Red Dress

He was sitting at the bar sipping his whisky, watching the pretty little starlings passing by when he saw her. Her face was lovely and heart-shaped, her hair was a short boyish cut, which highlighted her slim neck. Her body was just gorgeous, with wide hips, and her legs perfect for her size. The dress she wore was suited to her figure, and he could see she was well versed in dressing for the right sort of evening. He smiled at her as she walked by, giving her the trademark smile he knew would get him into (or out of) trouble. She looked at this Fit, handsome, though slightly rough around the edges man, sitting there in his Slacks and pressed shirt, with the black coat over that. He just oozed confidence and sex appeal. He was eyeing her up as she approached him, she could see the attention he focused on her as she approached. She knew that she had chosen the right dress for tonight. The little black number was always a killer. She had finally tracked him down to this restaurant.

Watching her in the mirror behind the bar, he was entranced by the seduction her hips performed on him, the hypnotic sway that had always entranced men through the ages. His drink was halfway to his lips when he saw she had stopped and bent down to pick up something she had dropped. He was now inquisitive, and as she straightened he saw the suspender stockings through her slitted dress; and his heart sped that little bit faster. 'Damn, now that is just a killer dress' he thought as she walked off. She knew he was watching her when she ‘accidentally’ dropped her purse, showing off the slit in her dress and the suspenders she wore underneath. Sighing she straightened up, walking away toward the dark rear of the restaurant. She had been in every restaurant this week, only because she knew eventually she would find him.

By now there was a subtle murmur amongst the other patrons in the bar, both men and women were looking at her as she strode confidently away.

It was the reactions from everyone to this spectacle that made up his mind. He could not stand the fact that they had shared an intimate connection, and he wanted to know more. He downed his whisky, stood and straightened his jacket and walked off after her. He looked out for the dress, wondering what game she was playing. Lastly, he gazed at her wonderful legs, sticking out from behind a partition that hid her from his view. He chuckled softly, striding to her. Her seat was normally right at the rear, however, tonight she sat in a spot slightly more private from the rest of the people at the bar. The light was dimmer here, slightly more brooding and mysterious. She heard him walking toward her and she breathed in a calming breath. His steps came ever closer to her hiding place but not too well hidden. She straightened her hair quickly as he came around the corner, her face stoic but not too expectant.

Bending forward, without speaking, took her hand and kissed it gently, just like the French. his breath smelt a little of whisky 'a fine single malt' she thought; 'that is what he would be drinking, not something cheap.' As he kissed her his eyes never left hers, and she could see the excitement in those wonderfully deep eyes. He lingered just long enough to not make her feel uncomfortable but long enough to show his intent. Colour rose on her cheeks, as she graciously accepted the kiss from him, then nodded assent. Just the slightest tip of her head. Permission had been granted and he finally sat, smoothing the jacket so as not to rumple it. She smiled in appreciation, he liked fine clothes as well, she saw. Raising an eyebrow at him, and he motioned for a waiter to come over. The waiter glided over, elegantly dressed, smoothly-shaven waiter, just diffident enough to warrant the upmarket bar they were occupying.

"Whisky, single malt, 20-year-old, no ice. Just an equal measure of water. The lady will have.... A glass of your 78 Chatelour Sauvignon Blanc?" He looked over at her inquiringly, wondering if he had been correct. She nodded in approval, again the eyebrow lifted in appreciation and her head tilted slightly as she leaned back. She eyed him up now with more than just a bit of curiosity.

“I am interested to know how you would so bold as to order an extremely divine wine sir,” she spoke softly, allowing her voice to flow like chocolate.

“Well, I have had the opportunity to travel extensively, meet all kinds of lovely people. I have also eaten in some of the finest restaurants in the world with my career. This has afforded me the luxury of getting to know the elegant food and drink on offer. The ‘78 Chatelour is one of my personal favourites,” He explained to her as she sat opposite him. His pulse raced as he recognised this was an extraordinary beauty in front of him. Almost exactly like the other all those years ago, the one that had sadly died after the tragic accident.

“Ah I see, you are a salesman?” she inquired, cocking an eyebrow at him, “or are you something else that allows this luxury of travelling the world?”

“Well, I am independently wealthy, old family money. My family can be traced back to the Italian renaissance,” he explained to the brunette. “Do we need to be so formal? It feels rather impolite to not know your name my dear,” he enquired.

“I’m sorry, my name is M.. Mina.” She extended her hand out to him. He took the hand gracefully, the hard calluses now evident on contact with his skin. The thrill of contact was evident as their hands connected, Mina smiling at him sweetly.

