Masquerade: The Tale of Romance, Seduction and ***

My cell phone was cold in my hand as I pressed it to my ear. I really didn’t want to talk to her… but I might as well listen to my father this time around since I wouldn’t be around in Falcon Ridge any longer.

The phone rang several times before it went to the answering machine. I grumbled with annoyance. “Mom, it’s me.” I said. “I know you’re there. This is important and I need to talk to you soon--” I heard a click as the other end was picked up.

“What?” I heard my mother’s voice over the line, annoyed. I could hear her heavy breathing over the line, like she had been running and just returned home. However, I knew better.

“God, mom,” I snapped. “It’s almost like every time it goes to the machine you’re playing around with some guy in bed.”

“I picked up the phone, didn’t I?” She retorted angrily back. “Now hurry up, I’m busy. What do you want?”

I resisted the urge to snap my phone in half. “I called to tell you I’m being transferred to another base in Backwater South Coal City.”

“So?”

“So… I’m going to be working undercover in the city for awhile.”

“You wasted my time for that?”

I huffed in rage. “I’m working on the Backwater Serial Killings case and I wanted to tell you before I went. Jeez, it’s like every time I try to talk to you I get some annoyed response from you.” Bitterly, I bit my lip. “It was never like this with you and Kai.”

My mom and I had never had the best relationship. She was always off gallivanting with other guys while I was up all night doing homework and studying. When my parents had divorced, my mom had taken custody of me and my father of Kai. Kai and my mom had gotten along great, having the same interests, sometimes I wondered why she chose to take custody of me instead of my elder sister.

She was quiet over the line. I couldn’t hear her heavy panting either. I almost thought she had hung up and I was about to angrily slam the phone closed when I heard her voice on the other end.
“The serial murders, that 10 years killings case going on in the city?”

“Yeah.” I answered, exasperated. Now she finally understood. “I’m gonna be away for awhile so I wanted to tell you.” I paused. “And I want you to visit dad. If only once a month.” Sarcastically I added, “I don’t want to hinder your ‘relationships.’”

It was quiet again on the other side. I sighed. “Fine, you don’t have to visit--”

“I’ll do it.” She said and I started with surprise.

“Really?”

“What’s with that surprised tone of yours?! It’s not like I didn’t visit him already!”

I glared at the road as we drove passed. “Once a year isn’t visiting.”

She was quiet again before she finally sighed. “I know. I’ll try.”

“Yeah, as long as you try.” I growled.

She sighed again and then spoke, so quietly I almost didn’t hear it. “Be careful, Cliesa.”

Then she hung up.

Angrily I snapped the phone shut and stuffed it into my pocket. Archer, who had been driving silently during the entire conversation, finally looked at me.

“You two don’t get along.”

“You think!?” I hissed, propping my elbow on the door and looking out the window while pressing my palm against me cheek. “How long until we’re there?”

“Not long. We’ll be there right…about…now.” He drove into the parking lot of a local bar. I slipped out of the car, grabbing my bag and slinking it over my shoulder. I clutched it to myself as Archer, putting his arm around my shoulders reassuringly, pulled me into the bar.

When I wasn’t undercover, when I wasn’t pretending to be someone else, these places really did make me nervous. I was a master at investigating undercover but when I was myself… I found these kinds of pubs and party places some of the scariest places on Earth.

I felt overdressed as we walked inside. I was wearing a casual outfit for myself, a pair of jeans, some comfortable sneakers and a long sleeved shirt and a thin jacket around my waist. I hadn’t done anything special with my hair today, just tied it up in a loose ponytail, draped over my shoulder.

Archer had come in what I had seen him wearing earlier, the neat, white dress shirt, dark comfy jeans and boots. I hadn’t noticed it before but he was wearing several different bracelets, all silver, along with a silver chain around his neck. His hair was slicked back, gelled to the usual spikes I had been used to seeing at work. I couldn’t help myself; I admired his profile from below. I could just see a little stubble appearing on his face. His jaw was well shaped, strong and lean and I almost couldn’t stop myself from reaching out to touch it. He was so much taller than I was, a good six foot to my height of 5 foot 2. I couldn’t deny it, he looked rather sexy.

