Behind the Mask Ch. 20

All characters are at least 18 years old.

------

I rode the elevator up to the seventieth floor. I personally would have picked the sixty-ninth, just for the memes. However, I wasn't an uptight prude, so I stepped out on the next floor up and walked right past the front desk. The receptionist sprang to her feet and clip-clopped after me in her wedge heels.

"Um, Miss Alexandria--" she stammered.

"Don't call me that," I said sharply. "Is he in?"

"Apologies. Um, Miss Rochester. He's out on business." A lie.

"Got it. I'll see myself in."

"Miss Rochester--!" she protested.

I went straight to his corner office -- which wasn't hard to find, it was huge -- and threw the double doors wide open. The windows were floor-to-ceiling and offered a beautiful view of the city. With one of the world's biggest metropolitan hubs laid visually at your feet, it was hard not to feel like the center of the world. Probably what made his head so big.

He was sat at his desk, not even looking up from his paperwork as his receptionist and I burst in. I walked over to the windows and gazed out at the horizon, looking past the city and all its scum and splendor.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Rochester. I tried to stop her--" the receptionist babbled.

"Leave us, Emily," Charles ordered severely, not even batting an eye. Emily made a few more flustered sounds before closing the doors behind her as she left. Charles continued scribbling at his desk, not even sparing me a glance. I turned my attention to downtown, the streets packed with vehicles going about some business or another. We stayed like that for minutes, basically ignoring each other. Which wasn't that much different from any other time, in a way.

"I assume you conduct yourself with more etiquette and grace during your dealings?" he muttered, eyes still on his work.

"I thought clients liked when you played hard-to-get," I replied sarcastically.

"You must have a reason for coming here today. Save the chatter and tell me."

"You realize this is the first time I've come here?"

"I am aware, yes."

I scoffed. "I told Jordan I'd never been. He took me to the top of a skyscraper so I could experience the view for myself. Two days ago, August Nova almost threw himself off that same building." That got his attention. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see he stopped writing and carefully set his pen down, looking up at me. "Yeah. You almost lost the game." I made my way back to his desk, sitting in one of the chairs opposite him and crossing my legs.

"Where is he now?" he asked.

"Safely at work, in the middle of a raid or something," I answered.

He interlocked his fingers, eyes trained on me. "So you know," he concluded, and I nodded. "And that brings us back to the question of why you are here."

"I want to know how this all came together."

He scoffed, shaking his head disapprovingly. "I'm sure a phone call would've sufficed."

"Please don't make me work for it," I murmured. "I just want to know."

He pursed his lips as he considered it. "Very well. It was your uncle's idea. It was his pet project to begin with, after all. Jordan had volunteered to be a donor, and your uncle kept tabs on all the recipients. Not long after, this Nova boy began exhibiting different behavior. Ian paid closer attention and came to the conclusion that Jordan's spirit or some such lived on. He made contact with the boy's mother, and..." Charles snorted at this. "...went on to provide anything he could for the boy. The power of influence." He put extra emphasis on the word.

"Then?" I prompted.

"Then I betrothed you to him," he said simply.

"Wow. Think we might've skipped a few steps?" I commented. "Why'd you do it?"

He stood and strolled over to the windows, looking out at the city. Classic evasion tactic. "I've never needed a reason to do anything," he stated.

"Bullshit. You never do anything without reason. Isn't that what you stuffed up my ass my whole life?"

"No need to be vulgar, Alexandria."

"What game are you playing here?" I demanded. I stood and began pacing in front of the desk, and he turned to watch me. "None of it makes sense. I've seen it all by now. I had to diffuse a huge scandal at school, relocating an entire family and securing their silence. I navigated the idiocy of an insecure politician. I even dodged an assassination attempt from a cartel leader. But I still can't figure out: what is this game you're playing? I see the connection now, but why did you bring August to me?"

"If you can't understand what I did, then you're still not good enough to play with me."

"I know," I snapped. "I know I'm only nineteen. I know there's still a lot to learn. And you keep rubbing my goddamn face in it. I hate you!" He frowned at me. Fucking hell, don't cry in front of him. Deep breaths. "Why can't you just... Tell me, did you... have Jordan killed?"

His nostrils flared, anger blazing in his eyes. "How dare you," he growled.

