Chapter 16

“OK, Williamson, what do you want now?” she muttered out loud, clicking on the blinking cloud icon.

“I’m so sorry to disturb your rest. I know you’ve had a difficult day, Ms. Mauricio, but please allow Mrs. Potcia to help you get ready for dinner. W.”

“I’ve already told you, you can keep me captive here, but I don’t have to eat with you,” Bella Lisa typed.

“But surely you must be hungry, yes? W.,” Williamson instantly responded.

“You know, you don’t have to put your initial after every message. I know it’s you and it’s really beginning to annoy me.”

“We certainly wouldn’t want you to be annoyed. W. Ooops, old habits die hard, sorry.”

“Old habits from an old person.”

“Touché, Ms. Mauricio.”

“Could you please stop bugging me and let me fall back to asleep.”

“You’re cranky when you wake up.”

“Maybe so. I have a headache and I’ve lost my appetite.”

“You have a headache because you haven’t eaten. You must be starving.”

How did he know that? I am starving, but damned if I am going to eat dinner with this guy. I’ll sneak down later after everyone goes to bed, find a frig and raid it.

“I’m not that hungry. You go ahead. Don’t wait for me.”

“But I’ve been waiting for you for four years… And you didn’t eat lunch.”

Bella Lisa felt her spine recoil and she shivered.

“How do you know I didn’t eat lunch?”

“Page 2, Section 1C of the contract. ‘Client will drive Ms. Mauricio directly to the Penthouse on the afternoon of 6/20/12 without stopping for lunch.’ I just didn’t want you to lose your appetite for dinner on your first night here.”

“You mean you had it planned out? And my dear dad went along with… Oh my God, my dad’s a prick and you’re a control freak.”

“You are right. I am a control freak. I suppose an apology is in order. I just wanted to share a nice meal together. In anticipation, and because you hadn’t eaten, I have not eaten anything since early this morning as well, but that’s no excuse for my behavior. It was selfish of me. I should never have put that provision in the contract. I am deeply and sincerely sorry. I’ll try to be less selfish in the future, Ms. Mauricio. Please forgive me.”

“Whatever. You can keep your apologies. I’m not meeting you for dinner.”

“Ms. Mauricio, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. I assure you the easy way would be exceedingly more pleasant for you. I was hoping you would allow Mrs. Potcia to draw you a nice relaxing warm bath, give you a deep tissue massage, and afterwards anoint you with aromatic oils to hydrate your skin, help you dress in some pretty clothes—”

“I’m not a child. I can bath and dress myself at this point.”

“Try looking at it this way. I’ve booked you, after all your hard work at Stanford, into the most luxurious and exclusive spa in Southern California. Allow yourself to be pampered, Ms. Mauricio.”

“Thanks, but I’m not interested in being pampered or sharing a meal with you. I’ll meet you tomorrow and help you with the donations. Until then, I wish to have no further conversation with you.”

Bella Lisa wished she could shut down the computer for emphasis, if she could only figure out how. As his response flashed across the screen, she tried to look away from the screen, but couldn’t.

“You are quite the little spitfire, aren’t you? Well, I think I’ve been very patient up to now, and, if you decide to get to know me better, you’ll find out that patience is not one of my natural virtues. I am a man who normally, one way or another, gets what he wants. And you are going to get ready and you are going to meet me for dinner, Ms. Mauricio. So, if you don’t want to do this the easy way, we can also do this the hard way. If you prefer, two rather large and burly men on my security team will be more than happy to undress, bath and rub oil all over the body of a hot shapely twenty two year old girl. I’d like to be able to, but I can’t promise that their behavior will be strictly professional. I would be there to supervise, but I’m in the midst of a multimillion dollar overseas business transaction that I can’t break away from currently. So what will it be Ms. Mauricio? The easy way or the hard way… Ms. Mauricio? You have five seconds to respond……OK. The hard way.”

The computer screen instantly went blank. Bella Lisa’s heart started thumping in her chest and she took a long deep breath. A moment later she heard two firm knocks on the door. It opened and two men with Williamson Security written across the upper left hand corner of their shirts walked swiftly into her room and closed the door behind them. Bella Lisa stood by her computer, grasping the edge of the desk behind her with her hands. One of them started talking to her in a deep voice with a business-like tone.

“Ms. Mauricio, this is Cogworthy. My name is Luman. Mr. Williamson has instructed us to help you get ready for dinner. Ready, Cogworthy?”

“Get out of my room,” Bella Lisa said, trying to remain calm.

Cogworthy immediately crossed the room, picked Bella Lisa up by the waist and slung her over his shoulder. She punched at his back, kicked her legs and screamed.

“Leave me alone! Get your hands off me, you gorilla! Put me down!”

“OK, Ms. Mauricio, don’t get excited, I’ll put you down,” Cogworthy said.

Luman parted the curtains and Cogworthy unceremoniously dropped her down on the bed. In one swift motion the men immobilized her. Cogworthy sat behind her, raising both of her arms over her head and firmly pinning her wrists down on the mattress, while Luman straddled her body and sat on her thighs, putting an end to her kicks.