Chapter Thirteen!
Times Of Change.
September 2021 - The Beverly Hills Plaza Hotel And Spa
Albany was sitting by herself outside on the balcony, she was getting some fresh air. Her gaze was focused on the outdoor swimming pool, the ripples on it's surface were calming. The hotel was peaceful and lit up with golden lights, there was hardy anybody around at this hour. The night she and her lover had planned had soured, they had much to discuss since Copia had made a life changing decision without her knowledge.
They had sat and spoken until the early hours of the morning, their conversation had caused Albany to become upset when it suddenly became heated without any warning. Copia had snapped at her when she mention that Sister Imperator had inference his decision, his Motherly figure had put some pressure on him from what she had overheard at the beach house. What surprised her the most was Copia thought that she wouldn't even notice the changes to his face, she didn't understand why he thought she wouldn't notice that he'd had plastic surgery. He had immediately apologised to her when he noticed her falling tears, he now regretted not being truthful with his lover. Albany would have supported Copia if he had told her about his decision from the beginning, she felt deceived that he had kept it to himself for months. She was also surprised to learn that Sister Imperator had also gone under the knife, it seemed like the Clergy had arranged an offer she couldnt refuse. There was still things Albany was curious about, but she knew that some of her questions would remain unanswered since she wasn't important like her superiors.
Albany attention was caught by a gentle knocking on the door frame, her gaze was met by a familar pair of mismatched eyes. Copia waved his fingers at her and asked if he could join her, she gave him a nod of her head. He soon approached his lover, she moved over for him on the couch and pulled her knees to her chest when he sat down beside her. His arm slipping around her torso Albany rested her head against his shoulder, she was still trying to process why the Clergy had decided to change her lover's appearance. It would take her sometime to get use to his new features, but he was still the man she adored on the inside. A smile crept across her features when his fingers entwined with her own, he kissed the top of her head before he spoke.
" Hello, baby." He said.
" Hello, Copia." She said.
" Are you feeling better?" He asked, his gaze lowered in her direction. " Would you like me to order you some room service? They do a very good toasted cheese sandwich here."
" It's a little bit late for toasted cheese sandwiches." She said, her gaze met with his own. " I may end up having weird dreams."
" True that, how about some coffee?" He asked.
" Coffee sounds good." She replied.
" Okay, listen..." He said, his speaking tone was sincere and loving. " Why don't you go and take a long hot shower while I make us some coffee, there's a clean bathrobe in the bathroom. Then we can get into bed and watch some morning television until we get tired. How does that sound?"
" That sounds nice." She replied.
" Then when the evening comes I will wine and dine you just like I promised. We can have our meal on the balcony, it's going to be a nice night." He said before he wiped some dry mascara away from her cheek. " You can order anything you want, we don't even have to drink wine tonight."
" We could have one of your other favourite meals beside Chinese food. Four cardons of Juicy Juice and cheesy pasta with garlic bread, extra cheesy." She said with a slight smile. " Unless you want something soft to eat in case your jaw is still sore..."
" No, no! That sounds perfect to me." He said while he tucked some of her hair behind her ear. " Go and get cleaned up now, I'll make us some coffee."
" Okay." She said.
Albany smiled when Copia kiss her forehead, his kiss lingered before he got to his feet. He then left her sitting alone on the balcony. She soon followed after him, she entered the hotel room and took her wash bag from her overnight belongings. They shared a loving gaze while she walked towards the bathroom, she then locked the door behind her. She showered and got changed into the clean bathrobe, it felt soft against her skin. Brushing through her long dark hair Albany's attention was caught by the rattling of the door handle, her lover's voice was soon heard from the other side of the door.
" Albany, the door is locked!"
" I'm nearly finished!" She said before she placed her hair brush back inside her wash bag. " I'm just use to locking the door since your absence from the Ministry was prolonged. Do you need to use the bathroom?"
" No, but I want to show you something!"
" Give me two minutes, I won't be long!' She said.
