“Not like anyone is going to put a move on me.”
“Would you stop—!?”
“Fine,” I say, giving in. “I’ll go. But if Morgan Freeman isn’t there, I’m leaving.”
Laughing, Gina starts going to work on my hair. Half an hour later she has me dolled up, caked with makeup and my hair in some kind of half-curly mess she calls the I-just-had-sex look.
We catch an Uber out of town that drops us off at a dirt road with a no-trespassing sign. I glance around, wondering if we’re about to be abducted by aliens.
“Uh, Gina? There’s no party here.”
“I told you.” She winks. “It’s very exclusive.”
Grabbing my hand, she leads me down the path into the darkness. The trees form an arch above us as we walk. Only thin rays of moonlight reach the ground. I almost break my ankle a few times as I try to learn how to walk in heels, and after a few minutes, we emerge onto a dock at the edge of the water.
There are six people as well – two men in black tuxedos, and two couples dressed for the highest of occasions. Oh, and they’re all wearing masks.
“Oh, shit!” Gina hisses. She snatches me by the arm and spins me around so our backs are to them, then reaches into her purse and pulls out two masks. She hands me one. “Put this on!”
“What? You have to wear masks to this party? I thought there were celebrities and politicians—?”
“Shhh! Keep your voice down! There are celebrities and politicians, and that’s why everyone has to wear a mask!”
She quickly puts hers on, but I stare at mine. It’s black lace with two tall bunny ears. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Bailey, I love you, but if you don’t put that mask on and come with me right now, I might have to drown you in the water. Okay?”
Gina’s funny when she’s mad, and normally I’d continue pulling her leg, but I can see she’s adamant about this, so I just follow her lead and put my mask on.
“Thank you,” she whispers as we turn around and head over to the boat.
“Good evening, madams,” one of the men says in a low, proper, British voice. “May I have the password please?”
Password? Goosebumps break out on my arms as the group of masked people stare at me.
“Scortatus,” Gina says with confidence.
“Thank you.” The man nods with a smile. “Please get on board and we will depart for the house.”
I follow Gina onto the boat and take a seat. Across the bow, I can see the flickering orange glow of what must be the lights of the house where we are headed. The cool wind grips me like an icy hand, and I move closer to Gina as we pull away from the dock.
“Relax,” Gina whispers, putting a hand on my back. “It’s going to be fun!”
Right. Relax.
I can do that…
2
Bailey
It only takes a few minutes to get to the house, but as we approach the shore of the private island, I see just how enormous it really is. It’s not a house; it’s a manor, like something out of Pride and Prejudice but with a much more sinister tone. I don’t know how you get a tone just by looking at something, but hey.
The men in tuxedos get off first and tie off, then help us all to disembark.
“Enjoy your stay, madams.”
I reply with an awkward smile and follow Gina up the rich, perfectly-landscaped lawn.