Chapter One: Love, possibly maybe?

Movie dialogue is in italics.

I thought I loved a man...and I did. However he is missing and to get him back I have to betray my job...but for him I will.

"I'm the money."

"Every penny of it."

Christ he is arrogant...already picturing me in bed no doubt. So suave and handsome this James Bond from MI6.

I needle him in a bitchy way...analyze the spy for my amusement and let him know I am not to be toyed with.

I have another. When I think of him I always play with my necklace...and go back to that day the greatest day of my life, when he gave it to me.

Bond notices and asks about it. He knows that there is another but that will not stop him from trying. How am I going to use this to my advantage?

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The mission is a disaster...he loses the money...Mathis is helping keep me from falling apart the moment he does.

Another man, Felix buys him in again.

Bond enjoys makes me play the role of lover. I am the distraction.

Bond leaves the table suddenly...sweating profusely...I find him in his car all but dead!

Bond comes to with the jolt of electricity from the unit in his car and almost lashes out at me in a panic. He is beyond dangerous.

After, Bond kills two men before my eyes I can take no more. I break...shatter in the shower, still dressed in my gown. All of this is going on around me and I feel that I am slipping under water. Drowning. There is an overwhelming feeling of dread.

I have not heard from those with my lost love. I would do anything to have him back. Love is a great manipulator.

I think and fear that Yusef is dead and if he is...this is all for naught.

They come for us and Bond is not able to stop them this time.

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I can hear them beating him...what if he doesn't survive. I need him to help me again. He saved me before and I saved him. Now I may need to save him again and hopefully he will help me again in the future. I give them the account number but I do not have the password...only Bond does.

White crashes in the place and kills LeChiffre and his men for being untrustworthy. Bond is bloodied and unconscious in the next room as we negotiate with Mr. White.

Mathis and I reassure him that we will succeed.

They hit and bruise me... I tell them that if they let us go...there is 50 million involved and only James Bond has the transfer code. They will not be able to beat it out of him. He is MI6 and trained not to give anything away.

I ensure them that I can seduce him and ease him into giving it up with Mathis' help. Mathis is in their pocket already it appears. At least he has the decency to look contrite for what they are going through.

Mathis vouches for me and they rough me up some more and him...to lend plausibility to the story. They leave us.

"Vesper, do you think you can get him on our side?"

"What choice do I have?"

"I suppose you are right. We need to see this through in the next couple of weeks. I have M on my back already."

"M?"

"The head of MI6. Surely your boss at the treasury told you about her."

"M...oh yes but I did not know that it was a woman. I only spoke with a man."

"Her assistant. She is coming to Italy to see Bond."

"What? Why? How are we going to do this?"

"Stop panicking. You must take him to bed...love him unconditionally and make him give over the code before she arrives. I will arrange for the bank manager to come from Switzerland and meet as soon as possible...hopefully before that woman leaves her ivory tower in London to see Bond."

I can do this...he is really a good man down deep...damaged but good. Bond held me in that shower and helped warm me. I could see that words were not his forte. That action and brutality were what he knew but he was gentle with me.

An orphan with no one to lose but himself.

James likes me but can he even feel love?

The sex we do have is passionate and fast.

I do not think that slow and meaningful is related to James in anyway but he is starting to relax and look at me differently. We are together all the time. I am attentive and caring and he is far more than I expected from a man that does what he does.

Damn it! I am starting to believe my own lies when I am surrounded by his warmth, his charm and his arms.

It is working...I tell him, "I'm being awful. I can't resist waking you. Every time I do, you look at me as if you haven't seen me in months. It's so lovely."

I drape myself over him in his chair as I see the banker approaching. Mathis moves off to the side and he gives me a nod.

I see another car pulling into the drive and Mathis looks shocked.

The driver opens the door to reveal a small woman with short cropped white hair exit the car.

James looks in the direction of the banker who has now paused as he sees the petite woman exit the car.

I stand up and James does also. He looks confused but then his eyes and his demeanor change.

The side of his mouth curves towards a slight smile and the banker is all but forgotten as his eyes refuse to leave the woman who is walking toward us.

"James...James. The banker from Switzerland."

I grab his arm but he does not hear nor acknowledge me in any way. This is not what they planned. Mathis meets my gaze and shrugs his shoulders.

What can they do now?

A sudden wind gusts, as if heralding the arrival of a pure force of nature. My palms begin to sweat and my heart speeds up...panic rising, and my stomach flips.

M has arrived.