Under the Mask: A Multi-Genre Collection

by Monica Corwin

  I slid carefully onto the high back barstool, trying not to show too much leg as I did so. I didn't want to draw attention to myself. My fingers felt constricted in my white gloves. Grabbing the upper edge just below my elbow, I pulled off one glove and then the other, laying them gently across my lap, then reached up to adjust my mask, ensuring it covered my face as intended. The single green feather on the left side annoyed me, but I didn’t dare remove it. It accented my deep auburn hair and matched my dress perfectly. I could endure it awhile longer.

  As I looked down, the vivid colors of my phoenix tattoo were visible to anyone looking in my direction. I hastily slid the gloves up my arms and scanned the sea of color to determine if anyone had been watching. No one was looking or staring in my direction, so I assumed my body art had gone unnoticed. I let out another slow deep breath. It would be difficult to hide my identity with such a large, unique tattoo.

  With a deep sigh, I lifted the champagne flute to my lips, leaving a crimson print from my lipstick on the rim. Closing my eyes, I listened to the music. The sound of a saxophone resonated throughout the large room, as it seemed to bounce off the walls and dance around the ceiling.

  I know he’s here. I opened my eyes and pushed the hair off my shoulders. He’s here, and it’s finally going to happen. I took another sip from my glass attempting to calm my nerves. The bubbly liquid played with my senses, beginning with my vision, which was just blurry enough to notice. Where is he? I wonder which one of these men is actually Luke.

  As I crossed my legs and turned slightly on the chair, a very attractive man bumped into me, nearly spilling my drink.

  “Excuse me,” he said. He was handsome. His black hair was long enough to touch his shoulders, curling just slighting at the ends and flowing as he moved. He had a beautiful smile, and his dark brown eyes were perfectly visible through his mask. While he was attractive, I knew he wasn’t the man I was waiting for. I knew that Luke had blue eyes. However, as I had already seen two people with red eyes, three with yellow, and a woman with pink, I couldn’t be too sure.

  “Luke?” I asked with a tone of anticipation.

  “No, sorry,” he said. He gave me an intense look and scanned me from head to toe. “My name is Jack, but I can be Luke if you’d like me to be.”

  I chuckled nervously, almost embarrassed at my mistake. “That’s sweet, but no. Thank you. I’m waiting for someone.”

  “Whoever Luke is, he’s one very lucky man. And if the guy you’re waiting for doesn’t show, please, let me know. I’d gladly fill in for him and be your Luke.”

  I laughed at his flirtatious words. A feeling of warmth rising from my chest to my cheeks told me I was blushing and I turned away shyly. “Thank you,” I said, trying to keep some type of composure. “But I’m sure he’s here.”

  Jack lightly ran his fingers down my arm. His feathered touch on my skin made me shiver. He walked away slowly, keeping his eyes on me as he serpentined his way through the crowd.

  Wow. Well, at least I have a backup plan now. I laughed at myself and put my hands over my face. Too much champagne. I had better get some food.

  I motioned to a waiter carrying a tray of hors d’oeuvres and he began to make his way in my direction.

  “Could you please bring me a sparkling water?” I asked. The waiter held out the tray for me to make my selection. He nodded and left an extra napkin on the table. As I enjoyed the shrimp crostini, I replayed the interaction with Jack, and felt my confidence begin to rise. Moving to the music, I began to look around the room again. The waiter returned, placed a glass of water on the table, and moved on.

  “Thank you,” I said, not knowing if he heard me.

  Suddenly, I met the gaze of a man dressed in a gray tuxedo wearing a black mask that seemed to blend seamlessly into his dark black hair. The gray feathers on either side flowed backward as if the breeze belonged to him alone. My eyes became fixated, and as I watched, he stood from his table and began to make his way towards me.

  Is that him? Oh, god please let that be him. I casually picked up my glass, doing my best to use my newfound confidence to look seductive. I averted my eyes and put my attention elsewhere as he approached the table.

  “Excuse me,” he said.

  I pretended not to hear him, picked up a napkin, and wiped the corners of my mouth.

