Chapter Fourteen
Georgie
––––––––
Holy hell.
I was still looking at Julian out of the corner of my eye even though Ms. Daisy needed all of my attention. Poor woman. It was her first Carnival, and she was totally lost, but she'd come to the right place.
I swear I held my breath right until he walked out of my shop. I still couldn't believe he'd come here.
"Darling, I think I should just take a mask and be done with it," she said.
"Oh no, Ms. Daisy. I promise you, you'll walk out of Books & Beads with the best costume at the whole parade."
She smiled. "That would make my day. My poor Dominic always wanted us to come for a parade, and we never managed. We both worked our whole lives. Now that he's passed, I figured I’d go for the both of us."
Her words hit me like a punch in the chest. Emotion clogged my throat.
"We'll make Dominic proud, I swear."
Even though I had a lot of other customers, I took good care of Ms. Daisy until she left the store with a huge grin. Then I turned to the others. It was madness today. I hadn’t expected my store to already be so full in the morning, but I was grateful for every single customer.
Between the masks being such a hit and the Tableaus signing back on next year, I was very hopeful that things would work out.
Around lunchtime, I was completely done for, and my ankle was throbbing a bit. I had a bad habit of resting on one hip—the one with the bad ankle. Another Advil would probably help. But I hadn't eaten much, and my stomach was very sensitive.
I could run off to the deli three doors down. It would take me less than five minutes to grab something. I wouldn't lose any customers, or at least not too many.
Before I could change my mind, I put up my "Back in a Moment" sign and hurried out of the store. I locked up and practically darted toward the deli even though my ankle was throbbing more and more with each step.
Once inside, I could simply relax and draw in a deep breath. Ms. Sophie made, hands down, the best po'boys in the Quarter.
"Georgie, hey. I haven't seen you in a bit," she greeted me once I stepped inside.
"I know. Zelda keeps coming to buy our food, as we’ve been so busy. I’d love a po'boy."
"Sure thing, girl. Extra mayo and pickles, as usual?" She said pickles with the utmost disdain, but it was a mark of how much she cared about me that she still made it the way I wanted it.
"Yes, please." I gave her a sheepish smile.
She shook her head, muttering, "Butchering recipes," under her breath.
"Don't bother packaging it. I’ll just eat it right away."
"Girl, that's not the way to eat lunch. Have a seat." She pointed at the bar stools along the wall.
"No, really. I have no time. I'm alone at the store today."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You work too much."
"Hmm, but so do you."
"Never mind what I do. Do what I say, not what I do."
Laughing, I paid for my po'boy and took a bite the second she handed it to me.
“Thanks, Sophie. I have to go.”
She simply shook her head.
Once I stepped out of the deli, I nearly choked. There were two elderly women in front of my store.
Shit.
I hurried toward them, saying, "I'm here. I'm here. Don't leave."
Oh, how unprofessional was I? I had a half-eaten sandwich in my hand, and the wind blew my hair right into it, landing in all that extra mayo.
"I'm so sorry," I said, panting as I stopped in front of them and quickly unlocked the door. "What did you need? Please come in. I’ll clean up right away."
God, I was so flustered. I’d always been bit of a klutz, but I'd never managed to make a mess of myself in front of clients.
One of them handed me a wet wipe.
"Thank you," I said with utmost gratitude, setting the po’boy on the counter. After rearranging my hair, I threw away the wipe.
"What can I help you with?"
"Honey, relax. We’re Celine Broussard and Isabeau LeBlanc."
The famous grandmothers! Just as Xander warned.
"I'm really pleased to meet you. What brings you here?"
"We meant to stop by before but haven’t had a moment," Isabeau said. "Anyway, we spoke to our friend Calliope this morning—"
"Darling, no need to drive her crazy with unnecessary details," Celine said. "We knew your grandmother."
"I know. She often told me stories about you," I replied.
Celine looked around. "I'm ashamed to say that I haven't been here very often, but I do remember some things. That armchair was your grandmother's, wasn't it?"
