Stay away from my cousin!

Chapter 1

A beautiful afternoon in Paris, the city of love, pastries and macaroons. Like any airport, people come and go from or to their destinations. A certain girl with blue eyes has returned to her birthplace and is planning to surprise her cousin. Next week is his birthday but hers too as they were born in the same day. She hasn't seen him for so many years, since he dropped out of college. They would exchange letters or call whenever they had time.
"Home sweet home..." she just got off the taxi to her apartment she lives in whenever she comes back in Paris.
Rayna Lamoree, restaurant manager at one of the greatest restaurants in London. She is the only relative that supported and comforted Rody when he was down. In school, Rody always defended Rayna from jerks. They're each other's best friend.
After unpacking and eating lunch, she starts searching for Rody, asking a few citizens if they seen Rody or where he currently works using an old picture she had in her wallet. She knows well that Rody changed lots of jobs in the past 7 years.
"This young fella? He is working at La Gueule de Saturne, it's a bistro not too far from here. If you walk to the right for 15 minutes, you'll get there."
"Thank you sir!" she starts walking
She hasn't spoken french in a while as she only speaks english all the time or speaks french when customers from France come in the restaurant.
Unfortunately Rayna gets lost as it has been a long time since she walked the streets of Paris. She saw some old and new places, worth the long walk.
"La Gueule de Saturne. It looks decent for a bistro." it got dark out, the lights inside are on. She looks through the window, then gasps and squeals. There he is, Rody Lamoree, sweeping the floor as the bistro is about to close for the day. Rayna takes a moment to calm down before going in.
"I'm sorry, we are about to-" Rody says then freezes after seeing Rayna. The broom falls on the floor.
"What's wrong cousin? Did you see a ghost?" she grins, enjoying the shock on Rody's face
Rody wastes no second to lift her up and spins her as he hugs her.
"When? How? Why didn't you tell me you were coming to Paris?"
"It was supposed to be a surprise. Me being bad with directions I got lost. I arrived this afternoon."
"Classic Rayna"
"Says the guy on his 29th job."
"Touche"
Rayna sits at a table for 2. Rody brings her the menu.
"What is this? Only 4 things?"
"I'm afraid this restaurant changes its menu every day."
"I don't want anything from here. Get me something cooked by you."
"Me? You know I suck when it's about cooking." he even burned cereal
"You always made us pasta and it'd be always delicious." that's true, nobody makes great simple pasta like Rody
He sighs defeated "What sauce?"
"Hmm. Creamy carbonara."
"You're lucky I love you."
"Woooow" she laughs
Rody runs in the kitchen. Rayna hears the bangs and clangs from there.
"What are you doing?" the cook who's last to leave asks confused
"I got an important guest here and she will only eat what I make."
"Is it a friend?"
"Way more than that!" the cook leaves the kitchen and sees Rayna "Holy crap she looks exactly like Rody." with that, he goes home.
Rayna and Rody look very alike, same skin color and hair color but different eyes colors. Rayna has blue eyes and Rody has green eyes. People confused them as twin siblings, when in truth they're cousins born on the same day. They agreed to be called twin cousins.
After 15 minutes, Rody brings her one plate full of creamy carbonara pasta.
"It looks and smells delicious cousin." she swirls her fork and eats "Tasty as I remember it."
"Glad to know I didn't mess it up."
"Aren't you gonna eat?"
"You're a customer. It's rude to eat in front of a customer."
"I'm your cousin, not a stranger." she grabs another fork and shoves pasta in his mouth, the plate is big enough for both of them to eat "You're gonna stay with me while I'm in Paris."
"I can't just barge in your house."
"Rody, I know you. I bet you still stay in that crappy apartment with broken old furniture." she is not wrong
"Well I-" he is out of words "Okay fine yeah. My bathroom is broken."
"You're gonna pack up and move in. I am leaving you the apartment after I return to London."
"Wait what? No it's fine-"
"You won't change my mind. You can pay half the rent." nobody can change her mind easily after she sets her goal or a decision
"How long are you gonna stay?"
"A month. I didn't have a break for a whole year. If you get fired from this bistro I'm taking you with me. I have the permission to hire anyone in the restaurant I work in."
"If you hire me, wouldn't it be a case of nepotism?"
