Watching Josette In Eglise Saint Germain l' Aurrerrois

Christian sat diagonally to her left just out of her line of vision. The mortal heartbeats, slow and rhythmic, echoed off the vaulted ceiling here in the holiest of places. The sound soothed him. He wondered how she had managed to find her way into Gaetan's bed. He had sat by her side at the opera, so protecttively, so covetous of the beautiful mortal girl. Christian remembered how she glanced at him when she though no one was looking. He had done the same, being totally distracted by her. He felt sparks between them from the moment they had met and he wondered if their mutual attraction bled through the veneer of their manners and the protocol that governed both their lives. She was a swirling mass of contradictions. Who was the girl underneath the intelligent eyes and warm smile? He could not help himself for wanting to find out.

"What are you doing here?" A familiar voice whispered in his ear.
MIchel sat down beside him and quickly scanned the crowd until he spotted Josette. "Ah."
"What are you doing here?" Christian asked not taking his eyes off the girl.
"Looking for you." Michel's soft voice moved over him in waves. Then he leaned closer.
"At the risk of sticking my nose where it does not belong, I think you have a death wish, my friend."
Christian leaned even closer to his best friend. "I'm already dead, remember?"