Candace Montier walked into the bedroom of the loft above the cafe. She'd opened a few hours ago and it had finally calmed down a little bit, so she left a be back soon sign on the bar and headed upstairs to wake up her employer. The sun was shining brightly, if even indirectly, through the doors and windows on the south wall. How he can sleep with the sun shining in was beyond her.

Walking over to the bed, she reached out and gripped his bare shoulder, giving him a firm shake. He was a heavy sleeper. If she were to just speak or even lightly shake him, he wouldn't wake up. She had to give him a good shake to get him to wake up. Groaning, he pulled the pillow over his head.

"Another five minutes!"

She smiled, shook her head and pulled the pillow away from him, hitting him hard on the ass with it. "You're going to be late for church, Jax."

He jumped, sitting up on the bed and glaring over at her, grumbling only slightly.

"Come on, old man. You know you'll be in a pisspoor mood all day long if you don't get up and get yourself down to that church."

Jax knew she was right about that. He didn't like missing services. It didn't matter what day of the week it was. He wanted to go. If for no other reason than to see Father Francis himself. Father Francis had promised him that he would always be welcome in the house of the Lord, and even if he felt the judging glances from everyone around him, he continued to go. Father Francis assured him that no one knew of his sexual affiliation and no one ever would unless Jax told them himself, which Jax never would.

Jax grumbled and pushed himself off the bed. "Merci, Candace. Breakfast?"

She smiled, walking to the door as he headed to the door of his bathroom. "It will be ready when you come downstairs."

Jax nodded and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door and shedding his boxer briefs before stepping into the shower. Turning on the water, he shivered slightly as the water regulated before burning down onto his skin. The drastic temperature change was enough of a jolt to his system to wake him up fully. Quickly showering, he decided not to spend much time. Having not looked at the time, he didn't know exactly how much time he had before services began. He turned off the water after finishing and reached out, grabbing his towel and drying off before walking out to the bedroom to get dressed.

He was downstairs no more than ten minutes later, ready to go. Candace had his breakfast and coffee waiting for him at his table. Taking a seat, he sat in the corner booth, looking over at the stage where Jack Leblanc had sat watching his show last night. He could see his hazel eyes looking up at him just as if he were standing up there on the stage right now. Then after the place was closed and it was just the two of them in the kitchen, he could remember all the different colors, the blue, the green, the brown, a color he couldn't quite describe, looking at him across the table. He felt like a schoolgirl blushing just thinking about the way he had looked at him, but he couldn't help the way he felt and he wasn't going to.

Finishing his breakfast, he took his dishes to Candace and thanked her. "I'll be a while at church today, Candace. I'd like to speak to Father Francis for a while, one on one. You can hold down the fort?"

Candace nodded. "Of course, Jax. Tell the Father I said hi."

Jax scoffed slightly. "Oh, sure! And you know exactly what he'll say..."

They both continued in unison, "Tell her to tell me herself."

Candace smiled, shaking her head. "Just tell him hi."

"Ouai, ouai."

Candace shrugged off his 'yeah, yeah' and turned to walk into the kitchen with his dishes to wash. "Have a nice day, Jax."

Jax gave a short laugh and turned to leave, heading to the back of the joint to the back door to the detached garage in the back of the alley where Jax's motorcycle was parked. He lifted the door and walked into the ride, sliding on the back and kickstarting the engine. Next to his music, the hum of his bike's engine was one of his favorite sounds. He wheeled the machine backward out of the garage and turned it around in the alleyway before driving away, heading toward the Cathedral of St. Louis.

Father Francis spotted Jax in the midst of his congregation, sitting in his usual spot on the third pew back on the right. He wondered if Jack had stopped by to see him last night as he had suggested. He was sure he had, but he wanted to know how things had gone with them. He knew both Jax and Jack were sociable gentlemen, and he knew if Jax had time between sets or if Jack had stayed around until Jax was finished playing for the night, they would have gotten along greatly. He could not wait until mass was over and Jax could tell him of the night's events.

Once mass concluded and the parishioners were migrating toward the door, Father Francis greeted a few of them on his way over to Jax. Jax smiled as the Father came up to him. The older man wrapped his arms around the not so younger man, but younger nonetheless.

"Do you have time for tea, my son?" Father Francis asked, his hands braced on his shoulders.

Nodding, Jax smiled warmly. "Oui, Father. We have much to talk about!"

Father Francis smiled brightly. "Yes! Come! Come! I cannot wait!"

The priest made his way with Jax toward his chambers, greeting others in passing on their way. Father Francis felt like a schoolboy on Christmas morning. Shutting the doors, he turned to Jax, his smile still plastered on his face.

"Tea!"

Father Francis hurried toward the kitchenette in the corner of the room to prepare a pot of water. Filling the pot and placing it on the burner, turning back to Jax.