"My boss doesn't care as long as you do your job. Anywho what has been happening in your life recently?"
Rody tells Rayna about being hired at the bistro a few weeks ago, his break up with Manon, her going missing.
"Manon went missing? Just like that?"
"It was shocking for me too."
"Honestly I'm glad you broke up with her. She didn't appreciate you enough and I never liked her anyway."
"Rayna! Manon was the sweetest girl from all Paris!"
"There are more sweet girls in Paris. Besides, there is another girl you can now spoil."
"Who?"
"Me!" he laughs
"You have money. I don't need to spoil you. More like you spoil me." 3 times a year Rayna sent Rody gifts: Easter, Christmas and his birthday, all being expensive
"I still have that watch from you got me for Christmas."
"Good. Back to Manon. When was the last time you saw her?"
"A few days before she went missing. One day I went inside my boss' office to get his trash and inside..." he gets closer to whisper "A picture of Manon and my boss at a table outside."
"Tch. Just like that she went for a new guy who is richer? If I find her I'll-"
"Please don't hurt her!" he clapped his hands together pleading
Rayna is protective of Rody. When she met Manon years ago, she felt Manon isn't an honest girl that would jump at a richer, more successful guy. Rayna thinks being kind and hardworking is the ideal partner, not rich and cold.
"I'm gonna tear off that hair of hers if I see her again. How dare she leave him after working his butt off to just please her?" "I'll find you a nicer girl. Or guy if you like men too."
"SHHHH!" Rody is actually bisexual
"What? I'm lesbian. What's the deal?"
"Don't say it out loud!" unlike Rayna who has no shame, Rody is very shy.
"Is your boss treating you nicely?"
"He is cold but yeah he treats me way nicer than my old bosses. Ok he once slapped me-" he realizes what he just said. Rayna's blue eyes get icy.
"Slapped... you? Is he asking for death or something?"
Abusing your employee is against the law everywhere.
"I'm fine! I tried to take the trash but there was something sharp in it. I got my finger treated by him."
First he dried him from rain then got his finger bandaged.
"Hmph. Still a jerk." they finish eating the pasta
The door from the kitchen burst open, scaring the cousins. Rayna's blue eyes meet the black eyes of the owner of the bistro.
"Care to explain? Why did you serve a different dish? And why did you serve when we are about to close up?"
"I'm sorry chef. This is my cousin, she insisted I cook her meal as she didn't want anything from today's menu."
Vincent looks at Rayna, then at Rody, then back at Rayna.
"Cousin? Not sister? You look too alike to be cousins."
"Twin cousins" both say
Rayna takes out a brochure and gives it to Rody to read. It's a comment from the UK restaurants committee about Vince and the bistro.
"Read the section about your boss out loud." Rody quickly scans the section about the bistro before reading it, it's in english.
"Vincent Charbonneau, one of Paris' greatest chefs of the 70s. The bistro looked decent both inside out, food served hot and toasted, a perfect place for a great date. However, the owner is lacking of..." he stops and looks at Rayna in panic
"Continue reading"
"...lacking of genuine taste. The food is tasty, got nice textures, but the way it was cooked didn't seem to be made of love." he finds another comment "The owner looks like a zombie who woke up from the graveyard."
Rayna bursts out laughing. He cannot believe he just read that with Vince in the room.
"Zombie huh. I was told anything but that one."
"I mean... when was the last time you looked in the mirror?"
That made Rody almost faint.
"Well miss..."
"Rayna Lamoree"
"Miss Lamoree, I apologize if my skills are not up to your expectations."
"I ate from your bistro once when my colleague brought it in UK. It was ok." she takes 25 euros and slaps it on his hand "For the meal. Good night." she runs out dragging Rody by the hand
"What the heck Ray?! Why would you make me read that in front of my boss of all people??"
"Manon left you for him of all people? He already pissed me off as soon as I saw him. And how did you end up in this place to work at?"
"They were looking for a waiter."
"Let's go to your place so you can pack up. I'll help you."
"How am I gonna face him tomorrow after that?"
"You just do. Now move your butt."
"I rode my bike here. I don't think we can fit on it."
"We don't know until we try."
She sits at the back seat. Rody hardly cycles the bike as he has extra weight on the back.
"This is not working!"
"Want me to cycle?"
"No. Stay put."
They'll have to take a taxi after.