The Return of the Man in Blue (The Claudia Belle Series Book 4)

by C. S Luis

  “So, are you hungry?” I said, changing the subject, realizing I had embarrassed her from the color on her face.

  She gazed over at me; the embarrassment seemed to have passed as she very softly answered, “Yes.”

  “Well, what would you like to eat?” I asked, sitting back against the car seat and looking over at her. She very timidly looked over at me.

  “I’m not sure,” she very softly said, and I smiled, finding it hard to look away. She was beautiful.

  “Whatever you’d like, Mr. Slater,” she politely said. I smiled with a tiny chuckle as she looked down again. I put the car in reverse and pulled out of the parking space and onto the street.

  10

  Claudia

  I liked it when he took control, when he did what he wanted. I wasn’t much for making choices. I usually didn’t know what to say. So when he smiled and began to drive towards the restaurant of his choice, I was relieved. We parked, and as the engine died, he glanced over at me with a big grin.

  “Is this okay?” Mr. Slater asked. I looked at the restaurant, wondering what he meant. And why did he have or want to ask me whether or not I liked it? Did it matter?

  “Pappadeaux?” I whispered.

  “It’s seafood. You like seafood, right?” Mr. Slater again asked, still grinning. He hadn’t stopped the entire time we’d been together.

  I nodded. “Yes,” I very nervously and quickly answered, folding my lip.

  “Are you always like this, Miss Belle?” Mr. Slater asked. I wondered what he meant by those words.

  “Like what, Mr. Slater?” He smiled at me.

  “So easily pleased. You know you can tell me if you prefer something else. I just want you to choose a place you’d like.”

  “Oh, but I do like this place, Mr. Slater,” I said and then looked down. “You’re so much better at this than I am,” I honestly admitted, looking up at him. “Besides, I like it when you choose for me.”

  He looked surprised and speechless. He momentarily cleared his throat and said, “If only other women were as easy to please as you are—” He stopped mid-sentence as he looked over at me, realizing perhaps he had offered a thought he hadn’t wanted to. He looked embarrassed by his words, but perhaps more ashamed by his honesty.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re pleased with my choice, Miss Belle,” he again said, opening the car door. He came around to open the door for me. I was getting used to the idea of him being such a gentleman. He politely led me inside, and the server led us into a booth.

  I looked around. There was a tank as soon as we entered near the host’s station. The tank was filled with lobsters, large and small, and there was even a price for lobster per weight. There was also a shelf with different varieties of wine in perfect view of the patrons eating. No matter how many times I had joined my parents for dinner, I could never get used to it. I wasn’t much for classy places or even being in fancy parties for that matter. I hated it. I loved the places, but it was the people I couldn’t stand.

  Mr. Slater allowed me into the booth first as we came to our table, and he took a seat at the opposite side. Only my father had been this polite to me. I hadn’t noticed that Mr. Slater was like a father in some ways. And it wasn’t just for me, even though I wanted to believe that it had been. I think he was just like that with everyone: polite, thoughtful, calm, and also well put together.

  Mr. Slater was looking at the menu as I watched him from the other end; he seemed so natural, so well mannered, sitting up straight with that clean black suit and dark red tie he had worn today. Did he know I liked red? He looked very handsome, and I was happy to know him.

  The server was a slender nerdy looking girl with blonde hair. She put bread and butter in front of us as she politely stood alongside the table. Mr. Slater looked up. She looked flustered when he greeted her with those beautiful green eyes. I wanted to assure her that everyone reacted that way.

  “Can I start you guys with something to drink?” She politely asked, and Mr. Slater gazed over at me.

  “What would you like to drink, Miss Belle?” He asked me.

  I blinked. The girl was smiling, but I could see she was nervous, standing there and trying not to stare at Mr. Slater, as everyone in the restaurant seemed to be doing.

  “Do you have lemonade?” Mr. Slater asked the server, and she nervously nodded. He looked over at me. “How about some lemonade, sweetheart?” Perhaps he realized I was having a hard time deciding.

  I nodded, and he turned to our server who almost dropped her notepad because her hands were trembling so much. “Bring us a lemonade and some hot tea,” Mr. Slater politely offered, and our server nodded, taking down the items on her little notepad.

  “Would you like some appetizers?”

  Mr. Slater gazed at me, and I looked over at him, shaking my head.

  He smiled. “Do you know what you want, sweetheart?”

  The girl blinked as she looked over at me. I stared up at her and realized she was probably thinking how lucky I am.

  I smiled and very softly said, “I’m not sure, Mr. Slater.”

  “Would you like some more time?” The girl asked, but Mr. Slater interrupted. I think he knew it wasn’t a matter of needing more time. I was just bad at making my mind up.

  “We’d like to order now if it’s alright?” He grinned up at our server.

  “Oh, sure, of course!” She immediately said, gripping hold of her notepad.

  Mr. Slater gazed over at me, as I was unable to decide what I wanted. He nodded like he knew exactly what to say. He always knew exactly what to say.

