12
When the car pulled up, Rogue was the first one out. She had her seatbelt undone and shoved Etienne back so she could storm out of there, slamming the car door shut behind her.
All four men watched her go.
"Boy, y' sure managed t' piss dat femme off," Etienne said smirking as he glanced at Remy.
Remy glared back, then got out of the car.
xxxxx
Rogue didn't know where she was going but just kept going. She needed to be away from everyone and fast before she killed one of them.
She could hear someone jogging behind her and she really hoped they would get the message and just leave before they lived to regret it.
"Where y' goin' princesse?" Theo called after her.
"After listenin' ta you boys bickerin' all the way down here, ah'm makin' a break for it!" Rogue said, still speed walking.
"Come on Rogue, everyone knows they all be imbéciles. I'll make dem apologise, just slow down," Theo called after her.
Rogue let out a single, humourless laugh.
"Those boys ain't gonna apologise for nothin'! They ain't sorry! An' if they did say it, it'd only be a lie anyway," Rogue said.
"Rogue, I gotta keep tabs on all'a y' t'night. Please don't make dis any harder than it already is," Theo shot back.
"Or what?" Rogue turned on Theo. She marched right up to him and began poking him in the chest. "What? Ya gonna make meh stay? Ah'd like ta see ya try!"
Theo put his hands up in surrender. Behind him, Rogue could see that Merci was awkwardly jogging towards them in her heels. Merci and Henri had been stood by the car, waiting for them to arrive. Upon seeing Rogue being the first one out and shooting off like a rocket, the pair knew something had happened. Unspokenly, Merci agreed to go after Rogue while Henri held the men put.
Rogue waited for Merci to catch up the final few steps, feelings slightly guilty that she had thought of her going behind her back and playing her for her own ambitions.
"T'ank the lord, y' stopped. These heels, they ain't made for joggin'," Merci said, trying to catch her breath. When she did, she said, "Guessin' y' be 'bout ready t' murder half of em?"
"Ya don't know the half of it," Rogue said bitterly, folding her arms. "Ah thought we'd be ridin' together. What happened?" Rogue asked, rather glad now that she didn't ride with Merci, otherwise, she would have been accusing Merci and Henri of something they didn't do and it would have made everything difficult.
Merci rolled her eyes, looking rather harshly at Theo.
"Someone just had t' be in control of the seatin' arrangements," she said.
Now Rogue glanced at Theo.
"Just forget it chére," Merci said, reaching out her gloved hand. "Come on, sooner we get un verre à nous, we be feelin' much better. 'side's, de Crawfish Etouffee is t' die for. Ain't no man worth gettin' 'tween a girl an' a good repas!"
Rogue took Merci's hand, letting her link their arms and they began walking towards the restaurant. She realised Merci was stirring them well clear from the others who were still by the car. Henri was giving them a good ear full. Remy glanced her way. He'd seemed mad when it came to the men around him, but when he locked eyes with her, she saw that saddened look cross over his face. Rogue wondered if it was just an act. She turned her attention back to Merci, trying to just let the whole thing go. Merci was offering a night of fun and, right now, she was willing to take it.
"So why the heck weren't we aloud ta sit together? Is that why ya went runnin' off before?" Rogue questioned.
"Oui, dat was why. Was followin' up wit' all de thieves who ain't drinkin' t'night who they be assigned. Y' fell under Theo. Theo wanted all de persons he be responsible for under one car roof. Honestly, de homme needs t' lighten up a bit," Merci said. "But, I guess it be his neck on the line if anyt'in' goes wrong," Merci said.
"Why's that?" Rogue asked.
"That's their job for la nuit. They the ones stayin' sober t'night so we can have ours. 'cause'a dat though, they be de shot callers on this outtin'," Merci explained.
Rogue scoffed at that.
"Since when do we need babysitters ta tell us what ta do?" she asked.
Merci chuckled at that, wrapping her arm around Rogue's shoulders and bringing her in closer as if to whisper a secret to her.
