The Pepper In The Gumbo: A Cane River Romance (30 page)

            A
long, hot shower did nothing to improve her mood. She leaned into the spray,
wishing she could turn back the clock. She hadn’t seen Paul since Tuesday when
he’d pulled up in Bix’s green Cadillac. Mr. Crocket still hadn’t faxed her any
papers, which just solidified every terrible doubt she had. And soon, Paul
would be gone back to New York City and she’d have to fight him long distance.
Alice turned around, letting the searing hot water pound against the base of
her neck and shoulders. Paul was leaving and the phrase ‘mixed emotions’
couldn’t even begin to describe what was going on inside of her.

            She
shut off the water and grabbed a towel. A few minutes later, she realized she’d
been standing in front of her closet without even seeing her clothes.
Snap
out of it
, she muttered to herself.
You’re
a stuck duck in a dry pond and no use moping about it
.
Nothing she could do would reverse what had already happened.

            She
threw on a pair of black slacks and a green silk top. Breakfast didn’t appeal,
so she headed downstairs, peeking out into the hallway to make sure it was empty.
Down in the store, she fed the kitties, counting paws and tails, giving each
one an extra pat of love. Not Darcy, of course. As she dumped coffee grounds
into the machine, she heard the sound of the fax machine starting up.

            Her
stomach lurched. The store Mr. Perrault had lovingly maintained― the
building that had been home to her since she was a teenager― was going to
be in someone else’s hands. Now was the moment it would all be confirmed.

            Alice
walked toward the machine, her legs numb and her pulse pounding in her ears.
Papers spewed from the slot. She watched them, sourness in the back of her
throat. When the machine went still, she forced herself to reach out a hand and
pull the stack from the tray. It was almost too hot to touch. Her fingers
trembled as she flipped the pages over.

            Scanning
the words, Alice’s eyes went wide. The price Paul had paid Norma was three
times the price of the building. She shook her head. He must have known that if
he offered her the same money, and let her pay off Norma Green, she would have
refused. She wouldn’t have sold for any price.

            The
second page contained so much legalese she had to read it three times.
Jurisdiction
remains with the current owner, Alice Millicent Augustine, as stated on the
property title. The plaintiff, Norma Greene, agrees that she has no further
claim to the property…

            Alice
sat down on the stool behind the counter, reading the paper one more time. Paul
had been telling the truth. Her face felt tight with unshed tears. Her first
urge was to run upstairs and throw herself in his arms, begging him for
forgiveness. But there were some slights that were too large for a simple
apology. Accusing someone of stealing your home was one of them.

            Darcy
jumped down from his spot and stalked across the floor toward the counter.
Alice watched him, her body numb, mind turning in on itself, over and over
again. She couldn’t grasp how she had been so wrong, so many times. Darcy came
around the counter and sat in front of her, green eyes steady.

            “What’s
wrong with me, Darcy?” Alice whispered, her voice choked with tears. “How can I
receive so many good things, and turn them into ashes? Why do I push everybody
away?”

            Darcy
stepped toward her and rubbed his head against her leg.

            “I
was just trying to do the right thing. I wanted Charlie to be proud of her
culture. I wanted the kids of Cane River to keep reading. I feel like I ruined
everything.” Her breath hitched on the last word and she raised a hand to wipe
a tear from the corner of her eye. “But the harder I held on, the faster
everything slipped away.”

            She
reached down and picked up Darcy, cuddling him close. “When you realized you
were wrong, you paid off Wickham and saved Lydia’s reputation. But there’s no
beau
geste
for me, is there?”

            She
buried her face in Darcy’s fur. She used to be so sure of everything. Her way
was right, everyone else’s was wrong. It was simple, really. Until one man
walked into her life and she realized that might not really be the case. And
between that meeting and the realization was a whole lot of bad behavior on her
part.

            She’d
been petty, jealous, and small-minded. Mr. Perrault would never have treated
Paul that way, even though he felt technology was a dangerous tool that was
more likely to be abused than to make the world better. Alice had let her
personal opinions stand in the way of seeing him as a person.

            The
little brass bell at the door jingled. Darcy wiggled out of her arms and Alice
let him drop to the ground. She quickly wiped her eyes and turned to greet the
new customer.

            Charlie
stood there, hands in her pockets. She was dressed in her usual T-shirt, jeans
and red Converse. Her black T-shirt had the ScreenStop seraph in bright red,
and her blond hair was dyed blue at the ends. “Hey, Miss Alice.”

            Alice
came around the counter and walked toward her. They’d never been the hugging
type but she was so glad to see Charlie, she didn’t even ask. She gathered her
close and squeezed her tight. “I missed you.”

