The incredibly beautiful young woman had taken the sides of Leon's face in both of her hands and planted a reverent kiss right on his mouth. Leon licked his upper lip in unconscious reflex and tasted—champagne…
The young woman's father and grandfather practically owned a sizable fraction of the city. A few pulled strings resulted in Leon wearing an expensive rental tux to help boost security at an extravagant party, thrown to help a reputable judge rub elbows on his venture into the political world. As if Leon wasn't uncomfortable enough, who should show up, but the one and only Count D, as if just to poke fun at his attire…and unease.
When the grandfather's behavior suddenly drew a small crowd of attending family and concerned friends around him, Leon went over to check things out…and prevent any problems that he could. To everyone else, the elderly man seemed to have gone overboard with the alcohol, staggering and struggling to speak coherently. Leon suddenly found himself reliving a personal nightmare from his past. "He's not drunk! He's having a stroke!"
Since the party was on the roof of the sky scraper, Leon barked orders for an air ambulance to be requested. As with most people, the guests only new first aid for people suffering a heart attack. Leon, though, had made damn sure he knew whatever it was that he could do for someone having a stroke…after his own father had died of one.
Left behind at the party, the granddaughter was told over the phone that Leon had saved her grandfather from suffering severe brain damage.
When Leon came up to her to find out how 'the guy' was doing, he suddenly found the beautiful heiress giving him a completely unexpected kiss, and then clutching his dress shirt while looking up at him with passionate admiration.
"If there's anything I can do to show my gratitude for what you did for my grandfather, just name it, Detective Orcot!"
CHAMPAGNE!!!
Leon blinked surprised blue eyes multiple times before the young woman's statement finally registered. "Um…I think I just came up with an idea…"
A good deal of expensive champagne, and a sudden sense of hero-worship had the young woman perfectly open to the idea of rewarding the young man with the pleasure of her own body. That's what she assumed the detective was thinking, with the lustful blaze that was in his eyes as he looked at her. "Really? Tell me," she replied with invitation in her eyes.
Leon turned his head when he caught a sudden movement to one side of him. There was D, looking at him with accusation. "Uh, could we go somewhere a little more private?" He emphasized the last word with obvious irritation.
The young woman glanced at Count D, and immediately suspected a sense of competition between the two men for her attentions. "Of course," the lady smiled congenially up at Leon as if he were the only man in the world she had eyes for, and wrapped her hands around his elbow to guide him inside.
"Detective Orcot!" D's voice was filled with contained outrage.
Leon halted to glare at D. "Hey, a chance like this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing—and I'm takin it!" he announced to D with a sneer of triumph.
The young woman made up her mind to get across that her company was solely reserved for Leon the rest of the night. "Forgive me, Count, but it wouldn't do for me to make such an offer and not follow through—word might get around that I'm insincere." She gave D a tight smile and tugged at Leon's arm as she started toward the building's entrance again.
D followed them with only a few bit-out words. "The detective should be gentleman enough not accept such gratuity."
Leon spun around and planted a fist on his hip. "You're the one that's always reminding me that I'm FAR from being anything remotely like a gentleman!" He'd practically shouted, feeling a strange tightness in his chest when his own statement brought memories of D saying just that very thing to him.
At first, D glared at him fiercely, and it looked as though he were trying analyze Leon's retort in order to make a counter, but then the fierceness changed to something that almost looked like regret. "Indeed." He finally said with resignation.
"Excuse us, Count, but I'm very interested in making good on my offer to Detective Orcot." She cast the disapproving man a challenging look before pulling Leon away from him.
D watched the pair disappear into the building, and turned, crestfallen, to discretely leave the party…
Once inside, the young beauty led Leon to a long sofa, seating herself with a gracefulness that reminded him of D, and tugging his arm to encourage him to sit next to her. "Now, then, Detective, your idea on how I can repay you for taking care of my grandfather—what was it?"
Leon eased himself down on the lavish piece of furniture with slight reluctance and examined the floor for a moment. "Um, yeah, well…I just wanted to make sure—you're dad is part owner of the top hotel in the city, right?" There were fast-moving gears turning behind his eyes when he looked up at her.
She tilted her head curiously, a little caught off balance by his question. "You wanted to reserve one of the suites for a short stay?"
