Crossing the line

Joe's

When the doorbell chimed to allow them entry in the pub, they were both in a much better mood. Hands linked, Frances couldn't help but marvel that this very handsome, very bright man was willing to spend an evening with her classmates. Let alone that he didn't mind displaying their relationship given his previous status.

— "Hey, Frances is there !", Bertrand shouted as he spotted them.

The young woman smiled at her classmates, huddled around a set of tables.

— "Yes, someone convinced me", she quipped.

Several set of round eyes landed upon the man that followed her.

— "Oh, Mr Kristiansen ! What a great surprise."

Emeline's sarcastic drawl told her she'd probably crossed path with Olivier beforehand. As it was, the blond student was huddled at the back. If his close circle only granted them a look to check that their information was indeed, correct, Rozenn' wide blue eyes told her the news had not travelled to the front.

— "Wait. Are you holding hands?", she exclaimed.

By her side, Alexandre sent Frances a grin. Trust his girlfriend to be as blunt as a badly sharpened knife. The noise seemed to lessen, somehow, as her classmates' attention was redirected to them. Frances blushed profusely, turning to Tristan to see how he wanted to handle it.

Her breath hitched; his eyes seemed to burn with a gleam of possessiveness she had never quite seen before. And before she could even respond, his hand snaked around her waist as he kissed her square of the mouth. A concerto of 'oh', 'ah' and whistles greeted her ears when, recovering from the shock, she slipped her arms around his neck and returned the heated kiss. There, if he wanted to play this like a teenager...

When at least, Frances pulled away, she couldn't help but smirk at his slightly unfocused look.

— "OK", Rozenn responded with a smirk.

And that was all. Chairs scraped on the floor, seats were pulled for them to settle and pretty soon, Emeline was standing and raising her glass in their direction.

— "Let's raise out glass to Frances who caught the most unattainable man of the high school."

— "And the best looking", someone else shouted.

By her side, a dark-haired girl shouted gleefully:

— "Of the city"

— "Hey !", Olivier and Bertrand protested at the same time.

Frances sniggered as Tristan's cheek flushed, his head dipping in her collarbone. By then, the guys and girls were bickering over his attractiveness.

— "Out of a million inhabitants, are you sure ?"

By Frances' side, Rozenn's friend smirked.

— "Definitely. That's what Madeleyne used to say."

— "Damn, when's she's going to know... she'll go frantic. She had a major crush, you know."

Tristan merely nodded, his nose still tucked in Frances' neck.

— "Like probably half the girls in high school."

— "Perhaps the guys too."

As Frances' laughed at the banter, Tristan's muffled voice reached her ears.

— "Make them stop, I implore you"

— "I told you it was risky"

Thankfully, the Gods had mercy upon him as the waitress who brought him a beer. Tristan straightened and considered the glass seriously before attacking it firsthand. Gulp after gulp, the former teacher downed the drink, with a few pauses, until there was not a drop left. Frances' eyebrows rose, her own rhum and orange juice barely touched as he ordered a second beer.