Cinderella, The Return of Genevieve (6 page)

Rueben appeared by her side and pointed up, there was a big screen television hanging above the two large double doors that led out of the waiting room and into the club.
“Before we go in, the club owner, “Daddy” he calls himself, comes on screen to welcome us and introduce his guest of the day. Last time the guest was Beating Hearts. Have you heard them play?”

“In my iPod, yes.”

“Well they gave us a good concert last time. I wonder who he has today.”

Cinderella’s skin crawled with excitement. She needed this, and wanted it even more. She knew she couldn’t deny herself any longer. She wouldn’t be
imprisoned, couldn’t be. And all though the thought of fighting back terrified her, Cinderella, no Genevieve would do and play her cards smartly. She practically had Liza out of the house, she only had to plan for mother’s exit. She had to kill her.

Chapter Four

It was finally time. The lights dimmed even more a
nd the large television came on and a man appeared, dressed in all white, with a top hat to match. He didn’t wear a mask over his big pale face. He sat in a very large chair that made him look really small. Genevieve laughed. He took slow controlled sips out of a gold goblet and one of the four ladies that surrounded him, took the goblet from him and dabbed his mouth with a napkin. He stood up and to Genevieve’s surprise he was a, “midget?”

Rueben chuckled and said, “If you
call him the ‘M’ word he would stake you without hesitation. He prefers, “little” person or dwarf, if you even need to use those words. He’s small, but dangerous.”

Genevieve couldn’t hold back her laughter, she couldn’t tell whether it was the merlot that made her so
silly or if it was actually that funny.

“Welcome all, to the Masquerade.” Daddy’s voice was deep and much bigger than his physical size. His tongue was southern and each word was like a note of lyric. He walked forward silver cane in hand and the camera seemed to draw back
, like he needed more space to be fully captured. “If this is your first time with us here at the Masquerade, I’d like to formally introduce myself. My name is Laurent. However, you may call me Daddy.” He bowed, removing his top hat, to reveal his full head of hair. “I own this wonderful establishment, and I like to think that you too, are part owners so please treat it as such. But before I grant you entrance, let me go over a few ground rules. Rule number one, masks on at all time. If anyone catches you without one, you will be cast into the sunlight. We here like to keep our identity to ourselves, so anything we do is kept on the hush, hush. Rule number two, you fight, and you’re out into the sunlight. Rule, three, leave my human DJ alone, he is one of the finest in the world and I pay him a lot of money to be here with us. If you cannot control your blood lust, you will be cast out into the light and we ain’t talkin’ about the light of God. We talkin’ bout that good ol’ light where darkness does not dwell. Rule four, if you return to the Masquerade, wear the same mask so that those that you meet here will remember you. This mask is your identity. Keeps the mystery going, and we here love us a little bit of mystery. Rule number five, have yourselves a great time and do come back again!” The crowd applauded, there were whistles and shouts. There was even a random,
I love you Daddy
! “I love you too dear.” Smugness all over his face. “Alright now, I’d love to introduce our guest of the evening who is, exempt from concealing his wonderful identity. Why would he want to conceal such a wonderful face? He was featured in Vampires Today, Debonair, and Businessmen of the Evening…And without further ado, I’d like to introduce our very own, Prince of the Elite! Prince of the Dark, Prince Patrick!”

Women screamed and shouted, men clapped whistled and cheered. And Genevieve panicked, nearly turning to ash right
then and there! She closed her eyes and tried to convince herself that this was all a horrible and seemingly lovely dream.

“Gen, don’t worry. He won’t recognize you. You’re wearing a mask remember? Besides, he’s never seen your face.”

Rueben was right, he would never think to meet Cinderella in a place like this. The homely girl barely got out to breathe a breath of fresh air, how could she possibly wind up in a place like this. “You’re right.” She’d stay far away from him.

The doors to Masquerade opened, electronic music blasted out into the waiting room and hundreds of Victorian dressed vampires rushed in and immediately began to dance and shout. Rueben clutched Genevieve’s hand and ran forward, pulling her with him. He stopped in the middle of the dance floor and began jumping up and down with his hands in the air. Genevieve did the same, spinning around and throwing her hair back.

