Ellena (2 page)

“Are ya sure ’bout taking this trip alone, Ellena?” Illeanna asked as she diced and chopped veggies and Angelina spoke with their customers out front.

“I’m sure, sista. I’m kind of looking forward to it really. I hate to admit it, but I’m feeling tired and also kind of bland about my cooking and what Aubert’s is offering. I want to snaz it up a bit on my end.” Ellena pulled out a new tray of homemade biscuits to go along with the crawfish bisque.

“Ohh, are ya telling me my fancy-smancy style of cooking is rubbin’ off on ya?” Illeanna teased, and Ellena threw a dish towel at her. Illeanna laughed.

“No way. I just think with all the different types of customers we’ve been getting, we should offer some specialty items like they do in the city. They know about catering to the visitors and have some tricks about fast cooking but good cooking. We can keep making those family recipes we’ve had for generations while also offering some quick meals. I noticed a lot of theses tourists want to come and go real quick like.”

“I hear ya about that. The different po’boys, bowls of gumbo to go and jambalaya definitely fly outta here really fast. People just can’t get enough.”

Ellena agreed as she began to pull together more ingredients to cook today’s lunch special, jerked tenderloin.

As evening set in, Ellena walked out back to take a call from Frederick Owen, the owner and cook of Lustre Restaurant near the French Quarter. Ellena was staying at the Barisque which was three blocks from the restaurant and away from the crowds of tourists. She was hoping to rejuvenate her recipe ideas and catch a little break from all the chaos in opening the new restaurant with her sisters. Having Angelina and Illeanna as partners was fantastic and allowed each of them a bit of personal time when needed. Ellena wondered when Mike and Tye would push for a date with Angelina. Angelina flirted with them often enough, but Mike and Tye seemed cautious. Ellena wondered if it had something to do with the age difference between the men and Angelina. Angelina was twenty-six. Mike and Tye were in their late thirties, and so were their brothers, Terrance and Lucifer. Those two were very intimidating. They also had a lot of money and owned numerous estates and hotels. Lucifer and Terrance were big men and stood over six feet tall. Angelina was a petite little thing.

Ellena sighed as she went about preparing to leave for the night. Who was she to be thinking about pushing Angelina into a relationship with Tye and his brothers when she was running clear of the four men she desired so much herself. Ellena thought about Leon, Roy, Mack, and Troy. Last night, they each took every opportunity to touch her, brush close by her with their big, muscular bodies, and Roy even caressed her lower lip as he asked her if she was too tipsy to walk home. Like she would have allowed those men to escort her home? She would have wound up in bed with one of them, she just knew it.

Shaking her head, she tried to focus on her little getaway. Tomorrow, she would have a few days to herself.

* * * *

“Well, what y’all think we should do now?” Leon Rue asked his brothers as they gathered around the porch after supper.

“Ya know what I think, Leon? I say we confront Ellena and just lay down the law. I see how she looks at you guys when you ain’t looking and I hear her quick breaths when I’m close to her. She’s attracted to us,” Roy stated.

“Well shit, Roy, we know she’s attracted to us and we to her. The problem is, she ain’t biting on the hooks we leaving ’round her,” Troy said.

“She’s young. Maybe she thinks we’re too old for her. Or maybe, there’s someone else,” Mack added and Leon shook his head. Out of all his brothers, Mack was the most insecure when it came to Ellena. He was an accountant and businessman in town. He was conservative to say the least, and getting him to take charge was a struggle. He was the least confrontational. Now, Troy and Roy were just like Leon. They were tough, outgoing and confident. Roy, being a firefighter was a badass. The man had ladies throwing themselves at him, but he just wasn’t interested.

“There can’t be someone else,” Troy said and sounded shocked that Mack could even say that.

“Well, I kind of heard Ellena talking to Illeanna about taking a little trip somewhere around the French Quarter and meeting an old friend,” Mack said.

