Café Rouge

Chapter 25: The Art of Forgiveness

Chapter 25

From across town, Carlos is meeting with his supposed fiancé to taste cakes. He holds with him a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates. The flowers are for decoration simply but the box of chocolates serve a purpose. The top layer of the two-tiered box, is filled with chocolate as expected but the bottom has been replaced with those all important documents he'd promised Eliza. It may be a danger giving them to her now but he doesn't know if they'll get another opportunity. This is one activity Eliza has convinced her parents and his that should be done as a 'couple' and reluctantly they have agreed with supervision of course. The brooding bodyguard is close by as Carlos enters the cake shop.
Eliza is also there looking as radiant as he expects. With the warm weather she wears a simple, fluttery, short turquoise dress that paired with those skyscraper heels accentuate the golden, toned length of legs. Her hair is styled into a messy braid and as Carlos nears an easy smile takes over her features.

"Carlos!" she greets him with European style with a kiss of both cheeks.
He passively returns it, pressing back whatever issues he has to concentrate on the person in front of him now.
"Just a little something for you, sweetheart. I think you'll particularly like the chocolates, they're just too divine to share," he hints heavily pressing them into her receiving arms.
"Aw, you shouldn't have," she smiles back giving a slight nod to indicate she's received the message.
The returning grin is slightly forced as he replies, "right. Shall we start then?" 

"....And this is our most popular one quite surprisingly in the last few years-the classic red velvet. This one has a hint of vanilla in the cream cheese topping with flavours of rich chocolate undertones in the cake."
"Great," smiles Eliza politely, "can we have a moment of privacy please?"
"Of course. I'll leave you to try them. We do have some more unusual ones if you prefer but these are our most customer favourites."

Both customers mumble a word of thanks as the sales assistant slinks away to another part of the store, leaving behind the six different samples and two tiny spoons on the artesian block.
"So..." trails off Eliza, taking a spoonful of the pink champagne and whipped cream cake. She feels so much more relaxed now by Carlos's 'gift'. Although not explicitly mentioned, she has a feeling those are the forged papers she requires.
"Yes?" bites back Carlos the anxiety still weighing on him. 

"You look...pensive," she comments causing him to coolly raise that scarred eyebrow of his.
"Pensive?" he echoes.
"Yeah. Lady friend troubles? What happened, she not say 'I love you' back?" cheekily guesses Eliza, simply teasing him.

 He rolls his eyes, slowly exhaling, "nothing like that. I made a...difficult decision which we disagree on."
His eyes dart to where Eliza's babysitter and bodyguard stands beside the front door. It's far enough to thankfully give them privacy to talk as they are without being overheard. Thank God, this is embarrassing enough to talk about with Eliza as it is.
"Oh? And there's no...middle ground? A compromise?" 

He wishes.

"No, I already did it. I was cornered and I didn't have enough time to formulate any alternative. Ultimately I believe it to be for her benefit however..."
"She doesn't see it like that."
"No, she doesn't. And it...I...hurt her because of it. But it's only temporary." 

Eliza winces. She's under no impression that Carlos is a saint. He's certainly not that but he's no monster either. He's just...well, he's just a man. And in the circles they are in, she can only guess what horrifying thing it is that he's done to hurt this poor girl. She is once again thankful she doesn't love and isn't loved by any of the damaged souls that surround them. Like Carlos many probably don't know how to love a woman right and that in turn only ensures a lifetime of heartache. She doesn't need that. She needs to leave and escape. The toxic environment is contagious and there's no one has immunity despite what they may tell themselves.