Play Dirty (5 page)

Matthew wasn’t exactly sure what fate was trying to tell him. He spent his entire life living and breathing for the theater, but his career tanked after Nadia. Lynn was just as dangerous to get involved with because she was another starving actress; a goddamn beautiful one, but one nonetheless.

At least the blood had finally returned to his brain.

“I’m too old for you.” Matthew said when she reached for him again. He shoved his hands in his pockets and snuck another look at his phone. All dumb game notifications. He cleared the screen with a huff. “You don’t want to hook up with an old guy like me.”

Lynn rolled her eyes. “You are not
that
much older than me. Besides, you seem to very much want to hook up with me.”

Matthew stopped walking. It took Lynn a few steps to realize he was no longer side-by-side with her, and she turned around. He took two steps, grabbed her, pressed her against an alley wall, and kissed her. She melted into him, curving her body into his, and moaned into their kiss. He didn’t let her go until the familiar warnings from his dick pushed him away.

“I’m still too old for you.”

“Not even,” Lynn giggled. She looked a touch disheveled, like a teaser to her after sex hair, and it was going to make him rock hard again at the thought. “So.”

“How much longer until your ferry leaves?”

“I guess you’re throwing in the towel, huh?” She held up her phone. “Is it too late? You’re sure the window has closed?”

Matthew nodded and kicked a crumpled wrapper on the sidewalk. “You learn to develop a thick skin through these. I’m telling you, though, Lynn, don’t give up.”

“I know, I know.” She sighed and tossed it into her purse. “It just sucks. I really wanted to know what it’s like to make it, you know? I know I’m not right for Fiona, but I’d be okay being Chorus Member Number eighty-seven.”

“There are no Chorus Members in a Ficcus production.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I do.” Matthew put his arm around her and squeezed. She grabbed his hand and didn’t let him move it. After a brief internal struggle, he decided not to fight her. Mostly because he didn’t want to. “It sucks not getting called back. It sucks knowing someone else got picked over you, no matter how badly you worked to be exactly perfect for a role. It’s a tough business.”

“Yeah.” Lynn forced a smile.

They continued walking down Fifth. Matthew still felt at home here, even if it wasn’t for much longer. There were always more roles and smaller theaters. Maybe his path was meant to be more scenic than direct. Perhaps it didn’t really matter if he got there in the end, anyway, because of how deeply he loved it.

If only his student loans would understand the journey.

“We do it because we love it. Remember that. The only way to survive out here is to love it with your whole heart. I know it sounds like a line, but it’s true.

“Things that are really worth your time and energy are hard, but the payout is fucking amazing. When you finally land a role on that stage, and feel the heat from the lights, and the energy from the crew dashing around in the dark, and excitement from the crowd—and you’re getting
paid
for it—that’s when you get hooked, like a drug addict. This place is magic and it delivers. You just have to wait it out.”

“Is this pep talk more for you or me?” Lynn asked with an air of innocence, but Matthew could see the smartass tug at the corner of her mouth.

“Oh-ho!” He nudged her into an oncoming crowd of people.

“Hey!” She laughed.

“Listen, I am trying to bestow some lessons from the other side, here. This is the kind of shit you don’t get access to unless you pay two thirds of your soul to someone in a leather office chair, okay? This is invaluable! You should be writing this down, committing it to memory, writing it on your mirror with lipstick or whatever you girls do—“

“That’s the most cliché thing I’ve ever heard.”

“—not insulting lessons from the Master.”

“The Master.” She rolled her eyes largely. “Yeah, okay.”

“Maybe I need to get you involved in a little wax-on-wax-off action.”

“I thought we were talking about the theater, not your penis?”

“You, little one, are a huge smartass.” Matthew put his arm back around her. “I like it.”

Lynn entwined her fingers with his. “My ferry still is a few hours away. What shall we do in the meantime?”

He had plenty of ideas but none of them were good. Going to a bar was always a favorite pastime, but he found it really hard to buy she was twenty-one.

The pub they had just left was a family-style affair, but if she was only going to drink diet coke and he was going to sip bourbon, it would put them in the kind of position he didn’t feel comfortable with.

