by Amy Cross
"He's scared," she says. "He knows of my reputation, and he's worried he wouldn't be able to satisfy me. He prefers to skulk over there, manipulating his own -" She pauses for a moment as the man finishes; a small spurt of semen squirts from his penis and lands on his leg, and he looks rather embarrassed as he immediately starts cleaning himself up. "Well," she says, taking me by the arm and leading me away, "that wasn't really worth the effort, was it?"
"Why am I here?" I ask as we continue our way across the room, passing assorted masked revelers as they touch, fondle and fuck one another. It's a scene straight out of Ancient Rome.
"Why are any of us here?" she replies, sounding tired. "It's one of the eternal questions. Does God exist? Does my sweetheart love me? What shall I wear to the ball? Such dull old worries".
"You know what I mean," I continue. "You've had plenty of opportunities to kill me, but instead you seem to want me alive. I'd have thought you want revenge. After all, I took care of Mr. D'Oyly".
"Vincent D'Oyly was never going to last long," she says. "He was acceptable for a while, but I could tell almost immediately that he was never going to be a proficient or memorable Mr. Blue. No, I'm afraid I was just marking time while I waited for a more reliable and more promising Mr. Blue to present himself".
"And have you found such a gentleman?" I ask, shuddering at the thought of this macabre game rumbling on and on.
She turns to me. "I think so," she says, running a finger down my chest. "Mr. D'Oyly, the eighteenth Mr. Blue, was a violent and sadistic man. His predecessor, Mr. Lockhart, was romantic and weak. Before that, there was the regrettable Mr. Adams, who insisted on falling in love with every girl who came his way. Why, it has been fully ten years since the role of Mr. Blue was filled by a decent player. I'm looking for an intelligent man. A man of vigor, who thinks with his head instead of his crotch".
I stare at her, starting to realize her plan. It seems almost inconceivable, yet I am quite certain that in her insanity, she imagines I could possibly take Mr. D'Oyly's part in this macabre fantasy world.
"Judging by your silence," she continues, "I suspect that you know what I want from you, Mr. Pope".
"Perhaps," I reply. "Then again, it is difficult to know whether you could be so completely out of your mind".
"Are you turning down the role?" she asks as we continue across the room. "Hypothetically speaking, of course. It has not been offered to you. Not yet, at least. Before we get to that stage, we must discuss the details. Come and sit with me for a moment". Taking my hand, she leads me to a nearby sofa. A man and a woman are making love on the seat, but they instantly get out of the way when they see us approach. It would seem that Lady Red commands a great deal of respect, or perhaps fear, among these revelers.
"Why would I even consider joining your febrile little game?" I ask once we're on the sofa.
"Your reticence is understandable," she says, "but allow me to explain. It is fully twenty-five years since I took on the role of Lady Red. Back then, I was a young woman in my early twenties. I was mature for my age, but I had rough edges. Traditionally, Lady Red has been an older woman, but my predecessor wanted to try something a little different. At first, her experiment seemed doomed to failure, but I have now grown to become a rather adept player. In fact, I might venture to say that I am not only one of the longest-serving players in the history of the game, but also one of the most successful. The game has changed me, Mr. Pope, and I sincerely hope that you will allow it to change you as well. I think you are in need of such fortune".
"And if I rebuff your offer?" I say. "Will I be allowed to just walk out of here?"
"Of course," she replies, before suddenly leaning over, shifting her mask out of the way a little, and taking my penis in her mouth. For a moment, I do nothing but sit and enjoy the feeling of her warm, wet lips slipping down to the base while her tongue wraps around the shaft; eventually, however, I come to my sense and pull away.
"No?" she asks, looking up at me.
"No," I reply.
"You're a very interesting gentleman, Mr. Pope. If you've heard of my reputation as an orator, you must surely have heard that there are certain other things I can do with my mouth. Several members of the aristocracy have lauded me as quite the best -"
"I don't care," I say firmly.
"You don't find me attractive?"
