Chapter Four:
The Finer Things
"I was truly meant to live like this!" Sherry bragged as she stood in front of the large oval mirror that ran the entire length of one wall in the summer drawing room, modeling a velvet tank dress with a striking straw hat. She and the girls had just returned from the city after a full afternoon of shopping in all of Paris' best shops. Carlotta was a woman of great wealth and never hesitated to show it. In the past two weeks they had been at the villa, she had taken them to all the most expensive stores from Chanel to Versace, buying them things left and right.
Most of her attention was put on Sherry, catering to her every desire. Buying her heaps of clothing and accessories and other knick-knacks. Now she had enough in her room to make a department store jealous. All Sherry had to do was ask nicely or show off one of her numerous talents and the world was at her fingertips. Needless to say, all that newfound power was going to her head.
Leon walked quickly through the large foyer and ended up in the main sitting room. Scratching his head in confusion, he looked around. He could have sworn he took that left when he reached the ballroom...
"You looking for something?" Claire asked as she entered the room. Leon turned and saw Claire leaning against the doorway, dressed in a three-piece red suit with a gold chain around her neck with an angel-shaped pendant.
"Nice outfit." Leon replied. "Carlotta take you shopping at Dior's?"
"Don't change the subject." Claire admonished him, but she looked flattered. "Honestly, what are you looking for?"
"Honestly?" he repeated. "I'm looking for my room."
Claire laughed before shaking her head. "We've been here for two weeks, how much longer do we have to stay for you to remember where the rooms are?"
Leon shrugged. "I'm not sure. Everything here is so...big...a person could get lost and die in this house."
Claire smiled and cocked her head in the opposite direction. "Don't worry, we'll find your mommy, little boy."
"Forget my mommy, why don't you just take me home with you?" Leon asked, waggling his eyebrows in the manner of Groucho Marx.
He followed Claire as she walked back to the ballroom and led him up the steps and down a long, bright hallway. "Look familiar?" she asked.
"Kind of." Leon said, taking note of everything just in case he ended up losing his way again. Claire surged forward bravely as if this were her own house and she was sure of it's every nook and cranny in it.
"And if you'll look to the left, you'll see a handcrafted Mahogany door... and if you just turn the knob..." she trailed off as she pushed the door open and Leon found the East wing rooms in front of him.
"Wow, nice job. Kudos to you for remembering the whole place."
Shrugging, Claire fell into step behind Leon and replied, "Don't thank me, thank Sherry. She's the one who forced Jill and I to explore this place from top to bottom."
"Oh really?" Leon asked as he found his room and opened it.
"Yes, and we were looking through the southernmost wing and found that it was sort of like a museum. You wouldn't believe the things that Carlotta collects. She's been everywhere."
"Oh really?" Leon asked.
"Uh huh, and then when we were done with that wing, we found that the exit was locked. Apparently no one goes in there except during parties, when Carlotta shows it off, and the maid Jolene locked it and we almost had a heart attack. We couldn't get out because all the windows were locked. We yelled for nearly five minutes before Sherry pointed out that there was an intercom that connected to the entire house. Jolene apologized a thousand times. She was probably worried we'd get her fired."
"Oh--"
"Really?" Claire finished for him. "Honestly Leon, you're so predictable." She replied, throwing herself down onto his bed. "I love this bed." Said remarked, kicking off her jet-black flats.
"Really? I love it too. Very comfortable." Leon said as he mirrored her motion, throwing himself down next to her and kicking off his boots. "What about you, you have a pretty nice one too."
"I suppose so." Claire replied. "Carlotta does a good job of sucking up."
"It wouldn't hurt if you learned to do that once in a while." Leon mentioned.
"Oh, and what do you mean by that?" Claire asked innocently.
"What do I mean?" Leon repeated, looking shocked. "What do I mean? For God's sake, I'm wearing an... a..." he looked down at his new slacks and shirt. "Well, I don't really know what it is, but Chris and I went shopping a couple of days ago and we spent enough to make a California valley girl jealous."
"It's Gucci, Leon." Claire corrected. "Casual toned, but still, sophisticated."
"Oh yeah?" Leon challenged, he got up and crossed over to the armoire, pulling out an expensive suit. "You see this? This is an Armani original."
"Very substantial line." Claire critiqued snootily. "Playful but yet with a hint of seriousness." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "It'll probably make you look fat."
Leon scoffed bitterly. "It does not! Here, I'll try it on right now to prove it."
Claire was quiet and Leon stood awkwardly staring at her. "Um... take it off now?"
"You said it, not me." Claire said with a shrug of her shoulders. Her cool demeanor made Leon realize that she wasn't kidding. "What's wrong? I've seen you half-naked enough times and you done the same with me, there's nothing to be ashamed of."
Leon sneered and rolled his eyes. "Why not degrade me more? Why not make me model my lingerie and put on a runway show?"
