01/29/2013
CHAPTER 10: Down on the Corner, Out in the Streets
Roslyn stretched out her limbs and yawned as she watched the sky line. They were about an hour or two shy of the sun, and she hoped and prayed they would be finding a real bed tonight.
"We've been driving forever." She moaned, "If I had known you were going to go all Jeff Gordon on me, I woulda never let you take the wheel."
"We'll be there in 15 minutes." He smiled, taking the old clunker of the vehicle down a back road
"Be where in 15 minutes? Do you even know where we are?"
"Approaching Carencro, Louisiana." He smiled
"You brought me back down South?" she laughed
"Going to my hometown." His smile was earnest and his eyes held some sort of hope in them that she had never seen before
"You wanna go back home?"
"Well, now that my nest is gone, and well…I'm kinda stuck with you," he winked, "I just wanna settle down. No more vamp fights, no more weird stuff. Just you and me, nothing else."
Ros leaned moved over and put his arm over her shoulder. Home. That was such a strange word to her, she'd never had a real home. Just one seedy no tell motel since she could remember. Bobby's was home most summers or until her dad would get a wild notion and take her along. But home? Could she really be content without hunting and settling down in rural Louisiana? She looked up at Benny as he pulled into a small motel. His smile just wouldn't leave, and she hoped she could handle normalcy.
Ros hoped out of the truck with Benny, grabbing her coat. She didn't feel cold, to be honest, she didn't feel much besides hunger at all now, but she knew it was only about 30 degrees outside, and if she showed up in just a tank top, she might get looked at funny.
The entire drive from Washington to Louisiana Benny had tried teaching her everything he knew about being a vampire. About how to act right in public, how to disguise hunger, how to notice a hunter, the last one she merely laughed at, he hadn't noticed her. He replied that he had other things on his mind when it came to her.
She reached into her pocket to grab her credit card as they walked inside but Benny put his hand over hers.
"I got it." He pulled out a wad of cash
"But-"
"Roslyn Tucker," Benny said, holding up her card, "Don't you think that's the first name they're going to look for when they start trying to find their sister?" he whispered as the clerk woke up from a soft snooze in the corner
Ros nodded, she would have to start her scams all over again. The worst part not being the actual scam itself, but thinking up a name she didn't hate.
They checked into the motel on a long term stay, grabbing their bags and coolers before the sun rose. They packed the fridge full of blood, having hit up a couple blood banks on the way to Louisiana, and put their clothes away. Ros shed her dirty clothes and took the button up Benny had been wearing that day and putting it on.
"That shirt is filthy." He laughed, kicking off his shoes
Ros looked down at it and shook her head.
"No it's not. It smells like you." She smiled, moving home to straddle his lap and she smelled the collar, holding it out and making him do the same, "See? It smells like that stupid pine tree air freshener that's been in the truck for God knows how long, and I even get the littlest hint of SoCo." She unwrapped her hands from the collar and laid them on either side of his head as he watched her, "And of course, there's just you, all over it. And I like that." She pulled him in for a long, drawn out kiss, "I like that a lot."
"Where are you going?" Ros grabbed the disgarded button up from the floor and slipping it back on the next night
"Gonna get a job." He smiled
"A job?"
"Well, I gotta pay for our humble abode somehow." He laughed, grabbing a white long sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans
"I'm working on getting some credit cards today," She laid back down in the bed, "You don't need a job, Benny. Once those cards start rollin' in, we'll be set. We can get a real place, not some dingy motel."
Benny pulled the shirt on and looked over at her.
"It's my family's place. Guidry's Cajun Café." He smiled, "I've been keeping tabs on it."
"Family?" Ros sat up
"Yup, now being run by my Great-Great-Granddaughter." Benny sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on his shoes, "Elizabeth."
"Oh." Ros nodded, "When were you going to tell me you had kids?"
"Oh darlin'," he sighed, turning to look at her, "My wife has been dead and buried for over 50 years."
"You know, you have a habit of keeping women from me." She said
"That's all of them, I promise." He kissed her forehead, walking over to the fridge and throwing her blood bag
"You know, maybe I'll go and get a job. I can't have you going out and having all the fun."
"And what kinda skills sets do you have for a normal life?" he smirked, drinking down the chilled blood
"Well, I do spend a lot of time in sleezy bars. I can pour a drink? It can't be that hard, can it?"
"Bartender," he glanced over at her, "I can see it."
"Maybe I'll even find me a good old Cajun boy." She laid the empty bag on the night stand and sat with her back against the head board, "A good old country boy that won't leave his girl all alone at night. Or, better yet, maybe I'll find another vampire…maybe I'll find a Cajun vampire! There's gotta be a couple around here, right? We're only what, two hours outside of New Orleans?"
