Evenfall (53 page)

Boyd glanced briefly at Sin. Since he'd been told that Sin had insulted Thierry, he could only assume what Sin had said. Having been on the receiving end of some of Sin's more cutting remarks himself, and considering Thierry's reputation as being mercurial, it wasn't a surprise if negotiations between the two had failed miserably.

"I could see that happening,"
was all Boyd said.

The sound of Sin's fingers tapping against the table made an audible, staccato sound.

Thierry's gaze switched to Sin and his mouth once again turned up into a smile as his gaze flicked over the senior agent. "
I was surprised that they were to send him again, although I have been told that he is considered the best in many capacities. A sad testament of our times when a powerful organization such as yours, must be in such desperation to rely on one such as him, who seems incapable of understanding the importance of society
--" Thierry's gaze switched back to Boyd and he reached out, casually pushing hair out of his eyes. "
--and human interaction
."

Boyd was mildly startled by the touch and turned his attention fully on Thierry. He wasn't entirely sure how to respond.
"Well,"
he said with a small smile after a moment,
"we all have our talents."

At that, Thierry's eyebrows ticked up. "
And what are some of yours
?"

"Negotiation, I suppose,"
Boyd replied thoughtfully.
"And strategies. I enjoy planning."

"
Mmm. Interesting. You make quite the spy, I must say. Just like in the old movies-- the beautiful, talented agent who is known more for intelligence than brawn. I am intrigued as to how you became what you are. You seem quite young for this profession.
"

"I am, to an extent,"
Boyd agreed with nod, keeping his expression amiable.
"I was recruited as a possible partner for Sin. My age is atypical for my position."

Thierry made another "hmm" sound and switched his gaze back to Sin, taking in the other man's obvious irritation.

"
A pity you were only recognized to be his partner. I can imagine you are capable of much more. Your looks, manner, your ease in talking to people-- I have met many people in my time and it is not simply with kindness do I say that.
"

Boyd's eyebrows raised slightly at what seemed to be a genuine compliment, although what this 'much more' was that Thierry was thinking he could be, he didn't know.
"Thank you."

Boyd glanced at Sin, noting how annoyed he looked. He determined that Thierry seemed approachable enough at this point to try to get to business. He switched back to English, deciding that flattery seemed the best way to work with a person like Thierry.

"And thank you again for inviting us to visit you at your hotel. I've never seen anything like it."

Thierry reclined in his seat and looked around, seemingly modestly. "Thank you. It took a long time to restore it to what it was pre-war. I seek to give people a place they can enjoy, a place they can find luxurious."

"The attention to detail is impeccable," Boyd said in agreement. "Paris is lucky to have a business owner such as yourself who is able to restore the glamor of the city from times that were less uncertain." He looked around the room and let regret stain his features. "It would be a shame if there were another incident and this was all lost once again."

"We will see where the world takes us next," Thierry replied, looking around the room. His eyes rested on some of the other patrons, nodding once at a woman across the room, before he looked at them again. "Would you like to dine, or are drinks fine for now?"

Boyd glanced at Sin before answering Thierry. "Perhaps we could discuss business over drinks."

"Mmm."
Thierry
had raised the glass to his lips and he took a long sip, looking at Boyd as he did so. After a brief pause he raised his eyebrows and smiled, leaning forward to say quietly, "
I think I would rather hear more about you tonight.
"

Although Boyd felt a sense of urgency to get the information since they had a very limited time in France, he didn't want to offend Thierry. So rather than push for business talk, which he wanted to do, he let the topic be deflected.
"What more is there to hear?"
Boyd replied with a faint smile.

Thierry reached out and squeezed Boyd's hand slightly, his smile becoming more intimate. It was almost as though they were the only two people at the table. There was an extended pause as Thierry's deep blue eyes locked with Boyd's brown ones, as Sin stared at them on the other side of the table.

"
I am sure there is much more to you than your partnership with this one."

For a moment Boyd debated his response. There was no mistaking the mood Thierry had created but on the other hand it was probably in their favor that Thierry was interested in connecting on a more personal level. With negotiation, especially with people known to be capricious, it was important to build rapport. And although it would have been nice to go straight to talking about the information they needed, in truth he hadn't expected they'd be able to get all that done right away the first night.