My heart somersaulted. "Yes, it was."
It felt so good to share memories of her with someone.
"She told me that she liked to read in it whenever she had a lull in customers," Isabeau went on.
"I do the same."
Isabeau glanced at the shelves. "You've got quite a collection here. You're very talented."
"Thanks. I learned the trade from my mom, and she learned it from Nana."
"I'm glad you're carrying on the tradition. Are you a midwife as well?" Celine asked.
"Oh no. Nana was the only one in the family."
"I guess it's not very fashionable to do that anymore, but she was very good," Isabeau said. "If it weren't for her, I don't think my son would've... Well, never mind. I don't want to think about that night."
She truly seemed shaken. Celine put an arm around her shoulders. "There, there. Get yourself together, my dear. It's been ages."
"Did you want to sit down? I have another chair behind the counter."
"Nonsense, girl," Isabeau said. "We're not that old."
I shook my head. "I wasn't implying that. I just want you to be comfortable."
"We are. You enjoy that po’boy. We know what it's like to scarf down food whenever there's a lull. I'm sure this one won't last long. People are probably just grabbing lunch."
“All right, if you're sure. I am hungry.” I lifted my sandwich to take a bite.
"Is your ankle okay?" Isabeau asked, and my eyes widened.
"Darling, you can't scare the girl like this," Celine told her. Turning to me, she said, “We spoke to Beckett this morning. Then to Xander, who mentioned you hurt yourself. My friend Calliope also called me. Among other things, she mentioned that you fell while dancing with Julian. You two were the talk of the evening.”
Suddenly, I was starting to feel ambushed. I wondered why exactly these two were here. Not just to remember my nana, I guessed.
"It's just throbbing more than I thought. Could you maybe not mention that to Julian?"
I realized my mistake when Isabeau’s eyes went wide. "Why not?"
"I think he’s worrying a bit too much about me.”
"He is, is he?" Celine said with a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile. "Will you look at that?"
"I can call our family doctor," Isabeau said. "He's been with us forever. He'll drop by here if—”
"No, thank you." Damn! I didn't want to be impolite. Mom taught me never to interrupt people while speaking, but she looked so determined that I was half afraid she was going to call him before she finished talking. "Julian already offered, but it's not necessary."
Isabeau’s jaw actually went slack. "Did he now? Oh, Adele raised him right. So, Calliope tells me that you're going to join him for the Landry party as well."
"That's right," I whispered, unsure what else to add.
Celine gave Isabeau a triumphant smile. "I think you'll enjoy that very much. It was always one of our favorites, too, even though a lot of people looked down on it."
The bells rang the next second. and a young guy came in with his mom.
Isabeau looked over her shoulder and then nudged Celine. "We won't be keeping you. We just wanted to meet you. And we’re very happy that Julian came to his senses."
Celine tsked. "We can't believe he dissolved the contract in the first place. Our deepest apologies."
I shook my head. "There's no need, really. We figured it all out."
"Yes, but see," Isabeau said, "when I signed that contract with your grandmother, I promised her that I’d look after her family."
For the second time today, my throat clogged up with emotion. "You did?"
"Yes. I told you, I owe her everything. I wanted to make sure she and her family were cared for."
I smiled softly. "She always did say that you've been her guardian angel."
"I tried." Isabeau reached into her purse. "Do you like lilac?"
"The flower? Sure. It's my favorite flower in spring."
"We've got a very special fragrance for you," Celine said as Isabeau put a small bottle on the counter.
I perked up. "That's one of your perfumes? Julian told me about your store. I’ll drop by one day."
"You're welcome anytime. Can you tell us if you like it at all?"
I carefully took the small green bottle in one hand and uncapped it.
It was love at first sniff. I immediately caught the lilac aroma. It was soft and smelled like spring in a bottle. There were more scents mixed in, of course, but I'd never been too good at telling what was what.
I glanced up at them, putting the cap back on. "I absolutely love it. Thank you so much. Um, how much do I owe you?"
