Army of Sin - Season 2 - The Gathering

Episode XVII - Pretty No More

Location: Marseille, France 

They caught the last flight into Marseille that night, the others having gone ahead on separate flights to avoid the paparazzi. Evangeline kept her head down, hair still photoshoot ready with two plaits beneath her wide-brimmed hat as she reached for her suitcase from the baggage claim. Beside her, Mona hummed in tune to the song piping through one ear, the other closest to her best friend free of her headset as she too reached for her bag.

“How you feel?” Mona asked over the throng of passengers also attempting to retrieve their bags.

“Girl, tired no ass!” Evangeline replied, as the pair of them rolled their suitcases, leaving the ensuing chaos behind.

They had the option of waiting in the airport for the next available flight out or overnighting at a hotel to catch one of the midday flights out of the country.

“Where’s the old man?” Evangeline asked, scanning the crowd standing on the other side of the glass sliding doors.

“Strange…”Mona agreed, before giving a soft whistle of appreciation, “That has my name on it though!”

“Now is not the time.”

“No literally, my name is on his sign,” Mona replied pulling her friend along.

“I don’t like this one bit!” Evangeline said through the side of her mouth as the gentleman walked up to them.

He was dressed in an outfit similar to their driver’s, a broad friendly smile on his face. That was as far as his pleasant appeal went though; the light of his smile not reaching his grey eyes.

“Bonjour Mesdemoiselles, my name is Jean-Phillipe and I will be your driver tonight.”

“Good evening, handsome,” Mona greeted, her eyes sweeping from head to toe before settling on the dull grey of his eyes.

“Good evening,” Evangeline answered evenly, “What happened to the old man?” she asked.

“Food poisoning, I’m afraid,” their new driver answered clutching a hand to his stomach in sympathy, “I only escaped because today is the day I fast.”

“Are you a Muslim?” Evangeline asked, interest piqued at this stranger whose face bore no hair.

“Afraid not, Mademoiselle, otherwise I would be trying to make you my second wife at this very moment,” he moved his hand to cover his heart, the light catching on his wedding band, “Alas, I am but your driver, come to whisk you away.”

The tension uncoiled from within the pit of her stomach as Mona laughed at his antics.

“Look E, we’ve got a charmer on our hands.”

“Must be something in the air!” Evangeline replied, lips twitching as she rolled her suitcase behind her, following their new chauffeur.

They exited the airport and onto the highway that led back to the city without a hitch as Evangeline made a note of their driver’s confidence behind the wheel. She looked at his gloved hands gripping the steering wheel and fought the wave of uneasiness that threatened to return. A flicker of movement caused them both to lock eyes in the rear-view mirror. Winking at her, he held up two fingers in an offering of peace before pressing the switch that carried up the tinted partition between driver and guest. Rolling her eyes, Evangeline spared a glance at Mona, resisting the urge to strike up a conversation at the sight of the creased brow and fingers that flew across the keypad of her device. Ignoring the soft growl of her stomach, she tilted her head back and closed her eyes as she quieted her inner voice with promises of food within the next twenty minutes.