“Mina. what a delightful name. Is that an old family name or is it a relatively young name?” he inquired, studying her face for the answer.

“Oh, it has connections to an ancestor, I was named after her, seeing as the family resemblance was very strong. I use it rarely as it is my middle name. I usually go by the name Rachel,” she said, her breathing quickening slightly, “If I may be so bold as to ask what your is then?”

“Mine is an old name as well, but it is also shortened. The original meaning is ‘Lion’ so my name is of royal connotations,” he said softly, smiling at Mina/Rachel. I go by Leo; the Lion.”

“Oh I like that, Leo; sounds so fierce! Are you fierce then, Leo?” Mina asked expectantly, watching him carefully.

He laughed then, not loudly enough for the whole restaurant to hear, just loud enough to engage Rachel. She smiled at him, then giggled.

“I like your laugh, it reminds me of an old friend. He was an interesting man, he died in a fire many years ago. I was saddened at his loss, he was a very close friend; if you know what I mean,” she said, her voice pained. “I don’t want to talk about that now,” she said brightening, “I want to get to know you more Leo.”

The waiter was returning with their drinks, the tray balanced carefully on his left arm. Removing Mina’s wine first, then carefully balanced the tray while placing the glass of Speyside whisky in front of Leo.

“Will there be anything else Sir; Madam?” he asked drily, “I will return shortly with the menu if you would like to order?” he inquired softly, if slightly brusquely.

“Thank you, that would be wonderful. I am now absolutely ravenous. I want to enjoy a veritable feast,” Leo said smirking, he steepled his hands on the tabletop, looking at her with a hint of a smile on his face. The music gently played in the background, lifting their spirits.

Rachel knew what he was implying by ‘feast’ all too well, so she decided to play along, at least until she learnt the truth. She knew she was playing with fire, and if she did not tread carefully, Leo would trip her up. She had to face him now but appear relaxed. Rachel’s thoughts drifted to those years after the fire, the fire that had been caused by the explosion. That incident so long ago had led her to this moment. Both of them had been affected by those chemicals, had prolonged both their lives far beyond anything they should have lived.

The past

As scientest and inventor, his claim of a new source of power and light was bold. She knew he was a genius and his previous inventions had all worked perfectly. Her faith in him was all-consuming and she followed him into the chamber.

“Stay here my love, I know things could get dangerous, so I want to offer you as much protection as possible,” he said softly, holding her hips. She was shorter than he was, so much shorter, this tall god of a man, the one hope of the country. She worshipped him and the ground he walked on, his stature among his peers and the government of the day was what kept her by his side. She knew he was going to be accoladed as the greatest mind alive soon. His humble attitude and way of carrying himself were all too evident for people to see. Being a scientist, he often forgot to eat, and always looked scruffy and unkempt but she loved about him. She would always have something for him ready so that he could sustain himself for his work. She smiled as he walked away to get the experiment fully underway, the thought of him finally harnessing all the power he would need to further his weapons and inventions. Watching through the peephole, she saw him approach the mysterious device and turn levers, moving other things into place that she had no name for.

“It begins my love, it begins. The dawn of the new age is about to bear fruit. Witness this with me my dear beloved, witness it for future generations!”

“My beloved, I know your passion is exciting, but please be caref-” The explosion cut her off as she was felt something punch her in her abdomen, the jagged piece of metal struck her, slicing her belly open as she was knocked unconscious against the wall.

The Present

“Yes, a feast, I would rather also enjoy a feast. Of Food. I am not excluding anything possibly afterwards…” She hinted, her voice soft and melodious. She stared intently at him as she said those words, the final little piece-de-resistance was when she licked her lips. Leo suddenly stopped when she licked her lips. She smiled suggestively, even though she was torn as to what to do, should she tell him who she was yet? Or should she wait a little more before springing her surprise. Her fingers snaked across the table, took Leo’s right hand, squeezing it gently.

“Please continue, Leo, you are a very interesting man. Tell me about your hobbies. I want to learn more about you,” She said soothingly, like a lover.

“Well, I do quite a bit of painting, my one great passion in life is to recreate Renaissance Masters. I adore the Renaissance period, especially my idol, Leonardo da Vinci,” he explained, feeling his heartbeat rise slowly, the feel of a woman’s warm hand always did this to him. It was one of the things he had always loved about a woman’s touch. Holding it, he continued, “I do try and specialise in him, after all, I was named after him. He is not my only inspiration though, I love all the Renaissance artists, even those that…“ he suddenly stopped, cleared his throat then carried on. “As I was saying, I love all the Renaissance Masters.”

