Masquerade

"Well to be honest I'm not really "up to" anything. I was drunk, he was drunk, hell, you were drunk too, and we kinda hooked up," said Elise sheepishly.

"I know you hooked up, the whole hotel knows that you hooked up, with all of the noise you two were making last night," Emily said with a chuckle. That's not really what I'm asking."

"Then what are you asking," Elisa said.

"I'm curious to know if you are going out with him again or was it just a one-night stand?" Emily said.

"Come on Emily you know I don't do 'one-night stands.' It is true that I have had a couple of micro-relationships..." Elise said.

"Ha ha ha ha ha," Emily laughed out loud. "'Micro-relationships?' is that what you're calling them? That's hilarious." She said.

"Hey, it's better than calling them one-night stand's," Elise said as she too began to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

"But you still haven't answered my question," Emily said turning a bit more serious.

"Aw, hell Emily, I really like him. He's smart, he's funny, he's handsome and besides that, he's really good in bed." Elise said

"Hey, don't get me wrong. I'm not 'playing' mom here. I don't care if you hook up or not. I'm just curious about what your plans are so I know whether I'm flying solo tonight or not," said Emily her voice softening.

"Welllll, he asked me if I would be his date for the masquerade ball tonight," Elise said wincing a bit as though she expected to get hit by her friend. Before Emily could interject Elise continued, "Please don't be mad, I told him that I would be hanging with you for the rest of the trip, but I really want to hang with him tonight."

"Hey, I'm not mad I just wanted to know what was up," Emily said. "It's ok if you would rather ditch your best friend and hang out with some stud you just met," she said as a smile began to creep across her face betraying her true feelings. "I just hope he's hung!"

"Like a fucking horse!" Elise replied and they both began to laugh.

"Ouch! No wonder you were screaming last night you slut." Emily said.

"Yep, especially when he took me up the ass," and both the girls cracked up at that.

The rest of the day was spent shopping and by the time 6:00 pm rolled around, and it was time for them to begin to get ready for the party, there was no semblance of animosity between the two friends whatsoever. After spending the better part of two hours getting cleaned up and dressed for the ball both of the girls were starving and wishing that they had eaten a little something before now.

"Hey Elise, you wanna get a quick bite in the hotel lounge before we go to the party?" Emily yelled through the door the connected her half of the suite to Elise's.

"I can't, he's going to be here any minute. Sorry! I'm starving too," Elise yelled back. Just then a knock at the door announced that Elise's date had arrived, and she rushed to greet him at the door.

As Emily listened to the two of them make small talk, she finished curling her hair and decided that she was done except for putting her shoes on and donning her mask.

Emily slipped on her green shoes and grabbed her mask from the top drawer and went over to the full-length mirror to take it all in.

"WOW!" is all she could think of to say because staring back at her was an incredibly beautiful woman that she simply could not believe was her. Her blond hair hung in loose spirals, draping down her long, graceful neck to her shoulders which were bereft of straps or anything else to detract from their sculptured appearance. As she scanned down her body the vibrant green dress began about three inches below the little hollow at the base of her throat. Emily had made it a priority when she was out shopping with Elise to stop by Victoria's Secret and pick up a new bra to go with the fabulous dress and further enhance her cleavage.

The little crystal beads sewn into the bodice of the dress radiated light and they twinkled and shimmered in the light of the dressing room. The placement of the crystals also helped enhance her hourglass shape and made her look exceptionally curvaceous. The long pleated skirt was perfectly pressed and the pleats were straight and evenly spaced throughout. The contrast of the shimmering curvy bodice and the long straight pleats of the skirt elongated her body and made her look taller than she actually was.

She still hadn't put on the faux diamond necklace and she was sure that it would add significant firepower to her gown but what she was really fixated on was the mask. The mask was white with silver embellishments that virtually shone like little mirrors. The silver accents were artfully drawn across and around the mask creating a lace-like appearance that was exceptionally sophisticated. Since it was an eye mask it covered just enough of Emily's face to render her anonymous even though her hazel green eyes shone out brightly through the two narrow almond-shaped eye holes. The mask fit her well and clung to her face held in place by a black silk ribbon that tied in the back. Emily was grateful that it was also quite comfortable to wear.

