Rating: R
WARNING: This story contains a same sex kiss. If that bothers you, don't read it.
My thanks to Tomy and Apollo for beta reading.
MasquesThe dark red liquid swirled and rose in her glass. She looked up at the masked person who was filling it and smiled. There were several empty bottles dotting the table and the wine had found its way onto the white linen cloth in maroon half moons, splashes, and drops. She looked down into her glass and contemplated the wisdom of drinking it. She had already lost count of how many she'd had.
Soft lace caressed her hand as a woman slid by her on her way to somewhere more important. Bonnie looked up to see the masked, lace and blue satin-clad woman blow her a kiss before she turned and disappeared into the whirling crowd. She shook her head. It had been a strange night. She tried to watch the woman's progress into the crowd, but it was nearly impossible. There were easily a hundred people in the room, all clad in the same Victorian style outfits and intricate masques. It was hard to keep track of anyone for more than a few minutes. The Victorian dancing kept everyone in the room moving, with groups of people twirling, bowing, and creating sweeping patterns on the dance floor before changing partners and beginning again. It was quite a scene.
A man approached her, took her hand, and bowed eloquently in front of her. She set down her glass and followed him out onto the dance floor. He was wearing a beautiful musketeer hat with a short peacock plume that drifted on the air currents as he moved. His long cape and iridescent blue and green masque completed the outfit. Only his dark green eyes and slender hands provided clues to his identity. Intrigued, Bonnie moved closer to dance with him.
Lila Montgomery was a remarkable person, Bonnie thought, as she twirled with the stranger. Devon had warned them that Lila was eccentric, but this was more than she had bargained for. They had all been told that they were required to bring a Victorian costume and masque that completely obscured their identity. They were also required to keep the costume a secret from the people who knew them. Lila was very adamant that everyone was supposed to be unknown. Several of the guests were staying at Lila's secluded estate, and she had gone so far as to give them staggered arrival times for the party so that people couldn't tell who everyone was when they saw them leave their rooms. Bonnie had thought it was ridiculous at first and way too much time and effort, but it was also part of a fundraising weekend at Lila's estate, so Devon had insisted. He and Lila had a long history together, so there was really no way out of it. Bonnie had been expecting the usual dry meet and greet, but this was the most intriguing fundraiser she had ever attended.
The music ended and Bonnie's dance partner took his leave. She tried to memorize his eyes. She wanted to try to figure out who he was later.
Bonnie floated back toward a section of the room where several people were standing and watching the crowd. One of the other rules Lila had insisted on was that the partygoers were not to talk. The music was quite loud to compensate for the quiet, but there was still something eerie about it. All these people were interacting but not a single word was being spoken. Well, Bonnie knew that not everyone was following the rules, but it was a testament to Lila's will that most people were.
Scanning the crowd, Bonnie tried to pick out men who could be Michael or Devon. The lights were low and it was hard to see through the constantly moving sea of velvet and lace. Each costume seemed to trap the light and then flow into the next costume, creating a moving palette of deep, rich colors. There were at least four or five men in the room who were tall enough to be Michael, but that was as far as she could get. She had been looking to catch a glimpse of the men's wrists. She was sure that Michael would forget to take off his comlink; although it was sad that she had to rely on that in order to find him. She had thought that it would be no problem picking out Michael and Devon. She had felt that she knew them too well to be fooled by a costume, but the wine was making things hazy and it was more difficult than she had expected. They both had very clear blue eyes but it was tough to get close enough to people to see them, and the light was dim anyway. She gave up looking and hoped that she would run into one of them though happenstance.
The ballroom definitely fit the bill for a masquerade party, Bonnie thought. Heavy gold-framed paintings and sconces holding candles broke the continuity of the dark wood paneling. There were large gold leaf candle chandeliers that didn't quite chase the shadows from the corners and almost everywhere she looked, there was a mirrored surface of some kind. Bonnie caught sight of herself in a square gold-framed mirror hung on the wall nearest her. She was wearing a dark red velvet dress with black lace trim. The only parts of her face that were visible, aside from her eyes, were her lips and chin, although, they didn't quite seem to belong to her -- she was wearing dark red lipstick that wasn't one of her typical colors. Her masque was black with silver sequined trim around the eyes and the edges. It curled back around her ears and covered the edge of her blonde wig. All of the partygoers staying at the estate had been given wigs to wear. The men all had wigs of long dark curls. Some of them had tied the hair back; others let it cascade down over their shoulders. The woman all had blond hairpieces that were swept up on top and cascaded down with perfectly shaped ringlets. Blonde. It was definitely a different look on her. It didn't suit her coloring, but it certainly helped hide her identity. All in all the look was, well, of someone who was not her.
Feeling slightly disoriented, Bonnie reached up to touch a blond curl that hung in front of her face when she realized there was someone standing close behind her. A hand touched her wig and then slowly traveled down to the nape of her neck. The fingers slowly slid over to her shoulder, following the line of lace on the edge of her dress. Bonnie turned around and was surprised to see the woman who had blown her a kiss earlier, catching her eyes in a significant stare. Bonnie found the direct eye contact uncomfortable and had to look away. The woman continued to trace the accent of lace around her shoulder, down across her collarbone, around the low-cut neck, and up to the other shoulder. Then she kissed Bonnie lightly on the lips, giggled, and disappeared again into the mass of people.
Bonnie let out a sigh, not realizing that she had been holding her breath. That was a new experience. There was something about alcohol and anonymity that seemed to lift most all inhibitions.
She made her way back to the drink table. Her glass was gone, so she took another one and reached out for the wine. To her surprise, a perfectly gloved hand casually took the dark green bottle from her. Bonnie looked up as one of the tall men, who she had previously pegged as a potential Michael, carefully took her glass and poured the wine for her. He handed the glass back to her, averting his eyes, and poured one for himself. They stood at the table in silence, both sipping their wine and watching the dancers. Bonnie was trying to decide if this was Michael. He had the right build and his jaw could have been right, but it was hard to tell, seeing it out of the context of his face. He wasn't wearing the comlink, but it could have easily been under the glove or under his navy sleeve. Bonnie snuck a glance at the dark jacket, which was decorated with brass buttons and military braiding, before looking up towards his face to admire his gold and navy masque. There was even a matching ribbon holding back the black curls of his wig. Very dashing.
The song ended and the man slid his arm around Bonnie's waist to guide her out onto the dance floor. A new song began and he pulled her close, sharing the warmth of his body with her. She found herself going through the motions; her attention, or what was left of it, was riveted on him. He kept gazing off into the distance, but occasionally she caught him glancing at her. In those lingering moments she tried to get a good look at his eyes. The eyes were the key to this whole dance – the one way to know for sure.
They had moved towards the outskirts of the room, and were slowly sinking into the shadows. Bonnie turned and found herself against the wood paneling, with a candle in a sconce next to her. It cast shadows across her partner's masque, hiding his eyes. He leaned in and softly caressed her cheek before teasing her lips with his. She felt her desire flare and pulled him closer, pressing harder against his body. He responded by gently pushing his tongue between her lips and searching her mouth. His hand drifted from her face, down her neck, and carefully stroked her breast. She moaned softly into his mouth and held his jaw in both of her hands.
Bonnie was dimly aware that the song they had been dancing to had ended. The man reluctantly pushed himself away from her slightly and brushed his lips across her cheek, just below the masque. Then he turned away completely, leaving her to catch her breath. Slowly the feeling of him against her skin faded and she went back to rejoin the party, wondering if, come tomorrow, she'd have the nerve to ask Kitt who she had been with.