Chapter 9 – Truth and Consequences

(Part II of II).

Steffi unlocked the door to the penthouse silently after shimmering outside the door. Without turning the lights on, she felt her way to the bedroom door. As she stepped inside her room, the living room lamp flicked on. Startled, Steffi conjured a fireball and turned to face the intruder – Cole, who was sat in the armchair. Extinguishing the fireball, she smiled and said brightly,

"Hey baby! When did you get home?"

"Hour ago. Maybe more." Cole's voice was cold as ice, and his gaze was unflinching.

"Oh great. I went out with a friend… shopping."

"No you didn't."

"Y-yes I did. I went with Dan."

"Then where are your shopping bags?"

"Funny story that… I didn't actually buy anything for once!"

"Of course you didn't buy anything – you were with Ryan in Scarlet."

"You must be seeing things baby, I was with Becca." Steffi went to kiss Cole, and he jerked his head away.

"You just said you were with Dan."

"Well you know what my memory is like… what's wrong with you today?"

"I saw you with him. At Scarlet." Cole avoided her gaze, knowing that a single look into those gorgeous ice blue eyes and his heart would melt.

"I don't know what you're talking about baby, I wasn't with him."

"I saw you, Steffi. Please stop lying to me; just tell me what I did to deserve this… this betrayal."

"Baby, I never - it was never meant to be like this…" Steffi sighed and sat down in the chair opposite the lamp.

"What was it supposed to be like then?"

"One minute we were talking and the next… you don't deserve this."

"Damn right I don't, I deserve a truthful explanation."

"Oh, baby…" Steffi's voice was muffled from where she had buried her face in her hands, and a faint sniffling sound could be heard. "I-I never wanted life t-to be this h-hard."

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you heard about me?"

"Depends what you mean by that, I guess."

"I mean the years since me and Charmz stopped talking… when you moved to the surface."

"I never heard anything…"

"Well, since I turned 14 I've had to make my own money and my own life. You remember my parents?"

"Cheryl and Antonio? Sure I do. You look so much like your mom, she must be proud."

"Not exactly. I haven't seen them since I was 10 years old. They went out one day and never came back."

"They get vanquished?"

"Perhaps. I guess it's possible that Mom saw it in a vision, but I honestly don't have a clue. All I know is that they were expecting to leave, because they left me their savings. After I spent all those, I needed to get a job. When I was 14, there were a lot of guys I knew who worked for a modelling agency. I got hired, and within 6 months I was doing porno mags."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No. I wish I was, but I'm not."

"So what happened next?"

"Well I spent a year modelling. Then after that I got a job at a bar run by a guy I know – Brett. That's where my uh, reputation begins."

"What reputation?"

"I'm a hooker, Cole. Call me whatever you want – a female escort, a slut, a prostitute, a street-walker… that's me. Men pay me to make them look and feel good. Walk into a bar with Steffi Miller on your arm and you're in."

"Th-this is all a lie right? This is like 'Punk'd' or something, isn't it?"

"No, Cole, this is my life. Ryan paid me $1,000 for that. I'm known for having expensive tastes, y'know. It's how I can afford my apartment, my clothes, my cigarettes, my booze… you name it, I can bet you that some guy paid for it."

"How can you do that? Just sleep with a guy for pleasure… oh, God."

"You want proof!" Steffi dug through her purse until she found a fat wad of dollar bills, an unprecedented attack of anger hitting her. "$1,000! All there…" She threw the notes at him angrily and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

"Steffi… baby, where are you going?" Cole opened the door and searched the hall for her. The door to the stairs stood wide open where she had fled.

Steffi's eyes were blurred with tears as she pushed her way through crowded San Francisco streets. She wondered if she still knew her way around the city by foot after years of shimmering. Eventually she found herself in Prescott Street, soaked to the skin by a sudden rainfall.

A/N and Disclaimer: Dan, Cole and Prescott St. don't belong to me. Steffi and Ryan do, and don't you forget it! And if you care, Dan belong to the wonderful crim-eater Lexie.

Following on from Ryan and Steffi's romantic tryst in the last chapter, this 780 word type-fest just explains a little about Steffi's background. There's a lot you still have to discover, however, so keep your eyes, ears and tentacles peeled for the next chapter.