Page 31 of Bottoms
“I have one more thing for you to wear tonight,” Fynn said, looking up to me once he finished fixing the details of his outfit. He strode forward, and my heart beat erratically, unsure how to act with this version of him.
He pulled something black from his back pocket, offering it to me in the space between us. It looked like more lace, and I wondered if this was how he planned on giving me underwear for the night.
“Gloves,” he said, shaking the material as if I needed assurance it wouldn’t bite.
I took the gloves from him, turning them over in my hands. They were fingerless, made in a similar pattern as my mask. I pushed my fingers through the individual openings and looked at them again, wondering about their purpose. My fingerprints would still be left on everything I touched.
“We are going to a party like the one at the mansion. A woman wearing gloves means she owns herself,” he said.
I looked up to him, confused as I remembered the rules Tanner and Colten had pounded into my head that night. My memories reminded me of the woman at the party who wore gloves and talked with the men as an equal.
“I thought you owned me,” I teased. Feeling even better now, I had a public announcement that I was more than a delicacy to be shared. I could even make a trip to the bathroom without Fynn needing to escort me, like I was a toddler.
“I do own you. But you own you, too. That shark’s nest needs to know that. If one of them tries anything, you will not cower or submit. You will fight back, and this time, you will win,” Fynn said, placing his hand upon my gloved one.
I nodded firmly, believing as much as he did that I could protect myself.
Fynnparkedthecarin a field of other expensive vehicles next to a sprawling mansion. It was different from the one I had gone to as Colten’s date. I walked arm in arm with Fynn through the mansion's front door, marveling at the grand staircase beyond the breezeway. We passed by other masked guests, and my gloves earned me several double takes. Men in suits and well-dressed dates gave my body a cautious look before deciding their gaze was better suited elsewhere. I could feel the slight vibrations from Fynn’s laughter whenever someone looked away quick enough to make a small scene.
A powerful woman seemed to threaten them more than my date. Fynn had put a plain black mask over his eyes before we got out of the car. It matched the look of most of the other men at the party, and it worked well to make everyone appear anonymous. I scanned the crowd, hunting for Tanner, Colten, and Nik. I felt like I would recognize them immediately. Doing a circuit of the patrons arranged around the front foyer, my heart sank. I didn’t see them.
“Would you like a drink, Mrs. White?” Fynn asked, and it took me a moment to realize that I was apparently Mrs. White for the evening. Mrs. Black would have been more appropriate for my attire, but I figured that would remind Fynn of Colten too much to allow.
I nodded, wanting to refrain from talking when anyone else could hear. Fynn’s arm pulled free as he started to walk away from me. I stood where I was left, unsure of what else to do. After a moment, Fynn stopped to look back at me, his finger gesturing for me to come on.
I started forward, keeping my back straight as I made confident strides toward him. It wasn’t hard to slip into the role of badass bitch once I understood that was how Fynn wanted me to act. My heeled boots clicked across the large marble tiles, and the room quieted save for my footfalls. Looking around at the men I passed, each looked away before my gaze settled on them. A rush of power surged through me, and I hurried my pace, ready to enjoy myself for the evening.
“Two bourbons, neat,” Fynn told the bartender when we finally made it into the room where the rest of the party was being held. It was the same party as the one in the other mansion. Nearly naked women served rich men drinks while other women sat on their laps, powerful men networking with other powerful men. But this mansion made the other pale compared to grandeur and depravity.
My eyes wandered the room, no longer strictly on a hunt to find the others. I saw a naked violinist playing an eerie song under the hungry gaze of a crowd. She looked too skinny to assume this was a position she accepted by choice. The notes she pulled from the instrument displayed an extraordinary amount of talent. But the marks on her arms betrayed where her money was spent.
Fynn handed me a fancy glass with an inch of brown liquid at the bottom. I tipped it back, pouring the contents down my throat as the last haunting note of the violin rang out. Setting the empty cup back on the bar, I searched inside my clutch for the pack of cigarettes. I pulled the top of the box out of my bag to show Fynn what I wanted.
He downed his drink and carefully tossed the glass across the top of the counter. He laced his fingers in mine before pulling me from the room. We walked together, alone, through the hallways. Expensive paintings and sculptures lined the walls, reminiscent of a museum. Reminiscent of Bottoms. I would hate to be a kid growing up here, too many valuable objects to worry about.
Fynn seemed to know his way around the mansion with intimate familiarity. I started to feel a deep, sinking pit open inside as I wondered whose house this was. A large pair of glass doors sat opposite the vast open room Fynn led me into. The glass seemed hazy, as if frosted. Once we got closer, I realized that it was fog.
Fynn opened the double doors wide, not bothering for stealth, as he revealed a sprawling, lush indoor pool with tropical plants. It reminded me of Tanner’s rooftop garden as I walked inside. My skin quickly became overheated in the humid air of the room, and I stopped for a moment to remove my cape. Fynn waited patiently as I took it off, then offered his arm as a hanger for the thick cloth.
There were naked men and women all over the room, and he had shown everyone that I was unequivocally in charge. As I started forward again, he remained close enough to signal that coming for me meant a round with him first.
I wandered around the room with confidence, feeling the eyes of everyone on me when I passed. This certainly wasn’t subtle, but I felt safer now than I had under Colten’s protection. Fynn didn’t mind following me as I wandered towards the room's edges, my eyes scanning for specific features. An empty table and chairs emerged into my view, and I quickly took a seat facing the pool to continue watching as I lit a cigarette. Others were sitting around smoking cigars.
The men in the pool still wore masks, despite everything else on display. None of my sea monster-sized dicks were lurking beneath these waters. I’m sure there would be many stammers and excuses about the temperature of the water. If anyone had the balls to bring up the massive amount of small, shriveled dong bobbing on the surface. I covered my mouth with my hand as I looked back to the table, hiding my laughter.
These men were exactly why little pills were made to give erections to those nature had already cut off rather than creating medicine to cure diseases. The insecure, power-hungry men of the world had quite a soft spot regarding their flaccid dicks. My gaze shifted to Fynn, and we shared a slightly mocking smile. I relaxed back into my chair, letting my knees part as I settled in for an exciting round of people-watching. It was so much better when I mentally made fun of them.
11
Shattered
Thenightworeon,and before long, I was tired of watching the men act out their disgusting fantasies while thinking their masks hid their sins. Maybe they had all grown too accustomed to being on top of the food chain, and that’s why they considered themselves above judgment. Whether there was a god out there or not, I saw them. I saw every rough grab made towards the scantily dressed women willing to trade their bodies for a fix.
No one starts out like that. These women were reduced to this. Preyed upon by those that considered themselves untouchable. They had been formed and changed by the men in their lives, just as much as I had. Only mine had worked to make me stronger while they were made weak.
My thoughts drifted back towards Tanner and the others, and I decided I needed to try to find them. If I didn’t, my mind would continue to think about how the night could have been. It was an exhausting way to live. I signaled to Fynn silently before gathering my clutch and moving to stand. Fynn followed me out of the poolroom, closing the glass doors behind us. The cool air wrapped around me moments before my cloak caressed my bare shoulders, fighting off the chill before it threatened to start. My forehead felt sticky, and I decided I needed a trip to the bathroom to freshen up.
“Restroom,” I said, trying to keep my voice low so no one else could hear.
