by Emery, Lynn
“The novelty will wear off. Simon is used to class.” Toya tossed back her head causing her styled hair to bounce.
“Which is why he’s not with you!” Rae took a step forward to stand inches from her face. “Take a good look. Yeah, it’s me. I’ve got your man and it’s eating you up. You still haven’t learned not to mess with me.”
“Screwing Simon isn’t going to get you on top of the social ladder,” Toya snarled.
“Seeing your eyes bulge out is reward enough, honey. I’ve got your man and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it,” Rae said in a raspy, taunting voice.
“Bitch!” Toya shrieked.
She lashed out with her long fingernails in an attempt to claw Rae’s face, but Rae grabbed her hand in one motion and slapped her hard with her free hand. Toya kicked Rae’s ankles, trying to dig the heels of her pumps into flesh. The thick, denim jeans that Rae wore protected her legs from serious injury. She swung at Toya’s head, but missed when Simon snatched her back. Marcelle tussled to get her arms around Rae and yanked her back while Simon managed to wrap both arms around the screaming Toya.
“Let me go, Marcelle,” Rae shouted. She strained to break free. “She’s overdue for a butt whipping.”
“No!” Marcelle tightened her grip. “Listen to me! Listen.” She shook Rae hard. “Don’t give her the upper hand by gettin’ down in the dirt with her. Walk away.”
“But Marcelle, she–” Rae’s breathing was rapid.
“She’ll be even more aggravated if you’re cool, calm and collected. Just walk away,” Marcelle whispered into her ear.
Rae gradually slowed her breathing and nodded to Marcelle that she was under control. With a great show of haughtiness, she smoothed down her red, silk camp shirt, tucking the loose ends back into the waist of her jeans.
Toya huffed with wrath. Simon shook a finger at her as he lectured. He glanced over his shoulder at Rae and Marcelle.
“Ileen, make sure she stays here.” Simon strode over to talk to Rae.
Ileen, one of Toya’s pals from another old family, eagerly agreed. She looked thrilled to be an eyewitness to what was sure to keep Belle Rose buzzing for weeks.
“Good thing I was here, visiting a friend,” Ileen said with relish.
“I’d liked to smash her face in,” Toya spat out.
Ileen threw a disdainful look at Rae and Marcelle. “Remember who you’re dealing with, dear. Don’t soil your hands.”
Simon marched toward Rae and Marcelle with a grim look. “I’ll see you later.” His jaw muscles worked.
“Yeah, yeah! I saw you all up in her face,” Rae flung at him. Her anger simmered just a few degrees from boiling over again.
“Don’t you think one nasty scene a day is enough?” Simon stared off into the distance as he spoke in a low, controlled voice.
Marcelle stepped between them, cutting off another remark from Rae. “Yeah, we all need to take a deep breath and cool off. Come on, Rae.” She used her body to push her friend ahead of her toward the car. “See you, Simon.”
Rae watched her stony-faced boyfriend walk across the parking lot to his car. She fought the urge to kick and scream in frustration. So that’s how it is? The memory of him standing close to Toya was stamped in her head. It was obvious that on some level he still cared about her. To hell with them both!
“Drop me off at the dance hall,” Rae said. At least she could do something there to work off the tension she was feeling.
“How are you going to get home?”
“Andrew is supposed to be there. Garrett, too. If not, I’ll walk home.”
“Maybe you should anyway. A brisk three-mile walk might work off that temper,” Marcelle said, with both dark eyebrows raised.
“Don’t you start on me, too.”
“Rae, Miss Elda is upset. She’ll calm down once she has time to get some rest.” Marcelle pulled onto the dance hall’s parking lot.
Rae sighed. “Not if folks keep feeding her lies. I can’t much blame her. How would you feel if somebody told you Freddie got hurt because his boss made him work in an unsafe building?”
“I know but–”
“Having folks believe the worst about me is nothing new.” Rae turned her face away. “But this..? I wouldn’t do anything to hurt Mr. Calvin or anybody else working on the dance hall.”
