An Enjolras/Eponine Modern AU
Greetings From California, Wish You Were Her
Eponine
She sorted through her mail, tossing out the junk and growling at the bills. Bills, bills, bills. How she hated them. Bills required money and money was something that she did not have much of; not since she quit her job at the café two weeks ago. Since then she'd been living off of her savings, spending cash only when necessary and completely avoiding her credit cards.
It's not that she didn't want to work. She could easily go out and get another job at a diner or any fast food joint, but she chose not to because she knew that sooner or later he'd call for her and ask her to move out to California with him. He'd promised her he would. And she believed him.
Nearing the end of the mail stack, Eponine spotted a glossy yellow sun over a pale blue background; a postcard. She tossed the rest of the mail on the coffee table and looked at the card. It was a cartoon drawing of an obese and balding man sitting on the beach. His jaw lay comically in his lap as he ogled the gorgeous bikini clad Barbie that was strolling past. The caption read, "Greetings from California, Wish you were HER".
Eponine scoffed at the picture before turning the card over and instantly recognizing her boyfriend's immaculate handwriting.
Baby,
How are you? I miss you. Things are good out here. The firm is paying me well but working me like a dog. I never seem to get any time to myself anymore. In fact I'm having to write this during a piss break. Ha ha ha.
Looks like I might have to push the date back a bit. Maybe we can try again in a few months. I'll let you know when things clear up. Hope to see you soon.
Luc
Eponine stared at the card, her hands shaking, her eyes brimming with tears. Not ready yet? How could he not be ready for her yet? He'd been in California for over two months! That's plenty of time to get things situated and ready! She wasn't asking for a wedding ring or a lifetime commitment; just a chance to be with the man she loved.
Furious, Eponine threw the card onto the floor. She began to pace. How could he do this to her?! She quit her job and lived off of her savings. And for what? A maybe? A hope to see you soon?
Bullshit! What the hell was taking him so long? Why can't he-
Eponine paused, mid thought.
"He's seeing someone else", she said out loud. "He's fucking seeing someone else! That prick!"
She shook her head violently. How could that bastard do this to her? How long was he going to keep her dangling like this? No, enough was enough. Before she could talk herself out of it, Eponine was in her room, sorting through her clothes. She pulled out her pink overnight bag and propped it open.
She was going to California.
The plane landed at LAX a little after 12:00pm the following afternoon. The California sun beat down on her already tanned cheeks as Eponine walked out of the terminal, carrying her small carry-on bag on her shoulder and dragging her overnight behind her. Parked along the curb was a bevy of random taxi cabs, all waiting for patrons. She walked to the cleanest looking one, a white minivan with the words ALL DAY TAXI painted on the side. She knocked on the window.
"Are you available?" she mouthed.
The man pointed to the backseat with his thumb and yelled through the glass, "Get in!"
She opened the van door and was immediately met with the smell of stale cigarettes. She winced at the overpowering aroma but stepped into the cab anyway, tossing her overnight into the back. She then turned and sat in the seat.
"Where to?" The cabbie eyed her through the rearview mirror.
Eponine strapped the seatbelt over her chest. "Um, Daniels, Vaughn and Beck, please?"
"Okay. And where is that?"
Eponine sighed. "I don't know. I just know they are a law firm here in LA. Don't you have a GPS?"
The cabbie smiled and turned the Garmin on. As he waited for it to start up, Eponine pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Luc's number. It went straight to voicemail. No surprise. He never seemed to have his cell phone on. Another reason to be suspicious. Searching through her contact list she found the number for his law office and pressed DIAL. Moments later an elderly woman that Eponine recognized as Ethel, the oldest receptionist in the world, answered the phone.
"Daniels, Vaughn and Beck."
"Yes, Luc Enjolras, please."
"One moment."
A brief pause before the call was transferred and Eponine heard the phone ringing on the other end of the line. It rang twice more before going to voicemail.
"This is Luc Enjolras and I'm away from my desk. Please leave a brief but detailed message and I'll get back to you at my earliest convenience. If the matter is urgent, please contact my assistant, Lisa, at extension 2460. Thank you."
Eponine sighed again and hung up the phone. There was no point in leaving a message. She'd be there in a few minutes anyway. Putting the phone back in her pocket, she looked up at the cabbie.
"Got the address?"
"Almost." The cabbie was typing the name of the business onto the screen. "My name is Marco, by the way."
Eponine smiled. "Hi Marco, I'm Eponine."
"Wow, that's a pretty name. French?"
"Yes. Family name."
Marco nodded. "So what's at this attorney's office? You having legal trouble?"
Eponine fidgeted in her seat. She had always hated small talk. "My boyfriend works there."
Marco nodded again. After a few more seconds a small beep emitted from the GPS and a rather sexy female voice announced where they were and how far to go to the first turn. Marco pulled away from the curb and Eponine settle back into her seat and closed her eyes.
Enjolras
"Hey, Enjolras, you comin' tonight?"