Her eyes were closed and she could feel herself getting lost in the crowd and she didn’t care. She felt a hand on her arm, pulling her, she let herself be pulled and when she opened her eyes, and was looking up at a man, taller than her.

“I’ve been watching you all morning.”
He grinned a wonderful smile, his blue eyes were like peeks of ocean behind his black feathered mask. “What’s your name?” He whispered in Genevieve’s ear.

“Genevieve, but you can call me Gen.” She smiled and they continued to dance.

A couple of hours had passed and Genevieve and Rueben found each other in the crowd. The music stopped and Daddy was standing in the DJ booth, and his voice came out over the crowd. “I hope you all are enjoying yourselves. But this is the time where I take one of you lucky people up to party with me and my guest. Let’s see, who’s up for it today?”

The crowd roared, but the women roared even louder. Genevieve said nothing. She stood in her place and watched.
Hoping to shrink away or go unnoticed.

“Well unfortunately for most of you, the Prince already has someone in mind. She’s the best dressed here and she was sitting with the dapper gentlemen in the very last cubby hole. Sir Beauchamp? Are you out there? You and your guest have been invited to the VIP section, please make your way to the designated place.”

Genevieve paralyzed, did not move an inch. Rueben began to lead her away but she yanked his arm back. “I can’t go up there. Hell no! You know I can’t!”

“You can and you will. Not only for the Prince, but to stay alive. If we decline his invitation he will take offense and kill us both.” Rueben whispered this with all seriousness in her ear. She knew he was being honest. “Now listen up, the only way you’ll be found out is if you fall into Cinderella
again! We left that bitch at home and she didn’t follow us here!”

Genevieve quickly straightened up and followed Rueben past the two guards and up the dimly lit stairwell. The door opened without them having to knock
and a gush of air conditioning blew past them as they entered the room. It wasn’t anything like the waiting room. Dark wood floors. Silver arm chairs and love seats strategically placed for intimate conversation. A bar against the furthest wall in the back made out of stainless steel. The bar! She darted straight for it.

“What can I get for you Sweetie?”
This bar tender didn’t wear a mask, unless you count the heavy black eyeliner she wore. She had a short edgy hair-cut, it spiked in all the right places.

“A shot of anything.”

“You got it!”

Genevieve clenched her palms trying to calm her n
erves. She closed hoping to relax. Control yourself, Gen. This is nothing, nothing at all! She swallowed a gulp of air.

“Relax girl. He’s a man like any of them out there.”

Genevieve opened her eyes, “Who’s a man?” surprised at the tender’s southern drawl when she looked like she belonged in New York.

The bartender nudged her head in the direction of the prince.
“Him. That’s what you nervous about right? He’s friendly. Kindest so far on the guest list. Them Beating Hearts…animals. You ain’t got nothing to worry about with him.” The bartender nodded her head toward Patrick. He’s been watching her at the bar and smiled and waved for her to come over and sit with him. Genevieve forced a small smile and nodded her head.

“Oh, God what are you doing up there?” First you answer my prayer then you throw me in the pit.
She took her shot of what tasted like a mix of tequila and some sort of citrus and turned to walk over toward the prince. She scanned the room for Rueben, who was relaxed and leaning against a wall, staring out the window and into the crowd below. He turned around and flicked his hand at her as if to say, “go.”

Genevieve sat down in the arm chair that sat facing the love seat occupied by the prince. She stared down at her finger nails, for a while and then finally after enough time, looked up to meet eyes with the prince who sat patiently watching her. He smiled a very pleasant smile, looking all the more resplendent in Genevieve’s eyes. He was like candy in front of
a child, who’d been warned not to touch or taste. This was Adam and Eve all over again. You may look, but surely you may not touch or else unleash hell upon the world, or rather find death in her case. Genevieve didn’t return a smile, she kept her lips pressed in a straight line. This was way too much pressure.

“I was hoping you would join me here on the sofa.” Patrick patted the cushion beside him.

His blue eyes, coaxing her to look, to sink right into them. She refused and instead pretended to focus on sitting and crossing her arms and joining her hands together, while crossing her legs. Taking as much time as she could.

