Chapter 6
A MASQUERADE PARTY ON A SCHOOL NIGHT
Lexi
“Stop fidgeting, you look gorgeous.” Cordelia grinned at me from beneath the colorful mask she wore, one half painted in white and the other a brilliant red.
Half angel, half devil, and pure sin. Her costume was completely over the top with a fluffy feathered wing shooting out from one shoulder blade and a crimson pointy tail pinned to her ass.
The tight bodysuit, like the mask, was split in half, showcasing her naughty and nice sides, not to mention every curve of the girl’s body.
I, on the other hand, had selected a short, deep crimson lace dress and a simple black lace butterfly mask encrusted in rhinestones from my roommate’s treasure trove of goodies. And I still felt uncomfortable as all hell as we strode up the walkway to the Sigma Delta house.
Maybe it was because the stilettos I’d also borrowed from Cordelia ensured the short dress rode up so high on my thighs that if I bent over, the entire frat would see my matching lace thong. At her compliment, I stopped tugging at the indecent hem and focused on the looming house ahead instead.
House was an understatement, though. The Sigma Delta frat was a freaking sprawling mansion with creepy gothic details and towering spires. I was just waiting for Dracula to descend from the roof and sink his fangs into my neck.
An unexpected chill raced up my spine at the idea of it.
Cordelia strutted up the steps, her dark bob swinging in perfect rhythm, and I quickened my pace to catch up.
She was the one with the magic invites after all.
I doubted I would’ve ever gotten an invitation otherwise.
From everything she’d told me about the party, only the most elite of the university were included.
A big guy in all black stood at the door, wisps of dirty-blonde hair tumbling over his glittery black mask.
The guy was built like a freaking ox, his shoulders so wide I wondered if he could fit through the doorway.
Light blue eyes glinted through the mask, a hint of amusement despite the tight set of his lips. “Invitations?” he crooned.
Cordelia handed him the soft vellum envelope. He eyed it for a second, then his icy blue gaze fell on me before settling on my friend. “Have fun tonight, ladies.”
“Thanks, Ax.” My roommate shot him a mischievous grin.
“Cordi,” he growled. “It’s all supposed to be anonymous and shit, remember?”
She ran a perfectly manicured finger across his button-down shirt, lingering for a long minute when she reached his belt buckle. “Oops, sorry, I forgot.” Releasing him, she grabbed my hand and towed me through the doorway.
Shit. I had not been prepared for this.
I couldn’t get my eyes to settle on any one thing.
Crushed velvet settees and chaise lounges curved around the room like something out of a decadent dream, while servers in tuxedos and black half-masks drifted through the crowd offering flutes of champagne.
This wasn’t a typical college frat party. It wasn’t anything like I’d imagined.
The farther inside I moved, the more out of place I felt.
The great room dripped with excess, from towering crystal chandeliers to the gold-leaf accents gleaming on nearly every surface.
The guests were just as intoxicated as any frat crowd, but there were no plastic cups, no kegs, no bass-blasting pop music.
Instead, low laughter and hushed conversations threaded through the space while a slow, sultry melody floated through the air.
Everything about it felt too polished. Too controlled.
Like a party thrown by kings instead of college students.
“Holy shit,” I finally muttered.
Cordelia spun around, a huge grin on her face. “Nice, huh?” That was the understatement of the year.
A server weaved through the crowd and paused in front of us, offering a glass of champagne. “Ladies?”
“Yes, please.” Cordelia grabbed two for each of us.
A nervous bout of laughter bubbled up as she handed me the sparkling crystal flutes which I was fairly certain cost more than my first car.
“Keep ‘em coming, pledge,” she called out after him.
“Those are freshmen?” I blurted.
“Most of them. Some guys pledge the frat later, I’m sure, but it’s not typical.
The Sigma Delts always make their pledges do this sort of crappy shit.
” She leaned closer and lowered her voice.
“Serving drinks at a party is nothing from what I’ve heard.
Rumors abound about their grueling pledge term and the initiation.
..” Her words trailed off. “I’m just glad I’m not a guy.
There’s some fucked up shit that goes on in this house. ”
Another chill rippled up my spine. There was something about this house, the opulence, the lavishness that sent my thoughts to a dark place.
To that terrible car ride. No matter how much I tried to forget that day, it was etched into my skin for eternity.
I couldn’t carve it out no matter how much I wanted to. And trust me, I'd tried.
I brought one of the flutes to my lips and gulped down the contents in one swig. The tart bubbles slithered down my throat, quenching the encroaching darkness.
“That’s my girl,” Cordelia sang. “And that’s exactly why I started us off with two. These fancy glasses don’t hold shit.”
I laughed, unable to stop myself as she held up her champagne.
“To us, bitch, and a year to remember.”
We clinked the remaining glasses and gulped down the fizzy champagne. With each sip, my murky past disappeared farther below the surface. Where it couldn’t hurt me anymore.
“And now, we dance.” Cordelia set her now empty glasses on a random table before grabbing mine and setting them beside hers.
Then she tangled her fingers through mine and led me across the sprawling great room and down a short hall.
Another room appeared with black and white tile across the floor and a disco ball hanging from the rafters.
Unlike the posh sophistication of the foyer, this was the real party.
