Café Rouge

Chapter 12: Marco...polo

Chapter 12

As the days pass, Carlos finds himself warming to Lola despite his own barriers to those feelings. At night, in the concealment of the darkness, he admits his feelings and emotions to her, unburdening himself ever so slightly. He knows he cannot recite his darkest secrets but they're things he doesn't want to talk or even think about himself. The deaths that are on his hands-she doesn't need to know that. During the day, they maintain their mundane routine, made much more tolerable by their newly developing friendship. He knows within himself that having this one part of his life made tolerable and even happy has made him far lighter.

With things finally falling into a safe routine, Lola can't help but keep pondering about her old life. In the deep pit of her heart she misses her friends, her father, her little restaurant. In all fairness though, L'Anime is incredible and Joseph is a joy to work with if not a little bit of a flirt. In a harmless, funny way that injects her day with humour.

That evening, like a few recently, Lola has to work late at the restaurant, meaning poor Taylor has to wait outside in the car for even longer. It's one of the many things she wants to bring up with Carlos again. Taylor constantly, silently shadowing her is something she completely hates and something she's determined to change but of course, it will have to be brought about slowly. Very slowly she'll have to convince him to let her go. But not yet, not until he's closer to her. He's already getting there, trusting her, sharing with her but she needs more. More and then she can start to convince him to release her.

The evening shift is slowly coming to a close with the last few loiters, dwindling away the time. So of course, it's unusual for a new customer to come striding in when they're so close to closing. Lola's wiping down some of the tables when one of the waiters taps her on the shoulder.

"Hi..Jamie, what is it?" she asks briefly glancing at his name-tag.
The teenager pushes his long bangs out of his face, a hairstyle that's strangely popular with the youth these days, despite it being completely impractical.
"Er...right, there's this guy asking for the manager," he mutters, a trait she's asked him countlessly to stop.
"Okay, take me to him then," she sighs, a sudden sense of déjà vu overcoming her.

The feeling only intensifies as she nears the man with the short, cropped haircut and wide shoulders coated in black leather.
"Thank you, Jamie," she quietly nods rounding the table to face the dissatisfied customer.
"Hello, can I help you?" she robotically spews.

There's something about him she can't quite place. He's a handsome man with sharp model-like features and smoothed tanned skin she's pretty sure is due to his ethnicity and not the sun. Those brown eyes gleam as they take her in. His assessment and that glint in his eyes creeps her but she suppresses the shivers as much as she can.

"You most definitely can, Lola," he grins like the wolf gazing at red riding hood, "sit down, let's have a...talk."

She hesitates; fear pricking at her nerves but ignoring the reflex, Lola slowly takes a seat opposite him.
"Who are you?" she demands, her voice quivering causing all façade of bravery to be washed away.
"You are a beautiful little thing aren't you?" he rhetorically asks, "no doubt my brother has sampled you already."

Lola inhales sharply at the disgusting comment. But it makes sense. He's Carlos's brother, which explains why his features appear so similar, and the way he speaks in that low menacing tone is akin to Carlos's.

"You look surprisingly well for being in the care of a Castellano...but then again, Carlos does have his soft spots," he continues to monologue.
Lola wants to demand what he's doing here, why he's saying all this but the fear paralyses her.