Midnight Serenade

by Donna and Ev

      Luc washed the last of the dishes and finished sweeping and dusting, then went from  room to room of his house to make sure everything was neat and tidy.  He shaved and washed up, being very careful to look well-groomed. Next he put on his best clothes.    He was very critical and studied himself in the mirror, putting finishing touches on his appearance.  Finally, he sighed and set out for Sal's across the road.  It was important to have roses.

      Sal took him into the greenhouse, where he found not only the roses, but some vegetables growing. "Try the yellow roses. When I gave Toni some, she said they were really sweet smelling ones," Sal told him.

     "That is good," Luc smiled.  "I want the best for her.  I have everything clean in the house, too.  I shaved.  I hope it is enough."  He couldn't help worrying. 

     "Luc," Sal said with a chuckle, " there is a good chance she might be more than a little unhappy with you. If at first you don't succeed, try again! And again! Let her know how much you miss her."

     "And do not yell at the lady.  I know this.  I do not know what I was thinking."  Luc sighed.  If only he could have stayed calm...    He suddenly realized how long it had been since he had been in town.  "I do not know where she is staying!" 

     "Try the hotel," Sal suggested, slapping the hindquarters of Luc's horse once the Frenchman was mounted. "Good luck!"

     Luc took a deep breath, trying to get himself calmed.  This was silly. How did she do this to him?  Well, it was a small town.  Somehow he would find her and convince her to come back. 

     By the time he got into town, it was late afternoon. Leaving his horse at the livery, Luc gathered up the roses and gave them a tentative sniff. They did smell good. He wished he had had time to make up some of her favorite fruit filled pastries, but that would have to be done when he had time to do it right. A few minutes later, he had arrived at the hotel, only to be told that Marty was not staying there.

     He asked around and finally found someone who knew where she was.  A boarding house.  Hmmmmm....  This was the first he knew there were any here.  He set off for the boarding house, totally unaware of the looks he was getting. 

     He ended up at the men's boarding house, and was told in no uncertain terms that "Missie Marshie no here! Go other house!" by a diminutive Chinese woman.

     He wandered and found a large house with a sign proclaiming it a boarding house and knocked.  A smiling man dressed in white, with white hair, told him this was Ev's boarding house and explained to him where the women's house was.   He even wished him luck as he turned and started back down the steps. 

     Finally, he found the right one. It took awhile for someone to answer the door, and when they did, Luc was told that the residents were all in the dining room, having their supper.

     He tried to explain to how important it was to talk to her, but forced himself to stay calm.  Finally he asked, as meekly as he could manage, if someone could let her know that he was waiting on the front porch for her, when she was finished. 

     Larina told him there was no need for that, and escorted him into the sitting room where the ladies could receive guests. Leaving Luc alone and doing his best not to fidget, Larina went to go tell Marty she had a visitor.

    Luc closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  He tried to force himself to be calm, but it was not working so well.  Maybe if he concentrated on something else.  He looked around the room, noting the furniture, the rugs, pictures on the wall.  No, that last started the nerves again.

    "Hello, Luc," a soft voice called out from the door. "Nice to see you again."

    He jumped a little.  He had expected it would take a little longer.  She was as beautiful as ever.  All the things he had practiced to say seemed to evaporate.  "Marty..."  He held out the roses like a shield.  "For you."

    "For me?" she asked, a confused look on her face. "But I thought...," she ducked her head, unable to say anything more about the fight that they had had. "They are very pretty," she said, as she took them from him. "I like roses. My granny's house had climbing ones that covered the whole side of the house almost."

    He smiled at her and tried to remember at least part of what he needed to say.  "Marty,"  he began.  "I miss you.  The house is so quiet with only me in it."

     "I'm not going back," she said, her eyes misty as she sniffed the roses. "I can't change the way that I am, and you would only yell at me again. Besides, I'm starting up a Day Care here in town!"

    "I can change.  I *am* changing.  I am thinking about the things you said.   I will have a cat.  Sal has kittens in his barn.  I will have one when they are old enough."  He loved the way her expression softened at the thought of a kitten.  What else could he say?  He searched for the right words.

     "A kitten would be nice," she said softly. "I don't know, Luc. You said some pretty mean things to me. If...," she paused, her chin quivering. Part of her wanted to go back, part of her didn't. It wasn't as if they were lovers or anything. Heck, he had never even kissed her! Hugging the roses to her, she turned her back so he wouldn't see the tears streaming down her face.

    "I found a place I could get a horse for you.  You could come to town whenever you want."  This wasn't exactly true, but he was sure there would be a way he could do it.  "And I found where we could get flowers to plant a garden."  He got down on one knee, looking up at her with need showing in his eyes. 

    She turned around enough to see him, then hid her face from his again. "Maybe," she said in a tiny whisper. She wiped her eyes and faced him. "Do you want me there to just be a housemate? Someone to keep you company and to clean up after you?  Or...," her voice trailed off. "Or do you want the two of us to be something more?"

    Luc took a long, slow breath.  He sensed that a wrong answer here could ruin everything.  "I hope for more, but I would not wish to rush things.  And I am trying not to make so much mess."  His eyes never lost their pleading look. 

