Gotta Get Next To You (25 page)

Lee held Andrea’s chair, gazing at the mass
of dark hair that framed her lovely face. He resisted the
temptation to bury his face in it. Instead he sat down next to
her.

“The food is legendary, even for south
Louisiana,” Andrea said. She turned and seemed startled to find his
face inches from hers.

“I’m not all that hungry. But I’ll take your
recommendation about what to order.” Lee savored being so close to
her.

“I’ll have the broiled shrimp. They’ve got
great soft- shell crab,” Andrea said as she looked at him.

“Sounds good. I’ll have that as well.” Lee
was not thinking of food.

“And their trout is the best for miles
around.”

“Sounds even better,” Lee replied.

Andrea tilted her head to one side. “You’re
not even looking at the menu.”

Lee picked it up, read quickly, and put it
back down. ‘Trout it is.”

Andrea laughed as the waiter came over again.
He took their orders and darted off. “You don’t linger over
decisions, I see.”

“Not when I find what I want,” Lee said
promptly.

Andrea looked away. “Are we talking about
dinner?”

“Not entirely, no.”

An awkward silence fell between them. Lee
could not call back the words now. He’d taken a wild leap into
unknown territory. His attraction to Andrea was extraordinary.
Still, his old instinct urged him to be cautious. He pushed down
his hunger and sat back from her.

“This is the worst timing in the universe,”
Andrea blurted out. “You know what I mean?”

“You better believe it.” Lee heaved a deep
sigh. He thought of the circumstances surrounding their
relation-ship.

“But we’re here anyway.” Andrea toyed with
the edge of her linen napkin.

“Yeah.” Lee stared down at the tabletop as
though looking for answers.

“So,” Andrea said.

“So,” Lee echoed.

The waiter appeared with two salad plates
heaped with romaine lettuce. “Here you are. Enjoy.” He flashed a
professional smile before leaving.

“You were saying?” Andrea glanced at Lee.

Lee cleared his throat. “No, you go on.”

“I...” Andrea pursed her lips. “Dam, this is
hard! Typical, you know? Just when you think you’ve got your life
in some kind of order, pow!”

“No kidding. I was finally sure I knew at
least some of the answers after my divorce. No more letting
emotions rule my head.”

“Me, too.” Andrea smiled softly. “I believe
it’s called deluding yourself.”

“But I never expected to find someone like
you here. Hell, I didn’t expect to find you at all.” Lee had had no
idea such a woman existed, a woman who could set him on fire with a
glance.

Andrea lifted a shoulder. “Neither one of us
was looking.”

“But we found each other anyway. Bad timing
and all.” Lee looked at her again and let the world slip away.

“We could fight the feeling and avoid each
other at work.” Andrea looked at him for a response.

“I’ve been trying that for weeks,” Lee said
quietly. “Hasn’t worked so far.” He took her hand in his. “I can’t
just be a friend, Andrea.”

“I know.” She stared at their entwined
hands.

They sat silent for a long time, content to
touch. The warmth from her skin seeped into his body and his heart.
Andrea was the woman he wanted, and he wondered if it was fair to
her under the circumstances. He knew deep down it was selfish. Yet
he’d waited all his life to feel this complete.

The evening summer sky was bright orange
mixed with blue. Sunshine slanted across the tables, throwing
shadows across the dining room. The scenery added a perfect setting
for this moment.

Lee reluctantly let go of Andrea’s hands when
the waiter came over with their entrees. The man glanced at their
untouched salads.

“Was the salad to your liking?” he asked.

“Yeah. Just leave diem here,” Lee said.

“Sure thing,” the waiter said. He rearranged
the table and put the larger dinner plates in front of them.
“Enjoy,” he repeated, and left.

“I’ve got an idea,” Lee said. “Let’s just be
discreet for a while. I mean no need to rush.”

Andrea raised her eyebrows. “I always thought
you were bold. The kind of guy who did as he pleased and to heck
with what people thought.”

“I can be sensible once in a while,” Lee
tossed back. “I can keep a secret.”

“Hmm, then I’ve got a lot to learn about the
real Jamal Turner.” Andrea smiled at him.

Lee’s stomach churned. “Right.” He looked
away quickly.

“Did I say something wrong?” Andrea put a
hand on his arm.

