CHAPTER 2
Kelsey
I gasped as the car came to a stop in front of a huge manor.
“This is it?” I asked, disbelievingly, taking in the solid stone walls and giant fountain in front. In Arizona, water is scarce so most people landscape using cacti and other desert plants. A fountain is a luxury that you don’t see around here often, especially one that looked to be about ten feet tall, the water tinkling merrily in the glow of the sunset.
“This is it,” said Amber with a knowing smile, putting on the brakes. “What did I tell you? It’s some rich guy who’s having a party at his place. All this water is probably nothing to him,” she said wryly, gesturing at the fountain.
I followed her up the gravel walk.
“But how did you get an invitation?” I whispered under my breath, grabbing her elbow. “Because this is really fancy.”
But my friend didn’t hear me because we were already at the top of the steps leading to the house. A massive, burly bouncer stood before the door, with music and bright lights blaring out behind him.
“Ladies,” he growled, eyeing our skimpy outfits with a raised eyebrow. “Are you on the list?”
“Um, maybe,” said Amber flirtatiously, twirling a lock of blonde hair around her finger. “Um, we’re Amber and Kelsey? We’re friends of the host,” she said hastily.
The bouncer looked at her skeptically before looking down at his clipboard. His eyes scanned the page, narrowing as they went over the fine print. My heart sunk. There was no way we were on there. Amber had probably just heard of this party through the grapevine, and we were party crashers of the worst sort.
But unbelievably, a buzzing sound came through the bouncer’s earpiece and he jerked up, nodding to some unseen voice.
“Of course,” he said to the air, still not making eye contact with us. “Will do.” And then turning our way, he rumbled, “Go right ahead.”
I gaped at Amber as she nodded and swept through the massive double doors with a queenly air.
“See?” she said in a whisper. “Just act like what you’re doing, and they’ll let you in. Confidence is everything,” she said with a sly grin.
But I wasn’t so sure because instead of some wild party with bright lights and a disco ball, the interior of the house was empty. It was immaculately done up inside with a crystal chandelier in the foyer and what looked like priceless artwork hung up on the walls. But instead of throngs of people, a woman dressed in a suit greeted us.
“Hello,” she said musically, nodding slightly. Her hair was pulled into a smooth bun, and her make-up was flawless. “I’m Patricia, your guide for tonight. Welcome to The Manor.”
“Thank you,” said Amber with a smile. “If you could just show us where the party is, we’ll head that way on our own.”
Patricia smiled again.
“I’m sorry, but it’s my job to escort guests to the party. The Manor is enormous and it’s easy to get lost here. May I take your purses? You did say your names were Kelsey and Amber, right?”
Amber was about to say something but I stepped in quickly.
“Um, no thank you,” was my quick reply. “I’d like to keep my purse with me if that’s okay with you. It has my medication in it.”
Of course, there was no medication in the small clutch. Nothing would fit in there besides my keys and a lip gloss. But at the same time, I didn’t want to hand over anything to a total stranger, and shot a warning look at Amber.
“Oh right, we want to keep our purses,” she said with a small, exasperated huff. “Is that okay with you?”
Patricia nodded.
“Certainly, but you know that this is a pool party, right?” she said. “You’ll need to leave your things somewhere, and I assure you, your things will be kept under lock and key. Nobody will rifle through your belongings, much less make off with them.”
Amber looked like she was about to cave in but I stepped in again.
“No thank you,” was my firm reply. “We’ll keep our purses with us.”
The woman nodded graciously, turning on her heel.
“As you wish. Follow me please.”
And gracefully, she opened a door to the left which led to a long hallway made of marble. Amber and I followed behind the woman, our heels clacking loudly on the polished floor.
“Oh wow,” my friend breathed as we walked down the hall. “This is amazing.”
Because the passageway was decorated with various niches, and within each niche hung a painting or a sculpture, displayed to perfection under recessed lights that emphasized their grace and artistry. Each of these pieces had to be worth a fortune. As if reading our minds, Patricia turned, nodding.
“Yes, Mr. Major is a serious art collector, and he likes to put his things on show. This is only a small part of his collection,” she said obliquely. “I understand that only ten percent of his artwork is displayed at any point in time.”
I gasped. Could that be true? Because if I wasn’t mistaken, there was a Vermeer hanging to my right, with a sculpture from Calder on the left. Did this Mr. Major have more of these in storage somewhere? But Patricia had already moved forwards, and was turning to the right now.
“Come this way please,” she called. “Watch your step.”
Amber and I slowly followed, both of us with our mouths hanging open.
“Wow, this guy has to be loaded,” whispered my friend, eyes wide. “Even more than I thought.”
I nodded, swallowing heavily.
“It’s even better than a museum,” I managed in a strangled whisper. “It’s like a utopia.”
Because I didn’t go to college but sometimes, in my free time, I dream of being an art student. I love learning about a piece of work’s history, not to mention the techniques and thought that an artist puts into crafting a work. So while right now, I’m just a pool girl at the local country club, one day I hope to continue my studies and maybe work as a museum docent, or even better, as a curator at an art gallery.
