Fortune Is a Woman - Elizabeth Adler [223]
“She took the parcel from her secret pocket and laid it on his desk. ‘Wu Feng’s rent, honorable sir,’ she said in her soft, rough voice. He perched on the edge of his desk, his arms folded. He looked at her for a long time and then he laughed.
“‘Thank you, Lai Tsin,’ he said, still smiling. ‘And how would you like to have that money back again? Your own money this time, in your own secret pocket?’
“She gasped, her eyes grew round at the thought, but she asked, puzzled, ‘What can Lai Tsin do to earn such a sum?’
“‘Do you really not know?’ His voice was deep with a rough throaty eagerness. His hand shot out and gripped her shoulder. Mayling gasped, she had heard that sound in a man’s voice before, she had felt that grip of steel, felt the hands that trembled with passion. But this man thought she was a boy. ‘No, sir, no. You don’t understand,’ she cried.
“He laughed as he held her squirming in his grip, ‘What don’t I understand, little boy?’ he asked, amused. ‘Don’t I understand the glances you send me each Friday when I come to Wu Feng’s? Do I not understand the language of your body, the languorous look in your eyes, the movements of your hands and your buttocks? Of course I do. You and I understand each other perfectly, little Lai Tsin. I want what you can give me, and you want what I can give you.’ He took the money from the desk and thrust it at her. ‘Take it. I’m a generous man to those who please me.’
“Mayling twisted from his grasp and he laughed as she ran for the door. Of course, it was locked. She turned slowly to face him. ‘You do not understand,’ she said again in her halting English. ‘I am not Lai Tsin. I am Mayling. I am a girl.’
“He shook his head, laughing. ‘That’s a good one,’ he chortled, his face pink with merriment. ‘A girl in sheep’s clothing!’ And then he pulled her roughly to him, thrusting his hand between her legs. He looked at her, surprised, and then with a roar of laughter he commanded her to take off her clothes. Mayling was shaking with fear and humiliation. She shook her head, she would rather die than do what he asked. But her masquerade had inflamed his passions, she was both boy and girl and he shook with desire as he threw her to the ground. He pulled at her clothes and lay on top of her, fumbling and cursing as he forced himself into her, trembling with passion for the few minutes it took to satisfy his bestial urge. Then he stood up. He buttoned his pants. He walked back to his desk and sat down, smoothing back his hair and straightening his cravat. ‘You may go now,’ he said coolly, ‘and I don’t want to see you at Wu Feng’s again. Do you understand? I don’t ever want to see your face again.’
“Mayling stumbled to her feet. Her body was defiled with his sticky semen and she trembled with disgust and anger as she covered herself quickly and walked to the door. It was locked and he tossed the key across to her and said, ‘I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I warn you, it’s a dangerous one. Other men would not be as kind to you as I was. They would kill you for such a deception.’
“Mayling closed the door quietly behind her. She walked slowly back down the beautiful staircase and through the grand hall. From the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of the sly, grinning Chinese houseboy as she let herself out of the door. He ran after her, grabbing her shoulder. He whispered, ‘Mr. Harrison is a generous man, give me half what he put in your secret pocket and I will not tell about you.’
“She looked blankly at him. ‘Mr. Harrison?’
“‘My boss,’ he said impatiently. ‘Harmon Harrison, the big banker. He’s the most powerful man in San Francisco.’
“‘I did not take any money,’ she said, pushing the Chinese houseboy out of her way and running down the steps. The name meant nothing then to Mayling. Only many years later was she to realize who he was.
“She did not know how she managed to walk back to Chinatown, but when she got back to her little cubicle, she stripped off her clothes and scrubbed her body with icy water and coarse soap