by C. J. Corbin
He frowned and looked back at me. I could see the ache in his eyes. “It wasn’t my idea, but I take responsibility. I shouldn’t have let it happen. It was only the one time. Our dating pushed her over the edge. She recovered, but I feel… responsible for her and I have a soft spot for her. I still don’t understand how Marcus and Simone could have ever forgiven me, but they did.”
“Nancy told me Brigitte normally lives in Quebec.”
Michael nodded, “Yeah. She has lived there with her aunt for the past few years. Simone’s side of the family is the wealthy side. She found out I would be here for Mardi Gras and no one anticipated her arrival. Marcus and Simone are not happy about it. They normally try to keep us separated because my presence seems to set her off.
This may be the Big Easy, but it is really a small town. Everyone knows everyone, and gossip can be rampant when people catch drift of a scandal. These families live and die by their reputation. It is everything here.
After her breakdown, Simone felt it was better she live with Monique until everything died down. It turns out Brigitte loves Quebec and is very happy living there,” he paused again. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth. I should have told you everything. I didn’t think she would be here, so I didn’t see any reason why I should open up the past.”
“Michael,” I put my hands around his face so that he would look at me, “We’ve been through this before. You need to learn to trust me. I won’t judge your past. I want us to concentrate on our future together but it’s important you share with me and don’t keep it bottled up inside.”
“I know, ” he ran his hand through his hair again. “Sometimes it’s hard for me to realize you are not like Margaret. I mean, I know you’re not like Margaret, but it’s hard to open myself up. I had to hide so much from her because she would use everything against me.”
“I’m here and I promise not to be critical.” I kissed him softly.
He smiled deeply, “Can we restart our vacation?”
I put my arms around his neck, “Of course we can.” I looked around at the clock- it was only seven. “It’s early.” I pulled him down toward me.
Chuckling lowly, “Oh, make-up sex? I like that idea.” He kissed me and added, “Very much.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
We wandered downstairs to the dining room because the breakfast Frederick had brought up grew too cold to eat. The elegantly appointed room had a long table running down the middle with eighteen chairs around it. The two sideboards were heavily loaded with breakfast items and Frederick was pouring coffee around the table. Everyone looked up from their plates and stopped their conversations when we entered the room.
Tommy, Michael’s college roommate and the last part of the Marcus-Michael trio, spotted me first. I had met and stayed with Tommy and his wife, Marie, during a book signing tour last fall. He set down his plate and the scrambled eggs he was scooping onto it.
“Oh there you two are! Finally. I’ll have to admit, Cher,” Tommy said as he threw his arms around me, “I got quite a laugh last night when Michael told me you threw him out! And now you’re all in love again!” He looked over at Michael and smirked.
I immediately reddened. Of course I did. What else do I do?
Marie came to my rescue quickly. “Oh Tommy, stop it.” She embraced me. “We arrived late last night, and we were settling in when Tommy caught Michael in the hallway.”
I grimaced, “I gather the walls are thin?”
Marie laughed, “Oh you know these old houses.”
I looked around the table, glad to see neither Simone nor Brigitte there.
Marcus rose from the table, “Yes, we gentlemen all normally just look the other way, and pretend we don’t hear anything going on.”
Part of me wished the Earth would swallow me whole. Tommy could be a big tease and I felt like he wasn’t finished yet.
“So which room are you two staying in?” I had to ask.
Tommy grinned very wide. “Now, Cher, we just happen to be in the room right next to yours. Marie and I like to sleep late, too.”
Earth swallow me now. Right now.
Michael cleared his throat and shot Tommy a look, which included his head shaking imperceptibly. My blush covered my entire body - I could feel it.
Marie smiled, “Wooo! Is it warm in here? I’m feeling a bit warm.” She opened the French doors at the end of the room.
Marcus took my hand, brushing Tommy out of the way. “Elizabeth, come sit down next to me. We can chat while we wait for Ma Petite to join us and Michael can get you a plate. Ma Mére and Brigitte are breakfasting in their rooms this morning.”
