The Masquerade Ch. 01

Alex glanced around the ballroom, which was filled with an abundance of color, lace, laughter and masks. She stayed near the edge of the room, standing to avoid the difficulty of maneuvering in the wide full skirt and sure if she sat, the corset would tighten to the point where she could barely breathe. She sipped wine carefully and avoided eye contact, made much easier by her fascination with the wide variety of masks that hid identities.

The masks were an assortment of animal faces, colorful wide expressionistic tableaus, slim masks that played up a person's eyes and did very little to hid identity, a few Guy Fox masks. Some seemed to be different ethnic masks; one, if she wasn't mistaken, was an Inuit mask symbolizing the wolf. She let her eyes flit from one end of the room to the other, watching the beautiful costumes and masks glide as the room performed a mixture of court and country dances. As the antique dances were performed, some with extreme ease and grace and others with stumbling attempts, there was much laughter and enjoyment.

Alex thought the masks let so many just enjoy their fumbling attempts without embarrassment, as they felt their identities hidden and any pride was able to be put aside for the simple enjoyment of The Masquerade. She was enjoying herself immensely. She had danced a dance or two with partners that she had no idea who they were. Her identity stayed hidden behind her mask of black sequins and feathers, matching her elegant black gown with it's low dipping neckline and fluttering lace that imitated the movement of the feathers on her mask when she moved. It hugged her frame, the corset underneath, while laced tightly enough to mask a pound or two, was open enough to let her breathe and dance without the lightheadedness or possibility of fainting so common of the era she was imitating.

She smiled faintly as she thought that though her outfit may have imitated the era, her frame itself did not. She was not some slip of a girl whose corset let others believe her frame was curvaceous due to the tiny waist. Alex had a woman's body, full of curves. Her waist would never be tiny, but her martial arts background, enjoyment of running and just about any rough and tumble game kept her fit. Her muscular legs and arms were in keeping with the amount that she could "keep up with the boys." However, her body would never be rid of the full décolletage that was on display fit with an onyx necklace nestled just above her cleavage.

Alex breathed out as a man in a dark green tunic came towards her again. He had been following her around most of the evening, but could not seem to keep his eyes on hers and his attempt at small talk was awkward, annoying, and had no intelligence behind it. She tried to step to the side so she could step behind the pillar and walk around the edge of the ballroom to get away from the man when her arm was taken firmly, placed around an arm and she was led out onto the dance floor. As she was happy to be out of the way of the annoying suitor, she let her self be led out, though she was a little annoyed at the presumption. As they fit into they next set, a court dance that she actually learned prior to The Masquerade, she saw her companion for the first time.

His eyes, dark behind his dark mask watched her as she slowly appraised him. He was tall, a good head over hers, broad in the shoulder, slim in the waist and his arms strained against the fabric of his white tunic. His legs were also muscular underneath the black breeches he wore. His surcoat was black with black embroidery and his boots were knee high, also black.

His mask was beautiful. A black mask, glittering with jewels, rather than the more common sequins, with eyes that tilted just a bit to add to the idea of mischief, and a single black feather hung from the left, moving with his movement. Alex smiled a slow smile, and nodded her head to him, glancing to the glowering man in green. His smile also grew slowly and he nodded his head as well, just as the music started.

The previous dances she had danced were fun and she had felt full of lightness and joy. But this dance...this dance had started as the others, until she had felt his hand on her waist for the first time. She gasped quietly as his hand slid around her to cup her waist into the half lift and turn of the dance and had to struggle to hide her shiver as his hand slid away again as they spun away from each other.

She had always thought of the dances of old as stilted and pompous, or rowdy with some of the country dances. She had never known the dance could be so...sensual. Every time they came together, and his hands touched her waist, her shoulder, and even just her hand was a moment of shivers and desire, and every time they parted was a curtailment of pleasure and a longing to be held one more time. She thought she had felt lightness before, but for the first time she felt little as he lifted her without effort and his grace with every movement brought her enjoyment of the dance to another level.

As the dance continued she felt herself become breathless, and not just from the exertion of the dance. Every time they faced one another, his dark eyes held hers. It took effort to tear her gaze away every time the dance decreed a turn away from him and especially to a new partner. Her face held a smile of enjoyment, but she was having a more and more difficult time hiding what every touch and gaze from her unknown partner was doing to her.

All at once the dance came to an end, her hand in his as she curtsied and he bowed. Then she followed the lead of his hand to standing and watched him watch her as they clapped their appreciation of the band. Then he took her hand, again placing it around his arm and led her from the floor, back to the corner where he had found her.

