Chapter 14
Gage removed the “Reserved” sign from a table that was positioned with an unobstructed view of the stage and seated Tonya. He slipped off his jacket and draped it over the back of the chair opposite hers. “I’ll be right back, as soon as I let the band know I’m here.”
Tilting her chin, she smiled up at him. She had met Gage for the first time three weeks ago, yet it felt as if she had known him much longer. Hannah had confided to her that at their age they were mature enough to know what they did or did not want. Within minutes of reuniting with St. John and learning that he was no longer married, Hannah knew she wanted more than friendship. Now it was Tonya’s turn to decide what she wanted. She could not deny the physical attraction that was evident, but was she willing to take their friendship to the next level?
Keep an open mind, the silent voice reminded her. Whenever faced with a quandary, the inner voice would remind her not to overthink or overanalyze a situation. After all, she and Gage were adults with adult children, and potential grandparents.
Gage returned with a food and beverage menu. He shifted a chair and sat next to her, resting an arm over her shoulders. “Let me know what you want to eat, and I’ll have one of the waitstaff get it for you.”
She gave him a sidelong glance. “What are you having?”
He pressed his mouth to the diamond stud in her lobe. “I’ll eat later. I’m only playing one set, so after that I’m all yours.”
“What if I wait for you to eat?”
“You don’t have to, Tonya.”
“I want to. What do you want me to order for you?”
“I’ll have what you’re having.”
Tonya gave the menu a cursory glance, and then recalled the tapas she had sampled. “The last time I was here I had tasso shrimp, crawfish with morel mushrooms, and deviled crab.”
Gage smiled. “Have you ever tried the oysters en brochette?”
“No.”
“I recommend you add the oysters and the spicy garlic shrimp. I’ll tell the waiter to bring our order in half an hour. Meanwhile, what do you want to drink?”
“I’d like a glass of prosecco.”
Tonya watched as Gage approached a waiter to give the young man their order. Everything about his body language communicated relaxed confidence. It was apparent he was comfortable and content with his current lifestyle, while she still hadn’t settled into hers. She enjoyed cooking and baking for Chez Toussaints and dating a man who, unknowingly, was the missing piece to make her life complete. Before relocating to New Orleans she thought she had it together, but interacting with Gage was a constant reminder that she had been in denial—that she did want a man in her life.
Gage returned to the table and brushed a light kiss over her mouth; she held onto his arm until he deepened the kiss. It ended, and he stared at her, complete surprise freezing his features. “Thank you,” Tonya said breathlessly against his parted lips. Easing back slightly, she rubbed her nose over his smooth cheek and inhaled the cologne mingling with his body’s natural masculine scent.
He smiled. “I don’t know what you’re thanking me for, but I like it.”
Tonya stared up at him from under lowered lids. She rubbed the pad of her thumb over his mouth. “I’ll tell you later. And lipstick doesn’t become you,” she teased.
Gage blinked once. “Ms. Martin, are you flirting with me?”
She winked at him. “As a matter of fact I am. Does that bother you?”
“Hell, no! To tell you the truth, you don’t flirt enough. There was a time when I thought maybe you didn’t like me very much.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Mr. Toussaint, because I happen to like you a lot.”
His expressive eyebrows lifted a fraction. “What are we going to do about it?”
“Roll with it.”
Gage made the peace sign with his fingers. “We’re going to have a lot fun together.”
“You promise?”
He nodded. “Promise.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ve got to meet the guys in the dressing room, so I’ll see you later.”
She watched his retreating back until he disappeared from view. A waitress wearing a white shirt, black slacks, shoes, and a red bowtie approached her table, balancing a tray on her shoulder. She set a coaster stamped with the club’s logo on the table, along with napkins, two place settings, small plates, and a glass of prosecco.
“If there’s anything else you need, please let me know.”
Tonya nodded. “I will. Thank you.”
She took a sip of the chilled, slightly fruity wine. She stared over the rim at the framed black-and-white photographs of jazz and blues greats lining the walls of the one-story wooden structure. When Hannah had invited her, Jasmine, Nydia, and Samara to accompany her to Jazzes, she had anticipated listening to live music. But when she discovered it was a supper club serving tapas, Tonya knew if she opened her own eating establishment it would mirror the iconic Tremé music venue. Unknowingly, Tonya had hit the proverbial jackpot when interacting with the Toussaints. As Eustace’s apprentice she would learn from the best when it came to preparing local dishes, and Gage could assist her when it came to choosing and hiring local musical talent.
Gage had told her the owners of the club set aside Fridays as amateur night for those looking to break into the business; a few had been lucky enough to be picked up by an agent or record producer, some of whom occasionally came to the club searching for new talent. Now the house lights dimmed, followed by applause as members of the band walked on stage. Tonya couldn’t pull her eyes away from Gage as he sat at the black shiny concert piano and rested long fingers on the keys. A strategically positioned spotlight turned him into a figure of gold.
