HERE ON MY ISLAND THE SEA SAYS HELLO!
The train rattled as it let itself be consumed by the darkness. I'd begun a counting game to see how long we lasted in the darkness before we got to the light at the end of the tunnel, so far I was at eleven seconds. The train was quiet with mostly commuters coming from the city to do their jobs on the island or islanders working in the chaos of the city returning back to the tranquil of their island. The faces on the train ranged from worn out, weary and in need of rest to freshly scrubbed, sprightly and ready to start work. I leaned back into my chair and closed my eyes, I knew Mason and Jules didn't use the train because they had come in Jules' car. Jules had also told me that he did compulsory medicals for his job but since when did bakers need to do that? He could have been lying though, it was the heat of the moment and we were both in dire need of a fuck…
I let myself be squeezed between the throng of people boarding the ferry and pushed my way towards the railings, staring idly at the water below as it moved from gently rippling to sharp splashes when the ferry's engine propeller tore through the water. After making the short walk from the harbor to the road, I hailed a taxi and recited the address printed on the bakery's packaging. The drive was quiet and for that I was thankful. Sweat had been bursting out of patches of my skin even though the weather was particularly chilly— the rain had passed through the island already— I knew I was nervous, if the bakery was closed I'd have to find another way to locate Jules. The radio was playing a somber number about a man whose wife had left him after the glory years, I placed my nose on the window and watched the island town whirl past, it was more cozy, more rustic and much more slower than the city and I could tell all of this even at night. It reminded me of my seaside town in Spain with Gianna and Jean Carlo and the sunshine and the warm sand and the beautiful stones we found on our little rocky beach and our beautiful casa and our Russian blue named Suzette and I could almost feel the warmth of my old life reaching out to embrace me in this cold empty cab. All the sunshine had been sucked out of my life and I'd begun the journey from Milan to London to Paris to this horrid city of concrete and glass and two faced schemers to pull my sunshine out of the bowels of this land and return it to the sky of my life. I blinked and my life returned to it's current programming. Two years in this city and I'd never been to the islands before, it was much more greener and as I stepped out of the cab to walk the little distance to the bakery, I drew a large breath into my lungs and noted with a smile, the air was fresher too.
I stopped myself outside the bakery windows, most bakeries would be closed by this hour but it appeared to be more of a cafè than a bakery. I stepped into the warm yellow lights and the cozy interior. Everything was covered in lacy trimmings and soft yellow table cloths and the walls were a soft soft pastel, the floors were a similar shade of yellow but checkered with white, the display was nearly empty and surprisingly people were seated eating and drinking glasses of what looked like flavored milk and coco. A lady who looked to be in her late fifties was plating and boxing orders, I decided to buy something whilst making inquiries. After waiting patiently for a woman in a nurse's uniform to take her box of donughts, I stepped up
'Good evening '
'Good evening' I said, her face looking vaguely familiar
'What would you like this evening?'
After skimming through the menu I settled on croissants and ginger tea
'Julian!' She screamed over her shoulder 'croissants!'. She pulled out a ginger tea bag and a delicate looking teacup.
'To go?'
'No I'll eat here'
'And some hot water!' she said before walking me to a table and putting everything down 'it'll be out of the oven shortly' she placed a slice of chocolate cake and mousse on the table
'On the house dear'
I chewed on the chocolate cake slowly, savoring the airy chocolate and the mousse as they danced on my tounge, my stomach reminding me that all I had eaten today was salami. I looked around the shop, there were about ten other people seated. Lining the walls were cheesy motivational quotes and a checkered lilac curtain, the chairs were covered in little flowers set against a turquoise fabric, and so this shop was in two words; grandma core.
The lady behind the counter was gone. I hadn't been here long enough for me to be this unsettled but I really wanted to talk to Jules so I could get a move on.
'Croissants and hot water for table six' my ears perked up at the voice, before I could turn to face him he had dropped my pastries on the table
'Jules!' I said
'Genevieve?' He looked confused, then suprised 'what are you doing here?'
I threw my hands in mock surprise
'I should be asking you that'
'Well I work here so I'm here every other day' he leaned in a little closer 'and I know you're not from the island, so…?'
My chest tightened, had Mason said anything to him?
'And how do you know that?' I inquired cautiously
'For starters nobody from around here orders croissants, especially not at this hour, this is prime doughnut, bread and small cakes hour.'
'Glaring is also the ginger tea, nobody drinks that stuff'
'Then why is it on the menu?' I asked smiling
'Because we like giving variety so when you pick the unhealthy options that's all on you, our hands are clean'
I laughed
'Thank God I made the right decision then'
'So how did you find this place?' He asked
'Tito, he sends his regards'
Jules kissed his teeth and hissed
'Tito is supposed to be home, sick.'
