Andre slowly walked over to his bed to grab his navy blue jacket and slid it on to complete his suit. He looked to the full length mirror and adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves before silently critiquing his outfit. Shuffling to the side to get a better angle, Andre narrowed his eyes at his threatening stomach that unattractively gutted out.

He put both hands on his stomach and began rubbing it as if by doing so will make it go away. His frown deepened and began to drum on his stomach to an unknown tune, then dropped his arms all at once with a huff.

Turning fully back to the mirror, Andre stood straight, shoulders back and head held high in his trained diplomat form. He locked his hands in front of him, soon deciding that he didn't like it, so he instead clasped them from behind.

Loosening his expression to the neutral diplomat he needed to be, he then politely nodded his head to the invisible interviewers and held up his hands to gesture to the imaginary crowd.

He cleared his throat and started. "Hello, ahem, Hello, as mayor of Paris I would like to - no - be honoured to congratulate senator Felix Thomas for his retirement. He has accomplished many things over the course of his term, such as...such as annoying me to the extent of wanting to strangle him because of his obnoxious voice and what am I even doing?"

Andre let out a long, tired sigh as he leaned back to look up at his high ceiling. Looking back to his reflection, he saw a tired, stressed out man who just wanted a break from the horrible people that were his colleagues. Maybe go to a nice, soothing vacation without being interrupted by phone calls that told him to get back to work right away.

He watched himself run his fingers through his barely existing hair then down his neck that looked big enough to create its own neck. Andre held his hands to the front of his neck and pulled the fat backwards to make it skinnier. When he released, it bounced back and sagged down like puddy, which made him scrunch up his face in disgust.

He hadn't always been like this; fat and insecure, but as the days go by, it all seemed to be getting worse like a train with rusting breaks. His hairline was reclining, and stretch marks have been scarring his body all over, and his crows feet have been getting...feetier. It was all a tendril of losing himself along with his work and sinking further into the mess that was his life.

He used to be full of life, bones meaty but not fat, like an American football player without the steroids and packed up muscle. He wasn't skinny, but also wasn't big, in fact, girls used to be swooning over him and his smile, which was part of how he got elected in the first place.

His smile used to be real and full of excitement and youth, blue eyes shining wherever he went. He used to hangout with friends and dance at parties. He was electric. Andre was class president of his high school, head of every club that he was in, and had a goal to complete. His success was always there waiting for him, so what happened to him?

Audrey was what happened.

The first time he saw her was when he was walking through the streets after a meeting with construction to finish the details of building his hotel. It was late afternoon and the air was cool in Paris, and he was walking in his suit that was too big for him. It was a hand me down from his dad, who was much bigger than him resulting in sleeves hanging from his arms and pants rolled up around the ankles and waist.

Andre had turned the corner when he bumped into a spur of pink and black. She was wearing a simple pink sundress despite it being spring and a black pork pie hat that sat on her golden blonde hair that was up in a tight ponytail.

She was carrying bags that hung on her arms, one of them dropping on the stone ground. Andre bent down to pick it up, but a hand smacked him away with a scoff.

"Get your hands off." She scowled.

Andre stepped back and rose his arms in defense. "Oh, sorry, I'm just trying to help."

She finally looked at him properly and her expression softened. "Sorry, I've been having a bad day. Here." She took the small bag from her arm and held it out for him to take. "For an apology."

He reluctantly grabbed the bag that was stuffed with tissue paper and looked back at the girl who he noticed wore big, bulky jewelry that looked way too shiny for his taste.

"Make sure you wear it, too. And," Her eyes ranked him up and down and the intensity of her eyes made him stiffen. "Get a suit that actually fits you while you're at it."

Then she was strutting past him, heels clicking as she walked. He watched her stride with purpose until she disappeared into a store, then he looked back down to the small bag in his hand.

When he got back to his dingy, little apartment, he carefully pulled out the tissue paper and took out a small box. Opening it, the box revealed a silver brooch of a lotus flower, small diamonds following every curve of the petals.

The first thing Andre did when his hotel opened, he bought a new, form fitting suit and wore the lotus brooch over his heart.