            “I
missed you, too” Charlie said, her voice soft. “I’m sorry what I said to you.”

            Alice
pulled back. “No, you were right. I’ve been a real…”

            “McJudgy-pants
jerkwad?”

            “Um,
okay.” Alice laughed. “Not the words I would have used, but I suppose that will
work.”

            “Because
that’s what I feel like I’ve been, too,” Charlie said, gaze down. “I really put
this whole store opening before anything else. You’ve been my friend for a long
time and I was gonna quit just so I could get discounts on games.” She looked
up. “My mom said that was pretty rude and I didn’t think she was right. But I
had some time to think about it.”

            Alice
hugged her tight. “I’m so glad you came in.”

            Charlie
smiled. “When I heard someone found your rings, I wanted to tell you I was
happy for you.”

            She
felt the air stop in her lungs. “What?”

            “The
scavenger hunt. Someone found your rings and they won the big prize.”

            Alice
stepped back. “I don’t understand.”

            “I
told you. The day I left, remember?”

            “No,
I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

            Charlie
stared at her for a second, then shook her head. “Wow. I thought you and Paul
were really close. Maybe it was supposed to be a surprise. Or maybe he just
didn’t want to get your hopes up. But that’s why everybody’s been crawling up
and down the board walk. Of course, the guy who found it had a metal detector.
That made it easier. But all they knew was it was a necklace with two gold
rings somewhere between here and city hall.”

            Alice
looked over Charlie’s shoulder toward the sidewalk. There were plenty of
strange people walking around. A man with a leather facemask and a studded
breastplate held hands with a woman in a long, purple dress. Two women passed
by wearing tiny shorts and knee high boots, their leather corsets laced up
tight. But none of them were searching through the grass anymore on their hands
and knees.

            “What
was the prize?” Alice’s voice sounded muffled to her own ears.

            “Early
access to the newest game, some bonus equipment and a map to where all the
rare-spawn items are.” Charlie went on when she saw Alice’s expression. “Like
flying dragons and special gear and… It’s hard to explain. People go crazy
looking for that stuff. And if you have it, you’re totally famous. Everybody
wants to know where you found it. You can’t buy them. You just have to play and
hope you get lucky.”

           
You
can’t buy them.
The words echoed in Alice’s heart. She’d accused Paul of
trying to buy everyone around him, of using his money to make people like him.
He could have offered a reward for her rings, but instead he used what he knew
would bring more attention.

            “Are
you going to the opening?” Alice asked.

            “Sure,”
she said. “I think everybody is. Well, except you, probably. I’ve been working
on my costume all week.”

            Alice
swallowed hard. “What if I wanted to go? Would you help me fix up a costume?”

            Charlie’s
eyes went wide and then she laughed out loud. “I sure would, Miss Alice, but we
better get started right away.”

            “Let
me just lock up,” Alice said, moving toward the front door.

            “Right
in the middle of a Friday?”

            She
flipped the welcome sign and turned the lock on the front door. “It’s the ScreenStop
grand opening. I don’t think I should miss it.”

            Alice
barely heard Charlie’s chatter as she rushed to the stairs, hoping there was
something in Alice’s closet they could use. She followed behind, thinking of
how she was acting on faith that Paul would even want to see her.

            She
used to roll her eyes when people would say they received some kind of divine
message from God. She was a believer, no doubt about that, but she thought
people sometimes looked for signs where there weren’t any. But maybe it was like
that famous quote and you “knew it when you saw it.” Well, Alice knew it. She
got it. These past weeks had shined a light on the dark places in her soul. And
as selfish and petty as she’d been, there was only one thing to do: ask
forgiveness and vow to do better.

            Whatever
happened between her and Paul tonight, Alice knew she had a chance to change
for the better. And that was something money couldn’t buy.

Technology is the knack of so
arranging the world that we

 don’t have to experience it.—Max
Frisch

            The
bass thump of the techno music seemed to be burrowing deep into Paul’s brain.
He massaged one temple and tried to smile as he passed a group of screaming gamers
lined up at the door. “Mr. Olivier! Mr. Olivier! Paul!” He reached out and
shook a few hands, feeling the unnerving tug of many hands grabbing him closer.

            Andy
played bad cop and pulled him toward the door, not sparing a glance for the
disappointed fans who waved posters and games.

            “Popular
as ever,” Andy said as they got through the front door.

            Paul
shrugged. He’d never loved this part of the opening. He liked a party, but much
smaller and a lot less noise. “Everything’s on schedule. Jared Darren flew in a
few hours ago. He should walk on to perform right at midnight. We’ll open the
doors in ten minutes.”

