All About Fleur
[Fleur is a feminine given name in French, meaning flower.]
💐

Behind every bad bitch is a sweet girl who got tired of everyone's bullshit.

Fleur felt the strong urge to flip her former boss off, who was currently in the middle of performing his usual antics. Needless to say, she had been needing this so she can be given a reason to voluntarily quit. It had already been six months of putting up with his short temper and lack of care for his employees, and Fleur knew after the first week of working that she would have to find another job - fast. But right now, the availability of jobs around the Los Angeles area were quite low especially considering that the depression just hit so she would have to work ten times harder to find another suitable job. Despite the rate of unemployment of women in America at the time, Fleur was glad to have an advantage. She knew people and had gained a few connections over the years from joining simple rackets or organized crimes. She hadn't even forgotten about the time where she once robbed a bank with a couple of mates. Fleur not only got what she was expecting, but more money in a day than she would get from a month of working.

The realization hadn't settled in until a few weeks later that she was getting low pay though, but now she was definitely aware and would make sure to slam the door shut on her way out of the cheap cafe. They didn't even serve good food. She could understand what those customers probably felt like from the look of their sour faces. Hey, it wan't Fleur's fault that the food was that bad. She wasn't a chef, just a part-time cashier. So maybe she couldn't cook, but she was good with money. Lately though she had been having troubles financially due to paying off her rent and also paying back people who had done favours for her in the past. Sometimes she just paid them so they could get off her back. 

On her way out of the cafe, she looked back once more and caught the eyes of her friend. Her closest friend actually. The pretty girl with dirty blonde hair in the corner brewing coffee? Her name was Alex. She was so carefree. Fleur could easily get jealous by that, but she admired it and hoped to become like her some day. Fleur was always too worried about people judging her. It was hard, you know? To get out there and be afraid that someone might put you down for something you say. Yes, you guessed it. Fleur found it particularly difficult to take criticism. Hopefully that would change some day, but that day seemed to be far away still. Oh well. Fleur snapped out of her thoughts and walked towards Alex, her steps turning more careful and cautious, as if she was approaching a cute little kitten who might run away. It just felt like Fleur was abandoning her, but she didn't want Alex to think like that. Plus - Fleur had told Alex beforehand that she knew that this was coming. Her resigning from the job, that is. Fleur spoke in a soft tone as she looked at her best friend.

"I'm not leaving you." Fleur sighed as she looked away, feeling hurt.

She focused on a piece of bacon that dropped from someone's plate nearby. "I just need to get out of this place. Can't take it anymore. He's deliberately lowering my pay. I guess he didn't expect for me to resign since he thought I desperately needed this job. Well, surprise bitch." Fleur was trying to cheer Alex up with that last line, but unfortunately it seemed to make her worries worsen. Alex was clearly distraught about this. Fleur was the only friend she had at this job, someone she could come to if she ever had any troubles. Whether those troubles related to her personal life, relationships, or even career - Fleur was there to have her back.

This needed to be done though. Fleur had to move on and get another job somewhere else. "I'll come back for you. I promise. I just need to get my life in order. Take care of yourself now." She smiled weakly at Alex, gave a final look to her boss, which wasn't a very pleasant one, then she headed outside. She didn't bother saying anything to him. She didn't even lash out at him after he scolded her in front of the other employees. And to think the argument started just because she arrived late... Pathetic. Fleur wouldn't waste any more of her words on him. It just wasn't worth it. Fresh air never felt so good. It was really stuffy in there.

It was probably the armpits of her boss stinking up the place - ew.

All there was left to do now was head back home and figure out what her next move would be. Although visiting the bank was a good idea too so she hailed a cab and asked if the driver could take her to the Wells Fargo bank. After making a huge withdrawal of around 200k in cash, she decided to head home and pack her bags. She knew that the only person who could possibly understand her is her other close friend. Fleur didn't expect him to help her either. She really just needed someone to talk to right now, and he was the only other person that she could trust other than Alex. Alex needed to work on herself too - on her own. Fleur was willing to be there for her, but giving space when it's needed is also the right thing to do. They did everything together and thought of each other as inseparable, but now that Fleur just quit maybe this could be a good cooling down time. Besides, Fleur wanted to see what GiovanniLaurel was up to these days. Apparently he was now a renown consigliere in these streets. She had to see for herself.

