New Faces Old Story

Today was owned by Ladonna, she stomped in early in the morning and managed to keep Caspar busy for the entire day. Bianca did a quick stop through but once she saw Ladonna she made excuses and exited quickly for even a porn queen knew when she would be out shouted. Ladonna expressed all her new ideas in a loud voice that would carry through the entire place while Caspar would tactfully guide her away from whatever outlandish creation had taken her fancy at that minute. Her taste was seemed to involve the flash and trash of her previous life and Caspar had his hands full trying to explain exactly what he was capable of doing. Even though my life had fallen into the pit from hell I found Ladonna and her insanity a great distraction and even chuckled when she suggested Caspar theme her party entirely in gold lamé. I kept a nervous vigilance on the door half expecting Gervais to wander in at some point, as he was one to use any opportunity to insert his insidious presence into my life but to my great relief he never turned up.

I finished up my day and sat in my car wondering what to do with myself as I did not want to go straight home for that would mean facing Mother and her relentless questions as to why I had left Sedero’s. She was never happy with any of the reasons I gave her, even when I told her it was Jojo and his lazy ways. I could not go to Djini’s for now I was avoiding Gervais, Jojo, Royce, Tiah and Coco, which pretty much was everyone in my life. For a minute I thought about calling Jazz but she would just turn the conversation around to Jojo and his affair with Lynx which was something I was not prepared to discuss. The only place that I could think of going to was the café in Northside where I had sat with Zizi, not that I expected her to be there again. Zizi and I were not close enough anymore for me to call her up for a coffee and now that she was working with Osric she was completely removed to another world. If I was going to spend the next part of my life alone I thought I might as well explore new places to go.

That’s how I found myself driving Northside for the second time that week, I parked my car and had a relaxing stroll window shopping until I came to Millie’s Café. The outside tables were full and buzzing with a mix of people from sleek executives to weird arty types all drinking designer coffee while chatting animatedly to their friends. I entered the Café thinking that it was nice not to worry about who was coming around the next corner and looked for a place to sit. As I scanned the room trying to find an empty spot my eyes met the familiar frozen green stare that only a Dubois can generate and there sat Gervais and the look on his face was that of a man who enters his house to suddenly find all his furniture made of gold.

My heart sank past the floor into the bowels of the earth where I was certain it would never be recovered again. He motioned for me to join him and I knew that there was no escape that I was going to be sitting wherever Gervais wanted me for this unearthly link between us controlled my every decision. I considered abandoning our agreement but I was a little afraid of whatever retaliation Gervais would dream up, for if he had to wait years for revenge he would. My only chance would be total escape and if I had any brains I would plan my European vacation very soon. I was about to cross the floor to sit at his table when I hear a voice call my name and I turn around to see Zizi calling me over to her. I could have kissed her then and there and I wave to her as if I had been planning to meet her all along throwing Gervais a little smile before joining her.

I sat at her table part of me perplexed while part of me was totally grateful for her calling over and as I sat down she gave me this strange look and said I looked as if I had seen the devil himself. I couldn’t tell her about Gervais but I think she guessed he was the reason for my unhappy state and changed the subject. I asked her why she was there again she grimaced saying after working all day in the studio she wanted a little time away from everything and I told her I knew how she felt as I was escaping my life too.

She laughed adding she wondered what had brought me Northside as I was not exactly a bohemian type of person. I would have liked to confide in her what was going on but we had no history that would let me so I told her I was trying new things and asked her how it was going working with Osric. She suddenly became guarded and said it was going well so I wondered if she was worried I would throw Jago in her face like Nadia did but I just told her I thought it was wonderful that she had this chance. As we sat there chatting Gervais suddenly inserted himself into our table, like some rancid oil seeping up from the cracks of hell he just fills any space that is there. I could not deal with him since he held the upper hand in my life so I went quiet but it was Zizi who managed to deal with the Dubois insidiousness. She turned coldly to Gervais and said that if he didn’t mind we were having a private conversation and I held my breath waiting for Gervais to pour on the acid while verbally disemboweling her. Instead he smiled cheerfully and said of course he didn’t mind while staying put. Zizi stared coolly at Gervais and I saw the young woman who was able to withstand the pressures of Jago Vanderhaven and make Osric Jones accept her on her own terms. Gervais must have seen something of this too as after a moment of total silence he gave a little bow and said he would enjoy my company later. Not much comfort but a little break from onslaught of Dubois I was currently experiencing.

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