1 Mardi Gras Madness

by Alison Golden

  “That sounds like an invitation to me,” Elijah said. “Let’s be getting ourselves going.”

  “But don’t let Louise guzzle down all the wine over there,” Evangeline said, “or she’ll be flirtin’ with the floor mop by the time the evening’s through.”

  “I will not!” Louise exclaimed.

  Evangeline chuckled to herself. “If you say so, cher.” Then she lifted her glass and said, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!”

  Louise flashed Roxy a grin. “That’s something about having a good time.”

  And they certainly did have a good time. The jambalaya was delicious, deep and rich with flavor and spice. The red wine was robust and warm, and it made Roxy feel all cozy. Best of all, Sam and Elijah got up after dinner and treated them to a live jazz show. Elijah demonstrated some deft finger work on the grand piano that sat in the corner, while Sam filled the whole room with beautiful, rich saxophone melodies. Soothed nearly to sleep, Roxy nibbled her dessert—a delicious pastry from Elijah’s bakery—and felt the happiest and satisfied she had been in a long, long time.

  Just as they were about to wrap up, Evangeline nodded at Sage, who reached into her bag and pulled out a well-worn deck of cards. Roxy wondered if she was about to start doing magic tricks, or if they were going to play poker. Neither was her sort of thing.

  “Tarot cards,” Louise explained to her. “It’s their little after-dinner ritual.” She rolled her eyes.

  But no one was paying Louise much attention. Sipping on her wine, Evangeline watched keenly as Sage laid out the cards, face down.

  “Let’s go for a quick one today,” Sage said. “I’ve got some programming to do before bed.”

  “I want a reading,” Evangeline rushed to say. “About…” She widened her eyes significantly, “you know, this place.” She looked over at Roxy and then back at Sage. “A fast one is fine.”

  “All right,” Sage said. “Choose two cards.”

  Evangeline, her gnarled hand hovering over the cards, quickly pulled two back toward her. She flipped them over.

  Sage gasped. “The Ten of Swords and The Tower. Oh gosh.”

  “What does it mean? What does it mean?” Evangeline asked.

  Sage bit her lip. “Umm… well, it doesn’t look good. But if we’re looking for the positive…”

  “I don’t want the positive,” Evangeline snapped. “I want the cold, hard truth.”

  Roxy peered over and saw that the Ten of Swords card depicted a man lying dead with ten swords sticking out of his back.

  “Okay,” Sage said. She gulped. “Well, the Ten of Swords means you’re about to experience an unwelcome surprise. And…” She sounded reluctant to go on.

  “And…?” Evangeline said impatiently.

  “Well, The Tower means everything’s about to change—and not the fluffy kittens and rainbows and unicorns kind of change,” said Sage.

  “Hmm,” Evangeline said. She was silent as she dipped her head and stared at the floor in deep thought, sipping her wine.

  “Well, that’s cheerful. Lucky they’re just cards picked at random, eh?” Elijah said with a grin. He bit into his third pastry. Roxy wondered how on earth he stayed so slim, him being such a talented baker and surrounded by deliciousness all day. He was as thin and lanky as a beanpole.

  Judging by the worn state of her card deck, Sage, who clearly believed heart and soul in tarot readings, didn’t say anything. She simply bit her lip and looked up at Evangeline. Her eyes were full of anxiety.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  THE NEXT MORNING, it took a while for Roxy to register where she was. Nefertiti was curled up in front of her face as usual, but she had to blink and lie back for a couple of seconds to remember that she was at Evangeline’s guesthouse in New Orleans and that her regular life was indeed over.

  It hadn’t helped that she’d dreamed of Ryan giving her the most beautiful bouquet of flowers and telling her that she was his soul mate. Tears stung in her eyes as she realized her dream hadn’t been real. She’d have never called their love a grand passion, but when the relationship was working, it had been cozy and comforting and familiar, which was just how Roxy wanted life to be.

  They’d had their problems, and Ryan was a real jerk at times, but she’d swept all that under the carpet to keep the relationship going. A fat lot of good that had done her. Now he was off, pursuing his Grand Passion, it seemed, and Roxy was alone with no job, using up her precious savings without a plan. She stared at the ceiling. Was she really here because of a commercial?! At the time, her decision had felt so right, like the universe had ordered the stars in the perfect configuration just for her. Now it seemed ridiculous.