The instant he played the opening notes to Vince Guar-aldi’s “Cast Your Fate to the Wind,” cheers went up from the assembly. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the jazz composition, which had always been a favorite. Even children were able to recognize the piece of music as the theme from the Peanuts comic strip.
The quintet, consisting of a bassist, percussionist, sax, horn, and pianist, improvised solos for several minutes before returning to the rhythmic melody that had everyone nodding their heads and tapping their feet. Ten minutes stretched into fifteen, and finally into twenty as only the sound of the piano and congas echoed in the room, until they faded away to a hushed silence.
Tonya was up on her feet with the other patrons, applauding and cheering for an encore.
The saxophonist introduced each member of the band as they came to the center of the stage and bowed to thunderous clapping. There were whistles and screams when Gage took his bow. The band leader tapped his handheld mic. “We’re going to take a short break, and then we’ll be back, hopefully to play some of your favorites.” The house lights went up, and then dimmed slightly as prerecorded music filled the restaurant.
A waiter with a tray hoisted on his shoulder approached the table at the same time Gage walked over. “I have your order, Mr. Toussaint.”
Waiting until the plates were set on the table, Gage reached into the pocket of his slacks and pressed a bill to the young man’s hand. “Thank you, Jules.”
The waiter smiled, displayed a mouth with upper and lower braces. “Thank you, Mr. Toussaint.”
“Could you please being me a Sazerac?”
The waiter bowed slightly. “Of course.”
“You were wonderful,” Tonya said softly when Gage sat next to her.
He gave her a sidelong glance. “I’m only as good as my bandmates.”
“I’d never take you for someone who would be so self-deprecating.”
“I’m not. What you have to understand is that I’m a part of a band. Sade Abu may have been the lead singer, but it was the band that was Sade.”
“Have you ever thought about branching out on your own?”
A hint of a smile lifted the corners of Gage’s mouth. “No. And where would I find the time? Right now I enjoy the camaraderie that comes from playing with other musicians. We may occasionally argue about how we want to play a particular composition, yet in the end we come to a consensus. What’s nice about playing jazz . . .” His words trailed off when a woman from the waitstaff whispered in his ear. Pushing back his chair, Gage stood up. “I’m sorry, babe. I have to talk to someone.”
Tonya nodded. When Gage had invited her to the club, she didn’t expect to have his undivided attention. Picking up a fork, she speared a golden brown oyster with a butter sauce and crisp, thick-sliced bacon from the dish. Creole seasoning, lemon, and Worcestershire sauce were the perfect complement for the fresh oysters and smoky bacon. Tonya made a mental note to thank Gage for suggesting she order it. The dish was one she knew she had to add to her culinary repertoire. All of the tapas on the table were fish appetizers, and Tonya knew, living in New Orleans, she could very easily become a pescatarian.
* * *
Gage came back to the table, and this time he wasn’t alone. Unbeknownst to him, Karla, Cleveland, and Bobby had come to Jazzes to hear him play. He met Tonya’s questioning gaze as a waiter pushed a table close to theirs, while another brought over three more chairs.
“Darling, I’d like you to meet some of my colleagues. I hope you don’t mind if they join us?”
Tonya’s dimples creased her cheeks when she smiled. “Of course I don’t. The more the merrier.”
He waited until everyone was seated, then made the introductions. “The lovely lady seated next to you is Karla Holcomb, Lafitte’s drama teacher extraordinaire.” A becoming blush turned Karla’s face a bright pink. “Next to her is our very talented choral director, Cleveland Brown. And last but definitely not least is Bobby Mays, who heads our art department and is also a brilliant graphic designer. Good folks, I’d like all of you to meet someone who’s very special to me. Tonya Martin.”
Tonya inclined her head. “It’s nice meeting all of you.”
Bobby angled his head and stared directly at Tonya, his gold-brown eyes sparkling like shiny pennies. “We’re sorry about intruding on your date, but we wanted to surprise Toussaint. We’ve all witnessed the results of his teaching, but this is the first time we’ve actually heard him play.”
“I may sound a little biased,” Tonya said, “but I happen to think he’s pretty amazing.”
“He’s beyond amazing,” Karla countered, smiling. “Did he tell you about what he’s come up with for our school’s spring concert?”
Tonya shook her head. “No, he hasn’t.”
“Shame on you, Gage,” Karla chided softly. “Do you usually keep secrets from your woman?”
Gage was slightly annoyed at Karla taking him to task about something he had planned to discuss with Tonya, if only to get her feedback on which songs he should include for the final program. “No, I don’t.”
“Whenever Gage and I are together, we usually don’t discuss our work,” Tonya said matter-of-factly.
