“It's Jake, she says, like she's just commenting on the weather,” Nina teases, smiling. “You know dear, if you don't give the bee something to come to, the flower remains untasted.”
“A thought that's been on my mind a lot recently,” I reply. “I just have to figure out how to do it right.”
Nina nods, then drops the napkin in her hand on the floor, giving me a wink. “Oops. Think you can help me out? This dress is far too constricting.”
Nina turns and leaves, leaving me looking down at the napkin. Hmm... why the fuck not? I bend down, intentionally keeping my legs straight as I feel my ass exposed directly in Jake's direction, snatching the napkin with my free hand before I stand back up and smooth my skirt down. I see Amy over on the other side of the room and I wave, heading over to her.
“Did I just see you give Jake Axton a full moon?” Amy asks when I come up, a huge grin on her face. “Well, him and about a half-dozen other people.”
“Nina dropped her napkin,” I say, setting the crumpled paper on the table next to us. “Don't want to be a litterbug, you know? How's the upstairs?”
“Luxurious, sensuous, and so far, mostly empty,” Amy purrs, running her right hand over her chest. “But some of the things they've got up there... oh baby, I'm going to have a hard time picking out what I want to do first.”
“Such as?” I ask, grabbing another champagne from one of the waiters. I sip carefully, I don't want to get totally wasted.
“A Sybian, a spreader bar with cuffs, all sorts of toys... there's something for everyone. And in other rooms, plenty of beds and satin sheets. Candles, fireplaces, all the romantic sort of stuff, too. Now it's time to see if the Professor needs a checkup. As for you... hmm, looks like you've got a bite on your little stunt. See ya.”
Amy gives whoever's behind me a wave of her fingers. “Nice outfit, honey,” she says and leaves.
“Thanks,” a familiar voice says. I turn, and it is Jake, and oh my God he's even more handsome up close. “Lollipop Chainsaw. Great game,” he says, looking me up and down appreciatively.
“Better cosplay, Lestat,” I reply, trying to play it cool. “Like the vest.”
“Better than wearing the full coat and tails, I'd sweat my balls off,” Jake says. “But you shouldn't bend over like that, especially in that fucking thong. You nearly broke a six pack of dicks back there.”
“That's the dicks' problem, not mine,” I reply, angry for some reason. Why am I being a bitch? I put the bait out there for him, and he was obviously interested enough to come find me. “Is that all?”
Jake shakes his head, his eyes gleaming. “Let's dance. Show me if that's just a costume, or if you're able to back up what you're promising.”
“Excuse me?” I ask, shocked and turned on at the same time. His voice is oozing with cockiness, and the way he looks at me right now, my thong is soaked and I'm wondering if I'm going to start dripping down my leg here in a second. I down the rest of my drink and set it aside, turning back to look him in the eyes. “You think you can just order me around? Like I'm some sort of bar slut?”
“Bar slut? No. But you're dressed pretty slutty tonight,” Jake notes, his eyes flickering down to my breasts. “It's not a bad thing, but you look like you're cruising for something. So... can you actually dance, or are you just cockteasing?”
“You wanna find out?” I ask, moving around him and grabbing his wrist. He could resist me easily, he outweighs me by probably eighty pounds or more, but he follows me out to the space in front of the DJ where people have started to dance. The beat's nice, and I get into it, moving my body to the rhythm and watching Jake. He's keeping to the music, and while he's not busting out anything worthy of a Soul Train line, he moves well, his body calling out to me. When the music slows down he pulls me closer and I don't resist, my skin crackling with electricity when he puts his hand on my low back. I'm starting to grind on him, and my God, I think I feel his cock all hard, pressing against my thigh.
“Come upstairs with me,” Jake growls in my ear, but I stop, pulling back. No, it's too fast, it's all too fast. I want to, but shit, I'm not very good at this!
“No,” I hiss, my voice shaky. I walk away on quivering legs, and I can feel Jake's eyes burning into my back as I curse myself. What the hell am I doing?
