"You're what?" Bill leaned forward on the bar, "Oh no....I don't think so..." he shook his head.
Vernita glanced at Beatrix. O-Ren and Elle were still out packing and she'd been the first to return. At that point Bill had grown more than a little suspicious and they had been forced to spill the beans. "Look Bill it's just for a couple days...." she implored.
"No way....there's way too much to be done for you ladies to just decide to go gallivanting around." He dug through the stack of papers on the bar, "For instance...I've got an assignment....around here.....somewhere..."
Vernita crossed her arms, as she watched him.
He gave up momentarily, "My point being," he pointed at the two women, "There's far better times to go off to Vegas...now not being one of them."
"Christ Bill," Vernita rolled her eyes, "Lay off....you do that sort of shit all of the time. Why can't we?"
Bill glared, "I do that sort of shit because I can...and because I usually have a business reason for it."
"We have a business reason for it."
Bill raised his eyebrows, "Such as?"
"Down time," Vernita glared back...thinking that perhaps an Assassins Union wasn't such a bad idea.
Beatrix stood there casually. She was clad in a pair of faded jeans and a black tight fitting t-shirt with a low v-neck. She was still proudly sporting the cocky pair of gold Elvis sunglasses she had stolen from Elle even if they were inside. Arms were crossed over her chest as she lingered beside Verntia. Bill's response was expected.
She decided she better try warming him into saying yes. If anyone could manage it would be Beatrix Kiddo. Or she could make a worthy effort. Though with their past interactions her offerings seemed slim for success.
"The other business reason being," she imploded coolly. She tried to keep all of her inner feelings of Bill to a drowned level. Blue eyes hovered a good thirty degrees above zero. "There are plenty of high paying assholes in Vegas just begging for someone to do their dirty work."
Bill sneered, looking haughty. "Believe me, I know every high paying asshole in Vegas. You four aren't going to make any connections that I haven't already made." He ossed out a hand, "Besides, I know for a fact that the last thing you ladies will be doing is looking for business contacts. Good try though Kiddo."
Vernita's mouth had settled into a defiant line. But she had faith that Beatrix, if anybody would be their best way to talk Bill into this.
She leveled a serious eye on him. "Or we could just go against your word." This all said with laced mockery and playfulness and an easy way to get under Bill.
Bill frowned at Beatrix's second proposition. "Why does that not surprise me...especially coming from you."
Uh oh....Vernita's eyes flicked over to Beatrix. Again, that weird feeling she'd just stepped into a deeper conversation than she was aware of.
Bill threw his hands up, "Just go against my word.....why not? It's not like I would shoot you in the back or anything..."
Vernita scowled. At times...Bill's sense of humor creeped her out. "Look Bill...." she started in a genial, almost submissive tone...she wasn't Beatrix, "....we aren't asking for much....just a few days...a week tops. We'll even score you some of those sweet sunglasses that Bea's sporting."
Bill didn't look amused, "Not my kind of look." He narrowed his gaze at Beatrix. He looked like he wanted to say more, but he just gave her a wary look that almost communicated a defeat on his part.
Beatrix put on a thin smile of satisfaction. That win felt almost too easy but she wasn't about to question it. Hands came limp to her sides as she added quaintly, "You'll be surprised how nice it is not having the four of us around these next few days."
At this moment the opening and closing of the front door could be heard followed by the soft shuffle of shoes on wooden walkway. In sauntered O-Ren her facade remaining calm and collected. It was hard to tell if she was keen on the 'trip' or not. "Are we all ready?"
Beatrix turned her head over her shoulder to O-Ren and gave a tight nod. "Just got the clearance from Bill."
"How'd you manage that?"
Beatrix shrugged. "I have my resources."
"I bet you do," O-Ren said flatly and let her duffle bag fall to the floor with an overly dramatic thud. Beatrix made an inner cringe knowing where her words had been taken and perhaps it had been better to shut up.
Bill looked irritated. He hadn't exactly "given the clearance" yet. "Yes, well I can imagine how nice it's going to be," he retorted dryly to Beatrix's earlier comment.
Vernita grinned, relishing the victory. Although her expression turned a little more quizzical at O-Ren's "I bet you do." remark. What the fuck had that been about? She could only imagine...
Bill was too weary to even care about the remark. He didn't care really...
Just then Elle came in with her own duffel. "Let's get the fuck out of here....oh hey Bill, what's up?"
"Absolutely nothing," Bill said flatly, sitting back down...looking extremely grumpy.
"Bill was more than happy to let us all take off for Vegas," Vernita said with a grin, picking up her bag and heading for the door.
"Oh really?" Elle titled her head to the side, "I thought he'd hate the-"
"Out!" Bill thundered, "Just get all of your Thelma and Louise assses out of here!" Bill shooed them with his hands, "Out! Out! You're annoying the shit out of me! Out!"
Elle sneered, "Ok....fuck....cya Bill." she headed back out the door.
"C'mon Bea," Vernita grinned at the doorway, looking like an excited schoolgirl.
Beatrix gave a fleeting glance to Bill before she hefted up her own duffle bag and proceeded out the door behind O-Ren. Again Beatrix left Bill on unfriendly terms which had to be very unhealthy for their relationship. But perhaps in some twisted manner it would end up doing more good than bad.
"We drive in shifts. Every hour to two hours we switch," O-Ren stated once everyone had packed in their bags and was situated in the classic convertible Corvette with a midnight black paint job . No one objected to these rules as they sounded fair enough. The first to drive was O-Ren seeing it was her car and her rules. Beatrix sat in the front, far away from Elle. Elle and Vernita shared the back seat with its leather interior that was quite comfortable.
The four would be in for a long and somewhat stressful ride. Four female assassins taking a road trip wasn't in the norms. A large amount of arguing was due to occur but everyone made an effort to keep physical contact out completely. At least the out come was one to look forward to.
