Josh’s back stiffened at my question, and he swung himself around so he could talk to me properly.
“No I didn’t think you would do anything with anyone at that party, but I thought maybe we,” and he stopped dead in mid sentence.
“And then Clint led you away, and the boys pushed me onto Stephania, and then I thought about getting accepted into the society, and the money, my future, and just acted. I don’t know what I was doing. I was just motivated to get in. I had too much champagne.” He looked stressed, running his hands through his hair. He had obviously replayed the night in his head over and over as much as I had.
“You don’t understand guys Norah, we don’t always think, we just do. It’s hard for us to focus clearly sometimes and we end up just acting on impulse, which isn’t always a smart thing.”
I did understand why he did what he did, but I was still so disappointed.
We were so close.
Josh gave me his best puppy dog eyes. I knew he was sorry; he didn’t have to keep saying it and I didn’t want to punish him any further. He was my best friend and had been there for me more times than I could count on my hands.
“Hmmm… Stephania… really.” I smirked at the name,
Josh looked like a wave of relief had washed over him. It was clear I was playing with him now, mocking his actions, which meant in my language that all was forgiven.
“Yes, I know, I know, Stephania!” We both laughed at the name.
“What kind of girls go to a party with their virginity, knowing it’s on the table for the taking? Is being part of the Lappell that important around here?”
“It’s a very influential and rich club Norah. You of all people should know why women throw themselves at money and power.”
Yes, I knew that all too well.
It grew silent again and Josh grabbed both my shoulders. “But I promise I will never lie to you, and I will never put you in that type of situation again. I would never want to be put in the same category as your,”
I broke from his grip. “I forgive you Josh, there’s no reason to bring him up, and I’m in no mood to talk about him.”
My body flinched as Josh kept going, “I would hate if you thought of me the same way as him.”
I rubbed his arm reassuringly, “I don't, OK. Just don’t do it again, alright.”
Josh held up his palm and put the other against his chest, “Scout’s honor. Never, ever, again.”
Josh finally pulled me in for a hug. It was nice to be back in the comfort of his arms. His friendship was so important to me. This was a blip on the radar compared to everything we had been through together. To let this ruin a budding relationship, yeah sure, but to let it destroy our friendship, no fucking way!
“So, I heard you went on a date with Clint.” Josh just blurted it out as we finished our hug and let each other go. My eyes darted away guiltily but I shouldn’t have felt any guilt.
Had he been waiting to bring this up?
“Ummm yes, we went to the gun range together. Nothing special.” Josh went still, quietly thinking, and I felt I had to keep talking, “I really don’t think we’ll be seeing each other again.”
Josh visibly relaxed. “I know I don’t have any right to tell you who to date, but Clint Weston; you can do better Norah. I know he is handsome and rich and everything that makes a woman’s head spin, but I don’t like him. I don’t trust him.”
I patted Josh on the head, “Not that it’s any of your business, but I think I can make up my own mind about Clint Weston.”
He simply nodded and we returned to watching the end of the movie, although I could tell he wanted to say a lot more.
Afterwards, we started to tidy up my apartment, putting our empty beer cans in the rubbish bin and plates in the sink. Josh hovered around the kitchen, trying to get my attention as I moved back and forth from the kitchen to the lounge.
“So...Norah. We have another party tomorrow night for the Lappell which involves a new test, since we failed the last one.” I stopped cleaning to look at him, wondering where he was going with this.
He tried to avoid my eyes as he continued. “And this time, we have to decipher some kind of mental puzzle. It's a mystery or something. I'm not quite sure myself, but I could really use an extra brain with this one, and we are allowed to bring a date, I mean guest.”
I was genuinely shocked that Josh was trying to ask me out again, and to an event held by the Lappell.
What was he thinking?
“And I know how you feel about the Lappell, but I can assure you that this party doesn’t have anything going on like the last party, well, not that I am aware of. You know, this might actually be fun for us. Me and you, working together, as friends.” I noticed he struggled in the part when he emphasized the word ‘friends’. I guess hearing about my date with Clint certainly defined to him how I was feeling right now.
I went back and forth in my mind for a few minutes debating between my distate towards the Lappell, and my friendship with Josh. I looked to Josh's forlorn face and those puppy dog eyes that pleaded with me silently. I sighed, and said, “Sure Josh, I’ll be your, guest.”
Chapter 4
Code Words
Slipping on the slinky red dress for the evening, my second-choice dress for the last party, I made an extra effort to look a little more glamorous for the night. Even though I had many reservations about being involved in any party hosted by the Lappell, I wanted my friendship with Josh to get back on solid ground. It still felt like it was flailing from the hit it took from the last party. If Josh was going to be a part of the Lappell, I had to find a way to be accepting of that world, especially since he had always been so accepting of mine.
This time I wouldn’t be completely naïve to the fake niceties projected by this group and I would remind myself that their appearances were nothing more than aesthetic. I don’t know why I wasn’t more wary to begin with. Secret societies were secret because their activities were not normally acceptable by public standards. I almost felt stupid not being more prepared. I guess part of me was still naïve in lots of ways, perhaps because of my youth, although I didn’t discount that to be a bad personality trait of mine.
