Here's the entertainment [Robert & Edita]

Sunday, 21st of May
Not long after the first encounter of Cassius and Robert
@Robert

“You look thirsty.” Mr. Morrison said while eyeing the empty champagneglass in Edita’s hand. Her lips quickly tugged at a polite smile, but it was gone as quickly as it came. Her thoughts still spun around the man of the hour’s speech - the nameless man who seemed way too attractive for any mortal being. But his words had hit her in a way she hadn’t been hit before. Or maybe she had been hit with brutal truths like these, but they had been about the world - the brutal world of which she lived in. They had not been about her.

Quickly, her empty glass was replaced by one that was filled with the sweet bubbling liquid that Edita truthfully had a weakness for. But she was at work, she reminded herself as she put her lips to the edge of the glass and sipped at its joyful contents.

“Boys!” Mr. Morrison said to the people beside him to get their attention - it seemed to be his group of friends with the way they were all more giddy and joyful in eachother’s company than with the other guests. Mr. Morrison continued: “We have company.” Mr. Morrison put a hand in the middle of Edita’s exposed back. Edita almost cringed at the touch of skin between the two of them, but only almost. She nodded towards all the faces that looked at her right now as Mr. Morrison introduced her as ’Miss Edith’ who would entertain them tonight. Edita could not be bothered to correct him and just played along. She could be Edith for tonight.

“Do you guys want anything?” Edita finally asked. The eyes of the men around her lit up as she asked her question. A smile tugged at her lips. See, this is what her job was all about. Being in power. These men, who claimed to be in power over the politics of this country, now begging at her knees for just a few euphoric supplements.

Surprisingly, Mr Morrison was the one to speak up first, and to Edita’s surprise he said: “Let’s wait.” His eyes were not on her, but on someone far behind her - at least that’s what she assumed. “Let’s wait for the birthday boy.” A big smile was on his lips, and the men around her seemed to light up again, grinning.

Robert was still in his head about his encounter with the Seymour heir as he greeted the next guests in line. He shook hands and smiled, but his fingers still felt the sparkle from Cassius’ hand and his body still felt the tingle from Cassius’ smile. It was silly, actually. Maybe the champagne had been stronger than anticipated. That surely must be it.

He managed to shake off the image of the handsome – objectively handsome – man and refocused on the lively celebration around him. There was plenty of things to focus on; everyone wanted to congratulate him, not everyone patient enough to wait their turn. Robert made sure to give everyone just enough of his attention to feel special and apricated, before he turned to chat with the next person, whose name wasn’t important enough for him to recall in this moment.
“Thank you, thank you,” he said to an older gentleman, who, Robert guessed, was one of the lower-ranging members of his political party, because his face was familiar as well as the admiration in his eyes. Robert made sure to give the back of his hand a friendly tap before letting go of it, just to give him his own little present to take home from the party.

Needing a break from the usual one-sided relation, which was boosting of one’s ego but also took got repetitive when going on for too long, Robert’s eyes searched through the crowd for someone who was on the same step of the social ladder as himself, or at least close enough. Luckily, he quickly got sight of Michael Morrison, his political colleague as well as party companion – in both definitions of ‘party’. His smile widened and he made up a polite excuse to the other people wanting to talk to him – they would get their turn later tonight, as Robert made a big deal out of chatting with every guests at least for a minute or two – before walking towards his colleague. And not just his colleague, he realized, as he got closer, but a group of Morrison’s coworkers. Not people that Robert usually shared company with, as Morrison was in another department during daily operations. Chipper men, they seemed to be, though it could just be from the abundance of empty drink glasses that the waiters’ left their presence with.
And a young woman in a gorgeous dress. A retro 90’s style dress, which could have been too informal for an event like this, but the details with the mullet skirt and the elegant floral print contrasting fabric’s dusty black elevated the piece to an impressing degree. It reminded Robert of the 90’s fashion icon, Samantha Foster, and though he hadn’t heard anything about such style coming back into rotation, he didn’t disapprove of it. The woman here wore it well.

