by Elle James
“Did you?” Elaine could have slit her own throat as soon as the words popped out of her mouth. What had she been thinking to utter such a personal question? Perhaps the flash of jealousy scorching her veins had a little to do with her outburst.
“Oh heavens no.” Josie led Elaine back to the swivel chair and pulled the towel from her hair. “He was my big brother Larry's best friend. Larry threatened to tell Mom if I so much as flirted with him.” She sighed. “But he couldn't stop me from dreamin'.”
Yeah, Elaine had had a few of those dreams herself.
Some of which weren't only dreams. Think ice. Think ice.
She concentrated on quelling the rising warmth in her belly and face. Revealing her current relationship with Craig to this woman was no way to win friends in this part of the state, as evidenced by Lisa's little visit
Josie checked the labels on several cans on the counter and lifted one marked conditioner. With a flick of her wrist, she sprayed a liberal dose into Elaine's hair. “You know what's crazy?”
Elaine shook her head rather than answer. She could pick any number of crazy things that had occurred lately.
“After all those years of tellin' me to back off Craig, recently Larry's been pushin' me to go out with him. Makes me wonder what he's up to.”
Elaine watched her own brows draw downward. Her fingernails flexed against the arms of the chair. She knew she had no hold on Craig. But this was the second woman in the past two hours to talk about going after Craig. Craig, the man she'd slept with for two nights straight!
“I don't know what's got into that boy.” Josie set the can on the table and ran her fingers through Elaine's hair. “Maybe he figures I'm all grown up now and Craig's a mighty fine catch, after all. What do you think, Mirna Mae? Should I go for him?” Josie never looked up, just kept on smoothing conditioner through Elaine's hair.
Elaine held her breath. Whether or not the beautician went after Craig shouldn't bother her in the least. Hadn't she told Craig his lack of commitment wasn't a problem with her?
Then why did it suddenly feel like a problem?
Josie sighed and stepped in front of Elaine to examine the front of her hair. “A guy like that could break a girl's heart in a wink of one of his baby blues.”
Tell me about it. Elaine feared she was halfway there already.
“You should go for him,” Mirna Mae said, spraying a layer of hairspray across Mozelle's growing web of tangles and curls.
Mozelle shoved an elbow into Mirna Mae's side. “Iffn' she don't care for the boy anymore, don't go puttin' ideas into her head.”
“Do that again, and I'll shave you bald!” Mirna Mae rubbed her side and glared at Mozelle.
“Even if I decided to go after him, Craig's way out of my league.” The blond beautician finished applying conditioner to Elaine's hair.
Craig was out of Josie's league? Elaine couldn't stop herself. “Why?”
Josie plunked a fist on her hip, staring into the mirror at Elaine. “I'm a small-town girl. What could he possibly see in me when he has high-powered women fallin' all over themselves to catch his eye?”
Elaine looked around the shop and out through the window. What high-powered women? “Around here?”
Mozelle answered before Josie, “Yes.” She seemed eager to change the subject. “Josie, you're young and date a lot. What do girls do nowadays to snag a man's attention?”
“Why, Mozelle?” Josie's eyebrows rose high on her forehead. “You thinkin' of going on the prowl?”
“Maybe I am, maybe I'm not, but that's neither here nor there.” She motioned her head toward them and said, “Elaine's got a hankerin' for one of the local boys and hasn't had much practice in man-catchin'. Seein' as you've had plenty - practice, that is - you'd be the best coach to teach her.”
“Oh really? Which boy?” Josie's hand paused en route to the wire brush caddy.
Elaine wished she could sink through the floor. How embarrassing to have your social limitations aired in front of complete strangers. And she couldn't tell Josie she had the hots for Craig, not after all the blonde had said of her dreams about the man. “I'd... rather not say”
Josie began to comb Elaine's wet hair, parting the wet waves into sections, and then twisting the long strands and pinning them out of the way. She pulled the bottom layer of hair as straight as the curly tresses would allow, and lifted a strand, pulling it fight. “Since you won't fess up on who, I won't be able to give you specific pointers. But there are a few techniques sure to attract any red-blooded, heterosexual male.” With a crisp, clean stroke, Josie snipped off three inches of hair.
