Henri - 20

 

 

"God save me from shopping," Henri said as soon as he joined Taegan in the gallery. He had a clothing bag slung over his shoulder. "I have a tux and all the accoutrements, including shoes."

 

Taegan laughed. "Allyn strikes again? Why don't you drop the bag in my office? I should be free in twenty minutes and we can go feed you."

 

Taegan was as good as his word, telling his employees he was going for supper. "I'm going to make an early night of it," he told his manager, "since I have to be up at the crack of dawn for the people from the TV show."

 

She nodded. "I'll make sure the place is spic-and-span before I lock up for the night."

 

"Thank you." Turning to Henri, Taegan said, "I hope you don't mind a bit of a walk. The place we're going is on the edge of the Quarter."

 

"Fresh air and sunshine is fine with me."

 

A few minutes later Taegan said, "It doesn't look like much, but the food is good and if you want, we can get it to go across the street and sit in Armstrong Park." When Henri agreed, they ordered po' boys and chicory coffee, then went over to the park.

 

"No benches, for some reason," Taegan pointed out. "At least not by the water."

 

"So we sit under a tree and rough it."

 

That worked just fine as far as Taegan was concerned. They settled, shoulder to shoulder, leaning against the trunk of a very large tree. For a while, they ate in silence, enjoying the food and the ambiance.

 

When he was finished with his po' boy, Henri sighed.

 

"Something wrong?" Taegan asked with concern.

 

"Not at all. I don't think I've been this relaxed in a long time."

 

"Good. That was sort of the idea." Taegan smiled, studying him. He is relaxed. No worry lines, no frown, no tension. I wish he was like this more often. When we were down by the river, he managed to unwind some, but it came back when we got to his place and I insisted I had to go up with him to make certain it was safe. That thought made him glance around, being careful not to let Henri know what he was doing.

 

Apparently he wasn't careful enough, because Henri asked, barely whispering, "Do you see something?"

 

"Yep. A good looking man I'm becoming rather fond of." He bit back a grin when Henri turned red. "It's true, and damn the fact it's only been a short time. I'm not saying I'm in love with you. That remains to be seen. But as we've already established, I'm attracted to, and fond of, you."

 

"I feel the same, but I have to wonder…" Henri went silent, staring down at the ground.

 

"Wonder what?" Taegan asked, although he though he knew what Henri would reply.

 

"Is it really…real? Or is it the situation? Me, needing someone strong to help me feel safe. You…umm—" he glanced up, "—having a white knight complex."

  

"I'm sure that plays into it to some extent at the moment. But if I needed to go off saving somebody, I could find a lot of weak people who needed it. You, Henri, are far from that—no matter how you might feel about yourself." He put his arm around Henri, pulling him close. "You managed to survive what the bastard tried to do to you, by taking advantage of his…ego, I guess. His belief that he had you so weakened and so cowed, you wouldn't even think of trying to escape. He was dead wrong. You were cleverer than him and incredibly strong to have withstood what he was doing and make it out of there in one piece…and sane."

 

"And scared shitless," Henri murmured.

 

"Anyone would be in your position. It hasn't stopped you from being willing to become bait in our trap."

 

Henri grimaced. "I'm not so certain being called bait makes me feel all warm and fuzzy."

Henri – 19

 

Henri – 19

 

Henri shivered. "What if he does know I'm here and is just biding his time until I'm alone somewhere?"

 

"No one was with you at the apartment last night," Taegan pointed out. "He'd have tried to grab you then, if that was the case. We weren't exactly secretive about moving you in. And now, no one can get in without you knowing."

 

"I guess you're right."

 

"Okay,' Ransom interjected. "We have a plan we hope will work. Is there anything else we have to talk about?"

 

"Not that I can think of," Taegan replied, getting nods of agreement from the others.

 

"Then let's head out. Henri, Allyn and I will take you home."

 

"I can do that," Taegan said.

 

"Can, yes. But I want to double check the security on his place. Not that I don't trust whoever did it, if you do, Taegan."

 

"I understand."

 

As Ransom and the others started toward the front door, Taegan caught Henri's arm to stop him. "Call me, as soon as they're gone."

