Alice snorted this time, drawing the attention of a nearby elderly couple who smiled in their direction. She smiled back, winked and took a small gulp of her drink, still laughing.
‘Shhh,’ said Emilia, waving her hands to quiet her sister down. ‘Listen. Cass and I have been talking… about opening up our relationship.’
Alice’s eyes flew wide open and she leaned forward almost spitting out hot coffee. As she tried to gulp it down she burnt her throat and split some on her hands.
‘Holy shit, Em. I always figured that one day you two would finally discover a kink, but you’re gonna do a marathon before you even tried running? Maybe let him stick his dick in your ass first, before you let him fuck other women.’
Emilia smiled at Alice and raised her eyebrows.
‘Oh my God, you already let him stick it up your bum? I don’t even know you anymore. When did you become edgy?’
‘Stop it,’ said Emilia, blushing.
‘So what’s made you want to do this? Are you guys still happy together?’
‘Yes, absolutely. That’s a large part of it. It may sound weird, but we’re completely and utterly comfortable with each other. We’re happy, we’re in love, and we trust each other intimately.’
‘Until you fall for someone else.’
‘That won’t happen.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because I love Cass,’ she said. ‘And because even if I did start to like someone else, I would still love Cass.’
‘You fall in love fast, Em. You fell in love with your first boyfriend, and then you fucking married him.’
‘That’s a bad example, because it’s the only example. I love, Cass and you know I do.’
Alice stared at her sister, probing her. Then she smiled. ’Test passed. I think,’ she said. ‘Just don’t be saying this out loud and inside you’re thinking that you want to do this to save your relationship, or because you think he wants to, or because you just want to fuck around.’
Emilia shook her head.
Alice looked around at the other people in the cafe, and then leaned in.
‘Orgies are the fucking best.’
‘Oh my goodness,’ said Emilia. ‘Seriously?’
Alice nodded, laughing.
‘Hell yes,’ she said. ‘In fact, there’s a masquerade ball in a weeks time.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Everyone dresses up in black tie, lingerie and evening wear and you wear these old ornate masks, or quite frankly whatever you can find in the charity shop. You basically mask up and spend an evening mingling with other couples. There’s usually a buffet, theatrics, some musical entertainment and then if you’re interested, and stay on past the end of the night, they open up a bunch of private rooms and everyone gets naked and starts fucking.’
‘Oh gosh,’ said Emilia, leaning forward.
‘It’s not strictly just for swingers or whatever, it’s like a high society thing, mingle with the big wigs, push your business card around, network, and later if you’re up to it, fuck someones husband or wife.’
She raised her eyebrows at her sister, invitingly.
‘Maybe,’ said Emilia.
‘If you want I can get you both tickets? It’s not exactly the sort of thing you can pick up online.’
‘I should probably talk to Cass first,’ she replied, but she was already getting excited.
‘I’ll get you the tickets, there’s no pressure. You don’t have to stay, just go and have a good time on me and see where the night goes.’
‘Cass was talking about boundaries the other night?’
‘Have you set some?’
‘No, well, sort of,’ she said, concerned that she’d done something wrong.
‘Probably for the best, if you want to really enjoy yourself. But if you do set boundaries, stick to them. Make them a golden rule, never to be broken and then don’t break them. Once the trust goes, it all falls apart. I’ve been there, and it’s shit.’
‘Thank you, I knew I could talk to you about this,’ said Emilia. ‘Wait, will you be there?’
Alice shrugged, ‘Maybe?’ she said. ‘Perhaps me and Cass could finally get it out of our system, eh?’
‘I’d let you,’ said Emilia, without hesitation.
Alice’s eyes widened again. ‘Wow, and on that sex-bombshell, I’d better go back to work.’
She stood up and downed the rest of her Mocha and then hugged her sister tightly, kissing her on the cheek and then holding her shoulders.
‘You ever need to talk about this, don’t hesitate. Nothing is taboo between us, okay? I love you.’
‘I love you, too. Thank you.’
Alice winked and turned to leave and then spoke loudly.
‘Even if it’s about bum stuff,’ and with that she walked out the door of the cafe, to silence, save for the tinkle of crockery.
Emilia went bright red and sat straight down, desperately trying to shrink into her seat but failing miserably.
*
Alice delivered the tickets in person a few days later and Emilia had excitedly opened the door to greet her.
‘I haven’t asked Cass yet,’ she whispered conspiratorially, as her sister stepped over the threshold. ‘Do you think I should surprise him?’
‘Surprise him? With an orgy?’ said Alice. ‘Maybe one step at a time, Em.’
‘Oh, ok. Are you coming in?’
‘No, I have to dash. I’ve got to meet with a client. In fact I’m going to be away for a few days in Germany.’
‘That’s not too far,’ said Emilia, relaxing a little. She always became anxious when Alice travelled.
‘No, thankfully. Had to pull two all-nighters this week, although a long plane journey would’ve been nice to reset the clock.’
‘When are you back?’
‘Saturday, just in time for the ball.’
’So you’re going?’ said Emilia, hopeful.
‘Maybe,’ said Alice. ‘It all depends on how knackered I am when I get back.’
