Page 78 of Dealing Dirty
Red carpet accentuates the gold-leafed lights protruding from the walls. Light scours the ground through a doorless opening, and rustling dresses combined with noisy chatter draws me farther down the hallway.
“What the—”
On the far opposite side of the room, ceiling-scraping windows with billowing white curtains frame an enormous buffet of cheeses, meats, and fruit. Beside the table is a six-foot-tall multi-paneled wheel. A group of older folks waits for their turn to spin as they gaze at the various money amounts, clutching sparkling flutes of champagne in each hand.
Two incredible glass chandeliers hang over a set of roulette and craps tables in the middle of an enormous ballroom. I’ve been transported back to a distant era as the men and women waltz around in their expensive suits and gowns.
Long, flowing dresses cling to bodies built for modeling. Some have coverings draped over their shoulders, while others wear white and brown furs. Varying colored masks rest over every set of eyes.
I step into the fray, gliding both hands down my suit. The pressed material is as foreign as the mask I wear, but at least I didn’t show up in my boots and Wranglers.
I owe Sasha big time.
Committing the room to memory, I take note of the exits, as well as a larger staircase leading to a second floor. A tingling sensation touches my neck when I notice another room peeking through the baby blue doors beside the money wheel.
A woman swishes past me holding a silver tray, and I snag a glass of champagne before working my way into a throng of people.
Might as well blend in.
One of the craps tables is swarmed with people smiling and clapping with each roll. It’s complete chaos as people yell their bets while throwing their chips onto the table. Moving closer, I find my way to the edge and take a long pull of bubbly, wincing as it slides down my throat.
“Two hundred, hard eight!” The older gentleman in a fox mask shouts, tossing two black chips at the stickman.
His lady does a double-take when she notices me standing beside her. The vibrant blue peacock mask she wears accentuates the gray of her eyes.
“Oh, my,” she drawls, all southern sass.
“Good evening, miss.” I press a quick kiss to her gloved hand.
“Miss,” she huffs, smacking my arm. “You’re mistaking me with one of these gorgeous young ladies.”
I raise my glass. “Age is only a mindset.”
“Tell that to these aching old hips!”
We share a laugh.
“Victoria,” she says with a twinkle in her eyes. “This is my husband, George, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Williams.”
He twists halfway, barely taking his gaze from his bets to extend a hand. “Nice to meet you, son.”
George turns back to the table, leaving me frozen where I stand. If this is Jackie’s right-hand man, then there’s bound to be plenty more sharks in the water.
Victoria drones on about how magnificent Jackie’s mansion is and how it belonged to Bruce’s great, great—fuck if I know. I lose track of the details because I’m too busy sifting through every set of eyes, searching for the face of the wild woman who completes me.
“Mm-hmm,” I hum, tuning out Victoria’s ramblings.
Something sparkles from the corner of my mask, but I can’t get a good visual with this woman’s peacock feathers blocking my view.
“Oh,” Victoria whispers as the blue doors fully draw apart, and a gentle hush settles over the room.
An old Victorian-style rug lies beneath a pool of bright crimson satin. My eyes greedily climb the skirt of the gown, which spreads apart with a high slit, showcasing a smooth bronzed leg. The cut kisses the curve of her upper thigh, and a tight band of fitted satin cinches her waist.
The plunging neckline splits into aV, glittering with diamonds and barely covering her full, supple breasts. The sparkles thin out to nothing as they stretch toward the long sleeves covering her slender arms.
Butterflies graze the inside of my stomach at the sight of Juliana.
On her face rests a matching red mask. More crystals form a striking border along its edges, and her long dark hair falls in waves over her left shoulder while a shiny silver pin keeps the right side smoothed back in place.