"He was... everything," I whispered.

"...I know."

And suddenly it clicked. The reason for all of this. It had never occurred to me, because I'd ruled it out. I couldn't be with Jordan. But I could be with August. It was a loophole of sorts, and I could see the logic now. Was it... an apology? My head was spinning, I couldn't keep up with all the possible explanations. Charles didn't kill Jordan, and that change in that basic assumption forced me to reevaluate the entire sequence of events. And the final conclusion... God fucking damn it.

"I think I understand now, father," I murmured, and he arched a brow. "Well played. You took him away, so now you're giving him back. You had to push me into the engagement 'cause you knew if you were nice about it, I'd be even more suspicious and just walk away without giving it a chance. And you'd said it, right at the top: 'You will marry him, one way or another.'" I grit my teeth. "And you were right. Why do you always have to be right?

"Again, well fucking played," I sighed, then glared at him. "Don't think this changes anything between us. I'm still going to beat you at this stupid game. One day, I'm going to win."

"I expect nothing less," he replied, a bit of mirth making his eyes glitter.

I let out a long breath before turning and walking to the door. Opening it, I paused and looked back at him. He stood there, watching me go, solemn as always. When he saw me looking, he began to turn back to the windows. Why couldn't we have been normal? Perhaps in a world without the game, a world without masks...

"Hey, dad?" I called, and he turned back to me in surprise. I gave him a small smile. "...Thanks."

I saw in his eyes something I'd never seen before. Not from him. For an instant, he smiled at me tenderly, the way Leon smiled at Cherry, and he nodded. Then he turned back to the windows and it was gone.

By the time I got back to the car, I'd collected myself again. Alain was waiting for me, and began the drive back home while I sat in silence, spacing out as I watched the city pass us by. When I sighed, Alain finally spoke.

"Is everything alright, mademoiselle?" he asked.

"I... I think so, Alain," I replied. I wiped the last tear from my face and cleared my throat.

"Well, I think you will be glad to know that Senator Barnes's contribution finally came through. The full amount."

"That's great. Finally." I let out a deep breath. "Keep surveillance on him for another month, just in case it's a poisoned apple."

"Oui, mademoiselle."

I thought about dad again. Being whatever the people I love need me to be. All this time, I'd hated him, and now... I had what I needed again. I was whole again. I smiled.

You win this time, old man.

--

"You're early," I noted as August walked through the door to my office.

"Wanted some time alone with you before all your friends arrive," he replied with a smile. It faded when he spotted the snake tank, and he walked up to the glass, fingers brushing against the bullet holes. "Is this from when you dealt with Muerte?"

I nodded. "I decided not to change the glass. Looks kinda badass like this."

"It does," he agreed. Artemis slithered into view, watching him calmly. "Hey there, big girl. You did good, huh?"

"Probably saved my life." I stood and joined him, giving Artemis a little finger wave. She lingered for a bit before moving back into the foliage, and we turned to each other. I resisted the urge to squint at him. He was nervous. Not in the face, but in his body language. "So what did you have in mind?"

"Uh... Well..." He looked at his feet, shifting uncomfortably. It brought a smile to my face, given how rare it was to see him like this. "So... I know we haven't legit known each other that long. Less than two weeks?" What the hell was he leading up to? "And maybe I'm jumping the gun here, but... when you know, you know, y'know?" Oh God, was he proposing?

"Know what?" I almost squeaked, eyelids fluttering involuntarily.

"I realized that before I met you, I was just looking for reasons to not die. And the thing was, I wasn't afraid of death, despite always being so close. I always felt like, if I were to die today, it'd be okay. I'd go quietly, content. But then I met you. And yeah, it was weird at the beginning, 'cause of how things were set up and stuff. But then I had a reason to live. I got scared. There were suddenly so many things I wanted to do." Oh God, he was proposing. "And all of them involved being with you." Oh God.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wedding band. My breath caught in my throat, and everything else fell away except for us. He turned it over in his fingers, body still tense.

"I, uh... I know you can afford a diamond of your own. I... I can't really swing one right now, but if you give me some time, maybe I can..."

