AN: This chapter's title is German for infatuation. As always I don't own anything and please read and review!
Ch. 7 - "Vernarrheit"
Erik silently brooded during the entire train ride. He was slightly impressed that the young woman sitting across from him could have tricked him like that and confirmed his decision that he came to earlier in the house, that the least he owed this enigma of a woman was to help her.
Erik and Charlotte walked side by side down the sidewalk when they got into Frankfurt, and started heading towards the hotel. "Okay, this is what you're going to do," Erik instructed Charlotte, "When you see your fiancée; he will be expecting a big scene, you will not give him the satisfaction. Be provocative and mysterious; this will place him in a constant state of anxiety and interest."
"Right," Charlotte said, but suddenly stopped short when they entered the hotel when she saw Sebastian and the tramp enjoying dinner together in the lounge diner. Charlotte felt suddenly faint again as she noticed the large ring on the tramp's ring finger, realizing that Sebastian must have purposed to the blonde woman. Erik quietly led Charlotte away from the spot she seemed rooted in and led them to the hotel room that he had paid for with a stolen credit card.
"Do you think he saw me?," Charlotte asked as she finally came out of the almost comatose state she was in as she sat on the bed. "Maybe," Erik said honestly, "But that could work in our favor."
"How?," she questioned.
"If he saw you, he might think it was just his imagination. He will be unsettled and when the couple finally looks the most at ease; that is you attack!"
"Hello Seb," Charlotte said cheerfully as she sat next to the couple at a small outdoor cafe. "Charli, what the hell are you doing here?!," Sebastian asked, surprised to see his ex look so happy to see him.
"Well, I was so distraught by you leaving me for this woman," Charlotte said as she gestured to the blonde sitting next to him, "That I boarded a plane and decided to try and win you back. But that's when everything went wrong and I meet Erik. I think I must be going through some sort of transformational phase."
"Wait, who's Erik?," Sebastian questioned with a hint of jealousy.
"Oh there he is," she said as she pointed to him and waved him over.
"What does he do?," Sebastian asked, sounding even more jealous.
"Other than what we do together? I don't think he does anything at all," Charlotte said as she pretended to contemplate her answer.
"So, you're not mad at me?"
"Oh, believe me Seb, I was," Charlotte said, "But now... I don't feel anything towards you. It's like I said before; it must be this transformational phase I'm going through."
Sebastian looked at his ex with confusion and slight awe, "You're so different, Charli. I feel like I have to make up for what I did to you. Join me for dinner tonight?"
"Well, alright. I suppose we have to talk about how we're going to divide all our possessions anyway," Charlotte said, taking Erik by the hand as she suddenly left the other couple at the small cafe table. "See you later, Seb," she called out as she and Erik walked away.
"I don't know if I could keep this up anymore," Charlotte told Erik when they were back in their hotel room, "It's not like me to be all provocative and mysterious like you want."
"It's not what I want," Erik said.
"What do you want?," Charlotte asked.
"I want you... I want you...," Erik stuttered, not quite finding the words.
"You want me?," Charlotte prompted.
"I just want Sebastian to suffer as you have suffered. Put him under your control. That's all," Erik said lamely.
"I don't want Sebastian under my control. That would be vengeance and I don't want that," Charlotte said quietly.
"I know, but this will win your fiancée back. Now go buy a dress in the shop downstairs and make sure to put the tab on the room."
Charlotte sighed and silently nodded, "Thank you for helping me, Erik," she said as she left the room.
Erik sighed and ran his hands through his slicked back hair; if he were being entirely honest with himself, he was beginning to want Charlotte for himself, but he wanted to see her happy as well; so here he was helping her gain her fiancée back.
Charlotte calmly walked back towards the main lobby with her shopping bag in hand. She had to admit, she did feel better about herself after buying the dress and couldn't wait to put it on. She absently wondered what Erik would think when he saw her in the dress she bought. Charlotte quickly realized where her thoughts and lead her and wondered why she cared for Erik's opinion; it was Sebastian's opinion that should have mattered, not Erik's! "Hello Charlotte," a young man with slightly curly hair, thick black glasses, and a sweater vest said, breaking into Charlotte's thoughts.
"Do I know you?," Charlotte asked hesitantly
"No, but we have a mutual acquaintance in Erik Lehnsherr. I'm Inspector Hank McCoy and it has come to my attention that our mutual friend had stolen a very valuable coin."
"If you know all of this, why don't you just arrest him?"
"Because, he save my life once and I owe him, because this was his last 'strike,' and if he were to be arrested, he would have been in jail probably the rest of her life and I don't think he deserves that. Please talk to him and get him to give us the coin," he said and handed her a business card, "Please contact me when you're ready." The young inspector said and left Charlotte idly staring at the business card that was now in her hand. She knew Erik would never give the coin up so easily, so Charlotte would have to tread carefully; for she also didn't think Erik deserved to spend the rest of his life in prison.
"Are you almost ready?," Erik called out as Charlotte looked at the card in her hand once again before quickly hiding it in her purse and silently walked out of the bathroom to see Erik dressed in a sharp black waistcoat and trousers. Charlotte voiced her admiration of his handsome image as she said, "Well my friend, you do clean up very well." Erik, on the other hand was left slightly breathless at the sight of Charlotte. She was wearing a blue, short, but still modest dress, hair styled to where it was slightly curly, and silver shoes that made her legs look impossibly long. "You look great," Erik said after he cleared his throat, "Who is the goddess now?" Charlotte looked down at her feet to try and hide the smile and the flush that was sweeping across her features. "Now, let's practice," Erik said quickly changing the subject and turned on some music.
"Pretend I'm Sebastian and we are dancing," Erik said as he led Charlotte into a slow dance. Erik had to admit that it felt nice to hold the young woman in his arms, "It feels so right," Erik said, voicing his thoughts aloud, hoping that Charlotte took it as him pretending to be Sebastian. "Now what do you say to me?," Erik quickly said, trying to cover up his slip up. Charlotte leaned into Erik's strong chest, feeling how nice it was to be held by the tall German and whispered, "I don't know. When do I stop pretending and tell him...," Charlotte couldn't finish her sentence, because she was slightly afraid that she would say that she wanted Erik instead. "That you want only him," Erik finished for her, secretly wishing it wasn't true, "You will know. Now let's just dance." Charlotte and Erik quietly danced, feeling so right in each other's arms that they almost didn't realize how much time had passed; for when the alarm on Erik's stolen watch sounded, it effectively broke the content spell the couple had found in each other.