“Now that is fascinating, I studied art many years ago, and have become a little bit of a collector of copies of Old Masters. I normally buy them at auctions, anonymously of course. I want to remain as mysterious as possible,” she whispered the last part, leaning forward conspiratorially.

“I also collect old books, I am quite well off, old money after all does have its advantages. I have managed to collect nearly all of Leonardo’s books and writings so that I can preserve his knowledge for future generations,” he nodded vigorously, talking faster now, seeing a spark of passion ignite in her eyes at the Mention of Leonardo.

‘Be careful, be very careful. I know that he seems to be who you think he is but you need to be extremely careful here,’ she thought to herself. Smiling again, she laughed a little louder, looking at him. Raising her glass to her lips she sipped carefully, giving her time to probe a little more. Leo was doing all the talking only because of her question about hobbies. The waiter arrived with their menus, handing one to Rachel, then one to Leo as her sojourn was interrupted. She smiled up at the waiter as he nodded his head. She opened the menu and dived into the choices, shutting out the restaurant completely. She absorbed it, avoiding eye contact with Leo for now. She heard a throat clear and looked up at him.

“I apologise, I thought you were listening and was wondering if you wanted to share a starter first, then we can order the main after that,” he commented casually.

“So sorry. Hmm, yes. I like that idea, do you have anything in mind?” She asked, handing the decision to him.

“Well the crab cakes do look interesting, or we could do the Sea Bass slivers. Which sounds more appealing to you?”

“I do love Sea Bass, order that then Leo,” she replied, smiling at him.

“Let’s have a look at the Main course choices, then we can order. We can always have dessert later on,” He said smiling at her.

They both bowed their heads as they studied the menu, Rachel scrolling through the options carefully. Her eyes finally settled on the Braised Lamb, with potatoes and vegetables. She smiled as she read that. Her mind made up, she looked up and studied Leo as he was still engrossed in the choices on offer. He was mumbling something and Rachel strained to hear what he was saying.

“Sono sicuro di riconoscere il sorriso, dove l'ho già visto prima? (I’m sure I recognise that smile, where have I seen it before)” he muttered softly, his brow slightly furrowed. Her heart nearly stopped as she realised what he had just uttered. Was he onto her? Had he discovered her identity? She blanched slightly and took another sip of her wine. Her heart racing, she finally got her breath under control, not wanting to let her emotions show. She decided to freshen up, so she interrupted him.

“I will be right back Leo, I just need to freshen up. I need to visit the ladies room. Could you order the Braised Lamb for me please?” she asked, watched as he stood up, showing his manners again. Taking her purse, she walked steadily, not looking back but knowing that he was watching her the whole time.

Reaching the ladies room, she went into a stall, sat down and breathed deeply. She sucked air in greedily, trying to calm her nerves. She knew that he was suspicious now but she had to continue to the conclusion she had planned out for his demise. Opening her purse, she checked the .38 special, opened the cylinder, checked that each chamber was filled with rounds. She held the revolver in her hand for a moment, feeling the solid weight of it, the responsibility she held in her palm. Remembering the weapons training she had paid for, from her humble beginnings as a complete novice to now. She was rated as one of the top ten at the shooting club she belonged to and often attained one of the top scores in their monthly competitions.

She smiled, replaced the revolver in her bag and opened the stall door. She walked to the washbasins, took a small towelette and wiped her face. Looking carefully at the other stalls, she was relieved that she was all alone. Opening her bag again, she took out her lipstick. She stared into the mirror, carefully looked at her reflection and smiled triumphantly.

“Tonight is the night he dies. Finally I will have him in my sights, in more ways than one. I have waited a long time for this and I can finally put my past to rest,” she whispered, then applied the lipstick carefully, slowly. Pursing her lips, she studied herself again, smoothing her dress, and lightly combed her fingers through her hair, just lightly straightening it out. She knew she looked different now, but she still carried the deep resentment inside her. Touching her stomach, tracing the scars on her stomach where they had butchered her abdomen. Anger bubbled up from deep within, and she breathed in and out a few more times to calm her nerves. This had to happen. He needed to be punished for what he had done to her. Her escape plan was ready to be executed. Lifting her phone, she sent the text message. She knew he would be along soon, and that was when she would pull the pistol out.

