Chapter 22

*Natalie*

“We should probably get up to Alexander’s…” Sophie says, sighing.

“…What?” Zane says, snapping out of his dreamy state.

We are adjusting our clothes, wiping off with the tissues that Sophie gave us earlier and tossing them away.

“Yeah… Alexander’s expecting me… there’s a party going on in his residence…” She says, sliding her panties on back on. “A *more VIP* than VIP party…” She says, raising her perfect brows.

“His *residence?”* Zane shakes his head.

“Yeah, its just upstairs. He owns one of the residences up on the second floor…” She says. “And I should probably be up there… or people are going to be looking for me.” She folds one side of her dress over the other and grabs her belt off of the lounge.

“You guys can come, too, if you come with *me..."* she says, glancing up at us as she fastens her belt and smiling, her brown eyes glittering.

“Are you serious?” I ask excitedly. *Good.* I want to meet Alexander. I want to know about his world. “Yeah, we want to go, *right Zane?”* I say, and Sophie and I both look at him.

“I mean, it’d be good to catch up with your *old pal,* right?” I say, smirking at him.

He sets his jaw, and huffs a breath out.

Sophie tilts her head, studying us. “Did I miss something?” She asks.

I look at her. “Oh, you and me *both...”* I say, shooting Zane an icy look.

He meets my eyes and we stare at each other for a few moments, and then he shakes his head.

“Ok, lets go,” he says.

“You guys are so *married,”* Sophie says, laughing at us.

We hold each other’s gaze for a few moments longer, and then we laugh.

Zane slides his hand down my arm and threads his fingers through mine, squeezing my hand in his. I breathe a sigh. His hands just are just a bit bigger than mine, and the feeling of his hand enveloping mine and giving it a squeeze makes me feel like he’s *got me.* Like he’s *my man...* and he’s not going to let me fall... Even now. My heart races just a bit.

“You ready?” Sophie asks.

We nod, “How do I look?” She asks. She holds her arms out and spins around, her butterfly dress fluttering around her legs as she twirls.

“Perfect,” I say to her.

“Okay, let’s go,” She says, walking towards the mahogany door, turning the handle and leading us out. She turns as she steps out, grasping my hand closest to her, my fingers in hers around the handle of my handbag. She twirls backwards, staring into my eyes intensely as she walks backward, pulling me, and then twirls foreword again.

As we exit, the automatic lights turn off, and the library door falls shut behind us.

We walk through the dark back hallways, our dresses fluttering as we walk, our hands intertwined, Zane behind us, his fingers still threaded through my other hand.

We turn a corner and finally come to a set of elevators. Sophie slides a key card from somewhere, again, and swipes it in the card reader beside the elevator. The elevator lights start lighting up above one of the cars, descending floors to us.

Zane and I exchange a glance.

“Where do you keep pulling things from?” I ask Sophie, tilting my head playfully.

“Pockets!” She says, sliding her hands into the sides of her dress and pushing them out playfully, twisting side to side, modeling for us.

“Pockets…” I say, sighing.

“Gio...” She says, nodding at me.

I nod, “Gio,” I agree, with mock seriousness.

The elevator opens and we step in.

The doors slide shut and the elevator lifts off, and we glide up. My body is zinging with energy.

The elevator doors open again and we step into a carpeted foyer with a large crystal chandelier, and a couple of soft white chairs and a giant mirror. I look at the three of us together, and I smile. We look good together.

We walk past the foyer and up to a door. Sophie glides her key card into the slot on the door, and presses the latch.

*Sophie has a key to Alexander’s residence? Or, is it just a key that is for the party tonight?...*

The door swings open, and we hear sounds of people talking and laughing, soft music playing. We walk into the white marble entryway, and there is a large twisted metal modern-art sculpture on a wooden pedestal across from the door and a wooden bench with a white rug in front of it with a few pairs of shoes strewn on it. We round the corner, and the entryway opens into a spacious living room with white couches and a large black rug and black tables and accents. Men in tuxedos and elegantly dressed beautiful women chat and mingle in front of ceiling to floor windows on two walls.

I look across the room and see Alexander, in his royal blue suit. He is standing with his arm around a beautiful woman with clouds of springy curls in a long, black evening gown, the top fastened around her neck, the back open, slits up the sides to her upper thighs. Alexander’s hand is caressing her bare back as they chat with a man in a tux. When Alexander steps back, I recognize it is Stas. My heart leaps a bit.

Alexander looks up at us as as we enter the room, and as soon as he sees us, he drops his arm from Stas and beelines for us. Stas looks after him in surprise, and then turns back to the man they were talking to, resuming the conversation.

As Alexander walks through the guests to us, I notice people’s glances as he moves through the room – noticing him. Noticing what he does.