"So, did the mayor pay you a visit last night?"

Jax smiled, taking a seat Father Francis gestured to with his hand, and inhaling deeply. "He stayed and we talked most of the night. He didn't leave until after four A.M. But I have to ask, Father, have you grown into a sick sense of humor?"

Father Francis placed his hand on his chest, feigning pain. "Moi? Whatever do you mean?"

Jax laughed shortly, shaking his head. "As far as I can tell, he is my perfect man. I could love him, and I am sure you know this, and you send him to me anyway, even knowing who he is. Mayor. Married... Straight."

Father Francis reached forward, taking Jax's hand in his. "My dear boy, I did not send him to you to tease you. I would never do that to you. I sent him to you because I knew you two could find an affinity toward each other. Yes, he is the mayor. Yes, he is married, but as for being straight..."

Jax's eyes widened instantly. "You cannot be serious, Father!"

Father Francis squeezed his hand, nodding. "As a man of God, I should not be telling you this, but politicians are not as clean as they like everyone to believe, even if the world knows they always have their skeletons. Mayor Leblanc is a good man. He has never cheated on his wife, and he is the way every politician claims to be. But I would like for each of you to be happy. He is not, and I have not seen you this happy since you were a boy, maybe not even then."

Jax could not believe what the priest, the man who had raised him from infancy, was suggesting. He had all but plainly said Jack could cheat on his wife, even being the mayor, and he was practically blessing their union. Jax loved his Father, but he never thought he'd hear these words from his mouth. Although, he was sure that he shouldn't be so surprised, considering the Father had been so understanding and accepting of Jax when he had come to him, telling him of his sexuality. Father Francis had always been this way with his adoptive son.

"What do I do, Father? How do I go about this?"

Father Francis shook his head. "That I cannot tell you, but all I can tell you is to follow your heart. Do not hold back."

Jack Leblanc turned over in bed, finding it empty beside him. Why he expected to see Jax there was beyond him aside from the vivid dreams he'd had all night. Opening his eyes, he was reminded of where he was, of where he had slept last night and why. Turning to look at the bedside clock, he groaned. The day was nearly half over. He was surprised no one had come in here to find him. Sighing, he sat up off the bed and found the towel he'd used last night draped over the back of a chair. Wrapping it around his body, he gathered his clothes and folded them up before picking up his shoes as well and heading out into the hallway.

The upstairs of the mayor's home was silent. He could easily get from the guest bedroom to his bedroom without being spotted. He'd already have questions about where he was last night to contend with, but they didn't need to include why he was coming out of the guest bedroom wrapped in only a towel. Best leave the sleeping arrangements between him and his wife.

He slipped into his bedroom to find his room empty. Quickly tossing his clothes in the hamper, he walked to his closet and pulled out a pair of pants and a simple button up shirt. No need to wear a stuffy suit all day today. Looking himself over in the mirror, he ran his hand down over the buttons he'd just fastened. Jax had been wearing something similar to this last night. Black pants. Black shirt. He could remember how the silver of the trim of the buttons shined up on stage. Closing his eyes, he realized he couldn't think about him today, not with his family around. He had to shift gears and be husband and father today, even if he didn't want to face his wife with everything that was between the two of them now.

Making his way down the stairs, he heard voices coming from the kitchen. Must be lunch time. He followed the noise and came into the room at the back of the house. His wife sat with his children around the large dining table. When he walked into the room, they all looked up at him. Pauline was the only one who fell silent. The three children all continued to speak, shifting their conversation toward him.

"Are you feeling alright, Papa?"

"Mama said you weren't feeling well."

"Papa, are you feeling up to taking me to the park."

Jack smiled at his three children, looking over at his wife as he answered them. "Right as rain," he told them, wondering why she would lie to her children. He wasn't sick, not physically anyway. Sick to think that his wife would be so deceptive. Was her place at his side and in society that important to her?He had thought she loved him, but he wasn't too sure anymore. He turned back to Gavin, shaking his head. "We can go to the park. Just let me eat something first, my boy."

Gavin was always an easy child to please. Had Jack said he wasn't up to it, he probably would have asked his papa if he could play video games with him or even a game of battleship or even chess. He could tell his papa wasn't really sick, so he wouldn't have felt bad asking him to do any of that. Sometimes though, his papa was a busy man and he couldn't play with his son, and Gavin understood that as well. But Jack always made it up to his son, to all his children. He never let them feel neglected. If he wasn't able to do something at one point, he'd always do something extra special for them the next opportunity he got. His children were important to him, and he never wanted them to feel otherwise.

"I can have Georgia make you some breakfast," Pauline spoke from the far end of the table.

Shaking his head, Jack sat in his usual seat at the head of the table. "Not necessary. I'll have what everyone else is having."