As soon as she got home, she wrote a telegram to him. Short and sweet. She was too tired to explain everything in a letter. Better to do it in person. 

February 24, 1930

To... Giovanni Laurel
Street and no... 65 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105, USA
Destination... Praxis Headquarters

Hello, old friend. It's been about two years since we last spoke. I miss you. How are things?

A cigarette dangled along Giovanni's lips while he sorted through some papers back at HQ. He had as much work with their legitimate business as he did with the family. The afternoon was peaceful and the 4 PM breeze kissed his face through the open windows when he heard someone stomping through the stairs.

Knock Knock Knock

He let out a faint sigh, honouring his fleeting peace of mind. It would seem that he just couldn't enjoy some time in his office, savouring total silence. He finally lit his cigarette before speaking up to let them inside, taking a long drag of it as they scrawny man walked in.

His nametag said "Hernandez", and Giovanni wasn't particularly fond of him. But he didn't ask questions and he did whatever possible to keep the pawn shop working, so Gio didn't complain about these constant interruptions.

"Spit it out, what do you want?"

The employee was still trying to catch his breath. The stairs were certainly a challenge, much more so if one were to run all the way up like he just did. The mandatory uniform vests store employees had to wear certainly didn't help either. Finally, he managed to speak.

"Telegram for you, señor."

A telegram? For me? What could've happen?

Leaving the cigarette to slowly burn at the ashtray, Giovanni got up and grabbed the telegram from Hernandez. He had a slight worry, thinking for a few moments someone from his family could be in danger. But this wasn't the case at all, and reading through the whole thing he figured it was actually decent news.

One of the first people he had met as he arrived at these shores was reaching out to him. They had picked different lifestyles, with Giovanni being more lax about following the law and Fleur being less focused on sheer profit. Despite this, she had helped him out on a couple of occasions, serving as a fake hostage in a bank robbery he and his brother had pulled once.

Putting out the cigarette, he grabbed his car keys and some documents and drove to the mail station. He intended on sending out some mail and taking the time to reply to Fleur as well.

It was no secret that Fleur would get a response back later that day - the same day she sent the initial letter out to him. It was dispatched by the courier and finally Fleur got her hands on it. She appreciated Giovanni being concise in the letter and quick to deliver it. Fleur could get impatient. Also considering the fact that now she was in a desperate situation, she needed him more than ever.

"Oh mon Dieu!" Fleur squealed, her eyes running across the words with a mixture of anxiety and happiness flowing in her veins at the same time.

She stood in the middle of her rented LA apartment, the letter being held in her hands for a solid two minutes before placing it down on the kitchen counter and heading inside her closet to pick an outfit for tomorrow. Now, matching an outfit with a pair of shoes was a vital task for Fleur in that moment. She wanted to look not only presentable, but also look like she didn't just resign from her job. When she came running into the closet, she started to think about conversation starters. That's a weird thing to think about especially when she already had a good and established relationship with Gio, but still.. After not seeing him for two years, it was valid to feel slightly awkward about their first meeting in a long while.

What would she first say when she would approach him? How would she smile? Where will her hands be? In her pockets or out of her pockets?  Fleur shook her head, rubbing her temple in frustration. These were merely small and unimportant details. She started sifting through her collection of dresses, until she found the perfect one. The yellow sunflower dress. Okay. So.. Maybe it wasn't the best option for the cold weather, but hey, that's what cardigans are for. She can pop it around her shoulders.

No fucking problem. 

Fleur slid the dress off the wooden hanger and placed it neatly across her bed. So that's tomorrows outfit complete. The rest can be figured out tomorrow. Her mind suddenly zeroed in on the letter and she immediately went back to it to read a second time. As she went over it again, Fleur couldn't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy in her chest. There really was no reason to be jealous. For the most part, Fleur was happy for her good friend to finally be at a place in his life where he felt like the hard work he was doing was worth it, but still - after all these years and Fleur still had not changed her lifestyle. She was just feeling sorry for herself that Giovanni had succeed in life faster and even better than her in every way possible.