"You don't have to," I breathed. Shit, that could be interpreted as me turning him down. Please, please push on. Wait, no. Gotta sabotage things a bit first, 'cause I'm an idiot like that. "But... Are you sure you wanna do this? I'm... pretty fucked up. In many senses. I totally get if you just picked a more... normal girl."

"That right there is why I love you," he declared. "You protect everybody around you first. But it's like you're afraid of your own happiness."

"Because happiness doesn't just serve itself up on a platter like this," I said unsteadily. "I'm waiting for the other boot to drop."

"There's no other boot, Lexi," he reassured me, smiling. "This is for real. I know we're already engaged. But I still gotta do this, 'cause it's tradition." He managed a wry smirk before his nerves overtook him again. "And I know usually you're supposed to say the full name, but I know you kinda hate your name."

"Who told you that?"

He chuckled once, looking more calm. Hm, not calm. At peace. "Jordan did." He was coming to terms with the situation, hopefully even accepting it. Then he got down on one knee and I started hyperventilating. "Lexi Sophia Rochester... will you marry me?"

I gulped, unable to keep my hands from trembling. "Last chance to back out," I whispered. He smiled again and shook his head, still waiting eagerly for my answer. I bit my lip, trying to hold back the smile threatening to split my face in half. "Yes. A thousand times, yes."

Happiness flooded his expression and he slipped the ring onto my finger.

"Oh my God!"

We both turned to the doors, where my friends were yanking Cherry back as she squealed with joy, hushing her in panic. When they saw us watching and laughing, they sheepishly came in. Brie immediately rushed over to look at the ring.

"I can't believe he actually proposed!" she gushed, and apparently all I could do was giggle. "When you finally get married, you better make me the maid of honor!" Only more giggling from me. Oh no, he'd turned me simple. I couldn't even talk anymore. The guys were busy congratulating August, lots of claps on the back and such, while the girls just squealed along with me. Even Coco and Leon were here, celebrating right along with us.

It took some time for things to die down, and August and I announced that a wedding wasn't in the books for a while yet. For now, we'd just focus on why they were all here.

"So how about that tour of the observation deck like you promised?" Drew said.

"Is that a snake?" Brie said timidly, and Cherry almost jumped out of her skin.

"Yup. Her name is Artemis," I replied.

"Are those bullet holes?" Leon added, concerned.

"Fucking badass," Stef whispered.

"Guys!" Drew interrupted. "The observation deck!" Coco slapped him on the arm and gave him a silent chastising, and I chuckled.

"Alright everybody, follow me," I called.

There was a collective gasp of awe as my friends took the sight in. They spread out, looking at the people dancing below us, checking out the cameras in our private rooms and dungeons. Each couple seemed to be reliving moments spent in my club, and it made me incredibly proud of what I'd achieved.

When we all reconvened at the center, Drew declared, "Alright, your turn, Lex."

"Excuse me?" I could honestly say I had no idea what he was talking about.

Drew eyed everybody present, his brow arched. "You got to see all of us putting on a show. I think it's time you returned the favor."

My jaw dropped, and I immediately turned to August. "I'm... You mean with August? I don't think he would go for..."

August gave me a mischievous smile, then looked at Drew and shrugged. "I'm down."

"Drew!" Coco scolded, pinching his cheek. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Just getting payback, mom," he said, his words mangled by his pinched cheek. "No need to get jealous."

Coco looked at me guiltily, her eyes indeed filled to the brim with jealousy. Cherry was likewise tugging on Leon's arm with an angry pout, and Brie was staring accusingly at Stef. All the guys looked a bit embarrassed, both wanting to get payback for being spied on yet not wanting to piss off their girls by watching me have sex. I rounded on August again.

"You're 'down?' Whose side are you on?" I asked accusingly, trying to hide my grin.

He shrugged again, a cocksure smirk on his face. "As long as you stay mine, I could go for whatever you want. Almost anything, anyway. But for something like this, I'm not shy."

I was never shy before either, so why was I feeling bashful now? And suddenly, amidst their bickering, the couples all seemed to notice I was too, and were now intrigued. Shit shit shit.

"Everybody clear out," I ordered, and it seemed to kill their excitement. It was for but a moment though, as all my staff stood and vacated the room, leaving the entire observation deck to us. My friends realized I was in, and they started burning with anticipation again. Suddenly August took my hand and yanked me away, making me yelp.