"What?" Enjolras turned just in time to see Steve Vaughn, the son of one of the company's founders, heading towards him with a big grin on his face. "What's tonight?"
"Didn't you hear?" Steve reached past Enjolras for the coffee pot and emptied the rest of its contents into his "Lawyers Do It For A Percentage" coffee cup. He smelled of cigarettes and licorice. "Jake Addy won his case this morning. Half a million dollar settlement. Dad's buying drinks tonight."
Enjolras nodded in understanding and then shook his head in decline. "No, man, sorry. I can't tonight. I've got a client coming in tomorrow and I still need to get some stuff written up. Maybe another time."
"Dude…" Steve shook his head. "You work way too damn hard. I mean, I know there's shit to be done and all, but there's nothing wrong with kickin' back in celebration, you know?"
"I know." Enjolras smiled and patted Steve on the shoulder. "Maybe another time." He skirted past Steve before anything else could be said and made his way as quickly as he could to his office. Lisa, his assistant, was waiting for him at the door.
She put her hand up before he could take another step. In his hands she place an inch think manila envelope.
"Here are the papers you needed for the Coleman case. Jack Wagner cancelled this afternoon's meeting and pushed it back to Friday. Oh, and your phone rang twice while you were gone. I have an appointment in 30 minutes so I'll be gone for the rest of the day. Anything for me before I leave?"
Enjolras stared at Lisa with incredulity. He had never heard an assistant talk to her "boss" the way Lisa talked to him. Granted, she'd been with the company for ten years before Enjolras started, but still. She seemed to be the boss of their relationship, instead of the other way around, and it drove him crazy.
"No, Lisa, we're good." He started to walk into his office before turning around quickly. "But Garabaldi is coming in tomorrow. Big meeting. I want you here early to help me prepare. Between 6:00am and 7:00am if possible."
Lisa smiled. "Yes, sir."
Enjolras watched her walk away and shook his head before shutting his office door and falling hard into his desk chair. He tossed the Coleman papers onto the desk and leaned back. He was exhausted. Rubbing at his eyes with the pads of his fingers, Enjolras groaned out loud. The drink invitation was starting to sound amazing right now, but there was just too much work to be done and not enough time to do it. Leaning forward, he reached for his phone and turned it on.
He wished he didn't have to keep it turned off but he knew that nothing would ever get done with it ringing all the time. He checked for voicemails.
None. He sighed.
Not even from Eponine.
Eponine. God, how he missed her. Missed her sultry laugh and her warm, enveloping arms. He missed the way she purposely bumped noses with him before every kiss. He missed her hair in his face when they made love. He missed her smell. Her smile. He missed her.
Groaning again, he turned the phone off and tossed it across the desk.
Time to get back to work.
Eponine
"Here ya go, miss."
Marco's voice echoed throughout the cab, waking Eponine from her doze. She shook her head drowsily and looked out the window at the 8 story glass building towering over the little white van. Eponine stretched and then reached for her purse.
Marco put his hand out to stop her.
"Nah, this one is on me, hon. Welcome to LA."
Eponine made to argue, wanted to insist on paying but Marco shook his head. He pushed a button over the steering wheel that opened the sliding door.
"Good luck with your man", Marco said with a wink.
Within a few minutes Eponine was holding her carryon bag in one hand, her overnight bag in the other and was standing on the sidewalk, staring up at the imposing building. Her stomach was doing flip flops. Her Luc, the man she loved with her whole heart, the man she'd been missing for the last two months, was in that building.
In the excitement of knowing he was close, Eponine almost forgot that she was angry. She quickly shook off her nerves and strutted through the front doors, straight to the receptionist desk. Ethel, with a face that matched her voice, met her eyes and smiled.
"May I help you, dear?"
Eponine set her bags down and smiled back. "Yes," she said, trying not to let her voice shake, "I'm here to see Luc Enjolras."
"Is he expecting you?"
Eponine shook her head. "No."
"Just a minute dear."
Ethel picked the phone up and dialed an extension. She waited a few seconds before speaking.
"Yes, there's a young lady here to see you. No, I don't believe so. Okay. Yes, okay."
She hung up and looked at Eponine.
"He'll be just a minute dear. Have a seat."
Eponine smiled and grabbed her bags. She walked slowly to the plush leather couch that sat in the corner of the room and placed the bags on the cushions. She was too worked up to sit. Instead she paced, back and forth, in front of a large business card display that held just about every card of every partner and associate in the firm. She scanned the little white rectangles until she found Luc's almost all the way at the bottom, on the right hand side. Obviously the place they put newbie cards; almost completely hidden from view. She crouched down and grabbed one, placing it in her back pocket. Why, she did not know.
When she stood again she heard a door behind her open and a familiar voice begin to speak.
"Yes, may I hel-"
She turned to see Luc standing before her, looking amazing in a sharp blue suit with a red tie. He was staring at her, his mouth agape.