Better to let Thierry decide the flow of conversation tonight and through it get an idea about his interests and personality. Boyd could use that to determine how best to get Thierry to work with them. Maybe it would end up working out like Warren Andrews had, where over time he had become rather cooperative when Boyd was the one contacting him.

The rest of the evening was spent with Thierry asking Boyd about his past and other personal questions. Boyd answered the questions but didn't go into detail on anything big and didn't mention Lou at all. He stuck to safer topics like the loss of his father at an early age or his interest in things like architecture and art.

Thierry became increasingly suggestive throughout the night until the flirtation was obvious. To maintain the rapport, Boyd stayed mostly neutral but played into the flirting enough to remain approachable and keep the conversation going. He found that he was even starting to enjoy Thierry's company; the man was charming and had a good sense of humor. He seemed genuinely interested in Boyd as well which for the most part wasn't something Boyd was accustomed to, especially in the last several years.

He tried switching to English once or twice but somehow it ended up being deflected back to French each time. And soon Boyd stopped remembering to think about that. It was such a pleasure to be able to converse with someone in French after so long of not using it frequently that he didn't even realize until the end of the night that they'd hardly said a word in English.

Chapter 17

The next morning felt like it came too early. The bed was sumptuous and comfortable enough that it was difficult to make himself roll out of it when the time came. Thierry had told them to be downstairs waiting for a limousine by 8 am so they could get in a full day of sightseeing.
When Boyd walked into their common room he saw it was the way they'd left it the night before; their coats were thrown over chairs and their shoes were knocked over near a wall, but their overnight bags had been brought to their respective rooms. Although it was Boyd's experience that Sin often rose early, he hadn't seemed to have left his room yet. Or he was already downstairs waiting and hadn't woken Boyd.

Either way, Boyd went about getting ready. He took a shower and ended up having to blow dry his hair because letting it air dry would have taken far too long. He got dressed in black slacks and a fitted grey cashmere sweater with a pinstripe dress shirt beneath, showing at the collar and wrists. He left his hair loose and checked the clock as he walked through the common room again. Sin still wasn't anywhere to be seen and they had to be downstairs within the hour.

Boyd walked over, pausing at Sin's bedroom door to strain his ears for any hint of movement. He didn't hear anything but that didn't mean much. After a moment, he knock
ed.

The door opened to reveal Sin in a pair of the faded jeans he'd gotten from the thrift store a few months ago, and one of his old t-shirts. His hair was uncombed as it usually was and he hadn't bothered to shave.

"We're supposed to be downstairs in half an hour." Boyd gestured over his shoulder. "I'm done in the bathroom."

Sin looked him over, not giving much away in his expression. "I don't see the point in going."

"Why not?"

This earned him a flat look and Sin scoffed. "You can't really be this obtuse."

Boyd watched him for a moment and then sighed, looking away and pushing some hair out of his face. He supposed it didn't matter. Sin had barely said a word the previous night, and Boyd couldn't blame him since most of the conversation had ended up in French. He didn't particularly want to be alone with Thierry all day but Sin was probably right that there wasn't much point in him going. Especially since he had seemed very quiet and rather irritated before.
"I can go alone, then. It may work better that way, anyway."

"I'm sure it will."

Boyd noted the sarcasm and shook his head. "I just meant that it was likely Thierry would end up speaking French again and you'd be bored."

Sin raised his eyebrows, his face going from blank to scathing. "Yes, I am sure it will be very likely since you made sure that it would end up that way."

"How did I make sure of that?" Boyd replied, eyes narrowing. "I wanted to make a good impression on him and introduced myself in French to build rapport. I didn't know he was going to bring everything back to French for the rest of the conversation because of it."

The other man scoffed and leaned against the door. "I would think your mother would have taught you proper manners as a child. Such as, speaking in a language that not everyone at the table can understand is fucking rude. Or maybe you just wanted to exclude me so you wouldn't have to bother talking to me even on a mission."

"That has nothing to do with this," Boyd shot back flatly, defensive anger flaring at the accusation. "Every time I tried to switch it to English, he brought it back to French. What the hell did you want me to do? Annoy him to the point that the mission fails and we both get in trouble?"