            They’d
been at the store all day, meeting with performers and directing the setup of
the stage and displays. They had a great team in place, plus the two they’d
flown in from Houston. But both he and Andy liked to be hands-on before the
openings.
If you want it done right, do it yourself
they said. Usually the excitement was like a quadruple espresso shot, keeping
him awake through the night.

            Andy
put a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s get this done and then we’ll get out of
here. Straight to the jet.”

            Paul
nodded. “Sounds good to me.” The words didn’t set well and his stomach twisted
with the lie. No part of that sounded good, but he didn’t really have any
reason to stay in Natchitoches. He’d teased Andy about spending a month on the
river and making a Southern boy out of him, but he couldn’t imagine running
into Alice again and again. He didn’t want to go back to New York City and live
as if he’d never met her, never fallen in love with her, but he didn’t have a
lot of choice.

                                                                        ***

            “Alice?”

            She
turned at the sound of her name and saw Mrs. Olivier walking down the sidewalk.
Paul’s mother gave her a long look, then turned to Charlie. “You must be
Aalyea, the dragon queen.”

            Charlie
flipped her blond braid over her shoulder and beamed. “Yes! It took me all week
to sew this dress.” The shimmery silver gown crossed in front and then tied
around the back, the skirt falling straight to the ground. Alice thought she
looked more like a Greek goddess than a dragon queen, but then again, she’d
never seen either one.

            “And
who are you cosplaying, Alice?”

            She
cleared her throat. “Elizabeth Barrett Browning.” She smoothed down the brown
folds of her gown and straightened her lace cuffs. Charlie had borrowed a black
velvet coat with lots of small, brass buttons from a friend who’d been the
Headless Horseman one Halloween. It was snug on her, but over the brown dress,
she did look quite a bit like a nineteenth century poetess. It took a while to
get the hairdo right, parted in the middle, combed flat, and falling in
ringlets. It wasn’t particularly flattering, but Alice thought it had to be
better than an orc costume.

            Charlie
rolled her eyes. “I tried to explain to her that you’re supposed to dress like someone
from the game, some character.”

            Mrs.
Olivia looked at Alice for a long time, the smile that touched her lips growing
wider and wider. “Do you have plans for tonight, Alice?”

            She
shook her head. “I don’t know. I want to― I’m not sure how―”

            Taking
her hand, Mrs. Olivier nodded. “I understand. Let’s see what we can come up
with together.” And she led them down the sidewalk, joining the packed crowds
that surrounded the store. Alice glimpsed Mayor Cointreau getting out of his
car.

            “Hi,
Mrs. Olivier,” a man said, standing at the end of the line, dressed in the
black pants and ScreenStop T-shirt uniform of one of the security crew.

            “Could
you walk us inside?” She grabbed onto Charlie and Alice. “Hold on, girls. We’re
going around the line.”

            Charlie
let out a squeal of glee and Alice glanced around. They were already attracting
attention as they jumped forward, the security guard ushering them beyond the
ropes. There was a bright red ribbon stretching across the front of the store,
just waiting for Paul and Andy to cut it.

            “Must
be performing.”

            “Weirdest
costume ever.”

            “Who
is
that?”

            “I
think it’s Lady Gaga! She wears crazy stuff. Remember that meat dress?”

            Alice
tried to get Mrs. Olivier’s attention. “I don’t want special treatment. I just
wanted...”

            “To
see Paul? We’re going to have to come up with something to get his attention.
These things are a real madhouse.” Mrs. Olivier laughed over her shoulder as
they moved to the side of the building. The security guard flashed a badge, and
two men waved them through the open, double doors leading into the main area of
the store.

            “You
don’t mind missing the ribbon-cutting, right? We’ve got to get you set up
somewhere.” Mrs. Olivier glanced around.

            “Set
up?” Alice swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m not trying to ambush him. I
just thought it would be nice if I came to the party.” She scanned the room,
sure that Paul was going to be only a feet away. The interior looked like
something from a movie. The lights were dimmed, except for spotlights shining
on stacks of equipment around the perimeter. There was a stage set up in the
middle of the store. Glass and steel gleamed with the reflection of
multi-colored laser beams roaming the space above the first floor. There were
black-shirted workers standing at the ready, their stations marked by red and
black balloons.

            “Of
course, dear.” Mrs. Olivier squinted toward a counter. “I think you need to be
a shopper who needs help. I’ll tell him it’s a friend of mine.”

            “Mrs.
Olivier, please.” Alice felt panic grip her. “I don’t want to lie to him just
to get him to talk to me.”

            She
turned, reaching out for Alice’s hand. “Honey, nothing I said there was a lie.”
She gave Alice a quick kiss and pointed her toward a display of electronics. “You
stand right here until the hullabaloo dies down.”

