Chocolate Dreams
"Absolutely not."
"Please?"
"No."
"Come on."
"Not happening."
"Be reasonable!"
"Nope."
Natalie pulled Evan away from the custom chocolates store by the collar of his shirt.
"But I'm getting some made for Devin. You should get some for your hottie boss."
With a deep sigh, Natalie pushed away the temptation to smack Evan with her sandal to make her point about this discussion being over.
"What if I had already ordered them for you?" Evan asked with a smirk.
That forced the impatient woman to stop in her tracks. Slowly, she turned back to face him, reconsidering her previous shoe-based decision.
"And why would you do something that stupid?" She deadpanned.
"Because you wouldn't do it yourself, and I think a little romance would be good for you."
"Evan, a man with enough free time to volunteer for the cops is not going to be woo'ed by chocolates."
A finger was thrust into her face as Evan shouted "AH-AH! So it's not a matter of romance, but the tool!"
Natalie held her glare even, but Evan refused to back down from his smug smile.
0-0 0-0 0-0
To her horror, the chocolates arrived the morning of the 14th of February. Evan took his box and left for his day of fun with Devin. Left with the keys to the car and the brightly colored box, Natalie debated her options.
She could just throw the box out. Be done with the whole nonsense. Even better, she could just eat the sweets herself. Evan would never know. A smirk spread across her face as she popped open the small flaps.
Her adventure stopped short when she saw the note Evan had the store place inside. A chuckle surprised Natalie as she re-closed the box. She laughed at the arguable perfection of it all. Maybe she could go along with Evan's foolish idea this once. Her course decided, Natalie left behind the keys as she made her way toward the subway station to catch the 11:00 am to downtown.
It was a couple stops before the one for Lux when Natalie noticed she was being followed. The tail didn't seem familiar, so she got off a stop early. The empty lot near the station gave her follower a false sense of control and the sound of a gun cocking echoed through the small clearing.
"Natalie Varquez, I presume. I'm a collector for a mutual friend. It appears your last payment was light."
Natalie turned, bright box still in hand, to face the tall man who had aimed an antique handgun in her direction. She scoffed at the weapon. While lovely to look at, she knew the accuracy to be terrible.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you are referring to." She said calmly.
"Agent Tanners. The provider of your papers that give you the grace to stay within our great nation." The man elaborated with a flourish of his hands.
'Great. Another blackmailing wacko.' She thought as she carefully set the small package on the ground. "Oh, I paid Tanners. The same amount as always."
"Afraid the cost of business has increased. You can either pay, or find somewhere else to hide."
Natalie gave a warm smile as she moved closer. "And did Tanners tell you who I am?"
"It matters not to me. I am servant of the people."
"That is really too bad. Well, I have a message for Tanners about that payment. Could you pass it on for me?"
"Only if it is the payment, my dear." He said, the gun once again lifted to aim toward her.
The warm smile turned into a knowing smirk as Natalie said "Oh, it is."
Her left hand darted out to seize the gun, and a turn of her wrist flicked the antique across the pavement. As her right fist closed in on his nose, she took a moment of pleasure in the look of confusion the man sported. A quick combo left him with a broken arm, and slammed against the wall with a look of terror.
"Now listen up. If Tanners wants to renegotiate our deal, he can drag his spoiled ass out here and talk to me himself. But I don't play pawn games. As a matter of fact, I think I'm owned an apology for this whole mishap. You and Tanners are going to find out everything you know about Lucifer Morningstar and report it to me."
The man, nodded, muttering "What are you?"
Natalie returned to her warm smile, dropped the now broken man on the ground and replied, "You and Tanners should ask his boss that. I don't remember what the official answer is anymore."
She turned and picked up the brightly colored box. Before leaving the clearing completely she paused again, "And tell Tanners not to worry, I won't tell about this and next month's money will be sent the same as always."
0-0 0-0 0-0
Lucifer had made himself comfortable at the piano a little before noon. Maze and Miss. Varquez had convinced him to play for Valentine's Day as a special to bring in extra income. It was his own desire to have the stage back from the dance squad the really drove him to agree.
Seeing the piano in the center of the club again was a wonderful feeling, and Lucifer let the emotion surge through him as he began the opening for the song that had been stuck in his head for a few hours.
He jumped slightly when a voice behind him sang the opening lyrics.
"I never knew I could feel like this...
Like I've never seen the sky before."
Miss. Varquez walked around the side of the piano, emotion building in her words as he strengthen the piano melody.
Lucifer let his hand settle on the ending chord for the opening chorus. His attention was torn between the discovery the Miss. Varquez could sing – quite well in fact – and the brightly colored box that rested in her grip.
"If you want to sing while I play tonight, I would not object." He suggested softly.
A low chuckle came from the woman before him. "I'm afraid singing is quite a bit extra." She finished her circle around the piano and came to a stop next to him.
"A gift?" He asked as his eyes dropped to the brightly colored box.
"Something like that. Evan insisted that I give these to you."
Lucifer lifted his hand to cup the outstretched hand. With his other hand, he removed the small box and placed in on top of the piano. A gentle tug brought her onto the bench with him, her hand nested in his gentle grasp.
"If not for the night, then finish this song with me?" He requested softly.
Natalie knew she should say no. However, a strange curiosity caused her to take her other hand and continue the melody for the next verse. Her voice followed a couple measures later.
"Come what may, Come what may...
I will love you, until my dying day."
Lucifer couldn't help a chuckle before he picked up the duet, a couple octaves lower than it was normally performed. His fingers danced along the keys.
"Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place,
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace.
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste.
And it all revolves around you."
Both of them were smiling, as their voices came together, sharing the keyboard between them.
"And there's no mountain too high, No river too wide,
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side.
Storm cloud may gather and stars may collide."
Before they could finish the final crescendo, Maze came stomping into the room.
"Nat! You are like ten hours early, what are you doing here? And are you ready to go yet Lucifer? We're waiting for the go ahead to open and let the first couples in." Maze half shouted as she pushed Patrick toward his place at the bar.
With the moment quite ruined, Miss. Varquez made a quick escape for the door before she was roped into a very long night. Lucifer glared at Maze as the warm hand in his slipped away. With a brisk flick of his collar, he waved Maze back toward the door expectantly. He stayed on that bench, playing and singing, till the last of the night staff was sweeping the floor. Only then did he let himself look to the small, brightly colored box that sat upon his piano.
A quick flick of the tab displayed a small selection of decadent chocolates with a simple note in beautiful script.
"Pa' Chaos"
A/n: Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Don't forget the chocolates go on sale tomorrow!
A big thank you to all of my readers, and I will be back on the 1st of March with the next chapter of Dancing Girl.
Love and Peace,
Mint Tea and Skulls