At that, Sin made a face. "Keep the fucking melodrama to a minimum. Starting a mission off in a language your partner doesn't speak sets the tone for the whole time we're here, especially with a man who condescends to me every chance he gets, without that added disrespect."

"Well, I'm sorry I'm not as versed in negotiation or building rapport as you are," Boyd said sarcastically. "Obviously your way worked so well with Thierry last time. Maybe you should come with after all and show me all the things I'm doing wrong."

"My way had to do with refusing to fawn all over him and encouraging him to flirt with me, so you're right-- you're sure one-upping me there," was the flat reply.

"As long as I get us the information, who cares?" Boyd crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing in irritation. "I'm not going back with a failed mission because I didn't feel like letting him smile at me or touch my hand."

Sin shook his head disgustedly as he pushed himself upright. "You're unbelievably fucking naive."

The irritation Boyd had been feeling became closer to aggravation. He stepped back and glanced at the clock. He could have spent more time in the room but he wanted to get out of there. "You're staying, right?"

Sin didn't respond, but he stared at Boyd with the same look on his face.

Boyd strode across the common room and grabbed his coat. He was further aggravated by having to stop and pull on his shoes rather than being able to walk out right away. He could feel Sin's eyes on him but he didn't look over. Not even when he left the room.

He shoved his fists into his jacket pockets and took the stairs down to the main lobby. His shoes made a gratifying pounding noise that echoed around him. He didn't know why Sin always got under his skin, or why a few comments or looks from him could turn Boyd from being in a perfectly fine mood to one that made him feel testy and irritable.
He didn't appreciate being called naive and he couldn't help still feeling defensive over his choice of negotiation. How many times had they been told to do whatever it took? How many people had said that Thierry was temperamental? Obviously a person had to take care around him and make sure he was happy. Thierry could just tell them to leave and be done with it and they would be the ones in trouble, not Thierry. He wasn't going to risk the mission by annoying a man with that sort of reputation.

He made it down to the lobby fifteen minutes too early and ended up lurking in the corner, trying to get his bad mood to fade so he could be properly approachable for the day. At seven minutes until their meeting time, he walked outside and stood beneath the grand opening to the building. It wasn't long until a black town car rolled up alongside him.

The driver got out and greeted him, moving around the side to open the door. Boyd got into the limousine and settled into the seat as the chauffeur shut the door behind him. He looked over and saw that Thierry was seated across the vehicle.

"Thank you for picking me up," Boyd said politely as he leaned back in his seat.

"And where is your partner?" Thierry asked with raised eyebrows.

"He will be unable to make it today. I hope my presence alone is acceptable?"

Thierry stared at him for a moment before his eyes slid to the window where the hotel loomed beyond. "Did you tell him to stay behind, or did he decide to?"

"A little of both, I suppose," Boyd said with a slight frown as he considered the question.

"I see." Thierry leaned back in his seat and looked at the driver. "
Go
," he said in French.

Boyd watched Thierry for a moment. The man seemed unusually serious. Boyd wondered if Thierry was trying to figure out what this turn of events meant, or whether he'd wanted Sin to be there and was disappointed by the lack of his presence.
"I could call him and ask him to join us after all if you'd like," he offered.

The car began gliding down the street as Thierry waved off the comment. "That will not be necessary. Perhaps it is just as well. He was quite jealous."

Boyd's eyebrow quirked up slightly at that. "Jealous?"
More like pissed off,
 
he thought to himself. "What makes you think that?"

Thierry gave Boyd a sidelong glance. "Surely you must have noticed."

"I confess, I was paying more attention to you than my partner."
It was true enough. By the time the conversation had grown more involved and Thierry had started flirting openly with him, he'd been so distracted with how to reply that he hadn't thought to glance over at Sin again.

Thierry's lips curved into a smile and he reached out to turn Boyd's face so that their eyes met fully. "Is that so?"

"It is," Boyd said, smiling in return.

"Hmm." Thierry extended one of his fingers and slid it along Boyd's cheek. His fingertip moved down to ghost over Boyd's mouth before he dropped his hand and sat back. "I was not surprised that he is jealous. You are something I would be possessive of myself."

