The Keys to the Heart

Author's Note: Originally, I wrote this for my wife so I apologize for all the extra characters, they were references to people we know. Naturally, I've changed the names but still, there's lots of people. Don't worry about keeping track, just relax and enjoy the mystery.

*

The invitation had arrived six months ago - "Daniel and Emma set to be wed at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma, WA". Emma's parents apparently came from money and had rented out a whole floor of a hotel for the wedding and you were invited.

The logistics were surprisingly easy. Friday afternoon, after school let out, we loaded the kids into the car and drove down to Silverdale where an enthusiastic grandparents awaited. Saturday morning, we put on our good clothes.

You put on a white button up with a deep green vest and black slacks, accentuating your hourglass figure and giving you a sexy butch look. Ryan wore a deep lavender button up with black vest and slacks, with a white tie. Feeling daring, he'd even put on a little eyeliner. In short, you two looked amazing.

The Hotel Murano was right in downtown Tacoma. Making your way up from the parking garage, you wander into the expansive lobby with its vaulted ceilings and oddly shaped couches. Giving your name at the front desk, a dower tall bald man that is vaguely reminiscent of a Twin Peaks character. After some odd shuffling noises with his mouth, the clerk retrieves two old fashioned skeleton keys with hearts at the handle.

"Woah! These are cool!" Ryan plays with his key. The clerk gives him a steady uncompromising look.

"All the doors at the Hotel Murano utilize this style of keys," the clerk drones. "These should grant you access to the ballroom, the pool, the sauna, your room and any other place your heart requires." You swear the key pulses ever so slightly, like a phone slowly losing battery.

"Oooo!" Ryan gives you a conspiratorial look.

"In this case, that would be room 407." the clerk finishes and points towards the elevator. "Check out is at 11am."

"Thank you!" You and Ryan make your way towards the elevator.

"Brenna!" You hear a shout from across the lobby. Barbara and Tony are making their way into the lobby. Barbara has a simple black dress with a white sash while Tony is in a simple black shirt, white tie combination. She dashes over and gives you a tackling hug, her long golden hair shimmering all around you two. Ryan and Tony exchange polite hugs and idle chat about the drive.

You show Barbara the key. "That's so cool!" she gushes. "I was reading about this hotel, did you know it used to be a brothel back in the 1920s? Apparently it's got secret passages and everything."

You should have known. There's no way that Daniel and Emma wouldn't have some sort of kinky twist to their wedding day.

"Hey guys!" Jessica is at the lobby desk with Alden - wearing a low cut red dress with gold trim. Alden looked quite fetching in his simple pinstripe suit.

"Well hello!" Alden says. Barbara and Tony excuse themselves to check in while you and Ryan say your hellos. Alden is a groomsman, naturally, and still recovering from the bachelor party last night. Jessica has just finished working on a campaign in Alaska and is back in town for a few days for the wedding.

Ryan asks how she's doing about the wedding, after all, she used to date the groom.

"I thought I had gotten passed Daniel But I've still got alot of feelings. I don't know. Emma is wonderful and I'm glad their happy, I just . .. I'm not sure how I feel."

"You are under no obligation to know how you feel." says Alden sympathetically.

"Well, if things go sideways, I've got some GREAT drugs that I smuggled through Seatac, so who knows? It could be a wild night!" Jessica gives a wild laugh and vaguely, the heart-shaped key thrums in your pocket.

The finish checking in while you and Ryan ride the elevator up to the fourth floor. The doors slide open revealing a red carpeted room with dim evenly spaced wall sconces lining the doors. As you round the corner, you nearly collide with Angela and John.

"HI!" Hugs all around. Angela explains, "We were just headed down to get things straightened out at the desk. Our room only had one bed."

"And that just won't do." says John. "Because someone like to dance at night."

"You?" Ryan asks.

"Evie." They both say at once. You laugh.

"Good luck with the front desk. He's an odd duck." Ryan says.

With that, you find your room - number 407. You slide the key into the keyhole, it glides in with a satisfying click and you swear, softest of gasp of air.

Inside, there is a small bathroom on your right, and then the room opens up into a bedroom. A full queen bed with a soft red coverlet is in the center of the room with a full backed chair in the corner facing the bed. There is a bedside table with a thick book, "The history of Hotel Murano". There's no television but a large painting dominates the opposite wall of a woman in a svelte green lace dress wearing a large half-mask with peacock feathers. The room is completed by a large chestnut wardrobe in the corner and a window looking out on the busy Tacoma downtown, with thick red curtains.