When the curls fell to the floor, Elaine barely noticed. Having grown up too smart to fit in with kids her own age, she'd missed the much-needed education only peers could provide. She listened with interest to what the younger girl had to say.
“You got all the right equipment.” Josie snipped her way across the bottom layer. Then she unclipped a section, letting it fall over the shorter strands. “You just need to package it properly and display it to your best advantage. I learned that in beauty school.”
Great. That advice was real useful. Elaine still didn't have a clue. “How?”
Josie removed another clip and cut her way through more curls. “We're doin' it right now. A new 'do will go a long way toward instillin' confidence and sex appeal.”
“Yeah, but surely looking good isn't enough to sustain a relationship.”
“No, but you can hardly get one started if he doesn't even see you. And if you don't have some kind of sex appeal, you're not going to hold his attention for long. Maybe only long enough for a quickie in the sack.”
Damn. Elaine blushed again. Why couldn't she control the chemical reactions in her body?
Josie had away of zapping to the core. Her words struck entirely too close to home for Elaine. Was she only a twonight stand with the Cajun sex god? Her heart dropped like a lead weight into her stomach. She glanced down at the shapeless smock she wore over khaki slacks and a plain white shirt. “J don't think I have what it takes.”
“Horse-hockey!” Mozelle shouted from beneath Mirna Mae's attack with the back comb. “Listen to what Josie's got to say. She knows what she's talkin' about.”
Mozelle's adamancy was infectious. Elaine could sit there and list all her faults or she could come up with a way to compensate. What did she have to lose? She glanced up apologetically and smiled. “You're the expert, what should I do?”
“You need a little makeup, a sexy outfit, and a great hairdo, of course. Then you need a few pointers on how to act to get and keep a man's attention. Let's start with knowing Your Man. Here's where you gotta do a little homework.”
“Homework?”
“Yeah, you need to know a little about your man. What's his favorite sport and food? What does he do for a living? Occupation tells a lot about a man, his dreams and aspirations.”
Elaine nodded, soaking it all in. So far, everything Josie said was common sense.
“Take Craig, for instance. I know a lot about him already on account he useta hang out at the house during the summers. If I wanted to go after him, which I'm still thinkin' about, I already know the basics. He's a lawyer, his favorite food is shrimp gumbo, he likes football, and the N'Awlins Saints are his favorite team.”
One word jumped out of Josie's description, clunking against everything Elaine thought she knew about Craig. “He's a what?”
“Lawyer.” Josie frowned and stared at Elaine in the mirror. “Didn't you know that?”
“I thought he worked for his uncle at the marina.” Her head spun with this new bit of information.
“That's just him helpin' out He useta spend his summer vacations with his Uncle Joe. Larry says he came to Bayou Miste to meet with Mr. Jason Littington on business.”
Craig wasn't a small-town guy? Elaine's singed brain grappled with the revelation. “So you're saying he's only in town on business?”
“Yeah.”
&n
bsp; “Where does he normally live?”
“N'Awlins.”
Elaine's heart turned flip-flops in her chest. Craig lived in the same city as she did. Their relationship didn't have to end when they left Bayou Miste. The flip-flops stilled. Craig considered her only a passing distraction. Hmmm...
“I'm surprised you didn't know all this. You two have been out on the swamp for the past few nights. What did you find to talk about?”
“Nothing much.” What talking they'd done hadn't included a word about Craig's professional life. He'd led her to believe he was nothing more than a helper at his uncle's marina. The louse! Like the little silver ball in a pinball machine, Elaine's mind bounced between the joy of knowing Craig lived in New Orleans to the stunning knowledge he'd lied to her all along! Ping. Ping. Ping. Elaine massaged the bridge of her nose to still her ricocheting thoughts.
“Anyway. Back to lessons on love-Packaging 101.”
Josie dropped another section of hair and continued cutting. “You appear to have all the right equipment. You just need to package it in such a way as to knock a man on his butt. Honey, the khaki slacks have gotta go.”