 

Henri nodded. "Now that I have a phone, I will."

 

* * * *

 

He did call, assuring Taegan that Ransom had stated the apartment was as secure as Fort Knox. "Allyn's picking me up around noon to go shopping," Henri added. "This is becoming somewhat of a habit—first for the barbecue, now this."

 

"Pretty soon you'll be the best dressed man in the city," Taegan replied in amusement.

 

Henri just snorted. "Not even close."

 

"When you're finished, why don't you come by the gallery? We can have an early supper."

 

"Sure. I'd like that."

 

"All right. I'll see you then." There was a moment of silence before Taegan said quietly, "Be careful."

 

"I plan on it. I don't have any desire to end up back in Xavier's clutches."

 

"If you did, I'd ride to the rescue."

 

Henri chuckled. "On your noble white steed?"

 

"Yep. Wearing silver armor and carrying a long sword. Now I just have to remember where I stored the damned thing."

 

"Don't tell me you actually own some armor."

 

"I do. Unfortunately it's only for display, so I doubt it's wearable. I got it a few years ago as a prop for some exhibit at the gallery. I can't remember which one. Oh, well. It doesn't matter. The main thing is, I would do my best to save you, if anything happened."

 

"I know you would," Henri said softly.

 

"Now off to bed with you," Taegan told him.

 

"I'm going. I'm going. You, as well."

 

"I am. Night, Henri."

 

"Night, Taegan."

 

When Henri hung up he was smiling. "I think—no, I know—I like him. And I'm pretty sure he likes me, too. More than as just a friend."

Henri – 18

 

"It could work," Miranda said that evening, looking at the men seated in Taegan's living room.

 

"We'd have to come up with a theme that will excite people. Something like…" Allyn frowned. "What hasn't been done is the question."

 

"A vampire ball?" Henri suggested.

 

"Done to death, unfortunately," Taegan told him.

 

"Ghosts," John put in. "Come as your favorite ghost, or dead person I guess."

 

"That could be fun," Miranda said excitedly. "We could turn the parlor into—"

 

"You want to hold it on the estate?" John asked in dismay.

 

"Yes! If we want to pull this off as fast as possible. Poor Henri has been on tenterhooks since forever. Let's do this, get his photo in the newspaper and on TV and see if we can draw Xavier into our net."

 

"Hang on a minute," Ransom said. "Why go through all this hassle just to get him in the news?"

 

"Because a ball would be fun," Miranda replied.

 

Ransom snorted. "You can party every weekend if that's what you want to do. God only knows there are enough of them going on around the city. You don't have to throw your own. Just take Henri along with you to one of them. Also, pulling something like that together would take much too long."

 

Miranda sighed. "And it was going to be such a wonderful ball."

 

"You can do it for your birthday," John consoled her. "In six months."

 

"Even though this whole party idea was mine to begin with, I think you're right, Ransom," Taegan said. "There's an easier and faster way to achieve our ends."

 

"What do you have in mind?"

 

"I have a new artist whose exhibit opens this Friday. There's going to be a pre-opening party Thursday evening for invited guests and the press. Semi-formal, hors d'oeuvres, wine, the usual. Henri will be with me, which should guarantee his face ends up in the Arts section of the paper, at the very least."

 

"I don't own any formal wear," Henri said quietly, even though he liked this idea much more than the party one. I'd have been like a fish out of water at some gala. Doing this and have Taegan right there with me… He smiled, glancing at Taegan.

 

Taegan chuckled. "I suspect we can find something that'll work in the next couple of days. Right, Allyn?"

 

Allyn grinned. "And a shopping we will go."

 

"You are all on the guest list, as of now," Taegan stated.

 

"Great, but why?" Miranda asked. "The reception photos won't be on the paper's social page until Friday."

 

"True…" Taegan paused, looking thoughtful. "However, one of the news stations is doing a special about the artist—Mr. Williams—and the exhibit on their Wednesday early show. It will repeat on the nine o'clock news. Henri will be with me, as my assistant, when they're filming."