Andre remembered the feeling to his success rising within months. It took seven for rooms to start filling with people, either families, business men, or travellers. His account rose in money and he was finally getting a name for himself. Everyone wanted to go to Le Grande Paris.

He was practically living in the hotel while he was working, so he moved out of his little apartment and took the suites on the very top for himself. He bought five more suits of different shades of blue and black along with half a dozen red ties.

Andre shook the memory away and looked over to his closet, a door in the way of the walk-in closet. He had to get rid of those suits. They no longer fit and were taking up space for his other prizes that he bought just for the fun of it.

He became greedy and he was aware of that. The sudden swell of money gave him a purpose and pride, so he showed it off, to the people who tried to drag him down. Like his own father, who spat at his dream of opening his hotel, who gave him thirty euros for gas to escape the town of Meaux and move to Paris on his own.

"Good for you." Audrey said when he told her that. "You shouldn't let anyone get in the way of who you are. Even someone who you're supposed to love."

They finally met again and he was at Gabriel Agreste's banquet who, for some reason, invited him. When he arrived he realized just how much he didn't belong in a mansion filled with millionaires.

Then he bumped into her.

Her red lips curled upwards when she looked at him and Andre finally got to see her eyes without sunglasses hiding them away. Blue, so bold that they looked fake and they were looking right at him as if they were currently nitpicking every flaw he had and ever did have.

She held a glass of champagne in her hand and she wore black business pants with a yellow tank top that flares out at the waist. Large and shiny jewelry caused specks of reflection on her face whenever the light hit it just right.

Her red high heels clicked as she moved to the other side of the small sitting room that was empty accept for them. He watched as she moved like water, with such grace that you couldn't keep your eyes off of her if you tried. She swayed her hips, long hair flowing and chin held high in such confidence that it could make a man cower.

She turned on her heel and took a sip of her drink. "I know that I won't let anyone get in the way of becoming a fashion designer. I'll do anything, even if I have to move to another country."

Andre fiddled with his own glass of champagne, barely touched out of fear of what would happen if he moved too much under those searing eyes. "That's very ambitious."

She tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Ambition is key to success, Andre. That and assertiveness."

Andre gulped but found his throat dry. "So you wouldn't even stop for me?"

Audrey let out a laugh, short and quiet but made an impact on his heart either way. "Especially you. You don't have a single ounce of confidence in your bone, Andre."

"You just met me." He defended but his voice was soft.

She quirked a manicured eyebrow at him. "You are a book, Andre. Time to get a vault and lock it away from gritty hands."

He should have listened to her.

And now her gritty hands were holding his book like a trophy as she explored another country, an entire ocean away.

A knock on the door made Andre jump, ripping his eyes from his staring contest with his reflection to look at his door. He called for the person to come in, clearing his throat when it cracked. It was his personal butler who warned him that he had an half hour until he had to head to the car that will be waiting for him. Andre thanked his butler and let out a sigh after he left.

Andre walked over to his dresser and pulled out a drawer to reveal dozens of handkerchiefs. He carefully flipped through the different fabrics, digging further into the back where he usually doesn't go.

His hand hits something hard and in his curiosity he pulled the item out to reveal a rectangular brown leather pouch. Andre slowly opened it to show three slots for cigars, only two of them sitting innocently while the third slot was empty.

His father used to always have a cigar in his mouth, to a point whenever you see him without one it would be completely alien and his buddies would ask if he was alright. Back when smoking in public was legal, his father would light a cigar in restaurants, grocery stores, and basically any few places that he would stumble into.

He smoked at home a lot and would make Andre go to the store and buy him more cigars as if they were candy. The man would sit in his chair and watch television with a cigar between his lips and demands ready to be thrown Andre's way.

"Make yourself useful." He would say in a gruff voice, accent thicker than his will ever be.

So Andre did whatever his father wanted and silently wondered what it would feel like to have that kind of power over someone.

With shaky hands, Andre reluctantly removed a cigar and rolled it between his fingers, feeling the ruff texture of the very thing that drove him away from home forever.

On the night Andre left, he stole the pouch, his father's favourite, and drove off before his father could notice. Within a minute of being on the road he received a call from his father. He knew what he was calling for, but he answered just to be sure. Without even getting a word out his father began shouting at him with accusations of stealing his pouch of cigars.

