For The Love Of Chéri (CHAPTERS 1-112 REWRITTEN)

Chapter 63 : Spangna Confides In Javier Before She Leaves For Prague

It was the night before Spangna's trip to Prague with her client and later on, she would have to meet him for her night with him before the trip.

She had felt unwell during the day and had developed a slight temperature, congestion and nausea. She hid the symptoms from her client and saw Doctor V quietly who did some tests and diagnosed a bad cold.

She was dreading the trip. Being on sexual call and acting enthusiastic about it, never saying no and doing anything her paid-up client wanted.

She imagined that her porn acting skills would come in handy and that she could close her eyes and imagine what she wanted.

There was a knock at her door that evening. She blew her nose and got out of bed to peek through the spy hole, and she saw Javier.

She opened the door to see Javier standing there holding a tray with a lidded bowl and a small plate next to it with some pieces of baked bread.

"What's this?" she asked.

"This is homemade, from scratch, onion soup and garlic baked bread. It's sort of a French cure-all." Javier said.

"Made from scratch? By you?" Spangna asked, impressed.

"Nah,nah. No, not me. It was... René." Javier said.

"Ohh how sweet of him! Hold on! How much is this going to cost me?! He doesn't cook for free!" Spangna said.

"Ohh, err, nothing. You're the star of the Bordello so I guess he just wants you well. So, he made this in his apartment and ordered me to take it to you." Javier said.

"René doesn't go around ordering members of the security team, does he?" Spangna asked.

"He orders everyone about! You know how chefs are." Javier said with a smile.

"Then, René's a sweetheart! But, why didn't he cook it in the kitchen?" Spangna asked.

"Because then he'd have to charge you, I guess." Javier said looking up.

Spangna lifted the lid of the small earthenware bowl and a small plume of steam came up. She picked up the spoon and had a taste of the brownish broth. "Oh wow, this is immense. It's got lots of onions in it though."

"I think that's the point." Javier said.

"English onion soup isn't this... oniony, but then I've only had it from cans. These little bits of hard-baked baguette are nice too! Wow, that man can cook." Spangna said, amazed.

"I'm glad. I can only imagine how long it took him to make. Chopping all the onions and stuff." Javier said, looking thoughtful before he smiled slightly.

Spangna looked up at Javier sadly. "Look over there. See that card? It's from Madame Dolores. She sent that and wrote that she instructed Doctor V to treat me for nothing. And see those beautiful flowers?! They're from Lennon. So no-one around here gives a shit but Madam Dolores and Lennon. I got nothing from Chéri." Spangna said.

Javier looked at the flowers and cards.

"Hav, I know you're not a loudmouth like the others in your team but, I've not received a single thing from Marcel." Spangna said.

Javier looked up at her.

Spangna continued. "Not even a text, nothing. He really doesn't care. After everything, we've been through. After I won him off Selina. After all the beautiful things he's told me... he doesn't care." Spangna said, looking like she was about to cry.

Javier furrowed his brows and snapped his fingers. "I knew it! You two are a couple!"

"Yeah, but no one can know, Hav." Spangna said.