“Why would I do that? Do you think I came here to be your trash for the day? I came to dance and have fun, but here I am, in the presence of royalty.” She scoffed, looking up at him and into his eyes for a brief moment. The wall seemed much safer to stare at.

“Is that what you think this is?”

“Isn’t it?” Genevieve cocked her head to the side. “You’re a brilliant man, and this is a simple situation that…groupies tend to fall into. I’m not a fan of yours. I didn’t come here for you.”

“Why then did you accept the invitation to join us?
I’m over here, by the way. Surely you can stand to look at me for our short time together.” His arms spread out along the shoulder of the couch, lifting his leg and allowing it to rest on the knee of his other leg.

“Don’t act so naïve
Prince. You know why I couldn’t decline. What’s more important is why you have chosen me to come join you?”

He smiled. “
It wasn’t me. Your friend Rueben there…” pointing at a smiling and waving Rueben. “Is friends with Daddy. That’s why you’re here.” His foot rotated in a circle. “However…” Long pause. “Now that we’ve…established what this isn’t, I’m interested in finding out what this is.”

Genevieve sat stiffly in her chair, what was she to do after making a total idiot of herself? What was her comeback?

“Nothing left to say?” He smiled. “If it makes you feel any better, I planned on asking for you. I saw you through the monitors.”

“I don’t need your flattery. Besides, I’m wearing a mask. I guess your standards are lower than I thought.”

“How can you think anything of me when you’ve never known me? On what basis have you formed your opinion? Or is this an ignorant assumption because I am prince and well…you know the rest? Besides, I danced with you before you came up Genevieve or Gen is it?” He smiled that dazzling smile and she realized he was the guy behind the black feathered mask. “You were much nicer then. What changed?”

“I haven’t danced in years and I’m at a club sitting on a couch.”

“We can go and dance…”

“No thank you.”

“I’m confused. Now you don’t want to dance and would much rather sit on the couch and speak with me? Or is it
me
that bothers you?”

“Maybe it’s neither. I changed my mind.”

“Do you always change your mind this quickly?”

“Do you always ask 21 questions?”

Patrick sat forward, elbows on knees, a twinkle in his eye. “You’re different.”

“How?”

“You don’t care about my status, or that I could have you killed for speaking to me without honorifics. You view me as an equal, maybe even lower, judging by your tone of voice. You probably can’t stand the Elites.”

“Or could it be…” Genevieve thought
about what she wanted to say. “That your fiancé would disapprove?”

“Aaawww, a vampire with a conscience.” He sat back and shrugged. “We’ve already established what this isn’t, so we’re only having friendly conversation today. Does that work for you? Will you keep me company?”

“I’m here.”

“Come,” Patrick extended his hand, “sit next to me. I promise not to bite.” He hissed and flashed his
pearly white fangs. Genevieve rolled her eyes and stood up, taking his hand. “There, that’s better.” He watched her, as she sat trying to loosen up, she was so uncomfortable. Fumbling with her hands, picking at her nails, her nails. Patrick took her hand in his, “Do you paint?” he asked inquisitively.

Genevieve laughed uncomfortably. “I dabble.
Just a hobby I recently picked up.”

“You, dabble. I’ve always admired the arts…relax sweetheart, this is nothing remember.” He smiles a reassuring smile.

She couldn’t relax, all she could envision was the hell that Mother would inflict on her for playing such a dangerous game. This was a bad idea, things like this only get worse. She should leave, just go home and into her cell of a life. That was all the universe had to offer her and she should be grateful for being alive and having a second chance. Being a slave was her destiny and she should just accept it. It is what it is.

Genevieve closed her eyes, trying to ima
gine herself running out of the room and through the crowd. Walking into her home and into her quarters where she found a sliver of peace when Mother wasn’t screeching at the top of her lungs for her to wash her back, or pour her a glass of wine. Or help Liza into her evening gown, or prepare a meal because Gertrude was hungry…

Her eyes opened to Patrick’s questioning blue eyes and she knew it was too late to walk away.
Besides Daddy just walked in with his four lady friends trailing behind him. He was even shorter in person.