Andre hung up and kept driving.

"We should light one up." Audrey said after sitting quietly as he talked about his father. Her face held mischief and excitement, legs crossed as they sat on the couch of the living room on the top floor of the hotel.

Audrey had called, wanting to hang out even though it was eleven when she asked. Now it was one in the morning and everyone spending the night at his hotel were most likely sleeping. She showed up with designer jeans, a green blouse and a bottle of red wine that was now half empty.

When she called, he was in his pajamas and right when they hung up he scrambled to put on dress pants and a white button up. It was the last thing he wanted to wear so late at night, especially having to wear the same outfit every day and all day. But he wanted to impress her, and dressing the part was a step he could take.

Andre sputtered at her suggestion and had to steady his hand to prevent the wine in his glass to spill. "There is no way. I can't even touch it, how can I smoke one?"

Audrey rolled her eyes and reached behind her to grasp her hair that was tied in a ponytail. She twisted it tight then let go, twist, let go, twist, let go. "What are you afraid of? It'll be a great way to finally let go of the burden of your father. A true finger in the air."

Andre shook his head frantically. "He's not even here to see. What's the point if I can't rub it in his face?"

Audrey let out a scoff and held out her free hand out in the air. "Just look at this place. Le Grande Paris is a staple to go to when in Paris. If your dad has not heard of it yet, he sure will soon. You have the upper hand, now use it to your advantage."

Audrey was a person that you would do anything for. Despite how crazy it might be, you are willing to take the chance just because she said so. It's a blind trust, and back then, Andre was blind to a lot of things. That's why he set down his wine glass, grabbed her wrist and quickly walked towards his bedroom, as if getting caught would matter. As if he was committing a crime. Maybe, in a way, he was.

Andre pushed away the knowledge that Audrey was actually in his room and looking around at the new scenery. He beelines towards his dresser and dug into his very few handkerchiefs to pull out a brown leather pouch. Audrey still had her glass of wine in her hand so she set it down on the dresser.

His hands were shaking and his heart was caught in his throat, thumb rubbing over the bumps of the fabric.

"Take it out." Came a whisper right in his ear, making him shiver from her booze infused breath.

He opened the flap and it clicked when the button was released from it's hold. Three cigars were held in their slots, all untouched. The two stared at it, one in awe and the other in hesitation.

"I don't have a-" Then a lighter was in his vision, black and sleek.

He turned to face her with a curious frown. She shrugged. "Have to always be prepared."

He grabbed the lighter and then a cigar and headed out onto the balcony, Audrey following. The night sky was cloudy, an area in the sky glowing slightly from where the moon sits from above. Golden lights from the city pathed the roads in an ethereal glow in it's silence.

"I will light it for you." Audrey said as she plucked the lighter from his hand and waited for him to put the cigar in between his teeth to light it. She was close and with the green blouse she was wearing he could see the green flecks in her eyes.

He could feel the smoke gather in his mouth, a familiar scent filling his lungs as the cigar burned. He held the cigar between his two fingers and removed it from his mouth to draw out a fume of smoke into the air. He breathed in too early though, and began choking.

Audrey let out a laugh and took the cigar away to draw her own puff of smoke, watching as it disappeared into the air. The golden light of the city was shining on her face, making her look like a painting that was a country's worth.

"You're beautiful." He found himself saying and immediately regretted it. He shut his mouth tight and wondered if he could live if he'd throw himself over the balcony.

She didn't flinched at this confession, slowly turning to face him with a neutral expression on her face. She probably got that compliment all the time so it no longer fazed her. The corner of her naked lips quirked upwards into a smirk. "That is very ambitious of you to say."

"Well, I mean, uh-" He was sputtering, he knew that, just like how he knew he was mumbling and saying random words out of fear of rejection and humiliation.

Suddenly, he got a mouth full of smoke, nicotine burning his nose as he coughed up the smoke that was surrounding him in a cloud. When he finished coughing, the smoke had already disintegrated and he looked up to see Audrey grinning at him.

"Sorry," She said though she didn't look the part, "but you were ranting too much for my taste."

He was about to apologize when a pair of lips connected with his. Everything was timeless in that moment, the heavy beating of his heart being the only thing he could hear. That was the moment he knew he had fallen.

