I Hope You Dance Ch. 07

The day of the dance came and Jean-Claude found himself at Silverglen. He had postponed a hot date tonight because he simply couldn't stand the idea of Chantal in someone else's arms. He had her right where he wanted her and he had to make sure that she remained there. He'd spent too much money and he needed hers to bail him out of his situation. Plus, he needed the money to pay off Horace, the man that was going to make his baby problem go away. Katie would suffer a fall down a flight of stairs andvoilá, no more baby. But he needed the money and marrying Chantal was the way to the pipeline.

He was surprised to hear soft music coming from her room and the smell of burning candles filled the air with the scent of roses. Straightening his tie, he knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's Jean-Claude, mon amour. Open up."

Fear leaped in Chantal's heart and she took a few steps back from the door. "I'm not feeling well, Jean. Please go away."

"Then let me in. I can help you."

"No. Just go away. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Jean-Claude!" His innards withered into dust when he heard Katie's voice. "I thought you told me you weren't going to see her anymore!"

"I have to see her, Katie. Now please, go."

"No, Jean-Claude. I'm going to tell her the truth." Katie made a move to knock on Chantal's door and Jean-Claude bear-hugged her, pulling her back. Katie screamed and Martin came running up the stairs, just as Chantal flung the door open.

"Help me!"

"What the hell is going on?"

Jean-Claude released the woman, moving his angry glare from Katie to Martin and then to Chantal, who was dressed in a filmy nightgown and robe. He noticed the candles lit in her room and sneered. "I thought you weren't feeling well."

"I wasn't." She reached out and Martin put his arm out for her. "Until Martin arrived." She moved closer, sighing when he wrapped his arm protectively around her waist. "Where's Katie? I heard her scream."

"I'm right here, Chantal, and I have to talk to you."

"Katie was just leaving," Jean-Claude turned his dark beady eyes on the trembling woman, causing her to move back against Martin's side. "Weren't you?"

"N-No. I wasn't" She gulped, giving Martin a quick smile of appreciation when he put his arm around her shoulders. "Chantal, I'm pregnant."

"Great. You're pregnant." Jean-Claude violently grabbed her arm, trying to wrench her away from his fiancée. "Now, will you get the fuck out of here!"

"It's Jean-Claude's baby."

"What?" Chantal's response was so light that Martin thought that she was going to pass out.

"Don't listen to her, Chantal. She's just jealous ... "

"Then listen to me." Martin said, staring at the Frenchman. "He's a liar, Chantal. He fucks every girl that will let him."

"That's bullshit!"

"Then why don't you tell Chantal where you were two days ago?"

"She knows I was here."

"Then why don't you tell her who you met in the west stairwell."

Jean-Claude's face went white and he turned to Chantal, watching the tears fill her eyes. "I didn't meet anyone. I was here to see her."

"He met me, Chantal." Katie spoke up, her eyes downcast. "I sucked him off in the stairwell. We usually meet downstairs, near the janitor's office because he likes to do it in the big closet but he was running late that day." She paused. "And he'd already fucked someone else because I could taste her."

"Oh, my God!" Chantal gasped, covering her mouth. She abruptly pushed away from Martin, grabbing for the door jamb. "I can't believe this."

"Chantal ... " Both men spoke her name at the same time and she backed away, tears streaking her face.

"I trusted you." She sobbed, turning toward Martin. "I trusted you with everything."

"And you can still trust me, Chantal. I just didn't want to hurt you."

"So you didn't tell me that the man I was going to marry was awhore?"

"Now, wait a minute ... " Jean-Claude stepped forward, his face reddening with anger.

"No, you wait. I don't ever want to see you again!" She spat, retreating a few steps, then turning to Martin. "And I don't want to see you, either!"

The door slammed shut and Jean-Claude, Martin and Katie stood in the hallway, staring at each other. Katie ran off in a storm of tears and Jean-Claude fixed Martin with his best angry glare, storming off like a petulant child. Only Martin remained outside her door, touching the wood and hearing the faintest sounds of Chantal's tears within.

"Chantal! Chantal, please!"

"Go away!"

Martin closed his eyes, tears pricking his eyes as he thought about how he had hurt the woman he'd fallen in love with and how he'd thrown their future away.