"Trust moi chére, y'll be understandin' once la nuit be over, non?"
Rogue raised her eyebrow at that, curious and a little worried.
Merci began to lead Rogue onto the main, busy streets of New Orleans which made Rogue uneasy. Merci didn't seem to notice and Rogue couldn't find the words to tell Merci she felt uncomfortable. She just hid slightly behind Merci who pulled her into the restaurant and had them seated at a private booth at the back. Rogue thanked the high heavens that they were being seated away from the buzzing tables in the front. At that moment, Rogue realised, she didn't like crowds. It was a bittersweet thing. She was glad she remembered something about herself, but not so glad it was a rather negative thing.
"Perks'a knowin' de restaurant owner, non?" Merci said before lifting the menu up in front of them.
Rogue found herself distracted as Merci rattled on about the dishes that were being served. They barely noticed the guys slipping into the booth with them. Rogue was sat in the corner of one half of the booth, Merci next to her, almost like a shield. Henri made his way to sit beside Merci.
Etienne found himself sitting opposite Rogue. He was the one to pull down her menu.
"Princesse, there be somet'in' I be needin' t' say," Etienne said, a small smile on his face.
Rogue pouted, irritated.
"I be sorry for mon behaviour back dere. Ain't often we have filles around. 'fraid I just lost mon head," Etienne said.
"Think ya lost that quite some time ago," Rogue said, returning her attention back to the menu in front of her, not believing Etienne was sorry for a second.
"Ain't denyin' dat," Etienne said. "Still, weren't right, an' I do be truly sorry if I offended y'. Honestly, be needin' a good femme t' knock moi upside de head sometime. Woman like y' be perfect for de job, non?"
When Rogue did glance up at Etienne for just a second, she felt lost. His face was soft and she wondered if he really was sorry. But still doubted it. Then, having caught her eye, Etienne's smile grew as he winked at her.
Rogue just stared at Etienne for sometime, looking at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"Hows 'bout, as a start t' mon apology, y' let moi buy your first drink?" he asked.
Rogue thought about it for some time. A part of her really wanted to tell Etienne where to shove it, but she guessed that wouldn't go down well. Especially since the night was just beginning.
"Finah," Rogue said.
"Bien!" Etienne near yelled out, leaning back in his seat. "What be it for de belle femme?" he asked.
"Errr, ah don't think ah'd be served for alcohol," Rogue said.
"Y' be wit' us now," said the other thief who had been sat at the front of the car with Theo. She still didn't know his name. "T'ings like dat, they dun't matter."
"Errr, ok," Rogue said, feeling herself become unsure now.
Her eyes seemed to dart around and they landed on Remy who was stood near the end of the table. What surprised her about him was that his eyes were no longer ebony and crimson. They were white with brown irises. Her bottom lip fell as she saw him with normal eyes. Somehow, they didn't look right on him.
As if sensing her eyes on him, Remy looked up at her. He didn't look happy. He looked rather miserable in fact by the way he was just stood there, leaning against the end of the booth. She didn't like seeing him like that, but she thought it served him right for the crap he pulled back in the car.
"So, what's y' poison?" Etienne asked, bringing Rogue out of her thoughts.
"Erm, what?" Rogue questioned, turning her gaze forwards
"Y' liquor? Y' a bourbon gaul, aren't' y' ?" Etienne asked.
"Oh, erm, ah-ah don't know," Rogue said.
"I be goin' up t' de bar. I'll pick up y' vin for y' Merci," Remy said, gaining Rogue's attention as well. "Usual?" he asked her.
"Oh, surprise me!" Merci gleamed.
Remy nodded his head once, then his eyes shifted to Rogue.
"Chérie?" he asked.
Getting the idea from Merci, Rogue shrugged her shoulders and said: "Surprise meh."
Remy nodded his head and began to take off. Henri told him to hold up and went off after his brother.
"Y' know y' supposed t' be lettin' moi buy y' a drink, non?" Etienne said, regaining Rogue's attention.
