Chapter 7
Anna awoke the next morning as giddy as a child on Christmas morning. She popped up out of bed and grabbed her laptop. She had been avoiding replying to Ororo's email, but Anna finally felt it was time.
Hi 'Ro,
I know it's been a while since I've written. I hope everyone's well. I miss you all very much. I just want you to know that I'm doing okay for myself. Please tell dad to stop worrying about me. I'm safe and sound. I'm not quite ready to come home just yet. But, I promise I will when it's right.
How is Scott? Give him a big hug for me, okay? Let me know if the doctors tell you anything new. How are the twins doing in college? Have they gained the freshman fifteen? Everyone does, except you!
'Ro, please tell Kitty I've forgiven her. No matter what, she will always be my little sister. Bobby who?
I'll write again soon,
Anna
~PS I love you all.
~PPS I kissed a really hot guy last night! Details to follow.
Anna wrapped up and sent her email just as she heard a knock on her door. She shut her laptop and sprung to her door. She peeked through the peephole and saw Logan standing in the hall with a bouquet of red roses. Anna unlocked her door and held it open for Logan.
"Aww, Logan. You shouldn't have. It's not my birthday until next week," Anna jested. Logan only raised an eyebrow and placed the vase of roses on Anna's coffee table.
"You've got explaining to do, kid," Logan sneered.
"Uh oh," Anna replied. "What did I do?"
"It's what you didn't do that I'm upset with. When exactly were you going to tell me that you got engaged?" Logan asked. He walked over to the coffee table and placed the roses down.
"What?" Anna's eyes just about popped out of her head. "Who... uh… how did you know?" Logan merely pointed to the flowers on the coffee table. Sticking out of the center of the bouquet was a card. Anna walked over and picked it out. "Last night was wonderful. See you soon. Love, Your Fiancé." Anna sat down on her sofa and looked up to Logan. "I guess I have some explaining to do, huh?"
"You bet your ass you do," Logan grumbled.
"I'll put on some coffee," Anna answered.
Logan sat speechless as Anna recounted the events of the last few days. She was completely honest with him about Remy, the false engagement, what she knew of his family, and even the upcoming masquerade ball. Logan sat, without a word, listening to the young woman recount the details. Finally, as she finished, she stared into the gruff man's eyes.
"I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, kid," Logan started. "I'm not your dad. But, that's not to say I don't care about your wellbeing. If this Cajun hurts you in any way, I'll take my sharpest knife in the diner and gut him. I've seen his hijinks in the gossip columns."
"Logan," Anna laughed, "if he hurts me, you'll be the last of his worries. But, I trust Remy. I don't think that'll be a problem." She smiled at the thought of their kiss. Her thoughts lingered on his perfect lips.
Uncomfortable with the look in Anna's eyes, Logan cleared his throat and stood from his seat on the couch.
"You're not working tonight, right? I'll see you tomorrow then," Logan finally said as he walked over to the door.
"Hey, Logan," Anna called after him as he opened the door. "I didn't realize you read the gossip columns."
Logan muttered under his breath before closing the door. Anna chuckled at the thought before reaching over to smell one of the crimson buds. Three light knocks came from the door once again. She stood and walked over to her door.
"What did you forget, Logan?" Anna called out before pulling it open. Her jaw dropped slightly when she realized who was standing there. Auburn hair framed a set of perfectly chiseled cheeks. Her eyes then trailed to a familiar set of thick lips. Those said lips were now grinning at her. "Remy," she managed to whisper.
"Surprise, chere," Remy smiled back. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
"How did you find out where I live?" Anna just asked, ignoring his request.
"Cherie, I swear it was just a matter of luck. I assure you, I am no stalker," Remy stated.
"I'll be the judge of that," Anna said. "You're not allowed in until you tell me how you got here."
"Bien. You deserve that. As you can see, I sent you the flowers to the only address I knew for you," Remy explained.
"The diner."
"Oui, Wovlie's. Naturally, I don't leave such important tasks to chance. I followed the delivery man to the diner to make sure you received the bouquet."
"But, I wasn't there. So, after Logan read the card and left," Anna said.
"I followed him. I didn't know what he was going to do with your flowers, chere. I tracked him to this building right next to the diner."
"How did you even know I live here?" Anna asked
"I didn't. Not at first. I don't want to lie to you," Remy answered. "I listened in just a bit. After I heard your voice, though, I stopped."
"Okay." Anna replied. "I've decided."
"And…"
"It's weird, but not enough to deem you as stalker," Anna smiled. "Come on in." She moved to the side and allowed Remy entrance to her humble abode. Remy walked in and stood by the roses. He watched as Anna closed the door. This was the first time he had ever seen all of her hair down. He never realized just how long it was. It trailed all the way to the middle of her back. She tucked her streak of white hair behind her ear as she turned to face Remy. The white tank top and shorts left little to the imagination, but in the current Louisiana heat, he couldn't blame her for wearing so little.
"So, chere, I was doing some thinking," Remy began.
"Oh," Anna replied. "Did it hurt?"
"You're spunky, chere," Remy smirked. "I like that. But, I do think from time to time. Here's my idea. I know it's going to be hot today, but I was hoping you would join me for a picnic."
"A picnic?" Anna asked. "Where?"
"Well," Remy answered. "I noticed that quaint little park you have down the street. How about there?"
"Picnics usually require food," Anna responded.
"Don't worry about that, petite," Remy replied.
"Hmm. Alright, give me a couple minutes to get ready," Anna wearily said. She turned and walked into her bedroom and shut the door behind her.
Meanwhile, a few feet away, in the living room, Remy was busy making calls and texting various contacts. An impromptu picnic in the park – Remy felt so excited as he made all the arrangements. It had been so long since he felt this good; the feeling was almost alien.