" But you've been in there for forty-seven minutes now!"
" Were you counting the minutes?" She asked.
" I may have been doing that..."
" I'll be out very soon!" She said with smile. " I promise!"
" Okay, cool!"
Albany zipped up her wash bag and placed it on the side cabinet, she took one last look at herself in the mirror before she unlocked the door. She opened the door and entered the lounge of the hotel room, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Copia standing in the middle of the lounge in his bathrobe. Her lover's features were painted in his Papa's chosen face paint, he looked very debonair. She knew for a fact that Copia would look magnificent when he finally took center stage in his papal robe and mitre, his new hairstyle was even growing on her. The grey highlights in his hair gave him a mature look, but there was something missing. His nose lines, he had forgotten to draw them on his nose. A smile crept across Albany's features when he held his hands towards her, he then approached his lover. He took both of her hands in her own and kissed them in turn, when he finally spoke his speaking tone was cheerful.
" What do you think?" He said.
" You look very dashing, but where's your nose lines?" She asked.
" The Clergy said they didn't look right, but I'm fine with that." He replied.
" Well I thought they looked adorable." She said before she hovered the back of her hand over his cheek. " My Copia, you look all grown up with your face paint. You're no longer a Cardinal, you're a Papa now. You do know how much I love you, right?"
" Of course I do, baby." He said.
" And what I said about Sister, I didn't mean..." She said.
" No, no!" He interrupted her and rested his finger tip against her lips. " It's okay, it doesnt matter anymore. It's forgotten, Albany."
A slight smile graced her features, he had forgiven her for speaking out of term about his Motherly figure. She understood why he had snapped at her, she would have done the same thing if someone spoke ill about her deceased Father. Copia slipped his hand over her own, he tenderly kissed her wrist more than once while his gaze remained on his lover. Albany moved closer towards him with a smile on her face, but her attention was soon drawn elsewhere. They both looked over at a mobile phone buzzing and ringing out on the coffee table, it seemed like Copia had an incoming DOOM call from his superior. He told Albany that he would be right back before he approached his mobile device, she went to finish making the coffees her lover had started while he spoke in private with Sister Imperator.
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Later That Day
Copia and Albany had spent their morning in bed together, they had drank coffee and spoke about his future role at the Ministry. Copia was excited about taking his next step into Papahood, he couldn't wait to start fulfilling his dream job and helping the Clergy to expand their grasp on the unexpecting world beyond the walls of the unholy church.
Albany stired in her sleep, she could feel a cool breeze against her bare shoulder. The room was chilly and bright, the scent of floral lingered in the air. Her hand reaching for her lover it was greeted by an empty space, he wasnt there. She thought he may have stayed with her since they were spending sometime away from the unholy church, but her thoughts had been wrong. Her sleepy gaze wandered around the room, the doors to the balcony were wide open. Albany must have fallen asleep, she was unsure when since it was still daylight outside. She sat silently in the bed and pulled her bathrobe over her shoulder, but a voice from somewhere around the room caught her attention.
" Hi, Sis. Hi!"
Albany could hear voices, she immediately recognised who Copia was speaking with over the phone. Sister Imperator's voice was heard clearly throughout the hotel room, she could hear them laughing. But after awhile it sounded like her lover wasn't too enthusiastic about speaking with his superior, he tried his best to get out of the call by faking a connection break up sound. Pulling back the blankets on the bed she swung her legs over it's edge and got to her feet, she then went to search for her lover. She soon found Copia sitting on the couch in the lounge, he was still dressed in his bathrobe and his face was painted. Clearing her throat Albany got her lover's attention, his voice broke the silence between them.
" You're finally awake!" He said, his speaking tone was caring. " You slept good, yes?"
" I'm still a little tired, but I slept well enough." She replied with a smile. " Who were you speaking with on your mobile phone?"
" Sister, she gave me a DOOM call" He replied.
" And what did she want?" She asked.
