Samuel pressed the heels of his palms against his eye sockets. He had a raging thirst, his head pounded and he needed to piss. He pushed the naked girl's limbs from his stomach and sat up on the edge of the bed. Sam looked back at the redhead. She was prettier than he remembered.

He stood over the piss pan, aimed, missed, and then aimed again. "Ah..." The relief somehow eased the pain in his head. Samuel touched his bruised cheek, lifted his face to the ceiling, sighed, and then looked around the room. He'd never taken much notice before. Mrs. McGilliget's Gem House was elaborately decorated. Dark wooden furniture, heavy damask curtains, velvet red wallpaper and ornate crystal lamps. Sam chuckled, and so it should be, he thought, the old lady certainly charged enough for one night's pleasure.

Over the last six months they'd become evenings he couldn't remember most of. Not last night. He remembered all of it. As he shook his penis to discard any last droplets of urine, delicate fingers ran around his side to his stomach, and then trailed down the line of hair from his navel. Sam caught her wrist before they moved lower. "Uh, uh." He turned to see the pouty redhead look up at him with her amber eyes.

"My Lord." Ruby wanted him again. Three times didn't seem enough. "I've been a bad girl. You need to discipline me," she crooned.

"Not this morning." He pushed her aside and scooped his clothes up off the floor. "Do you have any water in here?"

"Yes," she said on a giggle. "Do you want me to pour it over my body?"

"Ah... no." Samuel shook his head and frowned. "I want to drink it."

"Oh." Ruby stopped playing the stupid game that came with her profession. She quickly grabbed her silk dressing gown and covered her body. "So... you don't want to..."

"Fuck. No. I just need a drink of water. Get it for me." He yanked on his trousers, shoved his arms into the sleeves of his shirt, and then pulled it over his head.

The girl handed him a full glass which he downed in one gulp. "More." Samuel shoved the cup back into her hands.

"You could ask me nicely," Ruby said. To soften her statement, she held the goblet against her chest and smiled seductively at him.

"Why? You're a whore. I paid for you, so get me the fucking water."

"Really?" Ruby's mouth dropped opened, a pit of heat swirled in her gut. "That's how you speak to a lady." She turned up her lip. "Get it yourself," she spat and threw the glass at him.

Samuel ducked. The glass landed on the bed. Before she could storm out of the room he grabbed her by the back of the neck, walked her to the bed and bent her over it. "Pick it up."

"You're hurting me." She tried to prise his hand opened.

"Well, pick it up!"

Ruby sobbed, picked up the glass and held it above her head.

Sam pulled her to stand, and then steered her to the jug of water. "Fill it. Then hand it to me."

"You're hurting me," she said again and tried to break out of his hold.

"Fill the fucking glass before I break your wretched neck."

She gasped back another sob, filled the goblet and once more held it above her head for him to take.

"Good girl. That wasn't so hard now, was it?" Samuel shoved her back toward the bed.

Ruby stumbled, rushed to the door and turned to face him with tears in her eyes. "The girls said you were a bastard. I couldn't believe someone who looked like you could be. Now I know it's true."

He hadn't looked at her but drained the glass of its contents.

"What's wrong with you?" she whispered. "I do what I do to survive. I don't deserve ill treatment. I have disgusting men pawing at me constantly, making me do the worst things possible. It makes me sick to my stomach, but I'm still nice to every one of you filthy bastards." He lifted his eyes. She watched his face cloud over, but she sucked in strength and continued, "You're nothing but a spoilt brat coming in here every night, gambling away good money, drinking yourself stupid, and then expecting one of us girls to service your limp brandy cock, to then have you blame us when it won't work. You're all the same. You should be ashamed of yourself because you can't even use manners."

Sam lunged at her. He caught her around the waist before she could open the door, and then pressed her against it. He stared down at her as she struggled to push him away. She was right. What was wrong with him? Nothing made him happy. Six months of meaningless sex, of wasted money, pent up anger that he couldn't explain, and time spent on people he didn't care about. This hadn't been the life he had set out to find. For some reason, just as the punch had, this girl standing up to him, made him feel alive.

"You're right," he murmured. She stopped struggling and stared up at him. Samuel loosened his grip on her and stroked her face. "I'm sorry." He wiped away a tear with his finger. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I haven't known for quite some time to be honest." He sighed and shook his head. "I was a complete bastard to you and I'm sorry." He smiled down on her and said, "Can you tell me your name? Please."

"Ruby."

Samuel raised his eyebrows and grinned. "Your real name."

She dropped her head and whispered, "Erin."

Putting his finger under her chin, Samuel lifted her face and smiled again. "Hello, Erin. I'm Sam." He brushed hair away from her eyes with his hand. "Why would you call yourself Ruby when your real name is prettier?" Sam chuckled, and then nodded knowingly. "Your hair colour, am I right?"

"Yes." Erin nodded. When he smiled his whole face lit up and his eyes turned treacle. She had watched him for weeks going with every other girl in the place except for her. The first time she'd seen him smile was when he was drunk. She took note that it was only when he drank that he did smile. Before the drink set in, his face was always dark and serious and now here he was, sober, smiling at her. He was beautiful. She put her fingers on his mouth. "You are so handsome when you smile. You should do it more often."

Sam shrugged and smirked. "I'm a bastard. Remember." He touched her lips tenderly with his finger. "We don't have much to smile about."

"But you do." She looked at him with sad eyes and hooked her arms around his neck as he carried her to the bed. "You have freedom."

Samuel lay on top of her, his elbows on either side of her head and brushed tears from her face. "Yes. This is true." Her words hit him hard so he did something he never did. He kissed her.

 Samuel seems a little lost, or depressed. I hope he changes his behaviour because this just isn't on :(

Perhaps Ruby will be good for him.

Photo taken from Stilolinea