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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
 
 
 

Ennui de Famille - REVIEW THIS STORY

Written by Paws
Last updated: 01/26/2007 02:19:59 AM

Chapter 9

He and Talia were a little late to breakfast the next morning. Henri excused himself as they came in, leaving for work, and smiled at their bleary eyed appearance.

While they had spent a lot of time doing other…things - they’d also just spent a lot of time talking. He’d needed to talk about this whole situation, the things his uncle and he had spoken of, and all of the mess that went along with it. Somewhere around three they’d finally fallen asleep. While he didn’t necessarily have all the answers, at least he felt a lot better about it after getting to talk to Talia about it.

Of course they hadn’t wasted all their time talking. Which was how he managed to keep the smile on his face despite having only a few hours of sleep.

Despite the lateness of the morning, his uncle and Mercy were still in the dining room, sipping a coffee. Both of them elected to stay while he and Talia ate. Talia and Mercy started chattering on about the whole party, which he just tuned out. He couldn’t understand why women would care that much about the colour of a napkin, or if the band should be beside the big oak, or up along the pool.

He was expecting to feel a bit of tension between him and his uncle after yesterday, but as he casually spoke of small things, sprawled comfortably in the large dining chair, he couldn’t help but to relax himself. He was on his second cup of coffee, when Mercy piped up.

“Papa, I was talking with Talia yesterday, and it seems that neither her nor Remy were really packing with the fete in mind. I was thinking that I could take them shopping today.”

Jean-Luc nodded. “Dat sounds like a good idea. I shoulda thought of dat sooner, but y’ still have plenty of time. Why don’t y’ take dem t’ Tessier’s? Y’ should be able t’ find somethin’ dere. Just put it on d’ account.”

“We’re not goin’ an’ spendin’ y’re money.” He cut in, looking from his uncle to Mercy and Talia. All of them were looking at him like he’d just said the most outrageous thing. “Y’ve already done enough for me. Don’t need y’ buyin’ more shit.”

Jean-Luc narrowed his eyes at him. “Is dere a reason dat y’ fight me kickin’ and screamin’ every inch of d’ way? I’m fine with y’ comin’ in what y’re wearin’ if you really want, but I’d think dat y’ may feel a bit more comfortable in d’ type of clothes that everyone will be wearin’.”

Running his hands down the faded denim of his jeans, he sighed. He knew he wouldn’t fit in wearing these, but it felt like he was using his uncle. Of course, the only alternative was to go steal something, an action that didn’t sit as comfortably with him as it once did.

His uncle sighed. “Can y’ just humor y’re uncle just dis once? Go out an’ let y’re girlfriend pick up somethin’ nice t’ wear. Dis will be her first fais do do, an y’ want her t’ enjoy herself, neh?”

He gave his uncle a thin-lipped look, realizing he’d been backed into a corner. “OK, fine den. We’ll go.” Talia lit up like a Christmas tree at that and Mercy just smiled knowingly. Dieu, he was doomed from the start.

“Wonderful. Well, why don’t you two go get ready and I’ll meet you out at the car in half an hour?” Mercy stood up. “You’ll love Tessier’s.”

**********

As it turned out Tessier’s was pretty much the kind of place that he should have expected his uncle to frequent, but somehow you couldn’t anticipate the sheer glitz of it. Mercy or Jean-Luc must have phoned ahead, because the employees that descended upon them the minute that they stepped through the doors didn’t so much as take a second look at them before leading him and Talia into a comfortable private viewing area.

Talia looked like she died and went to heaven. Mercy and a couple of the sales ladies were chattering away with her about fabrics, styles and all that. He was just thankful that he had a cozy chair to sprawl in, a glass of wine on the side table beside him that someone had thoughtfully brought. He figured he was going to need it to survive the next while.

Then they all scattered, returning with in an amazing assortment of things as Mercy and Talia took up their own glasses and started to sip at them. He caught Talia’s hand as she neared him and pulled her down on his lap. “Y’ happy chere?”

She was still watching them bring in what he was sure was pretty much every dress that could be in the store, but she sagged into him, turning to press her lips to his. “It’s fun. There are just so many of them! How am I going to choose one?”