"You do enjoy hearin' yourself talk, don't you?" He walked over and leaned over her, hands on either of her sides as he kissed her, "And good luck with that Cajun vampire." He winked
She hoffed and laid on the bed, watching as he put his peacoat on and said goodbye. It only took her an hour or so get all the paper work done for her new cards, and an hour after that she grew restless. She took a quick shower and changed, deciding to see what Carancro had to offer. After another hour of walking around, she realized, it didn't have much. There was a library, but by the time she woke at night, it would be closed, a few food stores, something else she really didn't need, one bar, which she was able to con herself into a position at, and two restaurants.
One of which, she saw Benny's truck parked at.
For two months, the pair lived and worked in Carancro. Ros helped out at the bar a few nights a week, spending the rest of her time at Guidry's.
"Hey Lizzy!" Ros smiled as she opened the café's door
"Hey Mylie!" Lizzy greeted, "Roy just went out back to throw some old dishes away for me."
Ros sat down at the counter as she glanced over menu. If her stomach could growl, she knew it would. She missed food. She missed cakes, and pies, and as she saw them on the menu, she grew even sadder, beignets.
"Can I get you something to eat Mylie?" Lizzy asked
"Oh no, I'm good. Roy made dinner before he left for work. I would love a cup of coffee though."
Lizzy poured her a cup and leaned against the counter. It was a slow night, only a few patrons off in the corner debating the local politics of town. Lizzy was craving some better attention.
"So how are things with the bar?"
"Tiring. It's so boring. I've been here for two months, and there's not been one fight for me to break up! I'm going to start losing my moves." Ros held up her fists and made mock jabs
Lizzy laughed and grabbed a piece of pecan pie from the glass case. She took a seat next to Ros and awaited one of her stories.
"You know, I once took on six guys at once, did I ever tell you that story? That's how I got this scar." She showed her the healed gash on her right arm she had gotten from the vampire fight
"You've told anyone that would listen in a hundred mile radius that story Miles." Benny walked in from the back, wiping his hands on a towel, "And if I remember correctly, you actually one took on two, I'm pretty sure at one point I had four."
"That's Roy for ya," Ros turned towards Lizzy, "He always gets so caught up in the details."
Lizzy laughed at the two as Benny leaned over the counter and gave his girl a kiss. Benny's great-great-granddaughter smiled at the couple. She liked them. Roy was a sweetheart, and did anything he could to help her and the business. And on her nights off, Mylie came down and hung out, she mostly told these outlandish stories about vampires and ghosts and demons, or stories of her adventures on the road. At first, Lizzy thoughts maybe they were a couple of fugatives, but she doubted that. They were peaceful, and they had just gotten an apartment down the road from the bar Mylie worked at, and everyone in town only had the nicest things to say.
"You know what we should do?" Ros put her cup of coffee down and smiled widely
"Oh God." Benny groaned
Ros rolled her eyes at his reaction, before she turned to Lizzy and took the girl's hand.
"We should go out. The three of us. We could go dancing and have some drinks! I heard the fire house was renting out the hall and they were going to have a dance there. And there's going to be alcohol. Oh please Roy, pretty please can we go?" Ros pouted as Benny turned and looked at the grill
"You hate dancing, Miles." He wished someone would walk in and give him something to do
"He lies. I actually like dancing now." Ros said, she looked over at Lizzy and winked
"Roy?"
Benny knew what they were going to do. They did it every time Ros got some idea and he tried to get out of it. They tag teamed. He turned and was no disappointed. Both girls had their lips pouted and their eyes wide. He tried not to laugh, but it was his lover and his granddaughter.
"Fine." He waved his hand, "You win."
"Yay!" the two squealed with excitement
"When is this dance?" Benny asked, leaning against the counter
"Tomorrow." Ros smiled
"Tomorrow?" Benny asked, "Miles Lafayette!" Ros covered her mouth as she heard him try to chastise her with her new name, "Why must you always spring these things on me last minute? I am working tomorrow night, Miles."
"Actually Anthony was hoping for a few extra hours this week. And…dancing could be fun." Lizzy smiled
"We can get all dolled up, and oh, we are going to find you a cute lil Southern gentleman." Ros smiled at Lizzy as Benny glared daggers at her
"Come on Roy, please." Lizzy asked
"Fine! Fine! We'll go!"
"Perfect!" Ros smiled, "Why don't you come over to our house at seven and we'll get ready together?"
