Dark Faïz ( Book 1 ) [ COMPLETED]

Chapters 7-2

As usual, there was a lot of traffic on Wilshire, but we finally got to our destination pretty quickly. Victoria was waiting for us by a traffic light, waving her arms for fear of not being seen, then she rushed into the McLaren. Her presence was immediately a real breath of fresh air for me.

— "Hi!" she exclaimed joyfully from the back.

Dressed in shorts and a flowered dress, she was sublime. I realized that she had changed a lot in a few months. Now, radiant, she was much more confident.

— "You were with a friend?" asked her brother while leaving for Downtown.

— "Clarisse."

— "This is the first time I've heard this name," said Faïz, who seemed to doubt what his sister was telling him.

— "Oh, yeah? That's strange," she defended herself.

She winked at me in the rearview mirror. I understood that she would later tell me her little secrets.

— "Where are we going?" she asked her brother.

— "I'll drop you off at Valentin's."

— "You're not eating with us?" replied Victoria, obviously disappointed.

— "I have things to do."

**

The vehicle stopped in front of a very chic establishment and a valet, stationed near the entrance, rushed to open our door. It was the first time I had been received with great pomp and circumstance. The restaurant's imposing name was written in large gray letters. Posted on the sidewalk at the entrance, Victoria waved goodbye to her brother. He replied with a tender look, then he lingered on me with a slight smile.

— "Zoe, I'll try to stop by Elora in the evening to talk about the meeting this morning."

— "Tomorrow, I prefer. Tonight I won't be at the villa," I hastened to answer before he left.

Intrigued, he pinched his lip as a sign of annoyance, looking in front of him and then looking at me again. He was waiting, impatient, for a justification from me. Instead, I grabbed Victoria's arm and dragged her inside the fancy restaurant. I refused to turn around, thus avoiding confronting myself with his authoritarian gaze.

**

Victoria and I were taken to a table by the window overlooking the busy street. I was surprised to see the place crowded at this late hour of the afternoon. At the entrance was a large showcase displaying macaroons of all colors. The decoration, with white and gray shades, gave this place a relaxing atmosphere. Dark marble covered the floors. A bronze staircase led the customers to an upper floor. The crowd inside the restaurant was just like it: chic and bourgeois.

— "How was the meeting with Julio and William?"

Sitting in front of me, Victoria immediately entered the subject. A young waiter with dark circles promptly interrupted us by handing us the menu. Victoria grabbed it politely, but did not bother to take a look at it, eager to hear my answer.

— "Well, they're...welcoming. I spent most of my time with William, to tell you the truth."

— "They're very different. You must have noticed that."

— "Oh, yes. William is more, how to say...secret," I said in a tone that surprised me.

— "No!" exclaimed Victoria.

— "What?"

— "You like him, Zoe!"

— "Not at all," I said, blushing.

— "I've never seen you smile like that when you talk about someone, not even my brother," she said slowly.

I gave her a sarcastic smile in exchange before adding,

— "Victoria, please, it's been a very revealing morning for me. William was kind and very patient in explaining to me why I am here. There's nothing more to add to that."

— "Yes, I understand, and you really amaze me. You manage to be yourself in view of what you just learned and what you experienced last night."

— "It was just an appearance," I confessed in a low voice. "You and your family grew up with it and you live with it, but not me."

The waiter, with brown hair neatly combed, with a parting on his side, came back to take our order. We hadn't even looked at the menu yet, even though it was in our hands. Victoria randomly chose the special of the day to get rid of the young man as quickly as possible, and I did the same so that I could return to our conversation, hoping that my dish would not be too bad. The server left again slowly, without any dynamism. Serving people from a privileged and more demanding class throughout the day did not seem to delight him.

— "Are Julio, William, and Faïz close?"

She frowned and looked up.

— "Julio and Faïz have been very close, but for the past two years, those two have not gotten along so well. Faïz met Rachelle and Julio never liked the relationship. He would have preferred Faïz to focus solely on accomplishing his mission."

— "And you? What do you think of that?"