Blue Autumn in the Bayou (Gumbo Love)

by Clay, Ann

  “Do you remember the halftime show you did?” Rykard got up and imitated some of Reggie’s old dance moves. Everyone was close to tears in laughter.

  Autumn looked from one to the other as they all tried to mock Reggie’s college dance routine. She did smile a little when she saw Reggie egg on Trae. “No, that’s not how it’s done. Bust a move Traekin. Nobody does the dance better than my baby.” Her smile grew a little more when Trae stood and did a few moves, and then wiggled his tail for emphasis.

  “Nah-ah, I didn’t do all that!” Reggie slapped his shoulder.

  Autumn stood, and didn’t linger long in the background. Her smile soon faded and didn’t quite reach its fullness. Sadness lurked in the corners of her eyes. And although neither had said one word to the other, she knew Travis watched her. She sensed his eyes on her even though she refused to look at him. They played that game the entire evening. So she decided to leave the room again.

  * * * *

  Travis detected that something wasn’t right. He had to decide whether or not it was worth his while to find out. He’d told Reggie he was no longer interested in Autumn, but that was a lie. He pretended not to give a damn about her, but something inside of him wouldn’t allow him to continue to deny his true feelings.

  The ladies set the table, which gave them a chance to catch up. They all sat down for gumbo and more conversations. Autumn made and served coffee with dessert. The conversation slipped from one story to another as soft jazz purred in the background. Autumn had said very little. She eventually stood and went to the kitchen where she started cleaning up.

  Standing over the sink full of sudsy water, the same sensation came over her the last time Travis entered the kitchen. “Want some help?” His voice, low and seductive, rose across the short distance between them.

  “No, but thanks for asking. I got it,” she replied just barely looking over her shoulder.

  From her side glance, she watched him move closer; she felt the heat of his body even before he spoke. “My mother taught me well, so I’m actually pretty good in the kitchen.” His voice vibrated against her.

  “I’m sure that’s true. I’m just about done.” She concentrated on her task but dropped the dish into the sudsy water when he, without warning, touched the side of her face and turned it toward him so they were staring at each other. She trembled beneath his touch.

  “What is it about us, Autumn, that has me crazy and you running?” He lowered his lips to her ear.

  Autumn succumbed to Travis touch. The gentle way he coddled her sent fire straight to her core. She was out of her league. No one had touched her that way before. She lowered her gaze. “I’m not running.”

  Travis stuck his finger beneath her chin and lifted her gaze to his again. “Yes, you are. But you don’t have to.” He placed a kiss on her left brow and then released her. She instantly felt the void, but the heat of his touch and his kiss still simmered within her. “I’ll let you finish your dishwashing. Call me if you need help.”

  Autumn smiled. And that time it reached to her ears. She watched the smoldering in his gaze and knew he could be the end of her.

  “See, that’s what I’m talking about. You wear that well.” He turned and left the kitchen.

  * * * *

  Autumn stood over the sink, only this time she made no effort to wash a dish. She bathed in the aftermath of Travis’s sweet embrace and kiss. Her smile widened.

  “What are you grinning at, girlfriend?” Reggie walked into the kitchen with a carafe and several empty cups.

  Autumn whipped around to face her friend with a saucy grin. “Nothing.”

  “Nothing my tail, girl. Did Travis come in here?”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  Reggie smiled back at her. “You know this is the first time I’ve seen this look on you. Even when you dated Paul there wasn’t this glow that I now see on your face.”

  Autumn’s smile faded and she stood up straight from her lean on the counter. “We’re not dating. We just talked for a few seconds. And Paul was so long ago. I don’t even think either of us knew what love was. I think Paul felt like he was deprived of love. I also think he was with me because I was the only person to show any interest in his wellbeing.” She sunk down in a chair near the bay window. Reggie followed her and sat across from her.

  “What happened to Paul had nothing to do with you. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”

  “That may be true but the fact remains that he looked to me for help, and I wasn’t there for him when he needed it the most.”

  “Trust me, sweetheart, the outcome would have been the same had you been there. I’m just afraid that you wouldn’t be here either had you been there.” Reggie stroked her arm gently.

  Autumn sucked in a deep breath and held it. Tears welled in her eyes; tears she thought had been done with years before. She brought her hands up to her face. How could she be sure the curse of her great-grandmother, grandmother, and her mother not be hers too? She had walked in the shadows of their curse, skirting life so that their fate didn’t become hers. She didn’t want to take that chance with anyone, not even Travis.

  “I can’t risk losing someone else, Gina.” It was on her pet names she called Reggie.

  “Then how can you ever get anything, Autumn, if you’re afraid to lose it? You can’t possibly believe any of the tales those bayou people have told you. What happened to them has nothing to do with a curse. They were just bad decisions; simply bad life decisions.” She pulled down Autumn’s hands and stared directly at her. “Travis is a big boy. He can handle himself. And as for you, it’s time you start living your life. Take it from me, it’s too short to ignore.”

  Autumn stared at her friend. Everything Reggie said was true. They’d had this conversation so many times before, so she knew better. She allowed herself to be spooked every time something good began to happen to her. The one thing that seemed to thrive in her life now was her dancing career. She guarded it with reverence because one day it, too, would leave her.

