Authors: Thomas McDermott
“So, have you always wanted to live in Paris?” He nibbled at something that looked like a crawfish. Surprisingly it was delectable and dripping with real butter.
“All my life.” Sasha confirmed with a laugh and she nodded yes to the waiter who had appeared with the wine bottle. Once he filled her glass she continued. “Ever since I can remember I could never get enough books or movies about Paris.” She put her glass down. “And you know something? Paris is exactly as I imagined it would be. Exactly! “ She hit her hand down on the table for emphasis. “It’s hard to explain but you always have expectations of places you’ve never been and somehow the actual place is either better or worse than you thought it would be…you know? But Paris is Paris. It is the first place I’ve ever been to that feels like home. Yes I feel like I’ve come home after living in the wrong place my whole life.”
“You never felt at home in Ohio?” Taylor swallowed down the odd fare with more water.
“No never. I always felt like I was an orchid growing in the middle of a cornfield.” She laughed at her own analogy.
“I like that. I might use that in a piece someday.” He stopped trying to eat the seafood. “That is if I have your permission. You can of course remain anonymous.”
“Sure it’s all yours. Just remember me kindly in your article.”
“Oh I’m only allowed to write about the company itself. Not Celine or any of her employees. She’s made that clear from the beginning. With the interview postponed I had a chance to do some more research. I couldn’t help myself but wonder why Celine was so secretive about herself. Most of these moguls are walking super egos who can’t see themselves enough in print. Celine is certainly an anomaly.”
“You’ve got that right. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met. And I just met her the other day.” Her pink fingernails danced around the rim of her wine glass. “There’s something about her though and I can’t put my finger on it and I shouldn’t be saying anything negative about the woman who signs my paychecks to a reporter nonetheless, but I definitely had the sense that she isn’t someone you want to mess with.” She looked at Taylor to see if he felt the same way or if he like so many others had succumbed to the charms and glamour of Miss D’Aumont.
“I know what you mean. On the surface she is very sure of herself and very civilized but I have the feeling that if you got on the wrong side of her you had better watch out.” He finally pushed his plate aside. “Well I wanted to know more about our woman of mystery and you know what I found out?”
Sasha looked up at him ready for some scandalous information about the perfect and pristine President of Celgen.
Nothing!” He laughed at his own outburst. “Nobody has ever written anything about her. She’s not listed in any public records and I have no idea where she is from. I couldn’t begin to tell you how old she is which by the way she tells me today that she has found the cure for aging which I think would be more in the realm of science rather than the world of beauty.” He fought the impulse to take her small perfect hand in his.
“I didn’t know aging was a disease.” Sasha laughed again. It was absurd. A cure for aging was ridiculous to her. Aging was a natural process not an illness.
“Well she thinks it is and has told me that this lab of hers in Orleans has come up with the cure for it and she is going to release it to the public very soon.”
“O.k. That’s really odd because I would know about any product launch coming up and there has been nothing like it in any of my emails or meetings. Yes we are launching a new product but it certainly isn’t the cure for aging.” She too pushed her plate to the side and ordered coffee from the cheerful waiter who had a distinct gleam in his eye at the sight of two such attractive people falling in love right under his nose. Taylor ordered a coffee as well and they both declined desert.
“I don’t understand it. She wants me to write an article on a product that nobody knows about, not even her employees. She says this product is going to make history yet there is no press release, no product launch, no advertisement. It doesn’t make any sense to me. If only I could get into the lab in Orleans but she has told me it was off limits as it is so close to revealing this miracle cure to the people and that there were corporate spies everywhere.” He stopped long enough to let the waiter refill the tiny cups of the blackest steaming liquid. “I think she’s hiding something. Call it a journalist’s instinct but she is not quite telling the truth. I can’t explain it any further than that and then there’s the mystery of her missing assistant. Do you know anything about that?” This date was definitely taking a wrong turn. The last thing either one of them wanted to do was discuss Celine and Celgen but Sasha had to admit that he had piqued her curiosity.
“No, I’ve heard nothing. What assistant? Do you mean Ellen?” She remembered the friendly if dull woman who always seemed to be at Celine’s heels like a pet.
