Part 30 Part 31“...And this is the reception area.” Susanne waved a hand at the expansive room around them, her heels clicking on the hard floor with every step. His parents had wanted him to stay home and rest today, but he was anxious to start solving the enigma of himself and his life. He'd spent all of last night examining each item in that cluttered apartment, studying every unearthed photograph, and reading every scrap of paper he'd found lying around. So far, all he'd learned was that he didn't have a maid.
“The floor used to be Jurassic limestone from Caen,” she continued, and a smile bloomed across her face. “We laughed so hard when they replaced it with marble!”
His brow furrowed. “Um, why?”
The smile wilted. “Er...well...nevermind.” She tucked a fiery strand behind her ear and led the way down a large hall.
“So, do we work closely together?” he asked, once again falling into step behind her.
She fidgeted, then turned the motion into a shrug. “We have our own offices,” she explained. “I usually bring you my data, and you combine it with your own. That is...sort of working together, no?”
He frowned. “I...guess. But we are friends, right?”
She stopped, and he nearly collided into her. “Er...” Susanne turned and looked him in the eyes, a curiously panicked expression lurking in her own. She stared at him for what seemed like a long time before a smile finally forced its way onto her face. “...Sure! Of course we are friends, Michel!”
“Are we...more than friends?” he asked, wondering at her odd reaction.
For a moment, a hungry look entered her eyes. She stepped closer to him, and he imagined that he could hear her heart pounding. “Well,” she breathed, “you and I...that is, we...” She paused.
“...Yes?” he prompted.
She sighed. “We're colleagues,” she said softly.
He opened his mouth to ask more, but was cut off by a loud, high “Buongiorno!” that rang down the hallway and echoed off the walls. Startled, he looked up to see a tall, tan brunette striding quickly towards them.
“Good morning, Dr. Soileau.” the newcomer greeted in an accent so thick that her French was merely half-disguised Italian. “Michel, mio bello, a fabulous morning to you!” She wrapped her arms around him and made two air kisses before planting a third right on his cheek.
Susanne bristled, her face turning a rather alarming color. “What are you doing here, Dr. De Luca?” she ground out through clenched teeth.
The strange woman released him and waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, I am just here for a fossil.”
“Ah. Well, I'm afraid it is only Dr. Dubois here today,” Susanne told her in a tone that was overly sweet, “and he is happily married.” An evil grin stretched across her face. “Perhaps the janitor can help you?”
The other woman sniffed. “Still such a child! Now if you will excuse me, I have more important things to do than stand here arguing with little girls. Ciao ciao, Michel.” With her head high, she stomped down the hall and disappeared around a corner.
He turned back to Susanne. “Um, who was that?”
“Nobody!” Susanne spat out. She looked up at him, her eyes still dark with rage. “Michel, while you are recovering, be sure to do everything in your power to not remember anything at all about that woman!”
He blinked. “Um, okay.”
“Now then...” The storm suddenly cleared, and Susanne resumed shepherding him through the large corridor, pointing out the doors they passed. “This, here, is the break room...”
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TBC...