Walking back to the table, she watched him from behind, studying the short hair. He had always had it long, all those years ago. He had taken heed of her advice when she had given it to him all that time ago. It looked so much better shorter and styled. His dress sense had improved as well and at least now he did not look so out of date. She stopped for a moment and considered how much he had needed to learn to adapt just like she had. Stepping back to her seat, she watched as he stood and held the chair for her, waiting for her to sit. Sliding onto the chair and moving back into place, Rachel looked at him as he softly whispered in Italian: “Sapete chi sono (you know who I am) Rachel?” Forcing herself to look into his eyes, she stared at him quizzically, not giving away that she understood him perfectly.

“What? What was that Leo? I don’t understand what you just said. Did you ask me something?” her bemused expression gave absolutely nothing away. Inside, her emotions were roiling. He somehow was guessing, wondering if he had stumbled onto the truth of her identity somehow. She had given him nothing, but she was still needing to be wary. She could inadvertently give the whole game away by saying or commenting on the wrong thing.

“Nothing, I just thought a little romance in Italian might be appropriate for the evening,” he said quietly, disgruntled by her response. He sat there wondering if she was indeed just a random person or if he did recognise her. After the accident he had had more than his fill of life, savouring delicacies and women in so many countries he found them all blurring into one another. Sighing, he raised his whisky and took a sip.

“Do you speak any foreign languages my dear?” he inquired politely in English again, wanting to find out more about her before he tried his best to seduce her into his bed.

“I am afraid I can only speak German and English, my family originally came from Germany many years ago,” she replied, a smile radiating from her face.

“How interesting, I love the Teutonic culture, their mastery of mechanics and motion. I admire them greatly in their engineering feats and high-quality standards.” he gushed, leaning forwards, excitement bubbling up now. After all, his first love had been mechanics and engineering many, many years ago.

“I am at heart an engineer,” he confessed, blushing slightly, many years ago I did dabble in a few inventions, but did not have the right power source… I mean, I did not have enough… “ he stopped, realising he had said too much, nearly giving away his secret entirely.

“Leo, you look sad? What is it, tell me? What were you going to say?” she asked, a puzzled expression on her face.

“I.. I.. lost someone many years ago due to an accident, I was going to propose to her. I had wanted to make her my wife. She was the greatest thing I ever loved. It was a stupid mistake, but it was a mistake nonetheless,” he stammered as he remembered her face, clearly at last. He cleared his throat and looked up at Rachel, then smiled a weak smile.

“I apologise for my weakness, it must seem silly to you, showing my weak side. I am normally a much stronger person, it is just…” he broke off. Rachel was smiling at him, she held out her delicate hand and took his in hers, squeezing it gently.

“Showing love for someone is not a sign of weakness, even if it is for someone that you loved, and is no longer in your life,” she cooed sympathetically. “I can relate to that, there was this one love of mine, as batty as anything, and wanted to show me… never mind that, let’s enjoy our meal,” she said trying to cover her almost blunder as the waiter brought their dishes over.

They ate in relative silence, enjoying the delicious food and ordered more wine. Finally clearing their plates, they both sat back, smiling, sated. Leo looked across at Rachel, opened his mouth and was about to speak when there was a disturbance at the bar. A drunk had stumbled into a waiter, spilling drinks everywhere.

“Rachel, where the hell are you? C’mere I need to talk to you!” he shouted angrily, looking around the restaurant for her. Rachel hung her head, looked at Leo then said softly, “Excuse me, I need to deal with this. Is there any way you can forgive me for a few moments, I will see what he wants, then I will be right back.”

“Go with my blessing, and come back to our conversation,” Leo stated calmly, standing again as Rachel stood up to go and deal with the situation that had cropped up.

Walking over to the drunk, she knew exactly why he was here. She still owed him money for the pistol but he was not supposed to be drinking. Her nerves jangled as she realised that the money she had paid he had been spending on booze, now he was here early. Her plan was starting to fall apart. She needed to sort this out and quickly. Her escape plan would need to be modified to suit this hiccup.

“Why the hell are you drunk? You need to stay sober, how can we execute the escape plan with you drunk?” she hissed at him. Knowing now that she should never have trusted him, she looked at him in disgust. “Is there any way you are sober enough to drive? It hardly looks like it, you utter moron!”

“Wassup baby, you look a little pished at me,” he hiccuped then burped loudly. Snickering, he looked at her, “Dammit but you’re shexy when you..”

“Get Out! You are no longer needed. I will do it. Give me the pistol,” She hissed again, her scowl making the drunk nervous.

“Fiiine… be like that, but I still wan’ my hunnred dollarsh for the…” he started to say but the closed fist of Rachel hit him square in the jaw, sending him sprawling. He collapsed back on the bar and with a bang hit his head, knocking him unconscious.

