by BLMorticia
"Cayden's not that gullible, so it won't work," Jonah chimed in.
"Good. What did they say, Irma?"
"Jay said c'mon over. He'll be glad to close off the upstairs so you guys can have a quiet meal."
"Good. I'm starved," Jonah said, walking back up to us with two books in hand. "I'll take these. Can I leave them here until we get back?"
"That'll be fine. They'll be behind the counter for you. That top one is the best. I know Madame Laiana Durress personally." Irma took the books from Jonah.
"For real?" Jonah asked, appearing surprised.
"Yep. She's a voodoo priestess. She's been around for a while, and the family's seen everything. Kind of pretentious, but most of 'em are."
Susie and I laughed at that.
Irma smiled. "It's true. We don't do that here. We treat everybody the same no matter where they're from. I wasn't raised that way, and my shopkeepers aren't either."
"That's good. So where are we going, Trent?"
"I thought we could check out St. Louis Cathedral for sure and the Louisiana Museum. Since it's a weekday, it shouldn't be too crowded."
"Sounds like a plan, then."
"All right, ready to go?" Cayden walked out with Jaze and Healy right behind him.
I nodded at him. "Yep. Irma's got breakfast all set up, so let's get going."
"Great. I'm starved. Miss Irma, I'll be back to check out the place afterward."
"Good. Maybe after you've eaten, you'll let me do a reading then."
Cayden stiffened, but to his credit, he didn't frown. I'm sure Irma was annoying the hell out of him with that.
"I doubt it, but... who knows? Let's go."
"Yeah. Suddenly I'm very hungry," I said.
Cayden walked up. "Good because so am I. And don't worry about paying for anything. All this is my treat. Whatever it costs for food or the admissions into places, I got it."
I flashed him a grin, and our gazes locked for a long while. It was as if he was peering into my soul and we were the only two people here.
Fuck.
I had it bad....
Bad for the pop star with some serious resentment, according to Irma.
Despite my desire to stay single, Cayden had put more than a little something on my mind.
Chapter Nine
Cayden
Bigsby's had a line from the outside, but the staff got us in. We were escorted upstairs by some of their bigger waiters, and as promised, they'd closed off the upstairs for us to eat in peace.
With its simple, modern decor, Bigsby's looked like any other restaurant with its high yellow walls, wooden tables, and ceiling fans. The walls were colored with murals of famous jazz artists as well as abstract paintings. There were televisions within eight feet of each other, plants hanging from the windows. I was told Bigsby's was a five-star establishment. Though it didn't look it, I was still excited to try it out.
Miss Irma was spot-on suggesting Bigsby's for breakfast. The waitstaff was friendly, and the food was full of flavor and fucking delicious. With such an awesome experience, I even allowed them to take pictures with me. I truly wanted to keep my time here on the hush, but now with the whole town knowing where I stayed, that would be nearly impossible.
Pleasantly satisfied, we hurried downstairs before anyone could catch on to us in the restaurant. With Jaze in front and Jonah in back, I rushed out the door to the car.
"Well, all right. Made it out in one piece," I said, laughing. "Where to first, Trent?" I patted the spot next to me because I'd whispered to Jonah and Jaze to take the seats opposite us.
Trent smirked and sat. "The cathedral and museum first. We'll try to stay out of the heat for the most part. Mass is starting soon, though, so we gotta be outta there before twelve unless you wanna stay and listen."
"Nah, I'll pass. I'm an atheist. I love church architecture, though. Let's get going."
The moment I said that, the car pulled off, away from several onlookers. I'd have to ask for a new vehicle so people wouldn't notice the license plates.
Within about ten minutes, we arrived at the cathedral. The limo had to let us out because there was no direct path to it. Hurriedly we exited and walked through the park. The structure was massive. Light gray colored with a bell tower and four other towers with crosses on top. A black fence surrounded the church, with only a part of it open for people to go inside. There was also a statue, of what I assumed to be a minister or pope, in front.
