Page 31 of The Lady on Esplanade
“Okay.I give up.What is that?”
Her green eyes widened with surprise as if I’d just asked if she might be pregnant.“It’s my colors.”Her face softened with understanding.“I keep forgetting that you were raised mostly in California, bless your heart.But don’t worry—we can fix that.Remember my aunt Janie I told you about?I’ll make an appointment with her foryou to have your colors done when we’re down for Thanksgiving.It will change.Your.Life.”
“Wow.Hard to believe I’ve survived this long without having my ‘colors done,’ whatever that means.Maybe Sarah would like to have hers done, too.”My younger sister had been added to the ever-growing list of people invited to Mrs.McKenna’s Thanksgiving table, and if I had to submit to getting my colors done, then there was no reason why Sarah couldn’t share in the misery.
“That’s an excellent idea,” Jolene said, with so much enthusiasm that I was sure she would have clapped her hands if they’d been empty.“You will both thank me.Knowing which colors flatter you the best is a lifelong skill.”
“Like potty training,” I said with a smile, repeating what she’d once told me about learning how to drive.
“Exactly.”She returned the color swatches to her bag and slid the hanger back onto the rack.
I headed over to a jewelry display and picked up a pair of copper-colored bangles.Holding them up for Jolene to see, I said, “What about these for tonight?”
“They’re very pretty.But if you don’t find a dress to wear, I think people will be too distracted by your naked body to notice them.”
I rolled my eyes.“Can’t I just borrow something from your closet?If I buy something new, chances are I won’t wear it again, and borrowing something would save me money.”I had just received a small raise, so I wasn’t panicking about paying my rent, but I was tired from shopping and wanted to go home, so I threw that last bit in to garner sympathy.
Her sigh of disappointment carried the same weight as one Melanie would give my dad when she’d notice that the dresser drawers she’d organized and labeled were once again in disarray.“Don’t you like dressing up just a little bit?We’re going to the Saenger Theatre.Have you seen it?I think it might even be illegal not to wear lipstick and heels.”
At my doubtful look, she added, “Well, if it’s not illegal, it should be.And afterward we’ll be dining at Arnaud’s, and Cooper will be joining us, so I know you’ll want to look your best.”
I put the bangles back and picked up a large padded headband studded with multicolored rhinestones.“I thought the purpose of dressing well was to make you feel beautiful on the inside.”
Jolene studied me for a moment, taking in my jeans, the scuffed ankle boots that I’d borrowed from Melanie years ago and kept forgetting to return, my old Ashley Hall school cardigan, and my trusty frayed backpack.“That’s very true.But right now you’re looking like someone whose roof is leaking, who can’t afford to go home for Thanksgiving, and whose love life is as complicated as two spiders trying to square-dance.”She stopped speaking and I waited for her to say anotherbless your heart, but instead she reached over, plucked the headband out of my hands, and returned it to the display.“It’s rare that I turn down something sparkly, but I think this looks too much like part of a Mardi Gras costume.It would certainly draw attention, but not therightkindof attention.”
“Like wearing a dress that has both a low neckline and a high hemline?”
She beamed at me.“Exactly.I’m glad you’ve been paying attention.”She turned back to the sale rack.“Now let’s find something pretty for you to wear.I’m thinking blue to match your eyes, so you look like Princess Elsa instead of something the dog dug up out of the yard.”
Jolene dragged me through three more shops on Magazine before we found something we both agreed upon and I could afford.When we made it back to Bubba and loaded our bags into the trunk I felt like I’d just survived a bloody battle.I slid into Bubba’s passenger seat, grateful for the extra legroom afforded by the older-model car, and kicked off my boots to wiggle feeling back into my toes.
As Jolene pulled out of her parking spot amid a series of sharp horn honks from an approaching car, she said, “Are you excited about tonight?”
I was eager to attend a performance ofBeetlejuiceat the historic Saenger.The theater was a testament to all I held dear in terms of historic preservation.Hurricane Katrina had almost destroyed it, and it had remained closed for eight years, but during that time it had been lovingly restored to its 1920s art deco splendor, and it had returned to being a mainstay of New Orleans’ cultural backbone.It was the rest of the evening that I was worried about.
“We’ll have to hurry.I’ll take care of feeding and walking Mardi while you get started.”Jolene sent me a quick side-glance.“Don’t worry about washing your hair.I’m thinking a high ponytail would be perfect with your new dress, since it will highlight the cutout in the back, and making a ponytail smooth is always easier when the hair isn’t freshly washed.”
“How do you know all this stuff?”
“Trial and error, Nola.Just trial and error.You have to go through a lot ofawfulbefore you can get tojust right.”She turned to me briefly, but long enough for me to understand that she was talking about more than just hair and makeup.
I was reminded yet again how easily her bright external persona hid her sharp mind and accurate assessment of people and situations.It was a secret very few were privileged to unravel.I had long since determined that I was very fortunate to have Jolene McKenna in my life—and not just for the coffee and fresh baked goods.
“I added Cooper to the dinner reservation, so now it will be a table for nine.Arnaud’s seemed okay with the odd number.”
“Thanks for doing that.I wouldn’t have asked, but I haven’t seen him for a week and he’s headed out of town again tomorrow.At least you can still be my date for the theater.And I’ll make sure you’re on the end and not next to Carly or Jaxson.”
She smiled without saying anything and I knew she was probably thinking that she wouldn’t mind sitting next to Jaxson, even though we both knew that would be a terrible idea.
The entire outing had actually been Samantha’s doing.Her goalwas to help Beau move forward by reconciling with his dead mother.With Adele’s best friend now within reach, it was Sam’s hope that Camille would have the answers Beau had been waiting for, and she wanted to throw them together in as many situations as possible.Sam had roped me into helping her with a plea that I was better at planning than she was.What she’d really meant was that I had access to the queen of planning and entertaining, Jolene.So, of course, the guest list had grown exponentially.In addition to Camille and Henry, it included Sam and Beau, Carly and Jaxson, and, because Cooper wasn’t supposed to be back in time, Jolene and me.When Cooper had called and said he’d gotten an earlier flight and could make it to dinner at least, our numbers had swelled by one.
“Don’t worry about me,” Jolene said.“It’ll be fun.”
—
“Fun” wasn’t the word I would have used to describe the gathering in the lobby of the historic Saenger on Canal Street, but I was willing to try.I was hoping for a chance to speak with Cooper later, at dinner, to ask him about the unhappy woman Beau had seen at Café Degas.I wasn’t looking forward to sharing an evening with Henry LeBlanc, but at least I could look forward to getting to know Camille better, and hopefully helping Beau to find answers to questions he had about his mother.
Everyone in our group arrived within five minutes of one another and waited in the preselected spot in the lobby so Sam could find us and distribute our tickets.Even I had to admit that she and Beau made a cute couple as they grinned at each other in a private joke and he bent down so she could say something into his ear.We all turned at the sound of a wolf whistle as Henry and Camille approached.Camille had her arm linked with one of Henry’s, and from his unsteady gait it was clear that he’d been drinking.
