grin spread across her face as she leaned forward about to lunge from the bed.
“Claudette?”
The woman flashed a wide, happy smile.
Brendan stared. “You two know each other?”
Delle was laughing as Claudette slid onto the side of the bed. “Yes, Lord yes, we know each other,” Delle said, clutching Claudette’s hands. “We are within twelve hours of being the exact same age, and we slept in the same bed until Claudette got so big Mama had to get her a bed of her own.”
Claudette was laughing. “For which I was most grateful since you continued to wet the bed until you were almost four.”
Linny grinned. “Mama wet the bed?”
Claudette smiled and beckoned for her to come close. As soon as she could reach her, she pulled Linny into her lap.
“Every child wets the bed at least once, is this not so?”
Linny nodded, fascinated by the woman’s manner and looks.
“Okay, Mama, I’m still waiting for an explanation,” Brendan said.
“Claudette is my half-sister, Brendan. Daddy had two families, which no one knew about until Claudette’s mama died. She was barely a year old when Daddy brought her home. Mama put Daddy out of her bed for a whole year, but she took Claudette in her arms like she was one of her own.”
Brendan grinned. “I have an aunt?”
Claudette stood. “Yes. Yes, you do, Brendan Poe. If it is not to your liking, I—”
She never got to finish what she was saying.
Brendan threw his arms around her, kissed her on both cheeks, and then hugged her again.
“Finally! Family I can be proud of,” he said.
Delle felt shame, but at the same time a relief. This day was long overdue. Her marriage to Anson Poe had separated her from everyone she’d known and loved, and if Anson knew Claudette was here, he’d be livid. The thought made her smile.
Brendan shook his head. “Okay, so now I owe Mama Lou even more than my life. She’s given me back family as well, and she’s never gonna let me forget it.”
Claudette lifted her chin, ready to take charge.
“Go to your job, Brendan Poe, and rest assured I can handle any and everything that might possibly occur.”
He left with a smile on his face and a bounce in his step.
****
The Black Garter was in the middle of a block on Rampart Street. The entrance was painted black, and there were no windows to see what was going on inside, partly because of the semi-nudity of the dancers, and partly because the people who were inside had privacy issues of their own.
The décor skirted gaudy, hinted at macabre, and bordered on just enough reality to be interesting. The undertones of a drumbeat played in the background beneath a constant loop of Cajun music. The cocktail waitresses wore black slacks and black lace camisoles with barely there red bras peeking through the naughty lace. It was meant to keep emotions hot, while the constantly circulating air conditioning kept bodies cool.
There was a raised stage behind a half-circle bar where a nearly naked dancer twisted and writhed to a wild jungle drumbeat. The fact a python, white as the dancer was dark, dangled around her neck was almost noticed after the fact.
The two other bartenders who usually worked Juliette’s shift were Toni and Wynn, and they all worked within the open arc between the bar and the stage.
There were two bouncers on every shift, three if it was a weekend or a convention was in town. Tonight, Brendan was on duty with Deuce, an ex-pro football player who’d grown up in the area.
Brendan stood near a wall in the middle of the room that gave him free access to watch the people on the floor as well as people at the bar. There was no access to the stage from the front of the house, but it didn’t stop the occasional customer from trying to climb the bar to get to the woman and her snake.
Deuce was in the process of removing a very drunk customer from the premises for putting his hand down a waitress’s bra when Brendan saw a heavy-set man come inside and head
“Claudette?”
The woman flashed a wide, happy smile.
Brendan stared. “You two know each other?”
Delle was laughing as Claudette slid onto the side of the bed. “Yes, Lord yes, we know each other,” Delle said, clutching Claudette’s hands. “We are within twelve hours of being the exact same age, and we slept in the same bed until Claudette got so big Mama had to get her a bed of her own.”
Claudette was laughing. “For which I was most grateful since you continued to wet the bed until you were almost four.”
Linny grinned. “Mama wet the bed?”
Claudette smiled and beckoned for her to come close. As soon as she could reach her, she pulled Linny into her lap.
“Every child wets the bed at least once, is this not so?”
Linny nodded, fascinated by the woman’s manner and looks.
“Okay, Mama, I’m still waiting for an explanation,” Brendan said.
“Claudette is my half-sister, Brendan. Daddy had two families, which no one knew about until Claudette’s mama died. She was barely a year old when Daddy brought her home. Mama put Daddy out of her bed for a whole year, but she took Claudette in her arms like she was one of her own.”
Brendan grinned. “I have an aunt?”
Claudette stood. “Yes. Yes, you do, Brendan Poe. If it is not to your liking, I—”
She never got to finish what she was saying.
Brendan threw his arms around her, kissed her on both cheeks, and then hugged her again.
“Finally! Family I can be proud of,” he said.
Delle felt shame, but at the same time a relief. This day was long overdue. Her marriage to Anson Poe had separated her from everyone she’d known and loved, and if Anson knew Claudette was here, he’d be livid. The thought made her smile.
Brendan shook his head. “Okay, so now I owe Mama Lou even more than my life. She’s given me back family as well, and she’s never gonna let me forget it.”
Claudette lifted her chin, ready to take charge.
“Go to your job, Brendan Poe, and rest assured I can handle any and everything that might possibly occur.”
He left with a smile on his face and a bounce in his step.
****
The Black Garter was in the middle of a block on Rampart Street. The entrance was painted black, and there were no windows to see what was going on inside, partly because of the semi-nudity of the dancers, and partly because the people who were inside had privacy issues of their own.
The décor skirted gaudy, hinted at macabre, and bordered on just enough reality to be interesting. The undertones of a drumbeat played in the background beneath a constant loop of Cajun music. The cocktail waitresses wore black slacks and black lace camisoles with barely there red bras peeking through the naughty lace. It was meant to keep emotions hot, while the constantly circulating air conditioning kept bodies cool.
There was a raised stage behind a half-circle bar where a nearly naked dancer twisted and writhed to a wild jungle drumbeat. The fact a python, white as the dancer was dark, dangled around her neck was almost noticed after the fact.
The two other bartenders who usually worked Juliette’s shift were Toni and Wynn, and they all worked within the open arc between the bar and the stage.
There were two bouncers on every shift, three if it was a weekend or a convention was in town. Tonight, Brendan was on duty with Deuce, an ex-pro football player who’d grown up in the area.
Brendan stood near a wall in the middle of the room that gave him free access to watch the people on the floor as well as people at the bar. There was no access to the stage from the front of the house, but it didn’t stop the occasional customer from trying to climb the bar to get to the woman and her snake.
Deuce was in the process of removing a very drunk customer from the premises for putting his hand down a waitress’s bra when Brendan saw a heavy-set man come inside and head
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