    She nodded. "Can we start over then? Do the dating thing maybe?" Marty asked. "I can stay here for now, until we know for sure what we both want."

    He blinked.  That was not what he had in mind at all.  It took a moment to realize what she said.  "Here?" he echoed.  That hadn't been on his list of possible outcomes.  He hadn't rehearsed what to say. 

    "For now," she said, her hand on the door knob. If he yelled at her, she was out of there!

    He opened and closed his mouth and no sound came out.  "But.... I...." He tried to speak again and again nothing came out. 

     "It's just that...," she paused as she tried to put her thoughts into words. "I don't think I could bear being hurt again."

    His expression softened.  This wasn't going the way he planned, but at least she hadn't slammed the door in his face.  Sighing, he finally managed.  "Whatever you say." 

     "Maybe we could go out or something one of these days," she suggested. "Toni and I ate at Kasumi's for lunch yesterday. It was good!"

    "I thought to cook for you."  He felt as though he was drowning and he desperately wanted someone to save him. 

    "That would be nice too," she agreed. "I can see the kitten that you were talking about then."

    "You could still pick it out, if you want."  He knew he was nearly over the line into begging, but he was increasingly feeling as though he needed to do it. 

     Her face brightened. "Sure. Maybe this weekend? You can come in to town to church, and then we can go have lunch at your place. Maybe even invite Toni and Sal?" She was torn. Marty wanted to go back with him, but at the same time, she was almost afraid to.

    "This weekend?"  That was *days* from now!  "Yes.  This weekend."  He was trying very hard not to be disappointed, but failing badly.  He fervently hoped it didn't show on his face. 

     There was heavy silence between the two of them for what seemed to be an eternity. It was broken when she excused herself. "I have to go now. If you come into town again, I'll show you where I will be having the Day Care."

    He watched in stunned silence as she left the room.  He wanted to shout at her to stop, run after her and just carry her home, maybe.  That would be exactly the wrong thing, but there didn't seem to be anything right.  When he could finally tear his eyes away from the doorway where she had disappeared, he forced himself to go out the front door. 

    At least she hadn't thrown the roses back in his face! And she had agreed to go back to his place, even if it was just for a meal. It wasn't what he wanted, but it was a start! But right now, he needed a drink.

    He wandered until he found Joe's.   That was all right for a while, until he heard about the poker game at the hotel.  By this time, he was already not as steady as usual on his feet.  Someone was telling him not to go, but he pretended not to hear. 

     He got to the hotel somehow, where he sampled some of the latest batch of German beer that Herr Feurerhahn had brewed while waiting to see if a spot at the poker table would open up.  When it didn't look that one would anytime soon, he got up to go get some *fresh air* and somehow found himself outside the boarding house where Marty was staying. It was past midnight, and all the lights were out.

    He found himself wondering which room was hers.  Then wondering turned to obsession.  He *had* to know!  He had to sing to her.  Suddenly, he had the idea that if he sang to her, she would instantly come back with him. 

    Clearing his throat, he proceeded to sing. In French of course. After all, it was the language of love! As the volume of his song got louder, lights started to appear in the rooms of the boarding house as lamps were lit. Some of the ladies even opened their windows, leaning on their elbows as they enjoyed the show. All but Marty that was. She was upstairs in her little room, trying to block out the sound of his voice by holding her pillow over her head, wondering if she would end up getting kicked out of the boarding house because of this.

    He looked up, hoping to see her face, but he still didn't see her.  He kept singing, not realizing he was getting louder and after another swig from the bottle he was carrying, he stumbled a little more. 

    His singing was rather off key by now, and the amusement factor was beginning to wear thin. Toni closed her window, and tapped on the wall that separated her room from Marty's. "For heaven's sake! Go kiss him or something! Whatever it takes to shut him up!"

     Sighing deeply, Marty slipped out of her bed and opened her window and stuck her head out the window and called out for him to meet her on the porch. Reaching for a rose after she had shrugged on a robe, she took it downstairs with her. Once on the porch, she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him French style, on each cheek. "Merci, Luc, bon! Now go home! Or get a room at the hotel!"  Marty then somehow managed to exchange the bottle he was carrying with the rose.

    "But, Marty!  Chere!  I did everything!  I clean, I shave, I get roses, I change for you and you will not come with me?" He gestured  with his arm and nearly fell over. 

    She reached out to steady him, but he took her by the arm and started to drag her away from the house, his voice getting louder and louder as she resisted. Upstairs, Toni opened her window again, and without thinking, grabbed the pitcher of water she had on the nearby dresser and as Luc passed under her window, she dumped it on his head, calling out that was how they used to shut up yowling cats back home in New York!

    Startled by the sudden cold and wet, he dropped her hand and fell over his own feet, landing on his butt on the ground and looking so completely pathetic, she couldn't help but give in.  "Marty?" 

     "Oh Luc," she said, trying not to laugh. "Come on inside. I'm sure that there is a couch you can sleep on. When it is morning, I will go back with you." She covered his mouth to silence his jubilation at hearing her words.

    "Je vous aime.  I love you, Marty."  He shivered as she helped him to his feet, but inside he was nice and warm now.