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Two days had gone by, and Clara hadn’t heard a word from Jack. She visited the Louvre, sank deep into the catacombs, climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower, saw a show at Moulin Rouge, and visited the Tuileries. It was nothing like she ever imagined. Everything was so fascinating and beautiful; she couldn’t get enough of it.
But why was she wishing Jack was exploring it with her? The “vacation” was wonderful, but she felt like she’d have more fun if she had someone else to share it with.
Get that damned narcissistic man out of your mind, she thought. You met him once and you’re drooling like a teenager.
Clara was sitting at the Café de Flore sipping on a cup of coffee munching on a buttery croissant and eyeing up an order of profiteroles when her phone started ringing. She quickly grabbed it to hush the tone of one of her favorite sea shanties, Hoist the Colours. Her face grew hot from embarrassment of the common shanty blasting through the warm outdoors of the café.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Clara? It’s Jack.”
Clara started to straighten her sundress and her hair when she forgot she was only taking on the phone.
“Mr. Danton!” She cleared her throat. “Um, Jack, hi! I was hoping to hear from you.”
“You were? I’m sorry that my call took so long. It was a lot of red tape to access the files.”
“I hope I didn’t cause you any trouble.”
“No, not at all. Just takes time. I was wondering if you’d meet me this evening to look over things.”
Clara’s eyes lit up. He had the documents! She was finally going to find out her ancestry and be able to finish her book.
“Oh, that would be perfect! I can reschedule the Notre Dame tour for tomorrow easily.” Why the hell did I mention that, she thought. Pull yourself together.
“Notre Dame? Oh yes, if you need, I can get you in anytime. If you didn’t mind...um...”
Clara waited as Jack paused on the other end.
“Yes, Jack?”
“Before we head over to the main archives building, would you like to get dinner and maybe see the town? We have to wait until night to enter the building and search the documents.”
Clara’s eyebrow raised. “Night? Why do we have to at night? Surely, they’re in the underground vaults and we don’t have to worry about sunlight.”
“They...they are. It’s just the codes to enter are... timed... and the time slots are coveted so at midnight was the only time I could get. People are always coming and going 24/7 out of there.”
Clara wasn’t sure she was buying it, but she went along with it. “Ok...I guess that makes sense.”
“You didn’t answer my question, Clara.”
“Direct, aren’t you?” Oh...OH! Jesus, he’s asking me on a date! Oh, what do I say, what do I say? Do I even like him enough to go on a date with him? He’s completely pompous...but those eyes and that body sure is nice to look at. And he’s sweet when he wants to be. One little date can’t hurt...
“Oh, sorry. Yes, I’d love to. It would be nice for someone who lives here to show me around a little. I’ve wanted to see some of the more obscure side of Paris.”
“Obscure it is. So, we have enough time to sight-see, meet you outside the hotel at four?”
“I’ll be waiting then. Oh, do I need to wear anything in particular? Will I need sneakers or...” Jack cut her off before she could finish.
“Dress in whatever you like, because before dinner I have a little surprise.”
“A surprise?” she squeaked. “What kind of surprise? I thought this was a business meeting.”
“It is. But I heard from a little birdie you’ve been wanting to visit Paris all your life. And I want to make it memorable. Coming here and just doing work isn’t all that fun.”
Lana...how in the hell did she get information to him? “But I did have fun! The past two days I visited the Louvre, and the catacombs, and...”
“Clara.” He scolded. She never heard that tone before. It was stern, strong...and why did it kind of turn her on? “They are fun, but I bet you were researching, weren’t you? You didn’t fully enjoy its beauty because you had your historian brain turned on. I know, I’ve done it.”
How did he know? Well, we’re both historians, probably a sixth sense thing in our line of work, she thought.
“Ok, we’ll do your version of fun, but then right to the archives.”
“I promise. You won’t regret it.” With that, she heard the phone click on the other end.
Clara took one last look at the adorable café, with its cute round white cloth awning and the small wood tables and chairs outside under delicate white umbrellas with green trim. No time to soak in the beautiful greenery growing above the entrance now. She quickly asked her waiter for the bill and gulped down her coffee. She still had some writing to get done, and it was only six hours until four. Regret it? Hanging out in Paris with one of the hottest historians of all time? No regrets found.