            And
then she was gone, leaving Alice and Charlie parked in the corner of the store.
Alice felt sweat bead on her forehead and she swiped a sleeve over her face.
This had been a really bad idea, and she’d only made it worse with her choice of
outfit. Now that Paul’s mother was involved, her fate was sealed.

            “Miss
Alice, I’m gonna go get a game and stand near the check out. I can’t believe we
got to pass all those people.” Charlie was already skipping toward a tower of
games.

            “Sure,”
she said, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

            There
was a roar from outside and Alice jumped. The ribbon cutting had started. Any
moment now, Paul would come inside and see her standing there, a nineteenth-century
poet in the land of dragon-riding queens.

            The
front doors opened and a stream of people flooded in, the noise level rising to
deafening levels. Alice didn’t see Paul come in and soon she was surrounded by
people, most of whom were wearing some sort of armor. She pressed back against
the wall and tried to stay out of the way.

            “Here
he comes!”

            “Wait,
I have to get my phone.”

            “Can
you sign my arm?”

            Alice
looked up to see Paul moving toward her, a group of people surrounding him like
he was some kind of rock star. His expression was pleasant and he stopped for
what seemed like an endless stream of selfies. Pretty girls wrapped their arms
around his waist and beamed into the camera. Alice watched him, feeling as if
she was observing someone she’d never met and certainly never considered a
friend.

            “Ok,
guys. I’ve got to help someone so give me five minutes.” He was moving away
from the crowd. “I’ll be right back.”

            They
let out a collective sigh and dispersed, leaving Paul to finally reach the
counter. The smile was gone from his face. His mouth looked tight, although his
voice was cheerful enough. “Hey, Tina, my mother said there was a friend of
hers here who needed some help?”

            The
dark-haired girl behind the counter shook her head. “She didn’t tell me
anything. I’ve been standing right here.”

            Paul
frowned and patted his pocket. “I could try to call her but she almost never
answers.” He sighed. “Well, if you hear anything, will you―”

            Alice
stepped out from the shadows. For a moment, Paul’s expression was blank as he
took in her costume, from the black boots to the parted hair. One side of his
mouth lifted.

            She
cleared her throat. “I was thinking of buying one of these.” She pointed to an
e-reader. “I hear there are some really good books you can only get in
digital.”

            He
didn’t say anything for a moment, just looked her up and down. His smile
stretched wider until he was grinning. “Miss Browning?”

            Alice
laughed, nodding. “Charlie tried to give me some kind of weapon but I told her
if I got to dress up, I wanted to be someone I really admire.” The smile faded
from her face. “Paul, I know this isn’t really the time or the place―”

            He
stepped closer and took her hands in his. “It’s just the right time.” He
glanced around. “And a pretty nice place, if I say so myself.”

            She
snorted. “Rub it in.”

            They
smiled at each other for a moment and then Paul reached into his jacket pocket
over his heart. “I was going to have Charlie bring this to you, but since
you’re here….” He held out a small envelope. “I put them on another chain.”

Alice took it, opening the flap. She
withdrew the necklace, feeling the warmth in the gold where they had rested
against Paul’s chest. Her parents’ wedding rings sparkled in the light, a
permanent reminder of the love they’d shared, the love that had brought her
into being. But ever after, the rings would also be a sign of one man’s
generosity.      

“Let me put it on you,” he said, taking
the necklace back. She turned, letting him fasten it around her neck. She put
up a hand, her throat tight with the knowledge that something irreplaceable had
been returned to her.

            She
turned back to him. “I don’t know where to start.”

            “Skip
to the end,” he said, smiling. “We can talk about the middle parts later.”

            Alice
swallowed hard. Words ran through her mind. Poems, quotes, famous lines.
Nothing fit. Finally, she stepped forward and kissed him. It was a short kiss,
just the barest touch. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “
Again
.”

            “And
I accept, again.” He said, leaning his head down to hers. “I’m so far from
perfect, Alice. The next time, I’ll be the one apologizing. I can promise you
that.”

           
The
next time.
Alice closed her eyes against sudden tears. She felt his arm
reach around her waist and pull her close. Their first kiss bore the freshness
and innocence two people who had barely met. The second kiss bore the passion
of two people who refusing to give an inch, not able to find that middle
ground. This one carried the weight of the days that had passed. It spoke of
misunderstandings and mistakes, of hard choices and bad decisions, of anger and
heart ache and forgiveness. And most of all, it spoke of hope for all the days
ahead.

            Alice
leaned against him, unable to believe that it had been that simple. The help of
a few good friends, a simple apology, and he was there in her arms. She closed
her eyes against the flashing strobe lights and the noise of the crowd. Even
here, in this place, she felt at peace. Her heart had finally found a shelter
‘out of the swing of the sea’.