Better to have some hope in the good of people than no hope at all.
I also had another motivation for making the extra effort to look nice. I wanted Clint to know his little brush off hadn’t affected me, even though I had not stopped thinking about our date and those kisses for the past week. My cheeks flushed. I really hated that every time I thought of Clint and his lips, my body came alive with heat. It was annoying because I couldn’t do anything about it. Clint had made himself pretty clear about how he felt when he did that dash after our date. I wish he could have just said he wasn’t interested. He didn’t have to be so flaky about it by running away. In any sense, if I saw Clint tonight, I assured myself that I was going to ignore him, and look good doing it.
This time I fastened my black hair up in a high sleek bun. Pinning my hair up always brought out my cheek bones and eyes. I emphasized my eyelashes with numerous coats of mascara and put on a dark cherry-red stain to my lips with some gloss.
“You look stunning,” Josh complimented as he held the limo door open for me as I climbed in again. I shivered with the sense of déjàvu.
“Thank you,” I smiled. This time I didn’t lean in towards Josh in the limo, but sat opposite him, discussing what was expected with the new test for the night. Since the conversation at this party was supposed to give you some kind of hint to solving a mystery, Josh explained that I would have to pay more attention to what was said by the senior members if I wanted to help. It sounded like an adult game of Clue, a concept which I loved. Maybe this would be fun after all.
Arriving at the Weston mansion once again, I felt I was more prepared for the atmosphere and the people. As we walked in, Josh didn’t take my hand as we entered the ballroom. Instead he held out his arm, allowing me to link with his. It felt formal, as
if he was officially introducing me to the club as a friend rather than a ‘virgin conquest’. This time I felt I could really be a part of Josh’s new world and would not allow it to become any kind of wedge in our friendship.
The ballroom was set up similar to the previous party but this time the servants wore brightly colored vests as they carried the trays with hors d’oeuvres and champagne. They looked paint-stained and very festive. I wasn’t sure if this was part of the whole theme of the evening, but it was fun to look at nonetheless.
The room went from whispers to being hushed as the new recruits were broken into four teams spread out around the ballroom. They were told that each group had to figure out a clue word amongst the conversation with the senior members. Josh and I were with two other couples who I was introduced to as Beth and Easton, Justine and Marcus, as well as some older members of the society, Denis, Robert and Glen.
We sipped champagne and the conversation flowed, mainly about politics from the older members. Trying to figure out a ‘key’ word was going to be a lot harder than I thought.
I scanned the room to see if I could spot Clint anywhere. He was standing with the fourth group near a corridor. He was already staring at me when our eyes found each other from across the room. I didn’t want him to see that I was searching for him, so I instantly turned back around when I realized he was looking for me too. I really wanted to walk over to him and ask him why he ran off after our gun range date and two of the most intensely filled kisses I ever had in my life, but then, I got distracted by the names of the three politicians that Denis was boring the group with.
“Wait a minute, I know those names. They went to jail for ballot fixing, money laundering and tax evasion.” Denis raised his eyebrows and glanced over to Robert and Glen, who seemed impressed at my knowledge of all three criminals.
“That’s right, I’ve seen their stories in the news,” Easton backed me up, “but that doesn’t mean anything. They all went to jail for different reasons.” There was silence again in the group as our minds worked furiously trying to decipher the hidden meaning.
“Oh, I know how those names correspond. They are all getting out on parole next week,” I announced and everyone stilled and stared at me with the most curious glances. I guess they were wondering how I could possibly know that kind of information, given I was merely an art student and a guest for the evening. It was no one’s business that I followed nearly all the criminal cases in the media. I had my reasons. Josh was the only person who didn’t look surprised and just patted my back.
“She’s right, they all get out on parole around the same time.” Josh was beginning to see where I was going, and I knew, like me, he was also up to speed with what was happening in the news.
Josh continued, “Which means… they are all going to be set free. And what one word sets you free?” The group smiled and we all said in unison, “The TRUTH.”
The older members clapped softly. “Well done gentlemen, and Miss Ross,” Denis praised. Josh looked very pleased and gave me an appreciative glance with his eyes before he rushed over to the other groups to see if they had figured out their key words.
The new recruits assembled in the middle of the ballroom with the older members across to the right side near the bar, closely observing the boys at work. Josh grabbed my hand, leading me into the middle of the room with the recruits. “Let’s see if she can help. Give her the words.” Josh motioned to a boy whose name I think was Elliot, but I wasn’t sure. “OK, we have REALIZE, LIE, ART, TRUTH.”
The boys came up with theory after theory but nothing seemed to fit the four words. I glanced over to Clint who was now standing with the senior members and my mind drifted off to our moment in front of Chagall’s Three Candles. I smiled at the memory and of the beautiful piece of art that became our very first romantic moment. Then it hit me, the brightly colored vests, “I’ve got it, I’ve got it!” There was instant silence and everyone turned their attention to what I was about to say. Aware of all the eyes focused on what was about to come out of my mouth, I looked again to Clint, who was now grinning broadly.