Audrey pulled back, the grin still in place as he stared at her with what was most likely the most dopiest expression he could ever make.

"If you want me, be more confident." Her voice was a whisper but still steady like always.

"Do- ahem- do you want me?" His voice was wavering, the feeling of her lips against his still lingered.

Audrey's eyes flickered down then came back up to meet his eyes. "I want a lot of things. I would not mind having you though."

Andre slowly nodded, not quite understanding if he heard right. "Cool. Cool."

"You know," She stepped closer to him, "It's easy to want something and very difficult to actually get it."

"Do you always speak like an English teacher?"

"Only when I want to send a message across."

"Well I can give you whatever you want. Just ask."

Audrey smiled, a big, toothy smile. "Okay."

Then she handed him the cigar and he drew a breath before letting it out, body relaxing under the dark sky and the easy gaze of the beautiful woman beside him.

He didn't cough that time.

If Andre didn't have to be in front of press and the stare of cameras that will be projecting everything live for the many people at home to watch, he would've lit a cigar. He would've drowned himself and the haunting memories until they all disappeared along with the smoke.

Instead, he shoved the pouch back into the drawer, grabbed the closest handkerchief and slammed the drawer shut. The fabric was crimson which meant it didn't match his pure red tie, but it'll do.

He checked the clock and he still had twenty more minutes, so he decided to go on a walk after putting of his sash. With one last sad look at himself in the mirror, he began to walk the halls of the floor he's been living in for about fifteen years. It was so much emptier since she left, it reminded him of the time when she was still with him and were both dating for a year.

Audrey had come back from work, stomping her way into his suite and began pacing around as she rambled on and on about how much she hated her boss and other things that he couldn't understand.

Andre put down the papers he was going through onto his desk and stood up as watched his girlfriend (oh wow, he'll never get used to that).

"What's wrong, honey?" He asked in a soothing voice, used to her constant rants by this point.

Audrey stopped abruptly and swiveled to glare at him, blue eyes steaming in anger. "What's wrong?" She repeated, voice gritty. "You know what's wrong? Well I'll tell you what's wrong?!"

"That's kinda why I asked you-"

"Shut up, Andre! You wouldn't believe what my boss did to me today!"

That got him worried and he walked over to her to check for any bruises. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

Hands pushed him away and Audrey scoffed. "No. But he did hurt my intelligence."

Andre sighed in relief. "Why don't you sit down, dear." He began to push her gently towards their shared bed, but Audrey felt extra difficult that day.

"No, I don't need to sit. I do need some paper, maybe I can write a complaint to those imbeciles."

Andre sighed and decided to take a seat for himself. "What happened?"

"They fired me!"

Andre froze. "What?"

"Exactly! My boss said it was because I'm too 'controlling' and 'don't follow the rules'." She used finger quotes as she complained. "So what I don't like their ideas?! They are awful and don't deserve to be shown to the world!"

"What are you going to do now?" Andre asked, worry drenching his voice.

"I'm going to move on. Then I will be the one firing people. I will fire anyone who thinks they can get in the way of my success. To do that I'm going to head to New York and start my own business. "

"New York?" He felt uneasy, his stomach turning at the thought that she wanted to move across the sea. Away from him.

"Well not right now, of course." Audrey waved him off and he could feel himself slightly relax. "New York takes money and we don't have enough of it."

Andre shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "You have an idea don't you?"

"Elections are coming up soon and I think you should run."

Now, Audrey was filled with good ideas, some of them risky but they all turn out well at the end. This was not a good idea. This was the very definition of a bad idea. This was the epiphany of a bad idea.

"No."

"Oh, so now you are being assertive." Her tone was defensive.

"Because I can't be a mayor! Are you crazy?! I can barely even stay sane managing the hotel."

Audrey sighed, as if annoyed that he can't be running a business and city at the same time. As if it was easy and he was just being difficult. "I want to become a fashion designer."

"Why can't you do that in Paris? The literal city of fashion."

She huffed, arms crossed. "Paris doesn't like me. They don't understand my ideas, but America does."

"Make Paris like you, then. Prove them wrong. Isn't that what you've taught me?"

