by Emery, Lynn
“Reputation is important to your family.”
“I don’t care if your grandfather had a harem, fifty kids and made his living swindling half the country. I love you.”
Rae looked into his deep brown eyes. All her misgivings were gone in an instant. “Be careful, Simon St. Cyr. With sweet talk like that you just might have me on your hands for a long time.”
“That’s the idea.” Simon kissed her again. “Now give me the grand tour.”
They walked through the dance hall, looking at all the renovations. As an added attraction, Rae had had a porch built along one side, facing the bayou where several tables would be set out. Old-fashioned rocking chairs were placed at one end, so patrons could relax outside with their drinks. They were standing there when Marcelle and her husband arrived.
“Hey, cher. You got this place lookin’ good.” Freddie kissed Rae and shook hands with Simon.
“Gee, Freddie, haven’t seen much of you. You’re always at work,” Rae said. She gave his beefy arm a playful swat. “Marcelle’s got you trained right.”
“Humph, keepin’ all them mouths fed is a job, but they worth it.” Freddie stuck his chest out with pride.
“Besides, I’m going to work part-time for Mr. Thibaut, bookkeeping,” Marcelle added. “Between the two of us, we’ll feed, clothe and educate those little darlins.” She hugged her husband’s arm.
“And you’re going to help me, too. Bookkeeping is not one of my skills.” Rae shook her head.
“You’ve got so many other assets, no one will notice.” Simon seemed to forget they were not alone.
Marcelle nudged Freddie. “Child, you two make a nice couple. Don’t they, Freddie?”
“Got this town buzzin’. They say… Ow! What’d you do that for?” Freddie rubbed his side where his wife’s nudge had turned into a jab.
“Just hush,” Marcelle shot back.
“Quit beating up on your husband, Marcelle. We know we’re a favorite topic of conversation around town these days.” Rae chuckled.
“And we don’t care,” Simon said, with a pointed look at Rae. “What ‘they’ say is not important.”
Marcelle gave a curt nod. “You right about that. A bunch of gossipin’ people with nothin’ better to do.”
Freddie wore a look of injured pride. “What I was gonna say before Marcelle punched me was that lots of folks are downright thrilled Rockin’ Good Times is about to open.”
Rae was surprised. “Really?”
“Yeah, they’re sayin’ this is sure to help black folks around here. Mr. Hilton is going to open up a snowball and po-boy stand on his property. Things are happenin’ in this town.” Freddie shrugged. “A couple of guys I work with are thinkin’ of some part-time businesses they can run for the tourists.”
Simon put an arm around Rae’s shoulders. “See. What happened years ago will be quickly forgotten.”
“Oh yeah,” Freddie agreed. “When money flows, a lot can be forgiven.”
“Freddie!” Marcelle tried to look stern at his candid assessment.
Rae grinned at them. “Freddie is right. Pawpaw Vince might have a statue in the middle of town if the money is right.” Rae laughed out loud and the others soon joined in.
For the next few days, the pace of work became frantic as opening day approached. Rae grew more anxious as each passing hour brought her closer to what she came to consider as the ‘big showdown.’ She sat up late into the night, trying to think of all the things that could go wrong, and she made a list of contingency plans.
The dance hall would open Friday evening. Dinner would be served in one section and the lounge would be open. On the Thursday night, Rae walked through the dance hall for the fifth time to make sure everything was the way she wanted it to be.
“We all set up, cher,” Garrett said, leaning against the bar. “Plenty to drink, kitchen is perfect, and Sarah and Jack will be here at two o’clock sharp to start gettin’ ready for dinner.”
Jackson Leblanc and his wife would work in the restaurant with two part-time wait staff. Rae had been able to hire two local kids who were seniors in high school. Both came from poor families and needed the extra money to further their educations.
“Sounds good,” Rae called back from the other side of the lounge. She checked the tables to make sure each one was neat.
“Rae, it’s going to be fine,” Garrett replied. The older man had a calm manner that made him seem like a kindly uncle.