'Oh' I said shrugging 'he looked pretty good when I saw him in the pit at Misty's'
'Goddamnit!' Jules swore under his breath
'Julian!' Came the voice from the kitchen
'I gotta go' he said pointing in the direction of the kitchen
'Umm..can we talk, when you get off?'
'Sure, I get off soon'
He walked off towards the kitchen without waiting for your response. The smell of your warm croissants fill your nose and you let your body take over your mind again.
Jules locks up the shop and leans against the lamppost, drawing lazily from a cigarette and exhaling smoke from his nose
'You don't look like a smoker' I observed
'That is correct.'
He pulled through the cigarette a few more times before speaking
'Wasn't expecting to see you here, what with running off before Mason and I woke up'
That's the story Mason had told him?
'I had a shoot this morning, I couldn't afford to be late'
'Were you the model or the photographer?'
'Take your best guess'
He nodded 'so what now?' He asked
'I'm sorry about running off, I really like you boys and I was so pissed at myself that I didn't even get your numbers, I'd like to see you both again'
'Now?'
'Not for that type of thing, I just want to talk to you and Mason as well, clear the air and maybe we can set another date no?'
He nodded. He threw the cigarette on the ground and crushed it beneath his shoes before walking to the pick up truck parked beside the building. He unlocked the doors and we both got in. The interior of the car was white as well, I hadn't noticed that earlier today of course, I'd been drunk and strung up. The car was spotless and smelled of sandalwood.
'If you're here just for Mason, I understand'
I whipped around to face him
'What? Why would I be here just for him'
'Because he looks like that and I look like this. It's totally understandable'
I started to shake my head
'If I had to come here for one person it would definitely be you, I get it Mason is hot but you're beautiful, Not to be weird or anything but you are literally stunning'
Redness crawls from his ears into his cheeks and he lowers his head so his hair blankets the sides of his face.
'Also' I said continuing 'you guys operate as a unit no?'
He nodded again
'Well I don't want to cause any issues between you two. This can stay lighthearted and fun for everyone involved.'
'Cool' he said.
'So you're a baker'
He laughed, 'I try to be'
He tells me about the bakery his parents opened when he was a baby and ran together up until his dad died of cancer when he was fourteen. The familiar looking woman at the counter was his mother and Tito didn't just work at the restaurant, he was his step father.
'He's your step father??' I echoed, surprised
'Yeah what did you think?'
'Your ex lover' I said smiling slyly
He made retching noises and placed his hand across his throat
'eww!'
He told me his mother had married Tito when he was in college and the relationship had stayed relatively blissful until Tito fell back into old habits, specifically drinking. The last few years Tito had sobered up and fallen back in a few times, currently he was allegedly sober, but Jules doubted how sober a person could really be if they were hanging out at a club bar.
They finally park in front of a cheery looking townhouse.
'Cute house' I said
'Thanks, got it from my grandma, God rest her soul'
He pulls out 3 condoms from the glove compartment and winks at me
'Just in case' he said.
Walking up to the steps I asked
'I know the city is huge but how come nobody knows Mason'
'The city is enormous but Mason isn't from here. He came from Baton Rouge about a year and a half ago after getting an internship here'
'There's also the fact the he never really goes anywhere, just work, home, work, home every other day.'
The inside of the house does not match the outsides in any way. It is sparsely furnished with a huge TV taking up most of the wall. The only furniture in the room being a long couch and beanbag chair shaped and colored like a sunflower, Without going upstairs I could tell that the bedroom looked identical with just a bed and if they were gracious enough, a night stand.
'This is pretty underwhelming for the house of two gay dudes'
'One, we're bi and two I'm offended' he grabs his chest in mock despair
'Sorry but if you're exclusively dating you're automatically locked into your gay side and this home is so un-gay'
'I mean, technically we did fuck you, so…'
'Yeah after a year of fucking only each other, unless of course you lied abou—'
'No!'
'So it's settled then. You have absolutely no excuse for this house'
He rolls his eyes and walks off into the kitchen as I hear the muffled sound of feet coming down the carpeted stairs
'Babe did you—'
Mason cuts himself short when he sees me standing in the living room
'Hi Mason!' I said smiling at him
'Babe' Jules said ' we got it all mixed up, Genevieve wants to see us again, she even came here to talk' Jules looks at you briefly 'although I'm hoping we can convince her to do more than just talk'
Jules phone starts ringing and he picks up
'Mom?'
'He's drunk??— I'm so sorry, i never saw this coming'
Jules looks at me and rolls his eyes mouthing Tito before bounding up the stairs.
We both hear slivers of the conversation coming from upstairs, mostly Jules saying 'everything will be all right' over and over again. I am acutely aware of the seconds ticking by as we both stand there saying nothing to each other. Mason draws a breath and steps closer, looking straight into my eyes
'Listen Genevieve, I don't know what you think you're doing here, but you are leaving right now'
'Bartholomew! How rude of you to ask the homeowner's guest to leave, I can't leave— at least not yet'
'What do you want from me?'