Fleur had no room to be moping around like this though. She did it to herself. There was no one else to blame but herself. That's just how it works. You reap what you sow. The letter was put away into a wooden safe box underneath her dresser. After that, she went to sleep, hoping that when she woke up she would feel alot better. When she finally did rise from her slumber, the reality definitely exceeded the expectations as she was in a very good mood again. This is why she felt that sleeping things off worked better for her than any other coping mechanism. She woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take a shower. Fleur looked into the mirror, cringing internally at the reflection in front of her. There was no way she going to let herself go out of the house looking like.. This. Hair looking wiry, lipstick smudges from lying face first into the pillow last night and the cherry on top: Saliva running down the side of her mouth. Beautiful. Fleur was definitely due for a shower. She hopped in without reserve. 

After getting washed and dolled up, Fleur took her favourite leather handbag and also brought the letter with her. Just in case she tells the cab driver the wrong address. When she reached the bottom of her apartment building, she nodded towards the old and usually always grumpy receptionist, Keith. He had shaggy brown hair, a crooked smile and red glasses that slid down to the tip of his nose. Some people would call him weird, but Fleur thought he was just misunderstood.

Also - the first thing she learnt about him was that as long as you stayed on his good side, all was good. As for the other tenants in the building, let's just say he was't as generous with them as he was with Fleur. She gave her payments on time and even let her give in late payments. The advantage of being kind. It really doesn't take much effort to just be a decent tenant. He wasn't his usual grumpy self today. Keith waved to her on her way out, wondering what the hell could she be so excited about. Fleur waved back, smiled and then hailed a cab when she reached the concrete sidewalk outside. The cab driver was very familiar with the address as he nodded quickly to her request.

"Ahh," he said in a moment of a realization. "Yes, that is not far from here, miss. Five minutes we'll be there." Fleur relaxed into the back seats, clicked her seatbelt and heaved a sigh of relief. She looked through the window outside and watched random people and buildings pass by. It wasn't long before she reached Van de Kamp's bakery. This place was very familiar.

She probably passed by it once during a bus ride home.

Fleur thanked the cab driver, made sure to give him the correct pay and hopped out. She hung her purse straps over one shoulder and smoothed down the creases that were starting to form around her dress from being seated. Her steps turned lighter as she approached the entrance. Fleur felt calm and collected.

Giovanni was inside the pretend windmill, waiting. The cup of joe in front of him was still steaming when he spotted Fleur outside. He signalled the waiter and let them know he'd be needing another cup. Idly taking a drag from his cigarette, he waited.

He wanted someone resourceful, so Fleur would have to figure out where he was by herself. He was relatively well hidden, sitting by the corner, but frontal enough to the door that he wouldn't be impossible to find. Luckily for her, she spotted him right away.

"Sharp eyes. A good skill to have."

He put the cigarette out and stood to greet her. Couldn't brush off as rude, could he? Two kisses, it felt good to be back in Europe. Even if just for a moment. He took her cardigan and hung it on the wall hanger. He had kept his coat on. Etiquette above all else, for him.

A compliment to her sundress broke the ice. But Gio had to somehow carry the conversation to business if he wanted this morning to be productive. Trivial chatter about the weather and the news dragged for a minute or two too long and Giovanni was impatient. He had work piling up despite ThomasLaurel's best efforts to help him and he had to tend to it ASAP.

"Let's talk money, shall we?"

"So, how've you been doing these last two years?" - he discreetly looked around the room to scout for watchful ears. - "Have you been living of the passive income you secured with our little investment?"

He lit a cigarette and let the case open in front of Fleur. He wasn't going to interrupt the conversation to offer, but he wasn't about to be rude, either. The coffee cakes he had ordered sooner finally arrived, and his attentive look finally focused solely on Fleur's facial expressions. He didn't want to be fooled, and he wanted to be sure she was ready to handle sensitive information.

At first, it was hard to discern whether her old friend was even here, but she relied on the fact that the sun had literally just rose meaning that there weren't many people in here. Most of the locals were probably still asleep or contemplating their agenda today. Fleur couldn't blame them. She wasn't necessarily a morning person either. However, she suddenly thanked GiovanniLaurel silently in her head for appointing their catch up meeting in the morning at 7am sharp, mostly because the place was now less crowded and so she instantly clocked him sitting alone - by the corner. Fleur was relieved to find him there.