  “Excuse me.” He repeated his words, leaning in closer.

  I slowly turned my head and gave him my full attention, trying to hide my nervousness, and my excitement. He was tall–slightly over six feet. His tuxedo, which was too well fitted to be a rental, showed off his toned body, allowing me to see the flexing of his muscles under the fine grey material. His bright blue eyes contrasted the dark hue of his mask, immediately drawing me in.

  Wow. He is so hot. I didn’t think he would be this hot.

  “Yes,” I said. I took another sip from my glass, hoping to give the illusion of calm and confidence.

  “Jade, is that you?” Luke smiled and I could feel my heart begin to race. It felt as if every note of the music was stealing a bit of my breath.

  “Yes, I’m Jade.” Attempting to place my glass on the table, my shaking hands became glaringly obvious. Luke reached out and placing his hand on mine, helped me to steady me. As he moved in closer, I could smell his cologne. It was a sweet, woodsy smell. Something about it was familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. My breath returned to me all at once in a gasp.

  “I thought so. How are you?”

  “I’m fine,” I responded. My voice was barely above a whisper. I held out my hand to greet him properly. Luke took my hand and, similar to something out of an old movie, he kissed the back of it and bowed slightly.

  “It’s wonderful to finally meet you.”

  I stared at him. I couldn’t help myself. There was something about him that wouldn’t let me look away, something that kept me mesmerized.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry,” he said. Luke reached up, lightly touched his mask, and ran his fingers up the length of the feathers on one side. “You probably don’t recognize me with this mask.”

  “I know who you are,” I interrupted.

  “You do?”

  “Of course I do.” I offered him a charming smile.

  “And, if I may ask, how do you know? You can’t even see me. I could be anyone.”

  “But you’re not,” I said, chuckling. “You’re not just anyone. Are you?” I turned slightly on the chair, slowly, seductively, crossing my legs.

  “I could be. I could the man who bags your groceries, a guy from your gym, or even someone from your office.”

  “But you’re not.”

  “Okay then,” Luke crossed his arms over his chest, causing his biceps to bulge and stress the material of his suit. I couldn’t help but notice. “Who am I?”

  “You’re Luke.” I was very confident in my answer. I knew it was Luke. I knew the man standing in front of me was the one I had been talking to online for almost a year. And yes, while we decided not to share pictures right away, he told me what he looked like. My friends told me I was crazy for continuing the whole thing. They told me more than once that I would end up in the bottom of a well putting lotion on my skin just like the girl in the Silence of the Lambs movie. I’ve always been a romantic and believed in people. However foolish, I believed in Luke.

  I stared at him, silent, waiting for some type of reaction. The light in Luke’s eyes drew me in, as if it were the only light in a galaxy of darkness.

  “I am.” Luke’s tone was light and playful with just a hint of smile.

  Trying not to laugh, I covered my mouth with my fingertips. Luke offered a playful wink, giving me the reassurance I needed. Reaching out, I gently touched Luke’s arm. “I’m glad to finally meet you in person,” I said. “I’m sorry I made you wait so long. You do understand, don’t you?”

  Luke placed his hand on top of mine. I held my breath for a moment when I felt the warmth from his skin as it radiating through my glove. Luke l
eaned in close, his lips brushing against my hair, and whispered into my ear. “I have a feeling you are well worth the wait.”

  The moist heat of his breath on my skin caused the hairs to dance across the back of my neck. My nipples slowly hardened under the silky material of my dress. I attempted to look casual as I reached for my handbag and held it against my chest, hoping Luke hadn’t noticed my reaction. From his raised eyebrows and his smile, I knew he had. I attempted to distract him with conversation about the music, the drinks, and the decorations. Luke chuckled. He knew what I was doing, but answered all my questions anyway.

  As I felt my body return to a normal state, I placed my purse on the table and began to fidget with my glass. Luke stood quietly and stared at me with a touch of admiration in his eyes. He looked at each part of me—my eyes, my hair, my dress, and my gloves. He watched as I played with my champagne. He smiled as I swirled the gold bubbles around the bottom of the glass.