Rae smiled at him. “Garrett, you and Jackson have been great these last few weeks. You saved me from making some big mistakes.”
“Shoot, that ain’t nothin’,” Garrett said in his easy drawl. “Glad to do it. We’re gonna have this place on every tourist guide before next summer. Watch what I’m sayin’.” He winked at her, before walking off.
“I hope you’re right.”
Rae looked at her watch: eight-thirty. She wondered if she should call the band, LazyDaze, to confirm they would be there on Saturday night for her first big dance. Her stomach fluttered at the thought. This is it, girlfriend. Make or break time.
Rae had placed ads in the student newspapers at Southern and Southwestern Universities, and LSU. She figured that college students could make up a big part of her weekend business if she offered the right entertainment. With large multi-national companies having offices located along the petrochemical corridor, she hoped the restaurant would get a booming lunch trade eventually. The next few weeks would tell the tale. But this weekend would be a critical first step.
“Maybe we should go over the lighting once more.” Rae, who was full of nervous energy, headed toward the raised stage area where the performers would be positioned.
Garrett had started back through the double door leading to the restaurant. He turned around. “Rae, it’s all perfect. I gotta go. Cheré is keepin’ supper warm.”
“You go on. I can do it.” Rae’s attention was on the microphones.
“You oughta go home. Don’t stay out here by yourself. It’s dark and you’re over a mile from the gas station, or Mr. Norvelle’s house on the other side.”
“I’ll be fine once I lock the door. The floodlights are on. Now go on before Cheré calls here, fussing.” Rae crossed the room. She followed him to make sure all of the outer doors were locked.
Garrett paused at the front door. “Maybe I should stay.” He frowned into the growing darkness that crowded just beyond the light from the powerful lamps outside. “Cheré won’t mind if I call and let her know.”
Rae pushed him out the door. “Will you go home? I promise to leave within the next thirty minutes. Look, my car is right near the door. Okay?” She pointed to her Honda Civic.
“I’m gonna call back here, too.” Garrett shook a finger in her face.
“Wonderful. Now goodnight.” Rae waved him on his way. She watched his red pick-up pull off, its taillights fading down the highway.
Rae sighed with relief. The truth was she wanted to be alone in the dance hall. As she walked around it, the enormity of what she’d accomplished hit her. For weeks she had put one foot in front of the other, not stopping to think about the difficulty of her task. Rae had been afraid that facing it all would have paralyzed her into a despair that she could not do it. Instead, she’d taken this journey one step at a time.
She touched the smooth wood of the chairs. The whole place smelled new, of polish and lemons. Rae had even managed to salvage a few of the items that had been in the attic at home, such as some old kerosene lamps and colorful tins from Monmon Marie’s grandmother. Lucien had used a few to decorate the dance hall years before.
“We did it, Daddy,” she said aloud. She turned in a circle. “I hope this is just the beginning.”
A peaceful feeling came over her… Was that a soft chuckle? Rae stood listening. She could have sworn it sounded like… No, she was just tired. “Now I know it’s time to go home.” She rubbed her eyes.
Rae turned off the lights in the dining room, headed into
the lounge and collected her keys from the small office. A whispering sound made her pause as she neared the front door. The thought that she should not leave just yet popped into her head for some strange reason.
A loud thud to her right made her heart pound. Someone is outside. Rae heard footsteps treading softly on the wooden porch, clearly in an effort to be quiet. Suddenly, she could distinguish an occasional creaking sound separate from the other night noises.
Rae eased over to the nearest window and looked out. Nothing. She could hear scratching sounds, like clawing on the outside walls. She jumped back, hoping that whoever it was had not seen her. If they broke the glass and crawled inside, could she make it to the phone across the room in time? The scratching sounds grew louder.
Terror made her freeze with indecision for an instant. Then fear gave way to fury. How dare they! Rae looked around for something to use as a weapon. She ran to the bar and pulled out an ice pick. A knock on the front door boomed through the building. She crouched down.
“Rae, open up. It’s me,” Simon called out.
Rae crossed the floor on shaky legs. “Oh, Simon.” She flung the door ajar and hugged his neck.