'Nothing much. I realize that I gave you more than you're worth for. You're an entry level at the DSS' office of course you don't know anything of substance, unless..'
I paused to pick a strand of thread off the woolen housecoat he was wearing, dangling it in his face before flicking it to the floor, our eyes watched the blue thread slowly making it's descent as the air pulled it in both directions and gravity pulled it down. Everything that goes up must come down.
'Unless you're illegally going through the DSS documents or you're actually here from Baton Rouge to uncover something within the DSS chapter here'
I saw his eyebrows raise but he continues to stare unblinkingly at the thread on the floor
'I have a lot of information that could help you' I continued
He chuckled
'When did I say I wanted your help?'
I smiled
'You either take the help I'm giving you or there's no life left for you or your family on this side of heaven, I can make you disappear' I said, snapping my fingers to illustrate 'just like that. I know you have a family in Baton Rouge and I know sure as hell that you're not twenty-five like you look young but twenty-five is a bit of a stretch no?'
I watched his jaw tense as he clenched his fists
'If you really did research then you'd know that shonda and I are divorced'
I shrugged 'doesn't matter, that's still your family and your kids'
He came close to me now, so there was barely any space left between us
'If you touch my kids!—' He spat
'Nothing is going to happen because they will quite literally just disappear. You will never see them or hold them or hear their voices ever again. I'll probably hear them all the time though'
Mason steps away, confusion brewing behind his eyes
'Look' I said 'you have absolutely no clue whom it is that I work for, you just saw an ID in a different language and started blaring 'Spy! Spy! Spy!' When In reality you know nothing. Now, everything will stay just as it is, your children will stay at Phillips community elementary, your job will stay as is, Jules will never know anything, if and only if you do exactly as you're told. I have access to all the documents you're about to spend the next three to six years digging for, I can fast track your career and all I ask is that you do a little temp job for me'
He stares at me saying nothing, the large clock in the living room ticking noisily, five seconds, twenty seconds, fourty five seconds.
'For what it's worth' he starts 'Jules knows about Shonda and my children and he knows that I'm thirty six and the only reason I'm faking my age is bureaucracy, I am not a catfish'
I shrugged my shoulders 'kay.'
He exhaled sharply and turned away. The house is silent except for Jules voice and I realize our entire conversation had been conducted in whispers, Jules voice had been hovering above us and filling up the living room the entire time. We hear Jules saying good night and then descending the stairs
'So guys, what's the consensus?' He asked.
I soothed the imaginary wrinkles out of my pantsuit as the elevator took me into the belly of SSIC. It always amused me how this building had been repurposed, the top serving as a library and the bottom housing the SSIC offices. The fluorescent lights shone across the elevator cage for every floor that I passed, thrusting me into darkness before washing me in light again, searing a striped pattern of light and dark onto my eyes. SSIC always had a bluish quality to it, the lights were a blue-white fluorescent, the uniforms were blue everything felt so sterile down here.
After exiting the elevator at the board's reception, I walked up to the lady at the desk
'Hi cherry' I said
'Hi ginger, the board will see you in thirty minutes. You could just sit over there' Cherry gestured towards the waiting area with her chin.
'Would you like anything to drink?' She asked
'Oh cut it out Cherry.'
I met cherry in London when I worked for the SSIC chapter there. I started out calling her Mon Cherie but somewhere overtime it had morphed simply into Cherry and she called me ginger because of my red hair. Her real name was Fiona and that was what everyone else called her
'How are the bosses looking today?' I asked
'Not too bad' she replied 'why'd you need an emergency pick up?'
'It is a very long story that started with needing a Fuck and accidentally fucking the wrong type of person'
Cherry's eyes bulged as her hands flew over mouth
'A serial killer?' She whispered
I snorted
'No, of course not!'
'Then who'd you have to run away from?'
'A DSS official' I said, testily.
Cherry stopped her typing and looked at me
'DSS? Are you crazy' she whispered harshly
'Don't worry, I think I might've gotten a solution to one of our problems from it'
She clucks her tongue
'For your sake, I really do hope it all works out otherwise…. You just risk losing so much you know?'
I nodded
'I know, I was being reckless'
'No one uses the SSIC fucks not even the bosses but you have to do thorough background checks before you pick someone and with the resources at our disposal we really have no excuses'
'I know Cherry, I know.'
An intercom on Cherry's desk rings and she places it against her ear. Cherry nods and I can tell the person on the other end of the line is giving orders. After she puts the intercom down she smiles at me
'Looks like you'll be going in now'
'What?? But thirty—'
'The last persons meeting was cut short, you should get going so you're not late. Good luck babe'
I nod at her and walk down the long hallway towards the huge double doors, the SSIC crest is etched into the door. I take a deep breath and pull the doors towards my self and Momentarily, I am blinded by the fluorescent blue-white light.