13 - 13 Under the sunshine (2)

"Do you know what I wish for right now?" he had asked earlier. She had no idea.

All the same, she hadn't had the time to try to guess. They had just rushed to the office for her to check in before the program closed.

Some hours later, she found herself waiting for Jayden and his friend in front of a pub where he had told her he enjoyed spending time with his friends whenever he came to Constance. It was the perfect place for a team-building session. Unbeknownst to him, she was already familiar with this place.

As she stood by the wrought iron gates, concealed by the bushes that shrouded the terrace in front of the pub, she noticed a familiar figure in the distance.

It was the person she least wanted to encounter: the Department's chief, a disagreeable man named Cezar. Yes, Cezar Cyprian. She quickly searched for a shadowy spot to wait for the boys without being seen, keen to avoid any risk of him seeing her with Jayden. Revealing their budding relationship was not an option at this stage.

***

"Cathy?" Marie-Rose inquired upon her return, the same question she had asked a couple of weeks ago when Jayden first visited the Department. The only difference now was that Matthieu was also present. "What do you think about Jayden?"

"Why are you asking me, Marie-Rose? What am I supposed to think about Jayden?" she retorted.

"No particular reason, Cathy. Guys, I'm referring to his appearance. Do you both find him attractive?"

"Well, you can exclude me from that discussion," Matthieu excused himself. "I am a man, and I can't give an opinion on another man's attractiveness."

"No, but I genuinely mean it, guys. Am I the only one who thinks he's just perfect?"

"The only one, Marie-Rose?" Cathy interjected with an ironic smile. "He's Mr. Perfect to the entire town hall, girl!"

"Cathy... Let's forget that we shared the same man." She fixed her voice before continuing. "I'm just trying to understand my own instincts. I can't explain it, but to me, he seems insanely beautiful. While the other girls only assessed his body, I'm speaking about his face. Well, his overall appearance too." After a pause, she confessed. "Guys, I'm irresistibly drawn to him to the point where I consider him... the most beautiful man in the world... Am I at fault for preferring him over other men? Am I blinded? Am I being superficial?"

"Marie..." Cathy reflected for a moment. "Beauty is highly subjective. I don't believe you're superficial for being attracted to a man because of his looks. To others, he might not hold the same allure." After a brief pause, she continued, "I don't want to pretend I don't find him attractive because I do. However, while I acknowledge his handsomeness, he's not exactly my type of handsome. He has a striking face, but not to the extent that I'd consider him the most beautiful. There have been times when a boy some girls found attractive seemed unappealing to me. So no, you don't owe anyone an explanation."

"I feel like I could look at his face for the rest of my life and never tire of it."

"Marie... You owe it to yourself. If a man doesn't ignite that feeling in you, the feeling that he's the one you want to father your children, then don't bother with him. You owe it to your future children. After all, it will be his face that you'll see in theirs. If you can picture his face in the faces of your children and it makes you happy, then he's your man."

"I think Cathy is right."

Marie-Rose's conversation with Cathy and Matthieu was interrupted by Cezar, their boss, who had returned to his seat after eavesdropping on the latest gossip in the antechamber. Evidently, he wanted to listen in on their discussion.

Marie-Rose was recounting her experience in the military unit, providing spicy insider details, after they had previously discussed some project details. Cezar had harbored animosity towards Matthieu since he got close to Marie-Rose, keeping a vigilant eye on him.

After Cathy left, as they quietly munched on the homemade sandwiches they had brought from home, they ceased their exchange of ideas, resorting to text messages on their phones.

Cezar sat with an unpleasant expression, evoking a sense of the sinister. His countenance bore no signs of joy, but rather annoyance. One corner of his mouth was askew, giving the impression of an impending seizure, while one of his brows was furrowed. His fixed gaze lacked any hint of a smile, replaced instead by a disdainful anger that seemed to radiate from his face.

Despite the delicious taste, each bite of the sandwich weighed heavily on Marie-Rose's conscience. Having only consumed Jayden's chips since morning, she felt hungrier than a wolf, yet struggled to digest her food. She picked up a piece of salad with her fingers and delicately licked one of them.

A short beep from her phone interrupted her, displaying an SMS from Matthieu: "You're so sexy when eating. Watch out not to provoke the madman." She paused momentarily, giving him an expression of mock disbelief, her eyes widened in an exaggerated manner, simultaneously embarrassed yet confident.

Cezar, with his massive, solid frame, seemed like a sought-after bachelor in his youth. However, his current weight didn't quite complement his height. His overbearing confidence extended to his interactions with everyone, especially Marie-Rose and Matthieu.

As he began to eat his burger, producing disagreeable sounds, he sat with his legs spread, as if reclining on a sofa. The mayonnaise dripped from the hamburger, staining his t-shirt, which had already received a mix of ketchup and mayonnaise. His daily meal had just arrived a few minutes ago while he was still engrossed in the gossip.

"So, what are you doing tonight, Marie-Rose?" he asked with a mouth full of food, making yet another attempt to ask her out, disregarding the unprofessional setting.

"Nothing special, sir," she replied, emphasizing the politeness in her tone to maintain a professional distance.

He hastened to finish his burger, then rubbed his out-of-shape belly in an inappropriate manner. A loud and prolonged burp followed.

"I'd like to take you out!" he tried again. Marie-Rose messaged Matthieu: "I'd prefer not to."

"We're going to the gym. You're welcome to join us," she said, using the plural to imply a group, much to Matthieu's dismay.

She glanced at Cezar to gauge his reaction. This wasn't the first time she had invited him to the gym, hoping he'd realize they weren't compatible. She was a highly active person and disliked spending too much time indoors.

