Hayley had never been to Imperia before, mostly because she'd been to clubs only once or twice in her life. The building was a converted house built during the fifties. The iron-wrought front gates opened into a courtyard dressed in lights. Lined up on either side of the walkway to the entrance were men in powdered wigs and what looked like 17th or 18th-century French footmen uniforms.

A woman dressed in a pink low-cut heavily corseted gown with enormous skirts greeted them with a smile. "Bon soir, mesdemoiselles," she said. "Je m'apelle Claudine. Welcome to Sugar Rush."

Jenna handed over their invitation. Claudine gave it a thorough perusal then nodded to a footman beside her. He stamped both Hayley and Jenna's wrists with iridescent colored symbols.

"You'll find the masks and tiaras inside by the door," Claudine said. "Masks are optional, but you'll need to put on the tiaras." She waved them through.

"Marie Antoinette, really?" Hayley whispered to Jenna, who was looking around her in awe as they made their way to the house. "Don't they know how her reign ended?"

"Well, if they let the peasant girls into parties like this, maybe the poor wouldn't have revolted," Jenna replied with a shrug and a giggle. They stepped through the door and into a vestibule. "Isn't this exciting?"

Hayley was just about to roll her eyes, but thought better of it. She promised not to judge. Instead, she studied the array of masks on the massive table in the middle of the room. There were masks in a variety of colors, each made from silk and lace. Some had beads, sequins, feathers or glass. There was also a few stacks of tiaras.

"The black masks are for the sugar daddies and mommies," Jenna explained, picking up a tiara and fitting it on her head. "The babies wear the other colors. And this." She preened at her reflection in the large mirror set up in the middle of the table.

Hayley picked up the biggest mask she could find and gingerly tried it on. It was made of cream-colored lace and tiny gold feathers. It was pretty, she had to admit, and more importantly, it covered half her face. She checked her reflection on the mirror. At least if she was caught in someone's selfie, she was adequately disguised. "Which one are you wearing?" she asked Jenna.

"Not wearing one." Jenna picked up another tiara and affixed it on Hayley's head. "I didn't spend an hour on this eye make-up to cover it up." She pulled Hayley by the arm and looked at their reflection in the mirror. "Don't we look amazing?"

"I guess."

"You ready to catch yourself a sugar daddy?"

"Uh, no?"

"Fine. At least try to have some fun. C'mon."

When they entered the ballroom, Hayley realized her friend wasn't kidding. There was a lot of women. In fact it looked like there were three or four times as many women as the men. She did see a couple of women without tiaras or wearing the black masks, but that was it.

A footman offered them champagne. Jenna swiped two and handed one to Hayley. "Let's sit over there, where the light is good."

"Jenna, there's hardly any men here," Hayley said, eyeing two men on a sofa surrounded by ten women who were laughing and giggling at whatever the men were saying. "There's, like, ten guys. In fact, I'm beginning to fear for their safety."

"It's only seven." Jenna waved her free hand dismissively. "Most of the sugar daddies and mommies will be arriving late. You know, work and all."

They settled into their seats and sipped champagne. Hayley decided the party wasn't as sleazy as she thought it was going to be. The champagne was decent and the hors d'oeuvres, yummy. Girls in tiaras smiled, some even saying "Hi" as they strolled past them.

"Mind if we sit with you?" said a redhead in a silver mask and a tiny black dress. Beside her was a petite dark woman with short black curls in a dark green pantsuit Hayley recognized as Chanel. Her mask was white.

"Sure!" Jenna said. "My name's Jenna. This is Hayley."

"I'm Amber," said the redhead.

"Viveca," said the other woman.

Hayley smiled at Viveca as the latter took the chair beside her side of the couch.

"Isn't this great?" Amber said. "Even nicer than the last one."

"Meet anyone interesting?" Hayley said. She was curious, she couldn't help it.

Viveca shrugged. "A few."

