“Your invitation?” A sleekly dressed man in a black tuxedo yelled over the loud orchestral music that was sweeping in the fortress behind him and flowing outside into the cold dark. He extended his bulging arms out in waiting.

  “I don’t have one,” I pouted, pushing my lips together seductively, the glossy darkened tones reflecting into his view, while I batted eyes at him through my cat like mask, a staple of the masquerade. I leaned forward, trying to show some skin with my tight black dress, with an ever higher slit up my thigh. “Could you maybe make an exception?”

  The doorman hesitated, before shaking his head. “I’m afraid not.” He removed a handkerchief from his breast pocket and dabbed his temples quickly.

  I was in.

  “Maybe,” I sidled up to him, “I could give you an invitation,” I spotted a pen in his same pocket and removed it delicately, before clicking it, snatching snatching his wrist, and quickly scrawling a fake number down upon it. “You let me in...and I let you in.”

  “Oh, uh, well...” the towering doorman had fallen, his resolve shaken. Too easy.

  “Catch ya later,” I winked, and sashayed past him, “stud.” I gently scratched his arm with the ornate cat like nails upon my costume gloves and slipped past him.

  Finding my way into the entrance of the luxurious tower, I came upon an expansive entryway book-ended by two large, golden, stairwells, which were weaving around to lead up to separate elevators.

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  Servers were already meeting guests, who were in a variety of party costumes, and attending to them with drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

  Patrons laughed in jubilant tones as I followed up the steps and landed my way to an elevator. It appeared as if many were biding their time down here, and meeting up with other friends and acquaintances beforehand. Luckily, a problem I never had to deal with.

  Catching an elevator, I stepped inside. The button was already locked to the main ballroom by attendants who stood outside their doors. It was smooth so far. Just the way I liked it.

  The doors closed slowly, but were stopped just before, by a muscular hand, adorned with a plethora of rings and a golden watch, that slipped in. I scowled at the thought of someone holding me over any longer than necessary.

  “My, my,” a tall suited man stepped inside. He wore golden mask upon his face that rose higher into a crown, above a pair of grey eyes and a chiseled jaw. “A lady must never be forced to enter a party alone. May I accompany you...if only for the ride?”

  “You think highly of yourself,” I shot back, twirling and leaning against the hand carved mosaics of moons and stars upon the railings behind me. “You dare to imply that I come alone.”

  “My apologies, Miss,” he smiled.

  “Yet the implication presides,” I smirked, wondering how long I could hold this type of dialogue before cracking.

  “No offense intended,” he offered his hand, hoping that I would extend my own. “May I trade reparations for my err in judgment?”

  “You may not,” I cut back.

  “Very well,” he grinned, at the thought of a challenge, perhaps for the first time in his life.

  The doors closed in front of us, the elevator shooting upwards, with immense speed, yet unfounded softness for the ride.

  “Your first time attending?” The man asked, his eyes cutting deep through his mask and maintaining an intoxicating and dangerous stare straight into me.

  “Why does it matter?” I said, turning my head and looking at him through the golden reflection of the elevator’s side panels.

  “It doesn’t,” he grinned. “Save for...maybe a few...rules.”

  I let out a sigh, my resolve faltering momentarily. “Rules?”