“I know,” Marcelle said in a quiet voice.
“And set a match to Lucien’s dream? Never. Just the thought makes me sick to my stomach.”
“I know that, too. Remember what my aunt used to say?” Marcelle tapped her arm.
“Miss Shirley?” Rae smiled at the memory of her friend’s independent aunt. They had idolized her as young girls.
“Yep, she wore what she wanted and did things that kept the women in this town flapping their lips. When Grandmama fussed, Aunt Shirley would put her hands on her hips and say–”
“I don’t care what the people say cause the people don’t run my business,” Rae finished with a laugh.
“You got that right. We know you didn’t put money ahead of safety or set fire to the dance hall.” Marcelle leaned toward her. “And Harold doesn’t believe it either. He’ll find out the truth.”
“Like they found out the truth about Pawpaw Vincent? If that fire was set, they’ll have to find proof that somebody else did it or this town will forever believe it was me.” Rae bit her lip.
“Rumors don’t mean a thing.”
“Business at the dance hall could suffer for months, even more. I can’t hold on that long.” Rae closed her eyes. “And if the insurance company won’t pay, that’s the end of Rockin’ Good Times.”
“Fight back and I don’t mean with Toya either,” Marcelle said with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Lord, I can just imagine what a sight that was. Me acting like a crazy person, screaming and kicking.” Rae put her head in her hands.
“One thing about it, Miss Toya is gonna cross the street when she sees you comin’.” Marcelle giggled. “Sugar, I felt the slap you gave the hussy.”
Rae grinned at her. “I’ve wanted to do that since we were in fifth grade.” Then the thought of being under suspicion sobered her. “Much as we hate it, Toya does have power in this town; in the parish even.”
“Not enough to have you charged with a crime you didn’t commit.” Marcelle’s eyes glittered with defiance. “And just let them try. My cousin Phillip in Baton Rouge is one of the best darn lawyers around.”
“Great, now we’re lining up my defense team.” Rae shook her head. “Lucien, you got me into this fix, so you better help get me out.” She gazed around as though expecting her handsome, rebel father to appear. A series of loud thunderous knocks, like wood being hit, caused both women to jump and grab each other’s hands.
“W-what was that?” Marcelle whispered.
Andrew appeared from around a corner of the dance hall with a couple of the carpenters. The men waved at them. Rae and Marcelle exchanged a glance and then burst out laughing.
“Girl, we’re losin’ our minds.” Marcelle gasped for air and wiped tears from her eyes.
“You should have seen the look on your face,” Rae spluttered, before becoming incoherent as giggling took control again.
Marcelle took a deep breath. “Me? Your eyes were big as plates.”
Rae patted her face with a tissue from the dispenser in the car. “I must be crazy laughing at a time like this.”
“Lord have mercy, it’s the stress.” Marcelle fanned herself.
“If you say so.” Rae shook her head with a slight smile.
“And I’ll tell you what, we’re gonna beat this, just like we beat all the tongue waggin’ before. You wait and see.” She reached over to hug Rae’s neck.
“Did I ever say how lucky I am to have you for a friend? You’ve always been right there when I needed you most.” Rae held onto to her a while longer before pulling away.
Marcelle chuckled. “Shoot, I wasn’t gonna miss all the fun.”
Rae got out of the car and waved goodbye to her friend as she drove off. As usual, Marcelle had helped to lift her up when she was slipping down into dejection.
Andrew was beaming at her. “Hey, little sister, we got good news.”
“Good. I could use some.” Rae greeted the other two men.
“We figure it’ll take a week, tops, to rip out the burned wood and put in some new. In fact, Kirk here thinks we’ll come out better.”
Kirk nodded. “Yeah, we gotta buy lumber, so we can put up that patio overlooking the bayou. Won’t cost hardly more than a few deals extra since we buyin’ a big load.”
“That’ll be great for private parties,” Andrew added, “and now we don’t have to wait.”
“If the insurance pays.” Rae looked glum.
“Thanks guys.” Andrew waited until the two carpenters had gone back to work before speaking again. “Let’s get on with the work.”