Bodies writhed and danced across the packed dance floor and the quiet tunes were replaced by a banging bass.
We were immediately swept into the wriggling masses.
Another server appeared, providing more champagne.
I didn’t hesitate to gulp them down as quickly as the first two.
The alcohol numbed the pain, numbed the past. I didn’t want to think about that night or any of the countless miserable nights after it.
Especially not of him... of losing my best friend.
What was it about this place that brought all those dark memories surging to the surface?
“This is great, right?” Cordelia called out, swinging her hips.
“Yes!” I shouted over the music.
A circle of frat guys surrounded us, the scent of expensive cologne filling my nostrils.
They all wore identical black suits and masks, just like the guy at the door.
Must all be Sigma Delts. One of the males moved in behind me, grinding his already hardening dick against my ass.
Warm breath spilled across the shell of my ear as he leaned in closer.
The bubbles had gone straight to my head, and I rubbed up against the stranger, grinding my ass against him. I hadn’t realized how bad I’d needed a release until this very moment. Heat raced below as his hands clamped around my hips.
There was something so freeing about the anonymity.
Across from me, Cordelia wriggled up against another black-masked male. His hands cupped her ass, pressing her body flush against his. Dark eyes peered through the mask and over my head to the dude grinding against me.
“Hey, bro, let’s take these two to the VIP room.”
The guy behind me dipped his mouth to my ear. “Would you like that, baby? It would be more private, and we could get to know each other better.” I barely restrained the urge to laugh at the cheesy line, but I could already see the excitement in Cordelia’s face.
She leaned in close, her eyes bright. “This is it. I’ve never been invited to the VIP room before, but I’ve heard it’s ah-mazing.”
I needed no further convincing. I turned around to face the masked male. “Sure, let’s do it.”
He released me and stopped one of the servers, grabbing four shot glasses from his tray. They were filled with a murky white liquid. Had I not already been buzzing, I would’ve definitely had questions.
But tonight, I just wanted to shut off all the voices. All the logic.
So when he offered me the shot, I tossed it back and swallowed. The liquor burned down the back of my throat, numbing everything in its path.
“Come on, let’s go.” The guy grabbed my hand, and I let him lead me through the tangle of bodies. Behind me, I could just make out the tap-tap of Cordelia’s heels and the heavier footfalls of her masked frat boy.
My head spun as he led us through never-ending corridors. When we finally reached a door, I was breathless and nearly panting. Fuck, was I that out of shape? My escort whipped the door open, and a wave of cold air puckered my flesh. Nothing but inky darkness sprawled before us.
Before the door closed behind us, a deep voice shouted from the hallway. “McKenzie, get your ass over here.”
A frown settled over my masked stranger’s face. “Shit. Hold on a sec. I have to take care of something.”
“Aw, come on, Mac.” The other guy pouted, full lips screwing into a pout.
“Just go without me. I’ll meet you down there in a minute.” He ran his thumb over my bottom lip before darting back into the hallway. “Wait for me, baby.”
“Umhmm,” I murmured as his thumb teased my mouth.
“Watch your step,” said the other guy as he led us down the narrow steps. Cordelia clung onto him like he was a life raft.
We descended the endless staircase, my pulse skyrocketing with each step down.
The slow, sultry music returned when we reached the bottom, and thick white smoke poured into the room.
Fairy lights and hanging globes lit up the darkness, revealing the decadent furnishings similar to the upper levels.
A powdery scent filled my nostrils as another unmistakable sound reached my ears.
Moans.
Cries.
Grunts.
The slap of bodies grinding against each other.
“Fuck,” I muttered.
“That’s right, sweetheart.” Cordelia’s guy spun around and a wolfish smile peeled back the corners of his lips. “You can join us while you wait for Mac if you’d like.”
My eyes darted to my roommate’s for help, but a slow smile spread her lips. “Yeah, I’d be okay with that,” she slurred. “What do you think?”
“Umm... I think I’ll just wait for Mac here.” I leaned against a silky curtained wall, taking in the wild scene. The orgy. That was the only word for it.
A masked girl was on all fours on a crushed velvet settee, her mouth around some guy’s cock while another dude took her from behind. More groans filled the air, and heat raced between my own legs.
“You sure?” Cordelia asked. “I don’t want to leave you alone down here.”
“Yes, definitely. I’ll be totally fine.” Having a drunken threesome with my roommate was not on the top of my list of priorities for my first week at Stonewall.
She squeezed my hand and ran her tongue across her pouty lower lip. “Okay, we’ll meet up later then. Text me!” The guy tugged her behind a curtain, and the pair disappeared into the sea of moans.
I leaned against the wall, unable to keep my gaze focused.
Stretches of ripped, naked bodies sprawled in every direction.
Damn, some of these guys were gorgeous and the girls.
.. Perfect. Breasts bouncing, muscled male asses clenching, cocks fully out on display.
My breaths became more ragged every minute I waited, watching the show.
The frothy champagne bubbles made my head spin, loosening my body and erasing my inhibitions.
What was in that drink?
Damn, it had been too long since I’d gotten any. That had to be it. Where was that Mac guy anyway?
Maybe an anonymous hook up was just what I needed tonight.