***
“Angel! Can you get me Clara Reilly on the line?” Jack called out to his assistant.
“Yes Mr. Danton! One second!” She yelled back. Jack was waiting with his phone in hand, leaning against it resting his elbow on his desk.
It took days to work out the plan with Devon. He arranged it so he would be the only one down on the classified floor while the security guards were upstairs. A little bit of money and a food bribe of some American foods from back home was all it took to grease the wheels. Now he just needed Clara on board. But what to say to her? How was he going to explain that they needed to check out the archives in the middle of the night? He needed to see her again, in more ways than one. Would she agree to a dinner date? He’d have to think of a plan quick, because the phone was ringing.
“Hello?” she answered. Her voice sounded like a chime of a bell.
“Clara? It’s Jack.”
“Mr. Danton!” He could hear her clearing her throat on the other end. Was she surprised he called? Flustered? “Um, Jack, hi! I was hoping to hear from you.”
“You were?” He smiled. “I’m sorry that my call took so long. It was a lot of red tape to access the files.”
“I hope I didn’t cause you any trouble.”
“No, not at all. Just takes time.” It’s now or never. Just ask. “I was wondering if you’d meet me this evening to look over things.”
“Oh, that would be perfect! I can reschedule the Notre Dame tour for tomorrow easily.”
“Notre Dame? Oh yes if you need, I can get you in anytime. If you didn’t mind...um...” Why the hell did I say that? That was stupid. C’mon. Man, the fuck up and ask her on the date.
Jack paused; he wasn’t sure he could do it. Secretly asking a woman on a date when they were supposed to be business associates and using her for his own gain was not his strong suit.
“Yes, Jack?”
It’s now or never. “Before we head over to the main archives building, would you like to get dinner and maybe see the town? We have to wait until night to enter the building and search the documents.”
“Night?” Her voice raised an octave. He could tell she was questioning him. “Why do we have to at night? Surely, they’re in the underground vaults and we don’t have to worry about sunlight.”
Think fast, think fast! “They...they are. It’s just the codes to enter are... timed... and the time slots are coveted so at midnight was the only time I could get. People are always coming and going 24/7 out of there.” That...was stupid. She’s not gonna buy that.
“Ok...I guess that makes sense.” She bought it. Wait...she didn’t answer my question about the date. Say something!
“You didn’t answer my question, Clara.”
“Direct, aren’t you?” She paused for a moment. He waited with bated breath. “Oh, sorry. Yes, I’d love to. It would be nice for someone who lives here to show me around a little. I’ve wanted to see some of the more obscure side of Paris.”
“Obscure it is. So, we have enough time to sight-see, meet you outside the hotel at four?”
“I’ll be waiting then. Oh, do I need to wear anything in particular? Will I need sneakers or...” Jack decided to cut her off before she could finish.
“Dress in whatever you like, because before dinner I have a little surprise.” How did I just think of this on a whim?
“A surprise?” she squeaked. “What kind of surprise? I thought this was a business meeting.”
“It is. But I heard from a little birdie you’ve been wanting to visit Paris all your life. And I want to make it memorable. Coming here and just doing work isn’t all that fun.” Good thing her friend Lana was able to get a message to him from the States. How did she get his number anyway?
“But I did have fun! The past two days I visited the Louvre, and the catacombs, and...”
“Clara.” He scolded. He didn’t mean to sound so stern. He needed to gain her trust in order to get his hands on that locket. He quickly thought of something he remembered when he visited other places early on in his career. “They are fun, but I bet you were researching, weren’t you? You didn’t fully enjoy its beauty because you had your historian brain turned on. I know, I’ve done it.”
“Ok, we’ll do your version of fun, but then right to the archives.”
“I promise. You won’t regret it.” With that, he hung up.
He sighed and banged his head on the desk. The woman was sending his emotions in all directions. That conversation was nowhere near how he wanted it to go. He fumbled and flustered, and that is something Jack Danton never does. When he talks to her, he struggles to find the right words and just made a complete fool of himself. Now he didn’t know if he felt like floating, or like a rock sunk into the pit of his stomach. This whole situation was a whirlwind, and he needed to get his head on straight to complete his mission and help her at the same time. But deceiving her just didn’t sit right with him. Deceiving Marc and using Devon to help her and himself? Now that was just gold.