"I can prove them wrong in New York. One day I'll come back with a name for myself. I'll be even bigger than Gabriel Agreste. Besides, you'll be great. You were class president during high school, right?"

She was unrelenting, like always. Headset on what she wants without caring about anyone around her. Maybe he'll be able to fix that, to show her that there was another way to have success and be happy. So instead of rejecting her, he tells her that he'll think about it.

After all, maybe she'll notice the sacrifices he made for her and realize what it really means to get something you want. Cause she'll listen to him, right? He's not just a nobody to her. He's her boyfriend. He's special.

That's what he thought at least. Then she left, doing exactly what she sought out to do in the first place. He was never assertive enough or ambitious enough to make a difference for her. Though, now that he thought about it. She never let him help.

Years went by and stress ate away his hair and pride while he ate food to find something to do other than work. To maybe punish himself for the inability to say no. For regretting to not take her advice and throw his book into a vault.

"Daddy?"

Andre flinched at the sudden voice, turning abruptly to see his daughter peeking behind her bedroom door. Her hair was parted in the same way Audrey used to wear it and wore makeup that he never really liked to see on his little girl.

"Yes, my little princess?"

// "I want to get married." Audrey said. //

Chole slowly stepped out of her bedroom and crossed her arms, clearly looking nervous. "I was, uh, wondering something."

Andre nodded in encouragement for her to continue.

// "I want to go to New York" Audrey said.

"But Chloe is just two years old." He said.

"I'll be back before she could even notice." She said.

It was at dinner, the night Audrey left, when Chloe asked for her mother. //

"It's totally okay if you say no." Chloe continued, voice quiet with uncertainty.

"I never say no to you. What do you want?" He asked softly.

// "I want you to give Chloe everything she asks for. One day she'll be like me, so she needs the best." //

"I know you're super busy, but I just would like it if maybe we could hang out. Like, some father and daughter time or whatever."

"Oh."

"It doesn't have to be long. Just an hour is good enough."

// "You cut your hair." Andre noticed.

"I wanted to cut it since it's the newest thing in America." She told him. //

"Chloe," Andre walked over to his daughter and put a hand on her shoulder. She wasn't looking at him, avoiding his gaze with a frown. "I'm free on Saturday. We can spend the full day together." It wasn't true, he had a meeting on Saturday, but he could just rearrange it.

// "I want you to lose weight."

"I'm trying."

"Try harder." //

Chloe's head snapped up and she looked at him with wide eyes. His stomach turned at her surprised expression, guilt swarming in his chest and prickled his skin.

Then she was hugging him, clinging to him with a desperate need. After the initial shock, he wrapped his arms around his daughter, the love of his life, and held her. He's been so focused on what she wanted that he never realized what she truly needed

// "I want to go back to New York."

"But you just got back two weeks ago." //

It was because of his inability to say no to Audrey that he was unhappy with his job, that he was lonely, that Chloe was now spoiled, that Chloe never had a stable mother to take care of her.

Yet Audrey was having her best life back in New York with her new haircut, new friends, and he wouldn't be surprised if she had a new man to go home to. Her life was entirely different from Andre and Chloe's.

Andre pressed a kiss on his daughter's head before he was interrupted by a frantic butler.

"Sir, you will be late."

Andre nodded and then the butler was gone. He looked down to his daughter to see a smile on her face. It was the first real smile he's seen from her in a long time.

"Go get them, daddy." She cheered.

He laughed. "I love you, you know that?"

Her face softened. "Love you too.

They shared another hug before he was being rushed to the car that has been waiting for him by frantic butlers and colleagues. He took his time walking despite everyone else's dismay.

It was always good to have some needed time for yourself without following other people's schedules.

"You're wearing the brooch." Was the first thing she said on their first date.

"I always wear it." He told her and she smiled.

"You know, I really wanted that. You are lucky I was feeling nice that day."

"Why'd you give it to me then?"

She shrugged, long hair falling off her shoulder as she did so. "You were special."

The following Saturday, Andre brought Chloe to the Louvre museum for the day out. He gave her the lotus brooch that he's been hiding right beside his pouch of cigars. He told her that it was her mother's and Chloe smiled before putting it on, right over her heart.

.

I didn't like Andre at all before writing this so I hope you changed your mind too while reading it.
<3