“Yes, Ellen. I heard Celine yelling at the secretary outside her office. She was frantically trying to find out what happened to her. I guess she just stopped coming to work and she isn’t a her home either. Celine postponed our interview because she was so worried about her.” Taylor almost gagged as the scalding coffee stung his throat.
“I had no idea! What do you think happened to her?” Now Sasha was all interest.
“I was hoping you might know. Do you know her very well?” Taylor sipped very cautiously this time and noticed that most of the tables were empty now with just a few couples like themselves remaining.
“Not really. Only that she’s American like me and she seems very quiet. A church mouse really. Shy and quiet. That’s it. I mean she’s nice and all that but I don’t really know her. I couldn’t understand why Celine would have someone so non descript as her assistant. I always thought she had a flare for the dramatic.” Sasha stirred the sugar cube into her tiny cup.
“Maybe that’s it. She doesn’t want anyone stealing her thunder. Maybe she wants someone plain by her side to make her look more glamorous.”
“That sounds like Celine. Yes, that makes sense when you put it that way.” Sasha suddenly wanted to stop all the shop talk. “So enough about Celine. What do you want to see here in Paris?” She hoped she wasn’t being too obvious in getting the conversation off another woman. A beautiful woman in Chanel clothing.
“I’d love to walk to the Eifel Tower after dinner and I’ve always wanted to do one of those boat tours on the Seine at night. I heard they’re corny but a great way to see the city.”
“They are a little corny but it happens to be one of my favorite things to do here. One leaves every hour right by the Eifel Tower so let’s walk down there and hop onto a river tour. I think you’ll really like it.” She finished her coffee and motioned for the waiter to bring the check. “L’addition, s’il vous plait.” She looked at Taylor who was reaching for his wallet.
“Did you just ask for the check?” He queried.
“I did. Please allow me to get dinner. You can buy the tickets for the boat.”
“A modern woman. You know I’m really an old fashioned kind of guy.” He was grinning from ear to ear.
“Somehow I don’t quite believe that Taylor Hamilton.” She pronounced his name slowly and he liked the way it sounded coming from her lips. They politely refused the owner’s request to join them for an after dinner drink. Sasha explained that they were in a hurry to catch the next boat for a romantic cruise and the fat man kissed them both on the cheeks and allowed them to pass. He whispered to Sasha as she walked out the door.
“You make a beautiful couple. I bet you would have the prettiest little babies.” He chuckled at his own bedevilment.
“Yeah I’ll let you know how that turns out. We’ll name our first boy after you.” She laughed as she hurried to join Taylor outside.
“What did he say?” Taylor boldly linked his arm around hers. She didn’t seem to mind.
“Oh just that we have a good time tonight.” She couldn’t tell him about the comment from the old man. The mention of babies on a first date was probably the worst thing she could do.
The night was perfect. It was not too cool and there was a warm spring breeze flowing up from the river. They walked along the path that Sasha was on the previous evening chasing the stranger in the black cloak. She had almost forgotten about all that. She didn’t want to think about it now. She was absorbed in the beauty of the night. The lights all along the river surrounded them in the glow of an older world and it somehow just hit her that she was living in the most romantic city in the world and this was the very first time she wasn’t walking the streets alone. It truly was romantic and absolutely a place for lovers. She couldn’t shake the feeling that in her pursuit of her dream she had forgotten some basic need that was inherent in everyone. It was the stuff that made the world go around. She never considered falling in love and spending a lifetime with someone. She had the swift desire to weep at how lonely her path had always been. Maybe she had been a fool. At least she realized it now before it was too late. Things probably would not work out with Taylor but for the first time in her life she felt as if she had opened the door to the heart and the possibility of love. They walked in silence that was comfortable and surrounded both of them like a soft warm blanket.
They were so caught up in the moment they never even noticed the couple that was meandering aimlessly behind them. Why would they notice yet another pair of lovers in the City of Lights? The couple was holding hands and looked as if they were playfully engaged in conversation.
“Frankie, if you don’t let go of my hand this minute I’m going to yank your arm from it’s socket. You know I can do it.” She struggled to free herself from his grip.
“Oh Claire you can deny it all you want but you know you’ve been in love with me all these years.” He tried to kiss her on the cheek but she shooed him away with her free hand. “Besides it makes up look less conspicuous. We are supposed to be undercover remember?”