  “Oh, Neffy, what have I done?” she said. Nefertiti pushed her nose under Roxy’s chin and purred loudly as her owner tickled her. Roxy sighed. “Well, at least you sound happy.”

  She hauled herself up, wondering what she was going to do for the day, and the day after, and the day after that. She knew there was a Mardi Gras party in the area that night—Louise had told her—but she was not in a party mood.

  Even after a shower in the tiny bathroom and slipping into one of her favorite outfits, a denim sundress with a large ruffle neckline and lace hem, Roxy looked into the mirror and sighed heavily again. She tried a smile. It was little and pathetic, only just turning up the corners of her mouth, but it was a smile nonetheless. She inched her feet into silver sandals that sparkled with rhinestones and bent over to feed Nefertiti, using the little carry bowl and one of the cat food sachets she’d brought along with her. Her cat tucked in with delight. Unlike her owner, she was unperturbed by her surroundings. “Maybe I’ll feel better after breakfast,” Roxy said.

  But her image of beignets—a type of square donut that New Orleans is famous for—and coffee while reading pamphlets that would tell her about local tourist spots she should visit was shattered by the sound of raised voices in the hallway. She could hear them as she came down the stairs. She tried to make them out. One was easy. It was the quivering but fierce tones of Evangeline. The other was a man’s voice, one she didn’t recognize.

  “I’ve told you no a thousand times, haven’t I? No, no, no, and no. When will you people get that message into your head, huh? Are you stupid or just senile?” Evangeline raged.

  The man’s voice was tense. “You and I know that you’re pathetic and desperate, clinging onto this dump of a place. Do what any right-thinking person would do and take the money.”

  “Like hell, I will!” Evangeline shot back.

  They were so embroiled in hurling insults, they barely seemed to notice Roxy walking past. Evangeline was like a crackling, spitting fire. The man was losing his temper, too. His face was red, and he had a bead of sweat in his mustache. He was very tall and snappily dressed, but Evangeline didn’t seem the least bit intimidated, even though he positively towered over her.

  Roxy slunk into the dining room, her nerves on edge. She looked around the room to see pastel-haired Sage tapping away at her laptop, absentmindedly eating a beignet, her eyes glued to the screen. She seemed to be completely oblivious to the drama unfolding in the hallway.

  Louise was there too, sitting at a table in her running gear, her hair scraped back into a ponytail. She smiled at Roxy sheepishly and beckoned for her to come over and sit opposite. Roxy had planned to sit alone, but she wasn’t sure how she could now, not without looking very rude.

  “Morning,” Louise said.

  “Good morning,” said Roxy, making an effort to sound cheerful.

  “I’m…” Louise’s eyes darted about awkwardly as she sipped her coffee. She looked down at her bowl of fruit. “I’m so embarrassed about yesterday.” She lowered her voice. “I think I came on a little strong with Sam, don’t you? You know, with the flirting?”

  Roxy shifted in her seat, not knowing what to say. Louise stared at her with eager eyes. “Oh, I don't know,” Roxy said eventually. “I’m most definitely not a relationship expert.”

  Loui
se puffed out a weary breath and leaned back in her chair. “Me either. I mean, he’s good looking, and tall and talented, but I’ve just gotten out of a marriage, for goodness’ sake. I think I just like him being around.” She laughed self-consciously. “He’s quite a comforting figure. Any time anything goes wrong around here, it’s like, ‘Oh, Sam’ll fix it.’” She wiggled her head from side to side as she spoke.

  Roxy nodded. “Talking of things going wrong…” She was about to ask what on earth was going on with Evangeline and the suited stranger outside in the hallway, but before she could, Evangeline herself stormed in and over to Sage’s table. She dropped into the chair opposite and buried her head in her hands. Roxy was pretty sure she was crying.

  Sage came out of her laptop daze. “The cards don’t tell lies,” she said. She rubbed Evangeline’s arm.

