Catherine Nowells

Chapter 6 - It's a matter of dignity

"What did he say?"  

"He said he wants to spend a night with you, Miss." The talkative man fidgeted nervously in Nicolette's dressing room, on the verge of knocking something over with his belly. "I've already told him that you don't offer that kind of service, but he's so... 

"Aggressive, arrogant, pretentious." She frantically teased her wig, not knowing what she was doing, just needing to keep her hands busy. 

"I told you this wasn't a good idea," Nina said. "Knowing Marcus, I'm sure he won't give up. He's capable of breaking in here... and then..." 

"And then what, Nina? What?"  threw her comb on the vanity as if it were a missile.

"But do you know him?" Kumiko took her by the shoulders, trying to calm her down. 

"I know him too well." 

It wasn't necessary to say anything else for the females present to understand what those words meant. 

"But, you and him...?" Nala dared to ask. 

"No! Never!" She only brought her fingers to her lips, remembering the pleasure she felt with a single kiss from Marcus. She could still pant and shiver if she delved into the memory. How would it be to spend a whole night with him? It was tempting, very tempting. She could hide her face with a veil under some pretext... But No! He didn't deserve it. And although she had to eat her nails thinking about what she had missed, she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of succumbing to his sinful propositions. He was a jerk. And that's when she thought that if the word "whore" existed, why not "bastard"? Because if the word "bastard" existed, it would be the perfect qualifier for Marcus Raynolds. 

"But how much is he willing to pay?" Salma asked out of curiosity, pulling Catherine out of her daydreams and mental dissertations. 

"He hasn't talked about amounts, he just pulled out a checkbook and asked me: 'how much for one night with Nicolette'" She imitated his voice on the last part. 

"That means... He would pay whatever! Whatever we ask him... You could even buy that necklace you're here for..." 

"Salma! There's something more powerful than money: dignity. Nicoletta is pure, what do you think that magnate would think when he realized that the cabaret girl is nothing more than a maiden? And, do you think it's wise for this young woman to lose her virginity for a handful of pounds? He's nothing more than a filthy playboy, a man who will throw her away and discard her when he's done with her...

"It's not necessary for you to give so many arguments Harold, I know perfectly what I need to do. Dimitri, tell him that I will not accept any offer."

"He will be angry" trembled Nina, who knew the outbursts of Marcus very well thanks to the days of spying with her lady. 

"Let him be angry. Let him shout, let him break what's here..." Dimitri jumped back fearing for his personal safety. "Relax, Marcus is too intelligent to..."

"Wait a minute Catherine" interrupted Harold unconsciously placing his hand on his nape. "It's better if we go a few of us." 

"Yes, let's put him in his place!" joined Kumiko to the defense group. 

When they arrived to the box, they were about ten people ready to put the noble in his place: among Nala and her African followers, Kumiko and her geisha entourage, Salma and some exotic dancers, the dwarf, the black giant, Harold and Dimitri. The latter had the honor and the preferential place to go first, after all he was the director of the whole orchestra. 

"So?" he turned his hand Marcus, showing the palm of it as a sign of "where is she?" 

"Er...yes..." prolonged the last syllable Dimitri until indecision and then coughed, delaying the important matter that had led them there.