Pretense

Come One! Come All! The experience of a lifetime awaits!

Jerry read the tasteless billboard ad from the comfort of his office chair. Every year the Masquerade Ball blew into town on the tail skirts of the Catskills Circus and every year a tacky slogan advertising the event stared him in the face from across the street.  He'd never attended. He couldn't be seen at an event as sissy-like as that; not a tough guy like him. But this ad was different. As he ogled the billboard it became clear to him, this picture was more sensual, sexy and erotic than any before it and the theme this year was to hide your identity behind a grotesque mask, not a frilly, pretty or handsome one. There would be dancing, gourmet food, alcohol, gorgeous men, women, and sex, lots of uninhibited hot sex. On the stroke of midnight, not before, the masks would come off revealing the identities of those in attendance. He started to think he just might have been missing something. That perhaps this year he would attend and find out once and for all what all of the fuss was about.

"If you are looking for a costume sir, we are sold out. Haven't had one in stock in over a week," the sales girl announced the moment Jerry stepped inside of the one shop in the entire town that sold costumes.

"You are joking? Is everyone in this God forsaking town attending this event? "He shouted.

"You did wait until the last minute to buy your mask. The ball is tonight sir."

The sales girl did recall one mask a customer returned, complaining about its over exaggerated grotesqueness and discomfort when wearing it. In spite of his rude behavior, she offered it to Jerry. "Well-I do have one sir. It was returned earlier today."

"I'll take it!" Jerry exclaimed.

"You might want to take a look at it before you commit to buying it sir. It's kind of eerie and all sales are final you know?"

"Yeah right, like I have so many to choose from," he hissed.

The sales associate retrieved the mask from under the counter. As she proceeded to open the box, Jerry snatched it out of her hands.

"How much do I owe you?"

"Thirty-five dollars, it's really ugly though. Don't you want to check it out?"

Jerry tossed forty dollars on the counter."Doesn't matter, I'll take it," he insisted, as he spun on his heels and was gone.

Later that evening as he prepared for the masquerade ball, Jerry admired his reflection in the mirror. It's too bad I have to conceal such perfection, he thought smiling as he opened the box containing the mask. Whoa! That bitch wasn't kidding. This is one ugly mask. Well, the ladies will be very happy to see what lies beneath it after the unveiling.

Dressed in a pair of tight fitting Diesel denim and a black silk button up shirt, Jerry strolled into the packed ballroom. As far as his eyes could see were scantily clad women and men wearing snug trousers lending little to the imagination, all adorned with grotesque masks.

Let the games begin, he thought as he approached a petite woman dressed in skimpy black spandex, wearing a malformed cat mask.

"Are you taken?" he inquired.

"I am now." She took Jerry by the hand and led him onto the dance floor. It didn't take long for Jerry's arrogant, self-absorbed chauvinistic personality to shine through but by accepting his advances she was doomed to be with the bastard until the end of the evening. She could only hope he was a good lover.

By ten o'clock, nearly all of the guests were entangled, naked and participating in the most erotic sex acts they'd ever experienced. Jerry peeled his sex partner's spandex off her as if she were a snake shedding its skin. He stripped, freeing his engorged member to the delight of his partner. Before kneeling and taking him into her mouth, she purred like a kitten. He thought it strange but lost all train of thought as she worked her magic on him. He didn't believe there wasn't a thing she couldn't do with her skilled tongue.

He allowed her to play as long as he could but as he felt his release nearing, he yanked her to her feet, backed her up against a wall and drove his hard length into her. Although certain he did not have the stamina to perform for very long, their cat and mouse game lasted until the clock began to strike midnight, at which time they both collapsed from pure exhaustion.

"Judgment day has arrived. Look upon one another, see yourself through the eyes of others and the truth shall be revealed," the magistrate of the ball announced, tearing his mask from his handsome face.

Jerry stared at his prize of the evening as she revealed her true self to him.  She was stunning, long auburn hair and green eyes. Without a doubt the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on. Shortly he would come to realize that beauty was not merely skin-deep for it was now his turn. He smugly tore the mask away, stunned by his partner's reaction as she stumbled backward screaming. As he tried to help her, she yelled at him to stop, to get away from her. She called him a monster. Confused by her response he hurried into the bathroom. As the announcer bellowed loudly, he gazed into the mirror, his now grotesque image staring back at him.

by Quinn Cullen