  “Maybe I should sell. That guy, Richard Lomas, certainly thinks so,” Evangeline said. She pulled her hands away from her face and thumbed in the direction of the lobby where Roxy had passed her arguing with the man. She roughly wiped her eyes with a napkin and sat up straight, jerking her arm away from Sage. “He works for TML Property Developers. He says I am overwhelmed, and it would be better for me to retire and put this place up for sale—specifically so he can buy it. Thing is, he’s right. There are more repairs than I can keep up with and not enough guests. And the ones we do have barely bring in enough money to take care of them. But he wants to tear the old girl down. It seems no one values New Orleans heritage anymore. Everyone wants to demolish these beautiful old places and build shiny, soulless apartment complexes in their place.”

  “Not everyone,” Sage said. “Not you.”

  “Perhaps swimming against the tide is a waste of darn time, after all,” Evangeline said bitterly. “Maybe I am standing in the way of development and progress. If I sold to Richard Lomas or some other developer, I could walk away and buy a nice little cottage. No more getting up at 6 AM to cook and clean for other people. I could sleep in and grow a pretty yard to sit in. I could get a little dog.” She brightened up at the thought.

  Nat came out of the kitchen, a white frilly apron over the top of her dark, edgy clothes. Her gaze flitted over Evangeline’s face, and then to Sage. “Oh, what is it now?” she said, exasperated. “Can’t be that you’re bottling it, surely?” Nat said.

  “I’m not sure I want to run a guesthouse anymore, cher,” Evangeline replied, wearily. “Much as I love the people. And the cooking, now and again.”

  “So what are you going to do?” Nat said, deadly serious now. Her wide, amused eyes were filled with concern, and a small frown creased her forehead. “Chuck me out onto the street?” Her voice rose high with tension on the last word.

  Louise called over. “I’ll hire you when I buy one,” she said to Nat. “I’d love to have a little guesthouse just like this.”

  “You try running one before you say that,” Evangeline said. “Especially this one. What with the upkeep and the dry rot and everything wearing out because it’s all 100 years old, it’s not easy. You have to have a real love of old architecture.”

  Roxy felt like she was in an alternate universe. She’d never been in a place where staff and guests spoke so freely to each other. It was almost like they were a bickering, but affectionate, family. Growing up, it had just been Roxy and her mom. There had been no extended family, and things had always been tense and difficult.

  These easy exchanges, these expressions of feeling, the acceptance that the people around her showed for one another was unfamiliar to her, but she liked it. It felt refreshing. She felt a little like an outsider right now, but maybe, in the month she would be there, she’d learn to fit in, and this level of honesty and sense of freedom would rub off on her.

  Louise ate her last piece of fruit. “Well, I’m going to have to think of something to do long term. I can’t be a lady of leisure for the rest of my life. I’m too young for that even if I could afford it.” She stood. “Anyhow, I’m off for my jog. Gotta run off last night’s dinner.” She stretched her arms above her head and gave them all a wave as she headed out.

  “Now, what I actually came out here for was to ask you, Roxy,” Nat said, “what you would like for breakfast? We have eggs, sausages, bacon, grits, biscuits, muffins, pancakes, omelets, toast…”

  “Wow!” Roxy said. Talk about options! She would certainly be having fun with her breakfasts over the next month, but she was still set on her original vision. “Do you have beignets, too?”

  “As long as I haven’t eaten them all,” Nat said, throwing her a wink. She leaned her head toward the kitchen. “Yep, yep, we do. Anything to drink?”

  “Coffee, please. With cream and sugar.”

  “Coming right up.”

  “Now, Evangeline,” said Sage as sternly as she could with that smooth-as-cream voice of hers. “I got up early to finish my programming job, so I have the day free. What can we do to cheer you up?”

  “Me?” Evangeline said, incredulous. “I don’t need cheering up, cher.” Her eyes belied her words but then sparkled with appreciation at the kindness Sage had shown her. She slapped her thighs. “I’ve got plenty of jobs to be getting on with.” She pushed the three-quarter length sleeves of her green, floral print dress up over her elbows and headed to the kitchen. “You know, that Richard Lomas might not agree,” she said, pointing to the place outside the room where she and the red-faced man had been arguing. “But I believe that this place is wonderful.” She smiled at Roxy. “You have a good day, now, cher.”

