When Benny arrived back on the Strip, he decided he deserved a few nights off before leaving to finish his plan of taking New Vegas for himself. Besides, there were some new acts Tommy wanted him to check out, and some of the Chairmen were getting mighty suspicious of his disappearing act. The rumor he had started about having a Gomorrah gal up in his suite wasn't going to fly much longer.
On this particular night, he was standing with his back to the casino floor, leaning against the railing behind him. He was talking to one of the Chairmen, getting updated with what's been going on in his casino while he's been away, when the man stopped talking and nodded over Benny's shoulder.
Benny guessed it was some gambler coming to complain about how the games are fixed. It wouldn't be the first time.
What he wasn't expecting was the courier he shot and buried in Goodsprings to be standing right in front of him. This was a first.
"What in the goddamn...?" Benny took in her appearance as he struggled to come up with something to say. She might've been wearing a pre-war dress and bonnet, but damn did she look like she'd been through hell. Not including the off-center scars on her head he had given, she had shown up with a few more since. There was a laser burn on her upper arm, a few of her fingers looked like they had been broken and set badly, and a chunk of one of her calves was missing, among other scars, some still covered.
Benny swallowed and tried to keep himself calm. "Let's keep this in the grove, hey? Smooth moves. Smooth..." A rumor popped into his head from the day before and it clicked that this chick must've been the one that people saw going into House's casino. "Hello! That broad everyone saw go in the Lucky 38, that was you? Oh, shit."
He knew he was screwed. House knew he had the Chip. The girl had to have told him. Why the hell else would he let her in when he's never let anyone in before?
The courier gave him a flirty smile and leaned against the card table behind her. "When you shot me, you ran off so fast I never got your name."
Benny almost couldn't process that she was hitting on him, it was so crazy."You making a pass at me, sister? Because I'm out of your league."
The girl rolled her eyes and shot him another smile. "Is it wrong to want a guy who'd shoot me in the head?"
Yes, Benny thought to himself, might as well go big or go home and said, "Did those bullets scramble your egg? Or have you always been a naughty broad...?"
She shrugged and gave him a coy smile. "Girls like bad boys. And you've been downright awful."
Benny shook his head as he said, "You're one sick pussycat, baby. There's quins and then there's... I don't even know what to call you."
"I'm saying I dig you, despite it all. What do you say?"
There is something seriously wrong with her, Benny thought. But he wasn't gonna say no when a pretty lady walked across the Mojave for a roll in the hay. "I hear 'dig' from you, babe, and all I can think of is a shovel. How can this be? This ain't forgiveness, it's something... wrong."
The woman took a step forward and placed her hands on the railing. "I'm a courier, remember? Don't you want me to handle you package?"
Really? Benny thought. This is how she's going to get me alone? There's no way she could have brought something dangerous in here. Let's see where this is gonna go.
He fished his spare key out of his pocket and handed it to the courier. "All right honey baby, this is all kinds of wrong, but to my suite it is. Thirteenth floor. Don't keep me waiting." He walked away, glancing at the courier. Her face was screwed up in confusion, like she couldn't believe her "sweet talking" actually got him into bed. That made two of them.
When he got up to his suite, he made sure to lock the door behind him. He patted Maria in his jacket's inside pocket. He knew anything could happen when she got up here. He wasn't afraid to protect himself in case she came in guns blazing.
He heard the suite doors open and close and he straightened his jacket. He turned around with a grin when his bedroom door opened. The courier closed the door behind her and turned to look at Benny with that coy smile of hers.
"Benny is gonna show you the Tops!" he said, almost laughing out loud at referring to himself in third person. "I hope you're built sturdy, you crazy broad!"
The girl took a few steps forward and placed a hand on Benny' chest. "Let's see what you've been hiding under that checkered suit."
"More than you've ever dreamed, baby," he mumbled into her hair while she removed his jacket.
As they lay there, dozing in each others arms, Benny couldn't help but feel that this was going to be his last semi-happy moment. He already decided he would leave first thing in the morning - that is, if he lived through the night. She looked like she was sleeping, but she had looked dead so he wouldn't push faking it past her. Besides, he wouldn't blame her for killing him, he tried to kill her. And if she did, she'd end up finding Yes Man so at least she'd know what he was planning to do and how to do it herself. She wouldn't have to be House's puppet.
Just before he fell asleep, Benny said in a quiet voice, "Hold me, will ya? I swear you wore me out..."
She moved closer and tightened her grip around him, burying her face in his neck.
It was easy for Benny to slip out the next morning. She had turned around in her sleep so her back was facing him. She hadn't killed him, surprisingly. She had every right to do so, but hadn't. And he wasn't going to kill her, even though he had the perfect opportunity. She was brave and strong enough to cross the desert looking for him. If he messes up on his way to the fort, she needed to be able to take his place. She was the only one who could do that.
He felt bad about wanting to just leave her, so he scribbled a quick note to her and left it on the bedside table and left for his secret elevator. He walked right past Yes Man to avoid being sucked into a conversation, which would be loud enough to wake the dead. The doors closed behind him and he leaned against the wall. He thought about his night with the courier and smiled.