But style aside – Robert had no idea who she was, and her presence amidst the group of men seemed somewhat incongruous, as if she occupied a different sphere. Morrison’s hand on her back was dubious as well, as she was way too young to be his plus-one, with Morrison being some years older than Robert.
Robert’s initial joyful expression turned into a slight hesitant look, although he played it up to keep the mood light and enjoyable.

“Morrison!” he greeted his friend and the group he was in with a raised glass. When he reached them, he playfully leaned closer to his friend and pretended to whisper, while still keeping the volume loud enough for the others to hear his words: “I’m honored by your wish to copy me, but you didn’t have to bring your own rent-a-daughter to play the part.”
He laughed instantly, as did Morrison and the other men, and clapped Morrison’s chest before leaning back from him again. He then shook his head, making it clear that he obviously didn’t agree with his own joke. The young woman clearly wasn’t that young. But poking fun at age was one of the few safe topics you could always tease your political associates about.

Still shaking his head slightly and chuckling, he turned his head to face the young woman.
“Apologize. Just to make it clear, I’m calling Morrison old, not the other way around.” He sent her a charismatic smile and extended his hand to take hers as a greeting. “I’m Robert Jenkinson. Though you might be aware of that already.” He was the birthday boy after all. “And you are? Because I’m pretty sure Morrison didn’t add a plus-one on his invitation.” He glanced at Morrison with a teasing grin. “Or did you check the wrong box again, Morry?” A reference to a time for Morrison excused an unpopular vote with accidentally checking the wrong box. It happened three years ago, and the office was never going to let that go. Then, he looked at the woman again. Though he was acting friendly and unaware, he had an inkling that this girl wasn't just here as a normal guest. But he gave her - and Morrison - the benefit of the doubt.

Her brows furrowed in confusion at Morrison’s words for just a moment, before she herself followed his gaze. Slowly she twisted her upper body around to look at whoever Morrison had caught a glimpse of earlier, her elegant ponytail swishing over her shoulder to cascade down her exposed back. Her brows turned from confusion to recognition of the man who came towards them. It was indeed the birthday boy as Mr. Morrison had muttered. The man of the hour. The man who had held a welcome speech earlier. The man whose name Edita had forgotten.

The man’s voice boomed towards them in greeting. Edita smiled politely towards the man before her gaze turned towards Mr. Morrison. The obvious show of secrecy, while the man “whispered” to Mr. Morrison led Edita’s cheeks to burn slightly. She was not for rent! Nor was she an escort as the man insinuated in his joke… But the men around her laughed, so she chuckled along with them. Ever so the polite girl she had to be right now.

Edita smiled as the man apologised to her. Making it clear to her that he only intended to mock Mr. Morrison, not her. It was not a funny joke tho. Edita smiled anyways as a thanks. Mr. Morrison laughed: “This young pup is just boasting - he’ll soon young our ranks as old” He winked to emphasise the banter. The others around them laughed at this, while a waiter came over with more glasses of champagne, which quickly got all of their attention. Mr. Morrison’s hand disappeared from Edita’s exposed back in this process. Probably to reach for a new glass of champagne from the waiter.

For a moment Edita thought she could fall back for a moment, let her mask fall and just observe her surroundings, while the men had their fun, before their attention would turn to her. But she was wrong, because she already had someone’s attention. She looked at the man’s outstretched hand towards her as he presented himself for her. Robert Jenkinson. Right, that’s his name, she thought. Quickly she had a smile plastered on her face again as she reached for his hand in greeting. ”A pleasure to meet you - I’ve seen your campaign poster around town.”

Morrison groaned from his glass of champagne as the men laughed at Mr. Jenkinson’s joke - a joke that went over Edita’s head as she did not know what he was referencing. Nonetheless she forced a delightful chuckle to blend in.

”I’m Edith,” She said as she shook Mr. Jenkinson’s hand in a form grip. She quickly gazed towards Mr. Morrison as she presented herself as Edith, not Edita. Tonight she could be Edith. ”But that would explain why I wasn’t on the list.” she said teasingly towards Mr. Morrison. Mr. Morrison simply shrugged his shoulders as a reply before downing the contents of his glass. As he put the empty glass on the tray of a nearby waiter he cleared his throat before turning towards Mr. Jenkinson with a big smile on his lips.

