The Secret Series Book 1: Secret Lover
Автор
Meghann Crane
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The Invite
NORA
Alex, my best friend, was sitting next to me, flirting shamelessly with the server, again. Despite seeing each other often, we also had lunch together once a week. It was our little tradition we’d managed to maintain even with our busy schedules. Every Wednesday, we gathered at our favorite local place to catch up.
As I watched him flash his flirty smile, I felt the familiar sting of envy radiate through me, because flirting and picking up women came naturally to him. He was confident, charming, and always said the right thing.
“Can you stop flirting for a few minutes and have a conversation with me?” I snap.
“What is there to talk about?” he snapped back, his voice filled with frustration.
I didn’t understand what his deal was. Maybe I was being a little self-centered. It was possible that I’d been too focused on my own problems and hadn’t taken the time to make sure he was doing all right.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you angry.”
I was always the first to apologize. It was a reflex, one I’d spent years trying to understand. I was a people pleaser to my core, and it took me a long time to see the patterns behind it.
Always putting others’ needs before my own, constantly chasing approval, quietly swallowing my opinions—I became an expert at silencing myself. It wasn’t kindness. It was survival. A shield against rejection, a way to keep people close, even if it meant losing pieces of myself in the process.
“You didn’t make me angry. I just have some shit I’m trying to sort out. I didn’t mean to snap at you,” he apologized. “Anyway, I was listening before. I think you need to find a guy to have a one-night stand with and get over your ex. You deserve better; you deserve to have fun.”
“I can’t have a one-night stand. I need commitment, attachment.”
Alex exhaled and looked at me. “It’s easy, Nora. You don’t get to know the person. The less personal it is, the easier it is to walk away. Once you get to know the person, then your feelings get involved, and you need to realize it’s healthy to have sex outside of a relationship.”
Alex rolled his eyes before telling me he had to leave to get back to work. He hated talking about my past boyfriends, so it wasn’t surprising that he was ready to leave so soon. I had been a bit of a downer since my breakup.
“Are you still coming over tonight?”
“I wouldn’t miss Movie Wednesdays for anything,” he responded and handed me cash for his meal before leaving.
Not too long after Alex left, the waitress approached.
“Your friend is right,” the server said.
“Excuse me?” Had she been listening to us this whole time?
“About it being less personal. There is a party this Saturday. It’s a masquerade party, and I think it would be perfect for you.”
The server slid a business card onto the table with an address. “Tell them Scarlett invited you, and you should get in.”
“Thanks?”
“The meal is on the house. I hope to see you there.” She gave me a wink before she walked off.
That was odd. Who the fuck carried a business card as an invitation to a party, and was she flirting with me? If so, that was a first.
***
“I brought the alcohol,” Alex announced as he let himself into my apartment.
“The food is almost done. I’m finishing the chicken for the fajitas, so can you set up everything else in the living room?”
Alex took the glasses and snacks to the living room to set up the coffee table. I could tell he had a lot on his mind, and he needed a break from his own thoughts.
“So that server was weird after you left today.”
“Really, how so?” he said with a mouth full of food.
“Apparently, she was listening to our conversation and told me you were right about one-night stands, and she invited me to a party on Saturday.”
“A party? That’s not that weird.”
I handed him the business card. “And she said to tell them ‘Scarlett invited me.’”
“Wait,” Alex said, getting interested as he read the card. “Nora, this sounds like one of these clubs I read about. They’ve been popping up all over bigger cities—exclusive, invitation-only places that advertise being a safe community where your inner fantasies can be met. The only way in is through invitation from a regular. This would be so good for you!”
“I’m not sure I want to go.”
It seemed kind of shady, but if I told Alex that, he would say that was my opinion about everything. I was afraid that if I put myself out there, I might regret it because of the rejection or finding another loser.
“You need to. I’m sure it would be fun. If I didn’t already have plans, I would go with you.”
He seemed excited about my invite. Maybe I should give it to him. I knew he would use it.
“I don’t know.”