"Nonsense, girl. It's a gift," Celine said.
"But why?" I whispered.
"For your nana's sake," Isabeau said. Her eyes were a bit teary.
"All right, then. Thank you. But I want each of you to take a string of beads."
"We really don't—" Isabeau started just as a client stepped in.
"I won’t take no for an answer."
That made both of them grin.
"I can see what Julian sees in you," Celine said.
The newcomer cleared her throat and asked if this was going to take much longer. Celine assured her that they were going to leave right away. At my insistence, they did each pick up a string of beads on their way out, though.
What a strange day. First, Julian came in all grumpy and determined and somehow off, and now his grandmothers had visited me. Those two seemed to know far too much about everything.
As Isabeau predicted, the lunch lull was over quickly, and I was overrun with customers again. I didn't get another break until four o'clock.
I was sitting in my armchair, about to grab a book, when I realized I had some unread messages from Julian. One of them, the first one, was extremely long, and upon reading it, I quickly realized it was the invitation to his party at the Marriott. I grinned when I read the last line— Dress code: casual. Bring your best Mardi Gras outfit!
Oooh, that's right up my alley.
Julian: I heard Isabeau and Celine paid you a visit. I hope they didn't scare you off. Give me a call when you have a chance. I need an update.
I glanced at the bottle of lilac I'd left on the counter all day and opened it again, dabbing a bit on my wrists. It was divine. After taking another sniff, I called Julian.
"I was starting to get worried," he said.
"Hmm. Were you planning on barging into my store again?”
"It wasn't that dramatic."
"That's debatable. So... Celine and Isabeau seemed to know a lot."
“I hope they didn't scare you off."
"They didn't, but now I'm curious. What exactly do you think they could've told me to scare me off?"
"When it comes to my grandmothers, you never know. They wouldn't do it on purpose, but it's second nature to them."
"They were very sweet. We spoke about my grandmother, and they even brought me a perfume. I'm not sure about all the notes, but they did mention it has lilac."
"Lilac?" Julian sounded incredulous, and then he started to laugh.
"What?"
"Oh, for fuck's sake."
"Julian, you're worrying me."
"Never mind."
"No, no. You can't leave me hanging like this."
He sighed. "They have this superstition that lilac has certain qualities. Celine made one for my mom when she was young, and she met Dad right after. That convinced her that it has some special power. They made a perfume with lilac for Scarlett, too, and they credit her and Chad being a couple to that.”
“Wow.” I didn't know what else to say.
“I'm sure they'll tell you all the details soon enough."
"You think I’ll meet them again?"
"If there's one thing I know about my grandmothers, it's that if they introduce themselves to you, it means they want to know you."
My heart fluttered at the prospect. The two were so warm and comfortable, almost as if my own nana was here with me again. "I wouldn't mind. Listen, do they know about our arrangement?"
My cheeks were turning hot just at the mention of the word.
"I believe they do, especially if they spoke to Calliope. Beckett also talked to them."
"Your brother Beckett?"
"Yeah. I filled him in this morning, and then he was the one who informed them of everything that’s going on."
I couldn't let this teasing opportunity pass. "You couldn't tell your own grandmothers, huh?"
"It's complicated" was all he said.
I needed to tease him some more. “By the way, the invitation doesn’t say anything about dancing. Will there be any?”
“Usually not, but I can take you dancing somewhere else afterward."
My, my, was that an innuendo? My body certainly acted like it was.
"I'll hold you to that," I said.
"It'll give me the opportunity to show off my skills when no one is watching.”
Well, innuendo or not, I was blushing again. What a surprise.
"Where exactly are you planning to take me dancing that will have no people?" I asked him.
He didn't answer right away, but I could hear the sound of his breath through the phone. It was quickening.
"I can find a private spot in every bar I own.”
His voice was definitely lower and so damn sexy. I tried to ground myself by taking a sniff of my wrist, but the lilac somehow clouded my mind. I found myself even more susceptible to him.
"I need details. How exactly do you want to dance with me, and why isn't it for other eyes to see?"