"Georgia," Pauline called into the kitchen from where a small, round black woman came quickly through the swinging door.

"Yes'm?" She saw Jack seated at the table and smiled at him. "Afternoon, Mr. Jack."

He afforded her a soft smile. "Good afternoon, Georgia. Could you bring me a lunch plate as well?"

She nodded her head. "Of course, Mr. Jack. Right away."

Jack felt bad, but suddenly he was viewing his wife in several new lights. First off, keeping secrets from him. Second, lying to their children. And something he'd never seen before, how cruel she was to their staff. Slave days had been over long before either of them were born, this was the 21st century after all, 2013. Slavery had been abolished one hundred and fifty years ago, but to hear his wife speak to their staff, all of them of African descent, you'd think they were living in the Civil War era, or the years prior. He was sick to his stomach at the light he was now seeing his wife in.

The rest of their meal was carried out like any other meal, talking about the events of the day, things that were going on at school, just various family discussions. Jack did his best to keep his mind off his wife and off of Jax and on his children. They made it easy for him, asking him questions and telling him several things to keep him responding. He loved his children, and there was nothing he wouldn't do to make sure all three of them were always happy.

A few hours later, Jack and Gavin came back from the park and Jack told Gavin to head upstairs to get ready for bed. Jack had noticed Pauline standing in the parlor of the house, glass in hand, staring out the window into the garden. The lights were off in the parlor and the white sheer curtains were down, so he knew she wasn't actually looking out the window more so as just standing there. Sliding his hands in his pockets, he walked into the room.

"I didn't know you liked the dark so much."

She jumped, grasping her glass tighter when it almost slipped from her hand. Turning to face him, she placed a hand over her chest. "Jack, you startled me."

"My apologies. Lost in thought?"

Nodding, she walked over to the doors of the front porch, opening them. "Care to join me?"

'Not really,' he thought to himself, following anyway.

Pauline sat at the tea table in the middle of the veranda. "Why didn't you come to bed last night when you got home?"

Sighing, Jack walked over to the parapet, leaning against it. This was not ideal for a conversation like this, but she supposed here they wouldn't argue, Jack though to himself. They had never fought in the ten years they'd been married, but he knew she knew he knew something was wrong between the two of them, and this was the most neutral of battlegrounds.

"How many drinks have you had tonight, Pauline?" He knew it wasn't polite to answer a question with a question, but this was not a polite conversation.

"Enough. I waited up for you."

"I was out with a friend."

Closing her eyes, she bowed her head. "I never thought you'd be like all the rest, Jack. I thought somehow you were different."

"All the rest, Pauline? Cheating husbands or dirty politicians?"

"Both," she simply said.

Shaking his head, and willing himself to stay calm, he walked over, crouching down beside her. "Look at me." She kept her eyes closed and he reached out, placing his hand on her knee, giving it a slight squeeze. "Look at me." She opened her eyes and looked down at him. "I am not a dirty politician. I have never done nothing that I should be ashamed of. And as for being a cheating husband, I have never even looked at another woman like that since the day we met."

So, he wasn't being completely honest with her right now. Yes, he hadn't ever looked at another woman, wanting them, but he didn't say anything about how much he wanted Jax. But having this conversation with her right now, he realized even if he were to cheat on her with Jax, he didn't want it to be about cheating on his wife. If he was going to be with Jax, he wanted it to be because they both wanted each other, maybe that they were even in love. He didn't want it to be because he was being lied to by his wife. He wanted it to be about him and Jax, not him and Pauline.

"Then why stay out until five in the morning?" she asked, tears threatening the barriers of her eyelids.

"I had gone to see Frannie last night. He suggested I go meet a friend of his. He owns a lounge/café and has his own band. Frannie thought I needed a breather."

"Why last night? Out of every other night? Why without telling me? Or even inviting me?"

"Because I needed a night away from you," he said quietly, standing from her side and walking over to the doorway, he turned back to face her once more. "I never thought you'd keep things from me, Pauline. I thought we had the perfect marriage," he shook his head, inhaling deeply, "but I guess people who think that are always smacked down hard with the truth in the end, aren't they?"

She felt like she had been smacked down by his words, but none of them hurt her as much as him saying the end. Standing, she walked over to him. "What do you mean by 'the end,' Jack?"

He gave her a forced smile. "Don't worry, mon chère. I'm not divorcing you. We don't need that kind of publicity." Leaning over, he gave her a soft peck on her cheek and turned around, walking back through the house to the garage through the kitchen and taking his phone out of his pocket as well as Jax's card to call him. He wanted to see him. He needed to get out of the house. He couldn't be anywhere near his wife right now. He didn't want to be. Besides, he needed to talk to Jax. Usually, he'd go to Frannie, but he'd never been to see the priest two nights in a row. Sliding into his car, he pulled out of the garage, heading toward La Révolutionnaire.