Did he do this on purpose?
“Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.” Everyone continued to stare at me with questioning looks. I huffed in frustration. “Picasso said it. Your answer is Picasso.”
The boys all made that ‘O’ sound and then laughed as if they all knew what it meant. They whispered amongst themselves and then one of the boys said out loud, “Alright, let’s go do it.”
Josh pulled me aside and said in a hushed voice, “I can’t really go into details, but we have to go brand something from a rival society whose mascot is nicknamed ‘Picasso’. Will you be OK to get home, because this could take all night? The limo will be able to take you back to your apartment.” Josh’s eyes gleamed mischievously.
“Of course, go do your thing,” and I waved him away with my hands. The new recruits filed out of the mansion, plotting and planning as they went. I swung myself around and headed towards the bar. I might as well try and enjoy myself a while longer before heading home.
As I thanked the bartender for a new glass of wine, I was tapped lightly on the shoulder. When I turned around, a senior member of the society stood before me. “Are you Joshua Hollow’s friend, Miss Ross?” I turned to face the handsome man in his late forties, dressed in a very expensive Burberry suit. You could tell he used to be very attractive as a younger gentleman as his features were still remarkably striking.
“I am,” I said, and he held out his hand.
“I’m Arthur Wickburn, president of this chapter of the Lappell. It’s a pleasure to meet such a beautiful young woman, and so intelligent as well. You are quite the package.” I blushed as I shook his hand. He had quite an effect.
Some men really do age like fine wine.
“Can I convince you to take a spin with me on the dance floor?” I loved the way he spoke, it felt so formal.
“Yes, that would be lovely,” and allowed him to lead me onto the dance floor.
The string quartet that was seated by the corner of the ballroom was playing various symphonies that were perfect for waltzing. Arthur was quite the polished dancer. He moved skillfully and I found myself swept up in the movements as he led me around the floor. As the music slowed he steadied us into a slow dance. “Have you given any thought to joining us Miss Ross? I think you would make a marvelous addition.”
I laughed at his humor. “My, you are funny, but I think you have plenty of talent among your group already.”
Arthur nodded slightly. “Ah yes, Mr. Hollows. He was quite the find. His IQ is extraordinary and his test scores are some of the best we have ever seen. He doesn’t do anything without thinking it through first.”
I smiled, thinking about Josh’s aspirations in business. “Yes, he certainly will do great things.”
Arthur spun me around, “Oh I’m sure of that.”
As we swayed, an interesting question popped into my mind, “Why do you recruit so close to graduation? I mean, wouldn’t it make sense to recruit when they are freshmen?”
Arthur smiled a little, “The Lappell likes to ensure certain things about its members before we recruit, so we usually cannot determine a member’s potential until closer to graduation, although there are always exceptions.”
The music slowed to an end and I released Arthur’s hands. “Thank you Arthur, but I think I need another drink.”
As we walked back to get a glass of wine, we were met at the bar by Clint who was leaning over the counter top, drinking his champagne. “Ah, Miss Ross, have you met one of our group leaders, Clint Weston?”, and he motioned for Clint to shake my hand.
I lifted my palm and backed away. “Oh we met at his last party, right Clint. What kind of party was that exactly?”
Clint looked me up and down and ignored my question, knowing I was trying to bait him, “You look really beautiful Norah.” My body shivered with his compliment; he looked at me so sweetly.
“You have no fear about what you say, I find that remarkable.” Clint passed me a glass of champagne and I took a sip.
“I don’t think being polite for polite’s sake makes you a better person. I try to be as genuine as I can afford.”
He leaned in, “It’s interesting that you say that. Are you implying you have secrets Miss Ross?” He was flirting with his eyes.
“No more than the Lappell,” and I started to walk off in the other direction. To my surprise, Clint followed until he was walking beside me.
“I was impressed with how quickly you put those words together Norah.”
I looked at Clint, not convinced. “Somehow I think you knew I would catch on, like you wanted me to be involved, especially since your recruits seem to be nothing more than business and law majors.”
Clint only smiled in agreement. “Then I guess it was a good thing you were here.”
“Hmmm… perhaps.”
Clint continued to walk beside me, not leaving the conversation alone like I thought he would. “Would you like to see the gardens? They are lit up in the evenings and most people find them quite lovely.”
I knew I was just asking for more mixed signals which would only confuse me further, but I couldn’t resist his invitation. My body was twitching to be close to him again, and it really did sound nice. “Yes alright, lead the way.”
I took Clint’s arm. He flinched when I touched him. I could sense our physical attraction growing instantly just from my grip on him. The pull of our bodies made me want to be even closer to him and I naturally gravitated inwards towards his arms until his hand moved and sat around my waist. He was very quiet as we walked along the corridor and to an entryway that lead outside. I felt his fingers gently caressing my hip in small sensual movements. It felt very intimate as we strolled quietly to the outside stairs with only the closeness of our bodies speaking for us. I should have been angrier about how things were left from our date, but suddenly I didn’t feel angry at all, only relieved that he was touching me and that we were together.
Pieces of Lies Page 6