“Y’ll find somethin’ easy enough, chere. Y’d make any of dem look good.” He winced as a sales lady brought through a bright orange patterned dress. “Except dat. Dat one would give everyone a headache.”

Mercy laughed. “I agree.” She waved it off. “Well come on then. We’ve got a lot to start with here.”

Talia gave him a parting kiss as she slid off his lap. She looked like a kid in a candy store as her and Mercy chose one, slipping behind a screen to put it on. After a moment, she came back out, the dress clinging wonderfully to each curve. He found perhaps he did have an interest in this if she was going to come out looking so impossibly sexy each time.

Mercy made some comment about ‘darts’ not working though and shoved Talia back in with another dress. He relaxed and watched the endless parade of dresses as he sipped his wine. Now this was his idea of shopping – getting to feast his eyes on Talia while sitting in a comfortable leather chair and drinking.

He was on what he figured was his fifth glass when Talia came out wearing this stunning gauzy beaded slip of a dress. It was a light pearly grey, light sheer layers of fabric reaching to just below her knee. Thin spaghetti straps left Talia’s fine boned shoulders bare, accentuating the fine sweep of her neck. The bodice was gathers of fabric that all swept outwards from the point where the dip in the dress revealed her cleavage. And Dieu, that was some cleavage.

She trailed her fingers along the sparkling beaded waistline and smiled. “I love it! But it shows a LOT.” She touched the neckline as she walked towards him. “What do you think?

Remy pulled his gaze upwards with an effort, grinning at her. “It’s perfect. Y’re gonna knock dem dead, chere.”

He chuckled as he watched her and Mercy talk quickly about how she could do her hair and what sort of jewelry would look good with it, Mercy offering to lend her things. He stood up and stretched. “So we’re good t’ go den?”

Mercy gave him a look at that. “Oh no – we haven’t even started on you.”

He made a noise of dismissal. “Remy could just borrow somethin’ of Henri’s, neh? It’s gotta be gettin’ on to lunch time by now.”

Talia frowned at him and crossed her arms, which did interesting things to her cleavage. Mercy walked up to him, taking his measure quickly.

”Non. That wouldn’t work. You are taller than Henri, and not as broad. You’d look silly. We can have something brought in if you are hungry.” She patted his cheek. “So just let us have our fun.”

The salespeople cleared out the racks of dresses, Talia choosing to stay in the one she chose for now. He sighed as they started hauling in nearly as many suits as they had dresses.

“Dieu.” He rubbed his forehead. “How about dat.” He pointed to simple black pinstriped suit.

”OK, we can try that.”

He threw the jacket on over his shirt, took a quick look in the mirror, rolling his eyes at how ‘proper’ he looked and then slid it off. “It fits. Let’s go.”

“Oh no you don’t!” Talia grabbed his arm. “You have to try the whole thing on. With a real shirt. You don’t just pick the first one Remy.”

“Why not?” He looked at the two women, wearing nearly identical expressions and sighed again. “OK fine den. Give me d’ damn shirt.”

About an hour later, he was standing scowling at his reflection. He was dressed head to toe in a cream suit that was rather boxy. “Remy looks like dat guy from KFC.”

Talia laughed at that, sitting smug with a fresh glass of wine to hand. He eyed her. It was a good thing that Mercy had gotten a bit of food brought in, as it would help cut the alcohol. Talia was definitely looking a bit flushed.

“Really, out of all of dese, dat first suit was d’ best of d’ lot. Can we just get dat?”

“Noooo. That one made you look too old.” Talia stood up and sauntered over, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a very good view of down her top. “You need something more sexy.”

Mercy nodded at that. “Oui, I agree. I think the problem was that we’re trying to make you fit the mold, rather than choosing things that would suit you more.” She tapped one finger against her lip. “I think we need something with a bit of flare. Maybe a bit of a sheen?”

Remy looked at her wide eyed. “Oh no…Remy’s not wearin’ nothin’ all frilly.”

Mercy just ignored him, and pulled a shirt and plain pair of pants off their hangers. “Try this.”

