Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
Gisele and Lena spent the morning arranging the new bottles of lotions on the shelf and unpacking the delivery that came not long after Rafael left.
By the time she officially opened the shop to the public, they had everything in place and the excess inventory stored in the back.
Lena flipped the sign in the door from CLOSED to OPEN and stood staring through the window for a long moment. “What’s going on at the yoga studio?” she asked without turning around.
“I don’t know.” Gisele paused from wiping the dust off a display and glanced up. “Why do you ask?”
“There’s a line of women standing in the alley, and there’s a truck with a big mattress in the back. Oh, wait. A couple of big guys arelifting the mattress out of the truck. They’re carrying it to the back of the yoga studio. ”
“Did she rent the apartment over the studio?” Gisele crossed to stand beside Lena.
She recognized one of the men carrying the mattress as the man who’d introduced himself to her at the festival the previous night. What had he said his name was?
Oh yeah.
Valentin.
Was he moving into the apartment over the studio?
All she could see of the other guy was pantlegs and shoes; the rest of him was hidden behind the mattress. They carried the king-sized mattress down the alley between the Mamba Wamba and YaYa’s Yoga Studio, passing a gauntlet of middle-aged women in yoga leggings.
After the two men disappeared around the back of the building, the women fanned their faces and laughed.
Lena shook her head. “Crazy. A bunch of married women drooling over a couple of younger guys.”
“They’re married. Not dead,” Gisele said. “The guy on the back of that mattress is friends with the one you met this morning. From what Shelby told me, that entire group of guys are prior military and easy on the eye.”
“Yeah. I guess I get it. Just because the ladies are old doesn’t make them immune. Your Rafael made my heart beat a little faster. ”
“He’s not my Rafael,” Gisele protested.
“Whatever. Having one of them in the neighborhood could raise property values.” Lena cocked an eyebrow and looked down at Gisele. “Do you want me to ask YaYa which one moved in?”
Gisele shook her head. “No. I have a package that belongs to YaYa that the delivery guy left with me by accident. I need to take it over.”
“I could do that for you,” Lena offered.
“Thanks, but I have some business I want to discuss with YaYa,” Gisele handed Lena the rag she’d been using. “You can finish dusting the upper shelves I couldn’t reach.”
Lena sighed. “Ask if the new guy is into younger chicks. I’m pretty mature for my age.”
Gisele shook her head. “When are you going back to college?”
“Not until next month.” The twenty-year-old gave her a bright smile. “But if you need me to stay, I can skip a semester.”
“No way,” Gisele said. “You’re within a handful of semesters of finishing your degree. Then you can get out of the bayou and see the world.”
“What if I don’t want to see the world?” Lena stared out the window. “What if I like it here in Bayou Mambaloa and never want to leave?”
“You need to get away and sample what the world has to offer. Then, when you come back, you’ll have something to compare with.” Gisele shook her head. “ Besides, there aren’t too many jobs available for young people.”
“I could work here at your store. I’ll have my accounting degree. I could keep your books and do your taxes while helping you in the store.”
“Or you could start your own accounting firm,” Gisele suggested. “After you’ve worked for another accounting firm in a bigger town.”
“What if I don’t want to be an accountant?” Lena asked.
Gisele gave the girl her full attention. “Are you having second thoughts about your degree?”
Lena shrugged. “Maybe.”
“It’s a good career to go into. People always need accountants.”
Lena’s lips pressed into a tight line. “But what if I get tired of it?”
“Have you thought of taking a minor in something different but still related, like financial or business management?” Gisele suggested. “What about supply chain management or statistical analysis?”
“I’ve thought of all of that. The problem is that I don’t know what I want.” Her gaze remained on the view outside the window.
“Then take an internship somewhere that sparks your interest. Give it a chance. See if you like the work. That will also give you something on your resume.”
“You’re a successful business owner,” Lena turned to Gisele. “How did you know you wanted to own and operate a gift shop?”
Gisele turned to the window. “I didn’t want to be stuck for my entire life in Bayou Mambaloa.”
“What?” Lena shook her head. “You didn’t want to stay here? I thought you loved it here.”
“I do,” Gisele gave her a crooked smile. “But I needed to get away and see what was out there. I wanted to go somewhere I wasn’t defined by my family. I wanted to be just me. Not the Voodoo Queen’s granddaughter where people expected me to be all into magic and woo-woo stuff.”
“But you’re amazing. People come from all around for your lotions and potions.”
“I only dabble. Madame Gautier is the expert. I never wanted to learn her secrets. I went to college, got a degree in finance and moved to New York City, where I worked for a big firm on Wall Street. Talk about an eye-opener. I went from being a medium-sized fish in a little pond—the bayou—to being a tiny fish in a huge pond filled with every kind of fish imaginable, including piranha and sharks.”
Lena winced. “Was it bad?”
“At first, it was exciting.” Gisele smiled at the memories of her first years in the big city. “I met a lot of people, had celebrity sightings in Manhattan and took vacations to Europe. I was free to be me. It was wonderful. I even fell in love with a co-worker. ”
“That sounds amazing.” Lena’s brow dipped. “I sense there’s a but coming.”
