Bella Rosa
Chapter 4
Friends
Bella avoided her sister for several hours the next day, but Narcissa finally caught up with her.
"Please tell me you're not going out again."
Bella was still fantasizing about her last evening at Angel's Crossing. She was reliving the touch of Gabe's warm hands. Was he thinking about her? She smiled, certain he was.
Narcissa looked at her suspiciously. "You'd better not be thinking of another excuse to leave."
Bella rolled her eyes. Gods, she was annoying. If she wasn't her sister . . . .
"Mother's invited Roddy and Rabastan Lestrange over for tea, Narcissa said. "They are so brilliant—you'll love them. Besides, it'll look bad if you're not here again. This is the third time they've been invited to meet you. They're going to think you're avoiding them."
"Maybe I am."
"What?" Narcissa stopped by the mirror to apply some pale pink lipstick.
Bella glared at her. How did she get away with that insipid color? Boring. Bella would look like she didn't have lips if she wore that. She asked, "If they're so bloody brilliant why don't you talk to them?"
"What?"
"Gods, Cissy. Listen. I suppose these Lestrange clowns are associates of His Highness, the Dark Lord?" Bella snickered as she emphasized "strange." Too bad Narcissa couldn't meet Archangel. Bella could never let that happen. What if he preferred blondes?
"You'd do well to show a little more respect to Mother's friends. You haven't even met them so there's no need to be so rude."
"Cissy, I don't have time for this. I wish Mother would stop trying to set me up with everyone in her social club. I told you I don't need help meeting people. And, we're related to most of the people in her silly organization. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to be somewhere important."
"What could be more important than tea right now?" Narcissa reached out and grabbed Bella's sleeve. "Come back. Where do you have to be?"
"None of your damned business." Bella jerked away and Disapparated.
She appeared in the Muggle alley, still itching to use her wand. Cissy was so tiresome.
Two rats scurried across her feet. She blasted them to smithereens. Ah, that felt good. With a sigh of satisfaction, she tucked her wand away. A glass of wine would taste good about now.
She took the long route to Angel's Crossing. First, she stopped at a stall that sold merchandise from the States. She lazily looked through the items. She had lots of time. After purchasing an outfit and changing, Bella picked out a cowboy hat. She put it on, adjusting it jauntily to the side. It looked good with her turquoise gauze top and black tiered skirt. Confident that she looked "American" she made her way to her favorite gallery.
Bella ordered a spinach and feta croissant and a glass of white Burgundy. She sat near the center back of the café so she could watch all the people. Looking around, she noticed that the late afternoon crowd differed from the evening one. Two elderly men played checkers at one of the outside tables. A couple of men who looked like street people sat a couple of tables away slurping down the soup of the day. Bella had observed that Gabe often allowed homeless people to have a free meal. She'd have to speak to him about that. She wasn't sure if that was the type of crowd she wanted hanging around. Over to her left, a harried father with three young children sat eating from an appetizer tray. The youngest kept throwing her silverware on the floor. The male child drank glass after glass of iced water and then ran to the loo. Bella would be glad when they left. The child kept clumsily bumping her every time he passed by. Her children would never do something like that, Bella thought smugly. A young mother close to the door read from an Administrative Law textbook and pushed a pram back and forth with her foot. Obviously a student. Her baby mashed a chocolate croissant in her hands and on her face. Bella wrinkled her nose at the messy child.
Gabe saw Bella when he came into the café. He gave her a quick wave before disappearing into his office to return a supplier's phone call. After he hung up he went to the bar, grabbed a glass of lemonade, and made his way to Bella's table.
"I like your outfit," he said as he sat down.
"Do I look American? That's the look I was going for."
Gabe couldn't resist teasing her. "You'd fit in with both the cowboys and the Indians, I'd say."
She smiled politely as if she wasn't sure what that meant and asked, "Since when are you not drinking merlot? I thought that was your favorite?"
