Blood Match (2 page)

She finished drying and straightening her long fair hair with her rarely used hair irons and applied some heavy evening makeup to accentuate her deep blue eyes. She didn’t have much of a clue about this type of thing, not having a strong relationship with makeup, other than a little lip gloss and mascara, so she was copying a picture in a magazine. It was quite hilarious putting on all this stuff. Still, she liked the effect she had created so far.  It was really dramatic. She had actually mastered false eyelashes as well, thanks to an excellent tutorial on YouTube.

As she looked in the dressing table mirror she realised she didn’t look like herself any more. Her usual young fresh face, her glasses and permanent wavy pony tail were gone without a trace.  Instead there was a complete stranger staring back. Who was this older looking blond siren with silky smooth hair and smoky eyes?  She smiled at herself and fluttered her mascaraed falsies. Yes, it was definitely her in the mirror then!  She added a little pale fashionable coloured lipstick to complete her new face. Wearing makeup and contact lenses made rather a lot of difference to her appearance and she hadn’t even got round to her outfit yet!

She trawled through her massive double wardrobe looking for something nice to wear. One thing’s for sure she thought to herself whilst she surveyed her heaving wardrobe, she was never going to be short of clothes! It was a shame she had such little opportunity to wear most of it. Abbey had been right. She really didn’t go anywhere!  Her mother often sent her wonderful clothes parcels from their fashion export company out in Asia. She tended to get sent a lot of pretty blouses and jackets which she liked, but they mostly remained unworn.

However, the latest parcel she had received was a godsend! Now she had a smart but feminine, dark grey three piece skirt suit which fitted like a second skin. Her mother must have had a sixth sense. Either that or a hopeful outlook! She took it out and held it up looking at it again, thinking how nice it was going to be wearing it. It was essential to her that she looked as well turned out and smart as she could at her new job. It was a confidence boosting technique… confidence building was a big issue with Serena. She didn’t have that much.

This new suit fit the bill perfectly…

She continued her search for an outfit for the evening ahead. She plucked out a black dress and considered it. It had been an impulse buy that Cassie had persuaded her into during the last New Year sales. It wasn’t really ‘her’ at all. It was a little daring in her opinion and she was rather conservative in her dress sense. This little number was a black short dress with a pleated chiffon skirt and came with a pair of matching shorts to wear underneath. It was very fitted and sleeveless with a low curved neckline. There really wasn’t much of it. But why the hell not, she thought? This was certainly very suitable for a club. She remembered feeling distinctly unglamorous whenever she had been clubbing with her brother and his friends before, apart from her penchant for fancy shoes. Everyone was always dressed up to the nines and she had been plain and unspectacular in jeans and a jacket. She’d never liked standing out from the crowd; never wanted to draw attention to herself…

Fading into the background was not going to be an option from now on, she decided. No more hiding. She had some catching up to do. All her friends were far more experienced in life and love than her.  She was going to do something about that. She just had to give herself a little push.  It was frankly quite embarrassing.

She pulled out her black mock-croc ankle tie shoes from her shoe rack. These were one of her favourite pairs and actually very comfy despite their height and just right for club dancing. Finally out came a black fur trimmed quilted jacket to keep her warm on the walk and she fumbled around in her drawer for her tiny satin purse to carry her few essentials.  She laid it all on the bed and looked at it.  Yes, that would do…

“Serry..” Adam called from the kitchen, across the hallway. “Want a Breezer or a beer?”

“I’ll have a cranberry B please. I’ll be done in five minutes.” She called back.

Adam was starting a little early tonight. It was only 8pm and they weren’t meeting up with the gang until after 10… She’d need to pace herself a bit or she’d be under the table before they got to see them. Serena was not that much of a drinker, unlike Adam the fish. She worried about him sometimes; he did drink rather a lot!

Serena loved the casual lifestyle she had with her brother. When their parents were away, which was most of the year, the flat was totally theirs. It had been this way for the past three years. They were quite easy going as parents, but still, they both felt more relaxed when it was just the two of them. Adam certainly preferred it this way as his parent’s presence really cramped his style!

