“You bet.”
She tipped her shot back, wincing as the vodka burned her throat on the way down, warming her chest. She looked back at the writhing throng of people on the dance floor. These women were from prominent, wealthy families, just like her.
Her gaze came to rest on Luke, who was now making out with the woman from earlier. She grimaced when she saw the woman openly caressing the evident bulge in Luke's slacks.
Fuckers.
“I did not bring you here to watch couples making out,” said a familiar voice at her side. She swiveled around to find Lily, looking like she'd just come down from heaven.
Maybe she really had.
“Where were you?” Meredith asked, looking closely at her best friend's face.
“Somewhere over there – having a little taste of heaven.” Lily had a sly smirk on her face.
Rolling her eyes, Meredith examined Lily carefully. If she was already trashed, it was going to be a real buzzkill. Lily glared at her.
“Mer, will you just relax and enjoy yourself already? What's so wrong about kissing a few guys and having some fun? Besides, you're wearing a mask. You could finally have sex without anyone even knowing who you are,” Lily said matter-of-factly.
“I was enjoying myself. But someone stole my guy from me,” she retorted, crossing her arms across her chest as she remembered how easily Luke had been whisked away.
“So steal him back. Whoever she was, I know she's got nothing on you. Be confident. And follow me,” Lily said with a wink. She downed a shot of tequila before taking Meredith by the wrist.
Meredith found herself being dragged into the crowd once more, dancing with Lily like there was no tomorrow. Her best friend was right. There was nothing to worry about. All she needed to do was let loose.
Tonight, she could be the most carefree version of herself.
Chapter Three
Elijah and Jack stretched as they exited Henry's car, parked several yards away from the mansion. As per usual, they were attempting to keep a low profile in order to avoid the prying eyes of the media. This was their first night out in ages.
Having worked nonstop for months now gearing up for his presidential campaign, Elijah Scott finally had a couple of hours to spare to catch up with his friends. And by catching up, he meant partying and letting loose like the bachelor he was. He didn't intend to waste a single second.
It’s going to be a wild night, he thought.
“Hey, don't forget your masks,” Henry called out from the driver's seat while checking his reflection in the rearview mirror.
Right, the only real rule about tonight's party was that everyone had to wear a mask. And truthfully it was the only reason he was even able to attend.
Tonight, he was free to party without being judged.
And he could be as bad as he wanted.
“I never thought I'd be asked to hide my good looks under some ridiculous mask in order to attend a party,” Jack joked sarcastically, a smirk spreading across his handsome features.
“Fuck off, Jack,” Henry said amicably, with no real heat in his voice. “Guess you'll just have to rely on your winning personality for a change,” he quipped as Jack chuckled.
Ever flirtatious and charming, women loved his friends. But Eli also knew the idea of hiding who they were was more than a little foreign to them. Shrugging at the hilarity of the situation, Elijah put on his mask.
He didn’t have a choice, did he?
Concealing his true identity was the only way he'd be able to attend a party like this one. His opponents would stop at nothing to discredit him, and if the media knew about this, he'd never be elected. But he couldn't help wanting to enjoy just one night with his friends. It had been so long.
Walking toward the glamorous mansion, Elijah couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been at a wild party – the days had all started to blend together once he'd decided to run for office.
“Hey, are you still going out with Jessica?” he heard Henry ask Jack as they got closer to the entrance.“You'll have to be more specific,” Jack replied smugly.
“Just how many Jessicas are you dating?” Elijah asked, shaking his head and giving Jack a playful grin.
“No, Jessica Garner,” Henry stated in between frustrated groans. He was obviously interested in her, which was unusual. The women Jack tended to date weren't often Henry's type.
This Jessica must be different, Eli thought.
He laughed as his friends exchanged a confused glance. God, how much he envied them for being able to date around so freely.
So why don't you date someone then? It's not like dating is prohibited for politicians, said a voice in his head.
Dating and marrying had always been part of his plans. But as the only single presidential candidate, he was subjected to intense scrutiny of his personal life, something his opponents didn't have to worry about. And jeopardizing his high approval ratings was something he couldn't do. He needed to remain single, and he needed to be discreet.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” greeted a masked usher standing at the entrance of the lavish mansion. They nodded as Henry stepped forward.
“Austin,” Henry said quietly, then inclined his head toward Elijah and Jack. “And Dallas and Houston.” Elijah half expected the usher to smirk at the obvious fake names Henry had given him, but he just smiled politely and nodded as he scanned through the list on his clipboard. Elijah couldn't leave any kind of paper trail behind tonight, and he'd been counting on Henry to make the proper arrangements. Henry, ever reliable, had come through no problem.
The usher quickly led them to a grand ballroom that looked to already be at capacity. Studying the crowd for a moment, Elijah released a deep breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
This was exactly what he'd expected.
This is just what I need, he thought.
Even though it had been awhile, he was no stranger to the party scene. But this was something else entirely. The crowd was filled with people who formed the upper echelon of society. Which made it all the more scandalous that all the women in attendance seemed to have forgotten to get dressed for the occasion, save their sexiest lingerie.
Though he wasn't hard yet, he had no doubt he would be soon. And he was free to hook up with no strings attached, and no one being the wiser about who he really was.
“Looks like we've got our pick tonight, eh boys?” Jack said with a wink as they hit the bar.
“Cheers,” he said, toasting his friends before they knocked back their shots. He signaled to the female bartender for another round before directing his attention back to his friends.
“You sure you remember how to do this?” Henry asked suddenly. Elijah blinked, momentarily startled, then glared as Henry and Jack began to laugh. Before he could come up with a snappy retort, Henry piped up.
“You've been working your ass off ever since we graduated. Hell, even way before that. As long as we've known you, you've always been a workaholic,” he said. Jack snorted.
“What Henry's trying to say is that we're worried your dick doesn't work anymore,” he crudely added.
“What the – Are you being serious right now?” Elijah exclaimed incredulously. Sure, maybe he hadn't gone out with them in ages, but it wasn't because he hadn't wanted to.