"You guys stay here," he said to the others, before pulling me down the corridor to the butcher exit.

"August, what are you doing?" I demanded.

"Shy Lexi turns me on," he rumbled without batting an eye, and I was so flustered that it only made me more shy. It was a fucking feedback loop, and I couldn't get out on top of it. And after all this time of him mostly being a boy scout, I had to admit that him being so dominant turned me on too. I was usually such a control freak. Why did I suddenly like surrendering so much?

He led me out into the cool night air, and we walked in silence. The front entrance was a block away, and he held my hand the whole time. It was a nice casual walk, chaste and innocent. I actually quite enjoyed it, and we kept trading looks with each other.

"Alain told me that you don't even let yourself through the front doors," he said suddenly, as said doors came into view. There wasn't much of a line; Sunday nights weren't as busy as the rest of the weekend. "We're gonna change that."

"I didn't fit the criteria for entry," I explained.

"The criteria you set."

"Rules are rules."

"Hm. And what was it you said before? 'You just need to know the rules well enough to break them in a way you don't get in trouble.'"

Hoho, this clever bastard. He walked us right up to the bouncers, who asked for our IDs. They were instructed to not recognize me if I ever walked up. They looked at our IDs and then shook their heads.

"Sorry, we're all full," one of them said.

"I'm her cousin," August announced, and I gasped. The bouncers looked at me and I nodded hesitantly.

"Alright then. Have a good evening, Miss R."

He walked me across the threshold, and I stopped in the lobby. The receptionist looked surprised to see me, then bowed slightly in greeting. I just stood there, taking it all in.

"You've really never walked through those doors before?" he wondered.

"Not since we opened," I said. "I thought I'd never get to..."

"And now you can join your friends whenever you want."

I smiled gratefully at him, and he led me down the stairs into the basement. Pushing open the double doors that led to the dance floor, the heavy bass of the music blasted us as we entered. I looked up at the observation deck, sure my friends were watching us. August moved us through the sea of bodies, and we got a bit of dancing in, gradually making our way over to the doors that led to the private rooms. I was finally dancing in my own club. It brought a strange sense of serenity, and I experienced an uncanny sense of timelessness in the moment. Before long, we were walking deeper into the club. Jeez, were we really doing this?

August found us a room, locking the door behind us. It was fully furnished like a hotel suite, with dimmed lights and the option for music. Some of the rooms even had a mirror on the ceiling above the bed. This was one such room, making me swallow. I could see the camera watching us, my friends no doubt glued to the screen. I had always been a huge flirt in front of them, never letting on my actual inexperience. My shyness was probably fascinating to them.

"And here I thought you had an exhibitionist streak," August murmured, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear.

"Excuse me, I've gone through a lot of emotions today," I muttered.

He leaned in and kissed me, and I melted into him like I'd seen Brie do with Stef so many times. This was perhaps the only time I started enjoying letting go of control. I was in a purple sweater dress, and August's hands trailed down my sides, cupping the soft fabric to my skin. He knew it was a bit thicker than a delicate touch could be felt through, and when he made his way to my ass, he squeezed it fervently. I moaned into his mouth and clutched at him while he pulled me closer. His fingers slipped under the hem of the dress, and he began pulling it off me. When he discovered I was completely naked underneath, I think I saw him shiver in excitement.

He tossed the dress to the side and pulled me close again, planting his lips on my neck. I gasped, weaving my fingers in his hair and holding him tight. I was naked in front of my friends for the first time, and the thrill was setting in. August drew a trail of kissed down my body, taking a long moment to savor my breasts. I arched my back as he massaged them, his tongue dancing across my nipples, leaving them erect and wanting.

He paused yet again at my midriff, kissing the soft skin tenderly while his hands cupped my waist and massaged the soft flesh there as well. He was actually taking longer here than with my boobs, and I giggled.

"You like that?" I breathed.

"I fucking love midriffs," he admitted, lifting me up until I was draped in midair, my flat belly fully exposed to his hungry lips. I squirmed out of his grip, sitting back down on the bed and ripping his shirt off. I was working on his trousers when he threw me back on the bed and tore his pants off himself. Kicking his shoes and socks off, he stood before me, naked like a Greek god. Except for his rock-hard abs and rock-harder cock.