Suddenly I feel his hand on my shoulder, turning me back around to look him in the eyes, and I expect him to be angry, but he's not. “What are you doing?”
“I'm not someone you can order around,” I tell him. “I don't crumble that easy.”
Jake blinks, the words soaking in. “Then what are you doing here?”
I look up, trying to control the toxic mix of anger, shame, and arousal inside me, trying to find words. Finally I take a deep breath and look him into his dark, powerful eyes. “Maybe I came here tonight looking for a football player to bang.”
Jake grins, realizing what I'm trying to say. “Well, you've got one right here, Cassie.”
Wait... he knows my name? I back up, taking a step back before I pass out, and turn, leaving the ballroom. I've gotta get some air.
Chapter 4
Jake
Watching her practically run out of the room, I'm confused. Didn't she recognize who I really am under this stupid fucking shirt? I didn't wear any makeup, the fangs aren't distorting my mouth that much, and other than pulling my hair up, I'd say I look like me. The fucking pants look like football pants more than anything else. Do I really look that different from the guy that went to high school with her, and has shared English Lit class with her this entire semester?
Part of me says I should just say fuck it, and find another girl. There's at least a dozen here who'd let me do any and everything to them, I can see two now who are approaching me. But... but this is Cassie, and if she's willing tonight, I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone else fuck her. Still, part of me says that even if it's not fucking her tonight, I... I don't know what I'm thinking right now, I just need to follow her.
I ignore the sluts, one dressed as that X-Men chick who wears sunglasses all the time, the other one dressed as a hooker. How fitting, although I doubt I'd have to pay her a dime. Instead, I walk toward the doors of the ballroom, stopping when Luke gets in front of me. “Hey, whatcha doin'? Those honeys behind you are about ready to fuck the floor just looking at you.”
“Quality over quantity,” I explain, pushing past him. “Go have fun, Lukey.”
“I hate when you call me Lukey,” Luke says, but I've already moved past him, heading out the doors into the foyer. I don't see Cassie, there's only four people, some girl dressed in a long black gown heading for what the small sign overhead says is the bathroom, a couple making out on the stairs, and a waitress dressed like one of the staff.
“Hey, you seen a blonde cheerleader?” I ask, and the waitress nods. “Well, can you tell me where she went?”
“Out the back, sir,” the waitress says, pointing toward a door to the left of the bathroom corridor. “It leads to the garden.”
“Thanks,” I reply, tossing off a little salute. “You enjoying yourself?”
The waitress smiles lightly, mysteriously. “That will come later, sir.”
What the hell's that mean? This is weird. No time for that now though as I hurry after Cassie, emerging from the short corridor into what looks like a dining room, and through French doors onto the back porch. Actually, back porch is hardly the proper term to use, it's a whole back deck. The moon is up and huge in the sky, white and full. I look around, and there's Cassie, leaning against the railing, the lower curve of her ass hanging out of her skirt but I don't think she knows it this time. I take a deep breath and cross the deck, trying to not surprise or freak her out. “Cassie? Sorry if I came off as a demanding asshole. That wasn't what I meant to do. I just thought...”
Cassie turns her head and looks me up and down, and for the first time with her I feel like I'm the one being evaluated, not the other way around. It feels strange, because I don't th
ink she's looking me over just physically, but like she's assessing me. “I know who you are, Jake. We went to high school together for three years, and you're easily recognizable, even in that Lestat costume. You just... you surprised me.”
“How?” I ask, leaning against the railing next to her. “I mean, I know I was a little forward, but I thought you were enjoying that. Just playing the game, you know?”
Cassie laughs quietly, looking up into the night sky. In the pale moonlight she's even more beautiful, looking something like a statue or some other piece of artwork. Ironically, she looks more like her video game inspiration than ever, other than the moonlight turning her lenses white. It's sexy, and behind the lenses I can see her eyes glisten. When she licks her lips, I can feel a tingle in my still-aching cock, and I've got it bad right now. I'm not out here just following my cock though, I'm sure of it. But I don't know exactly why I'm out here.