"That, Georgie, is something I can't tell you. I've got to show you."
Oh, man. If he was here right now, I would definitely fake sprain my ankle so he could carry me again. Where? I wouldn't even care. As long as I had those strong arms wrapped around my body, I was game for anything.
Was the lilac giving me these strange ideas? Yup, I was definitely blaming it on my new perfume.
"You’re selling me on this more and more."
After another pause, he said, "I can make good on that promise today, actually. I can pick you up after closing time and bring you back here to the bar."
My heart was beating so fast now that I felt lightheaded. Goodness, this had never happened to me before. It's definitely the lilac. "I'd love that, but I'm not sure my ankle is up to it."
"What?"
"I’ve been on my feet a lot, so I think it's best if I just rest tonight."
"Georgie—"
"No need for the doctor," I cut in, knowing what he was about to say. "Really. Nothing more than Advil."
"I don't like the sound of that. You shouldn't abuse Advil."
"Geez, you make me sound like a junkie."
"That's not what I meant."
"Julian, why are you insisting on this?"
He sighed. "I don't know. I can't help myself."
It sounded more like a confession that it was completely out of his control.
"I’m really grateful that you’re keeping an eye out for me, but I'm good. I can take care of myself."
"Doesn't sound like it."
He could be so infuriating. "Are you always this insistent?"
"No. I make an exception for you because you're special."
"How so?"
"That's something else I can't explain."
Yep, I was getting lightheaded again. Maybe it wasn't the lilac. Maybe it was Julian. Or a combination of the two.
"For the party," I said, deciding to change topics, "should we figure out more details? In case anyone gets nosy about us?"
"Don’t worry about it. No one will care enough to ask questions."
"Okay."
"But you do know more about me than I know about you," he said.
"That's not true. You've told me a lot about your family," I teased, "but not yourself. What do you like? What do you hate? Why did you even decide to take over the bar business? Why do you keep expanding it when you've got so many already? Sounds like a ton of work."
"I'm an ambitious person. I want to make my mark on the Orleans Conglomerate, which is not as easy as you’d think. My grandparents and sometimes even my dad put up a fight every time I want to open something new."
"Why?"
"They’re afraid we might overwork ourselves. Besides, my brothers and I are pushing to expand past Louisiana into other hotspots like New York, London, and so on."
"That makes a lot of sense."
"Next time you see my grandmothers, tell them that."
"Ah, so, first Beckett and now me to do your dirty work. Is it my imagination, or can you not handle your grandmothers?"
Julian laughed. "No one can handle them, trust me. But over the years, I've learned that the secret to making headway with the grandmothers is by taking baby steps.”
"Right..." I paused a moment, thinking. "Sorry to sound like a broken record, but are you sure we shouldn’t have a story or something? Or just generally know more details about each other?”
“I can’t imagine anyone being intrusive enough to ask if you know those things about me.”
He'd caught me there. I wanted to know, but I couldn't admit that to him. It would basically mean admitting that I'd been enjoying our pretend kisses and dancing too much.
"I’m not sure, Julian. People can be nosy.”
“I’m very good at telling them to mind their own business.”
Damn. I had to get creative if I wanted to know more about him.
“I'll think about some more questions for the party, then."
"And if you want to go dancing at any point before the party, let me know. I'm your man."
I’m your man . Why did that sound so appealing?
"I'll think about it," I said, "but this is a busy season, so..."
"No need to explain yourself. By the way, I’ll send you a gift, specifically for the party.”
I licked my lips. “What is it?”
“It’s a surprise. You’ll get it tomorrow morning.”
My heartbeat was erratic. I didn’t even know what to say.
“I can't wait to see you," he whispered.
"Me either."
After hanging up, I dropped my head on the back rest, taking in a deep breath.
Oh, Georgie, you told yourself you were never going to date a powerful man again.
But I wasn’t dating Julian. I was simply pretending... and enjoying it.
Po-tay-to, po-tah-to. I was playing with fire again, and I knew it.