Gone
Arthur slept deeply for only 3 hours before he woke up. His body feeling well rested, and re-energized. He let his lover sleep peacefully as he showed and dressed. He had never felt better in his life, despite the few hours devoted to sleep. His face lost it's stern scowl. His body was relaxed. He left her sleeping. Carefully locking the door of the little bungalow behind him.
The five star hotel offered a 24 hour gym. One which Arthur took advantage of to spend his new found energy. He ran five miles on the tread mill till his work out clothes were soaking wet with sweat. He lifted weights and even went for a swim. All the while, she was on his mind. How lovely she was. Her beautiful face. Her small body beneath him.
He had drank to much. He knew that before they had even left the restaurant. He had been so nervous at dinner with her. With Eames and Yuseff nearby. His only recourse to relax was to take advantage of the champagne that came to their table so easily.
Arthur never drank. Never did anything that would loosen that tight control he always had over himself. The alcohol had worked. He had let his guard down. Enough to ask her to come to his hotel room. She had consented. He was sober enough to remember the name of the hotel and that he had reserved the Swan Lake room. While she was in the bathroom, he tried to sober up. But his inhibitions were gone. She looked to beautiful. He cared nothing at all except for his own lust. Like some kind of wolf had been born in him, and it would do the ravishing.
A ravishing it had been. She had been frightened. He knew that now. She had made him stop. So they could be safe. Something that he had forgotten all about. Thank God she had been focused enough to remember. He had been too rough with her. Her body was small and delicate. He hadn't considered any of that as he took her. His need had been stronger then his respect for her.
She had been more like his victim then his lover at first. He knew he had hurt her. Despite his foreplay. He had finally come to his senses enough to be more gentle. To be a man with her and not just some mindless animal. He was showering when he knew he would have to apologize for his sever lack of manners.
At the the front desk, a now re-dressed, re-showered Point Man had the concierge order flowers from the hotel's personal florist. He also ordered a large breakfast to be sent to the bungalow at 7a.m. Arthur would apologize to Ariadne in style. He would take her out to see the sights if she wanted. Or (hopefully) they could stay in all day, making love the right way. He smiled to himself as he walked across the midnight garden to the bungalow. The swans, still awake, moving gracefully across the inky black pond.
His cell phone went off. Arthur paused. The outside world intruding onto his world with her. The Point Man fished his cell phone out his pocket. Cursing himself for being the kind of man who never went anywhere without it.
"Arthur, I've been trying to reach you." Cobb said with a sigh of relief.
"I was at the gym." The Point Man said in the cold tone he always used with his Team members. Except the Architect.
"Have you seen Ariadne?" Cobb asked. Arthur stopped dead in his tracks. His heart starting to race.
"Cobb, what's happened?" He asked. Fear flooding over him.
"COBAL." The Extractor responded. "They had come by the house and broke in."
"Are you and the kids alright?" Arthur asked looking around the garden. It no longer felt safe. It felt like eyes were on him.
"Yes. Were were out at dinner when they came. Were in the air right now." Cobb explained. "Listen Arthur, I managed to get a hold of Eames and Yuseff, they are already in the wind. If you know where Ariadne is, help her get out of L.A." Cobb finished.
"Right." The Point Man breathed as he entered the bungalow.
"Just find her, put her on a plane and tell her not to make contact with us." Cobb said "For her own safety."
"I will." Arthur said casting a quick look at Ariadne's sleeping body on the bed.
"I'll meet you at the safe house." Cobb said before the line went dead. Arthur pocketed the cell phone before securing his hand gun. He carefully checked each room on silent feet as Ariadne slept on. Even looking under the bed. He could waste no time.
~"Ariadne?" A voice was shaking her into the waking world. She opened her eyes. Unfocused and in a room that bit painfully with bright lights. Arthur was standing over her. Fully dressed. He looked angry.
"What... what's wrong?" She asked. Her voice tired as she clutched the sheets over her naked body.
"You have to leave." He said coldly. "Go into the bathroom, get dressed and packed." He said. His voice, the same icy tone he used with Eames or Cobb. Never with her.
"What?" she asked. Surely she had misheard him.
"Do you have your return ticket?" He asked as an answer.
"Yes." She said numbly.
"Good, I called the airlines, a red eye to Paris leaves in an hour. You need to be on it." He said carefully repacking his own bag. His back to her. Ariadne sat in their bed for a while. In a state of shock.
As if her body was on auto pilot. She stood. Clutching the sheets close to her body. His back was turned, but she didn't want to be in the same room with him naked. She retreated to the bathroom where her carry all still sat.
Feeling ashamed of herself she avoided looking in the mirror. What had she been thinking? Going to his hotel room with him? Having sex with him? Now he was kicking her out. Probably so he could go home to his wife. She was just some cheap meaningless affair. A conquest. Tears sprang to her eyes as she cleaned herself up. Ridding her body of any evidence of their time together. She would not allow herself to cry. Not allow it at all. She made her heart go dead as she dressed. Brushed her hair and washed her face. All the while carefully avoiding her own reflection.
Arthur was waiting restlessly in the living room. When she emerged he curtly asked if she had everything. She nodded. Avoiding eye contact. The hotel doorman had hailed a cab for them and they sped off to the airport.
"Listen," He said at last. "About last night. I'm sorry."
She was crouched in the corner of the cab. Her bag between them. She felt herself cringing away from him. Wanting to put as much space between them as possible.
"I drank to much. Never should have happened." He explained. She turned away from him. Not wanting to even look at him. The night sky was dark enough to cast reflections on the window of the cab. Her own face mocking her. She cast her gaze down to her hands and tried to block him out. The time they had spent together had been only a drunken mistake. He was trying to clean it up. How could she have been so stupid?
"When you get to Paris, don't try to call myself or Cobb." He was saying "Understand?"
She didn't respond.
"This isn't coming out right." He sighed.
They had reached the airport by then. Before the cab even had time to stop she had bolted out. Her carry all in her hand. She maneuvered quickly past the heavy crowds (even at midnight) to the international flights. She knew he was behind her. He had to stop and pay the cabbie but she knew he would be close behind. She saw a security guard and stopped.
"Sir," She said looking back where she had come from. Sure enough, there was Arthur. "That man has been following me from the parking lot. He says he knows me and that he's with me, but he's not." She pleaded in the most helpless "girl" voice she could believably muster. The ready made tears in her eyes fell out. They were all the convincing the guard needed.
She hastily sped away as she heard the guard stop the Point Man. She heard Arthur. Trying to explain that he was with her. More security advance on him. Radios buzzing. Heard the guards ask him for identification. She smiled to herself at her small revenge.
'Enjoy spending the rest of the night with security.' She thought bitterly.
She reached the international flights and retrieved her passport, and plane ticket. She was an experienced solo traveler and knew the tricks to easily get past security and the airport check ins. The friendly lady at the counter smiled at her and welcomed her aboard in French.
Ariadne had to smile. The sound of the French tongue would be welcome. She was going home. She never wanted to see Arthur again.
~From the security office, Arthur watched the window as Ariadne's plane taxied out of the runway and became airborne. He hoped she was on it. It was a nasty trick she had played on him. But one he knew he deserved. Nothing about the evening he wanted with her had turned out right.
He had to get her out of L.A. Had to get her safely back home to Paris. He couldn't tell her anything about COBAL. If she knew, it would put her in danger. He had to put distance between himself and her.
The Point Man sighed as the pudgy rent a cop looked over his identification. This would be a long night.