The place was even more amazing up close, and I could hardly wait to get inside.
"So this is the St. Louis Cathedral, otherwise known as the Cathedral-Basilica, King of France. This first permanent church was built in 1721 but was burned to the ground in 1788. With some generous donations and support from civil servant Don Andreas Almonaster y Roxas, the construction of a much larger church began. After the Diocese of Louisiana was established in 1793, the cathedral was finished in 1794. In 1850 New Orleans became an Archdiocese, and in 1851, Archbishop Blanc blessed the newly restored cathedral."
Trent's information served as background noise as we walked closer to the church itself. In front of it were artists selling their pictures of famous celebrities, street musicians playing jazz, and plenty of psychics telling tall tales about someone's future. It appeared to be a popular place to show off all your wares and talents as well as make a few extra bucks.
As we walked in, the cool breeze smacked me in the face. Because there weren't many people inside, I removed my glasses so I could get a good look at the stained-glass windows and statues.
"Damn, this place is beautiful." As we walked down the aisle, I snapped pictures. Being the consummate tour guide, Trent whispered about the images of the saints and Jesus on the windows as well as the world's flags hanging from the rafters.
"So you said this place was reconstructed in 1794? It's been standing that long?"
"Yeah. They've done work on it since to keep it up, but yes, it's been standing almost as long as New Orleans itself. Let's get up a little closer to look at the organ and pulpit. Y'all be careful on the steps."
I smiled at Trent as we made our way to the front. Jonah and Jaze both went to kneel on the benches to our left with their heads bowed. I had no idea either of them were that religious.
"So... are you Catholic?" I asked Trent.
"Nope, but I am Christian." Trent made the sign of the cross over his chest and pointed up. "You gotta be overwhelmed coming in this place."
"Overwhelmed with the architecture? Yes."
Trent eyed me curiously. "So you're not moved with emotion over God?"
"Not really. Like I said, I'm an atheist. It's gorgeous, though. Can't deny that."
Trent harrumphed. "I don't get how people don't believe in God, but I am just your tour guide."
"You could be more if you play your cards right," I added with a smirky grin.
"Um, dude. Not in the church, okay? Maybe later," Trent scolded.
"Pssh. It's only a building." I turned away and shook my head. I pulled up my phone to take more pictures.
No question the church was amazing... more beautiful than any I'd ever been in, and that wasn't many.
"I've looked at this place online before. The pictures don't hold a candle to actually being here," Jonah said as he walked over.
"No, it don't. In my opinion, she's the best thing about New Orleans, other than the cemeteries. Let's move on so the priests can get ready for mass."
"I thought you said they don't do that until twelve," I asked him.
"They don't, but I figured you might wanna move on to avoid the crowds coming in. The museum is right next door."
Trent was correct about that. Admittedly I could stay here longer just to stare at everything, but it was true; we should be moving on. "I suppose you're right. Let's get going, then."
After the church, we headed to the Presbytere, which was one of Louisiana's state museums. The museum's colorful rooms were a sight, telling the state's history as wel
l as the history of some of NOLA's important figures. The exhibit about Hurricane Katrina included actual artifacts from that time as well as monitors displaying accounts of the storm as it happened.
The Mardi Gras exhibit included costumes and videos talking about the celebration's background. I'd never been, but after this lesson, I'd make it a point to partake.
Museums had never been my thing. I found them to be boring as hell, but for whatever reason, Trent made it more fun. He was like a walking encyclopedia with a slight accent. From his vast knowledge and passion, you could tell the guy had done his homework about his city's history.
"Sooo y'all tired now? Wanna take a rest or move on to something else?" Trent asked us as we walked out.
"I'm ready for a drink," Jaze said. "A nonalcoholic one since I'm on duty."
I laughed at that. "Naw, let's go have a hurricane or something. You up for it, Trent?"
"Too hot for all that. Beer and water would be good. It's three now. We could grab something from Lafitte's, then head over to one of the most haunted spots in NOLA, if you'd like."
"Why that bar?" I asked.