The drive hadn't been all that the occupants of the car. There was the usual tift over the radio station. But eventually it was agreed the 80's hits station was acceptable. The driving in shifts seemed to work well. It allowed everybody to get enough rest and made for much better driving time. Every now and then they'd make rest stops, where Elle usually stocked up on junk food and ate it loudly from the back seat. Once she got a bag of pork rinds...which Vernita promptly threw out the window after two minutes of their opening, on the basis that they smelled "rank as all hell".
The conversation was expectantly full of smart ass remarks and well meant teasing. Sometimes somebody would tell a story or two...but this would generally degrade into more smart ass remarks and well meant teasing. They tried to play a couple of those silly "I spy" car games, but Elle kept turning everything into a sexual innuendo and that was quickly dropped.
Due to the driving in shifts they were able to drive through the night...and saw most of Arizona this way...which was actually far more beautiful at night anyways. The afternoon of the second day, it was starting to get pretty nappy in the car, seeing as it was at least a hundred degrees outside. At this point, everybody had gotten pretty comfortable with one another. Elle had her legs stretched over Vernita in the backseat, who was fast asleep....so deeply so that she didn't even notice Elle had taken her shoes off. To the great dismay and displeasure of O-Ren, Elle had decided to toss her candy wrappers around. Although, she had been decent enough to not smoke in the car.....Beatrix insisted.
Elle had just started to ask "Are we there yet?" When the radiant lights and over the top buildings of the Vegas strip began to scroll past the windows.
"Amen....halleluiah..." Vernita mumbled throwing Elle's leg's off her lap.
Beatrix was slouched down in the front seat with her feet up on the dash board. She was kind enough to keep her socks on, not that her feet smelled foul but common courtesy. The pair of Elvis sunglasses were slid back taking bangs off her forehead in an awkward headband fashion. Blue eyes stared at the neon and vibrant lights in silent awe. She had only gone to Vegas on assignments and failed to take in the true sights of the city. Now she was free to indulge.
"Seeing everyone has had their deal of naps for the day," O-Ren began and halted the vehicle at a red light. "We find a hotel, settle up, and than head out to gamble the rest of the eve." She looked over her shoulder to the back seat. "Vernita, since you are more familiar with this territory than any of us...which I beg to wonder why...what would be the best hotel and casino, preferably in the hotel we could crash in?"
Vernita pulled herself up against the chair, casting a glare at Elle. "Well...that depends on what type of theme we want to go with.....let's see," she checked off her fingers, "Circus Circus, the Parisian..that's Paris..Elle, the Venetian....Elle..that's Venice..that place in Italy.., um..the Vilagio, the Mirage, the Lexor...mega spendy....should have swiped Bill's credit card, the MGM..another spendy one, Treasure Island, um...some New Orleans themed place, oh Caesar's Palace...." she thought for a moment, "..those are the main ones. The best ones definitely....and they are all on the strip, which is essential for our fun factor."
"Which one is the green pyramid thing?" Elle asked, staring out the window at the passing lights...not amused by Vernita's smart ass attitude.
"The Lexor. And they all have casino's...no worry on that...hell, they basically have casino's in the bathrooms here."
"Well, shit....I don't know," Elle shrugged, "They all sound good to me. So does one of those $4.99 all you can eat buffets...."
"What do you guys think?" Vernita asked the front seat occupants.
"The green pyramid thing sounds good to me," Beatrix replied in a cool set tone. She was up for any place and like all of them she was terrible at making final decisions. Even if she always ended up with it for one reason or another.
"Agreed." O-Ren made a sharp turn to go back in the direction of the casino and hotel the group decided on.
It did not take long for the four women to get 'two' rooms next to one another in the rather fashionable hotel. Lucky for them it wasn't too out of the norm to see a group of beautiful women checking into a hotel room in the middle of a Las Vegas casino. First chore before the fun was to begin, was to check into their rooms and get settled. It was easier to have things unpacked and beds turned over incase they came back at five in the morning drunk and unable to make sense of much else but where the bed began and ended.
Within the hour the group was standing amidst the crowded lobby area across the rather bustling casino area. "No one has to play nanny. So, ladies, have fun and try not to make any scenes." O-Ren gave accusing looks to both blondes.
Beatrix smirked coyly. "Fuck, don't give me that look O-Ren. I know how to act in a casino and I know how to spend my money."
"Just looking after the well being of our little pet."
Her smirk faltered and her lips tightened to a line. "Pardon me?"
"Nevermind. Have fun." O-Ren turned on her heels and disappeared into the flooding crowds. Beatrix was scowling and watching O-Ren's disappeared figure with a cold gaze. She glanced to the two remaining. "Have fun," she reinstated chillingly and moved into the crowds.
The Lexor was the crème de la crème of the hotel/casino's on the strip....well, maybe second to the MGM. The Lexor was decorated in an extremely sleek cosmopolitan style...meets sexy Egyptian. All grays, gold's and emerald greens. Bizarre, but it worked...for a good $750 (at least) night it worked. The hotel's rooms were all inside of the pyramid, and it was something a trip to look up from the middle of the floor at the bottom and see the floors ascend into a high vault. The casino was a bit to the side and underneath. It was massive...easily one of the biggest on the strip. The high rollers that were not at the MGM, were here. The games here ran the gamut from 5 cent slots to mult million dollar wheels. There was even a brand new silver Aston Martian, in true James Bond style....spinning in the middle of a large gambling area...it being the big prize of course. The hardcore of the sort, mostly men...sat around hundreds of poker, craps and blackjack tables. Many of them wore dark glasses....just about every other person smoked. And everybody was drinking. If you were on the floor and gambling, drinks...at least most of them, were free. Old women in hopes of hitting it big, sat hunched over electric poker machines....the "old school" of them did likewise at the slots. There was a constant sound of clinging and ringing. At first it was a bit overwhelming, but soon it faded into white nose...much like the infinite amount of blinking lights.
The four women stood in the middle of all of this....easily able to fade into the huge crowd of other equally beautiful women. Vegas was never, ever short of beautiful women.
"Fuck yeah..." Elle said in awe, a lit cigarette already in her mouth. She barely even noticed Beatrix and O-Ren's little exchange. She rubbed her hands together, already thinking about what drink she was going to order first. "I'll see you cats later....I'm off to win me a few thou and a hangover..." She strutted away, snatching a drink off a cocktail waitresses tray.