As he settled her yet again in the place he found her his arm slid out from under hers and she felt it against the small of her back. He leaned down, his mouth at her ear so she could hear him. "Would you like a drink, Mi'Lady?" He asked in a smooth bass voice that seemed to send vibrations down her spine.

"That would be lovely, good sir." Alex said, her first words to him, and they came out husky as she tried vainly to hide what his dancing and now voice did to her. His gaze held hers for a moment more, and his smile grew again in his strong jaw. She watched as he walked away towards the refreshment table and took the moment to slow her breathing again.

Alex wracked her brain, trying vainly to place the man. Something about him seemed familiar, but she could not place where she knew him from. His height unfortunately did not help her, as she knew many tall and broad men at work and no few of her friends were also tall and broad.

Truthfully, most of her friends were men, though she did have a few female friends. She was a tomboy, loved playing football, hiking challenging trails, and owned her own studio where she taught Go-Ju Ryu Karate. While she loved dressing up occasionally, she would rather be in jeans and a beat up sweatshirt. If she were going to dress and be "girly" it was going to be for something fun and adventurous, like The Masquerade.

Alex let her eyes flit around the ballroom again, admiring the masks, gowns and surcoats. Her eyes happened on the man in green once again, and felt his glare down to her toes. He obviously was used to getting what he wanted, and was not happy being thwarted on his hunt of her. She let her mouth turn up into a deadly smile as her eyes narrowed on him. She let her eyes take in all the details she could. He was not as tall as her dark companion, but still stood a few inches past her height. He wasn't slim, stocky, but in good shape. The shape of his face was square, with wide lips and narrow nose. She knew his eyes to be hazel, though he was just out of range to see that now. His mask hid enough of his features that she wouldn't be able to identify him by face, but she knew enough of his features to be on the look out.

Being a woman in this city, like in any city, wasn't always safe. And while she knew enough to protect herself, she would rather avoid confrontation. But she wasn't stupid enough to ignore trouble when she saw it. It may be nothing, she may never see him again. But if she did, she would be ready.

Alex saw his eyes narrow again, and he took a step toward her, when she saw something closer to rage fill his eyes before she felt a caress of fingers on her arm and she looked to her left to find her dark companion again. She saw him look at the man in green, who looked away and faded back into the crush of people.

"Is he bothering you, miss?" His dark voice wrapped itself around her and once again she felt her heartbeat spike.

"No. Just a mere annoyance, that you so ably chased away." Alex lifted the glass he brought her to her lips, watching him through her eye lashes as she sipped the fruity punch. His eyes darkened to an almost true black as his eyes slipped to her lips as she drank.

He smiled and sipped his punch. "May I ask your name? Or would you rather stay unknown as The Masquerade dictates?" He asked.

"My name is Alexandria." Alex wanted to hear her name in his dark smooth voice, but not yet willing to let him know her full name. It was a Masquerade, after all.

"Alexandria." He lingered over the name as if over a delicate wine. "Unfortunately my name does not quite fit in with Masquerade era quite as well as yours. I'm Mark." Mark raised his hand, and they shook hands.

Alex was happy with his firm handshake. Now-a-days it seemed more and more people didn't know a correct handshake. She smiled up at him, her smile turning to laughter as he then took her hand and kissed the back, more in keeping with The Masquerade. He again smiled that slow sexy smile.

"So, Alexandria," God, Alex thought, I love how he says my name. "Are you a history aficionado, or do you just like the idea of dancing, mysterious partners, and dressing up?"

"A bit of both, I think. I'm an avid reader, and I love stories set back in time. I love the intrigue of court, set against the more simple life of the average person. Though life wouldn't exactly be simple, I suppose, with the amount of work entailed in just living required in a time without so much." Alex liked the way Mark held her gaze as she spoke, a small smile stayed on his face and his eyes didn't wander like so many others did, especially with her dressed in this gown designed to show off her...assets. "And what of you, Mark? Aficionado or do you just like being mysterious?"

Mark had a low laugh, "I will admit to both. Though, I'm not that mysterious, I just get caught up in The Masquerade. I'm a professor at the university, and we get tickets here every year."

"We?" Alex asked, suddenly worried. She did not like flirting with married men.

"The history and anthropology professors. We helped with the information to make The Masquerade a bit more like it was, and some of us researched the dances and helped teach them." Mark studied Alex for a moment, and smiled a half smile at her. "No, I am not married."

Alex felt her face warm as she blushed. She had thought she wasn't that obvious. "Neither am I." She replied. She adjusted her earring, as a clip on it tended to slip down and she felt the need to fiddle. She watched as his eyes transferred from hers to her hand and couldn't help but let her hand slide to her neck before letting it relax at her side again. She watched his throat as he swallowed as he let his eyes wander lower. His eyes were gone but a moment before returning to her gaze. His eyes darkened as she caught her breath.

