NorthernPassion (11 page)

“Yes,” Desiree agreed. “And I get the feeling the woman over
there is Geneva’s proxy tonight.”

Sam nodded. “I wonder on what level.” He rubbed his chin.
He’d seen a lot of things, but he couldn’t help but think both he and Desiree
were about to get an education.

Martin continued. “Well, friends, you know the rules. There
aren’t many. Enjoy tonight, because as many of you know, the fantasy is
different every time so make the most of it.” The woman next to him handed him
a wineglass. “Let the fun begin!” He held up his glass and all the people in
the room followed suit. A cheer went up. The podium where Martin had been
standing went dark and the lights in the room dimmed again.

“Now what?” Sam mouthed. A woman who had been standing in
front of them turned around, a broad smile plastered across her face. “
Bonsoir.
”

Her French was perfectly accented, so much so, Desiree wasn’t
sure if she was French or if she was an ex-patriot. “You two are new here, no?”

Desiree managed to put the wonderment she felt at the
spectacle in front of them aside and her smile clicked on. “
Oui
. Is it
that obvious? I’m afraid we are a little lost.”

“Don’t worry,” the woman said. “It will all be very clear to
you shortly.” She looked at Sam and paused, then reached out and ran her hand
down his arm. “I hope we meet again. Soon.”

Desiree’s mouth dropped open. Martin interrupted her
surprise. Just as Desiree thought, his friend Vanna-look-alike was right by his
side, a smile plastered to her face. She made eye contact but didn’t speak.

“I’m so glad the two of you could make it.” Martin looked
from Sam to Desiree. “You remember Leesa, right? You met her at my home the
other night.” They exchanged nods but Leesa said nothing. Martin continued. “I
know you’ll enjoy yourself here. I can see you’re making yourself at home
already.” He glanced from Sam to the woman and then to Desiree. “You will find
people are very forward here.”

Sam nodded. “I’m seeing that.”

“Is that what you call it?” Desiree agreed. “She might as
well have thrown her panties at you.” A frown fleeted across Desiree’s face,
giving away her conflicting feelings.

A heavy guffaw escaped Martin’s lips. “Don’t tell me you’re
the jealous type. You have no need to be. It’s quite charming, though. You are
a lucky man,
Monsieur
Comfort.” He waved his hands in the air,
dismissing the idea. “Jealousy is such a wasted emotion. As beautiful as you
are, you will have many propositions here, my dear. And there is nothing to
worry about, I assure you. What happens here is just for here. It is a rule.”

Desiree frowned. Is that what she was feeling? Jealousy?
Disappointed in herself, she pushed the idea to the back of her mind. Jealousy
could be dangerous. For either of them. As could being so transparent. She took
a deep breath.

The woman seemed to have lost interest and moved on. By now,
she was laughing too loudly at something some other man had said. Desiree
crossed her arms in front of her. “Well, she certainly is fickle.” She glared
at the woman.

“We don’t judge here, Desiree,” Martin said. He took her by
the elbow. “We leave those things outside the door. We are all here to have fun
and that happens in different ways for all of us. Why don’t you come let me
show you what happens next?” The grip he had on her elbow told Desiree she
didn’t have much choice in the matter. Apparently she was going with Martin no
matter what she really wanted. “Sam, Leesa will show you what happens next. You
will be in good hands.”

Leesa smiled. “Come. Fun is waiting.” She licked her lips,
her eyebrows slightly raised.

Martin seemed pleased with himself. “It will be my pleasure
to take care of Desiree.”

There was no time to stop him. Before Sam could say
anything, he was practically engulfed by a sea of people and led away and Desiree
was essentially dragged in the other direction. She tried to see where Sam was
headed, but soon lost track of him. A feeling of déjà vu crept over Desiree.
This was a replay of what had happened at the other party. These people seemed
to have a knack for separating her from Sam. They were virtually torn apart.
Again. And once again, she hadn’t seen it coming.

