Connexion : The Atlantis Project, Book.1 by LEMPEREUR

heart. That way, you might be capable of
sparing me that sort of hurtful remark.”
    “Were you offended by what I said to you
earlier?”
    “Don’t you feel anything for her?”
    “Yes, I do. Clementine is a very pretty girl.
She’s also very sweet, and certainly the only woman who’s ever
considered us as men, and not as monsters. But to go from there to
seeing anything more than a friendship… I really think you’re
making a mistake. Don’t go spoiling everything and making yourself
miserable over a desire that you can never satisfy.”
    Charlie, his eyes filling with huge tears,
looked at his brother without speaking. Jacques, who would have
liked to console him, searched for words he could not find. So he
placed his hand gently on his brother’s shoulder, all the while
looking into his face. Then Charlie, his voice still quavering,
changed his tone and confided in him, as a child would confide in
his mother.
    “I know you’re doing this to protect me, but
sometimes I’d just like to be able to live my own life, without you
always there observing my slightest move, or even worse, guessing
my most private thoughts. Even if nothing can happen, I’d like to
be left to dream on, and even deliberately deceive myself with own
little fantasy. Don’t you understand?”
    “Of course, Charlie. But you’re not alone.
I’m here, too. What’s more, I’ve always been here and I probably
always will be. For better or worse.”
    “What do you mean by that?”
    “I mean that I like pretty women, too. I’d
like to have some intimacy, too. I’d like to have a sex-life
without a price-tag, too. I’d like to feel that a woman loves me.
But I understand one important thing: it will probably never
happen, and if it does, she would have to love the both of us.”
    After a short silence, Jacques spoke again,
“Right now, we’re experiencing something incredible; an adventure
which you didn’t hesitate to take on earlier, in spite of my
reservations. I only hope that you’re not doing this as some proof
of your courage and self-sacrifice to Clementine.”
    “You’re probably right,” answered Charlie,
both resigned and relieved to have confided sincerely in his
brother. “I’ll try to live in the present and fully enjoy what is
happening to us here. Let’s go back to the others. They’re probably
starting to wonder why we’re taking so long.”
    Back in their seats, the conversation picked
up again and this time, Charlie gave in to the natural interest he
usually had in other people. He willingly let himself be carried
along by the engaging flow of conversation, forgetting about
Clementine for a while. Around four o’clock, when the meal was
coming to an end, Giuseppe rose from the table, wishing them all a
pleasant evening. He thanked Mario warmly and left, leaving
Clementine and the twins in the company of their new colleagues and
housemates of Pavilion 28. Curiously, they were quite at ease and
not overly concerned by the departure of the man who had been their
guide until now. In fact, it was a long while since they had spent
such a pleasant afternoon, surrounded by a group of people who were
both friendly and intelligent.
    By half past six, there were only five people
left in the canteen, grouped around one end of the table. Mario and
Alvaro were still in deep conversation with the twins and
Clementine, over a glass of Cognac.
    “What kinds of alcohol are typical of your
region?” asked Alvaro.
    “To be honest, I don’t really know. We live
in the center of Paris and don’t often have the opportunity to get
out of the city.”
    “Yes we do”, Charlie contradicted him.
“Remember? Michel took us to the Passerelle restaurant one
day for a regional wine-tasting. If I remember rightly; there was
one called le Noyau de Poissy .”
    Jacques replied teasingly, “Yes, that’s
right. I think it was more a sort of liqueur – a sickly sweet one.
But you liked it, though.”
    “I’ve never heard of it,”