Vernita had heard what O-Ren had said despite the noise, and her high mood,was momentarily soured. What exactly was the beef between those two? She wanted to ask Beatrix....but this obviously was not the time nor place to do so. "Well, I'll cya two later...." she smiled. Fuck it...whatever it was....it could wait. "I think I already see my lucky slot machine....Good luck ladies." she gave Beatrix a little wink and headed off to get a bucket of change from the cashier.
Beatrix had acquired her bucket of change and a martini by the time she was over to main gambling arena. She had made a point to avoid eye contact with any man and seeing this was an area of high concentration she didn't need to worry herself too much. During the course of the night she had her fill of cocktails but made sure she kept a steady head throughout. As much as she wanted to drink her cares away she wanted to win something. To come back with something to brag about. She wasn't sure whom she'd brag to. Maybe Bill. No, he was one thing she had to stop thinking about and she accomplished this by her fifth glass.
It was nearing three o'clock in the morning when Beatrix could be found at the roulette table. The big prize was that neat looking James Bond car or a few thousands dollars. Not that she really needed the cash but that car was something to brag about. She placed down a few chips on the letter B and the number twenty-five. Arms crossed over her chest she waited for the other players to make their bets.
"Do you honestly believe the odds of you winning is one to three thousand and five."
"Was I asking for your opinion?" The tall blonde turned to see O-Ren standing a few feet down.
"No but I thought I'd enlighten you anyway."
"I appreciate it."
"Round and round she goes..." The clerk behind the desk in the penguin suit began as the wheel went in motion. Blue eyes watched intensely. The wheel was coming to a stop, followed by numerous awe's around the table.
"One to three thousand and three." O-Ren smirked. Beatrix scowled.
Elle was sloshed by midnight. Of course, she could handle her liquor, but that didn't mean she wasn't drunk off her ass. She found slots to be too boring for her taste and settled herself in at a craps table....which as much more her sort of game. She was losing a ridiculous amount of money, but she could care less. It was all about rolling those dice baby...
Vernita loved slots and she nestled herself in between two large old women, and prepared to sit the night away, plugging quarters in. The big cash prize was $25,000...a measly amount compared to the other games...but she wasn't one for blowing a lot of money in an attempt to win allot. If she came out even and had a good time, she was happy.
At some point Elle spotted Beatrix and O-Ren at the Roulette table. The slowly spinning Aston Martin, sitting up top. All silver and chrome gleaming off the casino lighting. "Holy fuck..." Elle breathed in her drunken state. "Nice car...." But she went back to her felt table and dice and bet two grand on seven black. A small troupe of mostly male bystanders were watching her antics...which were pretty high spirited at this point in her drinking.
The night wore on, the crowd only got bigger the later it got. Everything became a haze of chips, coins and spinning colors. It was easy to see how people lost themselves in this sort of life, until it was too late.
The crowd only began to thin around eight in the morning, when the breakfast buffets opened. The true hard core types stayed...food was for the weak and ungreedy after all.
Verntia was still at the slots, her eyes glazed over with lack of sleep. Her two elderly companions had long since retired to their hotel rooms.
Elle had disappeared to who knew where.
O-Ren had been the sensible one and retired to her hotel room around 5 in the morning. She won a few hundred on a slot machine but than she ended up blowing it on a craps game that she had joined in with Elle. She went away with a good fifty to her name but other than that the night was a blow.
Around eight in the morning Beatrix could be found lingering around the casino aimlessly. She had enough drinks to make her light headed and not all that logical. There were thoughts of retiring to bed but she never listened to those thoughts. She didn't win anything to her disappointment but it was enjoyable to say the least. A girl's night out was a rare occurrence. She almost wished there were more to store fond memories on but Bill wouldn't allow that. A night out was a luxury their kind was rarely afforded.
She slowly sauntered over to the dark skinned woman at the slot machines. An amused grin plastered across her weary features as she leaned her pretty blonde head over Vernita's shoulder. "Win anything?"
Vernita gave Beatrix a tired but happy look. "Nah, not much..." she shook her bucket of coins, "I think I pretty much broke even...maybe up twenty bucks or so. What about you? I saw ya spinning on the roulette table awhile back. I always sucked at that game.." She stood up, stretching her cramped muscles. "Shit, I'm hungry...what do you say we hit one of those buffets and then head back to the room? See what's going on there."
Now that the crowd was momentarily thinner, it was far easier to navigate places. The two women only went about a mere fifty feet on the strip before they found a breakfast buffet. They piled their plates up with greasy breakfast goodies and sat down amidst the other bleary eyed gamblers.
It was pretty typical in Vegas to come out even, or just a little ahead or behind. The lucky few struck a real jackpot. But most people were content with the overwhelming experience of it all.
When they returned to their adjoining hotel rooms, they found O-Ren asleep but no Elle. It was apparent that she had come back at some point, her things had been moved around...but the willowy blonde was nowhere to be seen. Elle rarely did anything in a low key or halfway baked manner....most likely she was out living it up as much as possible.
"I think we should go shopping," Vernita said to Beatrix with a yawn, as she took off her shoes, "There's some really sweet places here...you can find some cool shit....but...first...I've gotta catch a few hours sleep...." the words were barely out of her mouth and she was already out, asleep on top of the covers.
Beatrix was out like a light once she settled under the covers. She slept well into the late afternoon until she awoke with a mild head ache. The head ache was due to a minor hang over and was easily rid of with a few popped aspirin. Not only did she awake with a head ache to deal with but her stab wounds that had yet to completely heal were making a defiant come-back in the manners of pain. An annoyance she'd have to deal with.
Vernita woke up an hour after Beatrix and within the following hour they had prepared to go on a shopping spree. An offer was made to O-Ren to join them but the half breed objected, politely stating that these shops weren't up to her critique in style, whatever the hell that meant. Elle, once again was nowhere to be found. They weren't worried and knew for a fact she'd show up at the most inappropriate time.