Marie-Rose knew her boss preferred lounging in places of leisure.

"I was thinking of watching a movie on my sofa at home," he replied honestly, deviating from the standard going-out proposition.

"I'd rather go out for drinks with my friends in a pub than watch a movie on the sofa," she candidly admitted, much to Matthieu's delight, who was on the verge of bursting into hysterical laughter. It was a comeback he appreciated, showcasing a side of her he adored.

"Drinks with your friends, not movies on the sofa... You're still waiting for that blue-eyed boy. He's not coming back; he left you for a younger, more beautiful woman," he taunted. Marie-Rose chose to remain silent, letting him believe what he wished about Anne's boyfriend, mistaking him for a character in her novel.

Matthieu's face paled. He, too, had blue eyes and was undeniably a handsome blond. He was frustrated by the misunderstanding and instantly grew angry. If it weren't illegal, he would have wanted to punch the boss in the face.

Marie-Rose wondered whom they were associating her character with this time. Recently, her stalkers had been ruffled when she used the Insta reel of Dr. Patrice, a charming biker racer from Cologne. It wasn't an official endorsement; she had simply used the reel without permission, unaware that the man under the helmet was also blonde. The concept had appealed to her, particularly the image of the rose burning in the motorcycle boy's hand, complemented by his dashing suit, adding a touch of class to the image—an ideal conclusion for her novel, she thought. It would hopefully put an end to the ongoing hunt for her novel's characters.

The obsessive individuals relentlessly hunting for clues about her imaginary relationships, and accusing her of adultery or worse, who knows, perhaps even an incest, now emerged like poisonous mushrooms after the rain. They believed they had unraveled the true inspiration behind her character. This time, she was genuinely furious.

"How dare you link me with that unsightly biker racer," her anger seethed, even though she knew he wasn't unattractive at all. She was simply tired of the audacity of these stalkers masquerading as intelligent critics when they were nothing more than frustrated skunks. They had the nerve to associate her with an innocent influencer she had never even met.

For the cover of her book, she initially used an image of Anne's boyfriend. The boy possessed exquisite beauty, with his piercing blue eyes and the reddish tint in his blonde hair. However, the selected picture did not reveal his face, instead presenting a sketched image in black and white pencil, adding a cool and mysterious touch. Similarly, she had never seen Dr. Patrice's face before using his video.

Her boss had approached her at that time, couple of months ago, right when the scandal broke. With an evident intention to capitalize on the situation, he began persuading her to be with him. Interestingly, he was new to his position, having been appointed only a short while before, seemingly demoted to their department as a disciplinary measure.

Marie-Rose grappled with how to explain to her boss that she was currently seeing someone. When she was with Alexandre, she had to keep it a secret because he was her patient. Now, she had to keep Jayden a secret because he was a contractor. She detested her predicament.

Despite eventually learning that her lover was Alexandre, due to his previous involvement with Cathy, now her colleague at work, they felt justified in pushing for the couple to part ways. Her boss, in particular, was outspoken about Alexandre, as if he had a personal vendetta against him. He persistently urged her to break up with him, citing dubious reasons.

"That boy is now in another team." He leaned on the back in order to better expose his t-shirt that revealed the Batman logo on his unimpressive chest. Balls, he clearly didn't have them.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I had no idea that my private life was of public interest to the information services," she retorted, trying to maintain a level of professionalism.

"Not the information services, just the nosy people," he quipped, seemingly regurgitating things she had discussed on social media with her fellow writers.

Marie-Rose and Matthieu exchanged awestruck glances. It was clear that the man's mind dwelled in the twilight zone.

"Well, how about I join you at the pub?" his malevolent smirk contorted his face.

"No, thank you. I have no interest in going out with you, Mr. Cezar," she responded firmly. He wasn't the type to engage with anyone for genuine connection. His demeanor exuded an air of immaturity that couldn't possibly entertain the type of relationship she sought.

Just as she pondered these thoughts, the rest of the gossipers' gang began to arrive one by one, entering the room. One of the women overheard the boss.

"Oh, no, she's fallen for that contractor," she vocalized her assumptions. "The man who collaborated with her on the war orphans case."

***

From a corner of the terrace, she peered through the iron bars of the gate onto the street. Her boss had stopped at one of the tables behind her, standing with his back turned. His reluctance to take a seat suggested he wasn't keen on spending much time in the area, much to her infinite delight.

Despite herself, she couldn't help but overhear the conversation he was having with the men at that table. She wasn't paying attention to him, her focus entirely on the outside of the pub, intent on making a quick exit to meet the boys before her boss caught sight of them together. Yet, in an unexpected turn of events, his words suddenly became distinctly audible to her.

"I'm searching for a woman. I'm so desperate I could settle for anyone. I'm literally burning up; you have no idea how horny I feel right now," he continued his previous rant. "I'm so horny that I could accept anyone. I just want to bang someone tonight." he confessed.

Her expression twisted into one of stupefaction as his words crashed down on her mind like a meteorite shower on the dark side of the moon. The impact was akin to a bucket of cold water on an icy winter morning, freezing her in place, rendering her unable to move her petrified limbs. While his earlier advances had hinted at the same sentiment, hearing his brutally honest confession delivered so bluntly was an eye-opening experience.

"I can just throw a bag over her ugly head and pound her till I get my release."

It dawned on her why she had always harbored reservations about him. Her intuition had long sensed his true nature. These were the ideas he harbored within his dark soul.

Suddenly, she remembered something.

"Oh no, she's fallen for that contractor," the remark echoed in her mind once more.