Page 3 of Pax

“That was wonderful. You’re a great dancer,” she smiled.

“So are you. Can I kiss you goodbye?” She nodded, taking a half-step toward him looking up. Pax leaned forward and barely touched her lips, a sweet, chaste kiss between friends.

But he was lying to himself and lying to Deanna.

There are moments in your life that become emblazoned on your heart, seared into your soul, and for him, this was one of those. No matter where life took him, he would never forget this moment with Deanna.

Life has a strange way of taking hold and turning all your good intentions inside out. As the years passed and Pax would come home for leave, Deanna always seemed to be out of town or on vacation with her parents. Their paths just never seemed to meet again.

Over time, the texting was fewer and farther between, the letters became almost robotic for them, and they simply ran out of things to say to one another. He couldn’t talk about his work, and she didn’t seem to want to discuss her own career. They’d simply grown up and grown apart. They had moved on. Or so they thought.

Sometimes, the universe has other plans.

CHAPTER TWO

Deanna Trehorn did not want to be doing this job. Oh, she liked her real job. But this was one of those jobs where her boss said, ‘hey, weren’t you a pageant queen once?’ and she was stupid enough to say ‘yes.’

Mardi Gras in New Orleans was like Easter at the Vatican. You took it very seriously. Of course, Mardi Gras was a party, a drunken party, a food fest, a musical extravaganza, parades, floats, and a religious holiday all rolled into one.

This year, her boss volun–told her to choose the carnival queen for the main float. It was terrible. Worse than judging a toddler beauty pageant, thought Deanna. She should have refused this ‘perk’ from her boss, but she had the foolish idea it would be fun. Something different than spreadsheets and tax forms.

It was different, alright. Mothers and teenage girls, all believing they should be the star of the show. They all wanted to be the center of attention atop a Mardi Gras float, tossing beads and coins into a crowd that could truly care less, mostly because they were too drunk to care.

What they really failed to realize was that the floats were the center of attention. The parade was the center of attention. The teenage girls waving from the main float were just there for decoration.

Sad but true because Deanna knew.

With the pageant queen chosen, Deanna was now caught in a personal dilemma that involved work. Her parents had owned their own accounting and tax firm for years. They’d intentionally chosen clients who were their neighbors, people who couldn’t afford the high-end firms that charged them more than they should.

Each person selected was hand-picked by her father. She was really wishing that she’d kept her father’s company after her parents had been killed. For some strange reason, her boss was pushing a new client on her. One that her father had refused to do business with.

So, she did the only thing she knew to do. She spoke to the men at Belle Fleur. When they convinced her to leave her new job and come to work for them, they offered her an escort. One that she’d been thinking of for years.

“Pax! Brax! Oh my gosh, how are you?” she said, hugging the twins.

“We’re great, Deanna. How are you?” said Brax.

“I-I’m good, sort of, I guess,” she laughed. “Geez, you guys look great.” Pax just stared at her, unable to say anything. He just smiled, nodding as his brother elbowed his ribs.

“Well, let’s get your stuff out of your office, okay?” said Brax.

“Yeah, yeah, of course. I’m sure you guys have other things to do.”

Brax and Pax followed Deanna into her office and waited outside her boss’s door for her. They could hear her speaking low and soft, then the loud yelling of a male. Opening the door, they both stepped inside.

“Everything okay, Deanna?” asked Pax.

“I-I’m not sure. Bill, my boss here, Bill is pretty angry that I’m leaving, even though he threatened to fire me earlier today. I just want to give my resignation and leave peacefully, but he seems to think he can stop me.”

“It’s a damn shame to lose someone as talented as Deanna,” said Brax, “but from what we hear, you were trying to force her to do something against her nature. She’s got good reason to leave.”

“You won’t get another job in this city,” he said, shaking.

“I already have another job. A great one, and the best part is I’ll be working with great friends.”

“Don’t do this, Deanna. You’ll regret it.” That was all Pax needed to hear. He gripped the man’s shirt, shoving him against the wall.

“Do not threaten this woman again, or you will regret it. An employee has the right to leave if they feel they are being treated unfairly or forced to do something against their moral code. She is leaving. If you ever attempt to blemish her reputation or take action against her, you will regret it. I will make a phone call to every news agency, newspaper, website, and professional tax organization about your appalling behavior.”

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