‘He nearly said for the pistol,’ she thought as she knelt next to him, feeling his pulse. Still very much alive, he was breathing, just knocked out.

“An old boyfriend, I owed him some money, but nothing serious,” she said as she stood. “Is there any way I can get him out of here? I would like to finish my dinner peacefully,” she looked pleadingly at Jeremy, the barman.

“Leave it with me Rachel, I will handle this. I can chuck him in the back for a bit until he wakes up. Then I will get him sobered up. Please pay him, I would hate to have this reported to the cops,” Jeremy said softly as he nodded toward the other barman. Rachel nodded; together they lifted him and carried him away while Rachel made her way back to the table, the stares following her as she walked slowly, trying to calm her nerves.

Leo sat there, he had also watched the exchange and seen how Rachel had decked him with her right fist.

“Where did a lady like you learn to hit like that? I was rather impressed and horrified to see you hit him like that,” he asked as his eyes lit up. She could see that he was also excited by the brief bit of violence and wondered how to explain it to him.

“Well, let’s just say that I needed to learn to protect myself a long time ago, after you… I mean an old boyfriend dumped me,” she tried to cover her slip, but it was too late.

“An.. old boyfriend? Tell me more Rachel, I am rather intrigued by this. Is it possible...?” he asked, looking at her more intently now. “Are.. are you her? My… muse?” he asked suddenly, recognition dawning on his face.

“What? Your… muse?” she laughed nervously, then tilted her head back and looked up at the ceiling. “Whatever makes you ask such a silly question Leo? Do you think I am someone else?”

“You.. you do look like someone I know from long ago, and I am positive it is either an ancestral trait or… can it be possible?” he squeaked, looking at her even more intensely. He stood, looking down at Rachel, about to ask the one question that had haunted him since that day. “You died, I saw you die. How did you survive?” he blanched, sitting down again.

“She died that day my dear Leo, I survived. I was the one that had to deal with waking up in the cold morgue where you placed me. Yes, I am her. I am Mona Lisa; your muse. I was a changed person after that explosion in your laboratory that day,” she hissed as she pulled the pistol out of her bag, holding it just at table height, hidden as they were in this spot. She aimed directly at his heart. Horrified at the sight of the pistol, Leonardo gasped, reached for his drink and swallowed it down in one gulp. His hand shook visibly as he replaced the tumbler on the table.

“You… you survived my love, how?” his voice quavered, “I was lost without you, I.. I.. thought you perished! How? How did you survive?”

“It was the chemicals that were part of the explosion my dear Leonardo, that was the whole thing. Those chemicals kept me alive, just like they did you. I woke up like I said in the morgue, a couple of days later,” she explained in Italian. “It was only later that I discovered you had fled the scene, moved to Genoa and found another lover.”

“You were dead, I saw you die. You did not awake, I was so distraught after you died when I tried to save your life. What motive do you have for revenge after all these years?” he asked, becoming a bit braver now, watching her intensely.

“The baby my love, our baby. The baby that would have grown up to be your heir, your legacy. You killed him with that careless experiment. He could have grown up to be just like you,” she said sadly, her eyes dropping for a moment. “Just don’t make a move Leonardo, I am an expert marksman and tonight you will die for killing our baby.”

“You.. you want to kill me?” he gasped softly, looking at the pistol more earnestly.

“My… my... son? You want revenge?”

“Oh I am going to kill you, don’t you worry, it will take one bullet. I have been tracking you for years, and have learned of all your conquests, including my poor sister who sought to give you comfort after my ‘death’. You seduced her without any qualms, while I was still in what I learned later was a coma,” she said plainly, aiming for his heart. “Your conquests since have been a bit hard to follow, but I suspect that you were the stuff of many rumours and supposition throughout the centuries, my dear Leonardo. I have been wanting this since that explosion in the lab, all those centuries ago.”

“But.. but.. I wanted.. “ he stopped realising it was fruitless to continue. His past had finally caught up with him, now he had to face her and his death.

“Leonardo, the scars I have from your botched operation cover my abdomen are a constant reminder of you. Once I tracked you down here, I knew it was a matter of time you would come into my restaurant. I had all the time in the world, all five centuries of it, just like you. You could have searched for me, yet you spent those years screwing your way around Europe,” she seethed, looking at him. “Now, I finally have you in my sights, and you will not live to tell the tale.” With that, she pulled the trigger, shooting her long-ago lover Leonardo da Vinci. Mona Lisa finally had her revenge.