"Whatever will look better with the five-inch heels." Claire replied, cleaning her nails. "You should come along with us tomorrow, we're getting our nails manicured."
"I can hardly wait." He replied sarcastically.
"Aren't you going to start?" she demanded fiercely.
Leon's eyes widened in surprise and he started to unbutton his shirt. Claire watched him detachedly before returning her attention to his nails. Leon hurriedly dressed in the Versace before standing in front of Claire in the at-ease position. "Well, like what you see?"
"You're okay." She said standing up in front of him, gazing up into his eyes defiantly.
"Just okay?" he asked skeptically, looking down at himself. "Damn it Claire, I freakin' hot."
"I'm just saying that you look better in your police uniform-that's the REAL you. Just because Carlotta's picked us up and moved us to this palace doesn't mean we have to lose sight of ourselves." Her voice was aggravated as she turned around and chewed on her thumb. "It's already happening to Sherry."
Leon felt confused as he sat down and motioned for Claire to do the same. "What do you mean?"
"Don't you see it?" Claire asked. "Sherry's getting spoiled with all these clothes that Carlotta is throwing in her face. Carlotta's manipulating her-all of us."
"Claire, wake up. Sherry was always spoiled-and you were the one who spoiled her. It's just you never wanted to see it."
"That's ridiculous!" Claire said, biting her lip.
"And Carlotta isn't manipulative as much as she is generous." Leon said.
"I suppose so..." Claire said with some reluctance. "I guess I appreciate all that she's done for us."
"Claire!" Sherry's voice came from outside the hallway; her footsteps pounded a staccato rhythm on the floor.
"In here Sherry," Claire called back, standing up.
Sherry burst into Leon's room, her cheeks glowing scarlet with exhilaration. "Carlotta and Chris want to go to the new ice cream shop in town. Do you want to go?"
"I don't feel like going out again." Claire replied. "Why don't you go ahead?"
Sherry looked to Leon, who shook his head. "No, I'm pretty wiped out too."
"Okay, but you don't know what you're missing-Carlotta is going to speak with me about the trip that she wants to take to London in two days." She skipped back over to the door. "I can't wait to shop at Harrods!"
As she left down the hallway, Claire shot a reproachful look at Leon as if to say, 'see what's become of her?'
"Think what you like," Leon told her. "but I definitely could get used to this style of living."
"Sure," Claire retorted. "We'll just get you a map of the grounds."
The Finer Things
"I was truly meant to live like this!" Sherry bragged as she stood in front of the large oval mirror that ran the entire length of one wall in the summer drawing room, modeling a velvet tank dress with a striking straw hat. She and the girls had just returned from the city after a full afternoon of shopping in all of Paris' best shops. Carlotta was a woman of great wealth and never hesitated to show it. In the past two weeks they had been at the villa, she had taken them to all the most expensive stores from Chanel to Versace, buying them things left and right.
Most of her attention was put on Sherry, catering to her every desire. Buying her heaps of clothing and accessories and other knick-knacks. Now she had enough in her room to make a department store jealous. All Sherry had to do was ask nicely or show off one of her numerous talents and the world was at her fingertips. Needless to say, all that newfound power was going to her head.
Leon walked quickly through the large foyer and ended up in the main sitting room. Scratching his head in confusion, he looked around. He could have sworn he took that left when he reached the ballroom...
"You looking for something?" Claire asked as she entered the room. Leon turned and saw Claire leaning against the doorway, dressed in a three-piece red suit with a gold chain around her neck with an angel-shaped pendant.
"Nice outfit." Leon replied. "Carlotta take you shopping at Dior's?"
"Don't change the subject." Claire admonished him, but she looked flattered. "Honestly, what are you looking for?"
"Honestly?" he repeated. "I'm looking for my room."
Claire laughed before shaking her head. "We've been here for two weeks, how much longer do we have to stay for you to remember where the rooms are?"
Leon shrugged. "I'm not sure. Everything here is so...big...a person could get lost and die in this house."
Claire smiled and cocked her head in the opposite direction. "Don't worry, we'll find your mommy, little boy."
"Forget my mommy, why don't you just take me home with you?" Leon asked, waggling his eyebrows in the manner of Groucho Marx.
He followed Claire as she walked back to the ballroom and led him up the steps and down a long, bright hallway. "Look familiar?" she asked.
"Kind of." Leon said, taking note of everything just in case he ended up losing his way again. Claire surged forward bravely as if this were her own house and she was sure of it's every nook and cranny in it.
"And if you'll look to the left, you'll see a handcrafted Mahogany door... and if you just turn the knob..." she trailed off as she pushed the door open and Leon found the East wing rooms in front of him.
"Wow, nice job. Kudos to you for remembering the whole place."
