Stella awoke the next morning to the sun kissing her face, with gentle rays of sweet warmth. Sitting up, the thin bed sheets slowly fell from her body. Swinging her legs around, Stella got out of bed, intent on abating the hungered sounds of her stomach.
Brushing a few wild strands of hair from her face, Stella took out a small carton of eggs from the fridge. Soon the lovely scent of frying eggs permeated the apartment. While cooking her breakfast, Stella sang to herself. "Now you say you're lonely, you cried all night through. Well you can cry me a river, cry me a river. I cried a river over you."
Dishing the eggs onto a chipped plate, Stella walked over to the table. Taking a seat, she looked out the window. It was only 9 am, and yet it was already warm outside. When Stella had finished breakfast, she swiped a finger through the remnants of the broken yolk. Licking her fingers, she got up and proceeded to clean the dish and finish her cup of coffee.
Looking at her fruit cabinet, Stella concluded she needed to go to the market for some more food, she was running low. So, with that in mind, she went and took a very quick shower. After which she put on a dark blue skirt with a light blue button short sleeve blouse. Pulling her black hair out of her face, Stella put it into a bun, allowing a stray bit of hair to escape and frame her face. Giving herself a quick once over in the mirror, only then did Stella grab a basket for her shopping.
The sun was warm on her skin, despite the early morning. Gripping her basket, Stella spun around. A bright smile adorned her features, causing her eyes to shine like the stars children wished upon. It only took 10 minutes to reach the market; the place was a wonder of tastes and exotics. There were not only the usual apples and strawberries; there were also watermelons, pineapples, and even bananas.
Skirting through some of the booths, Stella eyed the foods. Despite her having breakfast only a short time ago, the smell of fresh produce made her stomach rumble with anticipation. Stella was no cook, but she was still a lover of food.
Stopping at her favorite stand, Stella focused on her preferred fruit, which happened to be pineapples. Expensive as they were, today Stella felt she deserved a treat. She very rarely bought them. Picking up the strange but sweet fruit, she proceeded to inspect it. Checking for an even tone of sun kissed yellow, going from the wild leaves of the top, to the bottom of the pineapple. Seeing the coloring was to her liking, Stella took a careful sniff, and enjoyed the mild aroma of the pineapple, instead of rotting fruit. Nodding to herself, she placed the pineapple into her basket, and paid the vender.
Leaving the fruit stand, Stella made her way toward the part of the market where flowers were sold. Last night, she considered it rather silly to have only one lonely rose in her apartment. Stella felt that more were required to give her home a tad for warmth.
Hooking her arm through the handle of her basket, Stella began to carefully pick flowers in order to make a bouquet. She felt content with the scent of the beautiful blooms, her fingers running up against the petals of roses, checking their freshness. Her serenity was interrupted, by the feeling the hair on the back of her taking going erect with the realization that she was being watching. Steadying her hand, Stella's eyes shot up from her work, only to lock gazes with pair violet irises. It was the man from last night, her mysterious dance partner.
Coming to her full height, Stella gave Facilier a shy smile. She recognized him now, who wouldn't? Last night, she had only realized that she had shared a dance with one of the most dangerous men in New Orleans. But that dawn of enlightenment came after her daring act.
The Shadowman tipped his hat to her, gracing her with a rather suggestive but all be it innocent smile. She looked quite dumbstruck and unsure, like an alert doe, except without the doughy brown eyes of a deer looking at him. Inwardly, Facilier was disappointed to see Stella's hair up, he much preferred her hair to be down. Dark onyx locks dancing freely around her sweetly shaped neck.
Not caring that his gaze made the beautiful black eyed lady nervous, Facilier leaned forward on his cane his eyes mischievous and calculating. After a while, Stella decided to ignore the so called stalker, and returned to the task at hand, finding the right flowers for her bouquet. It wasn't long until she had fixed herself with a decent set of blooms. Pulling some money from her pocket, Stella paid the flower man, looked at Facilier, and then turned, leaving the market for home.
Frowning, Facilier took up his cane, and followed close behind. They were a quarter of a mile away from Stella's home, and in that time, she had grown rather annoyed with being pursued. Turing sharply on her heal, she found herself face to chest with the witch doctor. A little befuddled by the closeness, she took a step back. "Would you mind telling me why you deem it necessary to stalk me?"
At her question, Facilier chuckled. "Well, I wanted to speak with you on the matter of your liking my gift cherie, but you weren't in such a chatty mood in the market."
Crossing her arms over her chest, Stella raised an eyebrow. "I would have spoken with you if you had approached me and asked, instead of stare at me with your mouth open like a starving dog."
Cocking his head to the right, Facilier's ever present smile widened. "You have quite a mouth on you, don't you?"
Completely un-amused Stella replied. "It's reserved for an immature man, such as yourself Doctor, if that is a proper title to address you by?"
Leaning on his cane, the good Doctor winked at her. "Ya'll speak as if you're a proper lady."
Placing her hands on her hips, Stella replied hotly. "I was well educated."
This made Facilier laugh. "And yet here ya are, dancing and singing to men who want nothing more than that pretty little body of yours." Snarling, Stella pushed a finger into his face. "Listen here you common ass, my life is none of your business, just because I danced with you means nothing. Hell! I may do the same sort of act with another man tonight!" That said, she turned on her heal and stormed off.
Pulling back into his full height, Facilier shook his head. Suddenly his silhouette seemed to grow a mind of its own. Shadowed fingers clutched his shoulder, as the shaded creature whispered into its master's ear. Nodding, Facilier gave it a wicked smile. "She is quite the little spit fire. So naïve and you are correct in assuming. She is pure, no one has touched her…. Yet."