“I simply thought that this party needed a bit more entertainment. Therefore I invited little Miss Edith here,” Mr. Morrison winked towards Edita as he moved closer to her and Mr. Jenkinson. “Consider her a birthday present, Rob.” He said this time winking towards Mr. Jenkinson.

He put on a feigned look of offence when Morrison jokingly forewarned about his inevitable aging. “Never!” he exclaimed, adding a touch of dramatic flair before joining in on the laughter amongst the men. Afterwards was when he turned to the young woman and introduced himself, as if that was necessary for him to do.

She grabbed his hand in a firm grip that Robert hadn’t expected from her. He didn’t comment on it – how rude of him if he were to comment on a woman’s grip – but smiled at her, as she greeted him and told him her now.

“Nice to meet you, Edith,” he said her and shook her hand, though his gaze was only briefly on her, before they both turned their heads towards Morrison instead. Robert raised his eyebrows towards him in approval when Edith took part in the teasing of Morrison. How he enjoyed someone with wit to add to a conversation. Even more so when that wit was used to up Robert’s own remarks. He kept his eyes on Morrison, or more so on the tall glass in his hand, following it as its clear liquid ran down towards the man’s lips.

“Easy on the bubbles there.” As a responsible host, he supposed he had to say something, but his voice was barely a murmur, immediately redirected into a chuckle.

Morrison explained his reasoning for Edith’s presence, and keeping with the lighthearted bantering, Robert chuckled on, though his eyebrows gave a barely perceptible tug, a subtle expression of confusion. What did he mean ‘birthday present’? What could this random girl have to offer that-

Oh. Oooh no.

Robert’s smile faltered slightly, and he turned his head towards Edith again. He hadn’t really looked at her before, he had only had a look at her fashionable outfit. Now, his eyes scanned over her appearance, taking note of her features. By many standards, she was an objectively attractive woman, and she knew how to carry that beauty. The dress meticulously displayed her slender figure, and her thick, dark brown hair had been swept up and cascaded elegantly into a ponytail, framing her face. This, combined with her deep-set chestnut eyes, her full lips, and her rosy cheeks against her otherwise fair complexion, all contributed to her appeal.

Oh boy. Guess it wouldn’t be a birthday party without a wildly inappropriate present.

Robert cleared his throat, forcing his smile back to its usual broadness. “Morry, I don’t know what to say.” This was very much the truth; his deliverance of the truth, however, not so much. He leaned forward towards Morrison again, this time actually lowering his voice. “You do know I’m married, right?”

Of course Morrison knew that, and Robert also knew, that such thing didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be the first man to indulge in such taboo carnal transaction. He felt more like the odd man out, since he didn’t want to do such thing.  

He grimaced, showcasing his graceful discomfort in turning down his friend’s offer. “Besides,” he added, “It’s not really my thing.”

Edith was conventionally attractive, but Robert felt no attraction towards her. Her features were just as her dress – gorgeous and she wore it well, but nothing more than so. Admiring her dress didn’t make Robert want to put it on, and noticing the woman’s features didn’t make him want to – well, commit infidelity.

For a second, Cassius flashed before him, the sparks from their touch pricking in his fingertips. He brushed that off; this had nothing to do with Cassius, why would it have anything to do with him? Robert just didn’t feel the need to be with anyone else than his wife, especially not with some escort that his colleague had brought with him to his birthday party. Besides, it made sense for him to not be attracted to her – she was too young. Of course, Robert didn’t know her actual age, but she possessed a youthful energy he couldn’t overlook. For all he knew, she was closer to his daughter’s age than to his own. If anything, Morrison was in the wrong here for even thinking he would find her attractive.

Gosh, these people laugh a lot, she thought as the laughter of the men around her raised once more. She joined in with a simple chuckle, despite the lack of actual humour present in the conversation. She played her part; nothing but smiles all around on her lips.

Albeit this smile faltered in confusion.

