003: bad things.
Remy had not seen Leighana in a week; a God damned week. He was starting to get worried. Who was he kidding? He was beside himself with anxiety. Each early morning Remy would walk down Bourbon Street, hoping to hear the strumming of acoustic metal strings accompanied by a sweet melodic voice only to be disappointed time and time again. What was the world coming to when Remy Etienne Lebeau chased around one girl without at least having two or three more on the side?
Shaking his head aggressively, he took another hit from his cigarette as he walked pass the little singer girl's designated spot towards Franco's. Franco's Club was exceedingly exclusive. Only the best and dirtiest of criminals were allowed entrance and of course the higher ups that wanted to do business with them. Being the best thief there was there was no doubt that Gambit would be admitted entry as he stepped up to the large bouncer. Stepping aside, the large man let Remy into the dimly lit Victorian looking place. It was not exactly Remy's taste but it was the best place to go to if one wanted some information.
He sat down at the bar, back to the groups of friends, partners, and couples that sat at the tables facing the stage. "A whiskey on the rocks and a beer," he told the bartender who immediately began to make his drink, sliding them in front of Remy when he was done. Picking up his small glass, he downed the dark liquid, which burned its way down his throat.
"You drink like a man with experience," a gruff voice stated beside him. Remy did not look up from his glass which he had set back down on the sleek wooden counter, but he did reply to the old man.
"Many things have happened in mah life for me to be so skilled with this here drink," he smirked and decided to look at the man. He was tan, most likely from a life spent working long hard days in the sun on a farm perhaps; his eyes were a deep sea green, and his face covered in grey stubble. Years from now that was probably what Remy was going to look like. He could only hope that he would live that long with the life that he led. Then again the man had to be doing something quite illegal to be able to enter this place as well. The man nodded in reply and Remy licked the brown substance from his lips before asking the man a question of his own.
"You wouldn't happen to know a small, dark skinned girl with long dark brown hair would you?" Remy asked. "She usually sings on Bourbon with a guitar." The man's eyebrows lifted in slight surprise at the question just as the lights started to dim and the crowd clap and hoot with excitement. Mostly the howls of men.
"Well you den come to the right place tonight if you're lookin' fa Bird," he retorted, pointing behind him towards the stage with the hand that held is own small glass. Remy slowly turned around in his seat. There was no way little singer gir-, Leighana, could be mixed up with people like this. She could not be in that much trouble could she? Plus he had called the girl Bird. Who was Bird? All the times he had been here he had not once heard of her. Of course he made it a point not to come to Franco's too often. Too many job offers for small time scams that he did not want to be bothered with.
A slow tune started up, something that reminded him of the days of Frank Sinatra only darker, more sinister maybe and watched as the small silhouetted frame of a woman walked to the front of the stage. Slowly the light brightened on her mocha colored skin, dark hair curled into some 40's pin-up girl style holding a red flower in one side that exposed her ear, and her body clothed in a tight fitting strapless yellow dress. She brought a petite hand up to the old carbon microphone and opened her full red painted mouth to sing.
I've got me a badge, a bright shiny badge
I'm painting the crest in yellow and blue.
I've got me a club, an exclusive club
Doesn't include a place for you
Hey, hello neighbor
Hey, hello neighbor, right you are
It's in the way that you walk
All of the changes, all the mistakes
It's in the demands you constantly make.
It's in the way that you grieve
All of the loss
You don't know when you're better off
Or at what cost…You've got it good.
Although the young woman on the stage looked exactly like the girl he had come to visit every morning on Bourbon street this person seemed significantly different. The glint of joy that usually resided in her eyes when she was singing or playing her guitar was not there. The childish look was also gone, replaced by a seductive woman that seemed to have no soul and if she did, it was terribly broken. Her voice was no longer sweet and innocent, but tempting as if she were calling every man in the room to her. What were those things called? The creatures that waited on rocks and sung when sailors came by only to have them drown trying to get to them? Sirens, that what she was like right now. A siren.