"I met a guy," Amber said. She wrinkled her nose. "He said he'd call but..."

"Well you look great," Jenna said.

"Thank you." Amber swept the room with a glance. "I hear Reinheart Klatten will be here."

Jenna's smile faltered for a fraction of a second— too quickly for anyone but Hayley to notice. "Oh yeah, I heard." She cleared her throat. "Was he the guy..."

Amber laughed. "If only!" She sighed. "He's just so hot. Every girl here will probably be all over him."

Jenna nodded, looking a little nervous, and sipped her champagne. "Well, I'm sure there will be other great guys here tonight."

"Yeah!" Amber said. "We're cute. I'm sure we'll find a few."

"Anyone in particular you had in mind?" Viveca said.

No one replied. Hayley turned to Viveca and saw the woman was looking at her. "Who me?" she said. "Oh no, I'm not looking for a..." She stopped just as she was about to say "sugar daddy". "... a guy," she said instead.

"Oh you like women?"

"No, no." Hayley laughed. "I like guys. But I'm just here to..." She paused. What was she doing here?

"She's here to be my wingman," Jenna said. "We're roommates."

"Oh that's sweet!" Amber said. "I didn't know anybody here except Viveca. We went to high school together."

"So you were at the last party?" Jenna said. "It's our first." She gestured toward Hayley and herself.

"Oh no, I wasn't there." Amber looked sheepish under her mask. "But I saw the photos."

"I was at the last one," Viveca said. She sounded cool, almost disinterested. "She's right, this one is pretty fancy."

***

"This place is a dump," Gabriel muttered under his breath. He surveyed the room with bored eyes. Women in sleek, skimpy outfits lounged around giggling and making eyes at the staid men — most of them considerably older — sitting stiffly beside them.

Reinheart's shoulders shook slightly with a short muffled laugh. "Compared to what you and I are used to, most places are," he said, keeping his voice low. "Come on, Gabriel. You're not usually such a snob."

"Sorry." Reinheart was right — he was being an ass. The place was decorated with a creative eye and considerable taste. Most important of all, everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Well, everyone except him.

Coming to this party seemed like a good idea earlier. But then he had been hungover at the time and wanted to find something else to do other than get drunk again. Or work. Now he wondered if he hadn't been better off taking his chances alone at his favorite whisky bar in Beverly Hills. Although somehow he suspected Emmanuelle would find him there too, and grill him again with his mother's questions. He was lucky Sin Li Na — who made every one call her Celeste — hated flying even more than she loved meddling in her son's personal life, so she stayed mostly in their family estate in Shanghai.

"Redhead at three o'clock," Reinheart said as they took their seats at a coffee table near the balcony. He didn't bother to hide his appraisal, which the girl noticed immediately. Drink in hand, she trotted over toward them.

"She's all yours." Gabrielle took a drink off a tray carried by a serving staff who gave him a bright smile. She wore a shapeless tux-like uniform and no make-up. The uniform was probably to keep the attention of the guests on the potential sugar babies. He winced. The term grated on his nerves. It sounded so... infantilizing. They were adults, after all. And they were here to enter into adult arrangements. At least they were, as far as he knew.

The redhead's not inconsiderable breasts were nearly spilling out of her silver top. She sat down beside Reinheart, looking up at him with complete adoration. "Hello," she said in a breathy voice. She didn't wear a mask.

"Reinheart," he said, taking her hand. He brushed a kiss over her knuckles, which made her gasp in surprise, then giggle.

"I know." She batted her eyelashes. "My name's Jenna."

"I'm surprised you recognized me." He grinned. "And flattered."

"Good." More eyelash fluttering.

"My friend Gabriel." Reinheart nodded toward him, his eyes still on her.

"Hi!" Jenna gave Gabriel a small wave with her free hand.