 

"I've been upgraded," Henri said, chuckling. When Allyn asked, Henri told him about the rental application for his apartment, where he listed his job as a clerk at the gallery. "At Taegan's suggestion."

 

"Now," Ransom said, "it all comes down to whether Xavier, or one of his people, actually watches the news and sees Henri."

 

Taegan nodded. "Given that he tried to abduct Henri here in the city, and captured him not all that far from New Orleans proper, I suspect he's at least keeping an eye on the area for sightings of him."

 

"They probably are since, as I told you, he knows what I look like in my human form—from the last day at the lab before I escaped."

 

"If he hasn't already figured out you're still here, Henri, this should do the trick," Ransom said.

Henri – 17

 

Henri – 17

 

The next morning, Henri gritted his teeth, girded his loins—as he thought of it—and went to catch the bus into the Quarter. By the time he stepped off, he had to clench his hands to stop them from shaking. But I made it without Xavier or his man trying to snatch me off the street. That's a plus, even if I did sweat off five pounds in the process.

 

His first stop was to pick up a cell phone. A cheap one, since he had no plans to use it for anything other than calling Taegan, Miranda, or Ransom and Allyn—once he had numbers for that last two. As soon as the phone was activated, he called Taegan to let him know he was on his way to the gallery. Then he checked in with Miranda, much to her relief. He asked her for the other numbers he needed, although he knew he probably wouldn't call them, except in an emergency.

 

Henri arrived at the gallery to find Taegan deep in a conversation with one of the customers, so he walked around, looking at the paintings, drawings, sculptures, and various other objects on display.

 

He was studying an impressionistic scene of one of the Quarter's streets, looking down toward the Cathedral, when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. He stiffened instantly, whirling around, ready to teleport out of there.

 

"Damn, I'm sorry," Taegan said contritely.

 

"It's okay. I think my heart rate's returning to normal now," Henri replied with a grin, smacking his hand to his chest. "I really do have to stop being so panicky."

 

"With reason," Taegan said.

 

"Maybe." Henri lowered his voice. "I know we're hoping he'll come after me again, but I was thinking on the ride down here, what if we're going about it the wrong way?"

 

"How so? Before you answer, let's go into my office."

 

When they were there, Henri continued his thought. "This is a big city. Just because I've made a move to be more accessible doesn't mean he's going to know I am. Right?"

 

Taegan nodded. "I see what you're saying. The chances that you and he will cross paths are fairly small. For starters, it's not as if you advertised the fact you moved into the apartment, even if we weren't exactly being secretive about doing it."

 

"Exactly. You know the idea that people might have gossiped about my being at the barbecue doesn't really hold water either. First off, I'm hardly worth talking about. It's not as if I was someone well known. Now if there had been reporters and photographers there from the newspaper, because it was a social event…"

 

"And you showed up in a picture on the society page. I wonder…" Taegan looked thoughtfully at him. "It would have to be something extraordinary enough to draw the crème-de-la-crème. We should talk with Miranda and Allyn. For the moment, however, one of the people from the security company I use is due here any minute now. He'll go back to the apartment with you to set up the alarm system."

 

"Why didn't you tell me…? Okay. No phone, until now. No way you could have called to let me know."

 

"Exactly."

 

There was a knock on the office door. It was the man Taegan was expecting and from there, things went as planned. The man even drove Henri back into the city when he was finished and had explained everything Henri needed to know to make certain his apartment would be secured against any intruders.

Henri - 16

 

Henri - 16

 

They left the restaurant, walking toward Bourbon Street. "Definitely crowded," Henri commented, as they dodged around people while looking into the various clubs lining the street.

 

"When isn't it?" Taegan said with a good-humored laugh.

 

"Four in the morning?"

 

"Don't bet on it. This is New Orleans during tourist season." After barely avoiding getting beer spilled on him by one intoxicated young man, Taegan suggested they head down toward the river.

 

"This I recognize," Henri said when they strolled by Saint Louis Cathedral. "Mind you, only from photos, but still… It's quite impressive."

 

"Now you get to see it up close and personal." From there, Taegan took Henri down to the edge of the river.

