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Chris felt his throat seize up, his muscles constricting violently. He wanted to speak, wanted to make up some kind of story as to why he was hiding in an alley with Satine trying to shoo him away, but his vocal chords refused to cooperate.
"This is . . . Chris," Satine said finally, her eyes darting between Chris and the Duke. "He is . . . part of . . . uh, Zidler's plan for a truce on the streets. Isn't that right Chris?" she asked, staring at him.
"Yes," he managed to choke out.
"We were just holding a little meeting, trying to decide what exactly his role would be," she explained, looking satisfied.
The Duke's hands were clenched in noticeable fists and his breath coming out in short, ragged gasps. "A little meeting? A little MEETING? In a dark alley in the middle of the night you were holding a little meeting?"
Satine stared at him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Well, yes," she replied.
"If this is a meeting, where is everyone else?" the Duke asked.
"How's the meeting?" Ray asked loudly, running up the sidewalk nearby, dragging both the Argentinean and Zidler behind him. "Sorry we're late. I was just explaining to Zidler what Chris' new job would be."
"And what would Chris' new job be?" the Duke asked, frowning.
"He'll be working quite closely with you and my dear Satine," Zidler said, waving his hand. "He will be . . . um, Top Street Spy of the new combined efforts between the Cobras and the Deuces."
"He will?" The Duke looked unconvinced. "You told me that with the bond Satine and I made our gangs would be forced to come together and that Audrey would oversee any . . . 'unauthorized' activities."
The Argentinean cleared his throat loudly. "I guess this would be a good time to let everyone know that Audrey left, yes?"
"Audrey left?" the Duke asked.
Zidler nodded. "Yes, Audrey left." He elbowed Ray, then smiled at the Duke. "He left quite a while ago and I have searched far and wide for a young man to take his place. Chris is the best in all of New York. He won't disappoint."
"Mind you," Chris said, "I will have to spend many hours working closely with the leaders of the gangs."
The Duke's lip curled. "Satine, my love, would you see that those 'many hours' are pawned off on another member of my gang."
"She'll do it," Zidler volunteered.
"I will?" Satine asked.
Zidler nodded. "Yes, you will. You see, Chris is a very honest fellow . . . he'd never, ever lie about anything. He'd never try to deceive someone."
Both Satine and Chris understood in a second what Zidler was trying to tell her. She had thought that he had pretended to be the Duke on purpose, to try and get her into trouble. Zidler, on the other hand, knew better and was trying to let Satine know without being too obvious.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure he's very trustworthy," the Duke said impatiently. "We don't need to sit here and talk about him all night, do we?"
"Of course not," Zidler said. "We'll leave you and Satine alone for the remainder of the evening. I'll just take Chris back to the house and instruct him on what he's supposed to do in his new position."
The Duke stared Chris up and down for a long moment, then waved his hand in dismissal and nodded. "Fine. I will accompany Satine home."
Chris stood in the middle of the street, watching at the Duke took Satine's hand in his and lead her toward a tall apartment building. They slipped inside a moment later, but not before she had glanced over her shoulder and given Chris and tiny smile. It was a gesture that he could have sworn lit up the entire night. Her eyes glanced away, her smile suddenly shy and then she was gone.
Chris couldn't help the enormous smile that spread over his face as he followed the others back to his own apartment. He had fallen in love with a beautiful woman and he was more certain now than he had ever been that she returned his feelings.
§ § § §
Chris felt his throat seize up, his muscles constricting violently. He wanted to speak, wanted to make up some kind of story as to why he was hiding in an alley with Satine trying to shoo him away, but his vocal chords refused to cooperate.
"This is . . . Chris," Satine said finally, her eyes darting between Chris and the Duke. "He is . . . part of . . . uh, Zidler's plan for a truce on the streets. Isn't that right Chris?" she asked, staring at him.
"Yes," he managed to choke out.
"We were just holding a little meeting, trying to decide what exactly his role would be," she explained, looking satisfied.
The Duke's hands were clenched in noticeable fists and his breath coming out in short, ragged gasps. "A little meeting? A little MEETING? In a dark alley in the middle of the night you were holding a little meeting?"
Satine stared at him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Well, yes," she replied.
"If this is a meeting, where is everyone else?" the Duke asked.
"How's the meeting?" Ray asked loudly, running up the sidewalk nearby, dragging both the Argentinean and Zidler behind him. "Sorry we're late. I was just explaining to Zidler what Chris' new job would be."
"And what would Chris' new job be?" the Duke asked, frowning.
"He'll be working quite closely with you and my dear Satine," Zidler said, waving his hand. "He will be . . . um, Top Street Spy of the new combined efforts between the Cobras and the Deuces."
"He will?" The Duke looked unconvinced. "You told me that with the bond Satine and I made our gangs would be forced to come together and that Audrey would oversee any . . . 'unauthorized' activities."
The Argentinean cleared his throat loudly. "I guess this would be a good time to let everyone know that Audrey left, yes?"
"Audrey left?" the Duke asked.
Zidler nodded. "Yes, Audrey left." He elbowed Ray, then smiled at the Duke. "He left quite a while ago and I have searched far and wide for a young man to take his place. Chris is the best in all of New York. He won't disappoint."
"Mind you," Chris said, "I will have to spend many hours working closely with the leaders of the gangs."
The Duke's lip curled. "Satine, my love, would you see that those 'many hours' are pawned off on another member of my gang."
"She'll do it," Zidler volunteered.
"I will?" Satine asked.
Zidler nodded. "Yes, you will. You see, Chris is a very honest fellow . . . he'd never, ever lie about anything. He'd never try to deceive someone."
Both Satine and Chris understood in a second what Zidler was trying to tell her. She had thought that he had pretended to be the Duke on purpose, to try and get her into trouble. Zidler, on the other hand, knew better and was trying to let Satine know without being too obvious.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure he's very trustworthy," the Duke said impatiently. "We don't need to sit here and talk about him all night, do we?"
"Of course not," Zidler said. "We'll leave you and Satine alone for the remainder of the evening. I'll just take Chris back to the house and instruct him on what he's supposed to do in his new position."
The Duke stared Chris up and down for a long moment, then waved his hand in dismissal and nodded. "Fine. I will accompany Satine home."
Chris stood in the middle of the street, watching at the Duke took Satine's hand in his and lead her toward a tall apartment building. They slipped inside a moment later, but not before she had glanced over her shoulder and given Chris and tiny smile. It was a gesture that he could have sworn lit up the entire night. Her eyes glanced away, her smile suddenly shy and then she was gone.
Chris couldn't help the enormous smile that spread over his face as he followed the others back to his own apartment. He had fallen in love with a beautiful woman and he was more certain now than he had ever been that she returned his feelings.
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