Alexander approaches us and slides his arm around Sophie’s waist.

He looks striking with his jet black hair and sharp facial hair lining his jaw, his light brown eyes and black lashes magnetic. His royal blue suit fits his broad shoulders and trim waist impeccably, and compliments his golden skin.

“Where’ve you been?" he says to Sophie, "There are people waiting for you, my love.”

I feel my stomach lurch. *My love?*

Alexander looks up at us.

“Are you going to introduce me to your *friends,* Soph?” He asks.

Sophie looks at us, “This is Natalie and Zane,” Sophie says.

“Oh, I know *Zane…”* Alexander looks over at Zane, and smiles, a glint in his eye, “I saw your name on the guest list... Long time no see, brother.”

“Long time no see,” Zane agrees. He stuffs one hand in his pocket, and puffs his chest out a bit, setting his jaw.

“I didn’t know you knew each other…” Alexander says, looking at Sophie sharply.

“We met downstairs at the club…” Sophie says.

Alexander nods slowly, and then looks over at me. “And this must be…”

“This is my wife, Natalie,” Zane says, looking at me.

Alexander glances down and back up my body. He reaches out his hand to me. I take it, and he looks deep into my eyes.

“Well, *Natalie…* I can certainly see how you’ve kept Zane away for so long…” he says.

I blush.

He slides his hand from mine, glancing at Zane.

He turns to Sophie, “Come on Soph, there’s someone I want you to meet,” he says and then looks at us, “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to borrow my muse for a moment…” he winks at Zane and sweeps Sophie away. She glances back to us, and gives a little shrug, *“I’m sorry,”* she mouths as Alexander pulls her with him.

Zane and I look at each other again, as Sophie disappears with Alexander into the guests.

I smile at Zane and he shakes his head. We turn to the room, scanning the party, and walk into the living room.

I pull close into Zane, directing my gaze at Stas, who is across the room still chatting to the man in the suit, “Do you see that girl over there in the black dress?” I murmur softly into his ear.

He nods.

“Do you know who *that* is?...” I tease… pausing for a moment.

He looks at me and shakes his head.

*“That* is *Stas…”* I tell him. “The girl who was in our sauna last night…” I lean in close, whispering into his ear, “licking my pussy… and sucking on my nipples… the girl who came on my face after Sophie did…” I say, and then pull back, smiling at him. He exhales a slow breath out and smiles at me, shaking his head.

“Shhhh….” He says quietly. “You should go talk to her…” he says.

“No!... I will if she comes over here, but I don’t know…” I say, laughing shyly.

I look around the party again, noticing that there are wine glasses filled and set out in the dining room on the bar.

“Do you want to get a drink?” I ask. Zane looks over at the bar, following my gaze, and nods.

We stand and head over to the dining room. We walk past a black marble table with cloth-covered white chairs, to the black-countered bar where the champagne glasses are, and each slide one off. We toast, and then take a drink.

From here, I can see through the glass balcony doors and into the afterparty below. The crowd dancing, the performers on stage still working the crowd, the lights still swirling and images projected onto the screens…

We wander back through the dining room and into the living room. I glance around and see Sophie on the other side of the living room, tucked into Alexander’s arm, talking and laughing animatedly in a small group of guests, her wide smile intoxicating. The entire group is focused on her, laughing at her story.

We cross the room and walk toward a large painting on the wall. It is an abstract series of inky black swipes on a white background. We stand in front if it, looking at it.

“What is this shit?” Zane scoffs.

I laugh, “Shhh…” I say, and we walk towards another painting. We wander through the living room, looking at the abstract art and modern metal sculptures Alexander has displayed on pedestals, as we sip our champagne.

After we’ve looked at every single piece of Alexander’s art on display, wandered through the living room, the hallway, the sitting room, and watched Alexander take Sophie from group to group to group, I look at Zane.

“What time do you think it is?” I ask.

Zane reaches for his phone in his back pocket, and I glance around again for Sophie.

I look through the guests in the living room, and don’t see her.

“Do you see Sophie?” I ask.

“It’s 1:00…” Zane tells me.

“Really?” I ask, incredulous.

“Really,” Zane says.

“Maybe we should go…” I say. “…Do you think we should look for her?” I ask. I don’t see Alexander anywhere either.

“…Maybe… It’d be nice to at least say good-bye…” Zane says, and we wander down the hallway again, looking through guests, and enter the sitting room. We scan the guests and don’t see here there either. We look at each other and turn and walk back out of the room.

We stop and look down the hallway back to the living room where the guests are gathered, and then the other direction...

We look at each other.

I shrug, and Zane and I slip down the quiet hallway and around the corner away from the other guests…

And as we walk further down the hallway, I swear I hear Sophie's voice...