Emily had lost track of time as she admired herself in the mirror and it was the sound of Elise's voice that brought her back to reality.

"Hey Emily, we're going to hit the road, so I'll see you at the ball in a little while. Okay?"

"Okay, I'll see you guys in a little while," Emily said.

Emily's stomach growled as she said goodbye to Elise, and she decided that since she was already dressed finger food was going to have to cut it. She was excited about the night and as she put on her gloriously sparkling necklace, she had to admit that she felt a little like Cinderella heading off to the ball. She wasn't sure about meeting a prince but as she grabbed her little silver purse and headed out the door, she did have the feeling that a grand adventure was about to begin. With that thought still in mind, she stopped before turning from the door and went back inside to repack her small silver handbag. Satisfied that she was finally prepared she stepped into the hallway and let the door close behind her.

As Emily entered the Queen Anne ballroom the true meaning of opulence overwhelmed her senses. Golden trim outlined square panels in the ceiling each one resplendent with a large crystal chandelier glimmering above the crowd of people milling about the room. The walls were decorated with large fresco-style paintings surrounded by ornate gilded frames. Large white Doric columns extended all the way up to the 30-foot-high ceiling. The floor was thickly carpeted with a baroque-esq pattern that looked a bit like a 16th-century tapestry. It was very plush, and Emily knew that standing on this carpet would be easy on her feet tonight. Everywhere she looked the room dripped with golden accents and Victorian opulence.

The room was about the size of a college gymnasium and she could see at least six bars had been set up along the perimeter of it. At the far end of the large rectangular room, a wooden dance floor about the size of a tennis court was set up and a band was in the corner just to the right of it. She could hear the band playing Dixieland jazz from where she stood but it was not very loud and it would be very easy to carry on a conversation in spite of the music, should the opportunity present itself.

First things first, however, Emily was hungry, and she wanted food! As she scanned the room, she noticed all of the various different dresses and masks that people were wearing, and she realized that if it weren't for the fact that she knew what Elise's dress looked like she wouldn't recognize her. Even as she stood there the crowd was thickening and at last, she spied a man in a black tuxedo holding a serving platter making his way through the crowd. She made her way to the path of the man and grabbed a couple of hors d'oeuvres, quickly munching them down. Emily did this several more times until at last, her stomach stopped growling. Then she began to search out Elise in earnest. The number of people had grown considerably in the hour since she arrived, and she now found it difficult to navigate through the boisterous crowd.

After bumping and pushing her way through the throng of party-goers for about fifteen minutes Emily decided that she would adopt a different tactic and take a stationary position along one of the walls near a bar and hunt her friend down that way. A short while after parking herself along one of the walls near the front of the large ballroom Emily decided that she was thirsty so since she was essentially at the bar anyway, she lined up to get a drink. Fortunately, the line moved quickly and within a couple of minutes she was standing in front of the bartender.

"Good evening mademoiselle, what can I get you?" the young man in his burgundy uniform asked.

"I'm not sure. What do you have?" Emily replied.

"Well we have mixed drinks, and wine, both red and white. We also have beer and we have our specialty drink called a hurricane."

"Wow, well white wine sounds good but I'm curious about the hurricane. What's that all about?" she asked.

"A hurricane is a local drink made with dark rum, light rum, lime juice, passion fruit juice, and grenadine. It's really quite good and refreshing too," the young man offered, and his inviting demeanor sold her on the drink.

"Ok, it does sound good, and as they say 'When in New Orleans...'" she said as she accepted the tulip-shaped glass that the pink drink was served in and turned to walk away.

Her first sip convinced her that she had just found a new favorite drink and she hoped that the bars in Washington DC knew how to make them. She didn't have long to hang on to that thought though because as she looked up to scan the crowd for Elise again, she noticed an attractive, dark-haired woman staring at her. At first, Emily thought that she must be looking at something near or behind her. She looked around but nothing of note was around and when she looked back the dark-haired woman was walking towards her. There was no question that it was her that she was staring at.