That was all pie in the sky though. Right now, I was Kelsey Smith with the go-nowhere job and the flaky boyfriend who made lame excuses thinking that I wouldn’t find out. So I straightened my shoulders, whispering to Amber.
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s see what this party’s about.”
But oddly, Patricia was leading us down a stairwell now, almost as if we were descending into a basement.
“Um, are there some lights?” I asked hesitantly. “I have really high heels on and don’t want to trip.”
“Certainly,” she nodded, flipping a switch somewhere. And suddenly, rows of wall sconces illuminated the passageway. I gasped because the walls of the stairwell were made of intricate mosaic, a beautiful sunburst pattern of gold, white and cobalt tile.
“Oh wow,” was my appreciative gasp. “This is amazing.”
“Yes,” said Patricia, her tone professional. “Again, Mr. Major spares no expense and the Manor is outfitted with the best of the best, from fixtures to decorative items to the pool area itself. I think you’ll like it,” she purred.
But if my spidey sense hadn’t gone off before, it was going full blast now. Because where in the world were we? I knew we were in the middle of the desert in Arizona at some rich guy’s place, but who was this person? And why did he have staff escorting us to his private pool party? Most parties I know have balloons out by the gate plus a sign with an arrow that reads, “This way.”
But it was too late because we were through the stairwell and into a lush indoor garden that overlooked a pool. Tinkling sounds of female laughter sounded out, as well as the low growls of men.
“If you’ll just remove your wraps,” said Patricia formally, “I’ll take them and make sure they’re safe. I’ll also need to go over some ground rules with you.”
I stood on my tippytoes, trying to see over the woman’s shoulder and into the pool area below. But the blonde wouldn’t budge, standing firmly in my way.
“Your wraps, please,” she said, holding out one hand expectantly. Amber nudged me.
“Come on, we’re almost there,” she whispered excitedly. “If his pool’s like the rest of his house, then this party’s going to be amazing,” she added. “Come on!”
And slowly, I undid the zipper at the back of my dress, stepping out of the gold fabric so that I wore nothing but my tiny bikini. Amber was dressed similarly, wearing a piece of red piece of floss between her cheeks and a top that couldn’t have been more than two napkins sewn together.
Patricia’s eyes skated over us, studying our forms thoughtfully. But it wasn’t sexual. It was more like she was looking over the goods and making sure that we were up to par. I guess we were because with a swift shake of her head, she nodded.
“Perfect,” she said smoothly, taking our dresses in hand. “You may keep your purses if you like, but I’m also happy to take them?” she offered again. “I can assure you that no one at the Manor is interested in your keys or money.”
After seeing the lavish decorations, I had to agree. So slightly shame-faced, we handed her our purses, standing in only our bikinis and high heels. I was a little uncomfortable wearing so little, but the voice in my head spoke then.
Don’t be a shy pansy, it scolded. Because you’re here for a reason and that’s to get Rick out of your mind. Who knows what he’s doing tonight? He’s definitely not sick, so he’s probably out banging some hoochie while pleading the flu.
The voice was right. I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders, looking forwards with determination in my eyes. I was here to have a good time and turned towards Patricia, smiling.
“What were the rules again?” I murmured. “You’d mentioned some house rules.”
The blonde woman nodded, not at all fazed by our skimpy bikinis even though she herself was dressed in a dark skirt suit and pressed white blouse.
“Of course. Mr. Major requires all women to be dressed in suitable pool attire, and you ladies fulfill that perfectly,” she said. “Also, Mr. Major requires that all women be ready to serve if called upon.”
My eyes flew to hers, but Amber beat me to it.
“I’m sorry?” my friend asked, totally confused. “Serve how?”
Patricia’s face was bland and smooth.
“Just drinks and whatnot,” she said. “If the billionaires ask for a cocktail, you’ll be expected to retrieve it from the bar.”
Amber looked ready to protest because my buddy isn’t the serving type. But as a pool girl at the country club, I stepped in.
“Of course,” I said hurriedly. “It’s no problem. We’re happy to get drinks for the other guests.” Besides, had Patricia referred to some of the men as billionaires? Was that a literal statement, or just a slip of the tongue? I bit my lip, wondering, but decided it was better not to ask.
The blonde woman nodded again.
“There aren’t too many rules. Many things that you might expect. No running in the deck area, and of course, no diving in the shallow end. Other than that, I think that’s it. You’re free to go in.”
I nodded, grabbing Amber’s hand. The lecture was over and we were ready. But as the door to the pool area opened, Patricia added one last thing as an afterthought.
“And I think you’ll be happy to know that the water is changed daily,” she said. “Per Mr. Major’s request, we don’t put in much chlorine, but rest assured that the water is clean and very sanitary,” she said with a mysterious smile before disappearing through the door from which we’d come.
I shook my head because why in the world would she emphasize that? Were there kids who peed in the pool on a regular basis? Hopefully not, especially seeing that this was an adult party taking place at night. But with one last puzzled sigh, I grabbed Amber’s arm and pulled her along with me into the humid swimming area … only to be met by the sight of absolute debauchery.