Page 18 of Be With Us: An Urban Foursome Love Story

She turned and tried to look for Amy and Mark, but they had already gone.

*

As the crowd thinned, Emilia and Cassian began to realise that a thinner stream of party guests were gravitating towards the central staircase that led up to the upper floors of the cavernous mansion.

As they began to head over, Emilia started to wonder who lived here. She guessed that they must be involved in the party somehow, or perhaps it was owned by a family who hired it out to functions like this. She also wondered just how many people did this sort of thing every week. If her own sister might be here, she wondered who else in her circle of friends was into this lifestyle.

At the foot of the roped off staircase stood two men, dressed in sharp, well fitted dinner suits and wearing Venetian masks like all of the other men and women surrounding them. As each couple approached the stairs they were vetted and checked, before being allowed to ascend.

Emilia also noticed that only couples and single women were being allowed through. No single men were approaching the roped off concourse.

‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ asked Cassian, pulling her to a stop and squeezing her hand with a kind firmness.

Emilia looked at him, then over at the staircase, biting her lip and frowning.

‘I don't know,’ she said. ‘But I don't want to regret not trying if we walk away now.’

Cassian nodded and then he pulled her in close to him, holding her against his chest and kissing her forehead.

As he pulled back, she looked up at him, staring deeply into his eyes.

‘Do you want this?’ she said.

Cassian nodded slowly. ‘One step at a time though,’ he said.

‘One step at a time,’ said Emilia.

She took his hand, squeezed it and then led him slowly toward the stairs.

As they approached, a stern looking man turned to greet them and Emilia noticed him appraising them quickly as they drew near.

‘Good evening, Mr and Mrs Black,’ he said.

Emilia’s eyes widened with surprise.

‘Do we know you?’ she said.

The man shook his head. ‘No, Mrs Black. We memorise the features of each of our guests before they arrive to ensure a personal welcome.’

The man reached down and unclipped the rope, moving it aside for them to pass through.

‘Miss Alice Hunter sends her best wishes,’ he said as they reached the first step.

Emilia stopped and looked up at Cassian who was laughing quietly.

‘Do you think she’s here?’ she said.

‘I hope so,’ said Cassian.

‘If she is, then I wouldn't mind, if you both wanted to…’ she said, a powerful jolt of fear and excitement pulsed in her chest as she spoke, making her feel dizzy.

Cassian lips went dry and he licked them, frowning.

‘Really?’

Emilia nodded her head and smiled.

‘She's beautiful, and I know you'd be kind. I'd almost rather you were with her, than a stranger.’

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