Dark Love (Complete)

19

Inara reached the hotel a few minutes after 6:00 pm and was greeted by the girls at the reception.

They were dressed in pink tee-shirts with the words Inara Anthony- Bride to be crested on the back. Inara was overwhelmed by their kindness.

"This is yours." Cassy said, presenting her with a similar tee-shirt in white.

"Wow, this is unexpected. I am moved." said Inara and wore it over her sleeveless blouse.

"It's our pleasure." said Amy.

"Let's take you to the room we booked." Eve said excitedly.

They led her away from the reception, then walked her along the hotel lobby to a room where on the door, a colorful banner was hung. The banner bore boldly, her engagement picture where Lemuel was kissing her hand. On it, a fancy digital writing proclaimed Congratulations! Inara Anthony.

"You guys did all these for me?" Inara couldn't believe it still. The girls had really troubled her in times past.

"It's nothing." Eve said.

"We can only try to make up for the pain we caused you." Amy added and Cassy opened the door to the room.

It was a spacious place even with the large bed inside. It was occupied by several girls in the same custom branded pink tee-shirt. Filling the bed and chairs inside, the girls looked pretty and friendly.

"Congratulations." they all chorused, wearing big smiles on their faces. The room was decorated colorfully with ribbons and balloons. There was a pretty bike shaped cake and drinks on a table with a chair decorated and labeled Bride's Throne.

Inara's heart melted with gratitude. These girls had been thoughtful, making her a bike cake. She loved bikes and they had remembered.

"Thank you all so much." She said and hugged the three musketeers. Some up-tempo Jazz music was playing in the background and after their disengagement from the hug, the girls led her to the Bride's throne where she sat down.

Cassy then made a toast, wishing her a happy home. Then they had her cut the cake to the spelling of her name I N A R A.

Cassy had suggested she allow Amy take pictures with her phone to keep the memory of the party, hence Amy was with her phone, taking pictures. Some of the other people were also taking pictures and Inara felt very special and appreciated.

After the cake was cut, it was shared among everyone. Drinks were shared too and then Cassy announced that it was time for the special bridal show. All the girls began to cheer and Cassy nodded at Eve who dimmed the light giving the scene a lucid ambience.

For the first time, Inara noticed that there was a blindfold on Eve's hand. It made her heart skip a beat as Eve approached her with the blindfold, a surreptitious smile on her face. By now Cassy was beside her, smoothing her hair gently.

"What are you doing?" Inara asked Eve, getting uncomfortable.

"Relax dear, it is a surprise so we need your eyes blindfolded first." Cassy said reassuringly.

Inara sat back and allowed herself to be blindfolded. Then she felt her legs and arms being cuffed to the legs of the chair.

"I don't think this is a good idea." She complained, panicking but Cassy asked her to relax. Next, she heard giggles and then the music changed to some dark rock music. It was something her father would call Worldly Music.

"Cassy, I don't feel comfortable." Inara said nervously.

"Relax." Cassy said and laughed. A strange lethargic feeling was overcoming her as she felt the blindfold being taken off. Opening her eyes, she saw a male stripper coming towards her.

"No. Stop, I don't like this." Inara protested and began to struggle but she felt herself weakening. Then it dawned on her that they had drugged her drink. It was the only reason why she was feeling so heavily lethargic.

She heard a stream of laughter and giggles coming from the girls in the room. Lights flashed dimly in the blackness of her vision with shutter sounds that clicked rapidly, telling her that pictures of the scene were being taken. She also heard the sound of the music increasing a notch, almost drowning their laughter. Then she blacked out.

Inara didn't know for how long but when she opened her eyes, everyone was gone. She felt the effects of whatever drug they had used on her, fading fast. They had also removed the cuffs.

A glance around the room told her that they had cleaned up. It looked like nothing had happened there. Inara felt sick to her stomach and managed to control an urge to throw up.

Surprisingly, her phone was on her lap and it started buzzing with a call from Zee. Inara still felt a bit drowsy but she could move and picked it up.

"Don't tell me you went to see those witches." Zee said. "Tell me you were smarter than that."

"I wasn't." She answered weakly. "Please come and get me Zee."

"Shit!" Zee swore. "How could you be so naive? Hold on, I'm on my way."

From her phone, Inara saw that it was 7:50 pm. She didn't bother blaming herself. She was too shocked to do so.

Zee arrived in about ten minutes and helped her outside to the parking lot. They hauled her bike into Zee's Pickup truck and got inside.

"What happened?"

"They drugged me and made a male stripper come at me. And they were taking pictures and then I blacked out."

Zee sighed and it was deep. The sound worried Inara even though her mind was a complete mess because of what had just happened.

"I've chosen not to keep blaming you Inny. It won't help. You have bigger problems regarding this."

"What do you mean?"

"The heart of man is desperately wicked. You used to tell me that. If those girls were taking pictures, then they plan to send the pictures out to someone just to get you in trouble. The game hasn't changed. Only the music has."

Inara gasped.

"My parents."

"That would be bad but too easy. It has to be well, the guy you're getting married to."

Inara thought about that and immediately began to cry, overwhelmed by a crawling sense of doom.

"I'd rather they show my parents."

"Calm down dear. Just try and relax."

"I can't. He is going to kill me."

"This isn't your fault."

"No. You don't understand. Yesterday, before his family left my home, he asked me if I was having a bridal shower. I said no because then there was no such plan. It would look like I lied. And Zee, he is big on that. I am finished."

"If you explain..."

Inara shook her head, more tears flowing down her face.

"You don't know him."

"Hmn. Hope you didn't let them touch your phone."

"One of them was using it to take pictures."

"Shit, that's how they will get his contact. Gosh, Inara."

Inara sobbed.

"Well, let's just hope those girls don't do anything stupid." Zee said, starting the car and even Zee herself, sounded unsure. It made Inara cry more.