"Lafitte's is haunted. It's the oldest bar in New Orleans. Been standing since the late seventeen hundreds. It looks like a shack, but they make some killer drinks."
"Ooh. Yeah, let's do that," Jonah said, sounding like a freaking kid.
"Yeah, why not? And which place would this be? Am I gonna see any more ghosts?"
"Maybe you won't, but you might smell something. Wanna grab the car for this trek or walk?"
"My balls are sticking to my thong, so it might be a good idea to get the car." Although I wasn't wearing one, I said that to get a rise out of Trent.
"Eww, must you let us know about that, Cayden?" Jonah harrumphed.
"Wasn't for your benefit, dude," I told him.
Jaze laughed his ass off.
Trent twisted his lips and shook his head. "Uh, right. Ready?"
"Hell yeah. Drinks always sound good to me."
Trent
Cayden's flirting wasn't lost on me, but I wouldn't respond to any of it because I had a job to do. Didn't matter that I wasn't paid. I took my job as a tour guide very seriously.
Lafitte's didn't do hurricanes. They had one drink called Purple Death instead that was much like the famous NOLA drink. I still opted for a beer because I wished to keep my faculties. If I had one, I was sure I wouldn't be able to remember much about our next destination.
After we finished, we headed over to the Gardette-LaPrete Mansion on Dauphine. It was famous because of the unsolved murders that happened in the mid-1800s.
"So this place was constructed by a rich Creole man by the name of Jean Baptiste LaPrete. He leased it out to a young Turk who claimed to be a sultan from some faraway land. Many of the residents who lived near here said the guy would have some luxurious parties, but one night, the party got out of hand."
"Ooh, is this the spooky part?" Cayden asked me.
"Well, yeah. Anyway, one night someone was passing the place, and the door was open. He noticed blood around the property and, like a smart person, went to the authorities. When the cops got here, they found the house full of slaughtered bodies everywhere, as well as people who'd been raped. Upon further investigation, they went out to the yard and found a single hand sticking out of the ground. Rumors say that hand belonged to the sultan, who'd been buried alive in the back."
"Holy shit! What a way to die," Cayden exclaimed.
"Yep. No one knows who killed all these people, but some say it could've been members of his family or rivals from his land. Regardless, people who'd lived here in the past have reported seeing the sultan himself on the property."
"Wow," Jaze said. "So, no one ever found the killers, huh?"
"Nope."
"Does someone live here now?"
"Yes. Someone's bought the building and split it into apartments, like other mansions here in the Quarter. Many tenants say they've smelled incense in the building because it was a known fact that the sultan burned it during his parties."
"That's something," Cayden said. "It's a gorgeous building. Not crazy about the pink exterior, though."
I laughed and finished my beer. "Yeah, that could be off-putting, but it sold for over three million dollars in its current state."
"Three million, huh? Damn...." Cayden walked closer to it and took a picture. Though the Quarter streets were open, there were no cars coming at that moment.
"I love the designs on the iron gate. It adds to the charm."
"Much like every place down here."
"Mhmm." Cayden turned to me. "I'm getting kind of hungry. Where should we go to eat?"
"We've got a couple of choices. I know a place in the Garden District with great barbecue, or we can go to one of the hot spots here in the Quarter."
"Is it as good as the one we visited this morning?" Jonah asked.
"I dunno. They're both amazing, but y'all can be the judge," I said with a smile. "Ready to move on?"
"Yeah, but let's take a picture in front of it," Cayden said, pulling my arm.
We all huddled in close, and Cayden put the phone on his selfie stick. Immediately he took the photo and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
Fully aware of the contact, I flinched and moved back like I'd been burned. "You sure you wanna touch me now? I'm kinda sweaty."
"Is that a loaded question?"
Jonah and Jaze groaned, walking back across the street.
"Nope. It's just... well... it's hot and...."
"And... you're hot." Cayden smiled and pinched my cheeks. "Take us to the place you prefer to eat at, and hopefully we can ditch these two, so we can have a private tour."
