She took the remote and started flipping through channels. It was Halloween, so there were all kinds of horror movies on. She’d never been a fan of those, but she hoped she could find a good vampire flick.
“The Lost Boys!” she exclaimed. “I loved this movie as a teen! I wanted to move to Santa Carla. Then, I realized there was no Santa Carla.”
“That’s too bad,” Jared said. “But then you may not have ended up here.”
He reached out and put his arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled in close. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he leaned in and kissed the top of her head.
“You’re right,” she said. “Right now, there is no place I’d rather be.”
A Few Nights Later
Chloe walked into Cat’s Meow, Jared behind her, Ivy and Alcide behind him. It was a weeknight, so not as crowded as it could have been. They easily found spots at the bar, as there was only a small group of people gathered there.
“Can you smile a little bit, Alcide?” Ivy said. “You’re looking a little bit like Lurch.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You rang?”
Chloe laughed. It was the first real glimpse of humor she’d seen from the man.
“I’m doing karaoke tonight,” Chloe proclaimed as their drinks were served. “Ivy? You want to join me?”
Ivy threw her head back and laughed. “That’s all you. I didn’t come out tonight to make a spectacle of myself. But feel free to do whatever you like.”
The blonde in the group beside them turned and spoke to them. “They won’t sing with you either?”
“No,” Chloe said.
“Let’s sing together, then,” the young woman said, holding out a hand to Chloe. “I’m Carly, by the way.”
Chloe turned to the group with her. They all shrugged, looked down, or up, none willing to get up and sing.
Chloe watched as Carly looked over her own group, and they did the same. She and Carly were on their own.
“What do you want to sing?”
“How about I Will Survive? It’s pretty easy to sing,” Carly said.
“That works for me.”
The blonde went and wrote the request down, then returned to her seat.
“Let me introduce you to my friends,” she said.
“This is Emily and Noah, Noah’s my brother.” Carly motioned to the couple beside her. “This is Joey, my best friend.:” She pointed out a dark-haired, dimpled guy who was obviously enamored with her.
She then placed a hand on another good-looking male. “And this is Ryder.”
Chloe introduced her own friends, with everyone shaking hands. Ryder shook Ivy’s hand, then leaned in to say something no one caught, only to hear Ivy say after laughing, “Boo, you can keep your potato salad. I don’t eat carbs.”
“Oooh! Ryder, she shot you down!” Joey, one of the guys from his group, said.
He grinned. “She’ll warm up to me.”
Alcide chuckled. “I wouldn’t bet on that one, my friend. Ivy is one of the most cold-hearted women in the French Quarter.”
Not one to be deterred, Ryder forged on, asking Ivy, “What are you drinking? I’ll buy your next one.”
“A Bloody Mary. Tell the bartender I want a Chateau Rouge special.”
“What kind of special is that?” Chloe asked.
“It’s a twist on the regular recipe.”
“Can I try it?” Chloe asked.
“I wouldn’t advise it. It’s a little strong for most people.”
“And next up, are Chloe and Carly. Everyone give them a big round of applause!” the DJ said, interrupting their drink discussion.
Chloe and her new friend Carly approached the stage. They took the microphones and waited for the song to begin.
With Ryder’s attention focused on ordering a drink, Alcide turned to Ivy.
“Did you take care of that other matter?”
Ivy smiled. “Mr. Montgomery?”
“Yes,” she informed him with a wink. “Oh yes, I did. And what a delicious end to Mr. Montgomery.”
“I thought you looked…satisfied this evening.”
“Very. Which is a good thing for our yummy little cowboy. Any other night, I’d take a bite out of him.”
“Behave yourself tonight, my friend. Let’s let Chloe and her new friend be the only ones singing about survival this evening.”
She batted her eyelashes. “If I must, old friend. If I must.”
The song finished and Chloe returned to the bar.
“Awesome job,” Jared said, pulling her into his arms for a quick kiss.
“Jared?” she asked, leaning even closer so she could whisper in his ear. “I’m going to throw myself at you again tonight. Are you going to catch me?”
He pressed his lips to hers before responding, “Of course, baby, of course.”
“You did a great job this weekend, Lucy,” Alcide said.
“Thank you, Mr. Alcide,” she said. She had materialized and was sitting on the edge of the rooftop pool, her ghostly feet disappearing into the dark water. Tobias had appeared and was sitting beside her, his hand on her thigh.
“Yes, you did,” Josey said, leaning back into her lover’s arms. Archer responded by nodding and kissing the top of her head. They were seated at the bar where they had sat together a hundred years ago. Archer’s memories of his past lives were returning in spurts. He had left the band for medical reasons and had taken up full residence at the Chateau Rouge, with Josey. A visit to a doctor at Tulane had confirmed what Madam Vivian had said.
“To be honest, I don’t think it was just me. I think fate had a hand in it all,” Lucy said, resting her head on Tobias’s shoulder. “And Madam Vivian, of course.”
“Of course,” Ivy said. “We can’t leave her out.”
She took a sip from her wine glass. “Let’s not forget the couple from Charleston, or our own Chloe returning home. I think she will be very happy here. She and Jared looked great together tonight.”
“Yes,” Alcide agreed. “Her grandmother would be pleased.”
“Yes, she would. I still miss Isabella. She was a great friend. So glad we have Chloe.” She looked around the almost empty pool area. “We needed some new blood in this place. It’s been too long.”
“You’re right, Ivy. I’m ready for those old parties again!” Lucy said. “The drinking, the dancing, the music!”
“Yes, it’s time,” Josey said. “It’s time for a resurrection of the Chateau Rouge.”
Ivy nodded to the skyline that was starting to brighten with the rising sun. “It’s also time for some of us to retire. You know I burn easily.”
Josey laughed. “You are right. It’s that time.”
“Good night, everyone,” Lucy said as she and Tobias slowly disappeared.
“Good night,” Josey, Archer, and Ivy said as they walked away to their rooms.
Alcide stood on the rooftop alone. He lit a cigarette and watched the sunrise, lost in thought.
About the Author
Jolie St. Amant fell in love with all things New Orleans after reading Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. Now, a frequent visitor to the Crescent City, she can often be found getting inspiration from ghost tours or sipping cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde.
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https://www.facebook.com/JolieStAmant/
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https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0768HW3SP
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