For The Love Of Chéri (CHAPTERS 1-112 REWRITTEN)

Chapter 120 : Making An Arranged Marriage Work

*Automated womans voice* "Vous avez un nouveau message. message un. (You have a new message. Message one.)"

"Papi..? It's me, answer the fucking phone, you miserable, old, fuck! If you want to know, what's going on, then you better fucking start talking to me again, you poncey, French, cunt! Don't test me! Otherwise, I'll make your fucking life hell! And don't bitch to my mum about me, because she won't believe you, just like everyone else won't! You know how rumours can kill reputations, and people. Think about that for a little."

*Automated womans voice*

"Fin des messages. (End of messages)"

~ X ~

Javier came home to his apartment, tossed his card key on the small table by the door, and pulled off his security arm band.

There was a strong smell of what was, to him, foreign food. As he started to walk towards the kitchen, he saw Suzanne's travel case open, and being packed. He walked into the kitchen to see Suzanne stirring a strong smelling, casserole of some kind.

Suzanne smiled, before she leant over and kissed him briefly. They were often, in the habit of sharing small shows of affection. They would hold hands as they watched tv, kiss and cuddle, and go out socially together. But, Suzanne felt isolated, starved of affection, and alone.

At one point, she moved the pillow that separated them at night, and she would cuddle up to him, and he would return the affection, but when she made a move for intimacy, he politely refused her, leaving them both feeling very, awkward.

Suzanne had made the conscious effort, to try and make her arranged marriage work, and it did, but, at Javier's insistence, they were not intimate.

She was determined to speak to Spangna about it, as this was not, at all, representative of what she had heard, about Latin men, and she felt that maybe, she had done something wrong. She knew that Spangna was outspoken, practical, and knew a lot about men, and what made them tick.

Javier looked into the pot, and saw greens in a sause, "What is this?" He asked.

"Kapusta, it's a cabbage dish, very is served with sausages." Suzanne answered.

"Is it spicy?" Javier asked.

"It can be." She answered.

Javier leant against the table, "I saw your travel case out. Isn't it a little early?" He asked.

She stopped stirring, with downcast eyes, she answered, hesitantly, "Lennon..., called me. He said, that things have changed, and he wants to leave America at once."

Javier shrugged, "Meaning?"

"He asked me to fly to Amsterdam tomorrow, go to the hotel he's booked, and wait for him." She said.

Javier sighed loudly, and he pulled a chair out, to sit on. "Sit down, Suzy." He said, calmly.

Suzanne silently sat down, on the chair in front of him.

"Suzy, I don't want you to go out there, and meet him." Javier said, reluctantly.

"Why? I have to get my baby!" Suzanne said.

"Then go out, alone!" Javier answered, "look, that man, Lennon, is trouble. He's neck high in it, in all directions! Drama follows him around!"

"He's helped me!" She responded.

"Yeah, but, why?" Javier asked.

"Because, he's a nice person!" Suzanne said, rather indignantly.

"No! He has a motive! There's a reason! Theres always, a reason, and different people, think it's different reasons. Everyone has motives. Maybe he's just trying to annoy Marcel, I don't know. But, I do know, that if you get into bed with Lennon, you get into bed with Chéri, and those two are headed in a very, very, bad direction."

Suzanne shook her head. "Look, Hav, you hate Chéri, I get that! Spangna hates Chéri, everyone here, seems to hate Chéri! And no-ones talking about why! I am confused!"

"Why couldn't you ask someone else to go out with you? Why, Lennon?" Javier asked.

"Because! Lennon is the only one who backs me! He took care of me when I was thrown out! Got me papers for my daughter! He protected me from that psychopath, Marcel. Where were you?"

"Me? Where was I?" Javier asked, in a rhetorical fashion, "I was trying to survive, like a mouse in a vipers pit! Everyone here is venomous! Except for Spangna." He said.

"Ha!" Suzanne responded with a painful sarcasm, "Sure, and she's holed up with the king cobra, of your vipers' pit."

Javier looked down at his hands, against the table, "At least a cobra warns you, that it's about to strike. You only get bitten, if you don't get out the way, and if you continue to antagonize it. Chéri doesn't give you any such warning. He plots against you, from the shadows, orchestrates your downfall, then surrounds you by thickly woven lies, then dances around, and acts like he's some innocent fairy. I've seen, and heard, too much."

"I know what Chéri is like!" Suzanne insisted, "and, I know he has his claws into Lennon, who thinks that he's the best thing in the world. If I say anything negative about Chéri, to Lennon, he'll cut me out...forever."

Javier held his palms up, in a typically, Latin fashion, "and, why is that a bad thing?"

"Because it is. Lennon's a good man." Suzanne answered.

Javier blew out a sigh, then shrugged, "Then, why didn't he marry you? Why didn't he, prioritize you? Why did he omit details to Chéri, about your stay at the recovery house? His number one priority, is Chéri. That's the mandate Lennon works too."

~ X ~

In the large, family compound living room. A massive fire lit and helped to heat the room, as the family sat on different parts of a massive, white leather, four piece sweet.

Gabriél walked in, holding Adeline's little hand, as she walked beside him. "Momma. Adeline won't go down." He said.

Madame Dolores looked at Adeline, then smiled, and slapped her lap, signalling her to climb up and sit. "What is the problem, little tesoro?" She asked, as she hugged Adeline.

Gabriél looked at his mother, "She keeps asking for Lennon. Marco, keeps seeing her wandering into the gym, looking for him. She seems to think that's where he hangs out."

Madam Dolores looked at Adeline, "Do you miss Lennon?" She asked, in her Spanish accent.

Adeline just shyly nodded in return.

Dolores looked back at Gabriél, "And just where, is Baptiste?"

Gabriél just looked to the side, "He's out drinking, his bodyguard is with him."

Dolores rolled her eyes, "Hmm! It's not like he has responsibilities at home, like a child!"

"Momma, he's never looked after her! It was always Marcel that watched over her, changed her, fed her and taught her things. Ironically, he's the only one around here, who has experience with children, aside from you. Yet, she is scared of him, and she only asks for Lennon." Gabriél said.

Dolores turned to Gabriél, "It is because Marcel is strong on discipline, and believes that children should be brought up in the traditional way. He is so good with babies."

Gabriél rolled his eyes, "Momma, Marcel hates children, almost as much as he hates women."

"No he doesn't! He just lacks patience for them both. But! He is good with them, just like how well he controls all the women here. He is a natural ringmaster, of any situation." Dolores said.

"Momma, to say Marcel likes women, is like saying that a farmer likes animals. He is a woman hater of the highest order, he resents them all and believes them all to be vicious, scheming vipers, with the exception of Spangna, that is. But, it is why he is so good at controlling women, because he hates them all."

Dolores tilted as she played with Adeline, "Spangna is a good girl. Marcel is just misguided, by bad experiences at the hands of the women, in his father's life."

Next Chapter : Family Fallout! Lennon Gets Exposed!