by Gerald Lopez
“You’ve touched my soul and I’m overwhelmed.” I looked at Alex, seeing him in a new light. He saw through the eyes of a man beyond his years. “Thank you, for sharing your work with me. This particular piece reminds me of how valuable the little things were to us out on the battlefield and how much it meant to survive to see another sunrise.”
“It’s even more special knowing that you understand it, Layton. I thought you would… your reaction means the world to me.”
Then something else hit me, something more personal.
“Alex, this picture represents you in my life. I came to Shelby an empty man, trying to find my way back to life. You’re the light that has made me alive again.”
I looked at him but he didn’t say a word. A tear rolled down from his eye but before I could catch it he’d pulled me to him and kissed me with a passion not appropriate for a public gallery.
We stayed a while longer and then left. After walking and exploring we stopped for a light lunch.
* * * *
When we returned to the apartment I went back to reading the diary. I didn’t have to read between the lines to learn that Jamison Kennedy did not completely trust his wife or her family and workers. That much was clear in the will he’d written which there was a copy of in the diary.
Alex and I had some fun in the shower before we started getting ready for dinner. He straightened my blue satin tie and then my shirt collar.
“As much as I prefer you naked, you do look good in this suit, Layton.”
“I gotta thank my client for the new duds. Feel free to help me out of them when we get back from dinner.”
Alex laughed. “This feels like a first date. Considering our day in the park was business then I guess this really is our first date.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” I said, leaning in close to whisper in Alex’s ear. “I’m pretty sure you’re gonna get lucky with me after dinner.”
* * * *
I couldn’t keep from staring at him as we made our way to a secret destination. He looked handsome in a slim fitting dark blue suit and baby blue tie. Soon we arrived at the famous Antoine’s Restaurant.
“Here we are,” Alex said.
We entered the restaurant and were led to a black and red room. When it came time to order appetizers, I shocked Alex.
“What?” I said. “Don’t you think I’m educated enough to know and have tried Escargots a la Bordelaise. I love ‘em.”Alex laughed so hard he turned red. “Sorry, Layton. I have to admit that I didn’t think you would know what they were.”
“I have quite the sophisticated palette. I like you, don’t I?”
“I thought you loved me.”
“You know what? I do love you, despite the fact that you laughed at me and thought I was uneducated in the culinary ways.”
Alex was laughing again even when the waiter came by with our wine.
“Get a grip,” I said, “that wine is good stuff. You don’t want to laugh and have it coming out your nose.”
My comment just made him laugh more, which made me laugh. We were just a couple of giddy morons. Finally we calmed down enough to enjoy our wine and escargot. Our eyes locked and I noticed specs of what looked like silver colors in his gray-blue eyes.
“Alex you seem so much more comfortable outside of Shelby.”
I could tell Alex was really thinking about what I’d just said before he replied.
“Sometimes Shelby is okay and sometimes it feels like a prison in which my family and I are captive.”
“Prisons are to hold people who have committed a crime. What are the crimes of your family?”
Alex laughed and his eyes sparkled.
“Underneath that strong, handsome exterior, you’re a gentleman, detective. You didn’t come right out and ask me what crimes I’m guilty of committing.”
“Angels don’t commit crimes,” I was so taken with him that the words just tumbled out of my mouth. My God, I sounded corny.
“Wow, and I haven’t even tried to get you drunk yet,” Alex said, smiling before taking another escargot. “Do people really connect as quickly as we have, Layton?”
“Yes, I think so,” I said. “Most people just aren’t so honest about it.”
Alex leaned in close. “I’m intrigued. Why do you say that? And please don’t say it’s because you’re a detective and people are naturally inclined to lie.”
“Since I’m not boring you yet, I’ll tell you my theory, Alex. As a detective it is my job to observe people and I’ve seen people move in together claiming to be in love. After several years together they may even get married. Then it all falls apart.”
“Why is that?” Alex said.
“One more scenario first,” I said. “Think about the opposite of those couples. The ones who marry days or even just hours after meeting one another. Some of them end up together for their entire lives.”
“That’s very romantic, but I don’t get it,” Alex said, wiping his mouth.
“Yeah you do,” now I leaned up close and whispered in his ear, “Do you wanna know the secret?”
“Yeah,” Alex said
I leaned back in my chair. “The secret is knowing yourself and being honest with yourself. If you are, then you recognize true love when it comes. You’re not afraid to grab it fiercely and hold it tight.”
“And when people just live together or are not otherwise committed, then they’re not afraid of losing that person,” Alex said. “Is it fear then that makes people commit so quickly? Fear of losing the other person to someone else.”
“That’s a strange comment.” I didn’t expect that answer from him and I drank some wine to think about it. What did his comment say about him?
Then I remembered something Miss Lucy had told me. I wasn’t asking the right question. Alex’s response didn’t say anything about him. He was testing me to see where I was coming from and trying to see what made me tick. An attentive server took our plates now that we were finished with our shared appetizer. Taking the opportunity to relax, I slumped back in my chair stretched my feet out, and shut my eyes for a moment, as was my way.
