A Woman's Touch Make All Dreams Better

Chapter Two: Mombasa

Cleo POV

Mombasa was the same as it was yesterday. It was hot, crowded, but you sure as hell can't get the feel of this place anywhere else. I felt more at home here than I ever did back in gloomy old London. Of course, my vacation would've been perfect if I wasn't sharing the city with a certain asshole. All I wanted was peace and quiet for my one month vacation. But for some reason, coincidence he said, Eames got stuck here with me. I know we've got this crazy relationship where we enjoy blowing each other's head off, but I do that already on a regular basis when we work together.

Ever since teaming up with Cobb back then, we were supposed to spread out to different countries and disappear; the job wasn't as successful as we hoped it would be. Needless to say, Eames and I stuck around. It wasn't bad since we got each other's back. We may, on special occasions, push each other close to slitting each other's throat. Ah, good times.

Weeks before coming here, I already planned it all out. I was supposed to be staying in a five-star hotel, enjoy the life of luxury I so rarely enjoy with my ill-gotten money. However, just as I asked for my reservation at the reception, it was 'mysteriously' cancelled just a day before. Apparently, the Forger saw it best if we stayed together in the same crappy hotel we were staying in right now. "Did you really expect me to leave your gorgeous self, in a city like this, without any backup, darling?" he reasoned to me then. I would've been flattered at what Eames passes off as complement, but I was really looking forward on dipping myself in oils and muds for days in my first choice of hotel's well known spa. I was angry. I am not going to apologize for almost punching his teeth out after that.

So here I am in this hotel's little restaurant, enjoying a glass of mimosa, staring out the window, thinking of the relaxing massage I would've gotten if it wasn't for the annoying English man's meddling. I took a sip from my second glass of the day as I stared at the busy streets through the window, thinking of ways to torture the bastard better later, when I heard a cough behind me. I turned around and there in front of me was an Extractor I haven't seen for years.

I jumped off my seat and jumped into Cobb's open arms, almost pushing my seat down to the ground if it wasn't for Eames' reflexes. Cobb laughed at my unexpected reaction. It was so good to see him. It may have been that long since I last saw him and Arthur, but that doesn't make me miss them any less. "Easy, darling. You never got that excited when you see me," pouted Eames. I pushed myself from the embrace, staring at Cobb as he stared at me for a moment, sharing a smile to a friend I've missed very much.

I turned my attention to Eames, smiling sickly sweet, "Trust me, love. I'd get more excited if I found out I won't have to look at your face for at least a month." I walked to the beaten man, kissed his cheek, and just like that, he grinned like a kid with a candy. Cobb laughed staring at both of us. "I see nothing's changed."

"Well, that's not true," Eames said, draping his arm over my shoulder. "If you look at her hard enough, you'd see how fat she's got from all those blueberry muffins she stuff down her throat." I smacked at Eames' arm, and all I got was a laugh from the two blokes.

We sat at my table earlier, catching up on trivial things. We laughed at each other's jokes and stories talking about the good old days when we used to go on jobs together, but I know Cobb didn't flew all the way here just to exchange stories.

"Not that I don't enjoy our talks, dear. But, why are you here?" I asked the man across from me. Cobb went silent for a while, as if thinking on what to say next.

"Inception." I felt my eyebrows furrow. This again? I stared at Eames sitting next to me. He looked at me, his worry clearly etched on his face just as I'm sure it was on mine. He knew this subject affected me after our last job. Under the table, he squeezed my hand, trying to give me a bit of comfort. For that, I forced a small smile his way, not wanting to worry him more than he's starting to.