“How come?” His eyebrows shoot up.
“They’re too drunk. Nobody’s going to notice, and we’re going to have to deal with people puking and fighting if we leave it much longer. Can you do it?”
“Roger that, captain. Do you want to push the button or shall I? It’s for the dry ice, really. My script runs by itself to open the doors and do everything inside.” He points at a red button marked ‘do not touch’ on his console.
“You do it. I’ll stand well back.” I take a step backwards.
Darius nods and presses the button. “Step Into Christmas” blares out of the speakers, while the escape room doors dramatically swing open and clouds of dry ice engulf the dance floor. He leans into the microphone.
“Time to enter the Christmas Escape Extravaganza, folks. I hope you have your wits about you! I hope you aren’t Claus-trophobic, ho-ho-ho…”
The group chatters excitedly as they enter the room and the doors close.
“Okay, time for me to get into the viewing room. Want to come?” he asks.
“No, I’ve had enough of this group for one night. It’s in your capable hands.” I pat him on the shoulder.
“Okay. See you on the other side.” Darius closes the door of the viewing room. I wouldn’t want to watch a group of drunk accountants stumble around, but I guess he has to, for health and safety reasons.
There’s only one place I want to be right now, and that’s as close as possible to Billie. I walk back up to the bar and she sets down two glasses.
“I think we’ve earned ourselves a drink, boss. What are you having?” She gestures for me to sit down on the bar seat.
“Anything non-alcoholic. I don’t drink.” There, I’ve said it. I’m part way to telling her the whole truth about who I am.
“I’m not a big drinker either. But I’m having some of this cream liquor we can’t sell. Tonight’s been pretty intense.” She pours our drinks and comes around to sit next to me at the front of the bar.
“Santa Baby” starts playing through the speakers, booming around the empty room, and I laugh.
I clink my glass against hers. “Cheers, as the British say.”
She looks curiously at me. “How come you’re laughing? Is it this song, or just the weirdness of finding yourself in Snowflake Falls running a Christmas event space?”
“Both, I guess. The last time I heard this song I wasn’t in the best place. My life has changed a lot since then. It’s better. I’m healthier and happier.” I’m trying not to inch closer to her, to take great lungfuls of her amazing scent and then say something stupid.
“You got sober? Must be hard working in the music industry with everyone partying the whole time. Oh - you were going to play me some of your stuff. You can stream it through the Wi-Fi here.” Billie looks expectantly at me.
I take out my cell and select the track I’ve been working on. “This one has some New Wave influences. But it’s got a dance track underneath…”
The music comes pouring out of the speakers. To my surprise, it sounds so much better in this big space. I’ve been listening to it at home, with my headphones on, concentrating on the details. Billie’s foot starts tapping, and she gives me a huge smile.
“This is good, Raff. Wow…” She sets her drink down, grabs my hand and takes me to the center of the empty dance floor. The lights flash as we dance and I can’t resist wrapping my arms around her waist. She still has that glorious big smile on her face, gazing up at me as we move to the beat.
Our bodies get closer as the rhythm intensifies until we’re touching. Her curves pressed against the hard lines of my body send sparks up and down my spine. I gaze down at her beautiful face and she stands on tiptoes, surprising me with a soft kiss. I hold her tightly to me, meeting her kiss with mine and deepening it, exploring her mouth with my tongue, my dick hard as a rock. She gasps a little, our mouths moving together, both of us locked together.
The piercing wail of an alarm makes us spring apart.
“What’s that? The escape room?” I ask.
Billie shakes her head. “That’s the fire alarm.”
A door swings open above us. It’s the drunk woman from earlier, the one who recognized me.
“Sorry! I was having a cigarette and I think I opened the wrong door? Can you turn it off? The noise is giving me a headache…”
I walk off to deal with it, my senses buzzing.
I’m not sure what I’m doing with Billie, but I don’t think I can stop now.