Leon frowned in momentary confusion. "Uh, no. It has a restaurant that has a special champagne torte that it sells only thirty pieces of a day."
The young woman's eyes took on a new sparkle of endearment when Leon revealed a different sort of interest. "You're fond of that particular torte, I take it?"
"Uh…no," Leon shook his head, but his eyes brightened with a new enthusiasm, " …but D is."
"D is your girlfriend?" She guessed that's why he was so interested in acquiring such an elaborate treat.
"Not girlfriend—a guy." Leon was so engrossed in trying to picture D's reaction if he were able to get him another piece of that torte…he didn't realize how what he said must have sounded.
The woman's eyes widened slightly with surprise, then warmed as she made yet another assumption. "I see…and he likes the champagne torte."
Leon grinned instantly and let out a laugh. "Likes? Are you kidding? He nearly went ape-shit the day I was able to buy him a piece of it!" He stopped grinning suddenly and looked at her abashed. "Sorry."
She smiled at him reassuringly. "Don't be."
D had gone through the next day expecting Leon to stop by. He thought the detective might stop by before going to work to gloat about the previous evening. When that didn't happen, he expected Leon to appear on his lunch hour to do it. When that didn't happen, D was almost relieved to hear the door open and Leon calling for him just before he was about to close the shop. He turned with a soft sigh, unexpectedly relieved to finally get this predictable moment over with.
Leon was using both hands to support the rather large box that displayed the emblem of the hotel that…
D's nostril's twitched, despite his efforts to keep an air of regal contempt. "That—aroma…" he breathed in a nearly hypnotized gaze.
"Hmph. Woulda thought you'd have a way bigger reaction than the last time I got this…since it's more than just one piece?"
D's eyes widened in disbelief. "More?"
Leon busied himself with setting the large confection on the usual table and opening it for D. "Yeah. Eight this time, or a whole one, technically." He gestured presentation of the waiting delicacy once his hands were free.
"How--?" D stared at Leon at an utter loss for words.
Leon snorted, and dropped down onto the sofa across from the bemused pet shop keeper. "Almost didn't," he said smugly, " seein how you tried to stop me from asking for anything from that lady last night. See what you nearly deprived yourself of?"
D seemed to examine him for a drawn out moment, then looked down at the torte, "This is what you asked of her, then?"
The detective shrugged absent-mindedly, "Yeah. Wasn't havin any luck trying to get you another piece since the first time. " He started to squirm, wondering if D was becoming finicky.
"That's all?" D looked at him again, seeming to study his face for something.
After a quick frown of puzzlement, Leon nodded. "Yeah. What else would I—" and clarity finally came to him. "Aw fuck, D!" Leon shot up from the couch with an outrage that was deeper and darker than any he'd seemed to hold before. "The girl's granddad coulda died from that stroke he had. Do you honestly think that I'd—FUCK!" He shook his head, eyes aflame with anguish…and then literally ran out of the room through the doors. "FUCK!"
D tore after the detective, but stopped at the door to call to him in unrestrained desperation, "Leon! Please! I'm sorry!"
It was hearing D call him by his first name that made Leon stop at the top of the stairs. When he dared to turn around, D looked like he was about to start crying. His heart felt like it was being wrenched from his chest. Not really understanding why, he started back down the steps, feeling unhinged and vulnerable.
"I'm sorry, Leon," D told him again with obvious effort to say it loud enough.
Leon looked down at the pavement and shook his head after a moment. "I'm sorry for probably sounding like I did have that sort of thing in mind," he said when he finally looked up at D again.
D seemed to brighten, and Leon felt his heart skip a beat. "Hope your housemates don't like that sort of thing as much as you do, or it's gonna be gone when you finally get back to it." Leon smiled wryly after glancing past D into the shop. His heart skipped several more beats when he felt D's hands touch one of his.
"Will you join me for some…or at least have some tea?" He smiled contritely at Leon, "I'd like to make it up to you, if you'll allow me the chance…"
Leon studied D's face again, and felt even more clarity come to him. "Would that include answering some questions that I think I should ask you."
There was a long silence before D nodded, "It would."
"Okay," Loen said softly, and let D guide him back into the shop.