“Hmm-umm.” Simon buried his face in her hair. “I missed you, too. Hey, you’re shaking like a leaf. What happened?” His grip tightened.
Rae recovered and gave his arm a swat. “You scared the life out of me, walking around like that on the porch. You almost got this up your nose, buddy.” She showed him the ice pick.
Simon went rigid. “I wasn’t on the porch. Stay here.” He pushed her inside.
“No! Simon don’t–”
“It’s okay. I’ll be right back.” He pulled the door closed between them.
Rae yanked it open again. “Simon, come back,” she whispered and then stamped a foot in frustration. He was gone.
She strained to hear any sound through the chirping of crickets and cicadas. Minutes dragged by like hours. A long shadow was thrown onto the cypress wood to her right. Rae began to back up, holding the sharp tool high above her head. When Simon appeared, she took a deep breath.
He put both hands on his hips. “Didn’t I tell you to get inside?”
“And leave you out here with some crook? No way! I was going to jab anybody that laid a hand on you.”
Simon took the ice pick from her. “Thanks, Wonder Woman. Next time, be sensible and call the sheriff,” he teased.
“You could’ve been in big trouble while I was doing that. Not to mention it would take them at least twenty minutes to get here.” Rae brushed dust from her hands.
Simon tried to reassure her. “It was probably some teenage burglar, who got scared off when he realized you were inside. I’ll call Sheriff Thibodeaux to take a look around.”
Rae put a hand on his arm. “Why call him if it’s nothing?”
“He could have a deputy patrol this way if he knows you’re having prowlers all ready.” Simon wasn’t looking at her.
Rae’s fear spiked up again. “Tell me what you saw.”
“There are footprints in the fresh dirt around the flower beds and… someone spray-painted a curse word on one wall.” Simon struck the bar with his fist. “I just wish I could have gotten my hands on the punk.”
“I’m glad he was gone.” Rae wrapped both arms around him.
Simon called the sheriff’s office. As Rae predicted, it took over twenty minutes for a deputy to arrive. After looking around, Deputy Wilson came back inside and accepted a cold soft drink.
“Tell ya what, ain’t much we can do except keep an eye on the place. Nothin’ been stolen. Just be careful out here alone at night, ma’am.” Deputy Wilson swabbed at his smooth, dark brown face with a large handkerchief.
“I’ve all ready told her she shouldn’t work late by herself,” Simon said.
Both men looked at Rae with stern disapproval.
“I get the message,” Rae grumbled. She did not like being treated like a naughty girl. I oughta be able work late in my own business.” Still, she knew they were right.
“Goodnight y’all. I’ll make sure to put this place on our stops for this part of the parish. Best I can do. Of course, we do monitor security systems at the station for a fee.”
“An alarm system hooked to the station? Sounds like a great idea. We’ll do it.” Simon shook his hand.
“Simon, we have to talk.” Rae was getting irritated with him for being so high-handed. Besides, she was on a tight budget.
“I know a guy that has a security company. I’ll call him in the morning,” Simon said to Deputy Wilson.
“Good deal. Now, since y’all sure the place is locked tight, why don’t you follow me out?”
Deputy Wilson waited patiently for them. He gave Simon a final wave as he passed them on the highway to continue his night patrol.
*
Later, at Rae’s house, Simon sat tense on the sofa. She thought he still seemed on edge.
“I’ll call Matt in the morning. He can have that system installed in no time.” Simon gazed around the house. “Put one in here, too.”
“Let me think about it.” Rae went to the kitchen to fix some coffee, with Simon close on her heels.
“I want you to have as much protection as possible.” He sat at the small table. “Matt will work fast when I tell him it’s urgent.”
“I don’t know. I think once the dance hall is open, we won’t have a problem. There will be people there a lot.” Rae tried to sound confident.
“Not around the clock. No, Rae. The alarm is the best solution.” Simon crossed his arms.
“That’s a business decision that I have to make,” Rae snapped. “It’s my dance hall after all.” Her hand holding the coffee pot was shaking. She put it down fast.
