Here Comes Trouble (5 page)

“Well she told me she’s upset about the
rumors.”

“Shit.” Ian ran a hand through his hair. “I
guess I should talk to her about it.”

“Yeah, you should,” I said, but some of my
bitterness was fading away. Was it possible that he was just
clueless?

He glanced at me, his hand still in his
hair. “At least I have an idea why you’re so hostile toward
me.”

I looked at my feet. “I wouldn’t say
I’m...hostile.”

“You just think I’m a douche bag.”

I peeked up at him and smiled. “Kind
of.”

He shrugged, but he was smiling too. “So
I’ll just have to prove you wrong. Challenge accepted.”

I shook my head, still smiling. He was so
friggin’ charming. It was almost impossible not to like him—but I
knew that was exactly what got girls like me into trouble.

He walked me right up to the door of my
building. I opened the door and then hesitated, turned back to
him.

“Goodnight, Ian,” I said politely. “Thank
you very much for walking me home.”

He gave me a salute. “Any time, little
lady.”

“Mini-me, we need to get out of here. Let’s
go to a party.”

I cringed. I hated that stupid nickname. But
when I tried to tell Melissa to stop using it, she only used it
more. Lately she’d become enamored with the idea I was her little
underling. She also seemed to find it funny to pretend to choke
me.

Yesterday Ian had gone around our building
with a Polaroid camera to take pictures of everyone for the lounge.
Just before he snapped ours, she wrapped her arms around my neck.
Tightly. In the picture she’s smiling like a crazy person and I’m
sitting in my desk chair looking like I can’t breathe.

Ian had shaken the photo to develop it,
frowned at the result. “Unfortunately we only have enough film for
one picture a room.” He shot me an apologetic look before moving on
to the next person.

“I’m not really in the mood,” I said now,
not looking up from my textbook.

“It’s going to be super fun. A guy in the
drama program told me about it and I don’t want to go alone.”

“Maybe ask Carly.”

“I want you to come. You know, like a
roommate bonding thing.”

Surprised, I glanced up. She was smiling at
me hopefully. I had no idea what to say.

“I even have an outfit you can wear.” She
skipped over to her wardrobe and pulled down a plaid skirt. “All
you need is a white blouse.”

I closed my book and stood up. “You want to
dress me now?”

“It’s a schoolgirl and Tom Cruise party. I’m
dressing up like a schoolgirl too.”

“Well yeah, I have a white blouse...” I
shook my head. What was I thinking? I didn’t want to dress up like
a slutty schoolgirl for a party.

“It will be fun,” she said as if reading my
mind. “Maybe help you stop crushing on Ian. Oh!” She snapped her
fingers and opened her desk drawer, pulled open a bottle of vodka.
“This is what we need.”

I watched as she poured two shots and handed
me one.

“We’ll do a bunch of these and then be brave
enough to go.” She held up her shot glass, smiling at me over the
rim. “Have fun, Alexis, and stop worrying about everything,
including school. Shed that goodie-two-shoes thing you’ve got going
on.”

That did sound very inviting. I was tired of
being viewed as a good girl. After all, I was a college student now
and almost a legal adult. I needed to grow up.

I hesitated for only a second before tipping
the shot back. It burned its way down my throat, unearthing
memories of a sleepover in which a friend and I had tried shots of
tequila while playing with a Ouija board. We’d then pulled the
oldest trick in the book: refilling the bottle with water.

Three or four shots later, I was dressed in
the outfit Melissa had designed for me, my hair in pigtails. It
wasn’t exactly making me look like a grownup.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I
whispered, looking at my reflection with a mix of unease and
excitement.

“It’s going to be so much fun!” Melissa
gushed. While I’d been changing, she’d been pouring herself more
shots. “Gary is super hot. The guy that told me about the party, I
mean. He says his buddy always throws the most epic parties and
that there’s always a theme.”

“Where is this party?”

“They live off-campus in a large house they
call the mansion. It’s
that big
.”

“Wow.” It was my first off-campus party. I
needed another shot.

By the time our cab arrived, we’d tossed
back three more shots and I was feeling the burn. I grabbed for my
sweater, but Melissa swatted at my hands.