This left only Vernita and Beatrix to go off and splurge on clothing. Beatrix wasn't as into the shopping experience as Vernita but she knew there were a few necessities she needed which proved to be her only motive to go.
"I think it makes my ass look big," the tall blonde commented as she stood in front of a full length mirror in a fancy department store. She was clad in a flowy skirt that came down to her ankles. It was a peach color with decorated sparkles and a cotton fold-over waist. On top she wore a sheer off-white shirt with a matching peach color tank top beneath. For some bizarre incentive Beatrix thought it necessary to acquire herself a new skirt which counted in her category of 'nice' clothes. Clothes that she didn't wear to work.
Vernita put her hands on her hips, "Bea.... a fucking pair of mattress padded, ass hugging, spandex, daisy duke, hot shorts, couldn't make your ass look big." She shrugged, eyeing Beatrix's outfit, "It looks cute....lots of peach...but it's cute." She was clad in a pair of tight leopard print velvet pants and a black top that was shredded in every appropriate spot "on purpose." It looked like something a high priced hooker might wear. "I'm not big into skirts," she admitted, "but I think you can pull it off well."
There were a near endless amount of shops around the Vegas strip. Not just clothing but antiques, movie collectables, bizarre gifts, jewelry, and home decor and so on. Most of it was fairly expensive. One could easily spend their entire trip shopping, instead of gambling....which was fine with some people and the nightmare of many credit card wielding husbands.
"One more big ass comment out of your mouth, and I'm gunna slap you," Vernita said with a smirk. Deciding her outfit was perhaps...a little too loud; she grabbed another set of clothing and went back into her dressing room. Vernita could shop for days straight if she let herself, but she knew that Beatrix had her limits. "What do you say Bea?" she called over the dressing room door, "A couple more hours and we call it quits? I'm dyin' to see what the hell happened to Elle...."
Beatrix laughed from her adjacent dressing room. "The possibilities of what could have happened to Elle are endless."
The two women spent at least another two hours shopping. Beatrix would have been content with only an hour but Vernita insisted they check out a few more stores. The day ended with Beatrix contently hefting back to the hotel only three bags and Vernita had at least five.
Beatrix bought a few outfits to fit in her 'nice' category and hit a gold mine at a store that was selling t-shirts at five for five dollars. Those went in her 'not so nice' category. Other than that she came away with some appropriate finds and still had sixty dollars in her wallet.
As Vernita and Beatrix came off the elevator onto their floor to drop off their things they were greeted by a rather unpleasant figure. "O-Ren found Elle."
Elle looked like shit.....well in a very festive way that is.
She was standing in the middle of the hallway. She was wearing a bright blue straight wig that went down past her knees and some sort of silver sequined cocktail dress. A pair of high heels had replaced her other pair of high heels. A bright pink feather boa was wrapped around her neck, looking like it was almost going to suffocate her. Her eye patch was slightly askew. To top it off she had a huge Cuban cigar in one hand. Her complexion was almost green and she looked like she hadn't slept the entire time....which was highly likely.
"Holy shit..." Vernita nearly dropped her armful of bags. "Elle...what the fuck happened to you?"
"I'm gunna puke," was her response, "I lost my door card....let me in now..."
Vernita exchanged glances with Beatrix. "Ok....I'm not going to argue, just a sec..." It took Vernita a good two minutes for her to find her card. The entire time was spent in frantic observation of Elle, who was leaning against the wall....slightly doubled over.
Once they got inside the room, Elle ran to the bathroom and thankfully slammed the door shut. Vernita pulled a face as she dumped her bags on top of the bed. "Maybe it's time we head back...." She looked over at Beatrix and O-Ren.
Beatrix took her time answering Vernita as she was too busy laughing her ass off. The half breed was leaning by the closed bathroom on standby incase Elle for some twisted reason needed support. She shot a cold glare at the laughing blonde.
A slender hand came up to muffle and settle her laughter. She gave a tight nod. "Aye, we should defiantly get going in a few hours." Beatrix made a casual saunter over to the dresser drawer to gather her things. "Damn," she stated loudly, a hand slapping to her thigh. "I knew I should have packed that disposable camera." After that she kept her mouth shut, having had her fun, and proceeded to pack.
Within a few hours, the four women were off...heading out of Las Vegas and back south to Mexico.
Vernita had been adamant about not getting stuck again in the backseat with Elle, especially this time around.....and thankfully O-Ren switched places with her. This still kept Bea and Elle apart. They had to stop a few times at first, so Elle could jump out of the car and puke her guts out on the side of the road...while the three of them sat in the car in amused disgust.
Eventually Elle ran out of fodder for her hangover stomach, and she fell asleep looking like death warmed over. At least this time she wouldn't be eating pork rinds. Not only that but she kept relatively quiet...for once.
As with most trips the way back seemed to take longer....the sense of anticipation having been spent. They discussed their winnings or in many cases losings. Elle admitted to losing at least five thousand dollars...which Vernita found revolting. But Elle kept pretty quiet about her day of partying...and left that up to the sick imaginations of her car mates.
The drive though the night was the worst, since Elle refused to take her shift turn and everybody had to compensate. But they managed to not have to stop and reached the Mexican border that next afternoon. Nobody cares much about people going into Mexico (it's only when they leave), and they were through customs and on their way to Bill's, where most of their car's were, in no time.
"My ass is so dumb," Vernita groaned as she parked the car in the familiar circular driveway. She threw the door open, "Augh....get me out of here...."
They got out the car, Elle a little gingerly and stretched their cramped muscles.
Vernita smirked, "Home sweet home.."
"I hope Bill will let me use his bathroom.....now......" Elle gulped, heading for the front door in a rush...
O-Ren was the only one who did not get out of the car. It was her car any way. With a contented grin on her face she nodded to her companions. "I had a lot of fun," she said quietly. "See you soon." And she shifted the car into gear and drove off, sending a cloud of dust in her departure.