After about twenty minutes, Anna emerged from her bedroom wearing a fresh yellow and white tank top and denim jean shorts. She had carefully applied some mascara and eye shadow, which made her emerald eyes pop. Remy's focus, however, was placed on the perfectly painted set of pink lips.
"Shall we, cherie?" Remy asked, extending his hand to the beautiful woman.
~oOo~
Anna was amazed by the setup that awaited them in the park. She had only left Remy alone for twenty minutes, tops. But in that time frame, Remy had managed to have someone place a red and white, checkered blanket beneath one of the larger trees in the park. The shade provided adequate comfort from the otherwise scorching day.
On the blanket was a large wicker basket that had all the essentials needed for a picnic. As she sat on the blanket with Remy, she watched him pull out some familiar takeout containers.
"You ordered our food from Wolvie's?" Anna smirked.
"Mais oui, chere. I had limited time, and I know for a fact that the food there is impeccable. Some turkey sandwiches topped with spinach aioli and a side of homemade potato salad." Remy smiled.
"One of my favorites. How did you manage all this?" she asked.
"No. A magician never reveals his secrets," Remy insisted. Next, he pulled out a small cooler and some tall colored glasses. "May I pour you something to drink? My favorite - raspberry slush."
Anna nodded and took a refreshing sip of the frosty, red drink. She moaned, as she tasted the concoction. "This is delicious," Anna commented. "Where'd you get this?"
"This, chere, is my own creation," Remy answered proudly. "I had someone grab it from my personal stash at home."
"Wait, you're telling me Remy LeBeau can cook too?" Anna asked.
"I can," he answered modestly. "Is that so hard to believe?"
"Well, it's just," Anna stopped, not knowing how to continue. She didn't want to offend Remy after he put forth so much effort into their lunch.
"You're wondering how a spoiled rich boy learned how to cook?" Remy laughed.
"Well, yeah," Anna replied sheepishly.
"Ma mere died when I was an enfant," Remy started, "mon pere turned to an old family friend to help raise Henri and me. Tante Mattie has been teaching us things for our whole lives. She's the only mother I've ever known. And, she is who taught me how to cook proper meals." Anna could see the tenderness Remy had in his eyes as he described this woman.
"She sounds like a wonderful woman," Anna smiled. "I hope I get to meet her someday."
"You will, chere. She's invited us over to her home for dinner this Sunday," Remy replied.
Anna almost choked on the last bite of the turkey sandwich. "Sunday?" she asked with her mouth full.
"Oui," Remy replied nonchalantly. "Once Tante heard that I was engaged, she called me right away. I told her about you, and she invited us over so she can get to know you better." Remy continued eating his lunch carefree.
Anna on the other hand was on the verge of having a mini panic attack. She was only getting to know Remy. How would she ever fool his mother into believing that they were truly engaged?
"Remy, what if she figures out we're not really engaged?" Anna questioned. The two were oblivious to the distant rumbling. "What if she asks me things about us? Am I just supposed to make things up?"
"This trick to lying, chere," Remy answered, "is to use as many truths as possible. We met in the diner late one night over a plate of hot, fresh beignets."
"How long have we been dating?" Anna asked next.
""Hmm, this will be a tricky one. We can't very well tell the truth on this one. So we exaggerate the truth. Instead of three days, we'll say three months. A whirlwind of a romance, but I just knew I couldn't let you go."
"So how come no one's ever met me until now?" Anna asked next.
"You were way too shy to meet my family under the circumstances: engaged so quickly, working class background, so on and so forth."
"I'm not embarrassed of my job," Anna replied defensively.
Remy noticed the annoyance in her voice. "I'm sorry, chere. I didn't mean to imply that you were. I just thought that it worked for our cover."
"How about we just leave it with I was too embarrassed because we were engaged so quickly," Anna replied.
"D'accord," Remy nodded. They finished their lunch engaged in small chatter. They had tied up the small details of their past together when Remy once again reached into the wicker basket. "Well, it looks like there's one more thing in here, chere."
Anna sipped the last of her slush before she looked over to Remy. She gasped lightly when she saw him holding a black velvet box. In its delicate housing, there sat a cushion cut diamond set in white gold. On either side of the large stone were smaller diamonds that ran along the band.
"Remy," Anna whispered.
"I had forgotten this important detail when I introduced you to Henri," Remy replied. "I thought it was time to propose properly." Next, Remy moved from his seated position and knelt on one knee. "Anna Raven, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
"What if I lose it?" Anna responded.
"Chere, don't worry about the ring. It's insured. But, you're kind of leaving me hanging here?" Remy replied.
"Remy, you know the answer is yes," Anna laughed.
"Just wanted to make sure you haven't changed your mind," Remy took the ring out of its case and slid it on her finger. "Perfect fit. Must be a sign." Remy placed a gentle kiss on the top of her hand.
"Must be," Anna replied.
At that moment a loud boom echoed across the darkened sky. An unexpected thunderstorm had invited itself to the picnic. This type of weather was not uncommon in Louisiana during late August. As they gathered their belongings, they laughed at the sight of themselves in the rain. With the sudden downpour came a sort of spiritual cleansing for them both. Perhaps, this was the fresh start that Anna had been longing for so long. Maybe this was the redemption that would finally set her mind free. As for Remy, maybe Anna was the key to his finally becoming his own individual, away from the labels that society and his family had placed on him. But, if a person knew that hope and despair were paths to the same destination, which would they choose?
A/N: I am SOOO sorry for the long delay. But, I have spent the last week and a half recovering from an emergency appendectomy. This was the first day that the pain killers haven't clogged my thoughts. I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter! As always, your reviews are greatly appreciated. Especially in my current moment of pain. :)
The last sentence of this chapter is based on a quote by Robert Brault.