I sat next to Marcus and Tommy came up behind me, placing a kiss to the top of my head.
“I was just teasing you, Cher; you know I love your blushes,” he whispered.
“Tommy, get over here before Michael flattens you. You should know better than to mess with his woman,” Marie said, pointing to the empty chair next to her.
Michael punched Tommy lightly as he passed and sat down on the other side of me, placing a plate laden with food in front of me.
“I can’t eat this much,” I said digging in.
Michael smiled, stuffing a piece of croissant in his mouth, “We’ll see.”
As we ate, we discussed the schedule for the day. We would be attending a parade, followed by dinner at the Commander’s Palace in the Garden District, and then off to a private Mardi Gras ball. I laughed as I found myself scraping my plate clean, and finishing all the food Michael had heaped onto the plate. It did not escape his notice either.
“So, do you want some more?” he quipped, pointing to my plate.
I grinned. “It was good. Though, I think if I eat another bite I might explode.”
Marcus grinned too. “Ma Petite complains of that often, funny it doesn’t stop her.”
Nancy who had joined us a few minutes earlier sat down next to Marcus with her plate. She addressed Marie and me, “I think the boys are itching for trouble today. We may just take Russell and the limo, and leave you all home alone today if you’re not careful. I’ve heard that the Argus Krewe has some mighty good looking fellows on their floats.”
As Marcus was about to retort, the room abruptly grew quiet with the arrival of Simone. The three men immediately rose from their chairs.
"Good morning, Ma Mére,” Marcus said, walking toward the other end of the table. He drew out the chair for his mother. "I thought you were breakfasting in your room this morning?"
She smiled and touched his face. "I did, my dear, but I thought I would join you all for coffee and hear about your plans for the day." She spied the empty seat next to Michael. "I will sit next to my Mon Grand."
Michael pulled the chair out and I’d swear I saw him bow or at least nod his head. "Good morning, Miss Simone."
I had to stifle a laugh - this woman knew how to be treated like a queen, and I needed to take lessons from her. She sat primly beside Michael and the ever-alert Frederick brought her a café au lait.
Putting a hand on Michael's arm she asked, "Did you enjoy your evening at Antoine's last night?"
"Yes, they took care of us like they usually do. Elizabeth loved the Baked Alaska presentation."
Simone nodded. "Oh good. Yes, they are well known for the dessert. So, Marcus, today it is the Argus Krewe is it not?”
"Yes, Ma Mére. We will do that parade."
Simone looked over at me. "Make sure someone catches a Blue Dog for Elizabeth. The Argus Krewe has a delightful float that celebrates our famous local Cajun artist George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog paintings.
Marcus smiled, "Yes, we will, and for Nancy, too. It is her first Argus parade as well."
Simone looked at Nancy as if she were an afterthought. "Yes, of course, for her also."
I thought I saw my friend roll her eyes, but if she did, she hid it well.
We finished breakfast quickly and headed upstairs to dress for the parade. The weather had changed to a blustery day. I braided my ha
ir and changed into jeans and a sweater. So far, I counted myself lucky because it had been a morning without nausea.
When we arrived at the parade route in Metairie, it was already crowded. Marcus had arranged seating for us on the grandstand. It seemed he knew everyone because we were stopped innumerable times on our way to our seats by people saying hello. He took the time with everyone, making sure to introduce us all. Nancy was making a concerted effort to remember everyone’s name, for me it became a big blur.
The parade was magnificent with all the colors and music. It was a family friendly parade and, as much as I had heard about the raucous behavior which usually occurred at Mardi Gras parades, there was none of that. The riders threw beads, doubloons, stuffed alligators, and other trinkets. We girls did not need to lift our tops up to gather any attention. When the Blue Dog float passed by, Marcus held up two fingers and two of the stuffed Blue Dogs were thrown directly at him. He caught them with ease.
