Cat and Mouse
Chapter 8
Interlude in N'awlins
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A/N: Here is the next chapter all! Still quite busy at work, so I decided to go with what I had so far and leave some of the other thoughts for another chapter further down the road.
A/N; Thanks for all the reviews! Especially melodie568, furi15, FalconWolf3, and rain. It makes my day when I see a review come across. It's sooooo encouraging!!
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After a late start to the day, Shalimar and Emma finally made it away from the twins without crying themselves. Of course, the twins cried hard. The radiophones made it a little bit easier, knowing that any one of them could pick their phone up, push a button and hear the voices of their loved one on the other side of the receiver.
Emma leaned up against Shalimar in the cabin of the charter plane. Once again, Myra's influence made it all possible. There was a fleet of airplanes at their beck and call. None of the fleet could compare to the Double Helix though. Even the bed and breakfast place near the French Quarter was one of Myra's, or more correctly, it had been one of her grandfather's favorite getaway places. The two were going to stay there for a few days and enjoy all the sights, sounds and flavors that made New Orleans a good vacation spot.
A few hours later, they were getting settled into the suite at the bed and breakfast. The proprietor was extra solicitous but respectful of their privacy. Breakfast was available between 6:30 and 10 am. Lunch and Dinner were available with 4 hours notice and there will be a tea set out between 3 and 6 pm. He added that nobody else was staying here at the moment and he will be in the house next door if there were any problem.
Emma was enchanted firstly by all the soft materials and secondly the view from their bedroom that overlooked Esplanade Avenue and the Mississippi River. Shalimar had to admit that it was very nice too. Once the proprietor had locked the door behind him, they tumbled into the king sized bed to properly christen it.
About an hour later, after they had showered and put on comfortable clothing, they headed out to go for a walk down to the French Quarter. The first place they came upon was the Café du Monde, a twenty-four hour café serving coffee and a pastry unique to Louisiana, beignets. Emma dragged Shalimar into line. They made short work of the powdered sugar doughnut-type pastry and several cups of chicory coffee.
"This tastes better than Adam's attempts at making coffee." Emma said as she sipped her third cup.
"You're going to regret drinking that much coffee at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. You'll have me up all night," Shalimar grinned at her across the table.
"This is a city that never sleeps, Shalimar. I intend on us enjoying every minute of it." They finished their coffees and stood up.
"Ok, lead the way," Shalimar said as she offered her arm to Emma.
They left the café and walked along the river levee. It was still warm enough in December here that they didn't need heavy jackets. They walked past Jackson Square Brewery, which was a bunch of shops and restaurants, including the Hard Rock Café. Emma promised Shalimar that they would go there the next day. She was really interested in Bourbon Street, a street she had heard that was half a den of inequity and full of restaurants, bars, and boutiques.
They headed up Decatur Street and finally turned on Bourbon Street after about 6 blocks. Even at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the streets were partially full. Emma pulled Shalimar along, not sure where she wanted to go into first. In front of one non-descript doorway, though, she paused.
Shalimar looked up at the marquee: "Faces Lounge" with a picture of a woman sitting in a cocktail glass. There was nothing unusual about the place that should have made Emma stop, but then Shalimar felt it too. There was a longing feeling, with a tinge of sadness and promises yet to be fulfilled about the place. Shalimar looked into Emma's shiny eyes and nodded agreement to going in.
They walked in. Emma stood still until her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. Shalimar blinked and took in the surroundings. There were about a dozen tables with two to four chairs around them, a long mahogany wooden bar and a few couples sitting close together talking quietly. There was an older woman dancing on a stage with a brass pole in the center and many mirrors. Shalimar led Emma over to the bar and ordered a beer. Emma ordered Bacardi Silver. The bartender put the drinks up and they paid. Emma was drawn to the woman on stage and pulled Shal over to where they could sit beside the stage.
The longing feeling was coming from the dancer. Emma thought she looked familiar but could not place from where. She sat there enraptured until Shal nudged her. Shal leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I think you need to tip her, since she's been dancing to you this whole time." She pointed at the money on the stage and in the garter on the dancer's leg.
Emma blushed and threw up the first bill she came to in her wallet, a ten. The dancer smiled and came over to edge of the stage to dance closer. She leaned backwards and gave Emma a discreet kiss on the check. Then she spun around and faced Emma with her legs hanging over the side of the stage and grinded her hips up in the air. Emma looked up into the eyes, emerald green eyes she noted, and smiled broadly. This was starting to be better than looking at Shalimar. Guiltily, Emma ducked her head and grabbed Shal's hand. Shal squeezed her hand and watched the dancer playing her lover's emotions. Her hair on the back of her hand raised up like there was psionic activity going on. But it didn't feel like Emma's style. This energy was more raw and seductive. Emma's energy almost always felt sweet and cultured.