He forced a smile that he hoped looked more
genuine than it felt. “No, of course not.”

“Then tell me what you’re thinking.”

“It just hit me that you’re the most
beautiful woman

in the world and you want to be with me. I
don’t deserve it,” Lee said. He did not have to pretend. The
emotion behind his words was very real.

Andrea brushed her fingers along his jaw
line. “Don’t be silly. You’re a sweet man beneath that cocky
attitude,” she said softly.

“I hope you remember that later when the
demon comes out,” he teased. Yet he caught her hand and held it
tightly.

“The demon?” she said, cocking an eyebrow.
“Is that what they call it these days?”

Being with her and talking this way tore down
his defenses. He wanted her to love him so hard, all would be
forgiven. Was there such a thing? Lee had long ago concluded that
love everlasting was a fantasy for fools. Only chumps fell in love
so hard they couldn’t think straight. For his part, he’d always
been in the driver’s seat when it came to women. Until now, that
was. Here he sat going against his survival instincts, all because
of a pair of big brown eyes and full mouth attached to a no-
nonsense nurse of all things. Yet he could not stop if he wanted
to, and he did not want to stop. Not when she looked at him that
way. He’d just have to damn well find a way to deal with all the
complications.

“I think I can handle it,” Andrea said with a
half smile. “Now let’s eat this great food before it gets cold.
Then I’m going to take you for a ride to my favorite spot.”

“Where is it?” Lee let go of her hand and
picked up his fork.

“About a fifteen-minute drive from Gran’s
house. We can leave my car at my apartment and take yours.” Andrea
tasted a small slice of roasted potato served with the shrimp.

“Sounds good.”

The next hour and a half felt right. They
seemed to both be relieved to get past the stage of lighting their
mutual attraction. Now they could relax. Beneath the surface, they
had more in common than either had thought. Lee made his first
delightful discovery about her. Andrea had a quirky sense of humor
beneath that starched exterior. For two hours they swapped jokes
and talked about other shared interests. Andrea’s laughter came
from deep in her throat and sent chills up his spine. He loved the
sound of it. The waiter came and removed their empty plates.

“Let’s see, we’ve covered food, favorite
colors, and vacation spots,” Lee said as he held up three fingers.
“What’s left?”

“I hope you love the blues, ’cause I’m a
blues fanatic,” Andrea said.

“You know, I listen to it every once in a
while since I moved south. R and B and hip-hop are more my thing.”
Lee put his arm around her chair.

“I can take you to the best nightclubs in the
state and make you a convert like that.” Andrea snapped her
fingers.

“I’ll bet you can,” Lee said with a laugh.
“Name the time and place. I love New Orleans.”

“I’m talking about right here in Lafourche
Parish, cher. And Baton Rouge has blues artists that are
international stars.”

Andrea went on with a spirited lecture on the
blues clubs and festivals of south Louisiana. Lee listened to most
of it, but mostly enjoyed seeing the sparkle in her eyes. Andrea
stopped in midsentence and looked at him.

“I’m chattering on like a squirrel on speed.
Sorry.” She blushed.

“Don’t be. I’m enjoying every minute,” Lee
said. “And learning a lot, too.”

“You’re being tactful. But I did warn you I’m
a fanatic. Now it’s your turn.” Andrea leaned toward him and
lowered her voice. ‘Tell me your deep, dark secrets.”

He laughed. “I’m a pretty shallow dude.
Something you pointed out to me once.”

Andrea’s mouth flew open. “No I didn’t!” she
protested.

“Well, you sorta implied it a couple of
times. All muscle, no brains or sensitivity. That’s what you
thought, admit it.” Lee stared at her hard.

“I...” Andrea squirmed under his
scrutiny.

“Andrea, tell the truth,” he prodded,
enjoying putting her on the spot.

“All right, I did,” she admitted. “But you
thought I was a stuck-up, rigid nitpicker.” Andrea pointed a finger
at his nose.

“I never thought you were stuck-up,” Lee said
with a grin.

“Funny, very funny,” Andrea said, and gave
his arm a playful swat.

“So we both made terrible first impressions.”
Lee gazed at her hair and face. “Now we know better, or at least
we’re starting to.”

“Yes,” Andrea murmured.

“A pretty good start at that.”

Lee leaned close until their lips met.
Awareness of where they were brought him up short. Andrea sat back
and took a deep breath.

