Retreat! (RP)

"I’m sorry." She wasn’t, not really. But she wanted to sooth him, not fight him. She was still loose and pleasantly detached, and all she wanted now was to bask in the comfort of their suite, not waste this feeling on another argument.

She moved into the room, not missing the glass of half-finished whiskey, and the fine white dusting around the hotel key card on the table. It was Henry’s usual mix of coke and alcohol, a habit he picked up during the long nights working at BlackRock, before he went independent. It made him sharper, meaner, and restless in ways alcohol alone never could, which explained why he accused her the moment she walked into the room.

"I’ll make it up to you. I promise" she didn’t regret missing lunch, but it was important to her to keep Henry happy with her. The previous day shopping at Harrods, plus the indulgence of staying in a hotel she could never afford on her own, made her appreciate the practical benefits of their relationship. Moving past the bed, she purposely not bothered to adjust her robe that barely held together as she moved, offering him a glimpse of bare thigh, a deep curve of cleave, in a calculated kind of neglect.

"Did you eat anything?" she feigned concern for him as she picked up the room service menu "we could stay here, in the room, and rest a bit before dinner"

She wasn’t interested in going down to the spa again. She was feeling so perfect right now as it was. Besides, massages were hardly a group activity. No one was expecting to see them there. The real social gathering would be over dinner later this evening, where she would do her very best to make a good impression.

"Married women eat too, you know." She feigned innocence. She knew what he was implying, but pretending not to only made it more fun. She climbed onto her bed and stretched out, head resting against the pillow as her robe rode dangerously high, revealing even more of the glint of oiled skin beneath.

She enjoyed watching him try to stay composed, trying to reconcile her declaration of innocence with the temptation she offered. Watching him struggle gave her quite a thrill. Let him suffer for a bit. It was a bit cruel of her, but something inside her took glee in seeing him so desperate for something he can’t have – just like he made her feel when he broke up with her.

Reaching for the phone, she dialed reception, her eyes meeting his as the call connected. "You sure you don’t want anything?"

Emma lets out a soft, delighted chuckle after the door slammed shut. This was even better than she imagined! It was almost too easy. Once she got over the thrill, she finally placed her order and hung up the call. She stretched for a while longer on the bed, savoring the moment, until her eyes finally rested on Henry’s luggage.

With mischief in her eyes, she slipped off the bed and crouched down, fingers running over the zipper before pulling it open. She wasn’t expecting any secrets there, mostly practical things, but she might as well have a look while he was gone.

Her interest in his luggage waned after she confirmed there was nothing there tying him to the cult. Still, knowing he was completely in the dark about the true nature of the retreat was valuable in its own way. No condoms barely registered beyond a fleeting thought, that he hadn’t planned for anything to happen during the weekend. If he did, he wouldn’t have taken the chance that might not have any herself.

It hardly mattered. She had no intention of taking things that far either. This was never about seducing him into her bed. It was all about shifting the power dynamic, throwing him off balance, taking back a little control.

She packed up everything the way she found it, then waited for her lunch to arrive, lazily lounging around the room, scrolling through her phone as she lay in bed.

There was still no reply from Kat, which was a bit annoying. She needed to figure out where exactly she and Sinclair were staying if she was going to break into their room unnoticed at some point this weekend. She planned on asking her for some aspirin, or maybe use some other excuse to knock on her door, but she needed her to text her back first.

Oh well.

She stretched on her bed, and dozed off for a bit, before finally heading to take a shower. She was in no hurry. The weekend didn’t officially start, and there was still plenty of time to see what this cult was really about.

Emma stepped out of the bathroom, with steam curling around her, wrapped in nothing but a towel. All the rules she set up were for Henry, not her. Besides ,he was conveniently out of the room, so there was no reason to dress up in the humid confines of the bathroom.

She took her time selecting something comfortable to wear (she will only put her pretty dress on before they actually leave for dinner), and once dressed, she stretched back on the bed and started checking her phone again, happy to see the string of texts from Kat. ‘Sin turned out to be a controlling bastard, for taking away Kat’s phone like that. She filed the information in her mind, to remember who exactly she was dealing with.

"Come up to my room. We can pass the time before dinner" she quickly typed in response. She could easily ask Kat which room she was staying in once she came over. She was also eager to know what Kat would be wearing this evening, if she knew anything about the rest of the weekend’s agenda, and more importantly – what gossip she heard about the club’s members. She intended to get all of it out of her before the night truly begins, no matter how difficult it was to cross the language barrier.

Emma wasn’t sure what Kat assumed about her and Henry’s relationship, or what would be advantageous to let her assume. Kat knew she was married to David. She has been to her home. But she wasn’t sure she could trust her to keep a secret. She couldn’t tell her she was investigating the cult, not knowing what she could potentially share with Sinclair.

Best to play it safe, and imply she was having an affair with Henry, without outright lying about it.

"I think I wore him out" she gave her a suggestive smile, then, smoothly, changed the subject.

Picking her new emerald green dress from the hanger, she held it against her body, tilting her head slightly as she examined herself in the mirror. "So?" she glanced back at Kat. "What do you think of my new dress? Would this be a good look for dinner tonight?"

"You really like it?" she ran her fingers against the soft fabric. She wasn’t sure what would be the dress code for tonight. Henry was no help when she pressed him for details. So she decided to play it safe, and she was genuinely relieved when Kat approved. "Good!" she smiled. She didn’t want to wear something scandalous to a high society dinner, and the dress was perfect; pretty, complimenting to her figure, without being too tight, or showing too much skin.

She was intrigued about the ‘very secret surprise’ Sinclair was working on. She was tempted to press for details, but caught herself before opening her mouth. She needed to be more subtle about it.

"Henry didn’t share much with me about the weekend’s plans" she said as she adjusted the dress on the hanger and returned it back to the closet "Do you know what else they have lined up?"

Persephone lounged and lingered in the spa long after Emma had left. She opted for the full treatment after the massage: facial exfoliation followed by hydrating mask; body scrub followed by a mud bath; a mani-pedi with herbal and paraffin treatments; acupuncture and aroma therapy; and ending with a crystal bowl session and yogic meditation session. She wraps it up with a trip to the sauna, where she sees several others enjoying the relaxing heat.

Only then does she remember why she is here; she is looking for people with the infernal taint to them, with the hopes that she might learn more about demonic politics and, perhaps, learn how to free Kat. If she happens to score some points for her patron along the way, all the better.