Devil's Advocate • ONC 2020

8

     I looked over my reflection staring back at me in the long mirror. When I left Long Beach I never imagined that I would be where I am right in this moment. Standing in Lucius' closet, wearing a gorgeous, deep blue evening gown and preparing to meet a bunch of demons and accuse one of multiple homicides. I guess you can say it's crazy; a should-be-alternate-universe that is entirely my reality. My hair is up in a neatly placed messy bun and my ears are adorned with rather long square diamond waterfalls. My chest was bare. I think for everyone to believe I was just a dumb ass model I needed to show some skin, jewelry got in the way of perfectly good tits.

     "Ready to go downstairs?" I jolted around as Lucius interrupted my thoughts. My response was a nod. He held his hand out for me, I bypassed it, exiting the bedroom that started it all. I stopped for a second, my gaze focusing on the dark blue bedding.

     He looked me over before speaking, "It's time for the next stage... Hands on." With that he pulled me flush against him, his hands gripping my ass as he kissed me hard and rough. My hands were against his head, furiously trying to take all that he could give.

     My breath hitched as I remembered his words before claiming every inch of my body...

     "Are you sure you want to?" He asked, his eyes peering up at me.

     That bed is where it started for him... For me, it started in the elevator of my agent's office building.

     ...He kissed my lips so softly, with such a sensual touch of his fingertips against my cheek. In that moment I felt loved and cherished. I put my feet back on the ground and tried to maintain my balance as he took my hand in his...

     Lucius took my hand forcefully, dragging my focus, breaking it in one swift grab. Could I really do this for the next few hours? Could I pretend that I still loved this man the way that I did before? Does he have to pretend? I looked up at him and he didn't notice my gaze as he led me to the grand staircase. Does he even still love me? Does he even care? Is he tolerating my existence or pining for my forgiveness? Do I even want him to want my forgiveness?

     My lips instinctively threw up my joyous, fake smile. We walked down the stairs, hand in hand. I looked around the room, there were maybe fifty people in his house. I don't know why I expected the party to be smaller. Maybe because the last party of his that I had attended felt more like opening night at a rather large nightclub. This was more of an intimate ball. Nevertheless, this would make the party severely easier to socialize around and find our culprit.

     Lucius led me straight to a tall, middle-aged man with what was so clearly a model on his arm. Once we were close enough Lucius spoke, "Alexander! So good to see you. This is my fiancée, Adelaide." The model turned to us and I immediately recognized her. She used to be under the same agent as me. Annabella was a loving, thirty-two year old with a love for older men and fine dining. She and I had done quite a few modeling jobs together back in the day when I was first getting started. Once my requests were higher paying and hers far and fewer between, she told me she wouldn't be my friend anymore. I had surpassed her in the modeling world by the tender age of eighteen. The rumor was that our agent had let her go because she offered to sleep with him for more jobs. Our agent was a closet gay at the time and is now happily married to  a man named Steven.

     "Oh my God! Annabella!" I said, excitement filling my voice. She may have been a bitch, but this girl was the closest thing I had ever had to a best friend that was 'age appropriate' as my mother would say.

     "Lai? I haven't seen you in years..." She looked nervous, as if I would spill some deep dark secret of hers to the gentleman clutching her like the finest Rolex in the city of Los Angeles.