“We should go before it’s dark. You won’t be
able to see what I want to show you.”

“Let’s hit it then,” Lee said.

In short order, they paid the bill and drove
to her apartment. Andrea parked in her reserved space and joined
Lee in his car. She gave him directions as they drove through the
countryside. They rode with the windows down, Zydeco music blasting
from the radio. Andrea tried to teach him to sing along in Creole.
They were weak with laughter after only one song. Andrea broke off
from the lesson and pointed down a gravel road.

“Turn here,” she said.

Lee looked around. On both sides of the road
stretched tall grass, palms, and swamp oak. Dusk combined with the
thick foliage made the woods seem darker. Grayish green Spanish
moss hung down from tree branches like long beards. Crickets
chirped and birds called to each other from high overhead. The
scene was almost mystical.

“This is what I love about Louisiana. You can
escape to a subtropical paradise by driving a few miles and taking
one turn down an old dirt road.”

“Yeah, I missed it more than I realized,”
Andrea said. “Not that I’ve had much time to enjoy it. The
clinic—”

“Don’t even mention the you-know-what,” Lee
broke in. “This is your time to relax. I’m going to see to it that
you do.”

“Is that so?” Andrea smiled at him.

“Believe it. No talk about work, records, or
patients.” “Yes, sir,” Andrea said, and saluted. “Just keep
following the road. We’re almost there.”

Lee followed another curve in the twisted
road and came to a clearing. He blinked in amazement. There was a
gravel parking lot full of cars to their left. Straight ahead was a
sprawling old house set on the banks of Bayou Blue. Lights and
music spilled from the windows. Lee turned off the engine.

“This is fantastic!” Lee stared wide-eyed.
“What is this place?”

“Poppa’s House of Funky Blues. Poppa’s for
short.” Andrea laughed. “You should see your face right now. You
look like you just stumbled on some magician’s castle.”

“Poppa must be a magician to have this kind
of place in the middle of nowhere.” Lee grinned.

“No magician, just an old south Louisiana
bluesman who got tired of life on the road. This property has been
in his family for four generations. His great-grandfather built the
house.”

“Wow,” was all Lee could say.

“He was my dad’s best friend. Come on.”
Andrea tapped his arm.

They got out of the car and walked to the
low-slung porch leading inside. There was a white banner with blue
letters hanging over the front door. It said DON’T COME IN IF YOU
AIN’T READY TO PARTY! Andrea nodded to it.

“Well, can you past the test?” She stared at
him.

“Oh, yeah,” Lee said smoothly.

They stepped inside what must have once been
the living and dining rooms. Tables were arranged on either side of
the door, with a small dance floor in the middle. An archway
indicated that a wall had been taken down. Straight ahead was a
raised semicircular platform. A four man band played a bouncy blues
song that had the audience snapping their fingers, nodding, and
tapping their feet. A tall black woman with shocking red hair met
them. She balanced a tray of beer bottles on one hand.

“Hi, I’m Bébé. Y’all sit anywhere. I’ll be
back in a minute.” She sashayed off on long, graceful legs.

Andrea walked to a table near the window. A
breeze blew in, making the white gauze curtains flutter. Ceiling
fans helped keep the interior of the club comfortable. The band
ended the tune to applause.

“What do you think so far?” Andrea said once
they were seated.

“I’m wondering how you could stay away from
this place,” Lee said. He propped both elbows on the rough surface
of the round table.

“There was a lot of work at the ...” She
paused when he held up a finger. “At the you-know-what,” Andrea
finished.

Bébé appeared right on cue with a basket of
mixed nuts and pretzels. She put it on the table. “What can I get
y’all?”

‘Two Abita beers,” Andrea said promptly. She
turned to Lee. “You’ll love it. It’s a Louisiana brew made from
spring water in the famous Abita Springs.”

“Got ya.” Bébé was off again.

“Man; and I thought I knew Louisiana.” Lee
smiled at her.

“No way. New Orleans is more like a
neo-European city. You gotta get the whole flavor of the Bayou
State, cher,” Andrea teased.

As if to confirm her statement, the band
started to play again. This time the song was slow and poignant.
The lights in the nightclub muted. A miniature glass oil lamp was
on the table between them. Andrea’s brown eyes glowed from its tiny
reflected flame.