  “Mer Drace told me the exact same thing.” Autumn squeezed her friend’s hand. “I want to try. I just don’t know if I’m ready.”

  “Sure you are. Trust what’s here.” Reggie pointed to her heart.

  “Okay.” Autumn said it but doubt still seemed to tug at her spirit. “I better go wash my face.” She stood and headed down the hall. As she passed the den, she just happened to turn and look directly into Travis’s face. She quickly moved and went straight to the downstairs bathroom.

  Alarmed by her distress, Travis stood and followed Autumn. He stopped at the bathroom door. Without thinking twice, he turned the unlocked knob, and pushed the door opened. He found her hunkered over the sink with a damp towel to her face. He pulled her up and turned her toward him. “What’s wrong, baby?” He studied the redness in her eyes.

  She pulled away, but Travis pulled her back. “Talk to me, Autumn.”

  “I think I got dust in my contacts,” she lied as she looked away.

  “Here, let me see if I can help.”

  She moved once again. This time Travis allowed her to move from his embrace. “I’m good. It’s these new colored contact lens.” She paused. “I got them last Saturday and I’m not sure they’re the right size. My prescription ran out before I got here, so I got a new prescription from a local optometrist.” That part was not a lie, but it didn’t make her feel any better. Now he knew she was hiding her true eye color.

  Autumn fidgeted beneath his brief scrutiny because she feared that he didn’t believe her for a moment. Even as she looked in the mirror, her swollen eyelids betrayed her story. However, it was the story she was sticking to, and was relieved when instead of further questioning, he leaned down and kissed her ear. But the pleasant surprise took a sudden twist when he whispered, “You can trust me. So don’t ever lie to me, Autumn, please.” And before she could react, he turned and left the room.

  His words, his declaration, made her second guess letting Tr
avis into her inner circle. She would have to be level with him and try not to conceal things from him. If there was any truth to a beginning for them, she would have to reveal things to him that she hadn’t told anyone else. She patted her face dry, set the towel on the empty towel rack, and headed back up the hallway.

  CHAPTER 11

  Autumn once again passed the opened French doors of the sunken den and there he was, waiting on her. She slowed and met his gaze head on. He nodded, and she moved past the door and went back to her chore in the kitchen. When she was done, she rejoined the others in the den. She took an open seat at the bar. Travis moved behind it.

  “What can I offer you, pretty lady?”

  Something about his offer made her believe he offered something more than a drink. She hesitated before answering him. “Club soda with a twist of lime,” she spoke softly.

  “Is that all?” He asked, one brow lifted.

  “For now,” she answered his cryptic question.

  He smiled. The lopsided smile revealed straight white teeth. His eyes simmered with desire. “One club soda with a twist of lime, coming up.” He scooped ice into a glass without looking. He kept his gaze glued to her. He looked down long enough to slice a wedge of lime. He then squeezed it and dropped it in the glass before pushing it toward her. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks.”

  Neither of them saw Michael walk up to the bar. “Are you serving, big brother, or are you making goo-goo eyes at the pretty girls?”

  “This is self-service, man, but since I’m here, what can I get you?”

  “Now I’m sure that’s not how you ask Ms. Pretty Thing here when you fixed her a drink. Can I get a little common courtesy or am I going to have to talk to the host of this house?”

  Michael shook his head when Travis moved around the bar and reached for Autumn’s hand, pulling her from the bar stool and replied, “You can get your own damn drink. Tell the host of this here house I said so.” His gaze followed them to the other side of the room.

  “Dang, I can’t get no respect around here.” He moved to the spot Travis had vacated.

  “What’s wrong, sugah? Can mommy get something for her baby?” He felt Denise behind him.

  He turned and draped his arms around her. “See, this is what I’m talking about. This here is what I want.” He kissed her fully.

  No sooner than he could enjoy the kiss from Denise, he made another quick turn when Trae announced, “Okay, everybody get the hell out. I got to make up some time with my baby. It was great seeing all of you, but now you’ve got to get up outta here!”

  Michael stared with his mouth gaped. “What kind of host puts people out? I know your momma taught you better, boy. Just wait until I tell her,” he complained.

  He growled at his brother when Trae pushed him and Denise from the bar area. Just as he took the glass from his hand the insult continued, “Tell what you want. Now, bounce!” He and Denise unwilling followed the others out to the foyer.

  * * * *

  Before Trae could make his way to where they sat, Autumns heart raced because she knew that before long, her shared time with Travis was going to end. She looked into his dark eyes when he asked her, “Do you have plans for this evening?”

  “Actually, I do. I needed to leave soon.” Her heart accelerated even more, and she closed her eyes when Travis touched her arm.

  “Okay, maybe we can talk tomorrow. Would that be alright?”

  “Yes.” She didn’t hesitate. A wonderful thrill ran through her knowing she’d taken a leap she ordinarily thought twice about.

  “Do you still have my number?”

  “Yes.”

  “Call me, when you a get a chance tonight and we’ll make plans then. Besides, we still have to talk about this wedding next Saturday.” He winked at her.