The song ended and another one quickly started. The dancer stripped slowly for Shalimar and Emma, letting each piece of clothing drop to the stage with a feeling of unfulfilled promises. Shalimar threw up another ten, closely followed by another five from Emma. Emma was hardly breathing as she watched the girl intently. She had leaned up on her elbows in order not to miss anything of the girl's erotic dance.
All too soon the music ended for Emma's liking. The girl smiled as she collected her money, and disappeared off the side of the stage. She came out a few minutes later fully dressed and sat down beside Emma. She hugged Emma and Shal and thanked them for tipping her. She stuck out her hand and said, "My name's Star, what's yours?"
"I'm Emma and this is Shalimar." Emma never took her hand off of Star's hand.
Shalimar put a protective arm around Emma.
"So where you two from?"
"We're from up north." Shalimar answered, not wanting to disclose too much.
"Really? My cousin is from Canada. She's supposed to be here soon, if you're around then. She's picking up her girlfriend, Tabby. So, what are you in town for?"
"We are celebrating. We had a commitment ceremony Saturday." Emma said and gave Shalimar a knowing look and showed their rings to Star.
"Cool. My cousin and Tabby are thinking of doing that. New Orleans is one of the few cities females can do that type of ceremony."
The waiter asked if they would buy Star a drink and Shalimar nodded. He soon brought her a mimosa.
Emma and Shalimar gagged involuntarily at the drink but didn't say anything. Star picked up their body language though.
"Yeah, I know. It's a horrible drink, but that's the only thing they let us drink on the clock. I keep a small bottle of rum in my dance bag though to get through my shift."
They watched a few other dancers while they talked with Star.
Emma leaned over and whispered conspiratorially, "None of them are as good as you though."
"If you think I'm good, you should see my cousin and her girlfriend. They're naturals. Mare' used to teach dance at a studio up there. Miss Patsy's or something like that."
Emma jumped at the name. "I used to take lesson's at a Miss Patsy's."
"You might know Mare' then. Oh, here she comes. Mare'!" Star yelled across the room.
A petite blond girl and a taller redhead headed over to the group.
"Mare', this is Emma and Shalimar. Emma took lessons at a Miss Patsy's studio. This is Mare' and her girlfriend Tabby. They also tied the knot," she said in a big rush, ending up with pointing at Emma and Shalimar's hands.
The blond looked at Emma with great interest, ignoring her cousin's words after 'Miss Patsy's'. "When were you there? I haven't taught there in about 5 years."
"I left there in 1998. I was dancing with Myra Hunter."
"You danced with the great Myra Hunter!" Mare' squealed. "I remember you now. I taught your class for several years until you started with Myra. Miss Bender, remember? Mare'stella Bender."
Emma felt a big rush of emotion, both excitement and fear, from the older girl. She did remember Mare'. "You were one of the better teachers there. Remember Miss Green? The younger kids would run all over her and give her the hardest time," Emma mused.
"Oh, it's my turn. What type of music, no wait, I'll surprise you!" Mare' headed over to the DJ to talk for a few seconds. She disappeared into a room. A few minutes later she appeared on stage in front of the group.
As she danced for them, even Shalimar had to admit she was a good dancer. They threw up money on stage and noted how many of the other customers came up and threw money. Mare' ignored them all and danced solely for Emma and Shalimar. She put everything into the dance, trying to ignore the guilty feeling that was starting to creep back in her mind.
Afterwards, they talked a while and exchanged email addresses and phone numbers. Mare' added theirs to her Blackberry while they talked.
Emma and Shalimar took their leave, having spent all the cash they had brought with them from their stash, promising to return later in the week before they left. They invited the three girls to join them for breakfast after their shift. Emma looked at her watch and realized that they were late in calling the girls for their goodnights. Shalimar asked Mare' if they had a quiet corner that Emma could make a special phone call in. Mare' dragged them back to the office behind the dressing room.
Emma punched the button that said "Jori" and waited while the call connected. "Mama? You're late." Emma could hear the pout in her voice.
"I'm sorry, Jori. We had trouble getting a connection." Emma frowned at that little white lie.
"Uncle Jesse took us swimming today. It wasn't as much fun as it is with you."
"Did you behave for Uncle Jesse?"
"Yes, Mama. We did have a splash party for a while. He did cannon balls for us and made Miss Clara unhappy with us for the mess."
"Well, I'm glad you had fun. Is Chessy there?"
"Hi, Mama." Chessy was uncharacteristically quiet.
"What's wrong sweetie?" Emma was concerned.
"I miss you."
"I miss you too. Be good for Granpa and your uncles for us."
"I will."
Shalimar called on the other phone. "Hey, sweeties! Its time to go to bed."
"Good night Jori, Chessy." Emma was trying not to cry herself after hearing her daughters' voices.
"Good night girls." Shalimar was having trouble keeping her voice steady too.
"'night Mama, 'night Mommy. Come home soon." Both girls responded.
