When Love Runs Away

The Fine English Chap

30th June 1902

Surprisingly, Anna had been able to keep the fact that she was a prostitute hidden from Agathe for over a year. She had enough money to even move out of her house and buy a small detached house, near the alleyway. She bid Agathe farewell before settling into her new home. It looked like the brothel Anna worked in but except for the fact that it didn't have artwork of promiscuous women hanging on the wall. Anna felt pleased with herself. Finally, she was on her own, fully detached from society, so she thought.

It had been a tedious day at work. Anna and the other women were drinking wine and smoking while having a little break.

"I'm gonna leave now. I can't stay here any longer." Lucille told Anna.

Anna puffed out a smoke and nodded her head. She watched Lucille pack her belongings and leave the brothel. After throwing her cigarette in the bin, Anna looked up to see Samson staring at her from a corner. When they locked eyes with each other, Samson quickly disappeared. Strange, Anna thought and joined the rest of the women.

One by one, the women left the brothel till it was only Anna and Samson left inside. Anna was busy counting all the money that she had received with joy while Samson was observing from the corner. How he wished he could touch the girl! He couldn't resist any longer and walked to Anna, sitting next to her on the bed.

"Are you going to leave?" He asked her softly.

Anna looked up and smiled a little.

"Yeah, soon. I just need to gather my money and then I'll just leave."

"Don't be in a rush. I can help you even."

He winked at her which made Anna shiver. She shook it off and shrugged her shoulders.

"Thanks for the offer, but I believe think this is more of a one man job." Anna stated.

Samson picked up a few coins and placed them in Anna's bag. During the process, he purposely brushed hands with Anna. He did this multiple times to the point that he couldn't even resist and grabbed Anna's wrist.

"AHH!" Anna screamed.

"Shh. It's alright. I won't hurt you. Calm down love."

"What the fuck are you doing to me Samson!" Anna roared.

With all his might, Samson drew Anna close to him, holding her by the waist and kissing her aggressively. Anna pushed herself off from the man and stood up in tears.

"How could you do this to me? How dare you degrade me!"

"Degrade you? Girl, you are the one who degraded yourself, by choosing this job in the first place."

Anna wanted to argue back but she had to admit that Samson was right. She was the one that kept stooping lower and allowing herself to become vulnerable to men like Samson. She hastily wiped her mouth, put on her cloak, grabbed her belongings and stormed out of the brothel, crying. When she found a bench outside, she sat down on it and wept loudly. She didn't care that it was the middle of the night, she was in need of help. Her vision became blurry from all the tears that escaped her eyes. So blurry that she couldn't even see the man that was in front of her, staring at her with worry in his eyes.

"Woman, is everything alright?" He asked her.

Anna continued sobbing which concerned the man. He sat down next to her, keeping a little distance away, and held her shoulder.

"Are you alright woman?" He asked again.

The sobbing stopped and it took Anna a minute to realise that the voice ... the voice sounded odd. It didn't sound French or German at all. It sounded more ... British. Was the man British?