Gisele snorted softly. “On Wall Street, if you’re not moving up, you become obsolete and are swept aside. I worked hard and absorbed as much as I could about everything to do with money. But it never seemed to be enough.”
“What happened?”
“After the rosy glow of a new life wore off, I began to see the dark side of the industry and learned why they called it the rat race. People stepped on others to move up the chain. Ethics were for poor-minded weaklings. I didn’t like who I was becoming.”
“I can’t imagine you as anything other than focused, kind and generous.”
“I was focused all right, but kind and generous I was not.”
“No way,” Lena protested.
“Way,” Gisele said with a grimace. “When I finally got a backbone and refused to do what I knew would make my grand-mère slap me into the next year, my mentors dropped me and moved on to the next gullible up-and-coming analyst. That person stepped on me as he moved up the corporate ladder, leaving me in a black hole like an untouchable. I was black-balled from within the company I worked for. My career was over there.”
“Wow.” Lena looked out the same window as Gisele. “Couldn’t you go to work for another company?”
“Once you’re blackballed on Wall Street, you’re toxic. I sent out hundreds of resumes.” She shook her head. “Nothing. Not even a kiss my ass.”
“Is that when you came back to Bayou Mambaloa?” Lena asked.
Gisele shook her head. “I refused to leave New York City with my tail between my legs. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“But you didn’t have a job,” Lena said. “What did you do?”
“I did what I do best.” Gisele’s lips curved upward. “I became an independent day trader, buying and selling stocks, determined to prove to those bastards I didn’t need them. Once I had a sizable portfolio that was generating a good flow of money, I bought a rundown shop on Main Street, sight unseen, packed my bags and left on my terms. No regrets.”
Lena’s lips twisted. “Well, aren’t you just a ray of sunshine? Here you are telling me to go swim with the sharks. What? Don’t you like me?”
Gisele chuckled. “Sounds all gloom and doom, but it wasn’t. I got to travel, to live in a vibrant city and learn the business. But most of all, I got to know myself and what was important to me.”
“Sounds like a lot of effort just to end up back here. I could skip all that and stay right here.”
“I had to leave and almost lose myself to find the real me. Had I stayed in Bayou Mambaloa, I might’ve come to the same conclusion, but it would’ve taken a lot longer for me to realize I’ve been who I am all along. As hard a lesson as it was, I wouldn’t do anything differently. There are worse things I could be than the Voodoo Queen’s granddaughter. At least I could hold up my head and be proud.”
Lena’s lips twisted. “I’m still not convinced that leaving home is what I want or need.”
Gisele patted her arm. “You have time. Finish your degree, start a career and know you aren’t stuck in that field for the rest of your life like the silent generation was. You’re free to change directions. But start somewhere. Get out and live.”
“I’ll think about it,” Lena said.
“And I’ll go pay a visit to YaYa.”
“Lucky,” Lena muttered. “I might have to sign up for one of her yoga sessions just so I can get a glimpse of her new tenant.”
Gisele collected the package the delivery man had left with her by mistake and crossed the alley to duck between the women still standing around, waiting for the men to pass through yet again.
The slim and fit forty-five-year-old YaYa, dressed in her signature yoga pants and sports bra, stood with a middle-aged woman who was busily scribbling information onto a form attached to a clipboard. When the woman was done, she handed YaYa the clipboard and a personal check .
“See you tomorrow morning at the seven o’clock session,” YaYa said. “You’re lucky. You were the last one I could add to that time slot. It’s now full.”
“My friend who lives close to the old boarding house told me that your new tenant jogs every morning about that time.” The woman, probably in her fifties, leaned closer to YaYa and added, “And he jogs shirtless.”
“I like to think you’re coming to the morning session, not just to watch a man jog by without a shirt. You should come to yoga to improve your overall health.”
“Oh, but I am,” the woman said. “Every time that luscious hunk of a man jogs by, my heart rate will increase and fill my system with endorphins. The yoga is a plus. See you in the morning.”
The woman sailed off to join her friends lining the alley as a couple more men carried boxes from the truck around the corner of the building.
Gisele recognized Remy and Gerard.
“I’ve heard of goat yoga.” Gisele’s lips quirked. “Is there a new trend in alley yoga?”
YaYa shook her head. “When news got out that I’d rented my upstairs apartment to the guy who jogs from the boarding house through town and back, women started showing up from all over town and some from neighboring communities.”
Gisele laughed. “All because you rented your upstairs apartment to a man? ”
“Yes. I know it sounds crazy.” She tipped her chin toward the ladies lining the alley. “They arrived at the same time as the truck. I told them that they'd have to sign up for yoga if they wanted to stand around the building. Needless to say, I’ve had a steady stream of women signing up for the early morning yoga class.”
“How did they know what time the truck would arrive and that you’d rented the apartment?”