He smiled back, then took a sip of his drink. The woman was a little too eager, but then Reinheart always liked that sort. Looking around, his sights rested on a tall, leggy brunette in a sheer lace top and leather mini-skirt. She was sitting with two other girls, listening to a man in a dark, well-cut suit who seemed to be regaling them with a story. By the way they sat there in rapt attention, the story was either seriously compelling or the man was seriously wealthy. As though she sensed his gaze, the brunette turned toward him.

Their eyes met. A slow grin lifted the corner of his mouth. She didn't smile back, but her tongue darted over her lower lip. At her obviously practiced gesture of seduction, a familiar surge of lust went through him.

Damn.

In one graceful move, she got on her feet, velvet clutch in hand. Time seemed to slow as she covered the distance between them with slow, lithe steps.

She slid in the empty chair beside him. Which surprised him, because he expected her to sit beside him on the couch. Still, she leaned over. "Buy me a drink?" she whispered in his ear.

"I think the drinks are free," Gabriel said. She wore a slim, blue satin mask, but there was no hiding her beauty. And Jesus, with that body... Restraining himself from giving her chest and legs another glance, he kept his gaze on her face even as he raised a hand to call for drinks.

"I meant later."

By the time a server appeared in front of them with a tray of champagne flutes two seconds later, the meaning of the woman's words had become clear. He raised an eyebrow. "I don't even know your name."

"Suzy," she said, taking the champagne he offered her. "And you're Gabriel Sin."

That took him off guard. Most of the time, women would play it cool and not let on that she knew who he was. Even if they did recognize him under his black mask. He found he liked her lack of guile. Certainly it didn't hurt that her eyes were the most beautiful he'd ever seen in a while. "I am."

"I'm surprised to see you here." At his confused expression, she added. "My ex-boyfriend was a client of Tallah's. He owned a small chain of restaurants. They may have mentioned you once or twice."

"I see." He gave her a wry smile. "Tallah and I broke up just recently."

"I'm sorry." She laid a hand on his, caressing his skin lightly. "Truly. But I'm not sorry you've decided to come here tonight."

"I'm not sorry either." Sure, the mention of Tallah's name was like a hard kick in the ribs. But here at least he could escape the memories of her and their time together. At least he thought he could.

"You're not from around here, are you?" he said.

Suzy's smile faded. "What do you mean?"

"New York?" he guessed, wondering if he'd said something wrong.

She laughed. "Brooklyn, yes. Sorry. I thought you were asking me where I was really from." She rolled her eyes.

He nodded. "Yeah, I've had my share of those." Suzy was clearly of Asian descent, like him.

"But if you were wondering, my parents are Korean."

"I love Korea."

"I'm sure. And if you—" She stopped and looked past him, her eyebrows furrowed.

He turned to see a woman had seated herself beside him on the couch. "Hi," he said, his tone questioning.

The woman nodded, before turning to Jenna, who rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Reinheart, this is my friend Hayley," she said.

Without missing a beat, Reinheart said, "Hello, Hayley," then flashed her a smile. The one that usually got girls flustered and giggly, but this time it only elicited a disinterested nod.

"Hi," Hayley said.

"That's his friend Gabriel," Jenna continued. "And..." She looked at Suzy.

"Suzy," she said. "Nice to meet you."

"Hello," Hayley replied.

After an awkward silence, Jenna turned to Reinheart. "So you were saying?" she said. "About Paris?"

"Ah yes," he said, then continued to speak but in low tones.

Hayley didn't seem interested in Reinheart. She didn't seem to be interested in Gabriel, either. She just sat there, like someone who was happy to be a fifth wheel.

She was oddly dressed. Her red dress skimmed her curves quite nicely, but it covered her from the neck down to her arms to her legs. Although the dress was cut well, wearing it made her look ridiculously out of place. She had dark brown hair that was pulled back in a bun. He couldn't tell if she was pretty because of the wide lace mask she had on.

He knew she wasn't here to catch a man. But if that were the case, what was she doing here?

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Thank you for reading, loves! Did you enjoy this part? Let me know in the comments!

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