Simon got up. “Come here, baby.” He pulled her into a warm embrace. “You don’t have to put on a tough act for me. I’ll pay for the alarms and the monitoring fee.”
She shook her head. “No, I’ve got to do this myself.”
“Rae, don’t shut me out. Let me take care of getting the alarms,” Simon insisted.
She pushed away from him gently. “You’re sweet to want to help me, Simon. But I can’t let you do it.”
He looked disappointed. “You won’t change your mind; I can see it on our face.”
“Let me think about it some more. And if I decide to get the system, I’ll pay for it.” Rae spoke in a firm voice. “In the meantime, the sheriff will increase patrols and we’ve got floodlights.”
Simon was not about to give up. “I’ll bring you some of Matt’s brochures.”
Rae sighed. “Okay. Seems not everyone is thrilled with me.” The thought of someone waiting in the dark to strike at her sent a chill up her spine.
“Thank goodness I decided to come out there tonight when you didn’t answer at home.” Simon hugged her tight again.
Rae snuggled against his chest. “My hero.”
“Not so great a hero. I didn’t catch the bad guy.” Simon lifted her face to look into her eyes. “If he’d hurt you…”
“Nothing happened, sugar. Like you said, it was probably some kid that got scared and ran.”
“Even kids carry weapons these days. I’ll bring those brochures tomorrow. And I’ll check the locks on your doors here. They look pretty old. At least let me replace them.” Simon looked around the kitchen with a critical eye.
“Fine.” Rae smiled at him in an effort to smooth the worry from his face. “Now let’s relax.”
At his urging, Rae got out her guitar. She sang a medley of ballads, both blues and Zydeco. Then they listened to some soft music as they talked. With the windows open, they enjoyed the humid air that stirred the curtains. Even at this distance they could smell the bayou, crushed wet grass and water.
Now Rae felt comforted rather than threatened by the darkness. Despite her show of strength, she was grateful to have Simon hold her through the night.
*
Memorial Day was a smash hit at Rockin’
Good Times. The crowds were thick, even when the doors opened at noon for lunch. College kids mixed in with retired folks from the area, the upwardly mobile out for fun, and tourists. There was laughter inside and out. Picnic tables were set up under the shade of oak and sycamore trees on the property behind the dance hall.
Jamal took a long drink of his beer. “This place looks fantastic.” He bounced to the beat of rhythm and blues music flowing into the lounge.
Jamal and Wes had brought the band to town for the weekend celebration. It had been Wes’s idea to book the renowned blues artist, Kenny Neal. In a few hours, they would have a jam session with him that was sure to delight the crowd. Until then, the guys were enjoying hanging out.
“Say, is that fine lady going to be here?” Wes craned his neck to scan the crowded room.
“You were in town maybe two days and found a woman?” Rae laughed. “Haven’t learned your lesson yet?”
“Yeah, but she was special. I’m talking about that graceful Nubian queen you were talking to that day – the one with a walk that lit fires as she passed.” Wes closed his eyes.
Simon joined them in time to hear his description. “One of our lovely ladies has captured your heart, eh?”
Rae gave a snort. “With Wes, what she’s captured is a bit lower.”
“Tell me her name. She was magnificent; her beauty outshone the sun. You know, Rae, you talked to her downtown right before we left. I hope she comes tonight.” Wes looked around again.
“Toya? Please! She’d rather jump in a pit of snakes than come here,” Rae said. Then a wicked gleam lit her eyes. “Of course, it would be nice to rub my success in her face.”
“Rae, be nice. Toya probably won’t be here. But then she’s into jazz.” Simon added to Wes.
“Humph, Toya won’t be here because she’s a stuck-up–”
“Stop! You’re talking about the woman I love. I won’t hear her insulted.”
“Come on, man. You’re tripping. Let’s go get some of that great food,” said Jamal.
He pulled Wes over to the table where Sarah had set up free hors d’oeuvres for the patrons. Hot wings and tiny barbecue sausages were piled high.