‘Let me know if you’re up to it,’ said Emilia.
‘I will not,’ said Alice, winking and shushing her fingers to her lips. ‘I've got to go, take it easy, Em and don't rush things.’
Emilia closed the door as Alice drove away, then walked back into the living room where Cassian was watching morning television.
‘Who was that?’ he asked, looking up as he turned down the volume.
‘Alice, she popped by to give us some tickets for an event next weekend.’
‘She’s not coming in?’ he said, looking past her into the corridor.
‘Don't be too disappointed,’ sighed Emilia. ‘She's off to Germany.’
Cassian nodded and turned back to the TV.
‘What's the event?’ he asked.
Emilia sat down on the couch and opened the envelope.
‘It's a masquerade ball,’ said Emilia. ‘She might not make it, but she’s given us some tickets.’
‘Like, tuxedo and a mask? How decadent.’
‘There's an after party too.’
‘Oh yeah?’
Emilia nodded, but Cassian’s attention was back on the TV now, watching and listening to the news reporter read out the headlines for the day.
‘Where everyone gets naked and fucks,’ she said.
Cassian turned back to her, brow furrowed.
‘What?’
Emilia smiled. ‘There's an after party, we don't have to go though, but Alice says it's a lot of fun.’
‘Wait, you spoke to Alice about this?’
Emilia nodded. ‘We talk about everything, Cass.’
Cassian continued to stare, wide eyed. ‘And she’s okay with it?’
‘Yes. Come on, this is Alice we’re talking about. If you’re not sure about going, that’s fine.’
She got up and walked off into the kitchen. Cassian called after her and then followed.
‘I'm sorry, I'm just a bit surprised. This is going a bit quicker than I thought i
t would. The other day we were talking about opening up our marriage and now we’ve got tickets to an orgy at the weekend and your sister knows all about it? It's a lot to take in.’
Emilia stayed quiet, looking down at the floor, hand resting on the kitchen counter surface. Cassian picked up the tickets and looked them over.
‘The Carnaval de Débauche?’ said Cassian, raising his eyebrows. ‘So what happens at the after party?’
‘I don’t know? Alice says that it’s just for whoever wants to stay on.’
‘There must be more to it than that.’
Emilia shrugged. ‘Maybe they give out secret invites while we’re there?’
‘Your name’s not on the list, because you’re not hot enough?’ joked Cassian.
Emilia shrugged. She was beginning to feel a bit deflated.
‘What about cameras? I don’t want to end up in the local paper, I think the boss might have a few words to say about it.’
‘There’s no way they’d let cameras in, but I don’t really know.’
Cassian put the tickets back down on the side and then looked over at Emilia.
‘I know, I'm sorry,’ he said. ‘It’s just huge. Maybe, could we go to the ball and if we’re not feeling comfortable, we just leave at closing time?’
Emilia looked back up at him, and smiled.
‘Yeah that’s fine,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry, I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I'm just excited about this.’
She stepped forward into his arms and they hugged.
‘Don't be sorry, let's just go, and see what happens,’ said Cassian.
Emilia looked up at him, with her big eyes.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Let's do it.’
*
CHAPTER TWO
THE CARNAVAL DE Débauche was taking place at a secret mansion somewhere on the outskirts of Oxford and after signing up and verifying their identities (a stage which had nearly put Emilia off entirely) she had been informed that she would receive a text an hour beforehand letting them know the location of the event.
Now they were following a Jaguar down a long, illuminated, tree lined driveway which led to a secluded mansion with enough parking for a several hundred guests.
The mansion itself was bathed in yellow light, lit by spotlights from below. The ground floor was punctuated by grand Victorian windows, each one almost twenty-foot tall, with thick velvet curtains closed to the outside world. As Cassian pulled up, under the supervision of a luminous parking attendant, he saw that the grounds were being patrolled by security. This was clearly a well organised event, he thought to himself as he stepped out of their battered Fiesta, and we are a little bit out of our depth.
He went around to Emilia’s door and opened it for her, holding out his hand to help her step out. She looked radiant in a deep purple, ankle length evening dress, embroidered with gold stitching and a revealing neckline which Cassian found himself staring down, knowing he wouldn't be the last tonight to get the same sort of view. Or perhaps even more? The sudden thought brought back that feeling of jealously again, maybe even possessiveness and he stifled it and took a deep breath.
He had watched her get dressed and seen the pink and black lace knickers she had chosen, the thigh high stockings with the little bow that she had pulled on and clipped to the pink and flowery basque that made her breasts look like they were overflowing. She looked so stunning and heartbreakingly beautiful, that he didn't want her to ever leave the house again.
He focused his mind on how much he loved her. Telling himself that he wanted this too and reminding himself how much he wanted her to be happy. But his heart still ached at the idea of someone else touching her and he had to swallow his pride and think about something else to stop him from turning around, getting back in the car and driving away from all of this.
‘I feel like a small fish in a big fucking pond,’ he said quietly as she stood next to him, marvelling at the sight of the mansion.
‘Does it matter?’ she asked. ‘We’re here now. Shall we?’