I shouted at him over the music as he handed me one, “It’s good to know someone in high places.”
He laughed. “That’s the Big Easy - it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”
Immediately following the Argus parade was a truck parade, made up entirely of flatbed trucks decked out as floats. Street vendors were selling yellow, purple, and green souvenirs, food, and treats. In between the parades, the boys went on a food run, bringing us back po’ boy sandwiches and beers in plastic go cups. In New Orleans, it is legal to carry alcohol as long as it was in a plastic cup. My beer was the non-alcoholic version, but I was happy to have something to cool my parched throat. I had cheered so much for the floats, I wondered if I would get my voice back. The po’ boys were delicious, made with French bread that was crusty on the outside and fluffy soft inside, and filled to overflowing with deep-fried shrimp. I was surprised to see that Michael was even able to find one vegetarian style, with fried okra and remoulade sauce. Tommy, seated next to me, helped me finish my sandwich while giving me a running commentary about the parade. He was full of stories and knowledge about both the history of New Orleans and Mardi Gras.
After the parades, we mingled with friends of Marcus’ who had sat near us. Everyone was in a party mood and enjoying the atmosphere. It grew late in the afternoon and clouds began to threaten so we all walked back to the limo and Russell who waited for us. The others had consumed quite a few beers and I was glad I would not have to maneuver the traffic by being the designated driver.
We all dispersed when we arrived back at the house. Since we were going directly to the ball after dinner we would be dressing in our formal attire beforehand. Michael closed the door to our bedroom while I flopped myself on the bed - I needed a nap. He switched on the television as he pulled his chambray shirt over his head and stood there in all his hunkiness, looking at me. With his firm rippling pecs and that lovely smattering of blond hair across his chest, he had me drooling, especially when I followed that trail that dipped inside his pants. As he was dropping the shirt on the chair next to him, he kicked off his sneakers, and reached to unbutton his jeans. At this point, I became even more interested.
He fished around in the bag that contained my parade trinkets and pulled out some of the colorful beads, which he twirled around on his fingers. In his best southern accident he said, “Cher, here in Nawlins you only get beads if you show me what you’ve got under your top.”
I giggled while propping myself up on my elbows and watching him as he let his pants drop. His eyes didn’t leave mine while his pants landed next to his sweatshirt. My grin grew as wide as his when he leaned over to remove my shoes.
“All that fresh air today has me feeling lecherous,” he said, his hands busy removing my jeans.
“It has? What do you plan on doing with those feelings?” I asked after he pulled my sweater off so I lay in only my panties and bra. I was glad that I wore the black lace set.
We heard a loud bang on the wall above the bed, followed by Tommy shouting, “Hey! Turn down that TV! I can’t hear what’s going on!” This was followed by raucous laughter from the other room.
Marie’s voice quickly followed in a slightly lowered tone, “Tommy! Hush up!”
Michael laughed and shouted, “You’re killing me here, bro!”
I blushed deeply and whispered, “Oh my gosh! The walls are thin! Maybe we shouldn’t…” My protests quieted when Michael made quick work of removing my panties and proceeded to demonstrate his plans for the rest of the afternoon.
CHAPTER NINE
After our nap, we showered together. Michael dressed in his tuxedo quickly. As usual, my mouth went dry and my lower body parts clinched together tightly. He was my James Bond all the way.
As I sat in front of the dressing table, he leaned over and nibbled my ear, a sure way to create a puddle under my chair. “Babe, I’ll meet you downstairs. Should I send the hairdresser up?”
I nodded, unable to speak because of the warming effect his tongue was having on me. Simone had offered to have her hairdresser come to the house to fix the girls’ hair for the balls. Michael was gone only a few minutes when there was a soft rap on the door.
“Come in!” I called
A man walked through the door. “Hello, Miss Elizabeth, I’m Henri, here to do your hair.” He pronounced his name without the H and it sounded like ornery. He was a short, stout, older man who was impeccably groomed and dressed in a suit. I wouldn’t have expected any less from Simone’s hairdresser.