"Gio!" She rushed over to him and squealed happily in response to his initial quirky statement about having clear vision. Good to know that chivalry wasn't dead either as Fleur let him slide her cardigan off her shoulders. She took the only seat across from him, laid her purse on the side of the table, cheeks still flustered from being blessed with the lips of her old friend. Fleur always referred to him as a 'friend' when she was talking to others, him or juggling thoughts about her past, but she knew damn well that she wished things had gone differently.

She wondered if Gio ever found out that Fleur used to crush on him - really hard, when they were in their younger years.

Of course now the feelings have subsided and probably gone away, but whenever she thought about her previous romantic feelings for him, she felt the need to crawl in a cave and never come out. Maybe she felt ashamed that she had fallen for him once. Fleur let the thought go as she was brought back to reality with his compliment about her dress. Her eyebrows rose up momentarily as she tried to figure out a quick response. Fleur was still all around flustered and excited from being in contact with him after a very long two years.

"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself." Fleur analyzed him once more, not too long though in fear of making things tense and awkward. He really hasn't changed. As in, he is still as dashing in appearance like he was years ago. Gio had the charm, the looks, the brains and the muscle. Fleur didn't want to keep blabbing on silently in her head so she agreed to change the subject.

If it doesn't affect the pay, then she isn't here to stay.

That was her motto usually but today was a special day. If he wanted to talk about the current state of the political world, or even how nice the weather was that day, she didn't mind. Fleur was comfortable and felt at home. It was just like old times. The noticeable change of expression on his face told Fleur that she needed to hurry up the conversation and also get him up to speed with where she's at. She shrugged before turning her head to look out the window.

"You know.. After the last job we had, I thought I could save everything up and maybe start up my own business but things just turned the other direction. Really fast. I did a lot of stupid shit when we drifted, Gio. What can I say, I act before I think sometimes." Fleur didn't notice until later that she was being offered a cigarette, which she politely declined few seconds later.

Then - a switch flipped.

Her face turned serious and she whispered almost inaudibly: "I'm running out of time, money and... Hope. I'm supposed to be searching for something, preferably a better job, but I'm tired of working that 9 to 5. And those damn countless night shifts. Tired of the same old shit. That's been me these past two years. Just on that hustle. But I want to do something bigger. Better. You know what I mean?" 

By the time she had finished speaking, Fleur was already back to looking directly at Giovanni. No more beating around the bush. "I feel shy even asking you, but.." Fleur cleared her throat, took a moment to look around for anyone watching them, before resting her eyes on his face once more.

"I'll take any jobs from you. I don't care how easy or hard it is. I'll take it. Don't look at me like that okay... I did some research. I know what you do and what your guys do in the family. Let me be a helping hand. Maybe you could keep me on if you like what you see?" Fleur smiled suggestively, feeling somewhat nervous at the same time. She kind of felt pathetic, really, but it was just the outcome of bottled up feelings and thoughts. Fleur was tired and numb.

Her fingers were starting to be pruney as well from the dish soap and water at her previous job. A kitchen hand.

Eek. Not going back to that again. Maybe there was some truth to the fact that only when you experience hard times then you can be a stronger person. After yesterday's events, Fleur was determined and ready to rise up from her mistakes and silly decisions. That was the plan. She was quite curious to see how far she would go with her hidden potential. Fleur desperately needed the opportunity to progress faster and better in life, and Gio for sure was the only person she could think of who could help her with that. "I think business is done here. I know you're busy. We'll keep in touch, yes?"

Fleur was last seen leaving the cafe after being provided confidential details on her first official assignment for Praxis.

Fleur had every reason to deny the assignment. She was unfit for the task, unaware of the consequences if she messed up, and most of all... new to the life of crime. It wasn't that she was scared. Oh, hell no. Fleur had a fire in her. It was raging. She just wasn't sure what to think when her new boss, who has also been her friend since her childhood years, told her that she would have to complete a drug deal with the -reassurance- that she would be with someone. At first, she thought - 'this'll be a simple one', but when she got a hold of the actual instructions, she felt like she was going to faint.