  “Please bring her the fried catfish fillets,” Mr. Slater politely said, and the server came closer, leaning over Mr. Slater’s side to get his order. Was I jealous? But at that moment, Mr. Slater turned and winked at me. I blushed, watching how naturally he just did things so much better than others. He seemed to own the place.

  “I’ll have the filet mignon,” he said to our nervous server.

  “The 8 or 10 oz.?” She asked.

  “8 is fine.”

  “On hers, would she like a baked potato, soup, or French fries?”

  Mr. Slater looked over at me. “Get her some French fries and make it two instead of four fillets,” he said, smiling at me. He knew me so well.

  “Would you like anything else?” She politely asked, and Mr. Slater folded his lip back.

  “That’ll be all. Thanks,” he very politely answered, and she just about melted. Did I look like that sometimes? I hope not.

  The server finished taking our order as Mr. Slater handed her the menu. She put the notepad in her little apron and smiled very obviously at Mr. Slater. She didn’t even look at me when she took my menu. She took a breath and very clumsily backed away.

  Had Mr. Slater even been aware of her obvious uneasiness? I stared at the outer restaurant at the other patrons looking over at us, and at the servers who were chatting by the bar looking over at our table. When they noticed me looking, they glanced away.

  “Hey,” I heard Mr. Slater say. He was looking at me from the other end, coming forward on his seat. His hands were on the table as he tapped his palm to get my attention.

  “You seemed miles away,” he softly said with that big grin. God, I loved that about him.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be.”

  “What are you looking at?” He asked with the same big grin. He turned but missed the crew by the bar because they’d already dispersed.

  “Hey,” he again said. “Ignore them. This is our moment. You and I,” He rested his chin on his hand and stared right at me, and that made me look down again.

  “What would you like to do after this?” He very softly asked.

  “I’m not sure,” I answered, and he smiled. He always did that when I had no answers for him.

  “How about we visit the nearby museums? You like art, and I’ve never been.”

  “Really? Why haven’t you?” I asked. I didn’t believe it. He seemed ar
tsy to me, someone that could talk about anything and seemed to impress others with what he knew.

  “Well, I’ve never been much of an art person, Miss Belle. I guess I shouldn’t say I’ve never taken an interest, but time just never allowed me to. But now I want to make an effort.”

  “Why now?” I curiously asked; he hadn’t once looked away. He had a thing about just focusing all of his attention on me. And that sometimes made me so nervous around him.

  “Because you like it, Miss Belle.”

  I blinked over at him, unable to make sense of what he meant.

  “Believe it or not, Miss Belle, it’s you that’s far more interesting, and I’m honored that you have allowed me to be part of your world.”

  I blushed, folding my lip back. Our server returned just then with our drinks, and I was happy to see her.

  Mr. Slater seemed bothered by her interruption, but, nevertheless, was very polite when she set the hot tea in front of him and the lemonade in front of me. I drank it immediately, hoping it would cool the red embarrassment off my face.

  She left, stumbling away. I felt her pain, but she didn’t have to sit in front of him. I looked back over at him, and our eyes met again as he pushed his tea aside.

  11

  John Slater

  Claudia looked embarrassed by my words; perhaps I had moved too fast.

  Too fast, John. You’re making her uncomfortable.

  Perhaps I was, but I couldn’t help speaking the truth and telling her how I felt, even if I couldn’t tell her how I felt the way I wanted to.

  Our food arrived almost right after the server had brought our drinks, and she set the items down. She was very polite; of course, I could see she was nervous around me. But as I had said before, I was used to that fact. How things changed as soon as John Slater entered an establishment. I was used to it, but I could never see it as I did now, when faced with a whole new crowd of people. I wasn’t among those in academy or the snobs of society. I was used to the royal treatment or celebrity status one might say. That’s just how people responded to me, but I was now among the simple. And it was so rare for me to be around regular people.

  “Would there be anything else?” Our server politely asked. Claudia shook her head, but the server was only looking over at me. I nodded very courteously, and she blushed.

  “Please let me know if you need anything else,” she very kindly added and timidly walked away.

  I looked over at Claudia; she was staring at her food and then slowly picked up her fork. She looked up as she picked up some fries.

  “You like it, sweetheart?” I asked. She quickly nodded, swallowing the fries already in her mouth and putting a hand over her lips as she politely said, “I love it. Thank you.”

  The rest of the meal was a quiet one, and our server returned a few times to see if we needed anything. I watched Claudia as her eyes avoided mine. I knew it hadn’t been anything I had done but that she was merely a shyly girl, and yet she was far more relaxed than others when faced with John Slater, especially when he was sitting across from her.

  She didn’t realize that she was the only one in this place or any place that had my full attention. And even with others dying to have it, I could only be possessed by one. And she probably didn’t even know that.

  So, I was interesting to her? I smiled at the thought of her words. I liked that; sure, others thought it too, but the idea that she thought it was far more important to me. When our server returned, I asked for the check, and she hurried away to obey.

  “Did you enjoy your meal, b— sweetheart?”

  Check, John, check.

  I had a thing about using the word baby a lot, but I couldn’t help it. Sometimes it slipped.

  The server returned with the check. I handed her my credit card, and I caught Claudia looking over at me. I could almost read the expression on her face.