  “Jade,” Luke lightly took my hand in his and moved in close. “Jade, I need to tell you something, but I’m worried about what you’re going to say.” He brushed the back of my arm with his fingers and kissed my hand again.

  “What is it?” I asked. My mind began to wander, going to the worst-case scenarios. He’s married. He’s an escaped felon. He is in witness protection, or one of many other horrors that my imagination could conjure at that moment. “Okay. You had better tell me before I start thinking that you’re with the Taliban or something.”

  Luke laughed and motioned to my champagne glass. “May I?” he asked. I nodded. He took a drink and then sat in the chair next to me, leaning in close. I found it hard to concentrate on what he was saying. His smell was intoxicating.

  “You already know me,” he said.

  “I know,” I replied, slightly confused. “We met online.”

  “No, that’s not what I mean.” Luke leaned his head back. “Dammit. I don’t want to fuck this up.”

  “Then just tell me.” I could tell he was getting frustrated, and I was getting scared.

  “You knew me even before we started talking online."

  I felt uneasy and slowly pulled my hand away. “I don’t understand.”

  “We’ve worked together in the same office building for a long time, Jade.

  “Excuse me?” Maybe that is why the scent of his cologne is so familiar. Luke slipped his mask aside, giving me a peek at his features. My chest began to tighten, as if all of the air in my lungs had been forced out by his words. I couldn’t focus. "Lucas Vega? From accounting?" Thoughts of days at the office ran through my mind–what I wore, how I acted, and who I talked to. I held onto the edge of my chair and took a deep breath trying to calm myself. I didn’t know whether to feel betrayed or flattered.

  Maybe I should have listened to my friends.

  "But outside of work I just go by Luke. Please, Jade. Just hear me out.” Luke moved closer to me and gently grabbed my hand. His skin was soft and warm. I looked into his eyes and where I thought I would see a cold empty man, the man I knew from work who was more in love with the bottom line and dollar signs, I saw warmth and honestly. “Let me explain and then, if you wish, I’ll never contact you outside of work again. You have my word.

  “You have five minutes,” I said. With my free hand, I picked up my sparkling water and took a sip. “Or until I finish this drink-whichever comes first.” I knew who Lucas Vega was–every woman at work knew who he was. He was the most handsome man at the office: fit, handsome, every woman wanted him. I never thought would ask me out, so I never gave him a second thought. Now, here I am, with him wanting me. I liked it.

  Luke tilted his head and gave me a slow smile. He had a beautiful smile and the dimple on his left cheek gave him boyish charm. “Okay,” he said. “Fair enough.”

  I took another sip and couldn’t take my gaze off Luke’s mouth. I wanted to kiss him.

  “I have loved you for a long time, Jade.” I nearly choked on my drink at his words. Luke handed me a napkin as I placed my glass back on the table.

  “What? How can you, you can’t, I don’t understand.”

  “I’ve watched you for years. I’ve seen your kindness, your caring nature, your willingness to do for others and to put them first...”

  As Luke continued to speak, breathing became difficult. No one had ever said such sweet words to me before. I couldn’t look into his eyes for fear of how deep I would fall. He lied to me. I was struggling with how to feel about the whole situation.

  “People like you are rare. You’re a strong sexy woman. Not only are you beautiful on the outside, you’re beautiful on the inside where it counts the most.”

  “Why haven’t you –” Words began to fail me and my voice stammered as I attempted to respond.

  “Why haven’t I ever asked you out?” Luke finished my thought. “I wanted to. Several times. But, you were dating Alan. Then, you swore off men for a year. I was going to ask you to come to this ball with me two years ago, but I guess that’s when Rebecca set you up with Greg, so I missed my chance.”

  But he lied to me about who he was. He knows all about me. He knows all the details. He really knows me. So he lied to me in order to be with me?

  “Greg and I aren’t together anymore.” I straightened my gloves and looked down at my dress.

  “I know. You told me months ago. Remember? I wouldn't have overstepped and asked you to meet me here tonight if you were involved with someone else.”

  I came to the realization this man I believed was out of my league actually wanted me. I shook my head and scoffed. “Yeah. I remember.”