If he could, Gage would’ve kissed Tonya for her quick response. And she had told the truth. They had not seen each other that often, and when they did it was to cook together. Tonight was the first time they had gone out on what he deemed a real date. It had been his intention to share dinner, listen to music, and then take a tour of some of the other rock, blues, and jazz music venues. Le Bon Temps Roulé, located uptown on Magazine Street, was his favorite spot to listen to live local bands.
“I hear you,” Cleveland intoned, “because that’s why my last girlfriend left me. She said she got tired of me talking about work every time I opened my mouth.”
“That’ll learn you,” Bobby teased.
“Tonight’s not about work, but eating and listening to good music. You were given tickets when you paid the cover charge, so the first drink is on the house,” Gage informed his co-workers. “After that I’ll cover your tab.”
Running both hands over his braided hair, Cleveland leaned back in his chair. “Toussaint, you may come to regret that offer, because give us a few hours, and Bobby and I can drink this joint dry.”
Karla glared at Cleveland and then Bobby. “I didn’t volunteer to become the designated driver tonight to have you act up like a couple frat boys and barf in my car.”
Gage smiled. “Not to worry, Karla. If I’m paying, then I’ll know when to stop them.”
Bobby reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and placed a credit card on the table. “If Toussaint’s paying for the drinks, then I’ll cover the food.”
Not be outdone, Cleveland also placed a credit card on the table. “I’ll split the food with you, Bobby, because I intend to order everything on the menu.”
Karla pressed her shoulder to Tonya’s. “See what I have to put up with,” she whispered. “They may be grown, but they’re still big boys.”
Tonya nodded in agreement. “It was the same when I used to go out with the guys who worked at several restaurants with me.”
“You’re a chef.” Karla’s remark was a statement.
“Yes.”
“Good for you. Where are you working?”
“Right now I’m working at a small place in Tremé to learn how to prepare some of the local dishes.” Tonya did not want to advertise that she was working at Gage’s family-owned restaurant.
“You’re not from down here, are you?”
Tonya smiled. “No. I’m a born and bred New Yorker. And I can tell from the way you speak that you’re also not from down here.”
“No. I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Green Bay Packers cheesehead from Wisconsin.”
“I thought I detected a Midwest inflection. And I wouldn’t brag about being a cheesehead because you’re in ‘Whodatna-tion. ’ I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard folks say ‘who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints.’ ”
Karla pushed out her lips. “And I’m not scared. I always wear my Packers’ para whenever they play here.”
Tonya nodded. “Good for you, because I intend to do the same whenever the Giants come to town.” She and Karla executed fist-bumps to seal their decision.
The drink orders arrived, and everyone touched glasses to toast old and new friendships. Tonya took an instant liking to Karla, a free-spirited actress turned drama and musical theater teacher, as they shared glasses of prosecco, while the men drank hurricanes and Sazerac. Small plates of appetizers covered nearly every inch of surface on the table.
In between bites of food when the band was taking a break, Karla revealed that after graduating college she had married a fellow aspiring thespian. Their marriage lasted more than ten years and then came to an abrupt end when she came home unexpectedly from rehearsing with a Chicago-based theater company to find her husband in bed with their neighbor’s wife.
“They were so busy getting it on that they never knew I was standing there. Even though I was in shock, I managed to get a camera from a drawer in the home office and took pictures of his naked hairy ass. Once the whore realized they weren’t alone, I snapped a picture of her face frozen in shock and fear. Her husband worked for a private military company, and she told me she was deathly afraid of him.”
Tonya made a sucking sound with her tongue and teeth. “Apparently she wasn’t that afraid if she was willing to screw her neighbor.”
“You’ve got that right,” Karla said, smiling. “I turned a deaf ear to the cheating bastard when he pleaded with me not to leave him. I called my father to pick me up because the car I drove was in that snake’s name. I wanted nothing from him except my maiden name, but my father, who just happens to be an attorney, was so angry that he had cheated on his baby girl that he threatened Langdon that he was going to present the photos as evidence during the divorce proceeding if he didn’t agree to a quickie divorce and a generous settlement. My ex came from a very wealthy family, and by the time he took control of his trust he was worth more than twenty million dollars. Once he agreed to give me a million for every year of our marriage, I signed a statement verifying that I’d destroyed the photos, and I changed the reason for the divorce from adultery to irreconcilable differences.”
Tonya bit down on her lower lip to keep from laughing. Karla’s ex cheating on her wasn’t as funny as her turning the tables on him. It appeared that many of the women she’d talked to lately had had unfaithful husbands: Jasmine, Hannah, and now Karla. Samuel may have been controlling, but she doubted whether he had ever cheated on her.
“What happened to the trick?”