Also, on the off chance they were to fuck, he wanted his cock to be in prime condition. Just in case. Not that they should, because Juliets were dangerous and young while he was bearded and old, but Juliets were also exotic and thrilling because they were young while he was bearded and old.

He definitely didn’t want her to leave yet.

“Have you ever been to an Escape Room?”

“Oh!” Lynn started to bounce excitedly. “I’ve heard about those! Is there one nearby?”

Matthew brought them to a stop outside a small building. “Ta-da! A buddy of mine actually opened this one a few months ago. It’s all themed rooms, one hour to escape, the usual stuff.”

“Perfect!”

Nolan, one of Matthew’s former roommates from Julliard, let them in for free, but warned them they were going to be tucked in to a random room. “Shit’s been blowing up overnight, man. We were nobodies for like a week. The Victorian Suite is big enough to accommodate two extra players. Hope you enjoy!”

He very noticeably checked out Lynn and high-fived Matthew before he walked away. Matthew wanted to pretend like it wasn’t a big deal, but it kind of was. Having a girl like Lynn on his arm was the ultimate status symbol.

Even if the first thought that probably went through peoples’ minds was, “What’s their age difference?”

The rest of the group was there for someone’s twenty-third birthday, so he and Lynn were able to fade into the background relatively easily. They were friendly—albeit very drunk—which meant he could spend the next hour in his own little world with Lynn and they’d never notice.

“So, we go in and look for clues to find a key to get out?”

“Exactly that.” Matthew nodded. “It might sound a little dull, but it’s really fun to play sleuth.”

“I grew up on murder mysteries. My first school play was
Murder on the Orient Express
, and my parents used to play those boxed murder mystery game sets when I was a kid. They were always so fun!”

“I can’t promise this group will be up for acting it all out, but we can at least have some fun!”

He and Lynn watched the small group pass around a flask and laugh loudly to what had to be inside jokes.

“Want some?” A girl offered them her flask. “It’s my birthday!”

“Happy birthday!” Matthew smiled but shook his head. “But none for me. Already had too much.”

“Awesome!” She turned to Lynn. “You?”

Lynn looked at flask, then at Matthew, and back to the flask. Finally, she shrugged and extended a hand. After her sip, she winced. “Is that Fireball?”

“My favorite!” The girl raised her hands in the air and did a dance. “‘Cause it’s my mother fuckin’ birthday!” The rest of her group cheered.

Lynn leaned into Matthew and whispered, “Well. This should be fun.”

An employee appeared through a black curtain and explained how the room worked. They would all have sixty minutes to search the room for a locked wooden box and all of the clues to break the code to open it. “The key inside the box will unlock your door from the inside. Find it, and you win! If you can’t solve it within the time limit, don’t worry. We’ll let you out anyway. Everyone understand?”

“What do we win?” Someone from the party group called out.

“Fame, fortune, and recognition.” The employee gestured wildly. “In the form of a discounted coupon to come back and try another room. We’ll also put your group’s picture on our Wall of Escapee Fame. This is for all the bragging rights, folks!”

Everyone dropped their phones into a bucket and we were led into the room. Lynn gasped at the sight, and it really was … something. Everything was hugely ornate and gave a definite vibe of stepping back in time.

Nolan studied a lot of British Lit while in school, because he said girls who loved Jane Eyre were freaky in bed, and all that reading had come to good use. Matthew could only assume it continued to hold true for his old friend.

“Is there a servant bell somewhere?” Lynn whispered excitedly. “It looks like we’re at afternoon tea or something!”

The room was easily double the size of Matthew’s tiny apartment, which seemed pretty unfair. Fake windows were scattered around with paintings behind them to show a country scene. One had horses, another a lake, yet another showed a garden. Matthew and Lynn toured around the room, soaking up the ambiance.

He would have to commend Nolan when they got out. This was incredible.

“Where did they say the box was?” One of the partygoers asked. “Hidden, right?”

“Maybe we should look around to see.” The birthday girl cheered. “Clues! We need to look for clues!”

They all parted ways to begin hunting down clues, with the intention to bring each one found to a table in the center to start deciphering them. Two of the birthday guests were sprawled out on the couches in the center of the room, looking dangerously close to
Hangover
territory.