The Secret Revealed

The annoyance over Leesa pawing her man passed quickly.
Desiree was led away by Martin and Sam was swallowed by the crowd as he
followed Leesa. Desiree tried to quell the feeling way too close to jealousy
for comfort. He looked all too happy to go where she led. It was beginning to
feel like this bunch had one thing on their agenda and that was separating the
two of them and keeping them apart. Martin offered her a drink and she took it.
From the looks of things, she was in for a ride and she might as well sit back
and go with the flow. After all, it was part of the job. She could worry about
Sam later.

Martin was stopped by people he didn’t bother to introduce
her to. Desiree smiled and nodded, acutely aware of his arm around her waist as
he spoke. He held her very closely, as if he were afraid he might lose her or
she might run. They all seemed to be very friendly, so it didn’t seem out of
order. They’d just about reached the other wall before they were completely
alone. Finally, Desiree had Martin’s complete attention.

“Where are you taking me?” she whispered. Desiree tilted her
chin in slightly, lowering her eyelids at the same time. She wanted Martin to
think she was smitten with him. Clearly, he was used to being in the spotlight
and from what she could see, he enjoyed it. She smiled coyly and batted her
lashes at him for good measure. Here was a man obviously taken with himself
and, like with Reed, Desiree knew she could handle him as far as that was
concerned. They might have hired her for her technical skills, but Desiree’s
talents extended far beyond what the agency even knew of.

Martin cocked his head to the side. “I’m not taking you
anywhere. I was just trying to get you alone and all to myself, that’s all. I
wanted to enjoy you for a few minutes before you were spirited away.” He leaned
in so close to her, Desiree could practically feel the heat emanating from his
skin.

Desiree fought the urge to take two steps backward. He had
her so close to the wall there was barely room for that anyway. “Who’s going to
spirit me away?” Why in the world did he want to get her alone? “We just got
here. No one is taking me anywhere.” Desiree sipped her drink. The sweetness
was almost cloying. It wasn’t to her taste, but for many, she was sure it would
be like Kool-Aid. People would probably drink these things so fast they would
be out of control before they knew what hit them.

He laughed. “Some things we can’t control.” He paused, his
eyes searching the room.

“Where’s Geneva?” Desiree asked. “I can’t believe she would
let you come to a soiree like this without her. If you were my man, I’d be
right by your side—if I could.”

The twinkle in Martin’s eyes was temporarily dimmed. “Is
that so?” He paused, rubbing his chin. Desiree noticed tiny laugh lines around
his eyes. “GG doesn’t take part when we have these parties. Not anymore. It’s
just too much for her.”

Desiree didn’t know what to make of that. Geneva didn’t seem
particularly fragile, but then again, the last time they’d met, she’d been
medicated by alcohol. “Too bad for her. We wouldn’t want her to be overwhelmed.”

A flicker of darkness passed over his face and then was
gone. Martin’s nod was almost imperceptible. In the blink of an eye, merriment
danced across his face again. “In a few minutes, we’ll know who gets to enjoy
your company for the next few hours so this might be all I’ll get.” His eyes
raked over her body. “Too bad I’m not a cheater.”

She mulled over all the things that could be behind his
comment. “What—” Suddenly, there was a buzz in the crowd and people all seemed
to move inward. Desiree stopped talking and strained to see what was going on.
Another purple clad, jester-looking person approached her and Martin, his
white-gloved hands holding a golden bowl that looked like a collection plate in
a church. He extended the bowl in their direction. Desiree couldn’t gauge his
expression as most of his face was covered by a mask, but his mouth was curved
into a sinister-looking smile.

“Oh. It’s already time,” Martin said. “I made the rules, so
I have to follow them—mostly. Take a key card from the plate, please.”

Desiree did as he asked, then waited for him to follow suit.
“Aren’t you going to?”

Martin reached into the inside pocket of his sport jacket
and pulled out a key card. He jiggled it in the air as he spoke. “I’m good.”

Glancing around quickly, Desiree noted it was just the women
who were taking cards from the trays. Now she knew why the elevator jester had
just taken one of the cards from the invitation. Her eyes narrowed. Was it her
imagination or were there noticeably fewer men in the room than before? She
didn’t see Sam but figured the siren Leesa had been commanded to lead him away.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Something was about to happen
but she hadn’t yet figured out what.