Gabe chuckled. "I could ask you the same. Rest assured I haven't given up our favorite. Some friends from back home flew in today for a visit, and I'm waiting to have drinks with them later." He thought about asking if she'd like to meet them, but the timing wasn't right. He should get to know Bella a little better first. He said, "Tomorrow night, if you're free, I'd like to buy you a drink. We could go someplace else. Talk."
"I'd like that."
They set a time and shortly afterward, shouts of "Hey, Gabe," echoed in the café. Gabe stood up and went to meet his friends. "About time you guys got here." As usual, Jason had the traditional braid down his back while Wanbli wore a modern short hairstyle and designer eyewear. They drew Gabe into hugs and handshakes and backslaps.
He emerged from these greetings with a huge grin on his face.
"How long have you been here? When did your plane get in?"
"We landed a couple of hours ago. We told our taxi driver we couldn't wait to see our best friend, the most famous living Indian artist," Jason said, plainly trying to keep a serious face.
Gabe said dryly, "I'm sure he knew right where to take you then, didn't he?"
Wanbli gestured to the gallery. "Not bad for a rez kid from South Dakota. Who knew this would happen after you left Deadwood?"
"Not us." Jason cleared his throat. "We're kind of thirsty after that long flight."
Gabe raised his hand to signal Gerry. "Get that bottle out of my office and some glasses."
Turning back to his friends he said "It'll be like old times." He motioned to the seats around the small table.
Jason said, "I've got my drum with me."
"Maybe we can get a practice in while you're here," Gabe said. "Or better yet, would you like to do a demonstration? I think the customers would enjoy learning a bit about the Wild West. The only thing is, I can't promise chili and frybread as usual. That's not exactly English fare."
Gerry returned with a bottle of aged Scotch and three short glasses. All three men clinked their glasses together with a hearty "Cheers."
Wanbli held out his glass for another shot. "Let's get down to the important stuff. Now, Gabe, where are all these beautiful women you told us about?"
After sitting alone for an hour, Bella went to the ladies' toilet and cast a Disillusionment Charm. She conjured two long-stemmed, deep red roses. As she walked by Gabe's table, she quietly dropped a rose on his placemat. She left the café, trailing rose petals down the cobblestone walkway. Let him wonder.
Bella returned to the dank alley. Damn Yanks. Gabe didn't need any friends around. She was just getting to know him and enjoying herself immensely, and she sensed that these friends wouldn't hesitate to interfere in their blossoming relationship. She had to find out how long they'd be around before she took drastic action.
A few hours later, she appeared in the doorway of her family's sitting room still dressed in her Muggle western wear. The cowboy hat was hanging down her back but fastened around her neck by the chin strap. Her hair was a disordered mass of curls. At least her Cherry Tart lipstick was on straight.
"Am I late for the party?" She heard the slur in her voice. With a bottle of fire whiskey in one hand and a cigar in the other, she staggered to the right and forward and then one step to the left and back. Then she wobbled in place, trying to catch her balance.
Two gaping males caught her eye. "Hey, you blokes are kinda cute. Are you the Stranges?" Bella took a long puff on her cigar. "And . . . and don't you know His Highness the Royal Prince of Darkness . . . or something like that? Is he here?" She looked around, squinting at them through bloodshot eyes.
Cissy's mouth fell open. Unable to overcome her shock, her mother fainted. Her father moved quickly to catch her before she hit the floor.
The Lestrange brothers looked at each other with amused smirks.
"I guess you're not the first woman to call us strange—and I'm Roddy," said the taller, less pasty-faced brother. "May I help you to a seat, or better yet to your bed?"
Bella scowled. "Hey, you, I'm a lady from the Noble and Ancient House of Black. You can't invite yourself into my bedroom. What do you think I am?"
Cissy suddenly recovered her voice, talking fast. "It's OK. I'll get her upstairs. She's never been like this before. She hardly takes a drink. I don't know what happened. So we'll see you next time, all right?"
"Not if I see you first," Bella said. She laughed loudly as Cissy dragged her out of the room. "Goodnight, boys."
Roddy called after her, "Goodnight, Bellatrix. It was a pleasure to meet you."