“Hi,” I replied. “I hope you can do something with my mess.” I motioned to my hair.
“Oh Chérie, your hair is beautiful.” He lifted it up and allowed it to fall gently down my back. “This is your natural color, isn’t it? So many red highlights!”
I nodded. “My mother was a redhead, but I inherited more of my grandmother’s auburn.”
“Beautiful,” he repeated and began to brush my hair.
“Have you worked with Mrs. DuBois for a long time?”
“Oh yes.” He looked at my reflection in the mirror and lifted one eyebrow. “And yes, there are many stories to be told about this family, but you won’t find me telling them. I know which side my bread is buttered on.”
I could feel the blush climbing before he finished his words. “Oh no! I assure you that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry.”
Henri started pinning my hair up as he laughed. “Oh, Miss Elizabeth, you are too funny. Every family has their skeletons and this family has its share. I know you are wondering about Miss Brigitte and Mr. Michael.”
I shook my head. “No. That’s okay. I know that they dated some years ago.”
He whistled. “There was a lot more going on than dating. It was a big family scandal, and it was bad enough to send poor Miss Brigitte away. Miss Simone was furious. I have never seen her so angry.”
There was a knock on the door and I heard Nancy’s voice. “It’s me.”
Henri stopped talking as I told Nancy to come in.
“Elizabeth, I’m sorry we haven’t had the chance to talk since you arrived,” she paused when she saw Henri. “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were alone.”
“Oh, Miss Nancy, I won’t be long here.” He started to spray my hair.
“No. I don’t want to interrupt. We’re having cocktails in the library. Come down and join us when you’re ready.” Nancy backed out and closed the door.
The moment broke and it was obvious Henri was not going to disclose any more secrets. He finished my hair and, I had to admit while he held the mirror for me, he had done a beautiful job. I would never have been able to achieve all the cute ringlets. He had even woven small crystals throughout the back a perfect match to the gown I was going to wear.
I tried to offer him a tip but he shook his head and let me know that Miss Simone more than took care of his payment. He wished me a nice night and told me he would see me the following evening again.
As soon as he left, a maid knocked on the bedroom door - she informed me she was there to help
me dress. The black velvet and silk taffeta halter ball gown had been a Christmas gift from Michael. It was a vintage 1950 Ceil Chapman dress, adorned throughout with silver beads and crystal drops. I had accidentally stumbled upon the invoice for the dress when it arrived and had been surprised he paid over five thousand dollars for it. I didn’t say anything to him about the cost, but I felt guilty over his extravagance.
Everyone was already gathered in the entryway when I reached the top of the stairs. The conversation hushed dramatically as I came down the steps.
Michael grinned widely at me and walked halfway up to greet me. He kissed my forehead and tucked my arm into his. “You are exquisite, my love,” he told me as we walked down together.
Marie spoke first, “Oh, Elizabeth. You're beautiful!”
Nancy held up her champagne glass to us. “You two make a gorgeous couple.”
“You and Marcus clean up well, too! Nancy, your dress is to die for,” I remarked on her deep purple gown.
Tommy danced around Marie who wore her red hair loose down her back. The emerald ball gown she wore complimented her skin and hair color. “What about me, Cher? Don’t you like my rags?”
I smiled at him. “Marie makes you look good!”
Simone and Brigitte came to join us from the library.
“Mr. Henri did a beautiful job with your hair,” Simone said in greeting and I flushed.
“Thank you, Miss Simone. I appreciate you sharing him with me.”
“He is good at everything he touches.”
When Brigitte saw Michael and me standing together she lost her smile.
“Russell will take the six of you to the restaurant first and come back for Brigitte and me. Unfortunately, we cannot get everyone into the car at once. We don’t want to muss our gowns,” Simone announced authoritatively.