Chapter Four
Maddie
Fiona styles my hair into curls that tumble around my shoulders. It’s so long since I wore it down that I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like. Just that alone makes me feel feminine in a way I haven’t for a long time—if ever. As we step out of the house, a light breeze lifts and plays with the loose strands, and I feel a frisson of excitement.
“I just need to text Jacob,” I tell Fiona.
Me: Heading to a party at Notting Hill. Can we meet?
After a few moments of watching the bubbles bounce on the screen:
Jacob: Sure, I’ll let you know when I get there.
I drop my phone into the small bag I’m carrying and set off towards the parade.
As we draw closer, the music reaches us. The vibrancy and energy are infectious, and it isn’t long before we’re smiling and joining in with the dancing. Lots of other people in masks are moving through the crowds looking mysterious and somewhat sexy. It’s funny how these masks help to loosen inhibitions.
Fiona appears with a drink, and I remove the stopper and take a sip. I’m not a big drinker, and I’m glad to discover she’s bought me a light beer.
The next few hours pass in a blur of colour and rhythm. We cheer and dance along with the parades until finally, the last float goes by, followed by hundreds of people in masks. The men are smartly dressed in trousers and tuxedos, the women in flowy summery dresses, swirling along with the music.
We continue right up to Ladbroke Gardens, where we watch as people begin to toss paper streamers into the air. Fiona cheers, catching the ribbons in her hands and tossing them up where they snag on a tree branch. She looks across me, her mouth tipped up in a knowing smile, and I can’t help but think she’s up to something.
The atmosphere is electric, the whole street and surrounding park areas decorated with black and white ribbons and garlands and bunting and lanterns. There are food trucks and bars where men and women are scantily clad, also wearing masks. There’s an intense level of sexiness and a lack of inhibitions. A fever pitch feels as though it’s being reached as music pounds out from the parade truck that’s pulled over on one side. The music is flirty and light but bewitching at the same time.
Performers from the parade dance to music, their feather headdresses rippling with the movement, their vibrant costumes glittering in the lights.
As the crowd thickens, anxiety blossoms in my stomach.The colours and sounds that entranced me just moments ago now swirl and tilt around me threateningly.
“Where are we going?” I shout across to Fiona, but she can’t hear me.
The crowd of revellers sweeps me along with them, and my stomach flips with nervous dread. I suck in a breath, reminding myself that I’m safe. No one here means to harm me. I’ll be meeting Jacob soon. Everything is going to be okay.
My eyes seek out Fiona, but there’s no sign of her. I twist and turn, trying to break free of the crowd and run face-first into a broad chest. I almost lose my balance, but strong yet gentle hands steady me, keeping me upright. There’s something oddly protective in his hold.
Whoever he is, he smells divine. I look up, but his mask covers so much of his face I can’t make it out. The dark trousers and shirt look expensive and fit like they were made for his muscular body.
He lowers his gaze to meet mine but doesn’t smile or display any other measure of social norm. I want to turn and move away, but I can’t. I’m pulled to him as though he is a planet, and I am his moon. He has me in his orbit, and I’m stuck.
His hands move lightly over my arms, his fingertips shimmering over my skin. The dread and fear ease from my stomach, replaced with warm anticipation. He snakes a hand around and up my spine to the back of my neck, where he squeezes just hard enough for me to tip my head back. And then he brings his lips to mine.
I should be outraged. I should slap this strange man and spin around and storm off. But I’m completely frozen to the spot, unable to move as the hand that was stroking my arm slips down to my wrist and then moves across to my waist. His lips gently press against mine, waiting for me to respond, and when I don’t, he presses his tongue against them.
I feel like I’m standing in a summer storm as the sensation of his kiss begins to overwhelm me. I open my mouth to him, inviting him inside willingly while accepting that I’ve lost my mind.
Jacob
Maddie is easy to spot.
Even in the crowd, she stands out like a beacon of light. Her hair sways around her shoulders in waves of platinum blonde, and the urge to run through my fingers through those silky strands is powerful.
No one shines as she does.She has a luminescence, a glow that bathes her.
She’s wearing the dress she bought to attend her brother’s wedding last year, bright and lively, and her mask has been made to match.
Fiona is standing with her, but as I push my way through the sea of bodies, I notice she moves away, leaving Maddie by herself. Just as I step behind Maddie, she begins to turn, and at the same time, someone bumps into me, knocking me forward. As Maddie finishes turning, she stumbles into me, losing her balance.
My hands shoot out, capturing her and holding her steady. She jumps, startled, and looks up at me. I’m rooted to the spot. Does she recognise me? She will if she hears me speak. She tries to take a small step back, and I tighten my grip on her. Her blue eyes shine with surprise and a hint of fear.