"You flatter me." Boyd let the smile linger on his lips. His gaze rested on Thierry for a moment, not letting his thoughts get to his face. Then he slid his gaze away to look out the window.

He wondered how much of what Thierry said was the truth and how much was simply his nature. Boyd didn't consider himself to be a particularly amazing catch, but then perhaps that was because so many people responded negatively to the way he looked and acted.
It was strange to feel the gentle caresses and be told such things so casually, and yet there was a part of him that craved it. That didn't want to be pushed away or put down. That wanted to feel loved and accepted like he hadn't since the only two people who had ever loved him had been killed. But thinking of that only brought him down the wrong path like it had far too often the last two weeks.

He shoved the memories firmly out of his mind, knowing full well they would come back with a vengeance later. They always did. They always knew how to wear down his control. How to plague him until he faltered, and swarm on him until he gave in.

"Where are we going today?" Boyd asked, pleased to hear that his voice came out as merely curious. He wanted to change the subject in his mind and the conversation. He didn't like the uncomfortable vulnerability he felt toward the idea of someone that didn't want to hurt him.

"Anywhere you want."

Since Boyd was interested in history and architecture, they mostly drove through the city. They visited several of the monuments that still existed in the area, and stopped at a beautiful park that managed to survive the bombs. The wind was light and a little cold, but the day was pleasant enough. Thierry had a bodyguard who trailed them everywhere while the chauffeur stayed by the car at all times.

Boyd and Thierry talked as they went around and despite everything Boyd found himself slowly relaxing around the other man; not even realizing that it was happening for the most part. Thierry was conversational and more intelligent than Boyd had initially assumed he would be based on the rumors. Thierry knew enough about the history of the different locations that Boyd felt comfortable asking questions. Boyd was content with simply looking at the architecture of the buildings but after they stopped for lunch he found himself growing curious about the damage the war had wrought and how Paris had started to recover.

Thierry had the chauffeur bring them to Le Marais, which had become the concentrated center of some of the wealthiest shops in the city. Part of that demographic existed prior to the bombs, but it only grew after nearby areas were decimated in the bombs. Hotel De Ville, which had previously worked as a sort of unofficial city hall, and the huge art collection in Centre Pompidou were completely gone, taking out part of Le Marais with it.
Boyd saw that the Parisians had gotten about as far as the Americans had in Lexington with reconstruction. As he looked down the wealthy street and saw the destruction in the distance, he was reminded of the Financial District back home. He wondered how much life differed here compared to where he'd grown up, and what it all would have been like had his family been in his mother's home country rather than his parents moving to the United States.
They stopped for a late lunch at an outdoor cafe on Rue Cler. They ended up sitting at a table while Thierry's bodyguard sat at a nearby table where he had good visibility but couldn't listen in on their conversation. The tables were small, best suited for two people at most. The streets were so different to Boyd than they were in the United States; back home there was a clear distinction between pedestrian areas and vehicular areas. Here, at least by this cafe, everything seemed to blend together on the same grade, with streets that were aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It lent a very integrated feel to the semi-pedestrian part of the neighborhood.

Most of the tables were full in the cafe, creating a quiet lull in the background. Boyd ordered the plat du jour and looked around as Thierry ordered. There seemed to be a good mix of locals and visitors at the cafe and there was enough pedestrian traffic that Boyd had something interesting to watch.

"You spoke of your mother yesterday," Thierry said after a moment, turning to Boyd and lifting a glass of wine to his lips. "Did she not tell you anything of her home country?"

Boyd shook his head, returning his gaze to Thierry. "Nearly everything I know about France I learned in a book. I have some memories from when I was small of her talking about Paris but it's so vague I'm not even certain it wasn't a dream."

Thierry nodded and pursed his lips, flitting his deep blue eyes away. He seemed to fall into a pensive silence for a stretch before smiling briefly. "From the little I have heard of your mother, it reminds me greatly of the distance that existed between my father and myself."

The Agency's information was that Thierry's father had been a main benefactor of Janus and that there had been a falling out between the two. "Did something happen to cause it?"