Page 39 of The Champion
“Would you like to have some fun with me or is the rumor true?”
“What rumor?” I frowned and sped up as well.
“That you only fuck brunettes.”
With a sideways glance I noticed that Marie had purple hair with black stripes in it.
“I could change my hair if that helps,” she offered.
“Thank you but I’m busy at work at the moment.”
“It’s okay. I can wait for you.”
I didn’t answer but watched Freya’s rigid movements. Either she picked up the flirtatious tone from Marie or she understood more French than she’d let on.
“Where is this Madame Claire?” I asked in English.
“We’re close.” Marie took a few turns and another staircase downward until we stood in front of a plain-looking door with the number fourteen on it.
When the door opened, we faced a skinny man with eyes sunken and his veins clearly showing.
“We’re here to see Madame Claire,” Marie said.
“Madame Claire doesn’t see groups of people.”
“I’m not here for a session. I just showed them the way,” Marie explained.
The man looked to Freya and then to me. “Victor Xavier, hmm… Madame Claire said that you would be coming.” Opening the door wider he let us enter.
While I wondered if he was lying, Freya mumbled a soft thanks to Marie before she walked off and we went inside.
The light was dimmed and at a table sat a woman with a veil covering her face. In front of the table stood two empty chairs.
“Madame Claire wishes you to know that she doesn’t live here. To remain anonymous, she wears a veil and does her sessions at other people’s houses.”
“Is she a friend of yours?” I asked the man, who looked sickly with the way his skin was stretched thin over his bones.
“I wish, but I’m just a client like yourself. She asked if I would let her do a session at my place and I was honored to volunteer.”
“Come closer,” Madame Claire said in English.
I followed Freya to the table.
“Sit, please.
“Good, now that you are both here, I want to address something important.”
Freya leaned in a little, probably trying to get a better glimpse at the woman speaking to us.
“Understand that although you’re here on behalf of someone else, this session was always meant for you two.”
I frowned and found it a weird thing to say. Freya pulled out a note with questions. “We would like to ask you some things about your relationship with spirituality.”
“Non. You have other questions that are more important.”
We exchanged another glance.
“Ehm… my friend Linea is the one who asked me to come here. She would like to know how you learned to do what you do.”