“What? When did you hear this information and when were you gonna tell us?” Leon asked in a thick Cajun accent, feeling annoyed. He took great care in keeping an eye on Ellena as well as Angelina since they were the last two single Aubert sisters. Angelique had personally asked Leon to keep an eye on her sisters since the new restaurant opened.

“She was just talking with Angelina and Illeanna and said something about taking a few days off to find herself and meeting some guy friend. A chef, I think,” Mack told Leon.

“Finding herself?” Roy asked.

“Yeah. I guess she’s been under a bit of stress the last six months with the expansion of Aubert’s,” Troy said.

“Sure has been. She’d been working long hours and even when I met with her, Illeanna, and Angelina two weeks ago for their taxes, she was looking tired. She’s had a hard life,” Mack said.

Leon ran his fingers through his crew-cut black hair. He was worried about her.

“She going all alone to meet this guy chef?” he asked. Mack shrugged his shoulders.

“We can call Eloi and ask him. He’ll give us the low down, cause he knows we interested in Ellena,” Roy suggested.

“She’d better not be going alone or I’m gonna give her a piece of my mind,” Troy stated firmly, and Leon felt the same way.

“It is what it is. We can’t force ourselves into her life. I’ll call Eloi and see if I can at least find out if Ellena is traveling alone,” Leon said

“Well, now onto some other business. As you guys know, I’ve been working round the French Quarter more, patrolling the
Eighth District. There’s been a bunch of crimes lately,” Leon told them.

“Tell me ’bout it, brah, there have been numerous fires, all suspicious around them parts, too,” Roy added.

“Well, what the hell is going on down there? It’s a big tourist area and whomever is causing the chaos gonna make people go elsewhere to spend their money,” Troy said.

“Exactly. There are numerous ongoing investigations, but I have a feeling Parker K is involved somehow,” Leon told them.

“Parker K? That asshole outta jail already?” Mack asked, knowing very well that Parker was a gangster involved with police corruption and illegal drugs, among other things.

“He got out three months ago, but his operation ran strong in his absence. Anyway, yesterday, I was working and one of the officers brought in a guy on drug selling and possession. A good amount, too. But we have some leads indicating that a few hotels and restaurants may be fronts for these drug transactions. I want you to be aware of this, Mack, considering you do a lot of business transactions and lunch dates in the area. Watch your back, keep your eyes opened. These thugs would think nothing of shooting up a joint to get their message across or to cover up a situation,” Leon told Mack.

“Will do, brother, and you better watch yourself, too. Didn’t Parker K threaten Eloi at one time or another?” Mack asked.

“Him and a few of the officers working in the Eighth District. That’s how the feds found out about the corruption,” Roy added, and Leon nodded.

“I’m careful, but I’m also not turning my back on something just because Parker K is involved. He’s going down for good and I wouldn’t mind one bit being on the team that takes him down.”

“You be careful, Leon. As Cherise would say, you don’t need to call on the devil. Sometimes the devil finds you,” Roy said. Leon took a slug of his beer as a feeling of foreboding filled his gut.

Ellena checked in to her hotel then decided to stroll the streets of the French Quarter. She started out on Decatur Street then made her way through Bourbon Street and Royal. Her favorite part about walking through the touristy spots was the sound of street musicians. The way they strummed on the guitars and blew on their trumpets and tubas as people tossed bills and coins into a bucket was so cool to see and hear. Tonight she would dine at Lustre Restaurant, her friend Frederick Owen’s place.

She stood by one of the corner stores that was selling jewelry, homemade candles, and cosmetics from local artisans. She listened to the band playing music and noticed the tourists coming and going, all smiling and enjoying their visit. The smell of food from the various vendors filled the air. Her stomach growled, and she debated about having a quick snack before heading back toward Lustre. Knowing Frederick, he would prepare everything from appetizers to dessert for her to try. He wanted to impress her in the hopes that she would continue to say that he cooked like a local and maintained authentic New Orleans cuisine. She in turn was on the hunt for some new delicious recipes to offer at Aubert’s.

