Page 12 of Be With Us: An Urban Foursome Love Story

‘I know, I'm sorry,’ he said. ‘It’s just huge. Maybe, could we go to the ball and if we’re not feeling comfortable, we just leave at closing time?’

Emilia looked back up at him, and smiled.

‘Yeah that’s fine,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry, I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I'm just excited about this.’

She stepped forward into his arms and they hugged.

‘Don't be sorry, let's just go, and see what happens,’ said Cassian.

Emilia looked up at him, with her big eyes.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Let's do it.’

*

CHAPTER TWO

THE CARNAVAL DE Débauche was taking place at a secret mansion somewhere on the outskirts of Oxford and after signing up and verifying their identities (a stage which had nearly put Emilia off entirely) she had been informed that she would receive a text an hour beforehand letting them know the location of the event.

Now they were following a Jaguar down a long, illuminated, tree lined driveway which led to a secluded mansion with enough parking for a several hundred guests.

The mansion itself was bathed in yellow light, lit by spotlights from below. The ground floor was punctuated by grand Victorian windows, each one almost twenty-foot tall, with thick velvet curtains closed to the outside world. As Cassian pulled up, under the supervision of a luminous parking attendant, he saw that the grounds were being patrolled by security. This was clearly a well organised event, he thought to himself as he stepped out of their battered Fiesta, and we are a little bit out of our depth.

He went around to Emilia’s door and opened it for her, holding out his hand to help her step out. She looked radiant in a deep purple, ankle length evening dress, embroidered with gold stitching and a revealing neckline which Cassian found himself staring down, knowing he wouldn't be the last tonight to get the same sort of view. Or perhaps even more? The sudden thought brought back that feeling of jealously again, maybe even possessiveness and he stifled it and took a deep breath.

He had watched her get dressed and seen the pink and black lace knickers she had chosen, the thigh high stockings with the little bow that she had pulled on and clipped to the pink and flowery basque that made her breasts look like they were overflowing. She looked so stunning and heartbreakingly beautiful, that he didn't want her to ever leave the house again.

He focused his mind on how much he loved her. Telling himself that he wanted this too and reminding himself how much he wanted her to be happy. But his heart still ached at the idea of someone else touching her and he had to swallow his pride and think about something else to stop him from turning around, getting back in the car and driving away from all of this.

‘I feel like a small fish in a big fucking pond,’ he said quietly as she stood next to him, marvelling at the sight of the mansion.

‘Does it matter?’ she asked. ‘We’re here now. Shall we?’

She extended out her hand to him and he took it and led her off towards the entrance. As they walked Emilia adjusted her mask with her free hand. She had found an ornate and delicate lace disguise, with what appeared to be intricate craftsmanship, prickled with crystal and glitter. It was simple and stunning and moulded almost perfectly to her face, except for the eye holes which she was finding frustratingly small.

Cassian on the other hand had opted for a much more stark and bold choice. His was black and ivory in colour with chessboard streaks and baroque embossing set against a cracked China backing. It covered two thirds of his face, making him look like the Phantom of the Opera.

Emilia had laughed when he first put it on, but she had to admit that he looked devilishly handsome and had told him so. She was worried she might end up being rather left behind this evening in the attention stakes.

As they approached the entrance, a small queue had formed, with two doormen verifying identities and performing searches of bags and coats. They had left their phones in the car, and Emilia felt a little vulnerable without them.

Once inside the mansion they were greeted by an exuberant and fancifully dressed man who directed them through to the ballroom where the rest of the guests were beginning to mingle.

It struck Emilia as she walked in, that she was somewhat overdressed, and that she wasn't quite young enough for the room. Most of the people in front of her were nubile twenty somethings, clad in what was little more than lacy lingerie and it was clear that they were toned, muscly, skinny and gorgeous, and she found it quite intimidating. But it quickly became apparent that age was not a barrier, and she also realised that whilst the younger crowd had congregated together, the older crowd was encircling the room in smaller, more cliquey pockets. Many of the groups were observing the younger ones. It felt a little uncomfortably like an auction of flesh, and it made her feel slightly uneasy.

They gravitated towards the outer edge of the room away from the hustle in the middle and made their way along to the buffet at the far end.

‘Are you okay?’ said Emilia. ‘This is a bit weird, isn’t it?’

‘It's not what I was expecting, this feels a bit like a school disco, with masks.’

‘Shall we get a drink? We don't have to stay if it gets weird.’

Cassian nodded as they continued weaving their way through the crowd, squeezing their way past women dressed as if they’d walked straight off a porn set.

The lights went out.

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