Elaine's hand dropped to her lap and she stared up at Josie. “They do?”
“Definitely. You could wear a brown paper bag with more appeal than those. What you need is something that's form-fitting and shows every curve to its advantage. I've got just the dress for you.”
“Dress? But I work in a lab. Dresses aren't practical in a lab.”
“Maybe not in a lab, but definitely at the Raccoon Saloon. ”Huh?“ The confused frown between Elaine's brows seemed permanently etched in her skin. Josie's energy and thought processes left Elaine's head spinning. ”You lost me."
“Tonight's ladies' night at the Raccoon Saloon. You're coming with me.” Josie cocked an eyebrow at Mozelle. “You too, if you have enough gumption to crawl out of the bayou.”
Mozelle stared over at Elaine, her eyes wide and considering. “I'll go if you go,” she challenged. “Been needin' to get out for a long time.” She stared up at the ceiling. “Been since 1991 that I last set foot in that place. I'm way past due for a night of foot-stompin' fun.”
“What exactly is the Raccoon Saloon?” Elaine asked.
“Honey, it's only the most happenin' place in the basin on a Tuesday night. It's just outside of Bayou Miste, so it's close to home. All the guys come out on ladies night cause that's when the women put on their finest and strut their stuff.”
“Strut?” Knots formed in Elaine's stomach. “I don't know how to strut.”
“Girl by the time I'm through, you'll have every man in the parish panting after you.”
Elaine gasped. “I don't want every man's attention!”
“Honey chile, every single, able-bodied man will be there. Your man, whoever that might be, most likely will be there too. Which brings me to the next love lesson - Making Your Man Jealous.”
“This is getting way too complicated.”
“No, this is the easy part. All you gotta do is pay attention to someone else while your guy is watching.”
“Isn't that duplicitous?” Elaine asked.
“I don't know about duplicitous but it gets a guy's blood boilin' if he's interested.” Josie snipped one last time and stepped back to look at her handiwork. “Oh, my.”
With the beautician standing between her and the mirror, Elaine couldn't tell what she meant Her heart pounded in her ears as she expected the worst. “Is that a good 'oh, my' or a bad 'oh, my'?”
“Sometimes I amaze myself. Take a look, honey.” Josie stepped out of the way.
In the mirror, a stranger stared back at her. Gone was the bush of hair spread in a V from the tip of her head to below her shoulders. In its place were soft, layered curls brushing the tip of her shoulders and providing a frame around her face. Elaine lifted a hand and actually ran her fingers through the tresses without getting hung up in snarls. “Wow.”
“I don't think you need the highlights. Your own hair color is beautiful on its own. Wooo!” Josie fanned herself. “Look at me, talking a customer out of a paying job. I must have sniffed swamp gas.”
“Probably all that hairspray I used on Ms. Mozelle.” Mirna Mae stepped up and smiled. "Nice work, Josie.
Better watch out, Craig'll look twice at this one, and you'll have yourself a bit of competition, after all."
“Really, I'm not interested in Mr. Thibodeaux,” Elaine insisted.
Josie shot a sly grin at Mirna Mae. “I think she doth protest too much.”
“She's new in town; give her a break, Josie.” Mozelle said.
“So are you with me or not?” Josie challenged, shooting a glance between Elaine and Mozelle.
“I'm in.” Mozelle crossed the room to stand beside Elaine. “Well?”
“Oh, no.” Elaine pulled the cape from her shoulders and stood. “I have too much to do.”
“Come on.” Josie turned her around and grabbed her hands. “You have to show off your hairdo. Lord knows I could use the advertisement. And you bein' new will be like a man magnet. All the guys will be clamberin' to meet you and maybe some of them will rub off on me.”
“No, really, I can't.” Elaine searched her brain for the perfect excuse. “I don't feel right borrowing a dress from you. You hardly know me.”
“Fiddlesticks! I feel like we're old friends already.” Josie pulled her toward the door. “Now get on home and take a long soak in the tub.”