They turned off the phones and hugged each other quickly. Mare' looked away to give them some privacy.
"Emma's got twin 4 year old daughters that I recently adopted. They are quite precocious." Shalimar explained. "It's the first time that we've been apart for more than a few hours."
Mare' nodded.
Emma and Shalimar left the lounge shortly after that. They had planned on getting some supper, but the phone call to the twins upset some. They walked back to their lodgings and turned in for the night.
…
Later the next morningEmma checked her emails while Shalimar showered. The shower here was much too small for the two of them to share, much to their disappointment. She had one from Mare' that she opened up.
---Emma, do you two still want to meet up for breakfast? We decided that we were cooking this morning. Tabby cooks up a storm when she's in the mood, and today she's in the mood. There's always plenty. M'---
Emma went over to the bathroom. "Do you want some southern cooking? The girls invited us over."
"Yeah, sure. Then we'll hit the stores for some shopping, right?"
"You bet!"
---Mare', thanks for the invite. Where do you live? Em---
A few seconds later there was a reply. ---We're in the Garden District. You can either take the streetcar or a taxi--- Attached was a map with instructions to their place.
---We should be leaving here in about 30 minutes. Is that ok?---
---No problem. Tabby will still be cooking then!!!!---
Emma wrote down the instructions. She quickly showered after Shalimar was done. They called a taxi so they wouldn't be too horribly late and headed over for their breakfast invitation.
After the meal of hash browns, omelettes, and grits, the three dancers gave them some suggestions on where to shop for clothes and knickknacks. Soon Shalimar and Emma were looking at the shops at Canal Place.
They spent the afternoon happily shopping for themselves, the twins and their friends on Mutant X. Even with loading down with curios and knickknacks, they made sure they were not late for their phone call that evening.
…
Mare' sighed and let her façade down after the girls left. She had mixed feelings about the whole situation. She was embarrassed that someone from her past live in the north knew what she did for a living. It wasn't embarrassing to her what she did; it was the fact that she felt like she was disappointing somebody who used to look up to her for guidance, especially the pixie-faced Emma de Lauro. She was also insanely jealous of the fact that Emma had pursued a dream and had been successful.
Mare' had not meant to eavesdrop but she had heard Emma and Shalimar thinking about the twins. That conversation confused her even more. She had heard about psionics in conjunction with the Dungeon and Dragons role-playing game that some of her past roommates had played. She had always put it down to their charm and personality that she and Star were able to get the tips they did on stage. They made so much money for the owner Mr. Henry that he trusted them with a lot at the club. They had the last say-so in hiring any new dancers; so the group they worked with had a tight camaraderie. Faces was one of the few strip clubs that had a shower, washer and dryer on the premises. Mare' had seen to that. Star also had a sixth sense when it came to drugs and they kept it out of their club, so they would not have trouble that way.
Then there was Tabby. Tabby was her protégé and lover. Mare' had found Tabby panhandling on Jackson Square and took her home. She didn't know until much later that Tabby wasn't 18 yet. They started their sexual relationship after Tabby's 18th birthday. Tabby, Star and Mare' made up the backbone of Faces Lounge.
Emma had told her to feel free to contact them, either in friendship, or if they were in any situation that they did not feel safe about. She had given them an address to go to, calling it a "Safe house". While Emma didn't come out and say it exactly, Mare' got the feeling that the Safe house was not to be used for normal types of trouble.
That brought Mare's thoughts back to Myra Hunter. This was the source of Mare's guilty feelings. If Emma ever found out the truth about that day, who the drunk driver was, would she still be her friend?
{Flashback}
Earlier Mare' had sat in the control booth and watched Emma and Myra practicing for the upcoming competition. Then Mare' and Miss Patsy taught the last preschooler class of the day. There was a screeching of brakes outside the studio, followed closely by the sirens. Then came the horrible knock at the studio door and the policeman standing outside with the horrible news about Myra.
Mare' ran outside to look. She watched hopelessly as Emma cradled Myra's head. The Mare' looked up and locked eyes with the driver: her habitually drunk mother. The mother who drove Mare' to practically live at the dance studio, as much as Miss Patsy would let her. Miss Patsy never said anything though. She knew what was going on. Mare' had spent many a night sleeping in the spare bedroom, in order to avoid her mother when she was in a drunken rage, to avoid the beatings, the screaming and the crying afterwards.
Mare' left town after her mother's sentencing, mostly to escape the shame of being the daughter of the drunk woman who ran over and killed a professional dancer, a celebrity in her own right. Star had immediately opened her home to her when she arrived in town. Star who know how her aunt had treated Mare'stella…
{End Flashback}
Seeing Emma brought that memory rushing back. Mare' was scared. She was ashamed all over again. But she vowed to make amends somehow for the younger woman.
…
After a few days of running around New Orleans, Shal and Emma packed to go home. It was time to get ready for the first Christmas with the twins…
TBC