“No way, you’re not covering yourself up.
Seriously, Alexis, it’s like I have to force you to look sexy.”

To say I felt like an imposter was an
understatement. I was teetering in my heels like some kind of
circus freak on stilts. I only ever wore heels when it was
absolutely mandatory, which in my family translated to religious
holidays. Every other day I liked to keep my feet firmly planted on
the ground so I could take off at a moment’s notice.

The lounge was full when we snuck by, but a
large guy was standing with his back against the glass door,
thankfully blocking us from view. We hurried to the parking lot
where the cab was parked, Melissa enjoying the looks from the guys
that passed, me ducking my head. I didn’t pay attention during the
ride; the passing streets wouldn’t have meant anything to me
anyway. My mind was on the night ahead. Even while worrying about
what I’d gotten myself into, I was still thinking about Ian. I
wondered what he was doing tonight…and who he was doing it
with.

We pulled up in front of an enormous house
with a Victorian feel. I’d never been good at describing things,
whether it was a house or a car, but what I could say was that it
didn’t look like it belonged on that street. It actually had
turrets
. And a balcony that ran the front expanse of the
second story. Leaning against the railing smoking was a guy in a
dark grey suit and a blonde in schoolgirl attire with her hair in a
high ponytail.

We were definitely at the right place.

Melissa shot me a sexy smile before
sashaying her way up the front walk. I balled my hands into fists
and followed behind, holding my head high. Once I was inside I’d
feel a lot better, I knew that. Inside it would make sense that I
was dressed like a slutty schoolgirl.

We pushed open the door and stepped inside.
There was a large front foyer with dark walls and mirrors on both
sides. It led to the kitchen in front of us, a living room area to
the left and a hallway to the right. Groups of people were talking
in the foyer and they glanced up and smiled at us as we
entered.

Looking around, I could a few people sitting
on chairs and couches in the living room, holding either wine in a
small plastic wine glass or beer in a red solo cup. Some girls were
dressed in suits as well, which was kind of cool. Who said you had
to dress like a slut just because you were a girl? We lived in the
here and now.

As we moved through the foyer, trying to act
like we knew what we were doing, a dark head turned to look at me.
When he saw me, his eyes widened slightly and his mouth opened in a
small “o” of surprise. He looked familiar, and I wondered if I knew
him from somewhere, or if he was simply checking me out.

I quickly averted my gaze.

The booze was flowing from the kitchen and
the moment we entered, a tall guy with red hair offered us a glass
of wine or beer. “Ladies drink free.”

Melissa took a glass of red wine and I opted
for the beer.

“I’m Manny.” He held out his hand and both
of us took it, introduced ourselves. “How did you hear about
this?”

“I’m friends with Gary,” Melissa said. “Have
you seen him?”

“Yeah he’s around here somewhere.” He
glanced around just as the volume in the entire house seemed to
amplify. People were excited about something.

Manny grinned. “Sounds like we’re about to
start.”

Before I could ask what was about to start,
the crowd in the kitchen surged forward, forcing us back into the
foyer. We were pressed against a wall as people entered the foyer
from the hallway as well, looking over their shoulders at whatever
they were clearing the way for. All around us people were
whistling, cheering, talking excitedly—their eyes alight with
excitement and their cheeks pink.

Even in my heels, I had to stand on tip-toes
to see over the crowd as what we were waiting for finally arrived.
A large, burly man stepped out of the hallway with a large sack
over his back. Everyone moved aside for him as he made his way
through the foyer and into the middle of the living room. Then we
were shoved along with the crowd again until we were standing in
the living room with everyone else. Melissa grabbed my hand and
pulled me to a gap where we could see what was going on.

The man placed the sack on the floor and let
it fall open, spreading its edges out like a blanket. My heart
skipped a beat. It took me a minute to register what I was
seeing.

Lying in a pile was something close to
thirty wooden paddles.

My eyes flew to Melissa. She looked just as
shocked as me.

“What kind of party is this?” I tried to
take a step back but couldn’t move. People had joined us on both
sides now, packing us in tightly.