"Nah look here, boy," the old man beside him started, but Remy did not take his eyes away from the woman on stage, his jaw locked tight and eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I don't know what cha thinking' 'bout, but I know it ain't nothin' good. I advice you to leave that girl alone before she get you into a heap of trouble."
There was a time not so long ago
I was master of everything I surveyed
Yeah there was a time we did it my way
We'll do things my way
Benevolent mother that smothered the child
The perpetrators are in denial
The banality of evil
King of the castle
Room at the top
Off with their heads
Chop 'em off
The banality of evil
Even the words she sang appeared to be warning him not to do what it was that he was planning on doing, but what could Remy do? Remy was Remy, the ladies man, and he would be damned if he would let a woman feel so damaged if there was anything that he could do about it. As soon as she finished singing and descended from the stage he was up on his feet, walking in her direction. Like some sort of cliché old movie they locked eyes as a new song began to play. A song that actually resembled Louisiana, a song that resembled him, a song that seemed just a little too appropriate for the moment that it could not have been a coincidence. Glancing over to the DJ that played when there was not any live music he saw the old man standing there, no smile on his face, but he lifted his glass to Remy as he walked toward the girl. He could not help but chuckle, supposing that the man thought that if Remy had a death wish, he might as well do it appropriately.
Finally reaching her, Remy took her hand in his, a smirk pulling one side of his lips up. "Would you care to dance with me, Cher?" he asked before kissing her hand and looking up at her with red eyes. He did not wait for her answer and simply stood up straight, pulling her to him to dance to the up beat tempo.
"What are you doin' heyah?" she hissed at him as he spun her around, his smile never faded, even at her hostile tone.
"I come to find you, Petite."
"You are a complete idiot! If you don't wanna die then I suggest you get outta heyah nah," Leighana warned him as they danced, his hand tightly pressed to the small of her back as they moved to the slow section of the song.
"Oh Cher, that's sweet, you bein' scared for Remy, but I ain't afraid. Besides, how much trouble could a lil thang like you possibly be in?" she said something lowly and gave him a meaningful look, but he could not hear her over the loud music. They continued to dance, twisting, gyrating, and doing some sort of swing dancing before the song ended where he finished with leaning her back with one arm, his face close to hers. Was he showing off? Yes. Was she falling for it? He did not know, but she did not seem to be complaining about him being in such close proximity and she was currently looking into his eyes. However, her expression was blank and told him nothing.
"What do you say we get outta heyah, Cherie?" Remy asked with a small grin that almost faltered when he heard another voice speak.
"I do not think so, Gambit. Bird stays here with me," the smooth voice of a man spoke from in front of him. A small hint of a pure French accent hinted in his speaking patterns, telling him who the man was. Remy stood up straight, still holding Leighana in one arm closely to his side as he looked at the tall, dark, and handsome man before him. Of course Remy knew that Remy looked better than the other man. Remy had a certain charm.
"And what if she don't want ta stay heyah wit chu?" he asked, smugly.
"Well I would say that it is not up to her," the other man smirked and held a hand out to Leighana who simply looked down at the ground and took it. Guiding her over to his side, he placed a hand where Remy's had once been and slowly dragged it down to her hip as he gazed at Remy in authority and prominence. Remy's jaw locked tight at the man's less than subtle body language and rested his own gaze on Leighana who looked livid to have the man touching her, but she tried to force the expression down by looking away.
"I'll be back for you, Cher."
"And I will be waiting for you, Gambit," the man replied for her in a mocking tone, a grin spread across that pretty little face of his as Remy walked away. The man knew not to call anyone to throw him out. Like he said before, he did not go anywhere that he was not invited, but he would have to break that rule for next time. Some bad things were going to happen very soon.
------------------------------------------
A/N: First things first, the songs for this chapter are The Banality of Evil by Nine Horses (the song that Leighana was singing) and Bad Things by Jace Everett (the song they were dancing to at Franco's). If you watch True Blood then you already know the second song. Please give both a listen. Thank you all for reviewing J