Chapter 13: Lacie's Party
Lacie still blushed anytime someone looked at her. Probably because no one was just looking at her, they were outright staring. Her long, soft hair was done up in a wonderful style, seemingly tied in a gently flowing waterfall down her back, falling smoothly from a complex, artistic knot at the back of her head. She carried a small, silver and blue purse, matching the elegant hue of her shimmering dress. Lacie's long gown was simple in it's elegance. A single thin strip of fabric slithered up over her collarbones, joining behind her neck, beneath her hair, leaving almost the entirety of her smooth back exposed. The strip of fabric held her dress in place, while the rest of the shimmering satin slid over her curves, stopping just an inch off the floor.
Lacie's dress clung to her body, emphasizing her delicate frame and sleek, feminine curves. The dress shimmered in the lights, changing color as Lacie moved. The silver deepened in hue to a brilliant, dazzling blue and back again every time she breathed or took a step. The deep, plunging neckline dove between Lacie's breasts, almost down to her navel, tantalizing and teasing observers with hints at the treasures hidden by the thin fabric.
Past her hips, the tight dress had a thin slit on one side, near the knee, allowing Lacie to move and walk comfortably. The bottom of the dress hovered a mere inch off the ground, looking like her lower legs were cocooned in an inverted calla lily. Lacie's makeup was barely visible, a soft blush to her cheeks, and light hints of blue eye shadow accented her dress, making her eyes seem wide and happy with excitement beneath long, luxurious lashes. A soft, subtle red lipstick colored the soft bows, accenting the blush on her cheeks, making Lacie seem vibrant with joy.
Beside her, Claire held herself slightly stiffly, still a little uncomfortable. They had been at the party a few hours already, but Claire was having trouble loosening up, knowing her former owners were wandering around somewhere close. Despite her tension, Claire was breathtaking in her own ensemble. Claire's bird wing hairstyle was gelled to look carelessly windswept and wild, but it had taken nearly an hour of work to achieve the effect. The leading edge of the wing partially concealed her left eye, lending her a smoky, mysterious look. Her eyes were shadowed a deep black, and her lashes were long and thick.
Claire's lips were a deep purple, and her gold piercings had all been switched out for glimmering silver. The effect was mesmerizing. Claire's dress was a deep, dark purple, only a few shades darker than her lips. The dress she wore was similar in design to Lacie's, but instead of leaving her scarred, tattooed back exposed, Claire's dress had two straps that crisscrossed behind her shoulder blades, partially concealing her skin. A thin veil of translucent purple silk hung under the straps, further protecting Claire's scars from being seen. Her dress stopped mid calf, unlike Lacie's. Thick black lines obscured the seams of Claire's dress, almost seeming to blend in with the purple fabric. The stitching continued around the hem of the dress, just above Claire's feet.
Both girls wore elegant shoes, Tara having made the strappy, heeled sandals in record time. The sandals were similar, but subtly different. Lacie's shoes had thinner straps, and fewer pieces held them to the brunette girl's feet. Claire's shoes wrapped around her bare toes before curling around her arches and tying into a simple loop around her ankles.
When Lacie had seen Master in his black tuxedo, Lacie had been glad he wasn't facing her. The embarrassment she would have felt at him watching her collapse from weak knees would have killed her. Master's black tuxedo fit his large frame like a second skin, emphasizing his powerful physique and strong, tall stature. Under his dinner jacket, he had on a vibrant red silk shirt that clung to his chest. He wore a red tie the exact same shade as the button up shirt, allowing it to subtly blend into his outfit. His eyes were hidden behind a dark pair of designer sunglasses, making him seem dashing, mysterious and a little intimidating. Master's pressed black pants were spotless, and his polished Italian shoes glimmered in the light. Lacie was knocked breathless by the sight of him, and it took almost all of her willpower to hold herself back from simply running up to him and throwing herself at him. Lacie had once thought that Master could never be more attractive, more dashing, more imposing than in his normal business suits. Lacie had never been more wrong in her life.
It had taken almost all afternoon for the group to get ready, but the effect was astounding. Both girls were the objects of stares from males in every corner of the massive ballroom, and Master had the women present almost drooling over him. Apparently, Master's target had wanted the event to be huge, and had rented out a massive ballroom in one of the most expensive hotels in the city. When Lacie had entered, she had flushed when she saw the doorman's jaw drop as he caught a glimpse of her. Clinging tighter to Master's arm, she had almost missed one of the signs inside the door. Immediately, the sight sobered the young girl, reminding her why they were there.
The sign had simply read, "Girls for rent upstairs, new product device use free with purchase of time with a girl. Inquire at front desk for details."
