I know my chapters have been short and I apologize for this. I'm working on my lengths and I hope if nothing else I will post quicker so that if they are short there won't be a long wait like last time. I truly enjoy everyone's comments and I hope to meet everyone's expectations better :-) This post contains some new side stories going on with other characters. Tell me what you think I can't wait to hear everyone's comments!
*****
He walked out to his '69 GTO judge with his head swaying as he chuckled.
"Can't believe I actually played Extreme," he laughed.
His name is Luc Montreau. He prefers being called Lu though. A preference that his parents have never enjoyed, god rest their souls.
He pops the trunk and gently places his guitar case in and closes the lid firmly.
He walks around whistling the song More than Words by Extreme. He thinks back to the chestnut haired beauty that had requested him to play the song.
Chuckling he says aloud to himself, "Ah ma belle femme. You were a delight to meet."
He starts the car and is greeted with the low purring rumble of the engine. A lopsided grin graces his chiseled jaw. Putting on black Ray Ban glasses he pulls onto the street in the night. Little does he know how much his life is going to change tonight.
*****
She has been watching him for weeks, though it feels like just yesterday when she spotted him.
Dressed in tight fitting faded blue jeans with a simple black shirt and black leather jacket, her simple clothing belies her extraordinariness.
She turns sharply, her combat boots grinding the gravel beneath her feet. She strides down the alley way and, with the grace of a feline, places her leg over her '01 Hayabusa.
She revs the motor a couple of times before pulling out onto the same street as Luc.
As she keeps pace at a distance she thinks back to when she first found him.
*****
"Aracely? Aracely?! " questioned the man as he poked the woman sitting across the table from him.
"Ay what papá?" responded the woman. She was clad in the same black jacket but with a bright purple shirt and similar faded jeans.
"You looked lost in your thoughts mija. So I had to pull you back. What's bothering you?" her father asked.
"Just some stuff from work papa. How is mamá?" Aracely asked trying to change the subject.
"She is well. But you know...I used to do the same work as you. Why don't you tell me about it?" her father inquired as the waiter brought them their coffees and breakfast.
Her face had a rumpled half grin half frown. Her delicate tan mixed with her expression made her look absolutely adorable. A word most in her profession wouldn't use to describe her.
Aracely took a long slow drink with her eyes closed. She relished in the dark nutty flavor of the rich coffee.
"Pues...this new assignment. It's...just so basic. All I have to do is find this Frenchman. Once I find him I'm supposed to inform the archbishop in the area and keep tabs on him. I mean it's...well it's a job for a new one to the order papá," she finished with a slight sigh taking another plug from her coffee.
"Frenchman...hmmm. Sabes que! I remember something about a French family. Dicé. What is his name?" asked the aged man.
He was wearing a light off white button up shirt and khakis. His relaxed dress and nature belied his own past of secrets.
Aracely squinted her eyes in thought, "Luc...Luc Montreau. Si. That was his name."
Her father set his coffee down slowly. He wiped his lips with a napkin as his eyes slowly moved left and right in thought. Finally sighing he spoke, "Montreau. There is a name I have not heard since before you were born mija. I...I..."
"Que papá? What's wrong? I don't think I've seen that look on your face since I fell off my first horse," she queried with a concerned look of her own.
"I...I cannot say mija. You know that you never really retire from this work. Maldita mi suerte. I'm going to see if I can either take this assignment or at least get another to take it for you. This man. His family has a long history in the order. Longer than our own family. They are especiál. That is all I can say for now. Pardòn. I must go. Continue your assignment as normal unless contacted to change. Mija. Por favor. Cuidado." Her father finished and got up abruptly.
Aracely sat there for a moment and then walked to the register and paid their ticket.
As she strapped on her full face black helmet, she found herself feeling a little uneasy. Her father just wasn't the type to be shaken like that.
Pues, off to this ristoranté, she thought to herself.
She had heard that, ironically, a local French restaurant had a guitarist that was actually French. It wasn't much to go on, true. But at the moment it was the only lead she had and it was information acquired from the local church.
She sped off on her midnight blue Hayabusa. Easily picking her way through the traffic she arrived at the restaurant. Looking around and memorizing the surroundings she took off again to find a decent hiding spot to watch from.
She parked her Hayabusa in the alleyway by a music store she found. She threw a tarp over her bike, to keep nosey people from seeing it. Looking around she found the fire escape ladder and hopped up to pull it down.
"Chingaté. It's rusted stuck," she said under her breath.
She made some more cautious looks around her and then leapt up grabbing a couple rungs up and pulled herself. She deftly made her way up the ladder and found herself on the roof.
"Perfecto," she mused aloud as she surveyed the surroundings.
She settled herself down placing her jacket bundled up behind her head for a nap. The restaurant wouldn't be open for a few hours.
As she lay there, her sleep wouldn't come. Instead she found herself thinking about her life and how she came to this point.
She had grown up listening to her father's stories of his life. How he had once considered becoming a priest but then was approached by the Order of Saint Jean Plantaird de Claire. She remembered that what followed was a life filled with intrigue, fantastical events, murder, and conspiracy.
She had thought that that life sounded so exciting as a child. As an adult. Things were much different. First it was hard enough to prove herself a candidate. Even with her father's standing it was tough just getting the order to admit they were real. Excitement was there but reality has a way of smacking you in the face.
She was pulled from her thoughts as she heard the low rumble of a car. She sat up to take a look.
A beautiful black GTO Judge, complete with the original font.
Aracely wasn't big into cars but she couldn't help but admit. That car was pristine and screamed bad ass.
She watched the car park and saw him. Her first reaction was that he matched the picture she had seen of him. Her second and prolonged reaction...what a gorgeous specimen of a male.
"Chingao...pictures don't do you justice señor Montreau," she said tenderly under her breath.
*****
Her reminiscing is abruptly interrupted by a horn honking as a car swerves around her. Realizing she had let herself day dream she scans her immediate horizon looking for the car with Luc in it. Just as she's sure that she lost him she catches sight of him about 3 blocks ahead of her turning right.