“I don’t know. Langdon sold the house and moved back to L.A. even before the divorce was finalized. I’d read somewhere that he’d gotten a recurring role in a television drama filmed in Vancouver. I managed to stay involved in the theater, and after a while I realized I was a little long in the tooth to play the ingénue and decided I needed a change of scene. My agent wanted me to try out for Broadway, but I was already in my mid-thirties, and I didn’t want to compete with much younger actresses trying to break into the business.”
“When did you move to New Orleans?”
“Three years ago. I came down to visit a cousin, liked what I saw, and decided to stay. I was an English major in college with a minor in theater, so I applied for a position to teach English at one of the local high schools. Once I was hired, I bought a condo in the Warehouse District and convinced my cousin to sell her house and move into the first floor unit.”
“Everything fell into place for you.”
Karla nodded. “Just like a well thought-out plan. By the way, when did you move down?” Karla asked Tonya.
“January fourth.”
Karla tucked several strands behind her ear. “So you’re really a newcomer. Do you have any friends here?”
Tonya nodded. “I’m lucky to say I have quite a few.” She could count Hannah, St. John, LeAnn and Paige DuPont, Eustace, his daughters, and Gage as friends.
“Good for you. I invite a few of the teachers over to my place for informal get-togethers several times a year. My brothers come down with their families during the summer, and they always complain about the heat. I don’t have any kids, but don’t tell that to Lola. She’s a Pomeranian and a ball of fur. She is so spoiled and monopolizes all of my attention when I’m home.”
“And I bet you wonder who spoiled her.”
Karla lowered her eyes. “Guilty as charged. After all, she is my baby.”
“I had a dog when I was younger, but as an adult I spent too many hours away from home to take care of a pet.”
“What about now?” Karla asked.
Tonya shook her head. “It still wouldn’t work because I leave my place before six in the morning, and I don’t get home until around four. And there’s no fenced-in yard where it could run around.” She didn’t tell Karla that a dog, whether large or small, might get into the garden, destroy the flower beds, or ingest a weed that might prove fatal.
“It’s different for me because my cousin takes Lola for walks along with her poodle. Thank goodness I had her fixed or I’d end up with a bunch of puppies, because Oreo still hasn’t been neutered.” Karla dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “We’ve talked about everything but you and Gage.”
Tonya stared straight ahead, purposely ignoring Gage’s eyes. Throughout dinner she had noticed him staring at her and Karla as they whispered softly so not to be overheard by the others at the table. “What about him?” she asked.
“Did you just meet him, or were you previously involved with each other?”
“I saw him for the first time last summer. But once I relocated we began seeing each other.” Tonya hadn’t lied. She did see Gage for the first time when she had come to Jazzes with her friends in July, but she did not know he was Eustace’s brother until he revealed it to her following Hannah’s wedding. “Why are you asking?”
“There’s a lot of talk going around about him at the high school because no one has ever seen him with a woman.”
Tonya’s eyebrows lifted as she gave Karla an incredulous stare. “Are they saying he’s gay?”
“No!” she countered. “It’s just that he’s very quiet and a tad mysterious, and because of this he’s become the topic of quite a few conversations among the female staff and faculty.”
Tonya wanted to tell Karla there were some men who preferred keeping their private lives private, while others were more open about their relationships. Initially Gage hadn’t told her he had a son, but once he felt comfortable with her, he had opened up to her. And she knew he was disappointed that his troubled boy was abusing drugs, which may have contributed to his not letting anyone get close.
“I’ve found Gage to be a very private person,” she said in defense of the man with whom she found herself enthralled.
Karla sighed. “He’s definitely a trifecta: private, talented, and kind on the eyes.” Tonya and Karla laughed loudly, causing the others at their table to stare at them.
“Do you want to let us dudes in on your little joke?” Bobby asked.
“No!” the two women said in unison.
Gage smiled and shook his head. “Well, while you ladies were deep in conversation, we dudes decided we’re going club hopping. Are you in or are you out?”
Tonya exchanged a look with Karla. “I’m in.”
“So am I,” Karla agreed.
Gage signaled a waiter, settled the check, while Bobby and Cleveland tossed large bills on the table for the gratuity. “Karla, you can leave your car here in the lot, while I drive everyone over to the Quarter. Afterwards, I’ll bring y’all back.”
“That’s fine with me.”
Tonya winked at Gage when he reached for her hand and led her out of the club and into the cool nighttime air. “I like your friends,” she said in a quiet voice.
He dropped a kiss on her hair. “I had to tell Cleve to back up because he wanted to know if you’re available.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I told him hell no!”
Tonya felt something inside her she thought she would never feel again—a relationship. Being with Gage made her aware that she had unconsciously closed herself off from becoming romantically involved with a man. Even the few she had slept with after her divorce accused her of being cold, standoffish; she was neither, but she held back, unable to give all of herself because she feared she would lose what she’d fought so hard to acquire: independence.