Birthday Girl found the box in a cupboard near the tea tray almost immediately.

“Whee!” The partiers squealed and clapped. Matthew had to laugh. They were a very excitable bunch.

“Well, Mr. Rochester, I do declare.” Lynn donned an adorable accent and fanned herself. “I may have a sun spell upon me and need some tending to.”

“I’d be honored, m’lady.” Matthew said with a sharp British accent and bowed low. “May I accompany you through this mysterious tea room?”

“Charmed.”

Lynn found a teacup and pranced around with her pinkie up, pretending to sip hot tea and croon over china patterns. Matthew loved watching her bring the game to life. They pulled apart couches and sifted through drawers. Lynn found a book protruding from a shelf with a large rectangle and a series of scratch marks. Matthew found a teacup with a picture of a pine tree on the underside.

The acquisition of clues got everyone excited, particularly those who’d been hitting the flask. Noise levels in the room rose exponentially, as they found more clues and argued over what they all meant.

“Let’s check the bookcases again.” Matthew pointed with a head nod. “It’s a little quieter over there.”

Lynn raised her eyebrows twice and winked before sashaying to the back of the room. Matthew watched her ass swing back and forth in her dress before remembering he needed to join her. They pulled several books from the case, but didn’t find any more clues.

His interest in the game was waning as Lynn began to intentionally drop things to the floor and bend over the pick them up.

Was it getting hot in here, or was it just him?

“Oh, Mr. Rochester!” She called quietly. “If you would be a dear and come hither.”

Matthew came up behind her and looked at the wall she was staring at. It took him a minute, but he noticed the wallpaper pattern between the two bookcases was slightly off. Lynn reached out to touch it, and it moved ever so slightly. She squealed, quietly, and peeked in. The others were huddled around the fireplace, looking at a series of weird scratches in the bricks, and didn’t notice.

“Ooh!” Lynn clapped her hands and disappeared into the sudden hole in the wall. Before Matthew could peek in after her, she reached out, grabbed him, and pulled him in. She slid the door closed and felt around for him.

“Why, Mr. Rochester! Isn’t it unseemly for us to be unchaperoned in such a dark and isolated corner?”

Matthew fumbled around for a light switch. “Heavens, there must be light around here somewhere. What if there was a clue?”

“Oh, I have a clue to show you.” This sounded dangerous and incredibly erotic.

Matthew continued to run his hands over the wall. “Seriously, is there no switch in here? What’s the point of this room?”

“Mr. Rochester, are you afraid to be seen with me?” Lynn feigned an air of shock and dismay. “I wore my best petticoats for you today!”

“Miss Eyre, I do believe you are mistake—oh.” His accent dropped off as soon as her hands grazed his crotch. Between the dark space, the sweet smell of her breath, and the sound of her soft giggles, he was back to being hard as a rock.

“Mr.
Rochester
.” Her voice dropped an octave and it was sexy as hell. Her hands wandered across his torso before dropping back down again. “Is this a banana in your pocket?”

“You know how I love my bananas, Miss Eyre.” He played along, grateful for the respite of darkness so she couldn’t see exactly how her touch was torturing him.

“Oh, I do, I do, I do, Mr. Rochester.” She fumbled in the dark for his belt loops. Matthew put a hand out to stop her. “You know what I so love, more than anything in the world?”

“What is that, m’lady?” Matthew fought to keep his voice level. She massaged him through his jeans, getting him under the balls and across the head. Lynn appeared to know exactly what she was doing. “What could you love more than anything in the world?”

“Eating bananas.” Her tone became very naughty. “I love the feel and taste of bananas in my mouth. There is something so … delicious about a banana. Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Rochester?”

“I can’t attest to that myself, ma’am.” He grit his teeth and tried to call up the layout of the room outside and all the names of the other players, but each time his mind tried to slip away, she yanked him right back in.

“But I do believe you’re a lady of honor, who should probably find a greener banana to … um … eat.”

She pressed herself to him and bit down on his earlobe. Her immaculate breasts pressed against him through that flimsy dress, letting him feel her pebbled nipples.