“Oh now suddenly you’re a spy? How novel! I always thought of you more as a gigolo.”
“Now Claire, no need to be vulgar. That was so long ago and I don’t know why you bring it up now.” He pretended to pout.
“Because I know how much it embarrasses you. What are we going to do?” She vainly tried to let go of his hand clasped in hers.
“About what?” He assumed the most innocent of expressions.
“You know what. They’re together. I mean how can they be together? He’s only been in Paris three days. This is beginning to become annoying.” She finally broke the hold he had on her and punched him in the arm. They were both dressed in dark colors so as not to attract too much attention. In the dark night they looked just like everyone else who was out enjoying the weather.
“Do you really think anything could have kept them apart? I mean seriously. It’s what they do. At least now it’ll be easier to keep track of them. We can keep out eyes on both of them with half the effort.” He tried to grab her hand again.
“You’re right. We can split shifts. You take the night and I’ll take the day. Good luck.” With that she turned away from him and began walking swiftly in the opposite direction.
“ Claire that’s really not fair! You are such a party pooper and I was having so much fun trying to seduce you!” He smirked as he watched her solitary figure grow smaller and smaller. From above a blackbird circled around dropping lower and lower from the sky. The last thing he saw was the bird landing on her shoulder. He looked back to the couple they had been following. They had stopped for a moment to gaze up at the metal tower. With Claire gone he realized he was in for one long and tedious night. Sighing heavily he walked along the river keeping just enough distance between himself and the two foreigners to keep from being detected. Presently they had arrived under the Eifel Tower and ambled about in the vast crowds. It was still a main attraction after all this time. It was the one icon that symbolized Paris and oh how they fought the construction of such a monstrosity so very long ago. Frankie groaned when he saw the young couple headed toward the boats. Oh God this was going to be insufferable. Sure it was fine if you had someone to share the ride complete with dramatic French music but alone it was intolerable. He would get the stares of pity from fellow travelers who always seemed to come in pairs. He waited until they were seated far up front before he boarded. Oh well he had better make the most of it. He sat near the rear to the left side and stared out in front of him pretending to be another tourist. It was no longer any fun without Claire as his sidekick. Now it was just a dreadful bore. He took out a small computer and turned it on. At least he could work on the encrypted information he stole from Celine two days back. Normally he could crack any code but this time she had used every safeguard imaginable and must have paid top dollar for some of the newer technology that for now was keeping her secrets safe. He had to find out what was on the jump drive that held her information and he had to find out soon. Taylor and Kyra’s lives depended on it.
CELINE
Celine got off the tiny elevator that led her to her penthouse apartment in Montmartre. She told her driver to take the rest of the night off. She needed some peace and quiet. Now that Ellen was missing she had to rethink her plans. It was all in order and every last detail was in place and at the eleventh hour this unexpected turn. Celine did not believe in coincidence and was determined to find out just what the hell was going on. If she didn’t know Marcus better she would have surely guessed that he was behind the assistant’s sudden disappearance. Marcus would never openly engage her in any kind of power play and he certainly had no idea what she had been working on. They had a long standing truce which took too long to forge and cost far too much for both of them to be tossed aside so carelessly. Still something was tugging at her brain. Maybe Marcus knew that she would never suspect him and if he thought for one minute that someone’s life were in danger he might just do the unthinkable. She sighed heavily and felt disgust at how Marcus was always playing the hero. He was always championing the fight of the little people with no thought to his own position in the world. She never did understand him though there was a time in her life when she thought she loved him. His very kindness attracted her fiercely to begin with and she had imagined she could start a new life enveloped in all his goodness. But the very thing that drew her to him was the same thing that made her flee from his presence. It was impossible to live with someone who was so perfect; someone who was always doing the right thing and always thinking of someone else. Celine had always been far too self absorbed to ever think of changing her ways. Her affair with Marcus was simply a failed experiment in which she had learned a valuable lesson. Like attracts like and opposites never last. It’s not that she didn’t still think of him in that way but she could not afford another tryst with him. Too much lay in the balance now. As it were they had agreed to this truce and she had made the most of it. In fact, now that they were no longer fighting it gave her the time and the energy to build her empire. An empire based solely on the vanity of the human creature. This one quality had never changed in humans from the beginning of time. They would go to any lengths and spend any amount of money to look attractive