Chapter 8 – Engagements

Seven pm was the time Mr. Aquitaine, Mrs. Aquitaine, and Mrs. Avery were to meet at the Golden Fitch. It was a hot, fairly new establishment that had opened up on the east side of the City, with craft cocktails, exceptional wait staff, and the most transcendent dishes. The owner was a previous client of Mr. Aquitaine from the year prior and it showed. As our portly man walked through the door, he was greeted with the bells and whistles. A personal waitress was assigned to their table to see that they were given the best service. The Aquitaine’s table was set on the second level, overlooking the restaurants main floor and a sweeping view of the city’s shimmering lights.

As the waitress showed Mr. Aquitaine to the table, he greeted his wife with a warm embrace and sealed it with a kiss. He then went to hug his daughter with such authenticity, she couldn’t have known his true intentions for her. The waitress introduced herself and jotted down their drink order. She would soon return with their drinks on a tray.

Mr. Aquitaine proposed a toast to thank the company of his wife and the loyalty of his daughter. Then the head chef and owner of the Golden Fitch, Ramon Gomez, greeted the family and wished them a pleasant experience. Before Ramon left, he let Mr. Aquitaine know that he had a proposition for a new venture to discuss.

On the other side of the city, our mercenary had made their first stop & appearance for the evening. There was an Opera that a one, Ms. Caroline, would be attending and it was a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: A love for the performance arts and another love for the, even more refined, art of murder.

Ms. Caroline was an agent for the FBI, who spent most of her nights alone. She was less interested in making many acquaintances and more involved with her work. Ms. Caroline had been building a case against Mr. Aquitaine for his questionable charity write-offs. 

The masked reaper put on their best suit and made their way to the Opera. Once there, they made their way to a private, pre-show, season ticket-holder’s annual cocktail fundraiser. It was easy to choose Ms. Caroline from the crowd. Her beauty radiated through-out the room, making-up for her personality.

They walked toward her with the utmost distinction and confidence. In an effort to garner Ms. Caroline’s attention. With a sea of people locked in a tide of constant ebb & flow, it was only a matter of time until they ran into one another.  With a drink in one hand and a bump of shoulders, our mercenary would find themselves face-to-face with their next victim.

“Oh I am sorry there! I get so clumsy sometimes!” said Ms. Caroline. She turned around and was about to continue to apologize, but was instead mesmerized by their eyes. She looked at their blazer and realized she had splashed a bit of her drink onto it. “Oh let me get that.. Mr.?”

“Emerson,” They replied.

In a giddy fashion Ms. Caroline offered an apology by way of an explanation, as she dabbed as Emerson’s blazer. “Drinking and heels are rarely ever a good idea, yet here we are!”