Beatrix exchanged a look with Vernita before they strode inside. Vernita excused herself to use the bathroom in the hallway, Elle had dashed off to the one in the spare room having not bothered to ask. Which was a good thing in this case. Luckily Bill was efficient on bathrooms or they'd have a problem. Now alone Beatrix walked down the hallway and into the living room where she'd most likely find Bill. She knew their departure hadn't been left on friendly terms but she was fixed on straightening that out. Somehow. Her lips were in an amused line that curved up into a half smile. "Lucy--I'm home."
Bill wasn't in the living room. But at a closer look, it could be seen that one the patio doors was slightly ajar. And an even closer look would reveal that he was out in the backyard. He was sitting with his back to the house, cross legged in the middle of the grass. Somewhat eccentric....but this was Bill. He was wearing black slacks and some typical Bill shirt. He appeared to be immersed in something.
As Beatrix noticed this, Vernita came walking back into the living room. "Hey, I'll talk to ya later Bea...I had a great time." She flashed the blonde a smile, and punching her playfully on the shoulder, she turned and left.
Elle followed shortly thereafter. She looked as white as a sheet and a little unsteady on her feet, "Augh....cya Bea....." she waved an arm halfheartedly and followed Vernita out of the house.
Bill hadn't turned around, but as always seemed very aware of what was going on around him. As one got closer to Bill, it was revealed he was handling a large piece of bamboo...about three feet long or so. There was a variety of small tools sitting around him; a pocket knife, a hand drill, a long poker type blade and a few other woodworking tools. There was also some brown leather strapping lying amidst the tools.
He was working on this project with relish. Bill could be very industrious if he wanted to be. Of course, he had much more of a penchant for destruction than for creation.
He remained engrossed with his work as Beatrix came up next to him. "How was Vegas?" he said softly, hair in his face...as he looked down the middle of the bamboo stick with an inspector's eye.
Beatrix stood there, mouth agape, before she attempted a response. "It was fun," came her blunt and expected reply. She casually plopped down beside him and took a similar cross legged fashion, hands folded in her lap. Her head was tilted down and she watched him with the utmost inquisitive eye. What the hell was he doing?
She was hoping to reunite with Bill and be able to read him thoroughly but her hopes were crushed. He was a closed book. The high spirits she held earlier which, were only bought on by watching Elle suffer with her hangover soon diminished. Her mood wasn't low but her spirits certainly weren't soaring. She needed something to occupy her hands and uninterestedly plucked up a random tool from the pile that Bill had been using on his 'project' and began to fiddle with it.
Blue eyes side glanced to him. "And how was your weekend?"
Bill continued to work, "My weekend was acceptable," he said in that same soft, almost gentle tone of voice, "I worked on some paperwork, made phone calls...." he picked up the small hand drill, "...I watched a bit of bad late night cable television....and went out for sushi, which was very disappointing after eating Nikishi's sushi rolls for many years. Although," he smiled inwardly, "...it wasn't as bad as my old friend Hanzo's sushi."
Turning the handle of the drill slowly, he glanced at Beatrix for the first time since she had showed up, but the look quickly dropped to the tool she was holding, "Can you hand me that please?"
The tool was a small scraper, and he began scraping around the small hole he had just drilled into the bamboo. "I'm making a flute," he said answering her unspoken question. "I have made many flutes in my lifetime, but I have not made one in sometime." He blew out the dust that scraper had created, "Paco...whom I'm sure you remember quite clearly, was the first to show me how to do this. Well, first he showed me how to make pipes...." another inward smile, "....but flutes are far more challenging."
He spun the long piece of bamboo in between his fingers...it created a small whoosh in the air. "Bamboo," he offered the piece of wood to Beatrix to inspect, "is one of the hardest but most flexible substances on the planet. You can literally bend it back....if you have the strength that is, and it will not snap."
"Thing is," he gave her a small grin, meeting her gaze, "..it's a real bitch to work with." It became apparent that Bill, in his own strange way, was making a blatant metaphor.
Blue eyes had busied themselves with inspecting the bamboo rod. She leveled it under her nose to set in the full length and talented craftsmanship of the object. Bill did know how to make something as simple as a bamboo into a beautiful work of art. An inner smile to herself. "I never thought to compare myself to a stick of bamboo," she mused, quietly. She knew Bill wasn't trying to degrade her with that metaphor or bring up past events but she couldn't deny that she knew where he was going with it.
Long white fingers wrapped around the smooth surface of the make-shift flute. Single digits pressing into the holes, taking the texture, and stamping round indents on her skin that would fade in a few minutes. Beatrix than gingerly gave the flute back to him. Her façade was calming. There was something about Bill and his flutes that either gave Beatrix feelings of being soothed, content, or the complete opposite.
Pink shaded lips parted to form a word but nothing came out. She moistened her lips and her gaze came downcast. She tried again. "I am glad you enjoyed yourself during my absence." Words could be taken in all different directions she could only hope he'd single out the right one.
Bill took back the flute, setting it back on his lap. "I never said I enjoyed myself during your absence," he mused, "It was rather boring actually. And you are far more charming than a piece of bamboo...I assure you," he said matter-of-factly. A smile tugged at his features, "I could go much further with this metaphor...but it may get me slapped, or worse mortally wounded. Thus," he picked up another tool, "I choose to change the subject."
He went intently back to working for a few moments, leaving the change of subject completely up in the silent air. Sporadic behavior from anybody but Bill perhaps. Lifting the flute to his lips, he tested the sound....which came out a little hallow and off key. Scowling, he set back to work again for a few long seconds.
"Change of subject," he announced suddenly, looking up from his work, "I have often wondered why we are the most cruel to those we care the most about. Have you noticed?" He raised his eyebrows, looking at Beatrix, "Of course you have Kiddo. So then, I wonder...how do we reverse that cruelty or for lack of a better word, make up for it? With love or with more cruelty? Hrm, well...most people would say...love of course. But, I wonder....if you reap more love, then in the end, aren't you destined to be more cruel?" His brow furrowed, "A frustrating paradox if you ask me."