Martin grabbed her wrist. “Let me see if we’re a match.” He
held his key card down next to Desiree’s. Both were covered with an elaborate,
very colorful pattern, but they were distinctly different. “Aww,” he said. “Too
bad for me.” A smirk played about his lips. “Alas, we are not a match. Okay,
well I guess this is where we say goodbye for the night, then.” He shrugged. “A
guy can hope, right?” Martin winked, then turned to walk away.

“Wait, Martin, am I supposed to find my match or something?
Our invitation didn’t quite come with instructions.”

Martin’s eyebrows rose. “What? Did no host give you an
orientation? Follow me.” He slipped his arm through hers and pulled her toward
the corner of the room. He pushed aside a curtain, revealing a corridor dimly
lit in red. Other people were entering the corridor from the other end, giving
the impression of a bustling alleyway. Desiree hesitated and Martin pulled her
along anyway. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “This is quite normal.” He walked
slowly down the hallway, gently pulling Desiree with him.

“Each of the doors leads to a room full of fun and promises
a night of adventure.”

“Full of fun, huh? Why do I feel I’m getting a sales pitch?”
Desiree tried to be as serious as Martin sounded. Things were strange enough,
but it was like being sold a timeshare at the wrong time of year.

“No pitch, my dear. I honestly believe that. My team and I
have custom designed this experience to ensure our friends have a night they
will never forget--or regret. That’s why each experience is private. I figured
out a long time ago that regret and guilt is directly tied to how many people
you think know what you did. This way, you don’t have to explain to or share
with anyone you don’t want to. If you want to dance topless on a table, that’s
between you and your partner. No one else has the right to judge you and here,
no one else will.”

They paused as a woman stopped near them and held up her key
to the doorknob of a room. The key glowed and she squealed, then inserted it into
the lock and let herself in.

Desiree’s eyes widened. It was obvious whatever was on the
other side of the door was exciting to the woman. She glanced at Martin. He
appeared to be looking for some kind of reaction from Desiree, but she played
it cool. “That was special. She was a happy sort.”

He ignored her quip. “This is where the fun begins, Mrs.
Comfort.” He smiled. “May I call you Desiree?”

She nodded. It was clear they were about to get very
familiar, so why not be on a first-name basis?

“This is where our party becomes something no one else has.”

“No one? That’s something. Looks like we are going to have
more fun here than I imagined.” She paused. “Where do you think I can find Sam?”

“Oh you’ll find him soon enough. Each experience here is
individual, so I assure you he is being taken care of just as well as you will
be.”

There was no getting around the intrigue in his statement. “And
just what does ‘being taken care of’ mean?” Even though she was apprehensive,
Desiree was intrigued.

“Oh, you can only worry about your own experience. It’s no
fun otherwise.”

Desiree’s eyes widened. She knew this was business, but the
part of her that liked adventure was being drawn in too. Martin finally stopped
midway down the hall.

“I recommend using some kind of system or it could take too
long to find your match. Each doorknob has a small light shining down from it.
You almost can’t see it with the naked eye because it is like black light. A
technology I developed just for this purpose.”

Martin was much more talented than Desiree had imagined. She
tried to not look surprised and made a note of this new “technology” as he
called it. There was certainly more to him than was obvious at first glance.

“Your key card?” He held his up. “Is no ordinary key card.
There are small patterns embedded in it that are activated by the light—”

“But I thought you looked at ours earlier to see if we were
a match?”

“I was just funning with you. Building up the suspense.
Fun’s over now, though. This is the real deal.” He paused. Desiree sensed
hidden meaning in his words. “Each door has only one match. When the first
player enters, they insert their key which alerts the sensor to who can enter
next.”

Player? This was important information. “So we’re in a game,
then?”

Something about Martin’s smile was almost sinister. “Oh yes.
One where everyone wins. When you hold your key card under the light, if this
is a match, you will see a spinning circle on your card. A hologram, of sorts.”
Martin demonstrated with his card. He held it under the light and a small
spinning circle appeared.

