They both jumped at the knock at the door. Alexandrine threw off the sheets and hopped out of the bed. She grabbed her clothes.
“Shit! Is it one of your girlfriends, Virgile?” she said, hustling to get into her lace undergarments. She hastened to button her tailored white blouse and headed down the hall looking for her pants and boots.
“Alex, relax. I don’t have a girlfriend right now. Why does everyone think I’ve got them coming and going all the time?” He slipped into his jeans and pulled on a polo shirt.
He joined Alexandrine in the living room. The knocking became insistent.
Virgile opened the door to find a rather harried-looking Didier standing on the threadbare red carpet in the narrow hallway that served as a landing. He had one hand on the flower-patterned wallpaper and was breathing hard, probably from running up the spiral stairs.
“Didier! What are you doing here?” Virgile stood in the doorway and put both hands up to block him from coming in.
“Look, it’s about Alexandrine.”
“What about Alexandrine? Just who do you think you are, anyway? First you hang around the lab to find out who we’re working with. Then you sidle up to my boss and get him to ask you to fill in at Cooker & Co. As if going after my job weren’t enough, now you’re stalking my friend and colleague Alexandrine! Just stop. Stop it all. You’re way out of line. For all I know, you’re the one who beat her up!”
Didier’s eyes looked like saucers. Virgile stared right back at him.
“Virgile.” The soft voice came from behind him. “It’s not what you think.”
Alexandrine nudged Virgile out of the way. He stepped aside, not sure of what to say.
“Alex, I need to talk to you,” Didier asked.