The Double Face of the Designer's Son

Chapter 9.

"Good evening, sir. How was your date?" Claire had a small smile that betrayed her excitement for results.

"Horribly. Claire, she's engaged." Adrien growled in a low voice.

"Oh," Claire remarked quietly. "That wasn't in my records."

"It wasn't? Well, what good are your records if they don't show stuff like that? That's important."

"I know, but I'm guessing it happened recently. It normally would tell me something like that." Claire squinted at her laptop, and typed something, adding to the records.

"You know, it would help if you made an effort. I have less than six months to do this and I could USE some help!" Claire squinted.

"I AM making an effort, sir. I'm trying my best. What my records do and don't show isn't information collected by me personally, it's your father's old stuff."

"Well, maybe you could just try a little harder."

"Harder? Sir, I'm doing all I can to keep up with the needs of your company, and you too! I can hardly be expected to make no mistakes!" Claire was indignant. Her eyes glinted with slight anger, but it died back into her straight-laced persona after a moment.

"What good are you? I wish I could fire you and figure this out on my own!" Adrien felt a burst of passion surge through him. Claire looked slightly startled, but her emotions remained unfazed. His voice ran up the scale to a yell of rage. "Those records didn't tell you the important things! What can they tell you? Can they tell you where to find Nino Lahiffe?" Claire smiled in confusion.

"Yes... I can have his records open in a New York minute. Would you like me to contact him?" Her professional tone stayed, but her confusion also lingered in her face.

"Yes. Have Nino over for dinner, tomorrow at 6." She pressed a few keys.

"What would you like to eat, sir?"

"Pizza!" Adrien threw up his arms, passionately angry.

"Yes, sir." Claire pressed a button on her earpiece, swung her laptop screen around, and began to control the security panel on her tablet.

"And where do you normally eat?" Adrien looked at her with a spark of hysteria in his eye.

"Normally, I eat dinner alone, or sometimes I go back to my apartment," Claire's confusion was now evident in her voice.

"Nonsense. You'll eat with me." The professional stiffness had returned to both of their voices.

"Is that an order, sir?"

"Yes."

"Yes, sir. How do you wish to proceed with the matter of finding you a partner?" Adrien was taken aback slightly. He hadn't considered the matter since the dumpster fire that had made up the end of his day so far.

"I'm... I don't know."

"This is a pressing matter, sir. We can't just disregard it." Claire looked pensive for a moment. "Do you wish to discuss this with Nino? My record shows you were great friends back in the day."

"I think I will. In the meantime, we can wait to discuss this until tomorrow after my... well, what would you call it?"

"Play-date," Claire answered instantly, grinning. Her grin slipped when her boss glared at her. "Oh, sorry... would you prefer 'hang-out session'?" Claire put air quotes around her words, smiling again in an effort to get Adrien in a good mood. Adrien, however, didn't smile. He frowned and looked tired. Claire resumed her pro forma icy gaze and cleared her throat. I'm... sorry, sir. I promise I'll update the records before I try anything else in relation to this matter."

"Thank you, Claire. You are dismissed. I do not wish to be disturbed. I'm going out."

-

Cat Noir ran through the city at Mach speed with just one destination. A determined glare shadowed his normally good-natured, humorous smirk. He used his baton to hop the three stories and land silently on Marinette's balcony. He gave a light knock on Marinette's balcony door. She opened it a crack to see who her guest was, as if it could be anyone but him. Her eyes were red. She'd been crying again.

"Come on in," she whispered. The hurt sounded less like anger than last time and more like pure sadness. Maybe I really can tell when she's down, Adrien considered. "How do you always know?" Marinette asked, holding back tears.

"I don't know. Something just... called me here." He wasn't lying. He didn't know why he was here, but his brain drew him to her.

"The universe always has fantastic timing." Marinette plucked a tissue out of the box on her desk and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"So what's up this time?" Cat Noir tried to sound sympathetic, but it came out sounding rude. Marinette didn't seem to care either way.

"Well..." Marinette hesitated.

"Go on, you can tell me anything." Cat Noir looked Marinette in her eyes and she saw something familiar, as though she'd known him all her life. She sighed. She did trust him.

"I saw the guy I used to like with my friend's fiancée. On a date. At the most romantic restaurant in Paris." Marinette sat down and put her head in her hands. Cat sat beside her and rubbed her back. "I just... don't understand. Kagami is already engaged to Luka. It doesn't make sense for her to go on a date with Adrien." Cat Noir almost choked on air. Knowing that Marinette, an amazing girl, was capable of thinking so highly of a man like himself was baffling. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

"So Adrien... is that the same Adrien who was a jerk to you a couple of days ago?"

"Yep, but I'm done with him as any kind of lover. I won't consider it."

I'm going to lose her, thought Cat Noir. No. I can't let that happen.

"A man like him doesn't deserve you. A girl as wonderful as you can find someone else," Cat said, hoping for the discussion to lead somewhere. Marinette looked up out of her hands and smiled, moving closer to him. Cat wasn't sure what was happening until she was inches from his face.

"I think I already have."

Their lips made contact, and Cat inhaled sharply. His eyes were wide for a moment, but eventually, he melted into the kiss. He hadn't been expecting this, but it wasn't bad either.

My first kiss.