"Excuse me for staring but I noticed your very beautiful necklace and as you can see, I am fond of diamond necklaces myself," she said.

Emily hadn't really looked that closely at the dark-haired woman as she approached, except for her lovely red mask and now that she did look more closely, she noticed the exceptionally beautiful diamond choker that she wore around her graceful neck.

It was about two inches wide and was essentially a tightly woven net but at each intersection was a sparkling diamond. The top edge was straight, but the bottom edge was jagged and at the tip of each point hung a small pear-shaped diamond on a short two link chain. It was nestled snugly against the woman's tan skin except for the little pear-shaped diamonds which dangled and danced catching the light and throwing off little flashes of prismatic beams with every movement. Were it not for her own stunning necklace she would say that it was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen.

Now that she was looking at her more closely Emily took note of the fact that the dark-haired woman was about the same dimensions as her except, she had larger breasts which were pushed up provocatively by the tight-fitting but elegant red dress that she wore.

"I am sorry, I am forgetting my manners. My name is Carmen," she said as she extended her hand to Emily.

"No worries. My name is Emily," Emily replied taking hold of the attractive woman's hand. The very first thing that she noticed was that Carmen's hand was very warm.

"I hope that you don't mind me telling you that I think that you are very beautiful in that dress and your necklace is simply stunning," Carmen said as she released Emily's hand and smiled warmly.

"I don't mind at all, and thank you," Emily replied. "I hope you don't mind me returning the compliment. You are very lovely too and I love your choker. It's incredible."

"Thank you, you are very kind. I have a confession to make though, they are not real, my diamonds, they are just replicas, unfortunately," Carmen said, a note of regret invading her voice as she spoke.

"Ha Ha Ha Ha, so are mine," Emily offered, her laugh easing any doubts that either of them had about the status of the other. "I couldn't imagine wearing something this beautiful if it were made of real diamonds. It would make me a nervous wreck." Emily said.

"Yeah, I know, right. I'd be worried that I'd lose it or that it would get stolen or something." Carmen said.

"Me too," Emily said as she scanned the crowd behind Carmen.

"Are you meeting someone here?" Carmen asked noticing that Emily was scanning the crowd.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me. I'm looking for a friend of mine but it's so hard to find anyone what with everyone wearing masks." Emily said.

"I agree but I guess that's sort of the idea behind a masquerade ball," Carmen said. "What is he wearing? Perhaps I can help you look for him."

"Oh no, no, no, it's a girlfriend I'm looking for. She's here with a guy she met a couple of days ago, and we were supposed to hook up but I'm beginning to think that finding her is going to be nearly impossible." Emily said.

"I'm not offended or anything, but I'll let you look for your friend. I just wanted to tell you how beautiful your dress and your necklace are," Carmen said and she turned to leave.

"Please don't go," Emily pleaded. "I would much rather continue our conversation. I'm not even sure that Elise is here anyway. If you stay, I'll buy you a drink. How's that?" Emily said.

"That sounds lovely, but I have a proposition for you. I've been invited to a party that is taking place tonight at an exquisite mansion in the garden district would you be interested in going with me?" Carmen said.

"Oh, I don't know. I wouldn't know anybody," said Emily a bit of uncertainty creeping into her voice.

"You'd know me, and, by the way, who exactly do you know here?" said Carmen. "This party is at one of the most prestigious mansions in New Orleans and everyone who is anyone will be there. Come on it'll be fun I promise." Carmen said.

Emily considered the opportunity to see how the other half lived and while she was definitely interested, excited even, she was also smart enough to know better than to traipse off without letting someone know what she was doing.

"Ok, but I really need to let my friend know that I'm going. Can you give me thirty minutes to do that?" Emily said.

"Sure, that's no problem. Here I'll write down the address where we'll be and if you want you can ride with me, I have a limo available, or you can make your own way out there it's up to you. I'll be out front, and I'll plan to leave at about 9:30. I really hope that you'll join me. I guarantee you'll have a good time," Carmen offered.

"Ok! I'll see you in a little bit," Emily said.

