Being Beauty

Mary, Mary, Quite A B--

I can't help myself. We almost reach the door to the dining hall when I slip my arm out of Dmitri's and make a mad dash down the hall. I'm not well-practiced in the art of running in three-inch wedges, but I make do. I race down the hall and nearly crash going around the corner. I can hear Dimitri's heavy footsteps pounding behind me in pursuit. He's yelling at me but I don't hear what he's saying. Too much adrenaline is pushing me. The blood is rushing in my ears. My heart is racing. Escape. Escape. Escape. All of me is focused on escape.

I swing around another corner and come flying into the front room. I make for the door and twist the handle but nothing happens. It is secured shut. I see Dmitri come around the corner and I panic. I grab the lamp off of a table and smash it into the window. The lamp jars in my hand but neither the lamp nor the window break. I smash the bottom of the lamp into the window again and again until Dmitri puts his arms around me and takes the lamp. I freak out and start thrashing and screaming. It's like the first day  all over again. I'm being kidnapped. Dmitri is taking me away. I kick and scream and fight harder this time.

"Stop it, Avery! What are you doing? We are going to dinner. What is the matter with you?" he says. He drags me over to the couch and sits down with me in his lap. "Calm down."

I struggle against his arms but it's useless. Tears are streaming down my face and I'm choking on my sobs. I try to breath, to concentrate on breathing. Dmitri isn't going to hurt me. Not now, not directly. But that doesn't mean he won't hurt me ever. Why did he kidnap me to begin with? They treat me like a guest for the most part. But why? Why?

"Avery, it's just dinner. I'm sorry if we freaked you out. Our guest is just . . . someone with a lot of power. Please calm down. I'm so very sorry. Really, I am," he explains. He sounds sincere but my brain is all muddled with mixed-emotions. 

"Tell me who the guest is," I say. I take a deep breath and let it go, calming down. "Tell me and I'll go to dinner."

He makes a grunting sound, like he's going to argue or get mad at me, but he doesn't. He just sighs. "Her name is Mary. She sort of . . . runs the household."

Ah. The boss. Wants to check on her merchandise. I see.

"Okay," I reply. I'm oddly embarrassed by my behavior and I apologize. I don't know what I'm freaking out for. I've been here for a month and nothing has happened. But I still feel constant paranoia. Who wouldn't? Now we are going to be late for dinner because of my outburst and Adam is going to be pissed. I bet this Mary person will be too. "Let's go to dinner."

He lets go of me and I stand up. I start to walk toward the dining hall but he grabs my arm and spins me around.  I flinch involuntarily and he makes a confused face. "You have black stuff running down your face," he explains.

"Oh. Mascara," I moan, easing up again. "And probably eyeliner."

He looks at me and hesitates before bringing his hand to my face. He starts to dab at the running makeup, trying his best not to ruin it. "I . . . uh . . . I think I fixed it. That . . . it's . . . let's go."

He quickly wipes his hand on his jeans before grabbing my hand and towing me off again. I'm surprised I hadn't noticed his jeans before. Usually he puts a suit on for dinner and plays referee between Adam and me but I guess he won't be tonight.

We rush down the hall and around the corner until we reach the dining hall door. "Are you ready this time? Or would you like to try to smash another window?"

I make a disgruntled noise but don't respond. He's trying to make a joke, but in the scheme of things, he's reminding me that this house is escape proof.

"Alright then. Be nice to Adam and show Mary what an amazing girl you are," he says, giving me a light squeeze on the shoulder and checking my makeup.

"I thought you said I was the worst girl you had hosted in the history of ever and you didn't see why he chose me?" I reply.