He had one eyebrow raised and, from what Rogue could gather, he looked like he was being playful.
"Y' can buy meh the next," was all she said.
Rogue noticed Theo slip in and take the last seat in the booth. Somehow, Rogue felt a little guilty that Remy would have to sit in one of the others when he asked her to stay by his side. It felt like a good enough punishment, but, at the same time, if he was sat away from her she wouldn't get her answers. Plus, Etienne had been just as bad and he was sat opposite her. She glanced out the window, trying not to think about any of them.
Merci had begun to bicker with Theo and the unnamed thief, Jacques, who joined in their bickering. It was Etienne who caught her attention.
"Good, ain't he?" Etienne said.
Rogue glanced at Etienne, confused, then turned to look where he was looking.
She saw Remy and Henri walking together across the room near the bar. Rogue saw Henri was trying to talk to Remy, but his attention seemed elsewhere. His eyes seemed to be following a couple of girls who had just been given their drinks and were making their way back to their table. As they passed by Henri and Remy, the two stopped to glance at Remy and giggled. Remy had seemed to stop to turn his head back towards the two giggling women and Rogue was sure that was a large cocky smirk on his face.
"Dat garcon can pick up any girl he chooses. Like he got some sort of magnet for it or somet'in'. All he needs do is glance at a femme an' she be putty in his hands, see." Etienne said, pointing at Remy.
Rogue glanced back to where Remy and Henri were, seeing that Remy had now struck up some sort of conversation with the two. Henri didn't seem to be a part of it. In fact, he'd moved away slightly, only stopping to wait for Remy.
"Not y' though." Etienne said, and Rogue felt her hands be taken in both of his. "Ain't ever seen a femme like y' battle off de notorious Remy LeBeau. Y' got y' eyes set on another?" Etienne asked.
He was glancing at her intensely, but his gaze wasn't as captivating as Jean-Luc's nor as interesting as Remy's. They were easy to ignore. Especially when Rogue felt confused as hell as to what was actually happening tonight.
"What? Erm, no. Ah mean, ah don't think so. Ah…" Rogue trailed off, pulling her hands free from Etienne's.
Was there someone she was seeing? Was it Remy? Well, if Etienne was telling her she'd managed to avoid his charms, then maybe not. But then, what about all those hints that Remy had dropped? Like, at the gym, when he mentioned stolen kisses. Or her first night at the mansion where he said it was love at first sight? Was there something there? What about the night out alone they were supposed to be having? Had that been meant as a date? Or him asking her to stay close to him? Was she seeing Remy? Or was he playing her?
"Y' ready t' order chére?" Merci's voice came through.
Rogue blinked a couple of times, looking away from Remy, to Merci, then noticing the waiter stood at the end of the table.
"Oh, erm, ah… ah'm not really all that hungry," Rogue lied, although, she had lost her appetite.
"Ah do need the bathroom though!" Rogue said, hating that all eyes were on her.
The way they were looking at her, it felt as if they could see right through her. See her starting to crack and break. She just couldn't take that pressure on top of not knowing if she and Remy had a thing or not. And, if so, was he cheating on her? It all felt like too much.
"Oh, I can come-" Merci began to say.
"Ah'm a big girl Merci, ah can go ta the bathroom alone," Rogue said.
After Merci climbed out of the booth to let Rogue out, she grabbed Rogue's arm just before she left.
"Rogue?" she said, "Y' alright?"
Rogue forced a smile and nodded her head. She pulled her arm from Merci and took off towards the bathroom.
Merci, after watching Rogue shoot off, turned on Etienne, reaching across the table and hitting his shoulder with the back of her hand and near yelling; "What did y' do!"
xxxxx
French Translations
Femme - Woman
Princesse - Princess
Imbéciles - Fools
Chére - Dear
Un verre à nous - A drink for us
Repas - Meal
Oui - Yes
Homme - Man
La nuit - The Night
Filles - Girls
Bien - Good
Belle femme - Beautiful Woman
Vin -Wine
Cherie - Darling
Garcon - Boy