His hand slowly trailed to the small of her back again. She gasped as he brought her suddenly against him and her hands raised to his chest as she felt her body plaster to his. Even the layers of cloth from the gown wasn't enough to disguise the feel of his hard body against hers. His eyes never leaving hers he leaned down until his mouth was a breath from hers. His eyes seemed to snap before she closed her eyes and he captured her mouth with his. His mouth on her was sudden, and for but the slightest moment hard. Then he gentled the kiss, turning it into a question. A question that had to be answered.

Alex leaned into the kiss, deepening it. She moaned when she felt his tongue lightly against her lips. She heard him growl in satisfaction when she parted her lips and let her tongue dance with his. The thundering of her heartbeat threatened to deafen her, but she didn't care for all she wanted was to feel. To feel his body hard against hers, to feel his tongue slide deliciously against hers, to feel his hair as she ran her hand through it.

The electricity of the earlier dance was nothing compared to the lightning of his kiss. She felt the bolt run through her body, and she shivered in his arms. She knew him but moments, and yet she felt so right, with his arms around her, one hand holding her to him and the other clasping the nape of her neck..

He slowly lightened the kiss, drawing back from her reluctantly. He kissed her with a small touch of lips before stepping back. Her hands trailed back to his chest for a moment before she let the touch end and relaxed her hands back to her side. She was breathing hard, and saw him glance to her décolletage before looking her in the eye again.

She saw him take a breath, then held out his arm to her, "Would you like to dance again, Alexandria?" Alex smiled her slow smile again and took his arm.

"I would love to."

They wove their way into the crowd of dancers and joined in near the beginning of a spinning country dance. She laughed as they bounded around each other and through the crowd of dancers. One moment they were together and the next, the were apart, only to come together again.

As the night moved on, they danced and talked, never letting anything slip more about their individual identities. They talked of history, books, and music. Mark knew far more about the history of Europe and Asia, but she kept her own with the Americas. He tended to read more nonfiction, mystery and thriller; while she read more historical fiction, and fantasy. Alex blushed when she told him she read the occasional romance, but he only smiled his slow sexy smile. Mark's taste in music tended to be the "original rock and roll" as he called it and hers ran towards classical, new age, or ethnic/international music. And through these differences they found that they both had a passion for knowledge and the arts.

The night drifted too quickly to an end. More and more people were disappearing to go back to their homes and modern life, leaving behind the mystery of The Masquerade. After the last dance, the musicians were packing up their things, and the caterers and workers of the Masquerade started cleaning up around the last few people who were readying themselves to leave.

Mark escorted Alex toward the cloak room, her hand once again in the crook of his arm. He smiled as he received a black cloak with her ticket. He settled it around her shoulders and clasped it at the front of her neck; his fingers lingering against her skin for a moment. Alex's breath caught once again and she licked her suddenly dry lips. Mark turned to receive his coat, which was not quite as in keeping with the era. He slipped it on and once again took Alex's arm in his.

They made their way slowly to the door, not wanting the evening to end. They slipped out the door and to the sidewalk, where there were cabs waiting to take guests home. Alex was half hoping that he would ask her home, but she wasn't that kind of girl. That kiss though, just the thought of it sent tingles down her spine.

"I suppose this is where I leave you, my sweet Alexandria." Mark's voice once again wrapped around her and she shivered, partly disappointed and partly relieved.

"I suppose it is." Alex replied, somewhat wistfully. "Should we keep the mystery of the Masquerade?"

Mark's eyes held her gaze, and she felt the smoldering heat of his eyes. "I don't wish to, but maybe we should keep it for the evening? A Masquerade would usually end in longing I would think. If we leave each other now, that is most definitely how it would end for me." Mark's hand once again trailed to the small of her back as he spoke.

"Longing," Alex replied breathily. "Most definitely longing." Mark's eyes once again darkened to black and he leaned down, touching his lips to hers. The kiss deepened for a moment before he pulled away, catching his breath as he did.

"Well, my sweet Alexandria, as I told you earlier, I work at the university. Shall we keep it at that for the evening?" Mark's gaze never left her eyes behind her mask, and she wondered how he looked behind his.

Alex smiled a slow smile. She leaned up to steal a quick kiss. She felt him shiver as she breathed against his ear, "Sweet dreams, Mark." She stepped away quickly and into a waiting cab. She told the cabby her address, and as they started to drive away, she turned to look behind her, watching him fade away, his hand raised in farewell.