Hensenville Chapter 1.4

“Kevvi! Could you do moi a favor and fetch my morning martini?” Peggy asked cheerfully. She was always cheerful when people who didn’t know her were around. What she hadn’t told the new maid was why the other six had quit. When Margaret du Blanc asked for a martini, the unwitting attendant had all of thirty seconds before she went off the deep end, especially if it was her first one of the day.
Well Kevvi (Kevin) du Blanc, her husband, whom she forced to take her last name, was the attendant at the time but he was no where near unwitting. He learned long ago to know when she “asked” for a drink and what kind she’d want, to have it ready before she finished her sentence, at least at home.
“Oh you are such a dear, Kevvi, I love my husband so much.” she said into her cell. Kevin rolled his eyes, you love the power you hold over me, he thought before leaning over to accept her air kisses.
“Don’t forget you have an 11:00 lunch with the newest group of girls, ma beaute.” He whispered into her free ear.
“Oh that’s right!” she squealed. “I just love fresh meat!”
Margaret du Blanc was the dean at L’Apparence modeling and beauty school. Every quarter when a new group of hopefuls arrived, she made a show of giving the girls a tour of the campus grounds and feeding them a meal that they would never have again on campus. She had to make it seem like this was the most important decision that they had ever made and that if they were dismissed from L’Apparence than they would never have any kind of modeling or entertainment career in their lives. It was almost true, Ms. du Blanc did whatever and whomever it took to make that a reality. Margaret du Blanc made and destroyed people and careers on a daily basis.
She downed her martini, “Kevvi, baby, have breakfast brought upstairs with Nikita will you. We’ve got to look out best for the new girls.”
“Of course, my dear.” Kevin said. Peggy continued her conversation as she walked up the stairs leaving Kevin and Nikita alone.
“Is she always this chipper in the morning?” Nikita asked happily.
“No.” Kevin said. “Do yourself a favor, and get out while you can. She’s only going to be like this for another month then the second you make the tiniest mistake she’ll have your head on platter.”
“Then why do you stay?”
“I have my reasons. You’d better get breakfast upstairs.” He warned.
“Yes sir.”
“It’s just Kevin. You work for my wife not me.”
“Yes sir-I mean Kevin,” Nikita smiled shyly at him as she left for the kitchen. Now there was a beautiful girl. He thought.
“Uh, Nikita, after you’ve taken Peggy her breakfast, come back down and I’ll show you how she likes her martinis.
“Okay.”
Kevin walked off to his private study. It was the only door in the house that Peggy allowed him to keep locked. He opened the safe in the back corner of the room and removed a closed envelope, then dialed a number by memory.
“Hey Eddie, it’s Kevin. I’m glad I caught you. How’ve you been?...Good, good. Hey, I’ve got some questions about my pre-nup. I was hoping you could help clear some things up. Do you have some time today?...2o’clock? Sounds great. See you then.” He hung up feeling slightly better about himself.
“Kevin,” he heard Nikita’s call.
“Coming,” he responded. Today might actually be a good day.