They had developed their own routine between them… he bought their food and often cooked his ‘healthy’ meals for her and she tidied up and did all the laundry. They had a cleaner for the rest.  It was a good set up.

Serena took off her dressing gown and looked at her naked self critically in the mirror. She quite liked her body shape but still had mental hang ups about it from her teens. She had quite a tall slim frame which was just about saved from being skinny by her reasonable sized breasts. She ran her hands over them…. She would have liked them to have been a little bigger, but they weren’t too bad, she thought. She slipped on her best deep purple underwear. With this bra on she actually felt and looked quite shapely. Finally she stepped into the dress, shorts and shoes.

Oh dear! She thought in dismay, looking down at her outfit. The chiffon skirt was just a little too short on her long legs and the shorts were more like hot pants! She didn’t really feel comfortable in this tiny thing! Then again she didn’t really have anything else ‘clubby’ enough so it would just have to do. She was sure she would see far briefer outfits on display later. She wriggled a little, adjusting herself slightly to give herself just a touch more curviness in the low dipping neckline. Then she sprayed herself liberally with Miss Dior. Finally she added the finishing touch brushing her exposed pale skin with a generous dusting of golden glittery bronzing powder, one of the things that she had bought earlier that day.

Finally finished she stood back and looked at her new club ready self in the full length mirror on her wardrobe door.

Well, well! She thought smiling, twirling slowly in front of the mirror. Didn’t she scrub up well! Who would have thought?

She was definitely a hot looking Social Media Consultant tonight. Her appearance gave her confidence a gentle little kick. She did a little salsa dance out to the hallway and through to the kitchen to get her drink. Adam was leaning against the worktop, drink in hand.

“Fuck me! Where’s my little sister gone? It really is Venus herself!” Adam grinned admiringly at her. His eyes were nearly popping out of his head. “Serena, honestly… you should dress up like that more often!”

“You don’t look so bad either”  she said running her eyes up and down his fitted grey patterned shirt, which skimmed his muscular form perfectly, his smart Uniqlo black jeans and his carefully mussed up wavy blond hair.

Her heart always gave a little lurch when she looked at him. He was very good looking indeed and just so fit! She was aware he had a very hot physique and he always dressed for effect. His muscular stomach and chest were quite sensational and always on display around the flat! Serena was very proud of her gorgeous brother, naughty or not! He passed her the bottle of her favourite red alco pop and gave her a quick and gentle hug.

“We are going to be the centre of attraction tonight Serry my love.” He said perching on the kitchen island worktop in a rather ridiculous pose.

“Well, maybe you are!” Serena said laughing whilst sipping her drink. “I really don’t want to get up to the kind of things you do! But I am going to have a little fun tonight. I’ve decided.”

“You should really do both Serry! – Have some fun and get yourself noticed. Looking like you do, it shouldn’t be too hard; I might have to create an orderly queue for you tonight! Come on Serena! You’re nearly 22 and I have never once seen you bring even one bloke through the door of this flat. If it wasn’t such a ridiculous idea, I’d say you are still a virgin…” he laughed and then stopped quickly as he saw the pink flush creep up her neck.

She actually wasn’t, but she didn’t want to think about that episode if she could help it….

“I’m sorry sweet.” Adam carried on. “That’s none of my business….. Look, you should let your hair down though. You are young, single and fancy free. Get your feet wet! I’m not suggesting you sleep around like I do… just test the waters a little. See who and what floats your boat. You are a really stunning looking girl Serena and if you weren’t my sister, I’d definitely have hit on you by now…” he said with a straight face he had difficulty keeping.

“Adam Green – you are such a naughty boy and a very bad influence on me” she chastised him, poking him in the chest. “But I do get your point. I know I need to do some dating. I have been so tied up with my studying and working at uni, I never allowed myself time for sex and debauchery. But all that is over now. Perhaps I should give it a go…. You certainly seem to like it a lot!”

“Mmmm – there’s nothing like it in this world Serry. Sex, drugs and alcohol! “Adam replied with his touch of humour coming out to play. His gaze suddenly looked far away.