Shrugging, Claire fell into step behind Leon and replied, "Don't thank me, thank Sherry. She's the one who forced Jill and I to explore this place from top to bottom."
"Oh really?" Leon asked as he found his room and opened it.
"Yes, and we were looking through the southernmost wing and found that it was sort of like a museum. You wouldn't believe the things that Carlotta collects. She's been everywhere."
"Oh really?" Leon asked.
"Uh huh, and then when we were done with that wing, we found that the exit was locked. Apparently no one goes in there except during parties, when Carlotta shows it off, and the maid Jolene locked it and we almost had a heart attack. We couldn't get out because all the windows were locked. We yelled for nearly five minutes before Sherry pointed out that there was an intercom that connected to the entire house. Jolene apologized a thousand times. She was probably worried we'd get her fired."
"Oh--"
"Really?" Claire finished for him. "Honestly Leon, you're so predictable." She replied, throwing herself down onto his bed. "I love this bed." Said remarked, kicking off her jet-black flats.
"Really? I love it too. Very comfortable." Leon said as he mirrored her motion, throwing himself down next to her and kicking off his boots. "What about you, you have a pretty nice one too."
"I suppose so." Claire replied. "Carlotta does a good job of sucking up."
"It wouldn't hurt if you learned to do that once in a while." Leon mentioned.
"Oh, and what do you mean by that?" Claire asked innocently.
"What do I mean?" Leon repeated, looking shocked. "What do I mean? For God's sake, I'm wearing an... a..." he looked down at his new slacks and shirt. "Well, I don't really know what it is, but Chris and I went shopping a couple of days ago and we spent enough to make a California valley girl jealous."
"It's Gucci, Leon." Claire corrected. "Casual toned, but still, sophisticated."
"Oh yeah?" Leon challenged, he got up and crossed over to the armoire, pulling out an expensive suit. "You see this? This is an Armani original."
"Very substantial line." Claire critiqued snootily. "Playful but yet with a hint of seriousness." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "It'll probably make you look fat."
Leon scoffed bitterly. "It does not! Here, I'll try it on right now to prove it."
Claire was quiet and Leon stood awkwardly staring at her. "Um... take it off now?"
"You said it, not me." Claire said with a shrug of her shoulders. Her cool demeanor made Leon realize that she wasn't kidding. "What's wrong? I've seen you half-naked enough times and you done the same with me, there's nothing to be ashamed of."
Leon sneered and rolled his eyes. "Why not degrade me more? Why not make me model my lingerie and put on a runway show?"
"Whatever will look better with the five-inch heels." Claire replied, cleaning her nails. "You should come along with us tomorrow, we're getting our nails manicured."
"I can hardly wait." He replied sarcastically.
"Aren't you going to start?" she demanded fiercely.
Leon's eyes widened in surprise and he started to unbutton his shirt. Claire watched him detachedly before returning her attention to his nails. Leon hurriedly dressed in the Versace before standing in front of Claire in the at-ease position. "Well, like what you see?"
"You're okay." She said standing up in front of him, gazing up into his eyes defiantly.
"Just okay?" he asked skeptically, looking down at himself. "Damn it Claire, I freakin' hot."
"I'm just saying that you look better in your police uniform-that's the REAL you. Just because Carlotta's picked us up and moved us to this palace doesn't mean we have to lose sight of ourselves." Her voice was aggravated as she turned around and chewed on her thumb. "It's already happening to Sherry."
Leon felt confused as he sat down and motioned for Claire to do the same. "What do you mean?"
"Don't you see it?" Claire asked. "Sherry's getting spoiled with all these clothes that Carlotta is throwing in her face. Carlotta's manipulating her-all of us."
"Claire, wake up. Sherry was always spoiled-and you were the one who spoiled her. It's just you never wanted to see it."
"That's ridiculous!" Claire said, biting her lip.
"And Carlotta isn't manipulative as much as she is generous." Leon said.
"I suppose so..." Claire said with some reluctance. "I guess I appreciate all that she's done for us."
"Claire!" Sherry's voice came from outside the hallway; her footsteps pounded a staccato rhythm on the floor.
"In here Sherry," Claire called back, standing up.
Sherry burst into Leon's room, her cheeks glowing scarlet with exhilaration. "Carlotta and Chris want to go to the new ice cream shop in town. Do you want to go?"
"I don't feel like going out again." Claire replied. "Why don't you go ahead?"
Sherry looked to Leon, who shook his head. "No, I'm pretty wiped out too."
"Okay, but you don't know what you're missing-Carlotta is going to speak with me about the trip that she wants to take to London in two days." She skipped back over to the door. "I can't wait to shop at Harrods!"
As she left down the hallway, Claire shot a reproachful look at Leon as if to say, 'see what's become of her?'
"Think what you like," Leon told her. "but I definitely could get used to this style of living."
"Sure," Claire retorted. "We'll just get you a map of the grounds."