Luckily, Gio was a great friend and boss who got one of his men to accompany her on the trip to the LA docks. Fleur was only supposed to deliver the cargo boxes that were filled with cocaine bags to the brim, to the men in monkey suits. Just like Gio told her, Fleur saw one man with four or five hitters standing behind him in a line. Each one ready to take out their gun from the holster if something happened that wasn't included in the plan. So, she did exactly what she was told.

"I'm here on behalf of Gio. He couldn't meet with you today, so I'm the deliverer. I'm with a friend here, but he just drove me so I could give this to you guys," she pointed behind her where the boxes could be seen. There didn't seem to be any sign of objection from the man in front of her, so she proceeded to give further details. "There's just something you have to sign here saying you've witnessed this happen and that everything has gone according to plan." 

Sure enough, he signed the papers and Fleur couldn't even say a thank you because they were already rushing back to their ship. She heaved a sigh of relief. Fleur didn't understand why she had been so nervous before this. It was easy enough, although... This was only her first task. It only goes harder from here. At least now she can get to the Praxis headquarters with some good news, and maybe pick up some coffee on the way. Fleur knew of a great place in Pasadena where they sold the best chai lattes. Maybe today she would be able to surprise someone with the drink since she knew most just stuck to plain black coffee.

Seriously. How do people even do that.

Fleur was brought back to reality as she realized that Gio's friend was waiting for her by the vehicle, hip leaning against his door like a cool kid. A quick apology followed short after but he really didn't mind, as long as they could food and coffee on the way back to the office. Fleur volunteered to pay even when he was insisting that he would get it. She was determined to win the fight, and even though she ended up spending more than what she could afford, that was okay.

Plus, she was sure that more money would be coming in as she had heard word of future investors and clients in the drug dealing business. She could get used to this. Fleur felt like she was starting to get the hang of things. She didn't intend on it on happening or even imagined it, but three weeks later and she was on the way to becoming a made man. Things ended up working out for her, and now she was desperate to contact Alex again about this new path she's on.

Sadly though, when Fleur arrived to her former job, she could not find her best friend. She checked everywhere and asked everyone, even managed to get a hold of the boss despite the last incident that happened here. Fleur had come to a sad realization that she must have moved on from her, or was tired of waiting around for her to come back. That was understandable. A frown was plastered on Fleur's face as she ended up sitting by a table in the corner of the cafe, not caring that she still had bad blood with the owner.

Her mind was running on crazy ideas of why Alex would disappear all of a sudden, one of them being is that she probably got charmed by a rich mafia guy who came in unexpectedly looking for her, and now he had taken her into his arms, both probably on a flight now to Dubai. Fleur shook her head like a maniac.

She could get creative in the worst ways.

At least no one had to tell her that Alex had passed away though because that would have been a tragedy and Fleur would never be able to forgive herself. So, instead of sitting around and thinking about the *what ifs*, Fleur got up and out of the cafe, went back to her apartment for a quick nap, before going to the Praxis headquarters at quarter to eight. When she reached the doors, she immediately went searching for Gio to tell him about the happenings earlier that day. Most of the associates were no where to be seen. Either they had left early or were out for dinner. It was easy to spot Gio since there wasn't so much people in the office at that moment. She remembered to bring the same clipboard she brought at the docks, to show that, yes - the signatures are right there approving the deal. A daily reminder of her starving appetite became clear when she saw an empty plate of fruit on the way to his office. After talking to him about the drug deal, she offered to treat them both for dinner.

"Fancy some burgers and fries tonight? I'll treat ya - with the money I earned today from the assignment you gave me." She asked, smiling.

That night was filled with laughter and joy over some steak and mash potatoes. Fleur would never forget it. And finally, after weeks of useless deliberation over her mistakes in the past, she was ready to move on and start a new life. Over the course of two weeks, Fleur had managed to get to know each of the members of her new family. Needless to say, LA had been very good to her. It is true that whatever you put out into the world will come right back to you. In addition to this, she had made a very good friend. Kenny R. Fleur was very grateful to have been a part of his life, and her being a part of his. However, on the flip side of all these positive blessings, Fleur was beginning to pick up the typical habits of a workaholic and she was straying away from her own true happiness. I'll sleep this off, Fleur thought to herself as she kicked off her heels inside her apartment before collapsing gracefully on her couch. Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow.