“S
o, this is a girls’ night,” Bellisia said, lifting her feet up onto the chair like she did at home. She looked around her at the crowded bar with a small smile on her face. “I always wondered. Is the objective to get drunk?”
The music blared so loud it was difficult for Zara to hear her. She leaned forward, across the small table where the other women, Cayenne, Nonny and Pepper, were crowded together. “I think it’s to have fun, Bellisia.”
Nonny laughed at both of them. “When I was your age, I had two best friends, Lona and Melissa. They were both married as well, and we’d get one night off a month. Our husbands would watch the young ones, and we’d go into the swamp to the bar. At that time, the Huracan Club wasn’t named that, but it was this same bar. It’s had a makeover, been remodeled a couple of times since then. Still, there were peanuts on the floor, no piano, but music blastin’. The three of us loved to dance and we did, all night long. We didn’t have to worry about men ‘hittin’ on us,’ as you young folks say. They all knew our husbands. In those days, a man comin’ after your woman was a killin’ offense.”
“This was the bar?” Bellisia asked, looking around her.
Nonny nodded. “It’s been in the Thibodeaux family for a long time. We tend to hand things down, father to son, mother to daughter. ’Course, I never had me a daughter.” She looked around the table at the four women. “Not until now. We’re only missing Flame, Gator’s wife.”
Zara loved that Nonny included her. She’d never had a mother, and as role models went, Nonny was perfect.
“So, the goal is to have fun,” Cayenne said. “Like going over and giving my husband a lap dance and then walking away. That would be fun.”
The women burst out laughing. Nonny tried to scowl, but only ended up laughing harder than the others. “Of course you would think of that, Cayenne. Trap would carry you off. You know he would.”
“Isn’t that the idea?” Cayenne sent a smoldering look Trap’s way.
“I want to know how Nonny knows what a lap dance is,” Bellisia said. “I had to look it up on the Internet when Cayenne told me she sometimes gave Trap lap dances. And worked a pole and did silks. She’s got the moves.”
“Wait. I want to know how to do a lap dance,” Zara said.
“There’s video,” Bellisia said. “And instructions on some. Seriously, Zara, we have a lot of catching up to do.”
Zara tried to look pious. “I actually saw a lap dance once, at a frat party. I snuck in because I heard they were going to be giving them to the guys. It looked very interesting.”
“And you didn’t share?” Bellisia feigned outrage.
“I didn’t want you practicing on me.” She managed to say it with a straight face.
Another round of shared laughter went up.
“Now do you see why girls’ night is so important?” Nonny asked. “We didn’t have the Internet and cell phones. Mostly, we came together to share knowledge and answer one another’s questions and learn.” She lifted her hand and immediately beer was brought to the table and set in front of each of the women.
Delmar Thibodeaux bowed slightly as if he had royalty in his club. “Grace Fontenot, what a privilege. I’m not takin’ your money,” he added, pushing back the bill on the table. He eyed Cayenne. “You’re sittin’ with Grace, so you’re welcome, but I expect you and your man won’t be causin’ trouble.” He lifted his gaze toward the back table as if he could pierce that darkness and see Trap.
Cayenne smiled at him but didn’t reply. Nonny patted his hand. “I’ll be responsible for all of them, Delmar. Thank you for the round of beer. Please allow us to pay for any other rounds we drink tonight.”
Delmar looked as if he objected, but there was no getting away from Nonny’s determination. He nodded his head, gave Cayenne one more serious glare and then went back to the bar.
Bellisia whistled softly. “Cayenne, you’ve been holding out on us. What exactly did you do to get that kind of welcome?” She picked up the beer and took a healthy drink. “There’s nothing better on a hot, sultry night, then an ice-cold beer,” she added.
Cayenne shrugged. “Which time? I started out with a bad reputation, and it seems to grow through no fault of my own. You know Trap and his jealousy. It was just a little fight this last time. We were making out on the dance floor and maybe some other stuff, but it was dark and he was hot and anyway some man wanted in on the fun and Trap got kind of upset. Wyatt pulled him off the man and his three friends and we left. We paid for the damage though.”
Bellisia rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but laugh. “There’s no saving you, girl.”
Zara let her gaze slide from the group of women over to the darkest corner of the bar where she knew the men were kicked back, hopefully relaxing. She could barely make them out. Trap was there, but she couldn’t see him at all. There had been no question that Trap would be there if Cayenne was. And Wyatt. Pepper was a very sensual woman, and one touch of her skin could set up an addiction to her. Supposedly her pregnancy helped suppress the hormone hidden so cleverly in her skin, or whatever it was that Wyatt called it, but no one was taking chances.
Ezekiel had accompanied them as well, saying there was no way his woman was going to a bar where danger might be lurking, without him. Gino had made it clear that where Zara went, he did. The last man at the table was Malichai. He said he was watching out for Nonny. He said he knew the woman could drink them all under the table and then she might take it into her head to cause some kind of ruckus. Nonny had rolled her eyes, but she hadn’t objected.
“Did you come here very often with your husband?” Pepper asked.
Nonny nodded. “My friends and I came up with a plan where we watched one another’s children so the other could have a night off with our man. Berengere, my husband, liked to dance and he would take me here on our night. He was a good man. A very good man.” Her voice drifted off and she looked away, lifting the bottle of beer to her lips.
“I really do want to learn to lap dance,” Zara said, changing the subject because she detested seeing Nonny sad. “Gino would love it.”
“I could show you,” Cayenne said, half rising.
Nonny put a hand on her arm just as Bellisia did too. “I’m not near drunk,” Bellisia objected. “Let me get a few beers in me. I have to be feeling just a little tipsy.”
“I can’t drink,” Pepper said. “You can have my beer, Bella.”
“Pepper has been with me the longest,” Nonny said. “She graciously has stayed in my home rather than asking Wyatt to build her another one. Her generosity allows me to see my great-granddaughters every day, and they are the light of my life.” She raised the beer bottle. “Thank you, my girl. You surely have become my daughter.”
The others raised their bottles toward Pepper, who smiled at the older woman. “I think you’re the generous one, Nonny, to all of us. None of us knew anything about homes and families. You took us all in and put up with our strange behaviors …” She raised her glass of water while the others again raised their beer bottles and took another drink.
“I just can’t figure out cooking,” Cayenne said. “Zara had to sit out the first month and now, after just a month with your lessons, she’s top of the class. I don’t get that. I really do try, Nonny. When I’m at your house, I totally get it done, but then I’m home and I suck at it.” She lifted her beer bottle. “To Zara and her expertise at cooking.”
“Hear, hear,” Bellisia said, and they all took another swig of beer.
“You don’t pay attention when you’re cookin’ at home,” Nonny said to Cayenne.
“I do,” Cayenne objected.
“You do when you’re in my kitchen with all the girls and me, but when you’re home alone with Trap and he’s in the kitchen with you, I doubt you give your cookin’ the same focus.”