Ryan flops down on the bed.

"Okay, the ceremony doesn't even start for another hour or two, what should we do?"

"Wait before we get going, we should probably review 'the list'," Ryan asks. Of course, a good polyamorous relationship requires a check-in.

"Thinking of getting laid tonight?" You ask with a laugh.

"Folks will be dancing, celebrating and thinking about love. Anything is possible! Plus, I have an actual list this time." Ryan pulls out a folded piece of paper from his vest pocket.

"Oh man, you are prepared. How'd you know who would be here?"

"I didn't, but I made some educated guesses." Silly Ryan, often his ambition outstripped his ability to follow through but you loved him just the same.

"Wait, what about for me?" You ask. Ryan waves his hand absent-mindedly.

"You are approved for all the people we already know. You've got good judgement. If I see you slipping away from the festivities tonight, I'll just assume our room is occupied, and only come back when I'm ready to sleep."

He hands over his list. You glance through the list, the usual suspects all make an appearance, Sarah, Angela, Lena, Brenna, Jamie, Simone. You notice a hasty addition to the bottom, Jessica. You roll your eyes.

"These are fine, but no Lena." He gives you a wide smile. "Works for me."

"OK, that's settled." Ryan slaps his knee and springs up. "Let's go explore this spooky old hotel!"

The two of you put down your bags and start wandering the old hallways. The architect seems to have eschewed the traditional floor plan as the hallway twists and turns. The red faded carpet, the odd gold trim, the dim light fixtures and then, every once and awhile, a truly bizarre painting.

You stop to gawk at a floor length painting of a bear in a tutu on a unicycle, it's large painted eyes looking both alarmed and vaguely sinister.

"Seriously?" Ryan says. "Who? Why?"

"I have no idea." You shake your head.

"Oh hey!" Ryan dashes ahead to a heavy set grey door. Instead of a number, it boasted a copper plate with a wave icon on it.

"I bet this is where the pool is, let's check it out!" He pulls out his key and slides it into the wrought iron keyhole. CLICK. It turns and the door swings open noiselessly revealing a dimly lit staircase down.

"Come on!"

The two of you descend, down down down, into the bowels of the hotel. The air turns warm and moist. Finally the stairs open up into a shimmering pool - the bottom layered with deep blue tiles and two submerged lights giving the whole pool an azure shimmer.

"This is amazing!" Ryan walks along the side of the pool. "I'm glad I brought my swimsuit."

You point to the sign hanging near the steps into the water - "Reserved" and then in marker "Baron Wedding".

"I don't think swimsuits will be strictly required. If it is just our friends . . ." Ryan cracks a big smile. "Good point!"

Next to the pool there are three doors - each with their own symbols. One has a fire symbol, another an air symbol, and the last one a tree.

"I have to say, I'm loving the pagan vibes here." Ryan makes his way over to the fire door and gives the handle a tug. It's locked. He looks at the keyhole but to his surprise, there are two!

"Hey Brenna, I need your help!" You come over and examine the lock. Yes, it looks like two keys would need to be inserted and turned at the same time. You slide your key into the lock with a satisfying CLICK. Ryan slides his key in . . .

. . . and nothing happens. No CLICK. He tries it a few more times, in and out, to no avail.

"That's really weird." Ryan says.

"Maybe this isn't a place 'your heart requires'?" you say, recalling the hotel clerk's words.

"Spoooooky" he intones, his words echoing in the dim light of the pool

"Come on, we should see what else we can find." You two retrace your steps back up the metal stairs to the fourth floor. The stairs end here, although you are certain the building continues upward. As you reach for the door back to the hallway, you notice a second door to your right.

That's odd, I didn't see it when we were coming down. Peering at the door closely, you see it has an eye icon painted on it and, thankfully, only one keyhole.

"Let's check this out before we get back." You slide your key in and with a reassuring CLICK it opens.

Inside there is a narrow hallway, forcing you to walk single file. You take the lead, Ryan closing the door behind you. The floor is thin carpet on wood with wood paneling on either side, no decorations and only a bare bulb ever twenty paces for light.

"I wonder if this was a servant's access or something," Ryan speculates. Up ahead, you see light coming in from a window in the wall. As you approach, you can see that it is not a window, but a single viewing port, the size of an encyclopedia.