“I have no idea,” Melissa giggled, out of
nervousness of excitement I couldn’t tell. “But I don’t think it’s
entirely what Gary made it out to be.”

“I think those are paddles...for spanking.
Like it’s a spanking party,” I hissed, panic rising.

“I think you’re right.”

I swallowed hard. “Let’s get out of
here.”

“You go if you want.” She shook her hair
over her shoulders. “I’m curious to see what happens next.”

“Seriously?” I looked at her incredulously,
but she ignored me. Apparently she actually wanted to stay.

I swallowed hard. I guess I’d have to leave
her.

Just as I was about to turn and book it,
even if it meant shouldering my way through the crowd, the host
walked into the room.

“Welcome, everyone!” He held his arms wide
and spoke in a large, booming voice, smiling at everyone in the
crowd. He was wearing a black suit and top hat and looked more like
a magician than a party host.

“Welcome to our schoolgirl-themed party. For
those of you who are new, I’ll introduce myself. I’m Drake Maxim,
party host and owner of this house. By day I am a Drake Maxim, Fund
Manager—and by night I am Master Maxim, BDSM fetishist.”

BDSM fetishist?
Holy shit. I glanced
around, searching desperately for a way to sneak out without being
noticed, but the circle had only tightened. I’d have to cross the
room in front of everyone to get to the front door.

I elbowed Melissa, hoping that now she would
be ready to leave, but she only smiled down at me excitedly.
Suddenly I worried she was high on more than Vodka.

“Privacy screens have been set up in the
various rooms down the hall. You exhibitionists are also welcome to
play in any location on the main floor. For those of you who are
new to spanking,” his eyes rested on Melissa and me, “or those who
simply like to observe, you are welcome to wander around and make
yourself comfortable.”

The hairs on my neck stood on end and I
glanced to my right. A man in his late thirties with blonde almost
white hair was watching me. When he noticed me looking back, his
tongue slipped out of his mouth and licked along his dry lips. I
tried not to shudder and focused on the host again.

“Requesting a private observing session is
allowed as well,” he was saying, “and all requests and responses
should be treated with respect. The mansion is a place of
acceptance, a place where we can all experience our inner most
desires safely and without judgment. Anyone that violates these
rules will be asked to leave.”

He paused for a moment, perhaps to give
everyone a chance to make a comment or ask a question. When no one
spoke, he nodded and said, “Very good, let’s begin. Feel free to
grab a paddle.”

The crowd surged forward and I took the
opportunity to grab for Melissa’s hand, but she snatched it away. A
guy who didn’t look much older than us was stalking toward her from
across the room. He was good-looking, I had to admit—he had light
brown hair and blue eyes and looked like an all around American
gentleman.

Except he was intent on spanking my
roommate.

“Gary!” she cried happily and shook her hair
out again. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“Are you okay with this?” The question
implied he wasn’t sure but his face remained smiling, as if he
already knew the answer. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
Then his eyes landed on me. “Alexis, right? My friend Adam
recognized you.”

Oh my God. I wanted to sink into the floor.
I was going to end up like Vanessa with a bunch of rumors swirling
around about me. Soon I’d wish I’d gotten caught sucking Ian
off.

“I’ve got to go,” I said and rushed
away.

I didn’t dare go back into the hall; there
were too many people there. Instead I went into the next room,
which turned out to be a study. The only way out was through a door
that led into the kitchen, and a man and woman were in the midst of
flirting in the doorway. Through their partly entwined bodies I
could see the kitchen was filled with people, including the host.
And I didn’t want to risk speaking with the host.

I was trapped.

My legs began to shake. So far no one had
noticed the study, so I was safe for now. I just needed to get
myself together enough to turn back around, walk past everyone and
out the front door.

No one could stop me.

***

I stood in a dark corner of the study
gripping my red solo cup tightly. All around me, sounds of spanking
emanated from various rooms in the house, and on the couch in front
of me a brunette was being pulled over a guy’s knee. Apparently
they weren’t going to use the privacy screens and instead give me a
private show. My pulse began to pound in my ears. I knew I should
leave—especially so that people couldn’t accuse me of wanting to
watch—but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I was too afraid to
move. Moving meant potentially running into someone with a
paddle.