Chapter Thirteen

 

Flashback

 

TJ and JC arrived at the shop just as Jacques was finishing up with a customer.  He looked up when he heard the bell on the door ring and was rewarded with his first impression of TJ.  The man was easily over six feet tall and built like a wrestler; he took up most of the store’s doorway.  With light hair, dark eyes and nondescript clothes, he seemed the type of man who could come out of nowhere, pummel someone to within an inch of their life and then fade back into the crowd with no trouble whatsoever.

 

This idea made Jacques’ throat very dry.  Had JC brought this mountain of a man to beat him up?

 

“Merci ma’am  Please come again,”  Jacques squeaked out as the woman left the store.  Now he was completely alone with JC and this behemoth.  Nonetheless, he cleared his throat and came out around the counter to meet them.  “Hello JC  It’s good to see you.”  He came towards them with hand extended.

 

JC just stared at Jacques’ hand for a moment, then met his eyes.  “Is it?”

 

Jacques lowered his hand, a nervous smile wavering on his face.  “Of course it is.”  He peered over J’s shoulder.  “Where’s Annie?”  The fact that she wasn’t here with him might be a good thing.

 

“She’s back at the hotel.”  JC answered mildly, glancing around at some of the newer paintings.  “She wanted to come, but she wasn’t feeling too well.”   He moved closer to a landscape that hadn’t been in the shop last time.  “Something she ate.”

 

“I hope it’s nothing serious.”  Jacques seemed genuinely concerned, but it was more than a little disconcerting to have a conversation with someone when they weren’t facing you.

 

“No, she’ll be well enough by tomorrow.”  JC turned around again.  “Actually, that’s why we’re here. What time is the service tomorrow?”

 

“One o’clock. We can meet here, then head over there together.  Afterwards, everyone is gathering at Pepe’s for a celebration of Grandpere’s life.”  Jacques eyed TJ suspiciously.  “Of course, Your friend is more than welcome to tag along.”

 

JC caught the edge in Jacques’ voice.  “Oh, I’m sorry.  Where are my manners?”  He moved aside to let the two men shake hands.  “This is TJ, my bodyguard.”

 

Jacques stiffened visibly.  “Bodyguard?”  A sardonic grin spread across his face.  “What, did you bring him along to beat me up?”

 

“No.  He’s here to keep me from pounding the living crap out of you.”

 

A crazed look flashed in Jacques’ eyes.  “C’mon, I’m not afraid of either one of you.”  He raised his fists in an almost comic parody of a small child on a playground standing up to a bully.  “Let’s go.”

 

JC just stared at him.  “No,”  he said after a few silent moments.

 

“Chicken?”  Jacques jeered.

 

He took a deep breath, hesitating for a few moments. He knew that TJ was tense, ready to leap in at the slightest advance on Jacques’ part.  JC let out the breath, focused on Jacques.  “No.  I made a promise to Annie that I wouldn’t hurt you.”

 

The crazed look only seemed to grow in Jacques’ face.  “Then she does care!”   He clenched one fist.  “I knew it!”

 

“Listen Jacques.”  JC took a step forward.  “I hate to burst your little fantasy bubble, but Annie was considering whacking you herself.”

 

He seemed confused now.  “But why?”

 

“She knows.”

 

Jacques face went a deadly white as he slowly lowered his fists.  “You mean?”

 

JC nodded.  “Everything.  Babette’s faked pictures, the phony engagement photo, even the bracelet.”  He couldn’t contain a mean-spirited smile.  “Which by the way, is at this very moment on her wrist.”  The smile dropped away.  “It’s over.”  His face grew contemplative.  “The only thing we can’t figure out is how Babette managed to take the pictures, but I’m sure it’ll come to us eventually.”  He looked at Jacques hard.  “Do you have any ideas?”

 

“Of course not.  Why would I?”  His anger spent, Jacques slumped into a chair by the counter, holding his head and staring at the floor.  He looked so pathetic that JC’s irritation left him.

Softer now, in a more gentle voice, JC questioned him.  “Jacques, why?”

 

Jacques’ shoulders convulsed; he was crying.  “I loved - love  - her,”  he sobbed.  “I always have, but she didn’t love me the same way.”  He ran a hand through his hair.  “I was hoping to convince her, but you showed up.”  He sighed.  “I realize now that it was always a losing battle.  And that old saying ‘All’s fair in love and war’ just isn’t true.”

 

A measure of anger came back into JC’s voice.  “No, especially when one of the injured parties is the woman you supposedly love.”

 

Jacques straightened in his chair, wiped his eyes.  “Grandpere was right, you two belong together.  I was a fool thinking otherwise.”  He looked up at JC.  “Can you forgive me?”

 

JC came forward and extended his hand.  Jacques took it slowly, then shook it.  “It may take a while,” the former said, breaking off,  “but I’ll try. To do anything else would be to dishonor Claude’s memory.”

 

Jacques managed a shaky smile.  “Thanks.”

 

JC turned to leave.  “We’ll see you tomorrow at 12:30.”

 

“Sure. See you then.”

 

“Bye.” With that, he and TJ left the shop, the bell ringing softly to mark their passing.  Jacques remained seated, staring at the floor.  After a few moments, his shoulders started shaking. Anyone walking in at that moment would have thought him to be crying.  But then, a chuckle could be heard in the room, very soft.

 

“So,” Jacques whispered, humor tinting his words, “They haven’t really figured everything out yet.  They don’t know what I really did.”  The laugh escaped his lips.  “Babette was so easy to play.  Delusional, paranoid, stupid little bitch.”  Another laugh, louder.  “Easy.”

 

As JC walked into the room, Annie got up from the bed where she’d been reading. Going over to him, she wrapped one hand around his waist.  “Do I need to inspect you for bruises?”

 

JC chuckled, kissing the tip of her nose.  “No need, I believe I was quite civil.”  He grinned at her devilishly.  “Although the idea of an inspection is very tempting.”

 

She cuffed him lightly upside the head.  “C’mon, be serious for a moment. What happened with Jacques?”

 

“Well, aside from the fact that you have one of the most obsessive people I’ve ever met stalking after you, we managed to clear quite a few things up between us.”  JC grew thoughtful.  “I think I got through to him, at any rate, he apologized and told us the time to show up tomorrow.”

 

“That’s good I guess.”  The idea of Jacques being obsessed with her didn’t sit too well in her mind.  “Anyway, I guess that’ll make things less awkward tomorrow at the service.  Now.”  Annie put on her best pouty look.  “Why were you so late getting back?”

 

“We had an errand to run.”  He replied, nimbly avoiding giving away the surprise he had planned.  “I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow.” He smiled at her, loving how cute she looked when she was pouting.  “Okay?”

 

Annie smiled back.  “Sure.”

 

TJ cleared his throat, drawing their attention. He was standing in the doorway, which made them wonder when he’d shown up there.  For such a big man, TJ was very stealthy.  “Well, we have the rest of the day free.  What would you like to do?”

 

JC and Annie grinned at each other.

 

“Art Museum?”

 

“Art Museum.”

 

“Guess that settles it,” TJ muttered with a shake of his head, smiling.

 

They gathered up their things and spent the rest of the at the Louvre.

 

< Paris >