  Autumn sighed. “Yeah, I know. It’s just around the corner.” She wanted to linger in his presence, wanted to reach out and touch the shadow now visible on his jaw and chin. She resisted.

  * * * *

  Travis picked up the phone on the first ring and without looking at the caller ID display. “Hello.” “If you didn’t sound so sexy, I would be mad at you, Travis Kane Brooks,” Savannah sang into the phone.

  “Savannah, how are you, sweet thing?”

  “I should ask you, Travis. You left me hanging. The only reason I didn’t come searching for you was because I knew you were distraught over losing your favorite uncle. But not to even call your candy girl, well that’s just not nice.”

  “I know, Savannah. I’m sorry. You knew my family was here, and of course we’re trying to tie up some loose ends.” Travis didn’t have to explain himself to Savannah, but she was his friend as well as a lover. When he needed someone other than his brothers to talk to, she was his sounding board.

  “Well, when are you planning to make it up to me, big boy? I miss your loving.”

  “I’m getting ready for my youngest brother’s wedding next week, so how about I give you a call after that?”

  “How about I come down for the wedding? I promise to behave.”

  “No, Savannah. That’s not a good idea.”

  Travis could hear the heavy sigh and the agitation in her voice. “So when I can meet these people of yours, Travis? I thought we were friends. You know I would never do anything to embarrass you.”

  Up until this point, Savannah never whined or hassled him about his family or his obligation. The sudden interest in his family and attending events with him caught him a little by surprise. He wondered if she sensed his strong attraction to someone else. Even though they weren’t exclusive, she never reacted to his relationship with other women. He certainly didn’t care who she dealt with outside of their relationship. He didn’t think of her as exclusively his.

  “That’s the last thing I think of you Savannah. It’s not a good idea. Perhaps another time, okay?”

  “If you say so, Travis.” Her tight reply caused a long pause between them. He waited, thinking she would eventually tell him what was on her mind.

  When she didn’t say anything, he asked, “Is there something else sweetie? Because I’m expecting another call.” Travis tried not to be short with her.

  “No.”

  “Okay, I’ll call you…” Travis looked at the phone because the line went dead. Savannah hung up on him. He dropped his hand to his side, phone still press between his fingers. He never expected her to react that way because she knew he didn’t play games. In a week or so she, after she’d calmed down, he planned deal with her then.

  Travis went back to reviewing the report in his lap. About thirty minutes later, the phone rang again. This time he did look at the caller ID. He frowned. The area code was a Texas number. He clicked the ‘talk’ button. “Hello.”

  “Hi, did I catch you at a bad time?” Autumn responded to Travis’s tight greeting.

  “No, please, forgive me. It’s just that I didn’t recognize the number and sort of expected a New York exchange instead of Texas,” he explained.

  “It’s the number that I got with the originally cell phone when I joined the dance company. I didn’t have one when I first moved to New York. So they gave me one, and it’s the same number I’ve had the entire time. Is it too late to talk?”

  “Not at all. I’ve been expecting your call.”

  “You have, have you?”

  “Of course. So what time would you like to meet tomorrow?”

  “After two. You like art, don’t you?”

  “Yes, of course I do. Where?”

  “Meet me at the Museum of Arts at two.”

  “I’ll be there at two. Have a good rest.”

  “You too. See you tomorrow.”

  “Good night.”

  “Good night.”

  * * * *

  Travis drove through Mid-City and pulled into the circle of the New Orleans Museum of Arts, east of the Botanical Gardens. He parked and moved through the doors and scanned the open foyer for the familiar face. Sh
e stood at one of the information frames on the wall. He was learning that she was timely, something he admired. He walked over to where she stood. “Autumn.”

  Her energy was potent and unmistakably mutual. The vibes whenever he approached her caused him to throw all caution to the wind. Yes, Autumn filled his body with physical yearning, but a touch of her called to him in ways he’d yet been able to explain. Just like this very moment, she turned to him and spoke. “Hi, how are you today?” Her voice was a little shaky.

  Travis leaned down and hugged her. “Better, now.” He revealed his obvious feelings to her.

  She smiled, crinkles forming at the corner of her luscious mouth. “It’s good to see you too.”

  “It’s been a while since I’ve been here. Let’s go see what we can discover.”

  “Lead the way.” She held out her hand.

  Travis took it and pulled her along as he moved from one exhibit to next.

  “Have you ever been a best man before?” she asked.

  “No. How about you? I mean, have you ever been a maid of honor or bridesmaid?”

  “No, never. Most of our friends are still single. Reggie will be the first to marry.” They stopped in front of a portrait of Louis C. Roudanez, the founder of the Tribune, the first black newspaper in America to be published daily.

  Travis looked at the inscription on the portrait in front of them. “There’s a first for everything.”

  He turned his gaze to Autumn when she looked up at the picture and then at him.

  “A first time being attendants in a wedding, or something else?”

  “Both. Definitely something else. Like, two people meeting and instantly knowing that there’s something more meaningful than a physical attraction.”

  “How about we stick to being attendants right now?” She moved to the next portrait and dragged him along since he had a tight grip on her hand.