Lacie had shuddered in horror at the thought of those poor girls. Clinging tighter to Master's arm, Lacie had looked up at him, fear making her belly tremble and knees shake. The confident smile on his face had washed away her fears, and the eye crinkling grin that lit up his face as he looked down at her made her heart soar. Smiling back, Lacie had winked at him, grinning as he winked back. Lacie hadn't yet put her choker back on, and she was waiting for the right time to ask Master to do it for her. He didn't seem put out by it's absence, but Lacie was a little concerned about being off the grounds without having it on. Still, she was keeping it close, the tiny felt box hidden inside her little handbag.
The party was huge, hundreds of well dressed people milling around, massive amounts of champagne and food on the buffet tables, waiters and waitresses walking around the room offering hors d'ouvres and drinks. People clustered in groups and cigar smoke wafted overhead as waves of noise hummed through the room. Once inside, Master was almost immediately pulled into a group of well dressed men, dozens of people coming up to him, shaking his hand, clamoring for his attention.
Lacie was surprised at how well Master seemed to do under the onslaught. Laughing good-naturedly with some people, Master seemed to slip effortlessly from one person to the next, giving each man an ear, a handshake and a few moments of time before moving on. Within the first forty minutes, Lacie had been introduced to over a hundred different people, almost all of them rich men in suits. More than a few frowned at her, whenever they thought Master wasn't looking, blatant hostility painted on their features. Lacie stood her ground, glaring back. They knew who she was.
Every time someone looked at Lacie or Claire like that, Master was very quick to wrap things up there and move on. More than a few lasting glances told Lacie that Master's plan to partially disrupt the party was working, as people not only started to watch her, but as more people started to notice who she was, observers started to watch the executives that were hostile towards her. It was a subtle thing, but slowly, people began to distance themselves, conversations started to lag, and uncomfortable silences filled the space around Master's targets.
For his part, Master seemed blissfully unaware of the effect he was having, but in a few rare moments alone with him and Claire, Lacie could see the gleeful grin on his face, before he schooled his features again to meet the next person who asked for some of Master's time. Lacie watched him with awe, amazed by his poise and courtesy as he effortlessly guided the conversations around him. He was constantly dropping subtle hints, but those around him latched onto his every word like sharks on the hunt. A few soft words from him and the tenor of entire conversations changed, and people who had been spouting their viewpoints quickly retreated when Master gently opposed them, or surged forward aggressively when he commended them for their wisdom.
Shaking her head at his deft maneuvering, Lacie stepped away. Realizing how hungry she was, she gently touched Claire's arm, tilting her head towards one of the massive buffet tables, a question in her eye. Claire nodded gratefully, glad to escape, even if only for a few minutes. Lacie caught Master's attention and silently motioned towards the table, his answering smile and nod acknowledging them, while his eyes warned them to be careful. Lacie smiled at him before twining her arm through Claire's, gently bumping her hip into the other girl before grinning at her friend and tugging her towards the food.
It took the girls longer than Lacie had expected to get to the table, but eventually they reached the food. The spread was enormous, and both Lacie and Claire grabbed plates, careful not to pile too much on in their haste and hunger. Sitting down at a nearby table, Lacie began to eat. Claire sat only a foot away, almost shoulder to shoulder with Lacie.
"You know what?" Claire said after taking a small bite of her sandwich, eyeing the tiny triangle critically.
"Hmm?" Lacie responded, softly blowing on a spoonful of hot soup.
"This is nowhere near as good as Ana's cooking." Claire said, grimacing as she took another bite.
Lacie smiled as she swallowed another spoonful of soup.
"Tell her that. I'm sure she'd love to hear it."
"I mean, it's not horrible, but it's not all that good either."
"Ana cares about what we eat. She wants us to enjoy her food. She makes it special for us, knowing what we like and what we don't. She puts love into it. This is all impersonal." Lacie replied, waving her spoon back at the laden buffet table. "I think that's part of it."
Claire considered that for a few moments.
"I think you may be right. Still, as much as all this must have cost, you'd think it'd taste a bit better."
Lacie almost snorted soup as she giggled, casting an admonishing look at Claire, who grinned at her, unashamed.
"Maybe it's one of those situations where the food is all stuff that rich people try to convince themselves they like." Lacie grinned back.
It was Claire's turn to laugh into her food, coughing a bit as she almost swallowed another bite of her sandwich whole.
"Oh, there's a lot of things here that rich people like." Another voice came from nearby, the soft, sultry tones betraying the speaker's gender. At the sound of the voice, Claire's sandwich fell from her nerveless hands, the tattooed girl suddenly trembling violently as her face drained of color in an instant.
