Augusta Calidia Part 2
Vinicia and I had a late breakfast at the Merchant's Inn before we parted ways, her to the Office to catch up on paperwork, probably piled to monstrous proportions. And me back to the Tiber Septim Hotel.
One of the first things I noticed when I stepped into the lobby was that the bouquet I had bought for Augusta had mysteriously vanished. They were certainly fresh enough for a few days at least.
Augusta was very professional when she showed me to my room--Which wasn't necessary at all as I certainly knew the way by now. When we arrived, she quickly looked down both sides of the corridor and, seeing no one, turned back to me.
Her face darkened and she gave me the most terrific slap.
"You make me so jealous!" she cried.
She grabbed me and kissed me desperately.
*
In the privacy of my room, we sat close, side by side on the king-sized bed (or "emperor-sized" as the hotel brochure had it). Augusta was of course still cross with me, but there was a sort of hopefulness that softened it. A naive wishfulness that it had all been some misunderstanding, that things weren't all they seemed.
It was awfully tempting to make up some story that made nasty Vinicia the villain and me still true to my love for Augusta.
I did love Augusta, in a way. I suppose that was my problem, really -- I loved everyone. Every woman I had ever slept with, I loved. Young or old, there was something in them which made them attractive, and happily, I had always been proved right. Hadn't Vinicia turned out not to be the cold slaughterfish everyone encounters in the Office of Imperial Commerce, but an intelligent and witty conversationalist and an excellent dining companion?
I told Augusta the truth. Well, sort of. I played down my lust and just said Vinicia and I had accidentally put ourselves in a provocative situation. Augusta was of course skeptical about that. I did not, however, disguise the fact that I did succumb to baser animal desires and shagged Vinicia to within an inch of her life.
Augusta was very quiet then, and I knew she'd been hurt like this before. Well, maybe not exactly like this -- probably her other lovers were the type to check out of the hotel while she wasn't looking and never be heard from again.
She asked me if I had many lovers. If I had had sex with many women.
I admitted it to her.
I kept my mouth shut while she fought back tears and tried to recover her composure and dignity. It surprised me that she let me hold her hands tenderly and reassuringly.
"You're the one my mother warned me about," she laughed ruefully.
"You deserve better," I said. "We shouldn't have-- I mean, *I* shouldn't have--"
"No... It's not all your fault. I think I knew all along. Someone so... charismatic... It was too good to be true that someone like you would fall for someone like me."
"You mean I'm a cad."
"Yes," she laughed. "I can sure pick them, can't I? I ought to kick you out of this hotel and tell Ms. Melissaeia. Then you'd really be in a pickle."
I agreed with my contrite silence.
"I hate you," Augusta pronounced, even as she wistfully squeezed my hands.
I squeezed her soft hands back, and held them up to kiss her long, graceful fingers.
"I love you," I whispered. I pulled her close and kissed her.
"I know," she said sadly. "I wish you'd stop. And leave me alone."
She pulled away and fled the room.
*
I walked about in a daze all day, feeling low. I was supposed to shop for alchemical ingredients and supplies, which normally energized me with the interest and excitement of discovering new reagents and recipes, but today, I just couldn't see life as anything other than gray and pointless. I bought Augusta another bouquet of flowers and arranged for it to be delivered.
One of the first things I noticed when I stepped into the lobby was that the bouquet I had bought for Augusta had mysteriously vanished. They were certainly fresh enough for a few days at least.
Augusta was very professional when she showed me to my room--Which wasn't necessary at all as I certainly knew the way by now. When we arrived, she quickly looked down both sides of the corridor and, seeing no one, turned back to me.
Her face darkened and she gave me the most terrific slap.
"You make me so jealous!" she cried.
She grabbed me and kissed me desperately.
*
In the privacy of my room, we sat close, side by side on the king-sized bed (or "emperor-sized" as the hotel brochure had it). Augusta was of course still cross with me, but there was a sort of hopefulness that softened it. A naive wishfulness that it had all been some misunderstanding, that things weren't all they seemed.
It was awfully tempting to make up some story that made nasty Vinicia the villain and me still true to my love for Augusta.
I did love Augusta, in a way. I suppose that was my problem, really -- I loved everyone. Every woman I had ever slept with, I loved. Young or old, there was something in them which made them attractive, and happily, I had always been proved right. Hadn't Vinicia turned out not to be the cold slaughterfish everyone encounters in the Office of Imperial Commerce, but an intelligent and witty conversationalist and an excellent dining companion?
I told Augusta the truth. Well, sort of. I played down my lust and just said Vinicia and I had accidentally put ourselves in a provocative situation. Augusta was of course skeptical about that. I did not, however, disguise the fact that I did succumb to baser animal desires and shagged Vinicia to within an inch of her life.
Augusta was very quiet then, and I knew she'd been hurt like this before. Well, maybe not exactly like this -- probably her other lovers were the type to check out of the hotel while she wasn't looking and never be heard from again.
She asked me if I had many lovers. If I had had sex with many women.
I admitted it to her.
I kept my mouth shut while she fought back tears and tried to recover her composure and dignity. It surprised me that she let me hold her hands tenderly and reassuringly.
"You're the one my mother warned me about," she laughed ruefully.
"You deserve better," I said. "We shouldn't have-- I mean, *I* shouldn't have--"
"No... It's not all your fault. I think I knew all along. Someone so... charismatic... It was too good to be true that someone like you would fall for someone like me."
"You mean I'm a cad."
"Yes," she laughed. "I can sure pick them, can't I? I ought to kick you out of this hotel and tell Ms. Melissaeia. Then you'd really be in a pickle."
I agreed with my contrite silence.
"I hate you," Augusta pronounced, even as she wistfully squeezed my hands.
I squeezed her soft hands back, and held them up to kiss her long, graceful fingers.
"I love you," I whispered. I pulled her close and kissed her.
"I know," she said sadly. "I wish you'd stop. And leave me alone."
She pulled away and fled the room.
*
I walked about in a daze all day, feeling low. I was supposed to shop for alchemical ingredients and supplies, which normally energized me with the interest and excitement of discovering new reagents and recipes, but today, I just couldn't see life as anything other than gray and pointless. I bought Augusta another bouquet of flowers and arranged for it to be delivered.
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