YaYa gave her a conspiratorial wink. “I might have let it slip on social media to Bayou Mambaloa’s biggest gossip.”
“You amaze me,” Gisele said with a grin. “Which one of the Brotherhood Protectors did you rent the apartment to?” She turned to find Valentin coming toward her, followed by another man. Valentin blocked her view of the other man’s face.
“I rented the apartment to the best-looking one of the lot.” YaYa’s chest puffed out proudly.
The man behind Valentin came into view.
“Rafael Romero,” YaYa said at the same time as Gisele mouthed the same name.
Rafael spotted her and grinned. “Hello, neighbor.”
Gisele muttered a curse under her breath.
“Every time I look at him, my breath catches and my heart hammers hard in my chest. I feel like a teenager.” YaYa laughed. “I’m as bad as all these ladies who will now be my early morning class. I’ve never met a man who gets my blood humming so quickly. Do you think he’d go for an older, more experienced woman? One with a flat ass, spider veins and crow’s feet?”
“I’m sure he doesn’t discriminate based on age or body type.” After all, he’d kissed Gisele, gone after Bianca and probably half the women in the Parrish. He was one hundred percent a womanizer.
And he was moving in next door to her.
How the hell was she going to avoid him when he would be there every time she walked out her door?
To make matters worse, YaYa waved him over. “Rafael, have you met my neighbor, Gisele, the owner of Mamba Wamba?”
Gisele took his hand, shook it briefly and let go like it was a scalding hot baked potato fresh out of the oven. “We’ve met,” she said, her tone flat.
“I spent the night at her place last night,” he announced.
YaYa’s eyes widened. “I was away in New Orleans last night at a ballroom dance competition. I didn’t get home until the early hours of the morning. Pray tell. What did I miss?”
“Nothing,” Gisele blurted.
“Everything,” Rafael said at the same time. “Her shop was broken into, and she was attacked.”
YaYa’s eyes grew bigger. “Seriously? I’ve been so busy registering new clients I haven’t caught up on the local news.” She gripped Gisele’s hands. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. ”
“Did he take anything?” YaYa asked. “You do lock up your cash in a safe, don’t you?”
“No, he didn’t take anything that I could tell,” Gisele said. “And, yes, I lock up my cash in the safe. He tipped over a shelf of products and Johnny’s cage. I think Johnny scared him off.”
“Oh, sweetie,” YaYa squeezed her hands, “I’m so sorry.” She turned to Rafael. “And you stayed with her all night to make sure she was safe?”
“I did,” Rafael said with a nod.
“In the shop. On the floor,” Gisele clarified. “I slept in my apartment upstairs.”
YaYa looked from Gisele to Rafael and back. “Such a missed opportunity,” YaYa murmured. “But I’m glad you weren’t harmed. What’s this world coming to? Why would someone break into a voodoo gift shop? It’s not like you’re hiding a bag full of money or diamonds in there. Or are you?”
Gisele shook her head. “Just lotions, potions and cheap voodoo dolls and figurines. The most valuable thing in my shop is Johnny.”
“No one is going to steal that bird,” YaYa said. “He’s too mean.”
“I’m just glad he wasn’t hurt when the intruder knocked his cage over,” Gisele said.
“Did you notify the sheriff?” YaYa asked.
Gisele nodded. “I did.”
“Was he able to find your burglar?” YaYa snorted and answered her own question. “Probably not. Unless you catch him red-handed with his hand in the cash, you’re out of luck. Even then, if he’s got a good lawyer, they’d get him off, claiming his client was sure the cash was there for the taking.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You need to install a security system with video surveillance and alarms.”
“I never thought anyone would want to break into my store.” Gisele sighed. “It’s not like it’s a jewelry shop with diamonds and gold. Besides, it was probably someone here for the Zydeco festival. I’m sure Johnny scared him enough that he won’t be back.”
YaYa frowned. “I still think you need that security system. I’d have one installed here, but I don’t have anything to steal but yoga pants, matts and refreshing drinks. And I don’t live above my shop. So, if someone breaks into my shop I’m not at risk. They can take whatever they want. That’s what insurance is for.” She grinned. “But now that Mr. Hot and Dangerous lives above the studio, I think I’m set. I’m sure no burglar in his right mind would tempt the beast.” She winked at Rafael.
Rafael gave his landlord a serious nod. “I’ll sleep with one eye open.”
“The good thing is that the window in the studio apartment overlooks your shop and apartment.” YaYa pointed to a window on the second floor.
Gisele had never paid attention to the apartment over the yoga studio. No one had occupied the apartment in the three years since she’d lived there. YaYa had a cottage on the bayou and preferred to keep business and home life separate.
The window in the neighboring apartment hadn’t been an issue. Gisele studied it now. It was directly across from the window to her bedroom. If she left her blinds up, he could look right into her bedroom.
“Isn’t that convenient?” YaYa smiled. “Until you get that security system installed, Rafael can keep an eye on your place as well as mine.”
Gisele swallowed hard, refusing to look at Rafael’s grinning countenance.
What fresh hell had she landed in?