I blushed immediately upon thinking such things. He was my partner at work and during investigations. He was just as good at fooling people as I was. Maybe it was this charm that was pulling me in to him now?

“Hey,” He squeezed my shoulder and I jumped, staring up in surprise at him. He gave me a cool grin, suave and deliberate. “Calm down, kiddo, this place isn’t too bad, is it?”

“N-no.” I blushed slightly again, hoping he hadn’t noticed me checking him out under the dim lighting. “So… where are the others?”

He pointed to a group of young officers dancing on the dance floor. They weren’t wearing their uniforms but I recognized them immediately. “Come on.” He dragged me along to greet them.

Everyone was pretty cheerful. Lisa and Ben both gave me warm hugs. Chance clapped me on the back with his heavy hand, almost knocking me over before gently rubbing circles to make up for it. Isabel offered me a beer as a congratulations, I respectfully declined. Even grumpy Arise passed me a present, a poem she had written about how much she wasn’t going to miss me. I smiled and thanked her. We had never quite gotten along but the sentiment was nice.

Eventually we all dispersed, the others dancing about the bar, Archer eagerly joining them. I found myself sitting alone at the bar… well not alone, there was a man sitting on the stool next to mine but he was too engrossed in his drink to pay me notice.

I sighed. Parties weren’t really my thing. Sure, when I was undercover it was so much easier to go out and dance… but that was because I was someone else. I wasn’t Cliesa Darosa, the shy, awkward, serious, younger sister who worked all day and studied all night. I wasn’t hiding behind my bright, lively, older sister’s shadow.

So when Kai disappeared, was I really free? I still felt leased.

I love my sister. I would do anything for her. But then why? Why was I still held back by her image?

If I wasn’t Cliesa, if I was someone else… could I stand out there and have fun partying with the others?

Somehow or other I found myself sifting through my bag in the bathroom, pulling out a short, red dress. I always kept spare clothes with me in case I had to change into a disguise quickly. I slipped it on, changing out of my casual attire and pulling out my hair. I quickly did my makeup, putting on a red layer of lipstick and some eye shadow. I did my hair into a style that fell down to my shoulders in waves. The dress was short and low cut, showing off my legs and thighs. My skin looked porcelain against the striking red. Staring into the mirror I saw a complete stranger.

I wasn’t Cliesa Darosa anymore.

I mingled about the dance floor, swaying to the music and moving my hips to the beat. I ended up beside the group of young officers, making my way between them and dancing around them. I spotted Archer, laughing and dancing along with Ben and Chance. I made my way beside them until I was right up against them, swaying my body this way and that.

They got sight of me. Chance whistled. Ben smirked. Archer raised an eyebrow at me. I grinned up at him, moving my way between them and gently moving my body against his. He seemed amused, playing along, gently dancing along with me, and keeping a good enough distance from me that it wasn’t intimate. I played along too, going at his pace. But eventually I began closing the space between us.

“Okay, girl.” Archer pushed me gently back and I pouted.

“Why not? Do you not like me?” I asked.

“Of course I do!” He blinked. I could see he was trying to be polite. I made my way closer until I had wrapped my arms around his neck. He seemed slightly uncomfortable by the forwardness.
“Let’s dance like this.” I whispered. “If you do like me, then it’ll be fine right?”

He tried to gently and politely disentangle my arms. “I think you’re getting the wrong idea.”

I gently pressed my hips up against his, grinding against him. He seemed surprised and tried his best to ignore it.

He was staring down at me when suddenly his eyes narrowed. He leaned closer to me, so close I could feel his breath ticking my cheeks.

“Is that you, Cliesa?” He asked, surprised.