He picked up another tool and began working again, looking contented. The eternal question here being; was Bill actually posing a real question or was he simply musing over a point he had decided the answer to long ago?
Beatrix fixated him with a steady side glance, her chin tilted down and head canted slightly. A silent awe sparked in her gaze. Leave it to Bill to come up with the most insanely out of place and complex topics known to human kind. There was no right answer to his misdirected question and she had no intentions of trying to get it right, just merely throw in her opinion. Besides, he 'was' talking about them.
She began in a soft, light leveled manner, "You can't make up for being cruel. Being cruel in all manners of the word is a heinous act no matter how it is delivered. But, you can balance it. The amount of cruelty that is received you always add the same amount of love to even the stability." A pause. "So, no matter how cruel—a person, can be, you make up for it by weighing even the other side. Making it equal again." Beatrix pulled her legs into an Indian style position and a hand extended to pick up another aimless tool on the ground which she proceeded to fiddle with. Eyes now lingering on the device.
Bill listened to Beatrix, still working. He remained silent, a placidly calm expression on his face. Then, lifting the flute once again...he played a couple notes. This time the sound was full and melodic. He closed his eyes with a small smile of his victory over the instrument. He played for a few more moments, relishing every correct note.
Then slowly, he set the flute down in the grass in front of him, his fingers lingering on the smooth surface for a second longer.
"Your explanation makes enough sense," he said finally, sitting back, "Although, I don't know if I have enough faith in humanity to believe that we are actually capable of being that balanced. It is a very admirable ideal though." After a moment, he turned and looked right at her, "But to get personal," he raised a finger, "I was cruel to you." He didn't specify when or what, but there was a pretty clear idea of what he was talking about, "I'm not going to apologize or take it back, but I am aware of it now. If I were to follow your theory then....well," he smirked, "I would have to be one loving motherfucker....and I just don't think that title suits me all that well."
It was a good theory but in the area it needed to be applied the most, it lacked. Beatrix dropped the tool back to the pile. A delicate smile graced her lips and she shook her blonde head. "No, that does not suit you." She wouldn't state that Bill was incapable of love but she wouldn't stake her life on that. There was a fine line between cruelty and love. One would say they were almost one in the same. Some couples used torture, humiliation, psychical or verbal abuse as a manner to express love.
Was that were their relationship was going? Beatrix almost hated to think so. She always thought of those couples as—unstable. But, one couldn't deny that in a past-tense to the word the two killers were unstable. Blue eyes lingered tenderly on the wooden instrument planted in front of Bill's feet. Her only recollection of hearing him play for a real reason was the night before he sent her to Pai Mei. She had a clearer picture back than, now it was becoming fuzzy. "You should play more," she said softly and absent-mindedly.
Bill smiled, "Perhaps I should...." he said softly, toying with the flute with an idle hand. There was something calming and mesmerizing but also almost sad about the sound of the flute and often Bill felt those feelings projected onto himself when playing. The soft sound of a flute could be both beautiful and intimidating, as it was often not necessary to raise one's voice to be obeyed.
The hot afternoon was dying and had become a warm breezy evening. A bright blue sky was now a deep violet. Bill watched silently as a small airplane transversed across the sky.
A heavy air had settled on the two assassins as they sat quietly. Bill, for once, didn't feel like saying anything. Instead, he once again picked up the flute and began playing it. He couldn't even remember the name of what he was playing...some ancient Chinese melody based on a proverb of love and loss, but he knew the notes by heart nonetheless. The soft music filled the darkening yard and mixed in with the sound of the crickets.
When Bill finished, he set the flute down again in front of his crossed bare feet. "Love born of betrayal is better lost than lived," he mumbled more to himself than anything.
During the time of Bill's melody the blonde had situated herself to lie on her back in the grass, her body a few feet from his. Locks of blonde hair spilled onto the grass to weave webs of gold and emerald. Beatrix let that quote swim steadily through her head as she tried to put it into common logic. She was having some trouble with it. The proverb seemed almost too complex for her to process at that moment. She repeated it in her head numerous times to turn back on in later hours.
She was relatively calm but this calmness was only brought on by the flute as it was intended to do. She had sudden relapses of emotions that she affectively pushed back into the darker regions of her mind. Blue eyes had been watching the vibrant colors dance in the sky before she picked her head up, chin tilted to her chest, and blue eyes leveled to Bill. Lips parted as if she were to say something but she was at a loss for words. Which wasn't as uncommon as it was with Bill. Lips came back together in a thin line. She put her head back down to nestle in the grass. Actions over words but this time she couldn't find the strength to get up and perform the action she desired to do.
Bill had his head turned now and was watching Beatrix under halfway closed lids.
It was getting dark, but those large blue eyes of hers spoke volumes to him. He didn't even have to know her as well as he did, or be as perceptive as he was to read her. Beatrix had a tendency to communicate a great deal in her eyes...perhaps, even....at times even more clearly than she did with words.
Bill turned and moved the flute a few feet away from him. He didn't say anything more; the proverb was enough for now. Turning back, he placed his hands on either side of her head, careful of her hair. He leaned over her, taking a few moments to toy with the soft golden strands in the grass. He'd previously been far from this frame of mind, his thoughts on deeper matters, but with Beatrix it never took long to become nothing more than a man. He watched her closely, submitting to desire.....desire to make this woman forget her very name. With no amount of hesitation or slowness, he leaned in the rest of the way and kissed her.
It wasn't an easy task to forget a name as original as Beatirx Kiddo but it could become as difficult as forgetting a name as simple as Bill. She wasn't about to go forgetting her name but she was forgetting any sense of control. This included wandering hands and deeper, more sensual returned kisses. She wanted more from this physical contact than she had received in past times before. The question was how far to go? The only next step she could think of was painted with a big red no. Maybe there was a little smudge of green painted on the red. Enough there to give her an incentive to tell herself this was morally correct. When two people cared a great deal about one another, maybe even ring on the word love, even if it was a cruel love, wasn't the best way to express it through sexual contact? It was logical to Beatrix. Her hands brushed against either side of Bill's face before running up into his hair and kept it pinned back to create less of an annoyance for them both. She inched reluctantly back for air and moved it once more.