to their peers. It was this idea so hard wired into the species’ brain that gave her company the money and loyalty she needed. She was no one when this all stared and now she was Celine D’Aumont the president of Celgen Technologies where science and beauty merged into a beautiful collaboration of youth and beauty products. She looked around the penthouse for signs of life. She had told the maid to go home. She wanted to be completely alone. It seemed these days that she was always surrounded by idiots who were always trying to please her. The wall of windows opposite the front door were lit up with the lights of Montmartre. She liked looking down on civilization. It gave her the feeling of power that she had become addicted to. She felt like a queen looking down upon her subjects and she liked this feeling very much. The furniture in her home was all red and black and ultra modern with sleek lines and curves meeting at the oddest of angles. In contrast to the furniture the place was filled with antiquities. There were real antiques from cities that were nothing more than dust now. Idols from Egypt and statues from ancient Greece filled the place. It was a collection unlike any other in Paris and she treasured each piece as if they were her children. She did not turn on any of her lights. Instead she slowly began to remove her clothing. Only when she was naked did she feel free. She stood there with her faultless body and looked down upon the city. Nobody could see her as she was high above the other buildings around her but she wouldn’t have cared if anyone could. She had never known anything but pride in her body and visage. There was no false modesty anywhere in Celine’s psyche. She was who she was and who she was pleased her greatly. She stared out into the city lights and could make out the river from where she stood. How it had all changed so very much. No one would have believed the changes that time had wrought upon her home. It was far grander and far more exotic and insane than she could have ever dreamed. Somewhere out in the city was Ellen. She was sure of this and knew her timid minion well enough to know that she would have never left Paris willingly without talking to her first. She had the woman under her control and Ellen adored her. No, Ellen was somewhere near her and today she learned that someone had accessed her computer at work. Whoever it was had to know the password and again she felt the tugging in her mind. The newly fired assistant had said it was a little man that she could not resist. This little man easily figured out her password. In fact if it was who she began to suspect it was it would have given him great joy to crack the code she had installed in the software. He would look forward to it. The more she thought about it the more certain she was that Marcus was moving against her and had broken the truce without telling her. Only desperation would make him do such a foolish thing. What could have made him so nervous? He was wealthy and handsome and he had Frankie and Claire with him on his side. It must be the other two that had him in a panic. He agreed not to interfere if they showed up in Paris as did she. If they found their way back home then so be it. There was no need for action. Once Celine figured out who they were she secretly secured them to be in her presence where she could watch them for any signs of awakening. But so far there was no indication from either Sasha or Taylor that they had any idea who they really were and Celine intended to keep it that way.. Sasha seemed a little anxious in her presence but most people were. She began to pace back and forth in the large rectangular shaped room full of windows. She topped long enough to pour water out of a crystal vase and into a wine goblet. She liked her water at room temperature. It was one of her things. She took a long slow swig and placed the glass on one of the steel end tables. What was Marcus up to? Did he have Ellen and if so what the hell was he going to do with her? Torture her for secrets she didn’t know? Besides Marcus couldn’t torture a fly and Ellen knew nothing at all. Maybe he would try to buy her off and get her out of the way of danger. This made more sense and she thought with a wry smile how Marcus was still swooping in from his periods of indifference to play the good guy. These thoughts were making her angry. Her rage was flying out of her uncontrolled and though she knew this was very dangerous she didn’t really care. Her hands twitched and the muscles in the back of her neck began to tense up In one instant the glass of water on the table began to vibrate. Slowly at first the glass started to sing and gradually the singing noise became a shriek and the glass was shaking violently. Without warning the glass shattered in every direction. The sound of it filled Celine with even more rage than before. She knew she should stop herself but it had been so long since she was truly allowed to be herself. She thought of Marcus again and the vein in her forehead began to pulse. With the crash of an explosion the glass windows in the penthouse splintered into a million pieces and flew out to the open air before falling into the streets below. Celine was bleeding from tiny cuts all over her body. She simply looked at them and laughed. Little by little the tiny cuts began to depart from her body as if they had never been there at all. If Marcus had broken the truce then it would have to be war. She calmly walked over to the sleek black phone by one of the sofas and called the fire department.