"Well," Eponine stared back, "aren't you going to say hi?"
"'Ponine…" His voice was barely above a whisper and it took all Eponine had not to run crazily into his arms. Instead she pushed her chest out, walked with a purpose until she stood directly in front of him, and with a flourish, slapped him hard across the face.
Enjolras
Enjolras stepped back in surprise, his hand automatically going up to cup his cheek.
"What the hell, 'Ponine?"
"Where is she, huh? Where's the other girl?"
"What?!"
"The other bitch you're sleeping with! Where is she?"
Enjolras stood, in paralyzing shock, and stared incredulously at Eponine. What other woman was she talking about?
"You know what?" Eponine went to the couch and grabbed her bags. "Fuck you. I'm done." She started to walk to the front door when Enjolras caught her by the elbow.
"Calm down" he said authoritatively. He looked around quickly and noticed that the downstairs conference room was vacant.
"Ethel, we'll be in room A."
Eponine tried to pry her arm away, but Enjolras was stronger and managed to keep a firm hold on her as well as drag her behind him to the empty room. Once inside, he shut the door and grabbed her bags, throwing them on the table. Eponine was still trying to loosen his grip when Enjolras shoved her against the wall and pinned her body against it with his own.
He gripped her chin with the fingers of his right hand and forced her eyes on his. His face was mere inches from hers.
Looking at Eponine up close; the flush in her cheeks, her eyes crazy with jealousy, her chest rising and falling heavily from the effort to get away; Enjolras had never seen her look so beautiful.
Before he could stop himself, his lips were on hers and it seemed to be the best thing he could have done in that moment because instead of fighting him off, Eponine responded with passion. A deep moan vibrated from deep within her and she instantly wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Their mouths tilted, creating a perfect fit that even light couldn't penetrate and Enjolras could feel the loneliness of the last two months start to rise to the surface.
He pulled away briefly, Eponine whimpering in protest.
"Still mad at me?"
Eponine smiled and pushed at him until the backs of his thighs hit the edge of the conference table. She pushed his suit jacket off of his shoulders and leaned in until her lips touched his ear.
"Yes" she whispered.
Smirking, Enjolras reached around and grabbed Eponine from behind, lifting her from her thighs and wrapping her legs around his waist. He enjoyed the height difference it gave them and took the opportunity to bury his face in her cleavage, alternately kissing and nipping at her skin. Eponine hissed and grabbed a handful of hair on the back of his head, forcing him to look up.
"We've been fighting", she said, her eyes searching his. "I think it's time we made up."
Enjolras growled and pulled at her denim shorts, frustrated when he realized he was going to have to put her down. Her turned around and sat her on the table, spreading her legs as far as they'd go. The wide leg of her shorts gave him a nice view of the pink underwear she'd chosen to wear and he instantly reached for the belt of his slacks. In seconds he had his pants and boxers around his ankles and his member throbbing in his hand.
Eponine was leaning back on her elbows, eyeing his sex with carnal hunger. She wanted him and he knew it. Taking his right hand, he went through the leg of her shorts to shove her underwear aside and then stepped forward and entered her hard. She was hot and her body craved him, pulling and tugging at him as he began to thrust in and out. She threw her head back and fell onto the table, her back now lying flat. Clawing at his shirt, Eponine tried to pull Enjolras on top of her but the height and awkwardness of the table denied it. Instead, he held onto her hips and stood, enjoying the view, Eponine's breasts bouncing with every hit of contact.
Maybe it was the danger of the situation (he was still at work, remember) or the fact that he'd missed her as much as he had; whatever it was, he couldn't make himself last as long as he wanted to. Within minutes he could feel the pull of the orgasm coming on and as much as he tried to push it back down, he knew it would be impossible. Instead, Enjolras gave in and pulled Eponine up to a sitting position. The motion caused her muscles to clench tightly again and he groaned and squinted his eyes, amazed he could still stand.
Placing one hand to the side of her neck and touching their foreheads together, Enjolras moaned.
"I love you."
"I love you more." Eponine panted as she came, her head flying back and her mouth open in a silent scream.
That did it. With a groan and a final thrust, it was over. Enjolras rode it out, enjoying the feel of his love wrapped around him. Eventually he pulled out, cleaned up as best he could with some tissues and redressed. Eponine still sat at the edge of the table, her hair a wild mess and her shorts stretched to the side. She looked incredibly sexy.
When the knock came, it made them both jump and Enjolras immediately wondered if they'd been heard. He waited for Eponine to stand and grab her bags before opening the conference door. Ethel stood there with a pitcher of water and some glasses.
"Mr. Daniels is having a partner meeting here in 20 minutes. May I come in and prepare the room?"
Enjolras almost laughed with relief. He motioned for Eponine to precede him and they both walked out of the room. As they were heading for the lobby door, Ethel called over her shoulder.
"Mr. Enjolras!"
Enjolras turned around. "Yes?"
Ethel smiled and winked. "Bravo."