She extended out her hand to him and he took it and led her off towards the entrance. As they walked Emilia adjusted her mask with her free hand. She had found an ornate and delicate lace disguise, with what appeared to be intricate craftsmanship, prickled with crystal and glitter. It was simple and stunning and moulded almost perfectly to her face, except for the eye holes which she was finding frustratingly small.
Cassian on the other hand had opted for a much more stark and bold choice. His was black and ivory in colour with chessboard streaks and baroque embossing set against a cracked China backing. It covered two thirds of his face, making him look like the Phantom of the Opera.
Emilia had laughed when he first put it on, but she had to admit that he looked devilishly handsome and had told him so. She was worried she might end up being rather left behind this evening in the attention stakes.
As they approached the entrance, a small queue had formed, with two doormen verifying identities and performing searches of bags and coats. They had left their phones in the car, and Emilia felt a little vulnerable without them.
Once inside the mansion they were greeted by an exuberant and fancifully dressed man who directed them through to the ballroom where the rest of the guests were beginning to mingle.
It struck Emilia as she walked in, that she was somewhat overdressed, and that she wasn't quite young enough for the room. Most of the people in front of her were nubile twenty somethings, clad in what was little more than lacy lingerie and it was clear that they were toned, muscly, skinny and gorgeous, and she found it quite intimidating. But it quickly became apparent that age was not a barrier, and she also realised that whilst the younger crowd had congregated together, the older crowd was encircling the room in smaller, more cliquey pockets. Many of the groups were observing the younger ones. It felt a little uncomfortably like an auction of flesh, and it made her feel slightly uneasy.
They gravitated towards the outer edge of the room away from the hustle in the middle and made their way along to the buffet at the far end.
‘Are you okay?’ said Emilia. ‘This is a bit weird, isn’t it?’
‘It's not what I was expecting, this feels a bit like a school disco, with masks.’
‘Shall we get a drink? We don't have to stay if it gets weird.’
Cassian nodded as they continued weaving their way through the crowd, squeezing their way past women dressed as if they’d walked straight off a porn set.
The lights went out.
Emilia grabbed for Cassian’s hand in the dark.
There was a low rumble, like thunder approaching, and then a voice reverberated around the room. A spotlight shone down from the ceiling illuminating the entrance which was now flooded by a thick cloud of dry ice.
The exuberant man appeared through the smoke.
‘Welcome one, welcome all. Welcome ladies and welcome gentleman and welcome to all those in between.’
There was a flash and a crash and new lights lit the space from hundreds of angles, transforming what initially appeared to be a gaudy, baroque ballroom into a bright, colourful, sophisticated and almost theatrical space.
Hung above them in the centre of the room were three giant masks, more than fifteen feet across, looking out and down on them all in every direction.
There was more too, somehow whilst the lights had been turned off and their attention had been drawn to the host, large Art Deco mirrors had been erected around the space, along with drapes which had unfurled from the ceiling. Venetian lamps and tables had sprung seemingly out of the floor, busts of Roman figures and Greek statues had appeared from nowhere and when Emilia looked closely she realised that the statues were living performance artists, standing stock still and naked, covered in a dusty white powder that gave the appearance of stone.
It was unreal and her eyes were wide with amazement. She realised she was still holding Cassian’s hand and she slowly relaxed her grip.
; The atmosphere of the whole room had changed, it had gone from what seemed like a slightly awkward costume party, to, well… a Carnival of Debauchery.
The compere’s theatrical voice boomed through the room again. ‘And doth the evening hath begun, bare not your souls foul fiends of filth, but bare your flesh with masques of silk, on all fours though beggest sooth and in thine soul find ruin or truth.’
With this, the room shuddered with the sound of drums and a thunderous bass line as the music began and in the centre the younger crowd began to go wild.
Emilia was enthralled, but as much as she loved the intensity and theatrical power of it all, it was proving a little too much too soon.
She tugged at Cassian's arm and pointed towards an anteroom off the main event, and they began to weave their way through the crowd together, hand in hand.
As they walked, a young woman, masked and dressed in an elegant and entirely see through red-lace gown, slapped Cassian on the bum, pinching hard before disappearing into the crowd.
Once they reached the ante room, the sound of the music began to fade to a more manageable volume and they stepped over the threshold to find a more civilised scene, with couples talking, eating and drinking wine. Even the clothing that most of them wore was more in line with Cassian and Emilia’s choices and both of them began to relax a little.
‘We should mingle,’ said Emilia, winking and then noticing Cassian’s expression. ‘Are you okay?’
He nodded, ‘Just a little intimidated.’
‘You? I'm surprised. I like your honesty though,’ she said, smiling. ‘Come on, let's go find a nice group of people to slip into. We can be whoever we want, remember? We’re in disguise.’
She pulled him forward with a squeeze of her hand as she laughed.
*
Cassian first saw Amy in the reflection of one of the eight foot tall baroque mirrors which had been erected around the room like monoliths. Her bright red hair caught his eye, and he found himself drawn back to look for her, tuning out of the droning conversation he was stuck in with a banking executive from Slough.
Be With Us: An Urban Foursome Love Story (Erotic Swingers Book 1) Page 3