AN: Chapter prompts: Hearts/Pink and red
Chapter Six: Underhand
"Late night?" Gabriel enquired when Nathalie finally entered the atelier the next morning.
She winced. "Mm."
"What's with the sunglasses?"
"Your house is too bright."
"This has to be a first," he said, impressed. "Nathalie Sancoeur with a hangover. Colour me very intrigued. But I'm expecting Jagged Stone any minute, and he's a rather loud person, so maybe you'd like to take a break?"
"Good idea," Nathalie muttered. "Thank you, sir." She left the room again, probably in search of a second cup of coffee.
The doorbell rang, and he let the rock star in.
"Mr Stone." Gabriel held out his hand to shake Jagged's, then hesitantly granted the request of a fist bump instead.
"Mr Agreste. So, where are these masterpieces?"
"Presentation of ideas," Gabriel corrected as he led him into the atelier. "I wouldn't create a prototype without first getting approval of the design."
"Right, yes; sorry. Guess I'm overexcited."
Gabriel uncovered the design board.
Not many clients were bowled over with metaphorical hearts in their eyes at the first ideas; Gabriel was used to the contemplative silence.
"Hmm." Jagged frowned a little, stepping closer. "They're very …" He waved a hand vaguely. "Can't put my finger on it."
"Do you mean that in a negative way?" Gabriel asked.
"Hang on a moment. Let me get my expert on the line." Jagged took a photograph of the design board, sent it to someone and then selected a phone number, putting it on speaker. "Marinette?"
Gabriel tried not to feel insulted.
"Yeah, I've just sent them to you. What do you think? … Mm-hm. Hang on, I'm putting you on speaker; say that again." He pressed a button and put the phone down on Gabriel's desk.
"Er … Mr Agreste?" Marinette's voice came over the phone. "May I ask what you used for inspiration?"
Feeling like he had done something wrong, Gabriel said, "Mr Stone's own style. This commission is for him, after all."
"Ah, well, I think that's the issue."
"I'm sorry?"
"They're not bad designs, sir; not at all. There's nothing really wrong with them; they're just missing your own … um … uniqueness; they feel a little … forced. Does that make sense?"
Unfortunately, it did. "Yes. But as I said to Mr Stone when he approached me, I wasn't sure I was the designer for the job. Our styles are very different. When one tries to mimic someone else's, it will naturally not be the best quality."
"Yeah, but this isn't for a gig or an album cover," Jagged said. "It's a Valentine's gift."
"I'm not sure I see your point."
"Mr Agreste, what makes your designs so wonderful is your passion," Marinette said. "You pour your heart and soul into every single one. And that's very difficult when trying to mimic a style that's vastly different to your own."
"What are you saying, Miss Marinette?"
"Jagged isn't looking for something that screams rock 'n' roll. He wants something that expresses love. Perhaps … you could try designing something from the heart?"
Gabriel paused. "I … could. But considering the short time frame … If Mr Stone doesn't like what I come up with, he won't have time to find another designer."
"Sir, I know Jagged well, and I also know your work very well. I know you can do it."
"I could come back in a few hours to take a look," Jagged offered.
Nathalie winced as the doorbell rang again. She entered the atelier to answer the intercom, and found it strangely quiet. Gabriel was sketching quickly, clearly in inspiration mode, and Jagged was looking on in interest. He glanced at her, shot her a smile, and turned back to Gabriel.
She went to her desk and lifted the receiver. "Yes?"
"Special delivery for Nathalie Sancoeur."
Big surprise.
She left the room and collected the delivery. This time it was a pink box from the Dupain-Cheng bakery.
More proof, if Nathalie had needed it, that Marinette was in on Adrien's plan.
Who knows, maybe if they're not already an item, this thing could bring them together, Nathalie found herself wondering. As long as Caline puts a stop to it before I end up having to resign out of humiliation, it would be worth it for that. He's been lovesick for months.
She opened the box to find an array of heart-shaped pink and red macaroons. The smell was mouth-watering.
Well, no need to let them go to waste after all Marinette's effort.
Nathalie bit into a pink one, and almost choked on it in surprise at the delicate floral flavour. One of her favourites—and appropriate for Valentine's Day.
Since things were quiet in the atelier, she decided to go back in and get on with some paperwork, and almost bumped into Jagged on his way out.
"Morning, Nathalie," he said cheerfully. "Penny says hi. Nice shades, by the way."
"Thank you." They had been a present from Adrien on her last birthday. She understood that Marinette had helped him pick them out. "Tell her hi back."
"Will do. See you later then, Mr A."