“You kidding? Andrew, I don’t have the money.” Rae threw up both hands.
“I talked to Neville and he agrees. I’ve got three thousand I’m willing to invest; Tante Ina and Uncle David got money, too. We’re goin’ ahead.”
Rae felt a swell of emotion. “I can’t ask you to do that. You’re risking everything you have.”
“It’s our decision. And the insurance company is gonna pay up.” Andrew spoke with confidence.
“That’s not what Tony says.”
Andrew looked around and lowered his voice even though it was obvious they were alone. “Kirk’s brother-in-law’s cousin is a mechanic at Pop’s Garage. He the only one knows how to work on the fire truck. He told Kirk he overheard some of the firemen talkin’. They say it’s gonna be hard provin’ it is arson, let alone who did it.”
“Really?” Rae’s hope flared and then went out with a puff. “Hold up, this is third or fourth-hand information. Until we hear it from Harold or Tony, don’t count on anything.”
“I’m tellin’ you, the insurance company is gonna cough up in the end. We got it made.”
“Maybe.” Rae felt a flicker of optimism. Harold was a smart man, not likely to jump to conclusions.
“Truth is I don’t think Harold is dumb enough to believe you’d burn this place down. He smells a rat.” Andrew nodded as he gazed at the dance hall.
Rae studied her brother for a few seconds. “You’re ready to make a stand.”
Andrew looked at her with a sober expression. “Even if the insurance doesn’t pay, we’re going to rebuild. We can’t let them wipe their feet on us, Rae.”
Looking at her brother, she felt a strange tingle. It was as though Lucien was speaking through his son. She had never thought of Andrew as taking anything too seriously. Nor had she ever thought of Lucien as heroic. But she was wrong. Just as she’d been wrong in thinking that Neville had nothing but contempt for their father and would never help her revive his dreams.
Rae clapped her hands together and smiled. “Then let’s get moving, man. We’ve got a lot of stuff to do.”
When Andrew put his arm around her shoulder, she felt all her misgivings shrink to nothing. They talked about lumber, wiring and other details as they walked to where the carpenters were working.
In the back of Rae’s mind was the thought of seeing Simon again. He’d been right to be disgusted with her behavior. She would apologize for making a scene. Rae savored the anticipation of feeling warm and loved in his arms. In spite of all that had happened, she still had reason to hope she could make a life here.
Chapter 16
That evening, Rae sat on her front porch thinking about the ugly confrontation with Toya earlier, and putting things in perspective. Marcelle was right – it was natural for Miss Elda to be upset at such a difficult time. Rae was amazed and then thrilled when she got home to find over a dozen phone calls from folks, expressing support for her to reopen the dance hall. She had reason to see a distant light at the end of this dark tunnel. When Simon drove up, she sprang from her rocking chair, feeling renewed.
“Hi babe.” Rae met him halfway as he walked across the front yard, and pecked him on the check. He did not smile or lean toward her.
“Hi.” Simon followed her onto the porch. After refusing a drink of tea or soda, he sat down.
After several minutes of awkward silence, Rae spoke up. “That breeze feels good. Nice end to a hot day.”
“There’s more than one reason to be glad this day is over.” Simon seemed intent on some far-off object.
“Listen, Simon, about what happened… I’m sorry for letting Toya push me over the edge. The witch got the better of me, and that hasn’t happened often.” Rae lifted a shoulder.
“Is that a fact?” Simon continued to look straight ahead.
“Sure.” Rae wore a slight smile. “I’ve turned getting back at old Toya into a fine art since seventh grade.”
“I see.”
“Damn straight. Toya went out of her way to treat me like garbage. She and her girlfriends would stand in a group making jokes about me. Even after she went to that fancy private school, when she came home for the holidays it was the same thing.”
“So you learned to get back at her?” Simon asked in a quiet voice.
“I did stuff that drove her nuts.” Rae gave a short laugh. “This one time I–”
Simon cut her off. “Is that what I am? Your adult version of payback?”