A big red "no" did not exist in Bill's mind. He'd already made that decision sometime ago. The only way he was going to stop now was if Beatrix initiated it. He was good to go...and to be honest he was generally used to being with women he didn't have any issue with that. He knew Beatrix did though, and he would respect that....but until that point, for him...there was no yellow light on this one way street.
Likewise, Bill was through being a gentleman. He wasn't going to make an effort to check his wandering hands...again, if Beatrix had an issue with it, she'd more than let him know. He'd never received any complaints in the past though.....it would be a loss on her part...
On top of finding Beatrix insanely attractive, which was something of a no brainier, he knew he cared very deeply for her. He loved her, but he loved many women...and not all of them in a romantic way. He wasn't entirely sure if he was "in love" with her as of yet. But he found himself dangerously close to that stomach plummeting edge of no return. It was a frightening prospect....nobody, not even Bill, could manage to come away from being in love in one piece. It was the eternal blessing and curse of humanity. And one reached a certain point in their life when they knew what they were in for, yet...they did it anyways, because...in the end, the rewards far outweighed the pain involved. Life was about risks.....that included love, and incidentally sex.
Bill pulled away for a moment, catching up with his disjointed thoughts and actions. Finding himself crawling on top of one of his employees in the middle of his backyard almost made him chuckle. Instead, he just gave Beatrix a small smile, a hand wandering up to her face...brushing over her pretty features before going back to kissing her.
If Beatrix was half as sappy as her blonde roots applied than she wouldn't be a killer. But one had to admit that making out under a brilliant and beautiful night sky on the grass was as sappy as much as it was eerily romantic. It was almost perfect. Sure, Beatrix had fucked a ton of people in her life but none of them proved to be anything special. None were out of love or remote affection. They were either done due to self pleasure or proving something to herself, or the plain and blatant fact everyone needed a good fuck now and again.
She had a blissful smile beneath her kisses that continued to grow. Her earlier emotions were replaced with lust and desire. In the farther regions of her mind she had to wonder if this was for love. Love was so complex and the thought made her muscles tense. To fuck just because she wanted to and to be able to say truthfully that she fucked Bill seemed a little far fetched. She wanted to but the daunting thoughts of if it was for the right reasons was poking her conscious, which she did have.
In these moments of losing herself to him and suffocating in his kisses and touches she had effectively gotten her top off. How, she wasn't entirely sure but it was off and the grass against her back left a chill. Arms wrapped over and around his neck as her back arched bringing her closer to him.
Oh...this was just too good. If Bill had the ability to be giddy, he would be immensely giddy about this whole thing. Nor was he much of a romantic...although he had made attempts in the past. But...this...right now......this was ideal...the setting, Beatrix...everything. Bill had lived long enough to know that truly ideal moments rarely came along. This was the kind of stuff he used to think about when he was alone and twelve years old.....overly idealized fantasies, with extremely beautiful women, who wanted him despite a number of unattractive qualities. He'd nearly forgotten what those typical adolescent feelings felt like....having taken women and sex in general for granted for so long. Likewise, he'd nearly forgotten it was actually far more exciting when you actually wanted to please somebody more than you wanted to please yourself.
He tossed Beatrix shirt aside, not really recalling how it got off in the first place. Sitting up for a moment, he rid himself of his own shirt...which was almost completely unbuttoned to begin with. Bill remained in good shape for a man his age. But a fair number of scars were scattered around his skin, the most prominent being the recently acquired one along his side. Well, he'd already warned Beatrix he wasn't pretty....and at the moment, she didn't seem to give a damn.
Her arms were wrapped around his neck, and he wrapped his own around her torso in response. This skin on skin contact brought the intensity up to a new level. Bill, who prided himself on control, had since lost his grip on it and was now going at this with full intensity.....and Bill was a pretty damn intense person. He, at this moment, knew for a fact that he had never wanted anybody as much as he wanted Beatrix Kiddo. And by want, he meant fuck.
Beatrix let her back straighten to the ground another cold chill stunning her spine. This gave her the time to allow slender white digits to come over his shoulders and back to his front. She began idly tracing fingers along the prominent scars that scattered Bill's chest. She never thought of scars as being ugly marks of experiences you wished to forget but as battle scars to be proud of. She had her own assortment of battle scars but she hadn't been around long enough to receive any extensive as Bill's. She would, in time but for now she was keen to envy him.
Bill took in a sharp breath as she ran her fingers along his variety of battle scars. For some reason, he found the whole thing really goddamn sexy. He wasn't ashamed of them, although...most women didn't see them in the same light as Beatrix did. They were the tracks of his violent and not so caring life...and to have somebody touch them in a caring way, was an intriguing as well as an extremely exciting juxtaposition.
Her hands eventually came back up around his neck and she pulled herself up against him. The skin contact became more passionate at that point, body heat exchanging between them at treacherous temperatures. As Bill had long since lost control Beatrix did as well. So much so that her mouth was still kissing but her hands had subconsciously started to unbuckle his pants. She clearly 'wanted' him just as he 'wanted' her.
Once Bill realized what she was doing, he was more than happy to help. And was it no mystery that Bill was a silk boxers man? Of course not. While still attempting to keep up the same amount of contact, he tried to get rid of the pants by kicking them off, which was rather comical.....no matter how many times one repeated the same process. "Goddamnit," he mumbled against Beatrix's mouth, before finally managing to rid himself of the garment with a violent kick. He grabbed her anew and after a moment, he went for the hem of her pants. Of course, she couldn't be wearing a skirt or something easily manageable, but instead a pair of tight jeans. Jeans were never easy. Unbuckling them was fine, but getting them off.....
Bill swore he was just going to rip them off, if he couldn't get them off of her within the next ten seconds.....he didn't care, he'd buy her a new pair....shit, he'd buy her ten new pairs.
