Maura laughed, confused. "The hot-? Oh, you mean Mr. Pine? I just worked for him and, uh...." She paused, a little flummoxed at someone actually thinking this was a love match.
"I'm Rose,” the blonde offered her hand.
What is it with flower names for escorts?Maura thought, shaking her hand. "I'm Maura."
As they walked out together, Rose was immediately yanked to the side by a brutal fist on her arm. "I told you to be waiting here for me, you bitch!" It was one of the mercenaries the Corporation was entertaining upstairs, very drunk.
"I'm sorry!" said Rose fearfully as his grip tightened. The drunk pulled on her dress, tearing it. Maura looked to her two hulking shadows, but they both ignored the brutality. Rose was stumbling on her high heels as the man started yanking her down the hallway, when she protested, he slapped her, hard.
"Oh! Excuse me," Maura giggled, sounding drunk as she wobbled after them. "Rose, I think I have your lipstick..." As the drunk mercenary turned with a leer, Maura pretended to stumble into him as she jammed two fingers viciously into the soft tissue just under his chin. Rose stared open-mouthed as the man dropped like a bag of dirt. "Are you getting paid for the party?" Maura asked her.
Rose shook her head. "I can't go home until I make at least 21,000 dinars," she said dolefully. "It's all right. Thank you for helping me."
Maura impulsively took off the necklace James told her to wear that night. "Here, I'm sure this is worth that much." Rose was shaking her head in confusion, and as Maura saw a furious James bearing down on them, she shooed her off.
"I made it very clear that you were to stay at the table!" he hissed, enraged. "Where in bloody hell did you go? How dare you disobey me!"
"I didn't!" Maura protested, "I- I'm sorry, I just went to the bathroom, these two apes came with me. It was all I could do to keep them out of the stall!"
James looked down at the unconscious mercenary. "And this? I'm certain this is your doing."
Martinez leaned in, "MacLaren knocked him out," he offered helpfully.
James rounded on him. "And where the hell were you two? What the fuck did you think you were doing, letting her go after that man? He could have killed her!"
Maura shot him a death glare. "He was hurting one of the girls,” she explained, "he was beating her up- I couldn't just-"
James loomed over her angrily. "Yes, you could have left it alone. You could have avoided injuring a Corporate affiliate." He placed a hand on her back and started moving her through the club, the security men anxiously following behind. Once inside the Mercedes, James looked at her sharply. "Where is your necklace?"
Putting a guilty hand to her throat, Maura admitted, "Um, I might have given it to the escort."
She didn't think his voice could be colder, but Maura was wrong. "You just gave a £15,000 diamond necklace to awhore you met in the bathroom?"
“They’re calledescorts,and-” Her jaw dropped. "£15,000? Oh..."
The rest of the ride was in frigid silence, and James took her briskly to the hotel suite, where she paced nervously while he set guards for the night. When he walked into the bedroom, ripping off his tie and jacket, she tried to apologize. "Sir, I'm very sorry. I had no idea the necklace was so expensive, I-" She was face down on his lap with her dress pulled up before Maura could finish the sentence.
"Tomorrow, when I am less likely to kill you," he said between gritted teeth, "you will be disciplined for your behavior." Maura stiffened as she felt the sting of the hypo. Before she could even protest, she was limp and unresponsive on his lap.
***
It was only a few hours later when James woke to the sound of crying from his bride. "Shh... Your family is safe, you're all right,” he said sleepily, “rest now." But this night his words didn't comfort a sobbing Maura.
"...cupcake..." she wept, "c- cupcake!"
James tilted his head, looking at the tears streaming down her face. "What, sweetheart?"
"C- cupcake! I need a cupcake and a candle!" Maura's sobs were beginning to choke her.
"Hush, darling," he tried to soothe her. "I'll get you a cupcake tomorrow, all right?"
But she was inconsolable, clinging to his hand and pleading for her cupcake. James sighed, picking up the hotel phone and dialing room service.
"Good evening Mr. Pine, how may we be of service?"
"Look-" James ran his hand over his forehead, "I need a cupcake and a small candle, immediately."
Silence. "A... cupcake, Mr. Pine?"