Rae stared at him with a puzzled expression. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about what you said to Toya. It sounded to me like your main motivation for seeing me was to get revenge. Is that why you were so… friendly when we first met? Because I was Toya’s ex-husband?” Simon looked at her directly for the first time.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Rae tried to smile, but it faded at the anger that made his dark brown eyes sparkle. “Look, I admit that making Toya crazy with jealousy is fun, but once I got to know what kind of person you are–”
“And how long did it take, Rae? The first time we made love or the second?” Simon’s knuckles stood out as he gripped the arm of the rocking chair. “Just when did I become a person to you?”
“That’s not what I meant. Stop twisting all this around,” Rae said in exasperation.
“Explain it to me then,” Simon insisted.
“Okay, so I despise Toya. Big surprise, considering what her family has done to mine for fifty years! Yes, I enjoyed how seeing us together made her miserable. I plead guilty.”
“I thought you were different from what people said about you. She’s selfish and loves to break rules just for the hell of it, is what I was told; a user who will do anything to get what she wants.” Simon gazed at her without a hint of warmth.
“One fight with Toya and this is what I get?” Rae shook her head. A ball of hot fury burned in her chest. “No, I don’t buy it. What’s this really about, Simon?”
“I don’t have a hidden agenda. But it seems to me that in a moment of anger the truth slipped out.” Simon did not raise his voice. “More than you intended.”
Rae jumped from her chair. “I’ve seen you petting up Toya for the last month or so, Mr. Righteous! I see through your game.”
“What game?”
“You’re using this as an excuse to pick a fight, just like you’ve been visiting Mr. Henry as an excuse to see Toya.”
“Now you’re twisting things.” Simon stood up. “Everything that’s happened – this fight with Toya, rushing to get the dance hall open – it’s all to show up everybody, right? To thumb your nose at the society folks.” Though he still did not raise his voice, his words were amplified. They seemed to bounce off the trees, echoing with condemnation.
“Yes! Is that what you wanted to hear? I want to rub their noses in the fact that a Dalcour beat them at their own game!”
“You’re no different from Toya, you know that? All bitterness and spite.” Simon pronounced a harsh judgment in a dry, hard tone.
“And I suppose you believe al
l the talk about me setting fire to the dance hall, too?” Rae’s tenuous hold on her temper snapped.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to; it’s all over your face.” Rae jabbed a finger in the air between them.
“I talked to Oliver Ardoin about the electrical work he did. The man cut some corners and he says you knew it.”
“So that offer to help was an excuse to investigate me. I guess Sheriff Thibodeaux will pull up, lights flashing, and take me away in handcuffs right about now!” Rae felt dizzy with fury. “You’re good; I have to hand it to you.”
“I wanted to help you get open again so you could hold onto your father’s dream and keep your promise. I thought that’s what was really important to you. Not getting back at the Joves.”
“Sure you want to help me. I’ve been feeling the glow since you got here,” Rae shot back.
“I don’t believe for a minute that you set that fire,” Simon said.
“Oh okay, you think I got somebody else to do it.” Rae managed to keep her voice steady. She was not going to let him see how much pain he was causing her. She would not!
“No,” Simon blurted out, “of course not. But you might have made a mistake letting Ardoin use wiring made overseas.”
“So I’m not a criminal, just negligent. Well that makes all the difference in the world,” Rae spat.
Simon shook his head. “You didn’t realize or take the time to check with me.”
Rae glared at him for several seconds before answering. “I’m not a contractor, but after working on stages for the past seven years, I do know something about wiring. Oliver Ardoin is a jerk who tried to increase his profit margin by using materials made in South America somewhere. But I caught it. That wiring is by the same company as the stuff used in stage sound and lighting systems. It meets most safety standards,” she said in a voice as cold as steel.
“It could have been better.” Simon stared at her and then turned away. “Listen, I guess we’ve both said too much today.”
“Understatement of the year,” Rae muttered to herself. She gazed at him. “I don’t much feel like having dinner now. You better leave.”