"Sounds great!" Lizzy exclaimined
"Well," Ros stood up and grabs her purse, "I think it's about time I leave." She chugged down the last swallow of coffee and gives Lizzy a hug, "Tomorrow, seven, don't forget!"
"I won't." Lizzy walked around the other side of the counter to place her dirty dish in the sink
"Do you mind if I take a quick 15?" Benny asked
"Go for it."
Benny laid his apron on the counter and grabbed his coat. He held Ros's coat open for her as the leather hugged her body.
"Roslyn, what do you think you're doing?" Benny asked once they stood by her new car
"What are you talking about?" she asked unlocking the car
"Us taking Lizzy out."
"She's young, Benny. She needs to get out. And if I may say so myself, she needs a boyfriend."
"You don't get to say that, Ros." Benny said
"I just want to have some fun," Ros let her fingers curl around the lapel of his coat and draw him closer, "I'm sick of staying in the apartment or hanging out at the bar. I just want new scenery for a night."
Benny nodded, he should have known. He should have figured she'd grow restless here.
Benny sat still on the couch, the sounds of girls laughing and carrying on can be heard from his bedroom. Lizzy and Ros are in there, doing their hair or whatever. He walked over to the fridge and looked inside. Ros had left the café last night and gone grocery shopping. He laughed as he looked at a container of 'left over' pasta, pasta neither of them had eaten. There were a few condiment containers, and grinning, he saw the beer in the back. He popped open a beer and pulled the crisper drawers and saw their blood. It was getting low, he knew he would have to make a trip in the next day or two.
"You girls almost ready?" Benny yelled
"15 more minutes." He hears Ros yell out
Almost an hour later, they're pulling into the firehouse on the outskirts of town. Lizzy and Ros almost trip over themselves in a fit of joy as the music blares outside of the hall. Benny turned the ignition off and watched as the two girls waved for him to follow.
"Lizzy, what do you drink?" Benny asked once they'd grabbed a table
"SoCo, on the rocks." She smiled
"Just like Roy." Ros smiled
"We can't all be Scotch snobs now. I'll leave that to you darlin'." Benny winked, heading over to the long line at the bar
"So how long have you and Roy been together?" Lizzy asked, "You tell me all these grandiose stories about your road trips, but I don't think I ever heard how you two met."
Ros smiled and looked over at Benny, "Roy's one hell of a guy, isn't he?"
Lizzy nodded.
"We actually met outside New Orleans. His car was broken down, I gave him a ride. I actually dropped him off at this seedy motel in town and checked in at my place. Long story short, we both ended up at the same bar that night, went out for coffee, rendezvoused back at my place and badda bing, badda boom, here we are."
"Just like that, huh? Maybe I should start picking up hitchhikers."
"I wouldn't go that far." Ros smiled
"So do you have any brothers or sisters?"
Her smile faultered as she nodded.
"I have an older brother and a twin brother."
"A twin?"
"Yeah. We umm…none of us talk anymore. We had a big family fight a few years ago, and I went away for awhile, when I came back the country I didn't contact them. Then Roy and I got together and my twin didn't really like him, Dean though, Dean loves him, but Sam doesn't. I decided to kinda skip out of twin without telling them, and then Roy and I ended up here. So what about you? Any family close by?"
"My mom and dad died when I was a kid, my Grandpa took care of me until I was old enough. He passed away last year, left me the café."
"What was your Grandpa's name?"
"Calvin Lafitte."
Ros smiled.
"He kinda reminds me of Roy sometimes, is that weird?" she asked, "It's the funniest thing. I thought I was going crazy the night Roy came into the café." Lizzy grabbed her purse and found an old black and white photo, "This is my grandpa, Calvin, when my Mom was born. I guess he was pushing 35 or so."
Ros looked down at the photo of the now deceased man. He was tall, maybe an inch or so taller than Benny. It was a face though, that was unmistakable. Dark hair, light colored eyes, full beards. They could have passed for twins.
"Wow. Isn't that something." Ros laughed as she handed Lizzy back the picture
Benny emerged minutes later with the drinks as the band started up a fast Cajun beat.
"Come on now Miles, you said you wanted to dance." Benny held out his hand
"You know I can't two step!"
"Boy do I." Benny winked at Lizzy as the girl laughed, watching Benny pull his girl out to the floor and try to teach her to two step, eventually the song switched over to a slow song, as Ros grew more confident about these moves
"May I have this dance?"
Lizzy pulled her eyes away from the couple and looks at the tall, blonde haired man.
"Oh um…sure." Lizzy accepted his offer and followed him to the dance floor, "I'm Lizzy."
"Desmond."