"I don't find this game attractive".
She stares at me. "I hope you'll allow me to change your mind".
"There's no point trying," I tell her. "I'm not the kind of man who'll let himself be led by the cock down some dark alley, only to end up with his throat slit".
"Excellent," she says. "Once again, you show me that you are quite perfect for this role".
"It'll never happen. I would rather die than become involved in your game". I wait for her to reply, but she seems content to just stare at me. "I've learned enough about your game to know I don't want anything to do with it," I continue. "Bodies dumped in the river. Young women going missing. Corruption at the highest level".
"And you're a crusader, are you?" she asks. "I know how you work, Mr. Pope. It's all about the money. The only reason you became interested in the game is that you were hired to investigate the disappearance of Elizabeth Cavendish. By the time you realized what you'd got yourself into, it was too late to back out, and now you're just fighting for your life. Don't try to tell me that you have any kind of moral core, Mr. Pope, because you don't. You're hollow inside".
"I believe in certain things," I reply.
She shakes her head. "No, you don't. Only money and your own skin. Nothing else. I'm quite certain I could lure you into the role of Mr. Blue with a nice stipend. How about it? One hundred pounds, every year, in exchange for your services?"
I open my mouth to reply to her, but at the last moment I find myself considering the offer. By the time I've realized how foolish I'd be to accept, it's too late and I've already let her see that she can get to me. "I'm not taking your money," I reply, my voice wavering a little.
"You won't let me pay you to fuck the finest young women of London?" she asks, leaning back on the sofa and opening her legs to reveal the slit of her vagina. "There are so many men who would kill for such a job". She reaches down and starts gently touching her clitoris. "Perhaps I under-estimated you, Mr. Pope. Perhaps you have some kind of moral compass after all".
"Do what you want," I say. "I want no part of this".
"That's a shame," she replies, continuing to play with herself.
Determined to end this conversation, I turn and walk quickly away, pushing through the sea of naked bodies until suddenly I find myself confronted by a blonde woman who has clearly taken an interest in me. Her face is covered by a red mask, but I can see from her naked body that she is clearly in her twenties. She steps toward me and puts her arms around my waist, pressing her naked body against mine as our masks touch.
"Won't you join me?" she asks as I feel the tip of my penis brush against the hair of her crotch.
"I'm afraid I'm on my way out," I say.
"But I want you," she whispers.
I pause for a moment. It's rare indeed for a woman to be so forward and open about what she desires. As I'm trying to work out what to say, she takes my hand and pulls me over to a nearby sofa. I reach out to move her mask aside, so that I might see her face, but she pushes my hand away.
"No peeking," she says as we sit down. "If you're leaving, what harm is there in one moment together first?"
"I -" I start to say, but the woman reclines on the sofa and runs her hands over her small, firm breasts. Perhaps a stronger man would be able to resist such a vision, but I am unable to hold back. Parting her legs and climbing onto her, I slip myself inside her and we begin to fuck. She makes pleasing sounds as she runs her hands over my bare back, and I have no trouble reaching the point of orgasm. With little effort, I am able to unload myself deep inside her body.
"How sweet," she says.
"Sweet?"
I stare at her. "How many other men have had their pleasure with you tonight?"
"I forget," she replies. "Ten, perhaps. Or a little more".
I slip myself out of her and get to my feet, but when I turn to walk away I find that Lady Red has come over to watch.
"Well," she says, "you're certainly a rampant gentleman".
I turn to leave, but I immediately see a familiar figure standing over by the steps. Although he is wearing a mask, I have no doubt that the large, older gentleman is none other than Mr. White, or Harrison Blake as he is known in polite society. There is something rather menacing about the way he seems to be staring at me, and I am in no doubt that any attempt to leave would be met with fatal consequences.
"Perhaps you will permit me to persuade you to stay?" Lady Red asks.
"It seems I have no choice," I reply, turning to her.
