InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "do you have a toolbelt of love"

Jacques Belmont (jacques_belmont) wrote in toujoursliberer,
@ 2008-05-17 00:20:00

Entry tags:

jacques_belmont, josephine_molyneux

Subject: This isn't the bookshop....
Where: Joséphine's Hat Shop
Who: Jacques Belmont
Warnings: None
Open to: Joséphine Molyneux

Jacques dashed around the corner, trying to keep his hat on and keep hold of his list of schoolbooks at the same time. Professors who assigned books after the first day of classes in the expectation that one would somehow get said books before class the next day and use said books to finish the essay also due the next day ought to be fired. In he name of the Supreme Being, how utterly ridiculous....

Tripping over the uneven cobblestones, Jacques stumbled into what he assumed was the bookshop. He cleared his throat and adjusted his clothes so that he looked at least somewhat like the respectable law student he considered himself to be. "Ah, excuse me?"

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	jacques_belmont 2008-05-20 03:33 am UTC (link)
	Why was she making him speak? He had all the eloquence of a diseased ferret at the moment. However, one could not be impolite. Jacques struggled on. "Law. I study law. I, ah... taking the bar soon. I mean, I am. Taking the bar soon." Deep breaths. He glanced around. "It appears I really was lost. The bookshop wasn't even on the same street as your hatshop." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_kept_woman 2008-05-20 03:39 am UTC (link)
	Joséphine's laughter took on an airy quality as she took them into a stand still. She moved in front of him to grasp the lapels of his jacket, fingering the good quality material it was made of before grinning. "Pardon, monsieur," she demurred, trying for contrite, "But I feel I may have led you astray." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jacques_belmont 2008-05-20 03:41 am UTC (link)
	Jacques had no idea what was going on. No idea what-so-ever, and it bewildered and flustered him even more than he had been before. "Astray?" What did she mean by that? Jacques hazarded a guess. "So you... don't know where the bookshop is either?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

a_kept_woman
2008-05-20 03:44 am UTC (link)

"Non, I--" She licked her lips and bowed her head. "I am sorry, monsieur, I was certain I knew the way. I am usually so much better at these things!"

Joséphine fidgeted, never letting go of his jacket. She would fight for him, even if it meant having to pull out all stops. He intrigued her in a way few gentlemen had in the past few months, and she was in need of a good hobby. Getting this young man to stop blushing at the sight of perfectly healthy breasts was a good start.

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jacques_belmont
2008-05-20 03:53 am UTC (link)

"Please don't feel distressed, citoyenne Joséphine," Jacques said, feeling extremely awkward. Perhaps there had been negative side-effects of being stuck in an all-male environment focused on academics from the time he was five to until he was twenty? He hoped Joséphine wouldn't cry. He didn't know how to react to tears.

Jacques, personally stumped, patted her on the hand. "It- it's an easy mistake to make."

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	a_kept_woman 2008-05-20 04:00 am UTC (link)
	"Non, non, this is not an easy mistake I--I--" She sucked in a sharp breath. Oh how easy it was to tug a man's heartstrings. Joséphine pushed herself to think of the last thing that made her cry and held onto it as she felt her eyes begin to water in distress. Tipping up her chin, Joséphine sniffled and worried her lips. "Please do not take offense, monsieur!" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

jacques_belmont
2008-05-20 04:04 am UTC (link)

"Very easy mistake," Jacques protested weakly. Oh dear. None of the women at the Jacobin Club ever cried, except to weep in joy at the vast strides made in the name of liberty. "I, euh... here."

He plunged a hand into his waistcoat pocket and, feeling horrifically awkward, dabbed at Joséphine's cheeks. He had seen that bit of staging in a tragedy of Racine's last week at the Comedie-Francaise. Jacques had to admit that it looked significantly less awkward on stage then it felt to do. "I am not offended in the slightest."

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	a_kept_woman 2008-05-20 04:07 am UTC (link)
	Joséphine nodded pitifully, leaning into the touches on her cheeks. She hoped she wouldn't need to faint for her to get him to take her home. That would be really unfortunate since it took her nearly a week to finish the hat on her head. "Perhaps...Could you take me home, monsieur? It is just down the road." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jacques_belmont 2008-05-20 04:09 am UTC (link)
	"Of course!" Jacques said, extremely relieved. Thank the Supreme Being! A sepcific clue as to how he ought to act and behave! "I am sorry to have distressed you to this point." He offered her his arm again. "Which way, citoyenne?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

a_kept_woman
2008-05-20 04:13 am UTC (link)

"It is not you, monsieur, I promise. I seem to have lost myself in our conversation." Joséphine nearly winced at the lie, but she had to keep him believing what he was doing was correct. It wasn't his fault, after all, that he'd mistaken her shop for the book shop instead. "We shall be following this road to its end," she instructed, sighing heavily as she rested her fingers along his forearm.

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jacques_belmont
2008-05-20 04:23 am UTC (link)

"Oh," said Jacques, quite relieved. He knew the feeling. He had once walked to the opposite end of Paris while debating over slavery with a Feuillant friend and, once they'd reached the friend's apartment, Jacques realized he had no idea where he was, or how he had gotten there.

"Never mind, citoyenne. It happens." Jacques tried to think of something else to say. "It... is a compliment to your conversational skills that we got so... absorbed we couldn't find the bookshop." He racked his brains and lamented his inability to come up with relevant small talk. "Oh, is that the building?"

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	a_kept_woman 2008-05-20 07:02 am UTC (link)
	Joséphine smirked a little at his flustered excuse to back her own. She wished idly that she could keep him around for a long while. He did make a refreshing change, and it helped that he was easy on the eyes. Nodding at his question, she slipped her hand into his. "Oui, that is the one." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jacques_belmont 2008-05-20 03:16 pm UTC (link)
	"Oh, good," Jacques said. They walked over to the building and Jacques held open the door for her. "I am sorry, citoyenne, for taking you out of your way." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_kept_woman 2008-05-22 07:35 am UTC (link)
	"I was getting ready to leave at any rate, monsieur, it is not a problem." Joséphine stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek lightly. "But I am so sorry we could not find you, your bookshop. Perhaps...I would like it very much if you would accompany me upstairs for a quick drink." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jacques_belmont 2008-05-23 02:10 pm UTC (link)
	Jacques flushed at the kiss. "Ah... that is quite alright, citoyenne. I do not drink, but, ah, thank you for it. Are you feeling well enough to get up the stairs on your own?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_kept_woman 2008-05-24 12:08 am UTC (link)
	"We shall see, won't we?" Joséphine murmured, curtsying low to the ground before stepping through the door. She debated back and forth with herself about how to keep him here, and she wasn't beyond tripping up the first step. "I do hope you find your books, monsieur." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jacques_belmont 2008-05-25 12:22 am UTC (link)
	Jacques bowed. "Thank you very much, citoyenne." He started to walk off. (Reply to this) (Parent)

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