  I looked over at the server before she had time to walk away. “Can you bring me a to-go box?” I asked before she could offer it.

  “Sure,” she kindly nodded, taking my credit card and disappearing to the register.

  “So…” I came closer on the table after pushing the plate aside. Claudia immediately looked up at me with what seemed to be dread and caution.

  “The museum,” I said. “There’s the museum of fine arts and the museum of natural science. We can go to both,” I offered, leaning back when the server returned with a to-go box and placed the check and my credit card in front of me. I signed the check and added a generous tip for her, and then I handed the check over to her as she reached and also picked up my plate and then walked away.

  I opened the box for Claudia and took her plate and put the remains of her meal into the box. Then I put the plate aside and closed the box; she watched me as I did this. I took control and did these things out of habit sometimes.

  John is a control freak, Miss Belle. Isn’t that right, John? You have to learn that in advance so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

  “So, what do you think, Miss Belle?” I again asked her, finding her admiring her necklace.

  “Shall we?” I asked. Rising, she simply smiled and picked up her box from the table. I put a hand on the lower of her back, guiding her out with me. Eyes followed us out the door, and I knew she was probably reading their minds.

  But I was a good reader of expressions, and they all said the same thing: “Who is he? Is he someone important, and who’s the girl by his side? She can’t be his.”

  I smiled, looking back at them.

  We stepped out of the restaurant, and I grabbed my keys from my coat pocket when my cell started ringing. I opened the door for Claudia before I answered. She climbed in with her box in hand as she curiously looked over at me, wondering who was on the phone. I closed the door for her as I picked up the call.

  “John Slater,” I answered; only a few people had this number. And yes, I had used the same number I usually did for work, and it was probably not the greatest idea to do that.

  “I assume it would seem proper to first buy her dinner before you take her to bed with you.” I recognized the voice almost immediately. I turned my back to the car so Claudia wouldn’t see the expression on my face, and I wanted to immediately bark at the phone angrily, but instead, I took a breath to compose myself.

  “Are those your motives?” He very calmly asked, and I could picture the slim lip spreading across the pale of his face, awaiting my response with eager pleasure.

  I couldn’t answer without wanting to lose it and growl at him. I glanced back, and Claudia stared over at me from inside of the car. I smiled over at her, putting up a finger and indicating it would be a moment and for her to simply wait there.

  I took a few steps away from the side of the car with the vehicle facing me as I paced back and forth with the phone against my ear.

  “Is there a problem, sir? Or is the nature of your call merely to insult me?” I growled, and there was a pause. I looked at Claudia, trying my best to appear calm even though I was boiling inside by Nicholson’s choice of words.

  “I know you like her, but you were sent to perform a task,” he now answered. I never knew how he was doing it. How did he know what I was doing at all times?

  How had he found me again? But he always did. I looked around towards the street for any signs of him. But, of course, he would never make it that easy.

  “If you recall, sir, I said I would do things my way and that you have to trust me.”

  He suddenly interrupted, “I’m beginning to question where your loyalty lies.”

  I gasped, trying not to lose my cool. Did he know my every thought? Sure, the thought had come into my mind more than once, but I had never said it out loud.

  “As I stated before, my loyalty is with you, sir. I’m in control,” I firmly said, and there was another pause as I looked over at Claudia and smiled and then turned away, dropping my eyes to the ground.

  “I’m starting to have my doubts regarding any control
in your part.” He snapped.

  “I’m pulling you off the project; you have the remainder of the week.”

  What! This couldn’t be happening. But, of course, I didn’t say anything.

  He sounded troubled for the first time. And perhaps he realized it, and his tone regained its natural tone of The Man in White, calm and collective once more.

  But it’s what I said that surprised me as I looked at Claudia and gathered the courage. “I will leave at the end of the month,” I firmly said into the phone, and there was another pause. There was no way in hell I was going to leave so soon, now that I had returned to her.

  “Very well, John; you have until the end of the month. Consider it an early birthday present. Enjoy.” There was a chuckle in his voice. “I will send you the assignment.” The phone clicked as he hung up. Odd, even for the Man in White to be strangely easy.

  I stood there for a moment considering his words and catching sight of Claudia in the car and realizing I had already left her alone for too long. I hurried to the car and opened the driver side and jumped in. I said, “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

  Claudia stared up at me quietly as I put the key into the ignition to start her up.

  “Who was it?” I glanced over at her. I smiled, trying to stop thinking that I would soon be leaving her again. I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to lose her.

  “No one important,” I merely said with a smile on my face, and then I put the car in reverse.

  “It was them, wasn’t it?” Claudia suddenly asked, and I couldn’t help but stop. I pulled into the space again and parked the car, gazing at her. How had she known?

  “Why do you say that?” I asked her.

  “I’m right, aren’t I?” Claudia asked as she looked away.

  “Claudia?” I tried to speak, but what could I tell her? She knew what was coming if I did.

  “You’re going to leave me again.” She spun her head back to me. She looked upset, hurt, and betrayed, and I couldn’t bear to see her that way. Damn, I cared too much for her.