Desiree gasped. “So you found your match just that quickly?”

He laughed. “Dear, it’s my game. I match everywhere I want
to match.” He paused. “Usually, we let the men go first, so when you, a woman,
gets to the doors, there should already be someone inside. At least in most
cases.”

“Most cases? Or what happens instead?” The details of this
game were becoming clearer to her. This was a different kind of swinging, only
you didn’t get to choose. Who you ended up with was random and from the looks
of things, private, or at least that was what Martin wanted the players to
think. Desiree wondered how many of the people were really players in the game.
She could see how they could very easily become pawns without realizing it.

The hallway was starting to empty out now. Desiree guessed
most of the women had found their match for the evening. A feeling of dread
settled over her. What if she ended up with someone horrid?

There was a pause while Martin contemplated Desiree’s
question. “Then you get a surprise. Just be patient. Someone will come. These
events are perfectly balanced so there is always someone for each person.”

Hadn’t he said his wife hadn’t come? Unless there was
something she wasn’t seeing, that left an imbalance, unless there was a single
female she’d overlooked somewhere. Things were starting to make more sense now.
The woman had been with him, just as she suspected. “So I guess I’d better get
started and find my door, right?”

Martin nodded, a sly grin on his face. “I can help if you
like—”

“No!” Desiree insisted. “I got it.” She wanted to be seem as
a legitimate player. She and Sam had just gotten invited to the party. It would
do them no good to be uninvited because one of them couldn’t play by the rules.

Martin raised his eyebrows but didn’t say a word. Desiree
cursed herself under her breath. Had her answer been just a little too
emphatic? Martin didn’t seem bothered. “Okay, well, I will leave you then.
Happy hunting.” He waved at her as he walked away.

She watched as he walked back the way they’d come, surprised
he’d actually left her. For a minute, she wondered if he planned to stay glued
to her side all night. Desiree took a deep breath. There was nothing left for
her to do but to find her door.

She shivered. Desiree wasn’t necessarily cold so much as she
was apprehensive. She hadn’t noticed, but she’d broken out in a light sweat
while she was with Martin. Thank goodness most of it was under her clothing.
Just as Sam’s feet gave him away, Desiree’s tell was her sweating. At least
that one was relatively easy to cover up.

Her heart beat so loudly inside her head, it sounded like a
drum. She hoped Martin hadn’t heard it. The same music track playing in the
larger room played in this hallway too. By now, Desiree only saw two other
women still checking doors. One of them checked three doors and none matched.
She giggled nervously every time she tried to match her key.

It made sense to try the door closest to her, so she did.
Desiree rubbed her key on her side of her dress, then stuck it under the
doorknob, just as she’d seen Martin do. At first nothing happened, then a small
red light blinked. No match. Desiree was surprised by the disappointment she
felt. Martin might have seemed a little nuts but he definitely know how games
should work. There was a part of her that really, really wanted to match a
door.

The giggler down the hallway found her match. Her giggle
turned to a squeal. Desiree turned and watched her as she bounced up and down a
few times, then pushed down on the door lever and from Desiree’s viewpoint, she
seemed to throw herself into the room.

Not wanting to be the last one left in the hall, Desiree
walked a few steps and tried again. She held her key card under another door
knob, holding her breath at the same time. Now there was no red light. Instead,
her key card started to glow and then a small spinning circle appeared on the
front of it. Excitement raced through Desiree now too. She inserted her key card,
pushed the door open and stepped inside.

If nothing else, Martin was a master at building
anticipation. She’d come to uncover whatever this group’s secret was, but now
curiosity was pulling Desiree in all directions. Unable to quell the feeling
building in her, she felt like a kid on Christmas Eve. Her heartbeat thundered
in her ears, but stepping through the door was a letdown. Instead of being
inside some fantasy room, Desiree found herself in a small vestibule with
another, almost identical, door in front of her. The effect was that of being
in a closet. If it wasn’t for the dim light bathing the area, she might have
felt trapped.