Complicating Variables

"A twin bed?" Elizabeth asked, raising an eyebrow.

Booker shrugged. "It's all they had. Until they fix the gondola our best bet is to lay low."

The room was luxurious. all reds and whites, silks and satin. Like many sights in Columbia it was extravagant to the point of being unnerving. Like something out of a theme park or a painting. Nothing real could be this perfect.

Elizabeth was far less skeptical, she had scoured the room before he had even stepped through the door. Presently she was searching through the cabinets, looking for God knows what.

"Booker, this room has complementary wine." Elizabeth exclaimed, producing a large glass bottle from one of the cabinets.

Booker raised an eyebrow. "Huh, they didn't say anything about that in the lobby."

"I've never had wine before." Elizabeth said as she examined the bottle, rotating the bottle so she could read every inch of the label.

"You want my advice? Don't start."

"Oh come on. It's only a bottle." Elizabeth grinned wickedly. "Half, if we split it."

"You're not drinking a bottle of wine."

Elizabeth grimaced. "I'm not a child, Booker. And you aren't my father."

"No, I mean you can't. "No offense." Booker said, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. "but I know a lightweight when I see one."

"We'll see about that." Elizabeth declared. "To us."

Booker sighed and plucked a wineglass from the cabinet.

Elizabeth was about to open the bottle, but stopped and cocked her head. "Is that music?"

"Sounds like it's coming from upstairs."

"I like it. It's very romantic. It sounds like-"

Suddenly a knock came at the door. Booker, suddenly serious waved Elizabeth back and approached the door cautiously, gun in hand. "Who is it?"

"Room service." A youthful voice replied.

Booker thumbed back the hammer. "We didn't order anything."

"It's been paid for."

Booker glanced over to Elizabeth with and back to the door. "By who?"

"They wouldn't say. Maybe friends of yours?"

"Friends, huh?" With a gesture Booker ordered Elizabeth under the bed. With one motion he opened the door and threw himself against the opposing wall, his gun pointed at the open doorframe.

The young servant gave out a shrill cry, but quickly silenced himself. "E-enjoy." He stammered, slowly shuffling away from the cart with his hands in the air.

"Booker, look at all this!" Elizabeth cried, opening tin after tin.

"That's one hell of a spread." Booker admitted.

The two of them brought the cart into the room and placed the food on the miniature dining table. While Booker rolled the cart back into the hall Elizabeth doled the portions. Several small cakes, a roast, salad, potatoes, and sandwiches. Quite the meal. And, Booker observed as the two of them sat down to eat, quite expensive.

"This is delicious! I've never had, well, any of this before!" Declared between mouthfuls.

Booker couldn't help but grin. "I suppose you didn't get much variety up in that tower."

Elizabeth smiled sadly and stared at the dark red liquid in her glass. Wrong move, Booker.

He fished for something to say, but the wine made it difficult. "You...didn't deserve to see all of that back there."

Elizabeth looked up from her glass and stared at him sympathetically. "Booker..."

"I mean it, you're-" Booker stopped himself before continuing. "you're a sweet girl." Booker finished, turning his head to the window. What was he doing?

Elizabeth bit her lip and poured herself some more wine. She beamed and took a sip, and then another. Soon enough Elizabeth's head began to nod. Like Booker had suspected, she wasn't used to drink. Although truth be told his head was starting to swim.

"I'm feeling dizzy." Elizabeth said with a groan.

"Let's get you to bed."

Booker offered Elizabeth a hand and guided her to bed. As he turned to leave he felt Elizabeth's hand stop him.

"Booker, come join me." She said, pushing aside the blankets.

"Elizabeth, you're drunk. I'm gonna go keep watch." Booker replied with considerable effort.

"Please. Booker, I know we've really just met. But that-"

"That." Booker interrupted. "Would be a mistake."

"Then let it be a mistake." She replied seductively.

He let Elizabeth pull him in by the tie and kissed her softly on the lips. She clumsily reciprocated with a series of rapid kisses on his lips, the desperate gropings of a girl who had more passion than know-how.

Booker tenderly lifted Elizabeth's chin and kissed her again, deeply and passionately this time. Their tongues danced and caressed. Both noted to themselves independently that they still tasted of wine.

Still intertwined Booker began to remove his coat and undo his tie. Elizabeth stared up at him coyly and slowly undid the buttons on her blouse, exposing the corset underneath.

Turning, Elizabeth exposed her back. "A little help?" She asked, looking over her shoulder.

Dutifully Booker began to undo her corset, pausing periodically to kiss her neck and back. Finally he removed the corset, allowing Elizabeth's bosom to spill out freely. Elizabeth instinctively covered herself with a hand. Booker noted this to himself with some amusement as he began to undress.

Elizabeth smiled sheepishly as she watched Booker undress. She saw lacerations, gunshot wounds, burns. Booker must have lived a tough life. She reached out and ran a finger across a long cut that ended near his thigh.

Booker took her hand in his and heaved himself onto the bed, straddled her tiny form.Booker paused, noting her pert breasts and feminine curves. She was like a doll. With each touch Booker was afraid he'd shatter her; Break her soft features.

Shaking the doubts from his head Booker gently entered her. She exhaled sharply, but urged him onward.

Mutually satisfied, Booker extracted himself and rolled over to his side of the bed. "I'm glad my first time was with you." Elizabeth cooed as she ran her fingers across Booker's bare chest.

Booker simply stared up at the ceiling. The idea of 'Just doing his job' was out the window. He truly he cared for the girl, and she had feelings for him in return. But had he done the right thing? Or had he simply made things more complicated for the both of them?

Wrapping an arm around Elizabeth he drew her closer.  He supposed it didn't matter much, at least not right now.

-------------------

From a nearby balcony two figures observed the couple. They were a matched pair, both in dress and features. The man intently peered through the window with a pair of binoculars, while the woman only observed with a passing interest.

"Are you satisfied with the results, brother?"

"Quite satisfied, thank you." Robert replied, readjusting the focus on his binoculars.

"Honestly, brother. I don't see the point. This feels..." Rosalind waved a hand as if fishing for the word to complete her sentence. "Perverse."

"If we're going to experiment we might as well test all the variables."

Rosalind sighed. "I suppose so. Although I do wish you wouldn't relish this so much."