“You need to go. I’ll leave you alone about your poor choice of men if you go. You need to get out more and trust yourself. You’re an amazing person, Nora, and you need to see that. You need to find a guy that shows you that,” he said with his signature smile.
Alex’s smile was one of the reasons he could get most girls to do what he wanted, but it didn’t work on me. I thought it was because I truly knew him and the years of friendship we had.
“Fine, but if I don’t have fun, then you leave me alone about not going out as much as I should.”
“Deal.”
Hopefully, I didn’t live to regret this deal. I only agreed to it because I was a bit curious, and maybe Alex was right—I needed to put myself out there from time to time. Maybe it would be fun, and I might meet someone.
“What plans do you have this weekend?”
“Just plans.”
“Are they a secret?”
“No. It’s the typical Saturday plans.”
“So, you’re going on a date?”
“I wouldn’t call it a date.”
“Well, I hope you have fun.”
Alex had only had one steady girlfriend his entire life, and that was in college. They had started dating our freshman year and had made it to junior year before they broke up. He hadn’t been the same way with women since then. He preferred to have fun and leave in the morning. I thought it took a lot of guts to be with someone you just met.
I also found it strange that Alex was being a little standoffish and moody with me. I wasn’t sure if I did something wrong, but if I did, I hoped he knew he could tell me.
Our movie night went later than we intended, like always. Alex helped me clean up like he usually did, only this time he was quiet. We usually discussed the movie we had watched while cleaning up.
Maybe if I went to this club, he wouldn’t be so annoyed. I knew he got annoyed at me for not trying new things. I hated it when things were rough between us because he was the one person that I considered my rock.
***
My goal was to find a mask that would hide my identity. If I was going to this party, then I was going all out and stepping out of my comfort zone. Which I thought was easier since I could use a different identity. I could be anyone I wanted, and the person they’d be judging didn’t exist.
I wasn’t having much luck until I came across a small costume shop. I had a nice red dress that I could wear, and I was looking for a mask that matched but also hid my face well.
“Hello, can I help you find anything?” the store clerk asked.
“I’m looking for a mask, something for a masquerade. One that will match a red dinner dress.”
“I think I have a few in the back.”
I followed the clerk to the back of the store, where she rummaged through some boxes.
“Just give me one moment,” she said, stepping further into the shelves.
After a few moments, she returned with four masks for me to look at. The first one reminded me of The Phantom of the Opera, except it was all lace, and the second was a red and black silk with beaded detail. The third one was the winner. It was a black eye mask with red lace detail that looped behind the ears, and there were rhinestones in the corners of the eyes.
“This one is perfect.”
“It’s beautiful, and I think it would look perfect on you.”
“Thank you.”
Now that I had a mask, I was getting excited about the party, because for one night my life would not be boring. I could be a different person than boring Nora. I could be whoever I wanted for one night.
***
I thought this was going to be a house party, but this wasn’t a house—it was a mansion. Whoever was throwing this party must have had money.
I showed up a bit late, hoping people would already be here mingling. I didn’t want to be the awkward new person waiting for others to get there. If the room was already packed, then it would be easier to blend in.
I knocked on the front door and was greeted by a tall, bulky man wearing a mask.
“Are you on the list?”
“I’m not sure. Scarlett invited me,” I said timidly.
The guy looked at his list.
“I need you to sign this.” I must have been on the list as Scarlett’s guest. Not sure how, since she didn’t know my name. Maybe she had put a plus one down and had left it at that?
I looked at the tablet he handed me. It was a nondisclosure agreement, and it was making me regret coming here. What kind of stuff happened here?
“Whatever you see or do here is confidential. To keep that confidentiality, we require you to sign this and provide an ID. The only person who will have access to this is me and the owner.”
“Okay.” I quickly signed the document and provided my ID for him to scan. Once he handed me my ID, he moved aside to let me enter the home.
I took a deep breath and stepped through the front door. I couldn’t believe I was doing this, but here goes nothing.