  Sage watched Evangeline’s retreating figure as it disappeared into the kitchen before turning to Roxy. “What are you doing today, sweetheart?” she asked. “I’m heading to our local botanica. That’s a spiritual supplies store. It may not be your thing, but it’s a great walk over there, and the sun is blessing us with its rays this morning. Nat’s coming. What do you say?”

  Roxy smiled. She felt quite comfortable with Sage despite her strange ideas. “Sure,” she said. “I’d love to see more of the city. When do we leave?”

  CHAPTER NINE

  AS IT TURNED out, Roxy loved the botanica. She’d never been in such a place before. She breathed in its musky, sweet smell as she peered at all the unfamiliar objects on the shelves. There were little statues of Mother Mary, the saints, and other figures she didn’t recognize. There were candles in every color, oils in tiny bottles, and so many scents, Roxy became intoxicated. There were crystals, engraved boxes, a basket of pewter “charms.” There were even snowglobes labeled “love,” “money,” and “revenge.”

  Nat stood in the doorway, her arms folded over her chest. She looked distinctly unimpressed. “Come on,” she kept saying. “How hard is it to choose between a bunch of candles or a handful of crystals?” Roxy looked up and saw pulses of anxiety play across Nat’s face. She looked disturbed by the energy of the store though she did clutch a packet of incense sticks.

  Sage smiled, her eyes appearing only half-focused. “I’ve ventured outside the realm of time so that I may deeply pleasure my soul.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure Evangeline will buy that when I tell her why I’m late,” Nat grumbled.

  Roxy had no idea what to buy. She turned another corner and came upon a whole new assortment of seemingly random objects—a huge collection of silk flowers, bottle after bottle of Florida Water, silver goblets filled with shiny black stones, and a line of human skulls which looked much too real for Roxy’s liking. She took the time to remind herself that, of course, they weren’t real. They couldn’t possibly be. But still…

  She could have stayed to explore the store all day until she came upon the skulls. They sent a jolting shiver up her spine, and she went to join Nat at the entrance. By now, Nat was mumbling “weirdos” and “absolute rubbish” under her breath. Feeling a little intimidated by this rather brittle, young English woman, Roxy pretended to study a rack of herbs while they waited for Sage to finish up.

  On the way home, Sage and Nat had a good-nature
d—but still heated—argument. Nat started it.

  “So Sage, what miracle in a bag did you buy this time?”

  “Candles for my archangel altar,” Sage said, ignoring Nat’s sarcasm.

  “And what’s that when it’s at home?” Nat asked with a snort.

  Roxy, too, was a little curious and equally skeptical, but she would never have been so outwardly scornful.

  “An archangel altar is a portal to facilitate contact with certain benevolent spirits from the unseen world,” Sage said serenely.

  “Oh brother,” Nat said, rolling her eyes.

  “No one’s asking you to believe in it, honey,” Sage said smoothly. “It’s not your fault. Society has conditioned us to not believe anything beyond the bounds of modern science. And that’s okay.”

  Nat shrugged. “Meh. I didn’t like science at school either. I like things I can see and touch, and you can’t see atoms, can you? Well, they can with their super-super-super-microscope thingies, but not with ‘the naked eye.’ No, I like to think about what I see that’s right in front of me. Like now, we have to get back to Evangeline’s because I have to make lunch, and if I don’t, she’s going to go crazy on me. That’s what I believe in.”

  Sage sighed. “Well, everyone’s different.”

  Nat looked her up and down, “And thank goddess for that!”

  Roxy hated the mounting tension, but then Nat and Sage burst out laughing, and Nat threw her arm around Sage’s shoulders. “I do love you, you crazy witch lady.”

  Sage chuckled. “And I love you, too, you…you…thug!”

  They all laughed at that.

  “Oh, look, is that Sam?” Roxy said, pointing a little way down a side street on the other side of the road. His flashy car was parked on the sidewalk. Sam was wearing reflective sunglasses and looked pretty flashy himself. He was speaking with a couple of guys who looked a little shady. They saw Sam count out a wad of bills and hand them to one of the men. Roxy frowned. “What is he doing?”