True Love
(Book 3) – Chapter 104

Her friend was right; it would have been very bad for her if she had continued to live in that house.

-Thank you for being with me! says the brunette.

-You don’t say.

That night the girls went to work as usual, and as usual the bar was packed. As the night progressed, Zoé noticed that the table the brothers were using was being occupied by other people.

She couldn’t help but look for them elsewhere, but either her vision was very bad or they hadn’t been there that night… and she was beginning to suspect that the second option was the right one.

-They’re not there. Maya says to him next to him at the bar.

-What are you talking about?

-I’ve seen you, you’re looking for him. Well, I’m telling you, he’s not here. Neither is his brother.

-Good for us.

-I guess so. Maya leaves with her tray, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

At the end of the day’s work, they both go home to rest. Thankful that the next day they didn’t have to work and at least with that night’s tips they would cover a few weeks’ rent.

Jean left his car keys on the table, he walked his steps to the bedroom and on the way he started to take off his clothes. He needed a shower, he hated it when he had to take care of business on Sundays.

Running a bloody chain restaurant was exhausting, there was always a problem. If it wasn’t one, it was another. And worse when he had to travel. But that was his life, his legacy.

The Frenchman stripped off all his clothes, leaving his whole body naked. He walked across the room and went straight to the bathroom. Stepping into the shower room, he turned on the taps. The cold water penetrated his bones, so he turned it to lukewarm. The steam began to do him good, he was tired.

He left one arm stretched against the wall, leaned his head down and let the water run over his body. At that he opened his eyes, the water fell like a waterfall from his lips to the whitish floor.

He thought of her… he hadn’t seen her for two days, he wondered how she was? It was strange for him to ask himself such a question when it was a woman. He put it down to the fact that he hadn’t been able to get her into his bed and that certainly pushed him.

He left the shower with only a towel wrapped around his h**s, and he lay down on the bed. He needed to sleep…

A few days later…

It was the day when Adrien and Jean were meeting at his father’s house for dinner… Dubois got out of the car adjusting his jacket, behind his car parked Adrien who greeted him with a nod of his head.

-Where have you been? You’ve been lost for days little brother. said the younger blond.

-I’ve had a lot of work to do, haven’t you? He says, going up the stairs.

-Yes, but not so that I don’t have time to see my only brother.

-Don’t be dramatic!

They both pass inside the house, when they see Antonie walking with his cane in hand.

-They’re here at last!

-We’re on time, father. Adrien replies.

-Well, come in for dinner, everything is ready.

-Aren’t there any surprise guests tonight?

-Of course there are, Adelaine is here. -She’s your fiancée!

-Father. Jean stops. -I’m not marrying her.

-You will, or I’ll disinherit you! The old man threatens him seriously.

Jean frowns and clenches his fists until they whiten. He narrows his blue eyes to focus on his father’s of the same colour.

-Don’t threaten me, Antonie Dubois. I remind you that I am no longer a child, I have forged my own company without your help.

-Yes, your restaurants… but they are nothing compared to mine. I’m warning you Jean, if you don’t get married I’ll ruin your business. And you’ll come begging me.

-Dad! Adrien says to him.

-Shut up Adrien, the same goes for you. If you don’t get married, that’s what will happen.

-I won’t marry Adelaine.

-If not to her, then to someone else. But you’ll get married and give up that promiscuous life you lead.

The Frenchman’s expression changed immediately, so he could marry another woman. As long as he could get rid of that blonde and his father, he could marry another woman and inherit everything from his father. The old man would cede everything to him, and would no longer threaten him.

Antonie Dubois had inadvertently given Jean a great idea.

The Dubois men went into the dining room, where Adelaine was waiting for them, smiling.

-Oh, Jean!

He goes up to her and k****s her on the cheek. Sitting down opposite her.

-Your father invited me, I was about to refuse but then I didn’t want to be rude.

-Don’t worry. He tells her seriously.

-I’m glad!

From under the table Jean felt the woman rubbing her leg against his thigh… he looked up, he noticed her smiling at him slyly. The Frenchman thought she really was a pain in the a*s. He cursed his libido for having f****d her.

After a few hours, Adelaine said goodbye to everyone. The dinner had been good, the only bad thing was that the blonde kept looking at Jean and hitting on him. He got to thinking that if she didn’t value herself as an upper class woman, he knew a stripper who valued herself much more than she did.

At her father’s behest, he walked her to her car. And the aunt, without thinking too much about it, pounced on him, planting her lips on his. Any other man would have jumped at the chance. But Jean didn’t think so, Adelaine was dangerous and it was best not to give her wings.

So he separated her from him with great delicacy….

-It’s too late! You’d better go.

-Don’t you want to come with me?

-I must stay.

-What a pity! She replies sadly.

She gets into the car, blowing him a k**s from afar… she turns the car around and before leaving, she honks the horn. Jean just put his hands in his pockets.

Given the situation he was in with his father and that blonde, he needed to figure out how to get them both off his back. And he planned to do it, in fact, he already knew what he had to do. He thought it would turn out well after all. Three birds with one stone.

Zoé felt a shiver run through her body, maybe it was because of that gold sequined mini skirt she was wearing. She wasn’t wearing stockings, so her thighs were more exposed than ever.

She was placing some glasses on the bar when out of nowhere she felt dizzy, holding on to the railing of the bar Maya was at her side in a second.

-Are you alright?

-Y-Yeah… it’s nothing.

-Stop lying, you feel sick. You haven’t eaten well these days.

-I’ll be fine. Insist.

-You can’t dance like that. I’ll tell the boss you’ve been ill.

-He’ll fire me if you tell him, I can’t lose my job. -Not now!

The girls were in a bind, it turned out that what they had collected wasn’t enough for much rent. The old owner of the building had raised the rent to a very high amount. So for the rest of the next few days, they worked to raise the missing money.

If they didn’t, they would be thrown out of the flat. They barely managed to get something to eat. Being new in a night bar was hard. The customers always tipped the older ones well.

Zoé sighed, turning around to focus on the table where Jean sat… he never appeared in her life again, she was used to his absence. Although she often stared at the door for long periods of time waiting for him to enter. And he didn’t understand why…

But that hadn’t happened, and he suspected it wasn’t going to happen either. Maya always talked about Adrien, yet another one who had disappeared from her life. Maybe the Dubois brothers were married, or they weren’t really interested in a couple of strippers.

-What do you think? asked her friend.

-Maybe I should have let him pay me to sleep with him, maybe my virginity was worth enough to get out of where we are.

-What are you saying Zoé? she whispers.

-I’ve been thinking of selling it.

-Zoé, you’re not a slut to do that.

-We’re in the wrong, Maya.

Her friend grabs her arm and pulls her into the bathroom.

-No. -You’re not going to do that. I won’t allow it.

-And what are we going to do? We’re starving, and if we don’t pay the rent in a few days they’ll kick us out.

-We’ll see what we’ll do. -We’ll see what we’ll do.

-I’ll do it, he’s just a f*****g virgo. -I’ll do it.

-He’s important to you, I won’t let you lose him like that.

Maya hugs her and they both burst into tears. The friends were going through a tough situation, going back to Texas was not an option. At least not for Zoé, no one was waiting for her there. But staying in France didn’t offer her anything positive either. Only hardship.

And now, with that terrible feeling of loneliness settled in her heart.