“Jake... we've been around each other for three years. How many words have we exchanged in all that time?”
I shrug, propping my elbows on the railing and looking out on the garden. “I don't know. A couple dozen, maybe?”
Cassie nods, looking over, the moonlight disappearing from her lenses and letting me see her eyes fully again. “And tonight, with less than that, you tried to get me upstairs. Until you said my name, I wasn't even sure you knew it. I'm not that easy, even if I'm dressed that way. I'm no slut.”
“I know that! For three years I watched you as...” I reply, suddenly hot under the collar. Who knew that this frilly fucking shirt would be so hot on a Louisiana night? I thought this thing was supposed to be lightweight! “I'm just saying, I know you're not a slut.”
“But you just treated me like one,” Cassie says quietly. “For three years, you never gave me the time of day. For three years you and I moved through the same hallways, and now we're going through English Lit together. And until I dressed like one of the sluts you've been dating all this time, you never talked to me. I dress in this costume, and suddenly you're all up on me.”
She smiles, and I think she's trying to be playful, maybe playing a bit mean as she steps close enough that I can see between her breasts in her top and I have to restrain myself from touching her. I swallow, wishing I had the balls to explain the truth. Explain how I've been trapped too, how I wanted to talk to her, and how I was afraid. I was afraid that if I broke the unwritten rules, I'd be kicked out of the in crowd. That I'd be alone, and after moving to Louisiana from halfway across the country, I was afraid of being alone more than anything else. Instead, I grin back, reaching up and playing with one of her ponytails. “Cassie, I'm sorry about the past. And maybe you're right, I went too fast in there. But you gotta admit, you look very fuckable tonight, and I don't know if you know it, but that little stunt you pulled with the napkin short-circuited my head a little.”
“Fuckable, huh?” Cassie asks, stepping back and her smile disappearing. “Excuse me Jake, I think I should go.”
“Wait, Cassie!” I say, taking her wrist. “What's wrong? I'm just trying to say you look hot tonight.”
“Yeah... but that's the problem,” Cassie says, turning back to me. She twists her wrist in my grip and pops free, a nifty little move that catches me off guard. She's agile and athletic, too... what else don't I know about her?
“What do you mean?”
Cassie tugs at her skirt, looking down. “Because I'm not a zombie hunter, or a video game hottie, or a cheerleader. I'm just a nerd, a nerdy girl who wanted to play dress-up tonight, and maybe indulge in a little fantasy. But tomorrow, I have to be able to look at myself in the mirror, and the girl who's going to look back isn't any of those sexy things you're so hard up to fuck right now. I'm just Cassie Barnett, the girl who's had a crush on you for three years, and she's not able to handle what's going to happen when you fuck me and then treat it like a one-night stand. So... thank you for the dance, but I gotta go.”
She turns and walks off quickly, almost running, leaving me standing there, stunned. Wait, Cassie's had a crush on me? So, all those looks, those times I thought maybe she was interested in me, they were real, I wasn't just imagining it?
Whoa.
Chapter 5
Cassie
The bar is on the other side of the ballroom from the DJ area, so it's a little quieter, although I think they've turned up the volume as the party's gotten into swing more. A glance at the people dancing shows a lot more skin-to-skin contact, and I think the guy dressed in a sheet like a ghost is literally fucking a girl who's dressed like a geisha in the corner of the dance floor. It's making my head swim, and I turn, grabbing a champagne before slamming it down, still not satisfied. “Another!”
“Perhaps some ginger ale would be better,” a deep, powerful voice says next to me, and I turn my head to see Professor Henderson in his Phantom of the Opera getup.
“Of course, Professor,” the bartender says, reaching down and popping a bottle of ginger ale out before pouring it into a flute and handing it to me. “Here you are.”