“I hope you are just kidding about the drugs.” She said stony faced.

“Oh you know I am – I never touch drugs, never have, never will – I’m a fitness coach, remember!  Drink’s my weakness –  I can’t help that… but I work it off and eat healthy, don’t I?  Anyway, talking of alcohol, there’s a new top drawer club which has only been open for a few weeks in town. Phil mentioned it to me. It has a proper restaurant, not one of those goddamn awful snack bars. If we eat in the restaurant we get in the club free… I thought we’d do food first and then meet the gang there for some serious floor work afterwards
.
Fancy that?” he suggested swigging down the last of his bright blue concoction.

“It sounds like a plan and a half!” she agreed “Lead the way dear brother!”

She did enjoy going out with Adam and the gang, which sadly she hadn’t done enough of in the past, although he often asked her. She had always had some heavy assignment or research to do before.

Adam occupied another world to hers.

It was especially nice to go out with him alone though. There were two reasons for that. Firstly he was highly entertaining and she quite liked having Mr. Gorgeous all to herself and secondly men assumed they were a couple most of the time and she didn’t get bothered much, which suited her down to the ground.

She was a little intimidated by most young men if she was to be honest, apart from Adam and his mates of course. She had grown used to all of them. She preferred to be around older serious types of men like the learned professors and tutors at Uni.

She had not taken to the university social scene like Cassie had. As she didn’t live in the halls or digs, it made it easy for her to avoid it. She didn’t have to mix with students for company, although she had made friends with Cassie there. Cassie trod the middle road… just enough studying to get her through and an equal dose of parties and going out. They had a good friendship on the whole. Cassie was very generous, humorous and witty and they had both hung out together a lot as they were doing the same course.

Serena found the social side of things to be a distraction she really didn’t want. One of the very few times she partied with Cassie, she had ended up blind drunk and woke up the next day in a strange house in a strange bed with someone she didn’t know. She shivered at the awful memory of her first time, which thankfully she only partly remembered.

After that little event she put up a wall around herself. She became rather standoffish in her conversational manner and kept herself very much to herself. With her deliberately dressed down looks and quiet studious nature, she never had any trouble with anyone trying it on with her. It was round after round of lectures, the library and home…. That had made her feel very comfortable. She didn’t like to step out of her comfort zone…

It was a rather scary world out there but she was now ready to dip her toe in it properly.

Chapter 4

They put on their jackets as it was a cool evening and set off for the short walk to Cambridge town centre arm in arm.

It was very convenient living so close to the city centre. Close to her new job too. She looked at all the beautiful old college buildings surrounding them as they walked towards the club. What a fantastic city Cambridge was, she would never tire of it!

The new club was called rather aptly ‘2Flaunt’.

They passed through the foyer and divested themselves of their jackets passing them to the cloakroom attendant. From there they entered the stunning white marbled restaurant which was dripping with modern looking crystal and space age chrome and decked out with spectacular white floral arrangements. They’d arrived early enough to be seated at a table for two with no wait. A smartly dressed waiter escorted them through. After Adam ordered a bottle of house white, they studied the menu.

“Adam… there do not appear to be any prices on my menu!” Serena whispered with concern.

“I know” he replied quietly “I happen to know it’s mega expensive here.” He leaned forward across the table and whispered. “This room is probably full of millionaires. Maybe even a couple of billionaires too.  Maybe I can find myself a sugar mama in here tonight…”

She giggled behind her menu. Her brother had such a one track mind! They ordered a rare steak each and their wine arrived. They sat sipping what may well prove to be a £50 bottle of house white as slowly as they could manage. People drifted in and out. A table close to theirs was set for six. As she gazed in that direction the people arrived.

Serena stared at them with interest. What a beautiful group they were. There were four men and two women. They looked to be mid to late twenties in age. All were fairly dark haired and olive skinned apart from one, he was black skinned and had amazing immaculate dreadlocks. They were extremely well groomed and all wore similar black, cream and white clothing. They could well be Italian or French, she thought. They had that polished fashionable look about them. These really were rich people. She could just tell. They oozed wealth.