I chuckled and shook my head. I was cool with all Cayden was doing, but I stunk and was in desperate need of a shower. "I don't recall you asking for that initially?"
"Oh yeah, well, I'm asking for it now. Actually I'd love to see where you live."
"Um, you would? It ain't nothing like the fancy suite you're staying in."
"I really don't care." Cayden moved in close and nuzzled the spot under my chin. "Anywhere you are, I'm sure the place will be fine."
I grinned and moved back a little because nothing should be that close to me right now, other than my own skin. "Yeah, um...maybe not yet, huh? I promise you we will, but let's slow down a bit."
"Slow down. All right." Cayden backed away, smiling. "By promising me, that means you're interested, correct?"
Cayden already knew that, but I supposed he wanted to hear it from my mouth. Instead of giving him that satisfaction, I looked ahead at Jonah and Jaze. "Y'all want barbecue or duck?"
Chapter Ten
Cayden
After a couple more days of group tours, I finally convinced Jaze and Jonah to leave me alone with Trent. I had plans to break the barrier Trent had built around himself. And I didn't need the two of them hanging around if things got heavier. I also figured we could take Ubers or Lyfts everywhere instead of calling attention to myself with drivers. Less chance to be spotted in unmarked cars.
Once we'd checked out the Old Ursuline Convent, Trent asked to go back to his place so he could shower. I had no issue with that, so after I grabbed my bag to change, we took an Uber to his building. Compared to Bourbon and the other streets we'd walked down, where he lived was practically deserted.
"You live fairly close to the Marjorie Evans place," I said, laughing.
"You noticed, huh," Trent said over his shoulder while he opened the door.
"I did." I gripped his bicep and squeezed. "I'm pretty good at figuring out where I am. In my position, you have to."
"Oh yeah?" Trent quickly unlocked the door and pushed it open.
"Yes. When you're running from fangirls and boys or getting lost somewhere, gotta get a feel for where you're going."
"Agreed. Well, that will come in handy when you're down here for sure. I can't be your guide forever." Trent waved me inside and closed the door.
<
br /> I stepped up close to him and pinned him against it. I took his hands into mine and raised them over his head. "I told you you could be more than my guide."
Trent shivered under my affections and inhaled sharply. His blue eyes met my gaze. "Shh.... Cayden... Like I told you before, I need a shower."
"So do I. Wanna conserve water and take one together?" Admittedly I was turning up the heat on Trent, but I couldn't help myself. He aroused me in so many ways that I wanted to get to know him in every way possible.
"Not yet." Trent wrangled his hands away and gently pushed me off. He flashed a lazy smile that would melt the panties off anyone. "Why don't you go first? Like I said, this ain't the Ritz Carlton, but it's home."
I turned away to check out his pad. He would be correct in saying the place was nothing special, but it was clean, with no more than a couch, coffee table, television, and small table for two in front of the divider that separated the kitchen from the living room.
"It's quaint and tidy. All that matters," I said with a grin. "Wanna show me where the bathroom is?"
"Of course. Follow me." Trent walked and I trailed him, staring at his small ass poured into those cargo shorts. He filled them quite nicely.
"Anywhere you wanna go, I'll follow. Remember the U2 tune 'I Will Follow'? That's me with you, Trent. You are my guide... for now."
Trent snorted. "You're a mess, Cayden. Calm your jets, okay? No question you're cute, more than, but I don't just jump into bed, or into anything, for that matter, without getting to know more first."
"All right. Perfectly understandable. I'm not annoying you with my flirtings, am I?"
He spun around to face me. "Nope, but you don't have to try so hard. I'm noticing you, Cayden, and I... I like what I see."
Hearing that, I put my hands on his arms and gripped the small muscles under my fingers. "Good, because I definitely like what I see. You are... so hot, Trent. Hotter than any man I've met in quite a while."
Trent grinned and swiped his lip with his tongue. "You ain't seen a lot of good-looking dudes, then."