But only just so for a second, when Mr. Jenkinson muttered to Mr. Morrison that he was married - a fact that Edita couldn’t really see any relevance in being brought up now in relation to her… She was here to provide drugs; coke, edibles, a few zeals, and other forms of medicine, where the Kozlov label had carefully been removed to not trace her business directly to the company. She was providing a safe environment for these people to have just a bit of - let’s be honest - fun. In no way was Mr. Jenkinson’s marriage a hindrance for this-

Wait.

Still with a smile on her lips, the warmth drained from her face.

No. No. Noooo.

Her head turned to Mr. Morrison, surely he would correct this misunderstanding. Despite her not thinking very highly of Mr. Morrison’s character, but what happened next disappointed her nonetheless.

Mr. Morrison had, just like Edita, looked confused at Mr. Jenkinson’s statement. Then it dawned on him and he chuckled while shaking his head. “Nono, Rob. She’s not that kinda girl.” Then the middleaged man looked at her, complete seriousness in his eyes and asked: “Are you?”

And Edita’s hope for this higher class of society died.

She held her facade; her smile continued as strong as ever, a chuckle just about to escape from her lips, the champagne glass flirting in her hand to draw it ever the more closer to her mouth, just to do something in this situation.

But then her chuckle escaped, she pulled the glass to her lips for a quick sip, and teasingly tapped Mr. Morrison on the arm.

“You’re right, Mr. Morrison” She then looked at Mr. Jenkinson, her gaze just lurking above the rim of the champagne glass that was still held high. “I’m not that kinda girl.”

She took another sip before continuing to explain: ”I’ve previously frequented Mr. Morrison’s parties, to provide with… what can we call it… entertaining substances.” She winked at Mr. Jenkinson to emphasise her meaning. ”I’m only here so you can have some fun”

Everyone seemed confused for a moment, even Edith herself, which was enough for Robert to realize that he must have assumed wrongly.  But really, what else could she be? Maybe a performer? Robert didn’t feel that embarrassed or awkward of having assumed she was an escort - knowing Morrison, that could easily have been the case.

Speaking of the devil. Morrison, too, had a puzzled look on his face. Then, he chuckled and explained that Edith wasn’t ‘that kinda girl’ - though, not without turning to confirm with the young woman herself. Robert looked from him to her as she let out a somewhat amused chuckle and took a sip of her champagne. She confirmed that she indeed was not that kind of girl which was only a relief to Robert. At least his friends knew not to cross that border. Robert smiled at Edith in a non-guilty apologizing manner and took a sip of his champagne while she explained the actual reason for her being here.

She didn’t say it directly but it was easily read between the lines. And in her wink towards him. Robert’s mouth gaped open. “Oh,” he said, then it hit him even more, “Oh.”

The group bursted out in laughter, lightheartedly at Robert's expense, and one of Morrison’s men, Harvey Walker, leaned forward and nudged his shoulder, encouragingly. Guess they had no trouble crossing that border. What were they thinking? Bringing a drug dealer to his party? His child was here!

Robert chuckled along, though somewhat more strained, side-eyeing Edith to get a better look at her. That girl was a drug dealer? She looked so innocent. But maybe that was the whole thing - the drug-dealing… company, or whatever it was called, sending their pretty young women out to catch customers. Clever, really.

“Ha, well, that’s  not really my thing either,” he said after the laughter was done.

This caused a ripple of disappointed exclaims from the men, and Robert had to raise his voice, though keeping the chuckle, to get through to them.  “Sorry to disappoint you, fellas! I appreciate the gesture, though.”

He looked at Edith again, still not over the reveal. Maybe he was just inexperienced with drug dealers - he had only smoked marijuana in university a few times - but she seemed like something out of the ordinary. Then, he leaned in towards Morrison again. “Just - keep it on the hush-hush, alright?” he said and clapped Morrison on the shoulder before speaking to the whole group, “We can all have a good time without making headlines, right gentlemen?” He said so with a gleam in his eye but he felt like begging them not to mess anything up. Tonight had to be perfect. No drama allowed.