 

It was dark between the scattered lampposts along the path, and yet there were enough people for Henri to feel safe. He gazed across the wide expanse of the river to the lights on the far shore. "Can you imagine what this must have been like a hundred years ago?"

 

"Much calmer, for starters," Taegan replied, pointing to steps leading down to the river's edge. "Let's sit and watch the moon come up."

 

Henri had no problem with that idea. When they reached the bottom step, he sat, wrapping his arms around his knees. Taegan dropped down beside him, leaning back on his hands.

 

"I think," Henri said quietly, "I could learn to love this city."

 

"There's much to be said in its favor," Taegan responded, smiling at him.

 

The fact you live here being one of them. Henri turned away from Taegan's gaze to watch a boat moving slowly down the river. "I wonder where it's going," he said, pointing.

 

"It's one of the steamboats, so at this point, given the direction it's heading, I'd say it's returning to shore. The one farther out is a tanker—probably heading to the Gulf."

 

"It would be fun to go on one."

 

"A tanker?"

 

"No a..." Henri looked at Taegan, saw he was grinning and shook his head. "You like teasing."

 

"I do if it gets you to relax," Taegan replied.

 

"I'm relaxed. In fact," Henri realized, "I'm close to falling asleep, what with the sound of the water and quiet."

 

"Then let's get you home."

 

"I didn't mean that," Henri protested.

 

"I know. Still, it's been a busy day. I suspect you'll sleep like a log tonight." Taegan stood, offering his hand to Henri.

 

Henri took it, allowing Taegan to pull him to his feet. For a long moment they looked at each other, then with a smile, Taegan put his arm around Henri's shoulders. "Car…then your apartment."

 

They walked back to where Taegan's SUV was parked behind his gallery. By the time they'd made it to Henri's place, Henri really was almost asleep.

 

"When will I see you again?" Henri asked as he got out of the car.

 

"Right now. I'm walking you up so we can check the place out."

 

"You think…?" Henri whispered, a frisson of fear running down his spine.

 

"Not really, but it pays to be careful." Taegan led the way up the stairs to the porch, asked Henri for the keys, and unlocked the door. Staying slightly ahead of Henri, they walked through the apartment.

 

"Looks like it did when we left," Henri said with relief.

 

"I agree. Like a small hurricane hit the living room, since you haven't arranged the furniture yet."

 

"I'll do it in the morning."

 

"I'm sure. Then what?"

 

"I saw a bus stop a block over. Hopefully I can get one into the Quarter."

 

Taegan nodded. "Call me first, so I know you've left—and when you get off the bus."

 

"With what? In case you forgot, I don't own a phone at the moment."

 

"That's right. So you know what you're first stop is," Taegan said. "Do you have paper and a pen somewhere?"

 

"Doubtful. I don't think it was on Miranda's list of what I needed. Wait." Henri hurried into the bedroom, returning a moment later. "The gallery's number is on my copy of the rental forms, so I'm good."

 

"That works. If I'm not there, leave a message."

 

For a moment they stood, looking at each other. Then Taegan gave Henri a fast hug. "I'll see you sometime tomorrow?"

 

"You will," Henri replied once he got over his surprise.

 

"Lock the door after me and don't open it to anyone," Taegan cautioned. "We need to get you in touch with my security company to install an alarm system. Okay, I shouldn't have said that. You went as pale as a ghost."

 

Henri smiled grimly. "I'll mover the dresser in front of the bedroom door tonight. Anyone tries to break in I'll…teleport to your place."

 

"I'll look forward to that," Taegan told him, slowly grinning. "Not a break in, but…" He gave Henri another hug before stepping onto the porch. "I want to hear the deadbolt click in," he said.

 

"Yes, sir." Henri replied.

 

"Sorry. My bossy gene kicking in again."

 

"It's all right. I'm getting used to it." Chuckling, Henri closed the door, and made certain he actually did turn the deadbolt. For a moment he felt a wave of loneliness when he heard Taegan's footsteps going down the stairs. Then, reminding himself he'd see him tomorrow, Henri got ready for bed. He did slide the dresser in front of the bedroom door. And hope I don't have a sudden need to use the bathroom until morning.