“But ... ”No buts. I'll be by at 8:30 with the dress. We'll have a great time. I guar-an-tee it."
Mozelle took over from Josie, taking Elaine's arm and pushing her out onto the sidewalk. The door closed and Elaine stood staring back through the glass window of the beauty salon.
Josie wiggled her fingers, smiled and then turned back to Mirna Mae, pumping her arm with a sharp downward thrust. Even from outside, Elaine could hear Josie say, “Yes!”
Steamrolled. Elaine shook her head and tried to look at the bright side. Craig was a lawyer. Surely he wouldn't be caught dead in a rowdy establishment like the Raccoon Saloon. And maybe a night without Craig would prove to her she wasn't interested.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
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Throughout the day, as Craig slept beneath the bed, dreams plagued him. In them, his father repeatedly reminded him of his responsibility to carry on the family business. In the dream the words “it's your legacy” rang out over and over, until they were more of a chant intermingled with the beat of voodoo drums.
When Craig felt his brain would explode from the constant barrage, Elaine's voice could be heard as if in the distance, “We have to stop them. We have to do what's right.”
Instantly the drums stilled and his father's voice faded. Craig relaxed and fell into a long, deep sleep.
When he awoke he lay facedown on a hardwood floor.
Boards pressed against his back and dust bunnies tickled his nose.
Ah-choo! Ah-choo! Ah-choo! He banged his head against the solid object behind his head and swore.
“Craig, is that you back with the human race?” Uncle Joe called from another room.
Craig's eyes flew open and he glanced around. Where the hell... ? Oh yeah, he'd crawled under the bed to keep from being eaten or stepped on while he slept.
What had been a cavern of space to a frog was now a weight on his shoulders. Craig wriggled his way from beneath the bed, stood up and tried to brush the fuzzy stuff from his chest and other body hairs. He flexed his shoulders. The wound from the night before gave him a twinge, but seemed to be healing nicely.
“That scientist lady dropped by before dusk and said she wouldn't be goin' out on the swamp tonight.” Uncle Joe stuck his head around the corner, got one glimpse of Craig's naked form and raised a single eyebrow. “You also got a couple friends out on the porch waiting for you. Might want to put on more than dust fumes before greetin' them.” Uncle
Joe chuckled and ducked back into the bait shop.
The pillow Craig lobbed through the air bounced off the door frame. “Funny, very funny.” Craig grabbed a pair of jeans and a T-shirt from the antique dresser in the corner and slipped into them. Why had Elaine called off the night? He should be glad. Things were getting too hot and heavy for his liking. Elaine wouldn't understand when he went back to New Orleans and resumed his life as a scumbag attorney.
Whoa, where'd that thought come from? Scumbag attorney? The adjective was high-powered, not scumbag. Craig shook his head. The bayou was getting to him. Not a good sign.
So he didn't have to escort Elaine through the swamp. That left him with a night free to pursue other women in the hopes of finding a cure to his... er... problem. The whole voodoo thing still grated on his nerves. “This situation is impossible.”
“Then do somethin' about it,” Uncle Joe called out.
Craig walked barefoot through the bait shop and out onto the porch overlooking the dock. Night had settled in and flying insects danced around the light fixtures.
Mo lounged against the porch rail while Larry sat on a bench whittling a stick with the knife he kept strapped to his boot.
“Found you a female yet?” Larry asked without looking up.
“No.” Craig leaned against a square pole.
“That's what we thought.” Mo said, pushing away from the rail. “Put on your dancin' shoes. It's ladies' night at the Raccoon Saloon.”
Even though he'd been thinking about going out to find a woman to break the spell, when it came right down to it, he really had no desire for a night on the town. I don't feel much like dancin'."
Mo crossed his arms over his chest. “We're not takin' no for an answer. I don't much like havin' a frog for a friend.”
“Like I enjoy being a frog?” Craig didn't like the way Mo assumed the same position he had a few days earlier when Madame LeBieu had issued her summons.
Larry sheathed his knife and stood. The two men each grabbed an elbow and marched him back through the bait shop.
