Chapter 50: | masquerade party part 1-1

Nine Weeks Ago Saturday Night "This is it?" Looming in the distance behind a tall iron gate and foliage as far as the eye can see is the mansion. Phoenix rolls down the partition. "Hey Leon, is this it?" "Yes, sir." Leon drives up to the gate. Riz checks the invite on his phone. "This is the right place." We're greeted by four muscular security guards at the front gate, dressed in black suits. Riz rolls down this window. "Password," one of the four demands as he walks up to the window. Riz whispers something at close range. They open the gates. Once inside, we all put on our masks. We drive down a long mosaic tiled driveway lined with tall, lush palm trees. We reach a marble work of art featuring two giant men dressed in robes holding up a basin from which water overflows. The water fills the fountain below. Past the fountain and up the grand staircase, lies oversized French doors. The entrance to the mansion sits right in front of us. Wide eyed, I look at Mia and Penelope. They nervously stare back. They're both slaying it. Hell, we all are. Penelope looks svelte in a long black, satin evening gown with a slit that reaches her thigh. Her look is complete with black strappy stilettos and a matching clutch. Her large bouncy curls are pulled to one side for dramatic flair. Mia stays true to the fashion rebel that she is, wearing a sleeveless, back-out ivory jumpsuit with exceptionally wide pant legs that have long slits running all the way up to her hips. Her nude shoes are simple, sparkly with a single strap over her toes and around her ankles. Her hair has been straightened, with a part on the side, giving her a sleek look. I'm wearing the gorgeous, emerald green, sheer evening gown I spotted in Caviar. Once I tried it on, Phoenix insisted I have it and I couldn't part with it. Embroidered with shimmering crystals, this sleeveless mesh dress sparkles relentlessly in any light. The mock neck collar, back-out design and long thigh-high slit give this chic dress a sexy edge. My stilettos are similar to Mia's with one exception. No sparkles. My hair is styled in a fancy updo with curls cascading forward. Phoenix dons a black on black tuxedo. The contrast of his satiny jacket lapels and textured tie give his simple look a hint of complexity. Riz wears a navy tuxedo with a gray tie and handkerchief. JC sports a traditional black and white tuxedo and Nixon wears a black tuxedo with red tie and handkerchief. They each look dapper in their own way. "After you, Ms. Davenport." Standing with one hand in his pocket and the other presenting the staircase, Phoenix cocks a sexy ass half smile. Sparks ignite my nether regions. "Mr. Prescott." I lead the way, pulling my dress up and out of the way as I ascend the stairs. I grab the golden ring from the mouth of one of the lions on the ornately carved doors and knock three times. It's forever before the door is answered. We're greeted by a half-masked woman in a stunning black sequin dress holding a glass of wine. "You're just in time." Her smile is so sinister, it's unnerving. "Password?" Riz faintly whispers one word into her ear. I look at Phoenix. "Did he just say 'Fidelio'?" Phoenix shrugs. The masked woman moves to the side and welcomes us in. As soon as we enter, she leads us to a solid oak table off to the side. It's lined with a dozen iPads. The veined white marbled floor and ultra-high ceiling with a shimmering chandelier are breathtaking. Standing in this grand foyer gives me the sensation of being someone of great importance. Wish I lived here. "You'll need to sign these first before joining the party." She holds up a contract on the iPad. Eyes dart back and forth. No one saw this coming. "What is this exactly?" I ask, confused. "You have to sign it before you take another step. It's a requirement. It's a non-disclosure agreement. You can't reveal anything that goes on behind these doors." I pick up an iPad off the table and swipe through the pages. "Wow. It's that serious, huh? Should we be concerned? Is it safe?" "Of course, it's safe. This is for the protection of all guests. For you as well. Wouldn't want anyone revealing any telling details of the night, now would we?" She's giving me the eerie feeling that whatever is behind those doors, I'll never be able to un-see. I'm not sure I want to take another step. "Can you give us a minute?" JC takes one of the iPads and quickly scans the pages on it. The lawyer in him goes into client-protective mode. After a few moments of intense scrutiny, he looks up at everyone. "It's an ironclad NDA. I say let's do it. They're just covering their asses." "What do we know about this party? It's a little creepy, this NDA business." Mia looks as worried as I feel. Riz pulls out his iPhone. "It's cool. My finance guy, Terry Higgins, got us this invite. Phoenix you've met Terry before. He said it's exclusive. This is one of those parties people kill to get in to." He looks through the invite. Seconds later, he covers his mouth, trying to conceal his surprise. "At the bottom, in fine print it says: 'Dress is formal...until it's not.'" "What's that about?" Without even realizing it, a smile slowly replaces my confused expression. "I say let's do it. Let's see what it's about. We can always leave." "You'd do anything to keep from going back to the pad. Sheila let you off the leash, tonight. You're taking full advantage?" JC elbows Nixon. "Yeah, what's up with Sheila?" "Man, she had way too much to drink last night. Said she's done partying. Swore it off for life. She'll be back at it next weekend." Nixon laughs. JC, Riz and Phoenix all laugh. "Poor Sheila," Mia quips. "Poor Sheila, alright," I echo. "She's a nurse, she knows all the tricks to get over hangovers. She's good." Nixon reassures everyone. "Well, I'm down." Penelope looks excited. "Let's do it. We're dressed for it." Riz smiles, licks his lips and pops his collar. "Let's." Mia shrugs. "What's the worst that could happen? It's a party, people!" "Alright, it's settled." Phoenix is first at the table, signing the NDA. We get past the foyer and enter the party. Every ethnicity imaginable is right here in this room. It's why I love Miami. Black, white, Latino, Asian, you name it, they're here. The room is filled with beautiful masked people, men and women and everyone's impeccably dressed, bedazzled with shimmering jewels and expensive clothes. I survey the room, trying to soak up the scene. This place could use a DJ and some dancers. It's very civilized here. Too civilized. Fancy orchestra music plays blandly in the background. No bass. No headbanging. No movement. Just polite conversations and haughty laughter. Boring conversations. Fake laughter. Something is off. "What kind of party is this?" I look up to Phoenix. He looks around. "I'm not sure." Just then a handsome, dark-haired Spanish guy in a tuxedo stands in the center of the room and clangs his glass with a fork. "Can I have your attention ladies and gentlemen?" He pauses for a moment as the room gets quiet. "Welcome to our Noir Masquerade Party. Get ready for a night you'll never forget." The crowd politely claps in response. "Now, if we can have all the gentlemen line up on the left side of the room." He presents a door on the left side to the men. "All ladies, to my right." He presents a door on the right to the women. The fuck? "What is this?" I'm getting anxious. "Ari, we can leave if you're uncomfortable." Phoenix takes my hand and walks back towards the door.