I blinked. Under the dark, dim lighting he hadn’t noticed until now the resemblance. “Sweetheart, it’s Willow.” I smiled, whispering seductively into his ear. He seemed bewildered and I giggled, swaying against his body. We fit together like a puzzle piece. It was so perfect.

The song ended then and a slow song started up. It wasn’t really my scene, so I pulled Archer by the hand away from the crowd and over to a corner of the bar away from prying eyes. I pressed him up against the wall and ran my hands over his chest, feeling his abs under the touch of my fingers.

“Okay, touchy…” He tried to wriggle away from me but I held him fast.

“You’re cute when you’re trying to get away.” I giggled. I leaned up against him so my breasts pressed against his chest. “Does my body not turn you on?”

“Sorry.” Archer whispered, resting his hands on my shoulders as though he were gently going to push me off. “I don’t want to hurt a sweet girl like you.”

“At least one kiss.” I pleaded. “C’mon, you came here to have fun, right?”

“Yes… but it was supposed to be fun with some friends of mine, who I really should get back to.” He searched the crowd as though he were looking for someone and then trained his gaze down on me again, brow creased.

“You said you’re name was Willow, correct?” He asked me. I nodded, pursing my lips at him.

“You thought I was someone else earlier, right?” I leaned further against him, standing on my tiptoes and turning my face up to him as if begging for a kiss. “If you pretended I was her… would it be easier?”

He seemed to be debating with himself for a moment, looking around almost guiltily. He trained his gaze back on me. It was intense. He suddenly brought his face closer to mine, so our lips were barely touching.

“One kiss.” He breathed against my waiting lips.

“One kiss.” I repeated, mine tingling with anticipation.

Then, ever so slowly, he brought his lips to mine in a feather of a kiss.

I wasn’t having that.

I forcibly kissed him back, pressing my hand against his chest and he reacted rather violently, tangling his hands in my hair and bringing me closer. We tasted each other’s mouths. He tasted like honey, just like the color of his eyes I had seen underneath the dim lighting. We pulled away, gasping for breath.

I grinned, patting his shoulder. “Well bye, bye. I hope to see you again soon.” I grinned at him before turning my back and making my way away. He was a sexy man that tastes like honey. I wouldn’t mind meeting him again.

* * *

I stretched from my seat on the bar stool. I had only been drinking water that entire time, in case Archer had taken a sip of some alcohol and we needed a sober driver. When he made his way over to me, his eyes were fiery and his hair a little disheveled.

“I’m ready to go.” He said huskily.

I squinted as I noticed something on his lips. “Is that lipstick?”

He blinked and rubbed his hand against his mouth. I stared at him, one eye brow raised. I couldn’t help the twinge of hurt that filled my belly. I didn’t know why I felt that way but there it was. “Did you drink a bit?”

“I didn’t have any alcohol.” He stated. He cleared his throat, as though he were having trouble swallowing.

So he did it of his own free will. I nodded, feeling the twinge again but I ignored it.

“Then let’s go.”

We headed out to the car and hopped in. We started back towards my house, my eyes on the road and my hands twirling through my ponytail.

Suddenly, Archer was speaking to me. “Hey, kiddo… Did you ever leave the bar at any point?”

I turned to look at him, confused but I shook my head. “No. I’m pretty sure I stayed where I was. I did go to the bathroom at one point though.”

“Did you… perhaps… change into a red dress?”

Once more I stared at him like he was silly. “No. But I do have one in my bag for emergencies.”

Archer seemed to be holding his breath as I searched in my bag for the dress. To my surprise, it wasn’t there. “That’s funny…” I said aloud. “I could have sworn I had it in here. Hmm. Guess I forgot to pack when I got ready earlier.” I turned to him apologetically. “Sorry. Why did you ask? Did something happen?”

He stared at me for a moment, searching my gaze. I blinked back at him, confusion plain on my features. Eventually he turned away to focus on the road.

“No. Nothing.”