“Go ahead, Cassie. I chose ginger ale for the backup drink because while I don't mind if people celebrate the night with drinks, there are times when alcohol isn't quite what you need, but camouflage is a useful tool. Right now, you look like you need something to settle your nerves, not to drop your inhibitions.”
“You recognize me, too,” I say, sipping at the ginger ale. It's sweet and cold, the bartender must be keeping it on ice under the bar. “Does everyone realize I'm dressed as a video game slut right now and still know who I am?”
“Hardly. I choose who I invite to this party very, very carefully,” Professor Henderson says. “You have friends here, yes, but nobody here will judge you or say anything about what you choose to do tonight. Still, would you like to talk where it's a little quieter? Say, the foyer?”
“My friend Amy's going to be jealous,” I joke, and he gives me a small, knowing smile. She's probably already hit on him, or maybe he's turned her down already? “But just talk, Professor.”
“I promise, just talk. I'm a teacher, and you are a fine student. When that happens I sometimes delay my personal needs to indulge in another pleasure of mine, education.”
We go out into the foyer, which is suddenly strangely deserted, with almost no sound. Even the ballroom sounds weirdly quieter than it did just five feet ago through the door. Professor Henderson sees my expression, his secret smile growing a fraction of an inch. “Cassie, do you know why I always have this party on Halloween, regardless of what day of the week the thirty-first of October happens to be?”
“You said something about magic, but I'll be honest, I don't believe in magic,” I reply, shivering for some reason even though the air still feels hot and muggy, typical Louisiana. “I thought you were being figurative.”
Professor Henderson's smile doesn't falter, and I can imagine that behind that mask, he's arching his right eyebrow like he does in class. “Did you? Hmm... well, let me explain what magic means. It isn't some sort of unknowable mystical power, and it certainly isn't just that simple sleight of hand stage magicians use. But what makes a good magic trick, Cassie? What makes a great magician?”
“Good technique, I guess? A good way to distract your audience, and I guess atmosphere.”
“Correct. Also, a good dose of luck for some of the most impressive feats of magic. So let's look at this party. My brother and I host it every year, and while it is infamous around campus, the invite list is very exclusive, and everyone wonders how we select the people we invite to this party, which adds to the mystery and helps create the atmosphere. We always host it on Halloween night, and I have the plantation staff dress up. I hire a DJ, I serve alcohol even. I take many risks to establish the proper atmosphere.”
“You need a good dose of luck to not get fired, considering I just saw a ghost fucking a girl on the dance floor.”
Professor Henderson nods. “Luke and the others like him are just part of the distraction for some, and at the
same time indulging in their own magic. A measured risk, like a stage magician trying to tell a story or a joke, while in reality his hands are doing something totally different. Pay attention to my right hand, but ignore what my left hand is doing.”
“But every trick must have a point,” I comment. “What's yours?”
“To create a special magic, Cassie,” the Professor says. “I'm far older than you think I am, a good bit of luck and good bloodlines on my part. Everyone here, hopefully, will be able to sample some of that magic. For some people, such as Luke, that magic is being able to indulge in his deep desire for public sex. He did the same last year, and I suspect his deepest erotic fantasy is to have sex in the middle of Tigers Stadium while the crowd watches. Of course he can't, so the sheet and this party serve him well enough. Others have different deep desires, and not all of them are just sexual desires. Such as yourself.”
“I'm not just a notch on the bedpost,” I retort. “I don't want a one-night stand,” I say, despite having expected to do just that tonight. I wonder how I'd have reacted had it been anyone but Jake propositioning me.
The Professor nods, his smile disappearing as he considers what I just said before he replies. “And did you not dress up tonight with the specific goal of getting fucked?”
It's funny, the way he says it. It's not like the way Jake said it outside. Instead, there's a slight taunting note to it, like he's almost disappointed in me. I growl, crossing my arms over my chest. “Maybe... but I have my self-respect.”
“You wanted to get laid. So go get laid. It doesn't have to be Jake, you know. There are plenty of young men and women in there who would be happy to have sex with you,” the Professor notes. “Some you may not even realize.”
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