’s going to be a wild night, he thought.
“Hey, don't forget your masks,” Henry called out from the driver's seat while checking his reflection in the rearview mirror.
Right, the only real rule about tonight's party was that everyone had to wear a mask. And truthfully it was the only reason he was even able to attend.
Tonight, he was free to party without being judged.
And he could be as bad as he wanted.
“I never thought I'd be asked to hide my good looks under some ridiculous mask in order to attend a party,” Jack joked sarcastically, a smirk spreading across his handsome features.
“Fuck off, Jack,” Henry said amicably, with no real heat in his voice. “Guess you'll just have to rely on your winning personality for a change,” he quipped as Jack chuckled.
Ever flirtatious and charming, women loved his friends. But Eli also knew the idea of hiding who they were was more than a little foreign to them. Shrugging at the hilarity of the situation, Elijah put on his mask.
He didn’t have a choice, did he?
Concealing his true identity was the only way he'd be able to attend a party like this one. His opponents would stop at nothing to discredit him, and if the media knew about this, he'd never be elected. But he couldn't help wanting to enjoy just one night with his friends. It had been so long.
Walking toward the glamorous mansion, Elijah couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been at a wild party – the days had all started to blend together once he'd decided to run for office.
“Hey, are you still going out with Jessica?” he heard Henry ask Jack as they got closer to the entrance.“You'll have to be more specific,” Jack replied smugly.
“Just how many Jessicas are you dating?” Elijah asked, shaking his head and giving Jack a playful grin.
“No, Jessica Garner,” Henry stated in between frustrated groans. He was obviously interested in her, which was unusual. The women Jack tended to date weren't often Henry's type.
This Jessica must be different, Eli thought.
He laughed as his friends exchanged a confused glance. God, how much he envied them for being able to date around so freely.
So why don't you date someone then? It's not like dating is prohibited for politicians, said a voice in his head.
Dating and marrying had always been part of his plans. But as the only single presidential candidate, he was subjected to intense scrutiny of his personal life, something his opponents didn't have to worry about. And jeopardizing his high approval ratings was something he couldn't do. He needed to remain single, and he needed to be discreet.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” greeted a masked usher standing at the entrance of the lavish mansion. They nodded as Henry stepped forward.
“Austin,” Henry said quietly, then inclined his head toward Elijah and Jack. “And Dallas and Houston.” Elijah half expected the usher to smirk at the obvious fake names Henry had given him, but he just smiled politely and nodded as he scanned through the list on his clipboard. Elijah couldn't leave any kind of paper trail behind tonight, and he'd been counting on Henry to make the proper arrangements. Henry, ever reliable, had come through no problem.
The usher quickly led them to a grand ballroom that looked to already be at capacity. Studying the crowd for a moment, Elijah released a deep breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
This was exactly what he'd expected.
This is just what I need, he thought.
Even though it had been awhile, he was no stranger to the party scene. But this was something else entirely. The crowd was filled with people who formed the upper echelon of society. Which made it all the more scandalous that all the women in attendance seemed to have forgotten to get dressed for the occasion, save their sexiest lingerie.
Though he wasn't hard yet, he had no doubt he would be soon. And he was free to hook up with no strings attached, and no one being the wiser about who he really was.
“Looks like we've got our pick tonight, eh boys?” Jack said with a wink as they hit the bar.
“Cheers,” he said, toasting his friends before they knocked back their shots. He signaled to the female bartender for another round before directing his attention back to his friends.
“You sure you remember how to do this?” Henry asked suddenly. Elijah blinked, momentarily startled, then glared as Henry and Jack began to laugh. Before he could come up with a snappy retort, Henry piped up.
“You've been working your ass off ever since we graduated. Hell, even way before that. As long as we've known you, you've always been a workaholic,” he said. Jack snorted.
“What Henry's trying to say is that we're worried your dick doesn't work anymore,” he crudely added.
“What the – Are you being serious right now?” Elijah exclaimed incredulously. Sure, maybe he hadn't gone out with them in ages, but it wasn't because he hadn't wanted to.
&nb
sp; It's just that fun was a luxury for someone like him.
“Dude, relax. Drink up and enjoy yourself. Once you win the election, you're never going to be able to do this kind of thing again,” Jack said, chuckling as he handed him another shot of vodka.
They hit the dance floor, moving in time with the music until they found a slightly less crowded area.
Looking around, Eli saw Jack dancing with a redhead only a couple of feet away. She wore a glittering silver dress which was conservative compared to what most of the other women were wearing, but would still be considered risqué anywhere else.
He always appreciated a good tease.
Jack was clearly doing just fine, mask or not. Elijah looked for Henry next. He found him quickly getting intimately acquainted with a woman wearing a sheer ivory teddy with. Yep, the masks hadn't adversely affected their ability to pick up women one bit. He grinned.
This place was crazy. And he loved it!
It wasn't long before he found himself going with the flow, dancing with a group of women who looked like they were celebrating a bachelorette party. One woman even kissed him, but he soon found himself eyeing a petite blonde across the room. He noted she was wearing the same dress as the redhead from earlier, but in a shade of blue that looked beautiful on her.
He excused himself from the bachelorette party, smiling apologetically when the women pouted. He couldn't keep his eyes off the hot and sexy blonde. Instantly he was hard. He headed toward her, and as he passed Jack and the redhead, she grabbed him by the wrist and pulled them both toward the mystery blonde. He ended up in one of the private booths alone with her before he knew it.
He looked around for his friends, a tiny part of him feeling like he'd been set up. But they were nowhere to be seen.
They're probably enjoying their own private shows, he thought as the blonde slammed him down into a chair and started dancing sexily in front of him.