"You're a strong man, Mr. Pope," she continues, "and you have a good mind. Fortunately, like all men, you are rather easily seduced". She waits for a moment, as my recent partner gets off the sofa and slips away into the crowd. "If you had been able to leave this room without enjoying any of its pleasures, I should be minded to let you go. But you have been lured into brief sexual relations with two women already, which makes me think that you are far from immune to such things". She pauses for a moment. "I shall be very honest with you, Mr. Pope. I want you to be the new Mr. Blue. I believe you are the perfect candidate, and I am willing to open up the mysteries of the game in order to capture you".
I take a deep breath, realizing that perhaps it is hopeless to fight. She is clearly determined to lure me into the game, and my best option might be to play along, at least for now. This way, I can learn more about the game's history and workings, and destroy it from the inside.
"I know what you're thinking," she says. "You're thinking that you couldn't possibly become part of the game. But you're wrong. Trust me, Mr. Pope. I have experience when it comes to taking a man and changing him. All your moral and ethical concerns will fall away when you're exposed to the beating heart of this world".
"You seem very confident," I reply.
"I am," she says, taking my hand. "Come with me, and I guarantee that within an hour, the game will have your unending, undying loyalty. It must seem so alien to you right now, but you'll understand soon enough".
"For that to happen," I say firmly, "I would almost have to be an entirely different man. I would have to take leave of my senses".
Without saying anything, she leads me back through the crowd, past naked, copulating couples, until finally I see that we are headed for a large door at the far end of the room. After a moment, I realize there is someone walking behind us, and I turn to see that Mr. White has joined us, along with the young woman with whom I briefly had sexual relations a few minutes ago. As Lady Red opens the door, I realize I might have over-estimated my readiness for what is about to happen. One thing is certain, though: I shall not become one of them.
Two
Today
"There's no need to be shy," Mark says as we stand at the bottom of the stairs. "As far as everyone else is concerned, we're just two more people at the party".
All around us, there are hundreds of naked people; some of them are drinking, while others are talking and some are even touching and fondling one another. Over by one of the windows, I see a woman riding an older man. Their faces hidden by masks, these people seem to be reveling in their anonymity, doing things that they would never ordinarily consider. It's like some kind of scene from Ancient Rome, and it's almost impossible to believe that it could be happening here, today, in the center of London.
"You can move your arms down," Mark continues.
I look down and see that I'm still trying to cover my nakedness. I have one arm across my chest to hide my breasts, and a hand cupped over my crotch.
"Elly," Mark says, "it's quite alright. Can't you see that everyone here is fine with nudity? You'll draw more attention to yourself by covering up".
I look down at his penis, seeing it hang loosely between his legs. The thought of moving my hands and exposing my body in public like this is too much to bear. I want to turn and run back up the stairs, and get out of here, but there's something that's making me stay. I guess I don't want Mark to think I'm scared; after my talk earlier this evening about being willing to try new things, I'd look pretty dumb if I backed out now.
"Just slowly," Mark says, gently taking one of my arms and moving it aside to expose my breasts. "There. Is that so bad?"
I spot a nearby masked man glancing over at me, but I manage to fight the urge to cover myself up again. Slowly, after taking a deep breath, I move my other hand away from my crotch. The man continues to look at me for a moment, before turning away and talking to a naked woman.
"How do you feel?" Mark asks.
"Weird," I say. The truth is, I feel more than weird. I feel like I'm on display. My chest feels tight and I've got a cold sweat, but Mark takes my hand and slowly leans me through the crowd. Although I'm wearing a mask, just like everyone else in the room, I feel as if somehow the others will all recognize that I'm not supposed to be here. Wherever I look, I see nakedness everywhere, as well as people performing various sex acts. Eventually, as Mark pauses next to a waiter and selects a couple of drinks for us, I glance over and see a woman giving a man a vigorous hand-job as they sit on a sofa.
"Here," Mark says, handing me a champagne flute. "All the drinks here are non-alcoholic. As you can imagine, no-one wants drunk people in a place like this".
