Couer de la Mer
Chapter Four
Soon Your Face Will Fade Away
AN- Thanks and MUCH LOVE to my reviewers! I know I've been slacking on this story but now that my younger ones are off on a good leg, I should be updating more regularly. Please keep reviewing! Cohen.
"At night I pray that soon your face will fade away." Britney Spears- Everytime.
The next morning Mimi attended breakfast with Benny on their private little part of the deck, and his anger was seething off of him. She didn't dare make any comment regarding it, she knew Benny's temper all too well and when he was appalled, there was no need to agitate him any further. He would not leave his anger unmentioned, however.
"You're probably pretty tired after your little party below-deck."
She said nothing, stirred her coffee as she thought very carefully about what to say. He continued when she still remained silent. "You won't go there and embarrass me again, Mimi. I can't have you fucking around with some random lowlifes at all hours of the night."
She looked at him, her brows beginning to furrow in disbelief and anger. "You can't have me going there? Correct me, should I be wrong, Benjamin, but I'm your fiancée!"
"My fiancée, I can beat my fiancée!" He yelled, overturning the table so there was nothing between them, he grabbed the armrests of the wicker chair she was sitting in. "Yes you are, my wife in practice if not by law!" He left her to think, and between her tears and fear, she struggled to hold on to the good feelings of freedom and hope being around Roger had left in her.
Mark woke slowly and groaned tiredly, turned and looked at Maureen, who was still sleeping peacefully beside him, he smiled a little. His eyes blinked a few times when he heard a soft sound and realized it was what had woken him up, guitar chords. He slowly sat up in the bed and looked down below him at Roger, who was laying back, playing his beloved instrument. "Morning."
Roger stopped and looked at him, smiled and nodded, set the guitar aside. "Morning, did I wake you?"
"Yes." Mark said honestly with an affirmative nod, shrugged. "But I don't really care. Got any aspirin?"
Roger held a finger for him to hold on and dug into his bag, pulled a bottle of Tylenol from it and tossed it to him. Mark took it and disappeared up top for a moment. Roger heard Maureen moan in agony, and then Mark's hand lowered with the bottle. Roger took it with a chuckle and laid back, listened to Mark soothing Maureen.
"Shhh, it's all right. Mine hurts too, take this." Brief silence. "There, now just rest with me. We'll be fine."
Roger smiled warmly and crept from the room, saw a friend in the hall and asked what was going on today, and was told, "Nothing, the first class has church now in the dining saloon but none of us do shit." Roger nodded and upon hearing this, decided to go upstairs to pay Mimi a visit.
Back in their room, Maureen snuggled up to Mark as they drifted off to sleep again. She kissed his cheek and hugged him close, like a little girl with a really dorky looking teddy bear. "I love you Marky." She said in a yawn. "My pookie."
Mark blushed very deeply and looked at her, kissed her nose. "I love you too, Maureen."
Upstairs, Mimi was finishing up with her hair when Joanne came in and shut the door. She sighed, knowing just what was coming and looked down at the table. Joanne came up and took the brush, began to yank it through Mimi's thick, curly, textured hair. "You're not gonna see that hood again, Mimi."
"Stop, Mom." Mimi muttered.
Joanne turned her daughter to look at her. Her eyes scanned Mimi's every feature. "Do you want to see me end up as some roadside motel whore? Is that what you want for yourself? This hookup with Coffin is the best thing for us both! The money's all gone, Mimi!"
"I know, you tell me every damn day!"
"Your good-for-nothing father died and left us with a good name and empty bank account! This will ensure our survival. Do this, Mimi. For mother, please?"
Mimi blinked tears away and said nothing, Joanne took that as an obedient 'Yes', and kissed her forehead before continuing to yank the brush through her hair until it suited her own fancy. She then led her daughter to where Benny was waiting, and waited for them to link arms before going to church with them.
She and Benny noticed when the boy tried to get in to see Mimi, who thankfully, didn't look up in time to notice. Now it was a tour around the deck, the crew quarters and Gymnasium. Joanne tried to ignore Mimi as she questioned the shipbuilder about the number of lifeboats and people on board, continued along with the Captain and Officer Collins and Benny.