“No answer,” Alex said.
“You’re testing me,” I said not opening my eyes yet, but smiling. “I want to make sure I pass with flying colors.”
I opened my eyes when our waiter brought the main course: Chateaubriand, center cut tenderloin of beef for two with Antoine’s special fried potatoes and sauces. It smelled delicious. The good food in front of me and the fantastic company left me feeling a joy beyond reason.
“Your wide smile could get you in trouble. You look way too pleased,” Alex said.
Until he mentioned it, I wasn’t aware that I was smiling. Grinning even wider, I winked at him.
“Oh Alex, life feels good right this second and I feel like a strange peace has settled over me for the first time in years. And okay, I’ll bite.”
“Excuse me,” Alex said.
“Your last question, I’m ready to reply. It’s not fear,” I said. “It’s all in the knowing.”
“The knowing?”
“Knowing that it’s love,” I said, “knowing that the other person completes you and you’re not whole without them. It’s knowing that you’re being selfish wanting all of that person while at the same time being unselfish. Knowing that you’ll give them all of yourself, no holds barred. Knowing that you have no doubts about you or them. That’s the knowing.”
I’d hoped my words had touched deep into Alex’s heart. He looked taken aback.
“Layton, that was beautiful. You have the soul of a poet.”
Now I was taken aback. “I did do some writing in school. Poetry believe it or not, but it doesn’t do for a soldier to spout off too much of it.”
I started on my dinner.
“This is crazy,” Alex said. “This thing between us.”
“Crazy good though, right; not bad.”
“Yes, crazy good,” Alex said. “But the way we’re already
saying we love each other it all feels so real.”
“That’s because it is, now eat before your food gets cold. And p.s. I love you.”
Alex laughed, dropping the piece of meat that was on his fork. Luckily it fell on his plate.
We’d finished our entrées and I was licking my fork to show Alex how good I thought it all was.
“The sauce was so good I could lick the plate,” I said.
“Don’t do that, I ordered dessert in advance just for us.”
Not a moment after his comment, our table was cleared and the waiter had brought dessert.
“Omelette Alaska Antoine for two, or baked Alaska for two,” Alex said after the waiter left.
“Oh my God that looks yummy, you know me well, babe,” I said.
Alex laughed, then he laughed again.
“Ok, what’s so funny now?” I said.
“Hearing a tough guy like you saying yum and yummy,” Alex said.
“Thank you for dinner,” I said.
“You’re welcome,” he said. “Do you want to go to a club for drinks or anything?”
“Not really my thing: clubs.”
“Mine either, but since it’s New Orleans it is the thing to suggest.”
“I have a better suggestion,” I said, lowering my voice. “How’s about you and me head back to your place and get naked.”
“That sounds yummy,” Alex said.
Chapter 17
Meeting Mother
After a very nice evening I changed and went back to the library, wearing only boxers, to read some more of the diary. Alex was busy in the kitchen. Before I’d gotten too deeply into what I was reading I heard him calling me into the bedroom.
The room was lit by only two pillar candles on top of the two bedside night stands. Oh did he know me well. Alex was naked and bent over the bed. The shaky shape of a heart was outlined and filled in with whipped cream on his ass. I walked over to him, bent down, and took a lick of the cool, sweet, stuff.
“Somewhere back there is a cherry for you, Layton, but you may have to dig for it,” he said.
My tongue followed the outline of the heart before starting on the center. I made quick work of devouring it leaving only a line which followed vertically down the middle of his ass. Then I licked that, letting my tongue get down inside. I parted his ass cheeks with my hands and found the bright red cherry, stem and all. Grabbing it with my teeth I ate it and spit the stem out on the floor before going to work licking up and chewing on the sticky red syrup that it had left behind. When I was done I stood, pulled down my boxers and turned Alex over before lifting his legs onto my shoulders. Nothing needed to be said, his eyes told me to keep going. I entered him slowly and he gasped grabbing my shoulders with his hands. I stopped to let him get used to me inside him, my hands roaming around his chest and nipples before settling downward. Then I started once more slowly building up speed. His breathing grew heavy, matching my thrusting. Grabbing his ankles I started going at it like a man possessed until I’d emptied stream after stream inside of him. More than I thought I was capable of. He reared up and grabbed me and we began kissing like madmen, both of us hot and covered in sweat. We showered and then fell back into bed exhausted.
I closed my eyes amazed at just how much better sex was with Alex than with anyone else I’d ever been with, I guess that’s what love does.
After a light breakfast and a sixty-nine session we headed back to Shelby. As I drove, Alex leaned his head on my shoulder and held my hand. We were once again acting like two fools in love. Alex talked to me about some of his world travels and when we got close to Shelby he informed me about a stop we needed to make.
“Why the stop and where?” I said.