"Great!" Carmen returned.

With that Emily turned and headed for the door on her way to get in touch with Elise. After trying Elise's cell phone several times to no avail Emily went to the front desk and left a note for her there. Then Emily went up to the room and left a note for Elise there as well. She stopped and took a look at herself in the full-length mirror once again and was blown away by how exquisite she looked.

"All right, are you up for this?" Emily asked her image in the mirror. "Hell yes, I am!" she answered and after touching up her makeup she put her mask back on and headed downstairs to find Carmen and her limo.

The drive to the mansion in the garden district of New Orleans only took about twenty minutes and Emily found that the more she talked to Carmen the more she liked her. Carmen was smart and sophisticated and had a sense of humor very much like her own, so the conversation was comfortable and easy.

In some respects, Carmen was easier to relate to than Elise and although there is no way Carmen could live up to the experiences that she and Elise shared over the years, Emily could easily see her and Carmen getting close given the opportunity. One thing that Emily found particularly attractive about Carmen was that in spite of how very beautiful she was, she was not conceited at all.

The longer she talked with Carmen the more Emily longed to peel away Carmen's mask to see the face of this woman. Sure, she could see her dark, chocolate brown eyes and perfect little nose poking through the mask but it wasn't enough, and she wondered if Carman shared the same interest in her.

"What's on your mind, Emily?" Carmen asked as she looked at her with a soft but curious expression.

"Huh? Oh, sorry I must have zoned out there for a minute. I guess those hurricanes I drank went to my head." Emily said.

"No worries, it's just that you looked like you were lost in thought and I was wondering what you were thinking about," said Carmen.

"Ok, truth be told I think that you are very beautiful, and I was intrigued about what you look like without your mask on," Emily said, relieved to express what was on her mind.

"Wow, that is so gracious of you Emily. I think you are beautiful as well and I'm equally curious to see you unmasked but, on this night, the night that begins the sacred period of lent, we are bound to the tradition of remaining masked. Plus, you have to admit that the mystery is pretty exciting," said Carmen.

Emily opened her mouth to offer her rebuttal but before she could say anything the limo turned into a large winding driveway. Initially, Emily couldn't see a house and she reckoned that it must be huge based on the size of the estate they were traversing.

"Ahhhh, we're here," Carmen said with breathless enthusiasm. "I can't wait to introduce you to Justin."

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Emily said as she turned her attention away from the looming shadow of the mansion now visible out of her window.

"Oh, I was just saying that I am looking forward to introducing you to people at the party inside," Carmen said with a warm, easy smile as she put her hand on Emily's bare shoulder.

Emily couldn't believe how warm Carmen's hand was and she almost swooned. She was sure that it was an innocent gesture, but she couldn't help wishing in some small way that it portended more.

The limo lurched to a halt in front of an enormous house that could easily serve as the poster child for Antebellum architecture. Both her and Carmen's doors were opened simultaneously by attendants dressed in black tuxedos complete with white silk cummerbunds and white silk gloves and out the two girls stepped into the warm humid night air.

By Emily's reckoning, it was about 10:00 pm when they ascended the stairs of the enormous white mansion in front of them. As she passed by one of the eight columns standing guard at the entrance of the house, she was amazed at how big it was. She was quite sure that it would take at least two men grasping hands to reach around the circumference of any of them and they towered forty or fifty feet into the air.

As they neared the top of the steps and approached the entrance Emily looked up and saw a magnificent chandelier hanging suspended by large chains about twenty feet above her head, casting its bright light over the porch. A tall man standing perfectly erect stood at the entrance presumably to keep watch over who came and went and when Carmen and Emily approached, he simply bowed and extended his right arm in the direction of the door.

"Good evening Maurice," Carmen said as they passed the man and as if on command the two large entryway doors opened up to let them in. At first, Emily thought that they were mechanical but quickly realized that they were opened by two more tuxedo-clad men from the inside who obviously saw them coming. As they passed from the pristine white exterior of the mansion to the interior the first thing that caught Emily's attention was the very large winding staircase rising from both the left and right sides of the grand foyer.