He took the slippery shirt and pants and put them on. The shirt clung to his lean frame, and was surprisingly masculine despite being ‘shiny’.

“Come out already!” He stepped out, grinning at the expression on Talia’s face. “Oh that is more like it, baby. We found you a jacket too.”

He took the simple black jacket and put it on, noticing that it fit much closer to him than the rest of the more business-like jackets had. Despite it being velvet it was still surprisingly cool. Not something he’d probably want to wear in the middle of the day, but at night it shouldn’t be too bad. He had to admit it looked pretty damn good, even if it was satin and velvet. Dieu. What a peacock he was.

“Maybe we should get the shirt in a different colour though – all black just looks so somber.” Mercy flipped through the same style of shirt, smiling as she found a deep rich blue one. “Perfect.”

****************

They sat together, watching the shadows stretch out over the lawn, the air finally cooling around them. Remy kept the porch swinging gently with one foot, stroking the hair that was sprawled over his lap. He was tucked comfortably up along one end of it, Talia laying on her side across the main part of it, her head on his thigh. Her eyes were slitted in delight as his fingers teased at her scalp.

“This is just so…southern.” Talia pressed her cheek into his leg, and squeezed his knee in affection. “It’s like something out of a movie.”

He chuckled, tickling gently at her ear with one long finger. “Oh, oui. Remy can see dat now. It’d be a blockbuster. Le Diable Blanc an’ his Femme Bleu” He arched an eyebrow at her. “Though I suppose doin’ a movie is in y’re genetics.”

She poked him hard in the side “I don’t want to talk about him. And hello? French again?”

“The white devil an’ his blue lady.” He smoothed her hair back again. “It sounds like a movie title don’t it?”

“Yeah – but who said you’d be the star?” She twisted so that she could face him. “Why do I get to just be your sidekick!”

He chuckled, and held his hands up in defeat. “Ok den, how about ‘D’ Divine Talia an’ her Lowly Man-servant.” He yelped as she pinched him hard.

“You’re impossible.” She huffed at him, flopping back onto her side.

He kept running his fingers through her hair for a bit, occasionally trailing them down her back. He was just content to lose himself in the moment, the last rays of sun setting the clouds afire, a slight breeze lightening the cloyingly heavy air around them.

“What are you thinking?” Her voice was muffled, drowsy sounding.

“Oh, I dunno chere. Bit of dis an dat. Just happy mostly, an’ enjoyin’ it.” He was startled to realize just how content he actually was. A sense of peace and belonging had settled over him during these few days that he’d never guessed he could have.

“Its funny, neh? Came down here cause I thought dat I lost half of my family an’ ended up wit’ more dan I had before. If y’ can even count my parents as family dat is.” He shifted her head to a less numb part of his thigh. “It’s been nice t’ get t’ know dem.”

She sat up, turning to face him, grabbing one of his hands and holding it tightly. “I’m glad that you found them. Your uncle has been really cool.”

“Oui, he’s not too bad, neh? Though he’s still givin’ me shit about workin’ harder at school. An’ all dat is still a bit of a mess, neh? Guess dat I’ll have t’ figure out some way of makin’ it work.” He grinned at her. “My uncle gets in a fair state when he’s got a bone t’ pick.”

“So do you.” She traced one of his eyebrows with a finger tip. “He’s a lot like you, you know? It’s almost freaky some times. You’ll both look at me with the same look or something – and God…it’s so bizarre. It’s too bad he didn’t know you when you were younger.”

He just shrugged, smiling softly. “Oui, suppose dat would be easier. But den I wouldn’t have learned the shit dat I know. Maybe wouldn’t have gone t’ N’York an met y’. An’ I wouldn’t trade dat for anythin’.”

She leaned in towards him. “You always know the right thing to say don’t you?”

He chuckled. “I try chere. Dere somethin’ I’m missin’? Any other things y’ want whispered in y’re ear?” He cupped her jaw in his hand, tracing his thumb along her bottom lip.

“Well – not words. There is something that you could do for me though.”

“Well y’ know me. Never one t’ disappoint y’.” He leaned down the last few inches and pressed his lips to hers.

 

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