She let out a soft laugh against his lips at the amusement of how much trouble a pair of pants could be. At some point, she couldn't recall when she had already taken her sandals off which made the task a little easier. Beatrix could tell by Bill's increased huffs of breath that if her pants weren't off soon he'd do something drastic. She liked these pants. So, instead of allowing frustration and keeping the intimate level high she helped. Her hips lifted off the ground and Bill was effectively able to tug them down and off. Cotton panties were just as comfy as a pair of silk boxers.
Kisses resumed and this time she pushed herself for full skin against skin contact. Emotions heightened to a whole new level that went past the point of lust and desire. Her heart rate increased and she felt a shallow pit in her stomach form. That damn conscious was snapping at her again. This felt so right but something was telling her it was wrong. It was perfect. Sex under a radiant night's sky with the man she...loved?
It hit like a speeding training hits a brick wall. The flames ignited to such a temperature that Beatrix was getting burnt. With immense reluctance she broke a passionate kiss and let her head fall back to the ground. The bliss and desirable feelings were now contorted into a deepened sadness. Blue eyes stared up at him, shimmering. Her lips parted and she was about to speak but her throat tightened. She tried again. Her hand tenderly cupped to his cheek. "I.." She trailed off, emotions betraying her eyes. "I don't...love you...Bill. Not enough to do this."
Bill stared down at her, the night sky casting a blue reflection across his features...that just a moment ago were full of desire...now...a cold look of shock and...perhaps even a hint of pain had replaced them. He opened his mouth and shut it, instead he wiped a hand across his sweaty face in an effort to gain back his composure.
He'd just been offered the full banquet and then had it ripped out from under his fingertips.
Staring back down at her, he worked down a wave of anger...with a good amount of effort. What the hell did love have to do with it? He could count on one hand the amount of women he'd fucked who he'd actually loved and he sure as hell knew Beatrix was in the same boat. He wasn't about to fucking marry her was he? No. He was about to fuck her.....and.....it would have been damn good. He shut his eyes, attempting not to ponder that line of thought any further.
If he had been younger, he may have reacted much more inappropriately to this. But, he knew better now. Beatrix had been honest with him, and she had made a choice. He respected that, as he respected her. He hadn't missed the look of regret and sadness in her eyes either. It had obviously been a hard choice for her, but she had felt the need to make it. If she could manage it, then so could he. Picking himself up, he sat back on his knees. "Ok...." he rasped through rapidly slowing breaths, "....I understand...." Well, he did.....at least partially. He ran his hands through his hair, staring at a group of trees above her head. He had to give himself a few seconds to sort himself out.
He could deal with her not loving him. He couldn't expect her to...he hadn't asked for it. Besides, hadn't he admitted to himself that he didn't love her either? Of course, that sure as hell wasn't going to stop him from doing anything with her. It just came down to a difference in morals. If Bill had been a less callused man he may have found Beatrix's words somewhat wounding. But Bill was a man who used wounding words on a daily basis...and Beatrix had had no intention of hurting him, it had been simple blatant honesty. Another thing Bill could understand.
That didn't mean he wasn't a little irritated though. He took a deep breath, fixing his gaze back on her. "I'm glad I didn't tear your pants off now," he said with a well meaning smirk.
She laughed bouncing herself back up into a sitting pose. Layered locks of hair were scattered in various directions and bangs stuck to the side of her forehead, her cheeks were flushed, but there was crystal clear relief in her eyes. She knew as callused a man as Bill was deep down she'd hurt him. She hurt herself. One of the things Bea wanted the most was to be with Bill at a level that was 'normal'. A normal couple that fucked because they wanted to show how much they cared for one another. She cared but she didn't love and in order to have sex with Bill, Bea felt that she had to love in order for it to be right.
She didn't love him. She may be infatuated with him and even lustful but she wasn't going to lie to herself. This was a very mature choice on her part. It was rare for this blonde to make choices that were mature and had certain morals. She had to choose, she chose to stop.
Beatrix gulped down a welding of tears and unsure why they made an appearance in the first place. Somewhere she knew it was because she wanted to love him but she couldn't find it. She couldn't find a match to ignite that spark. A single tear trailed down her cheek and she used the side of her hand to trace it away. Her lips curled into a sad smile. "Thank you."
Bill knew she wasn't thanking him for not ripping her pants off, but thanking him for having a moment of clear understanding. He may have not agreed with her choice, but he...at the very least, would let her make her own moral choices without being a complete asshole about it. He knew she'd done a lot for him, he knew she'd do many more things for him. She killed for him, she risked her life for him (well that and some fat sums of money), she spent a hell of a lot of time with him, she put up with him.....it was quite a bit to expect her to fuck him against her conscious. Many women could, but not Beatrix. As much as he was irritated, Bill admired her ability to put her foot down, where other women would simply go along with it and hate themselves later.
Part of him wanted to ask her what he could do to improve his chances...but he knew better, that was a stupid and idealistic thing to ask. Love was not something to be quantified or measured. It was there or it wasn't. And for them it wasn't.....there was a lot of other things there....but not love. Besides, hadn't she told him to "stop trying" not so long ago? He leaned forward and wiped a thumb across her cheek. It was still damp. "You can't force yourself to love me, as much as I can force myself to be a nice guy....we are who we are Kiddo, and we'll just have to go on and see how things play out." He offered her a small smile, "I'm not going anywhere, especially not now," he gave her neck a quick caress and let his hand drop away.
Beatrix gave a small nod. Saying no to Bill felt almost as good as the actual fuck could have. Well, not nearly but she did feel enlightened and reassured to know that Bill could find it in himself to accept her. Conceivably the only choice he'd ever accept. She wiped away one last tear and came back to her typical composure.
The breeze picked up and sent strands of hair to whip against her moonlit silhouetted features. Not only did the breeze mess with her hair but it was bitterly cool against her bare skin. She blinked. On cue Beatrix leaned over and grabbed for her clothing that had been tossed to the side haphazardly before hand.
Still sitting on the grass Bea slipped her shirt back on over her head. As she creased out the wrinkles, blue eyes that had been avoiding Bill now came back to him still holding untouched fondness. "I should go away more often," she chimed in a light tone.