“We’re on our way to the home of my family’s former cook who wants to meet you. She’s referred to as Mother Watkins. At least that’s what my sisters and I have called her since we were little. My sisters refused to learn to cook, but I kind of enjoyed it. I learned how to make my own cookies and snacks… you can’t beat that. And the smells that came out of the kitchen were like pure heaven when Mother Watkins cooked for us. I have nothing but good memories of my times learning from her or just watching her do her thing.”
“I’ll be more than happy to meet someone who’s made such an impression on you,” I said.
We got to the area of houses that I always passed going to and from downtown. Alex gave me directions to a bright red, almost orange, house that had yellow trim and a small inviting porch. It was the same house I’d dropped him off at the night of the massage attack. I parked in the driveway and unlocked the car doors. Alex put his hand on my shoulder.
“Mother Watkins has been more of a mother to me than my own mother was when she was alive.”
He removed his hand and exited the car, I followed. We walked up to the porch with its two painted wood rocking chairs and small table covered with colorful tie-dyed scarves. Alex sat in one of the chairs and crossed his legs.
“She wants to see you alone, Layton, so I’ll wait out here till you’re done.”
I nodded, then walked up to the door, noticing a large wood crucifix over it as I knocked. A loud, deep voice welcomed me to come inside. I walked into a small, but comfortable, living room with a tan sofa and two matching chairs covered with a multitude of colorful pillows. Plum colored curtains hung on the windows and the wood floors were covered with scattered multi-colored throw rugs. A kitchen was on the left. The one thing I didn’t see was the owner of the voice that had welcomed me.
* * * *
“Come to the back room, detective.”
I did as the voice said, with no fear of danger. There was a short hallway ahead, then I saw an open door to the left. A soft glow was coming from inside the room. Walking in, I was face to face with the voice’s owner. A rather large older woman with dark ebony skin was sitting in an arm chair. She was dressed in a white cotton dress trimmed in lace and wearing a white turban. Rows of multi-colored bead necklaces hung from her thick neck down to her bust. Her wrists had matching bracelets.
“Come in and have a seat, Mr. Shayne. They call me Mother Watkins.”
She pointed toward a chair in front of me and I looked around the room as I sat down. It was dark, lit only by scattered groupings of differently sized and shaped candles. On the walls were crosses and crucifixes made from different materials such as wood or iron, and even beads. Like the candles, they were also varied in size. Framed pictures with Christian themes filled any remaining empty spaces. The curtains in this room were a very dark red as was the color of the walls, which had been painted using a glossy paint. The candlelight and the gloss of the paint made the walls look like they were bleeding. I realized that there must be a blackout curtain behind the regular curtain, which explained why the room was so dark.
“This is my prayer room and my safe room covered in the blood of Jesus,” Mother Watkins said.
“Not literal blood I hope.”
Mother Watkins shot me a look that made me feel foolish for my last comment.
“What do you think I am, boy, a heathen or something? I pray the blood of Jesus over my home to keep me and mine safe.”
“Safe from what?”
“And my cousin Lucy said you didn’t know how to ask the right questions… shame on her. That’s a good question. A very good one. This room is my safe place against the dark forces that are at work in this small town. An ancient dark force was brought here years ago, but praise Jesus, my God is stronger than that dark force.”
“Then why the need for a safe room at all?”
“There are still people to contend with, and it would be foolish to underestimate the power of any religion over people,” she said.
“Yeah, I’ve often heard people say that most wars have been fought over religion,” I said.
“It’s true. Religion turns people in ways that can be very good or very bad. People can justify all kinds of evil doings in the name of their god. And true believers of any re
ligion can be the most dangerous people of all. A person who truly believes in something with all of their being can make things happen. They can make miracles happen, or they can work in the opposite way.”
“True enough, I’m sure,” I said. “Miss Lucy must’ve spoken so highly of me that you had to see me for yourself.”
Mother Watkins let out a deep, heartfelt laugh.
“Miss Lucy told me you were so wet behind the ears that you’d need a mama while you were here.”
She laughed again and I joined her.
“Why do I get the feeling that I’m continually being warned by people in this town? I feel like I’m in a horror movie with an evil cult ready to come after me, complete with oversexed residents.”
Mother Watkins laughed again, then stopped suddenly.
“Oh, you do make me laugh, but I shouldn’t because it’s not a laughing matter. It’s just funny that on one level you already understand what’s going on in this place. Instinct, I guess. Yeah, that’s it. You were probably born with the right instinct for this career you’re in and then your military training only expanded on all of that. Which means your instinct kicks in automatically before your mind gets to knowing the truth of things, Mr. Shayne.”
“That makes sense,” I said. “So it’s not just me that thinks the people out here are just a little on the horny side, pardon my directness. But that does seem to be the truth. Could it really just be this heat?”
“Oh, it ain’t the heat. I mean, your friend Jimmy and those restaurant folks were just normal lonely people looking for love. But that Jessica and Monique are a whole different matter. They do love the tease and the tryin’ to tempt a man. I can’t say I understand the why of it all, it’s just not normal. And their friends are the same way… preoccupied with sins of the flesh.”