"OW! Fuck!" You stub your toe on something hard beneath the port. Ah yes, a little step stool has been nailed into the floor, Very considerate. You step up and peer through the hole and gasp.

There you see Wren, topless, arranging their clothes in their bedroom. Their room looks almost identical to yours - a single red covered bed, a wardrobe, the attached bathroom and the high backed chair. Wren has opened up a suitcase and scattered the remains of several outfits around the bed and chair. They turn, absent-mindedly fiddling with their earrings, staring straight at you. Their full breasts, a hearty handful stand proud with small pink nipples, a silver ring in the right one. They give no sign of recognition as you watch.

"What can you see?" Ryan asks.

"Hush." you whisper but Wren gives no sign of having heard. They turn, showing their rose tattoo wrapping halfway down their back leading towards the slight dimples above their tight fitting jeans.

Your cheeks grow hot, feeling a mix of perverse pleasure at the voyeuristic intrusion and a vague guilt.

"Hey, what's this?" Ryan notices an old fashioned switch plate next to the viewing port, like something out of a black and white Frankenstein movie. Before you can stop your dumbass of a husband, he flips the switch.

ShaaaaKLUNK! A wooden sliding sound comes off to your right and Wren jumps slightly, staring at their wardrobe.

"The fuck was that!" they say, easing open the front of the wardrobe. Their voice suddenly comes off to your right down the hallway, "Oh shit, is there a doorway back here?"

"FUCK! Go! GO!" you hiss, shoo-ing Ryan back the way you come. The two of you bolt down the pathway, rounding the corner and throwing open the door back to the stairs, quickly closing it behind you.

"Peepholes?!" Ryan says laughing, as the two of you reenter the main hallway of the hotel.

"Hey you guys!" You nearly jump out of your skin as Caroline's bullhorn of a voice erupts behind you.

"Oh man, look at her jump! Hello little jumping bean!" Nate nasally intones. You and Ryan give them warm hugs.

"Best get along, we've got a wedding to go to!"

---

The ceremony is lovely. Daniel, clad in a kilt, Emma looking radiant in a form fitting white lace dress. They jumped the broom and took their place at the head table while everyone made their way to the tables. You and Ryan join the receiving line, making idle chit-chat with Sarah and Jared as the line slowly lurches forward, one hug at a time.

As you approach the front, Alden leans across the main table to whisper something to Ryan. He gives an incredulous laugh, but Alden's expression is somber at best. Ryan shrugs and says, "Thank you for the heads up!"

Before you can get details, you are there. Daniel is holding a silver pitcher full of a deep red liquid and pours a fresh goblet. You and Ryan offer kind words of love and support and he offers you the goblet.

"Thank you so much for coming and sharing in our day, a celebration of love. Do you accept the blessings of love and all this ceremony has to offer?"

"Yes!" You say.

"Then may you never thirst." You drain the cup, the warm sweet concoction tasting vaguely of Cinnamon.

"What was that?" You ask, as Ryan drains a similar goblet from Emma, as she makes intense eye contact with him the entire time.

"Magick, of course!" Daniel explains, but it is time and shuffle on.

The music has started, the food is out and the celebration has begun! You assess your options.

"What did Alden say to you?" you whisper to your husband as he begins weaving his way through the crowd, away from the head table. Ryan looks around quickly and then leans in, whispering in your ear,

"The drink is an Aphrodisiac. Don't worry, they are only offering it to the pagan people, so no one's Grandma is going to get freaky with it."

". . . get freaky with it?"

"You know what I mean. Alden was pretty cheesed off about the whole thing but Daniel and Emma think it is hilarious."

"They would. Wait, why are you going that way?" Ryan jerks up short.

"Uh, the buffet table." You smile. Predictable husband.

"You go ahead, I'm going to check on the band."

Ryan follows your gaze.

"Ah, good luck!"

"Ssshh you!" and with that, he disappears into the crowd.

You wade through the happy celebrants, with drinks and plates of food. The whole room is in good spirits and it shows. Finally, you reach the makeshift stage in the corner of the ballroom where Nate is affixing a large amplifier to a black stand while Wren and Caroline talk.

"Hey Brenna!" Wren says warmly, plucking at their Ukulele, trying to tune above the din. "How are you doing?

"Good! Good. It was a really nice ceremony. Good job Caroline."

