I do not own Monk nor Natalie.
and I cannot control my instincs on leaving you hanging on the edge, waiting for a friendly hand pull you up ( or push you down, hehe...)
Thank you for all the hits, and if you have time, please, Review it.
MR MONK MEETS THE REDEEMERCH12
The two couples remained in the office for another few minutes. Bianca and Gilbert were talking about what action they should take next; Monk was strangely quiet and Natalie noticed his discomfort. He was silent, but she could see through his stillness that he was withholding important information, which he did not or could not deliver in front of kind strangers.
After some conjecturing, Bianca concluded, "The first thing I will do is talk to my father. He is traveling now, and will arrive here around the 11PM tonight. Until then, Gilbert and I believe it is better leave things as they are, and try to mull it over a bit, so we will have a better idea of what to discuss with my dad. Is that okay, Mr. Monk?"
Monk nodded in agreement
"Then we can meet again at the bar at half past eleven tonight, if it's not inconvenient for you," Gilbert said.
Natalie looked at Monk and said, "No, it's not inconvenient at all. We will be there."
Gilbert accompanied the two to the door. Monk was already out of the office when Natalie was stopped by Gilbert. She was still holding Monk's arm.
"I am sure that Mr. Monk has already explained this to you, Natalie, but I just want to remind you that you can enjoy all the facilities offered by the hotel. It's on us."
"Oh, thank you, Gilbert. I believe we will walk around and check out the facilities and relax a bit."
"Do not worry. I will check on you later. I just need to let the delicate scent of your perfume guide me to you." Natalie giggled, and dismissed herself from Gilbert with a smile. When she turned to Monk, he was looking at her very strangely, pressing his jaws against one another and with an eyebrow raised. Natalie felt her hand hurting, then looked at it and immediately released Monk's arm.
"Thank God, Natalie!" Monk said, softening the expression on his face.
"Ouch, my hand is aching." Natalie said opening and closing it several times.
"Your hand is aching? My hand doesn't hurt any more, because I do not feel it anymore. You cut off the blood stream to my hand! I'm positive that I will never be able to use it again! And you left your fingerprints on my arm! Even if I scour my arm with a steel sponge a million of times, they will never be gone. They will be there, etched on my dead arm, forever!"
Monk went on complaining, all the while looking at his hand which was raised up in front of his face, with the palm up, frozen in a strange position as if it was an abstract sculpture. "I cannot move it!" cried Monk looking at his hand.
Natalie shook her head in disbelief, looking at her boss freak out. She hoped that when he finished his performance, they would be able to talk about what had happened in the office.
"Oh, God, now I will have to cut off my arm, Natalie! Even if the hand recovers its ability to move, your fingerprints will remain stamped on my arm. Oh, God! I can feel them!" continued Monk, stretching his arm out in front of him, repulsed by it.
When an unknown photographer took Monk's hand and shook it, Natalie thought that Monk would black out. To her surprise, Monk greeted the stranger and made a motion for a wipe.
So she handed in to wipe Monk, he looked tenderly at her, and calmly said, "I'll go upstairs, Natalie. I really need a bath. "
"Great idea, I also need a good bath to relax too." Both of them started to go up.
"I am happy that there are people like me, that have higher purposes in taking a bath, Natalie."
"Higher purposes?"
"Yes, for example, avoiding being a human bomb."
"Human bomb? Are we speaking the same language, Mr. Monk?"
Monk stopped on the platform of the second floor, looking at Natalie, outraged by her lack of comprehension.
"And you say that I am the naive one? Natalie, I'm contaminated with germs and bacteria, I can feel they multiplying all over my body, making strategies, writing plots, waiting me to approach the next victim and "BOOM! " spread themselves, beginning the process again, over and over."
"Oh, okay, then you, heroically, will destroy all enemies with the world's most powerful weapon: water"
"And neutral soap. Clever girl!" Monk ended, resuming his way up.
Natalie tried to use Monk's last words to lead the conversation in a more interesting way, "But not clever enough to understand why you remained silent during the video presentation."
"Natalie, I have some pieces of a disturbing puzzle to put together. I do not have all the pieces yet; I do not know this country nor the people who live in here; I do not know about the laws of this country applied in practice; I do not have any official or legal support here; and I am not sure of the genuineness of the couple downstairs."
"Couple?" Interrupted Natalie. "Couple like just two people, right?"
"No, Natalie, couple like two engaged people."
After a brief silence, Monk stopped three steps above Natalie, on the fourth floor. He immediately stepped back down one, looking at Natalie.
"What now?"
"Engaged? But he... I ... he was totally ..."
"Hitting on you, and you were buying it. You cannot rely on very generous people, Natalie. Genuinely generous people do not exist," finished Monk, resumed climbing the stairs.
"Oh, God!" Natalie took the hand to her mouth, realizing the delicate situation she was in.
After a few seconds, she continued her way up also, trying to convince herself, "But there is something different, something familiar which made me feel attracted to him. Not only his charm but his presence affects me in a strange way; it seems like we've known each other for a long time."
Natalie realized her thoughts were verbalized when Monk stopped again, looked at her and displaying a small smile.
"Anything you wanna share, Mr. Monk?" Natalie approached him, stopping at the same step he was on.
"There was something different, something familiar which made you feel attracted to him," repeated Monk. "That's it!" Monk's smile had become wider.
Natalie was sure that Monk had solved the puzzle, but did not have time to ask what he had discovered; the expression on Monk's face had changed suddenly as if he had taken a glass of quinine.
"Oh, God!" Monk took the back of his hand to his mouth. "Oh, God!" he repeated, stepping away from Natalie.
"What? What?" Asked Natalie, with her arms opened in front of her and shoulders bunched, not getting Monk's reaction.
To Monk's relief, only one flight of stairs was keeping him from the top. Monk climbed them two-by-two, and disappeared into the corridor towards the suite.
Natalie remained stopped at the stairs. What could possibly be going on Monk's head? What had she said or done to him to trigger such a reaction? What did Monk fear?
She reached the corridor and managed to see the door of Monk's suite being closed. She walked determinedly to her suite, opened the door, crossed the room and reached the connecting door. Monk was faster than she was; the door was locked.
"Mr. Monk, what's happening? Mr. Monk?" asked Natalie, knocking on the door. "Let me in, Mr. Monk."
There was no answer. Natalie heard the noise of the shower being turned on.
Thank you, Kathy!