"Oh, of course. You can pay at the counter and we will arrange the cinema for your viewing pleasure. How many people will you be arriving with?" The manager asked.She took out imaginary lints from her top and crossed a shawl over her shoulder."I will be back with three others. Make it a memorable experience, this is our first time in Beijing." "Oh wow, I knew you had to be a tourist. You look new, different." The manager's eyes roamed Claire's body like it was a prize."I will take that as a compliment. Thank you. So…" She opened her arms in question."Oh, yes. You will follow Kiki back to the reception and pay there. Card or cash?" He asked with a smile. Claire returned his smile."A black card, dear. I do not do limits." Claire said and exited with a grand flair. She had to make just the right impression to get the elite treatment she wanted her mother to receive."Okay, that is settled then. Kiki will see you off. Thank you for working with us." The manager stood up to shake
Maria noticed Aurora's reaction at the mention of Hugh Steele's name. "Do you by any chance know who I mentioned?" She asked for clarification. Aurora kept a blank look almost immediately and shook her head."No no. I was just surprised. Why is he blackmailing you?" She asked Maria. Maria gasped and signalled for her to keep her voice down. The walls had ears, she could not risk anything going wrong right now."He needs something. He thinks I am the best person that can get it for him. He is out for something and he is vengeful. I do not know what you want to do with that information but there, I just said it." Maria shrugged and returned her focus to the books. Aurora stroked her jaw with her index finger. She appeared lost in thought."What does he have?" She asked. She needed to know what Steele had over her and strong the material was for the blackmail to hold. She wanted to help Maria get out of her mess."I can't uhm… I can not… it is really not in my place to say what it is. I
Claire did not know what made her more angry. The fact that Nick had come to the suite that they paid no dime for with extra clothes or that her mother was calling going to the cinema with this stranger who just started fucking days ago a family date. She was raging. She set her lips in a thin line. That was the best she could give. Her mother put on her jacket when Nick finally appeared from the room. He was done changing and he was wearing a linen shirt that looked like it might have been a few sizes bigger than his original size. Her mother smiled at him immediately she laid eyes on him. It made her cringe. Had the love been so blinding that she could not see the shirt was ill fitting, that the shirt was rumpled, that the wide pants he had worn to match the shirt had a hole that made a small circular displav of his thigh. Her mother always chastised her for things like this. Her mother would not have even let her follow her anywhere if there was the slightest stain on her clothes.
Aurora and Maria began to try out all the different keys in the bunch Aurora had found. They finally found the right key. The box made a clicking sound while it opened up. Maria stared a bunch of fading papers that had been folded in two so it could fit the box."All of this feels like it came straight out of a crime movie" Maria whispered. Aurora gave her a smile as she dug her hand into the box to get the paper out. "Trust me, this is as real as it gets." Maria responded.They tried to clear the oak table but dust rose up like a stormy cloud. They placed the papers stop everything else and began to read through. The papers were lawsuits against Bruce Ace. A young girl named Angelina had died on these grounds. Her parents had sent her here to work because they were poor, could barely go by a day with three square meals. They were living in deplorable conditions. This Angelina, according to the reports here, had come into this place as a maid. She was described as cheerful, light-he
Claire did not want to know how these things happened. She did not want to know as long as it was sexual and it involved her mother. She stepped into the car and waited for her mother to get in. She stood anxiously at the pavement, looking like a lost puppy. Claire popped out her head from the car to see what was happening."I can not come in with you. Nick wants us to take a different ride. We will meet you there." She said sheepishly. Claire sucked her teeth and stepped down from the car."Could you possibly wait a minute, sir? I have to settle something with my mother. She is like this sometimes. Parents, am I right?" She was trying to get a laugh out of him but that was a poor attempt. He did not crack a smile."I will be back here in a minute or two. Please, hold on." She pleaded and ran to her mother whose grip on Nick could break a wooden rod in two. "You have to let go of Nick. We can all try to fit into that car and get to the cinema just in time. It could not be so hard." S
Nene's footsteps could be heard hitting the stairs. Maria could not thank God enough for loud foot steps. It had given them enough time to place the box back where they had found it. They came out of the hidden room and shut the big door behind them. Almost immediately, Nene walked in. They both released a sigh of relief and tried to act like they had been working all day. Maria reclined against a shelf of books. Aurora had taken a wooden stool and sat on it while she acted like she was sorting books. Nene beamed when she saw them. She clasped her hands together at her chest."Oh my dears. It gives me so much joy to see young ones like you two, working so hard. Come on, it is time you got a break. It is long overdue. I made cookies. You could eat that with some milk." Nene said. Maria and Aurora stared at each other. They returned their gaze to Nene and answered her at the same time."We want to finish up here.""We would love that."Nene stared confused. Aurora gave Maria a stern glan
Claire looked on with delight as her mother and Nick settle in comfortably. They were expecting more people to come in but the manager gladly sang her praises and mentioned there was no one else stepping in as all the seats had been paid for, for their viewing pleasure. Her mother was giddy while Nick threw glances at Claire when he thought she was not looking. He was probably contemplating on why he had left her for her mother if she could now afford to pay that outrageous sum just please her mother. She took a seat a few rows above them. Her mother turned to stare at her."Honey, aren't you going to stay with us?" Her mother asked, wanting to include her into the circle so badly. She felt bad because she knew her mother's efforts would be in vain. Nothing could make her want to be the third person in their duo. She would gladly pass that offer up anytime. She smiled sweetly at her mother."I am good, mom. You and Nick should have the ultimate couples experience. That is all I want."
An old black man with a full head of gray hair walked slowly into the cinema hall. He chuckled softly and they realized he was the owner of the voice. The narrator. Claire clapped her hands excitedly. Nick looked back at her, his mouth was ajar as he stared at the man. He pointed his index finger at him as though in accusation."This is you? You evil thing, you will pay for this. Do you know how much you have cost me?" Nick yelled in anger, his face slowly tinting a red shade. Claire sipped took out the bottle of wine she had smuggled into the cinema in her big Hermes bag. She did not think Nick would know who the narrator was or even know him enough to make an enemy out of him. She guessed he had a lot of enemies. She began to drink directly from the bottle. She chuckled as she watched the drama unfold. Everything looked amusing. The only one who did not look the slightest bit anused was her mother."Hold on. You both know each other? What a small world. " Claire said and imagined Br