  “I’m still that same guy,” Luke said. He slowly moved closer to me. He stroked my shoulder with his fingertips. Chills formed down my back and I closed my eyes, welcoming his touch. “I’m still Luke. I’m still your Luke. But now that you know who I really am, maybe you'll understand you can trust me.”

  I couldn’t resist any longer. I opened my eyes and again looked at his lips. They were so inviting. I could tell he wanted to kiss me. Being a gentleman, he wouldn’t. So I gave in and kissed him first.

  His lips were soft, warm and he tasted of cherries from the champagne. My mask began to get in the way, preventing me from getting close enough to kiss him deeply. I wanted to take him in, drink him in. But I was afraid of giving in too much, too soon. I pushed him back and slapped his cheek–not hard, just enough for him to feel a slight sting from my glove. The look on his face was a delightful mixture of shock and pleasure.

  “Don’t lie to me again,” I said. “Ever.”

  “I won’t,” he replied. He smiled and lightly kissed me on the cheek. “I promise.”

  I handed Luke the champagne and picked up the sparkling water. The crystal pinged as we gently tapped them together and drank to his promise. He winked. “How about we dance to this song, and then find a quiet table somewhere?”

  Remaining silent, I held onto the table and began to step down from the barstool. Luke held out his hand to assist. I watched as Luke slowly and softly licked his lips. Maybe he was thinking about how I tasted. Something inside me began to stir, something I had not felt in a long time. Stumbling a little, I fell into his arms, causing my mask nearly to fall off. As Luke helped me get my footing, he gently straightened my mask.

  “Perfect,” he said. He positioned the mask over my eyes and slowly smoothed the feather to lay flawlessly. He brushed the back of his fingertips against my skin to push my long auburn hair off my shoulders, allowing it to curtain down my back.

  I looked up at him. A part of me began to doubt my senses. I felt as if I was dreaming, or perhaps simply had too much champagne. I placed my hand in his and followed behind him to the dance floor, glancing down as I did so. He had a great ass, and his fitted suit showed it off nicely.

  On the dance floor, couples were arm in arm, moving in time with the music. He swung me around slowly, never releasing his grip. He put his arm around me, and his hand fit perfectly in the arch of my back. Wearing
one-inch heels, I was tall enough that I didn’t have to strain myself to look up at him. As we swayed, his fingers caressed my bare back softly. I was forced to gasp for air several times, as his touch caused me unconsciously to hold my breath.

  “Are you okay?” He asked.

  “Yes,” I said. I responded quickly to avoid any suspicion. “I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure? You seem uneasy.”

  “Not uneasy.” I touched my forehead to his shoulder, trying not to stab him with my feather.

  He lifted my chin with the finger. “Then what?”

  “Nervous, maybe.”

  “Why? What do you have to be nervous about?”

  “You. You are so much more than what I imagined when we talked online. You are so–”

  Luke paused and gently rubbed his thumb across my bottom lip. “What?”

  “Beautiful,” I said softly.

  Luke kissed her cheek. “Not nearly as beautiful as you.”

  “I know this sounds cliché, but I feel like I’ve known you for a long time. We’ve shared some pretty personal stuff during the time we’ve been talking.”

  “Jade," Luke said, “We have known each other for a long time.”

  I laughed, embarrassed by my last words. “I’m sorry.”

  “Why don’t you try not to think about it and just dance with me?” Luke placed my hand on his shoulder. I can feel his muscles as they rippled under his suit coat. He spun me around the dance floor several times, showing off dance moves that were obviously learned from a professional. He dipped me backwards slowly, seductively, until my hair swept the floor. Gently pulling me back to a standing position, our eyes meet. I took a deep breath and pursed my lips as I slowly exhaled.

  “Still worried?” Luke asked.

  I didn’t speak, just shook my head slightly side-to-side and kept my gaze locked with his.

  “Good.” He held me tight and we moved our bodies as one in time with music. I felt as if I was floating. I never wanted the song to end. When the last note played, it floated in the air like a butterfly, until it finally found its way to freedom.