It was a beautiful, warm night. The sun was setting, and she had a good thirty minutes before having to head to Lustre. She browsed some of the items on display from a local merchant. There were gorgeous silk scarves, fine handmade jewelry, and a pretty set of earrings that caught her attention.

“Those are beautiful. I hand make all the jewelry myself. The backings are gold coated, so they last and they even have a clip to lock them in place,” the older lady behind the table told her.

“They are very pretty,” Ellena said as she looked at the green-and-gold dangling earrings. They were nearly identical to her eye color.

“Try them on, miss. You can look in the mirror,” the woman said. As Ellena began to try on the earrings, she noticed two men approach the table. The woman who worked there looked a bit frightened but annoyed, and she reached under the table and pulled out an envelope. She handed it to one of the men. They in turn began to walk away toward a car with tinted windows.

Ellena knew it wasn’t any of her business, but it sure did seem suspicious. She was looking at herself in the mirror, checking out the earrings when she heard a male voice and sensed someone behind her.

“Those are lovely and bring out the brilliant green of your eyes.”

She noticed the woman behind the counter almost bow before moving a bit away to help another customer. Ellena had the feeling that the man was important as she turned to look up at him.

She swallowed hard. He had dark, almost-black eyes, well-styled hair, and a firm jaw. Dressed in a button-down dress shirt and tie, he appeared sophisticated. She instantly felt on guard.

“I’m not sure really.” Ellena began to take one of the earrings out of her ear. He stopped her by gently tracing a finger down her arm.

“I would not lie to such a lovely woman. Those are meant for you,” he whispered. She couldn’t help but stare at him and the intense, almost dictator-like aura he had.

“Mia, these earrings are made for her don’t you think?” He asked the woman behind the counter, who immediately stopped helping the other customer to help this man.

“Yes sir, they match her eyes beautifully. She is quite lovely.” Ellena felt her cheeks warm. This was kind of embarrassing.

“How much?” he asked.

“Twenty, sir.”

He tossed the twenty-dollar bill on the counter then looked at Ellena and smiled. “You deserve even better.”

“Oh, I can’t let you pay for these for me.”

The woman, Mia, gasped then lowered her head and walked away. Ellena could see the expression on the man’s face change to almost shocked that she’d said such a thing then quickly relaxed again. What was up with this character?

“Why not?” he asked.

“Well, I don’t even know you. I do not accept gifts from strangers, especially around here.”

“I am so sorry. Please excuse my ignorance. My name is Parker and this is my neighborhood.” He reached his hand out for her to take it.

Cautiously, she reached out, and they shook hands. His grip was firm as he slowly brought her hand up to his face and kissed the top. She was stunned by his debonair move as she stared up at him. He was at least six feet tall. He held his lips inches from her hand as his eyes held her gaze. “And you are?” he asked sweetly.

“Ellena,” she replied.

He slowly released her hand and smiled.

“Now we aren’t strangers.” He winked at her before walking back toward the car. She watched him, her interest piqued by his charismatic display and ability to snag her attention like he had. That was when she saw him whisper something to one of the men. The man looked at her then back at Parker and nodded his head. As not to appear immature or awestruck by the man, she quickly turned away and back toward Mia.

“Would you like to wear them, miss?”

“Yes. Who was that man?” Ellena asked Mia. Mia swallowed hard as she took the twenty-dollar bill and placed it into her cash box.

“You do not know who Mr. Parker is?”

“No, I don’t live in the French Quarter. I’m just visiting a friend.”

“Oh, well he is very important around here.”

“How so?”

Mia looked around and seemed to be uncomfortable about discussing Mr. Parker in public.

“He just is. Would you like anything else?”

Ellena shook her head then turned to walk down the street toward Lustre.