"Awww thanks you guys." Caroline had already changed out of her officEvant robes and was back to a simple black shirt and suspenders. Wren had apparently settled on a matching pinstripe vest and slacks, with no undershirt. Your cheeks burn as the vision of their chest rising, mirage-like, in your mind.

Nate lumbers over, "all good to go!"

"Nate! Nate! Tell Brenna what you found in my hotel bed stand." Caroline says excitedly.

"Well, it wasn't a fucking bible, that's for sure."

"It was a ball gag!" Caroline exclaims, "and a mask with peacock feathers!"

"What?!" You exclaim. Wren gives a low throaty laugh, obviously not the first time they had heard this story.

"The people who made this hotel were into some kinky shit." Caroline cackles.

"You think that's wild? My room has a secret passage in it."

"It does?" you flounder, trying to keep your face smooth.

"Yep, it's a whole hidden passage that connects half the rooms on the floor. It was inside my wardrobe and once you are in there, there's little peepholes through all the paintings" You feel a swell of guilt.

"Uh . . yeah. I . . . I know about that." You confess.

"WHAT?" Caroline barks. You ignore her.

"I'm so sorry Wren. I found one of the passageways and was wandering along and the first peephole I saw was yours, and the switch got flipped and I heard you coming in and I panicked and ran." It comes out in a gush, but you give yourself a little pat on the back for sparing your husband the embarrassment. One person looking in is an accident, two feels exploitive.

"Ha! Not the first time someone has seen these puppies." Wren gave their chest a broad sweep of their hand.

"If you liked the show, stick around afterwards. Maybe you and I can see what other secret places we can find." They give you a wink that brings the blush back in full force to your cheeks, but before you can respond, they jump up on the stage.

"Who's ready for some real fucking music!!!" Wren shouts. The wedding crowd erupts and they begin belting,

"Persephoneeeee was a friend of miiiiiine . . ."

Scanning the room, you see Simone and William bringing fire to the dance floor, Simone doing a sultry snake dance while William seems to be in the process of losing his shirt. Over at the tables, you see Barbara and Tony are at a table with Lena, who looks for all the world like a lost puppy. Two tables over, Evie looks radiant in a deepcut purple dress, flanked on either side by John and Angela, her arms draped over both their shoulders.

Evan and Erika are at the buffet table, building up a couple of plates, in anticipation of slipping out - their intentions clear by the coats draped over their arms.

In the back corner of the room, you see Jessica, Ryan, Sarah and Jared huddled in a corner, backs to the crowd whispering intently. Alden sits at the head table, making conversation with Daniel and Emma.

You make your way over to where the Polycule is relaxing and enjoying Wren's performance. As you approach, Angela gives you a wave and Evie gives you a warm smile, her eyes lingering on your waspish figure in a way that makes you blush.

"Brenna! We found the weirdest thing in the hotel." Angela announces. You laugh,

"You and everyone else!"

"Wait, what did you find?" John asks, leaning forward, his tangled dark curls falling in his intense eyes.

You briefly explain about the stairs to the pool and the peephole and the secret wardrobe, deftly leaving out the casual voyeurism of Wren. John jumps in,

"Well, we haven't checked our wardrobe yet, but I was in the shower and I slipped. I grabbed the showerhead to catch my fall . . ."

"There was so much flailing." Angela interjects.

"I gracefully steady myself with the shower head, with cat-like grace . . ." John asserts, Evie throws back her head and laughs, her chest quivering within that bedazzled purple dress.

". . . and it clicked, and the whole back half of the shower wall slid open. There was a hallway down there. So I dried myself off, got these two and we investigated."

"It was WILD!" Angela picks up the narrative. "We had to use our phone to light the way but it came to a three-way intersection with a big door that had a red heart painted on it. We were going to keep exploring but we had to get dressed, we didn't want to be late for this."

"Oh! Tell Brenna about the bride and groom thing they are doing!" John gives Angela a nudge. Her eyes light up,

"This is the best!" she explains. "They are doing this wedding night ceremony, I think it is from Game of Thrones,"

"Not a great role model for weddings," you quip.

"Right?! But this is good. Apparently the guests 'kidnap' the bride and groom and strip them naked, get them all fired up and chase them into the wedding bedroom once they are hot and bothered. They cheer outside while they consummate the marriage. Isn't that a hoot? Apparently we are supposed to be back here in about an hour to do that."

"So would you be kidnapping Emma or Dan?" You ask. Angela laughs. "Emma is more my taste but to each their own."