No one noticed when Roger yanked Mimi into the Gym.
"I need to talk to you. . ."
"Roger, no." She said worriedly, trying to hurry back out onto deck. "They can't see you."
"Mimi hear me out, dammit! I can't just let go of you without knowing that you're gonna be ok!"
Mimi watched him, her mind drifting to her small conversation with Angel on this very deck just the day before. " . . . I know a certain Mr. Davis would be glad to bust down those oak and crystal doors to get to you and make sure he knew you were all right. . ." Her eyes nearly filled with tears and so she quickly looked away.
"I'm fine. I'll be fine. I'm with Benny. We're getting married." She looked back to him. "I love Benny, Roger."
He shook his head. "Mimi you're no damn picnic. You're a spoiled little brat even! But you're the most amazingly, astounding, wonderful girl. . .woman, I've ever known. . ."
"Roge,r I. . . ."
"Let me try and get this out!" He said, stopping her from going anywhere again. "You're a-. . . I'm not an idiot. I know how the world works. I've got ten bucks in my pocket and I have nothing to offer you and I know that. I understand, but I can't turn away without knowing you'll be all right. I'm involved now. You jump, I jump, remember?" He was overwhelmed emotionally, now, and he watched her as he said much more softly. "That's all that I want."
Mimi fought hard to stay strong. "Well I'm fine. I'll be fine, really."
"Really?" He asked, she nodded, her own emotions overwhelming her. "Cuz I don't think so. They've got you trapped, Mimi! And you're gonna die if you don't break free. Maybe not right away because you're strong but sooner or later that fire that I love about you Mimi," he said, reaching to cup one soft cheek, his thumb rolling over it. "That fire is gonna burn out."
She found some strength in her voice, reached to gently place her hand over his. "It's not up to you to save me, Roger."
He nodded. "I know. Only you can do that."
Her fingers twined with his briefly but soon she pulled his hand from her face. "I'm going back, please leave me alone." She said softly, finally managing to break away and return to the group.
Angel, meanwhile, pulled Collins from the tour to talk, and thought he was very surprised to be yanked from it, and worried that Captain Smith would be upset, he was glad to see her and to be taken away from high society snobs such as the Coffin party. "Baby, hi." He said softly. "What's going on?"
"We need to talk," She told him softly, kissing him softly. "I'm worried, about Roger and Mimi."
Collins sighed softly and took Angel into the crew lunchroom, sat her down on a stool and sat with her. "Angel, I know what you're trying to do, and I know you and Roger are friends and you and Mimi are friends, but you have to understand that Mimi's going to marry Benny Coffin whether anyone likes it or not, and also no matter who else comes along. This is how these things work."
Angel shook her head quickly, and he saw tears in her big brown eyes. "How can you say that, Tom? What about us? Are we the way society normally works?"
"No, of course not . . ."
"So does that mean we're forbidden? That the love we both feel for one another is somehow wrong? That I should be finding myself a third class guy and you should find some first class woman that can have your navy-bound babies?"
"Angel!" He took her face into his hands, warm tears leaked out over onto his large fingers. "You know that isn't true, I love you with everything I am and when we dock, I'm resigning so we can spend our lives together!"
Angel nodded, sliding her hands over his. "So what then, is so different with Roger and Mimi?"
Collins opened his mouth to reply, shook his head. "Those are two high class families that already agreed to marry into one another." He said stubbornly. "I refuse to be involved in splitting that union up!"
"Mimi's family is only playing high class, her daddy was broke when he died 18 months ago." She said, turning his face to look at her with her small, well manicured hands. "Tom, for me, so I don't have to watch her marry into an abusive relationship. I know he'll hurt her, especially when he finds out her mother lied. Roger loves her, he'll take good care of her and we can even help them start off!"
He watched her and sighed, nodded and leant forward to share a very brief, light kiss with her. "All right. But they both have to be willing to receive help or we withdraw, Angel. And there will be no meddling with heads to make them both willing!"
Angel smiled innocently at him, blinked her eyelashes. "Thomas Collins, are you calling me devious?"
"No of course not, my love." He kissed her cheek and pulled her to her feet. "I'm calling you nosey."
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