" Sister is planning to move back to the Ministry next month." He replied, his gaze met with her own. " Things will change, it's time that I started getting back into the swing of things. My Papa duties have been delayed for too long, it's time to start preparing for my future tours."
" Oh, I see..." She said.
" You don't sound very enthusiastic about it." He said.
" I'm just going to miss it being the two of us, it was nice being together all the time without our superiors around the Ministry. It made me think of what our lives may have been like if we were together like a proper couple." She said before she aproached him. " But I guess things have to change, it's important that you start fulfilling your duties for the Clergy. I understand the duties of Papa Emeritus more than most, it's okay. I grew up around my Brothers, but it wont stop me missing you."
" We can still see each other, it's not going to stop me from having dinner with you every night." He said with a sigh. " Things between us will remain the same. I'll need you more than ever when the tours start rolling. I'm planning to take you with me this time."
" Will the Clergy allow that?" She asked.
" Every Papa needs an assistant, right?" He asked.
" I guess." She replied.
" Then it's settled!" He said, his held his hands towards her. " I'm going to reinstate you has my clerk when we return to the Ministry, it will just be like the old days when I managed the financial department."
" Do you even remember what it was like when we worked together?" She asked.
" I remember making your knees tremble, we had some very good times on my office chair." He replied.
" Copia, I'm being serious!" She sighed.
" It will be okay, we always worked well together." He said with a reassuring smile. " I remember you always being punctual and arranging my meetings, the work diary was always updated. The filing system was organised to perfection, not to mention you always made sure there was evaporated milk in my coffee. You are my ideal candidate with plently of experience, please say yes!"
" But what if the Clergy says no?" She asked.
" Why would they say no?" He asked, he raised his eyebrow at her. " They know you assisted Papa Nihil for years, it makes sense that you carry on with your assigned position with the next Papa Emeritus. It would save the retraining someone new when we already have the perfect candidate living at the Ministry."
" Well, if they say yes I will accept your job offer." She said.
" That makes me very happy to hear that, thank you." He said while he beckoned his lover to join him. " Now come and sit with me, it's getting late. We need to order room service, I'm getting hungry."
" Are you still in the mood for cheesy pasta with garlic bread?" She asked.
" I'm always in the mood for cheesy pasta and garlic bread." He replied with a slight chuckle. " But there's something else on the menu I would also like to try tonight."
" And what's that?" She asked.
" There's a dessert I like the sound of." He replied.
" What's it called?" She asked.
" It's called Albany, she's very scrumptious with ice cream smeared on her thighs." He replied.
" Can we get chocolate sauce with that order?" She asked.
" I'll order some extra towels, it could get messy." He said.
A coy expression crept across her features while she played with the sleeve of her bathrobe, she couldn't help but blush slightly at his plans for her this evening . Copia sometimes caught her off-guard when he got flirtatious, he knew how to woo her with his humorous behaviour. Albany soon approached her lover and took his hand in her own, he then guided her onto his lap. His arms wrapping around her Copia tenderly touched her cheek, he kissed her lips more than once. A wince escaping his lips caught her attention, he immediately brought his hand to his jawline. She smiled sympathetic at him, she knew he was still tender from his procedure.
" Be careful, your jaw is still sore." She said.
" I know that, but I still want to bed you." He said with a sigh. " Three weeks without you has been very frustrating, I've missed your company."
" I've missed you too." She said while she ran her fingers along the collar of his bathrobe. " Let's take it slow, there's no need to rush. We can ordered some soup and ice cream instead of pasta, then I'll get you some pain relief. It's my turn to take care of you."
" Are we going to play doctors and patients?" He asked.
" It depends on how fast you recover." She smiled.
" Ooooh!" He chuckled.
Albany touched his hand and softly kissed his jawline, she then rested her forehead resting against his own. She wasn't too happy about what he had done to his face, but she couldn't put into words how much she adored her Papa Emeritus right now even if their evening together was going to be a gentle one.