Gabriel, looking a bit awkward, obliged Jagged's fist bump request, and bade him goodbye.
"I will never understand rock stars," Gabriel muttered once he had gone, then turned to Nathalie. "You know his girlfriend?"
"We went out last night with a couple of friends."
He raised his eyebrows. "You went out with friends?"
"No need to sound so surprised! … Okay, fair enough; it was a surprise to me too. Adrien's teacher and I got talking yesterday while I was waiting for him, and she ended up inviting me out for a girls' night."
Gabriel smiled. "Did you have a good time?"
"Very; thank you, sir."
"Thank goodness. I've been saying for ages you need more time to relax and have fun."
"Yeah, very relaxing," Nathalie muttered as she adjusted her sunglasses.
"Is that a black eye?" He quickly stepped closer. "What happened?"
"When we were about to leave, I ordered a glass of iced water from the barman so I could throw it in his face." At Gabriel's expression, she said, "He'd behaved quite disgracefully with Caline earlier in the night."
"And how did that get you a black eye?"
"It caused quite a scene. His manager wanted to know why I'd done it, so I told her. One of the other women he'd been trying to chat up overheard, said he'd been rude to her as well; her boyfriend decided to defend her honour, and it caused a big fight to break out. Someone accidentally elbowed me."
"I take it back about you needing to get out more," Gabriel said drily. "You're clearly a public hazard, Nathalie."
"It was only a glass of water!"
He raised an eyebrow. "On the rocks, I'm guessing?"
Damn, he knows me too well. "Might have been."
"Speaking of ice, you should put some on that. And perhaps put some concealer on it before tonight."
Nathalie blinked. "Tonight?"
"The dinner with Mrs Tsurugi."
"Oh … right. What was that about, again?"
"You took the call," Gabriel reminded her.
"I know. But my head is still a bit fuzzy."
"You told me she was strangely evasive; all she would say was that it was of extreme importance that she meet with both of us in person."
"Oh, yeah. It's coming back to me now."
"Anyway, you'll cause another riot if you turn up to the Grand Paris with a black eye." His own eyes finally spotted the box she was holding. "Oh. Is that another …"
"Yes," Nathalie said, offering him one.
"Thank you," he said, taking a red one. "Mm, raspberry. Does the … er … sender … I mean … whoever it is … do they know you don't, er …?" he asked very awkwardly.
"Not yet."
"Oh."
"But I've got a plan to break it to him gently." She put the box down on her desk and sat down. "How did it go with Jagged Stone? Were the designs "rock 'n' roll" enough for him?"
"Er … too much, as it happens."
Nathalie raised an eyebrow. "Too much?"
"Don't ask. Anyway, I've got some more ideas I need to work on before he comes back later to look at them."
"He left it a bit late to ask for a Valentine's commission. He and Penny have been together for six months."
"I know," Gabriel said with a sigh. "He doesn't strike me as the most forward-thinking or logical individual, though."
Nathalie's mouth twitched, remembering Penny's tale of their first 'date'. For a moment she was about to share it with Gabriel, but then her eyes fell on her long task list and she sighed.
"Nathalie, take the day off. Or at least the morning." He glanced at his watch. "What's left of it."
"I'm sure it's not Gabriel policy to let your employers take time off over a hangover."
"I can make an exception for you. Especially since this is the first time in … the first time ever, I think."
Three hours later, Marinette's phone buzzed again.
"Everyone be quiet!" she announced to the class. "It's Jagged again."
Her classmates, Mrs Mendeleiev and Mr Damocles immediately fell silent, and she answered. "Jagged?"
"Sent you another photo, Marinette. What do you think?"
She beckoned Adrien over, and opened the photo. Her eyes widened. "Wow."
Adrien grinned when he saw it, looked at her and gave two thumbs-up.
"It's perfect," she said. "Amazing work, Mr Agreste."
"Are you sure?" Gabriel's voice said. "It's not very Jagged Stone."
Little did he know. Several people in the room were trying very hard not to giggle. Adrien shot Ivan, who looked close to breaking, a sharp look, and he pressed his own hand to his mouth.
"But it says love." Loud and clear. "It's absolutely perfect, sir."
"Well, I'm convinced," Jagged said. "I'll take it, Mr A."
After hanging up, Marinette passed her phone around the classroom for everyone to look at.
"You think he even realises what he did?" Alya asked when she saw the design.
"Probably not," Adrien said. "But he shouldn't need too much of a push to get there now. Everything on track for tonight?"
"One hundred percent," Max confirmed after glancing at his clipboard.
"Perfect."
TBC …