"Huh," I say, holding the glass against my chest. Although I feel insanely exposed and uncomfortable, I'm a little surprised to realize that I'm also aroused. I keep thinking about all the other people who can see me naked; the only person I want to be with is Mark, but it's still kind of crazy to think that other people are looking at me and seeing my e very bare inch.
"Don't worry," Mark says, clinking his glass against mine, "you're with me, so no-one will bother you. Otherwise, you'd have men and women propositioning you all the time".
"So they know who you are?" I ask, kind of freaked out by the fact that we're having a seemingly normal conversation while standing naked and masked in the middle of a party.
"Let's just say that they're aware of certain unspoken rules," he replies, and I'm quite certain he's smiling under his mask. "They don't know about the game, of course, but they know better than to make a move on you, although..." He pauses for a moment. "Incoming. Just follow my lead".
Before I can ask what he means, I realize a man has come over to stand next to me. I turn to him and find that he's looking directly down at my breasts.
"She's off-limits," Mark says.
"Shame," the man, who seems to be quite old, replies. "I don't suppose I could -"
"She's mine," Mark says firmly.
Without trying to argue the point further, the man turns and walks away. My first instinct is to call Mark up on the fact that he just claimed I'm his, like I'm some kind of object that belongs to him, but at the same time I feel strangely pleased by the way he made the other man go away. If we were anywhere else in the world, I'd probably be annoyed, but right here and right now, I feel like I need someone to keep the leches from running their grubby hands all over my body.
"Thanks," I mutter, feeling as if I've just betrayed my own feminist beliefs.
"Come this way," Mark says, taking my hand and leading me through the crowd. "There's someone I want you to meet".
As I follow him, I try to avoid letting my body brush against anyone else, but slipping through the crowded room presents a number of challenges. At one point, trying to squeeze between a couple of people, I accidentally let my crotch brush against a woman's buttock. She turns to look at me, but she doesn't seem particularly interested, and I whisper a garbled "Sorry" before continuing on my way. Eventually, Mark and I reach one of the far corners of the room, where to my shock I see a woman reclining on a sofa while another woman gently goes down on he
r. While everyone else in this entire room is stark naked, the red-masked woman has a kind of strap around her torso, covering her breasts.
"Best not to interrupt," Mark says.
"Clearly," I reply, watching as the woman in the red mask arches her back and presses her crotch against her companion's face. For a couple of minutes, I watch as the scene becomes more and more urgent, and finally the woman in the red mask lets out a grunt as she reaches orgasm. As soon as this has been achieved, her companion gets up from the sofa, wipes her mouth, slips her mask back fully over her face, and disappears into the crowd.
"I trust you're having fun?" Mark says, leading me closer to the sofa.
"I have no idea who that girl was," the woman replies, "but she's not very good. I had to fake the whole thing".
"Lady Red," Mark continues, "I'd like you to meet Elly".
"Elly," Lady Red says, standing up and shaking my hand. She looks to be a little older than me, perhaps in her thirties or even forties; I can't help glancing at the strap that covers her chest. Like everyone else here, her face is hidden behind her mask, but I can see her eyes peering out at me. "So nice to finally be introduced to you".
"Hi," I say, feeling embarrassed by the fact that I just saw her being eaten out.
"I trust this is your first time," Lady Red continues, putting an around my shoulder. I bristle a little as I feel her left breast brush against my body, but I remind myself to just act like nothing strange is happening. "I'm sure I would have remembered if you'd been here before".
"It's definitely my first time," I say.
"You're looking very well," she says. "Last time we met, you seemed rather pale".
"Last time?" I pull away, turning to stare at her.
"Of course," she replies, before slipping her mask aside for a moment. To my shock, I see that it's Alice, the woman I had lunch with one day, and who turned up at the hotel earlier tonight. "I suppose I should have explained my interest in you sooner, but I rather wanted to get to know you a little before things became too serious. I'm sure you understand".
