My Sweet Escape

9) Masquerade

The next day Dylan invites Lex and me to meet his new girlfriend for breakfast. We decided to go to check her out. I googled her after I got him to tell me her name to make sure she wasn't crazy. She's really nice and she doesn't take his shit so that's good. Lex seemed to love her. She invited Lex to the zoo and asked if she wanted to spend the night. She was so excited how could I say no. After we part ways, I head to what would have been our hair appointment. Might as well get this mane took care of if I'm going tonight. I decide that I want to surprise them. I ask the lady to dye my hair a bleach blonde and add matching hair extensions to make my hair crazy long. I have her style it half up and half down, curled and pinned with a diamond flower. Next is my nails and I get a manny petty and my nails French tipped. I go shopping and find a beautiful floor length pastel pink dress with a plunging neckline. It's the softest fabric with a silk pink belt, a diamond flower piece, that matches the one in my hair, attached to the left side of the belt. It's sleeveless with the fabric crisscrossing on my upper back. As I wonder the store with the dress in my arms, my eyes land on a matching pink mask with diamond like jewels curling around it and my heart skips a beat. Before I leave the store I find matching shoes, they are 4 inch heels with the same soft fabric from the dress crisscrossing across my feet and around my ankles, and a matching clutch. I spend entirely to much money on all of it but I have to have it all. I need to look as little like myself as possible. I really want them to be surprised. When I get home and get dressed I search my limited selection of necklaces and find a long diamond necklace that was the best match. Then doing my own makeup I go with a dark shadow for the eyes with lots of glitter on top and a deep red lipstick. My mask covers most of my face so no need for much more then that. Thirty minutes late already and I haven't left the house. Good maybe I can sneak in.

As I get out of the car I check my purse for the invite. I hand it off to one of my coworkers at the door and he waves me in totally unaware of who's under the mask. That counts for something I guess. He sees me four to five days a week but we don't talk much. The real test is waiting just in side the doors. I weave my way through the crowds. Passing my bosses and most of the team that helped me with this. No one seems to recognize me. Mr. Samson greets me and I nod and keep moving. I'm a woman on a mission tonight. Surprisingly most people are actually wearing masks. They weren't a requirement some have painted on masks and some have masks on a stick the creativity of the costumes are great. Which makes mine feel very plain.

I walk to the bar. And wait till a bartender notices me.

"What can I get ya darling?"

"Um I'm not sure I don't really drink often, what do you recommend for someone trying to wash away their troubles." I say with as much of my southern drawl gone as I've ever been able to muster. Other then actually getting to come tonight I'm really upset I didn't get my day with Lex. And after last night I need something strong.

"Ok I'll make you something sugar hold tight." And she's off making something.

"So troubles hmm, someone as beautiful as you shouldn't have troubles." And I turn to the voice I bite my lip. Even though this man beside me has a mask on I can still tell who it is. His tan skin and dark hair only part of what gives him away. His strong jawline has always made me weak in the knees. And the tattoo on his hand that's holding his glass is just the cherry on top. I can tell he's not flirting, it almost sounded like he was just stating a fact but just the same I'm rendered speechless. I've spent so much time with him talking hell even kissing him and still the sight of him makes my heart skip a beat. Fuck I just want him to keep talking, but in order for that to work I'll have to talk back. He can't see my face. I'm hoping he doesn't know who I am, and if he figures it out I hope he doesn't call me on it. I take a deep breath and smile.

"Ah nobody knows the troubles I've seen." He smiles in to his glass as he takes a sip. And there's his dimple. Fuck I haven't seen that in a while. My eyes dart to it and back to his eyes which were watching my face. He's trying really hard to contain his smug look and hold his dimple in place.