Lapis Lazuli [Prequel To : For The love Of Chéri]

Chapter 9 : Getting It Straight

At the café, Brielle Hurried to Amélie, "Have you seen Madam?! I am honestly shocked."

Amélie shook her head, "Yes, monsieur said that she fell down the stairs and he had to take her to the emergency room where they spent most of the next day, but I don't believe that as he has four deep scratches on his face." She said sadly.

"Do they just go home and attack each other?" Brielle asked with dumbfounded concern.

"It seems that way," Amélie answered as she shook her head.

Monique was at the barista machine making coffee. Half of her face was horribly swollen and the black and blue bruising was even showing through the thick concealer and foundation she wore to camouflage it, but the black and blue underneath gave her skin a weird, fake appearance. Her bottom lip and right eyelid were swollen, her eyebrow had been covered with butterfly bandages and she had been diagnosed with a concussion by a doctor in the local emergency room.

Monique was grateful that Maurice took her to the hospital when he found that he could not wake her as she lay on the shower floor. The official story was that she slipped in the shower, hitting her head against the sink due to being drunk, and no questions were asked.

As always, Maurice was apologetic and loving afterwards, but he still wanted a name, and that was the source of much continued friction. He seemed to zero in on her every absence and he listened intently to her phone conversations for possible double meanings. He obsessed over the thought of her potential infidelity, but he just lacked any proof or even hint, as to whom in their circles of society could have bewitched her.

Meanwhile, Eugéne had arrived and was waiting tables. He turned to see Amélie carrying a tray with a pastry and a Cappuccino.

"You, are dead meat when my brother and sister get in." Eugéne snarled at Amélie quietly as he pointed at her.

Amélie tried not to look at him as he scared her so much, and he had recently taken to making quiet, hostile remarks as soon as they were near each other.

She ignored him and continued to carry her tray carefully before placing it on the table while bending gracefully to the side. When doing so, her short and frilly skirt would tilt upwards giving a small glimpse of her thighs, hip and sometimes the lace of her underwear. The same thing would happen when she bent slightly to take an order, as Maurice insisted that the first three buttons on the blouse not be done up as to give a clear view of her cleavage and the tops of her breasts. She knew that was certainly his preference, but it had a similar effect on all the single, male patrons.

After handing the customers their orders, she turned around and stopped to admire the view she got of Maurice, who was wiping down a table in the café before a fresh white cover was placed over it. He wasn't wearing his suit jacket and had his shirt sleeves folded up slightly while he was leaning over the table, "Maury...?! Are you alright?! You look like you've been scratched down the face by a cat."

"Shut up." He said tersely as he continued to clean the table.

"What happened...?" Amélie asked, the care obvious in her voice as she stared at him.

"Will you go and do some fucking work?!" He said loudly, shocking her slightly and making a couple of the patrons turn to look.

Amélie looked hurt and then threw her order pad on the table and walked away without another word, making Maurice look back at her.

Eugéne walked up to Maurice who had stopped wiping the table and was looking back towards the staff area. "Papa, can we talk?"

"About...?"