Her eyebrows lifted with this disclosure, wondering what could be so pressing or important that Gage had come to her home. “Okay. Once I’m close enough, I’ll open the gates for you to park near the garages.”
“I’ll be here.”
She tried coming up with different scenarios as to why Gage would have to talk to her in person rather than tell her on the phone, and each time she dismissed the possible situations. In the end she knew she would have to wait to hear it from him.
Lengthening shadows shrouded tree-lined streets as she maneuvered down the block leading to DuPont House. Reaching for the remote device under the visor, she punched a button, and the gates to the imposing mansion opened. She saw the taillights of the white Audi SUV come on and disappear when Gage drove through, she following his vehicle. Tonya tapped another device, and the doors to a three-car garage opened smoothly. The garage was empty, indicating LeAnn and Paige were both out. She knew even if she did occupy a first-floor suite, she doubted whether she would see much of the now retired schoolteachers. She drove into the garage and cut the engine. Gage was out of his car to meet her when she opened the hatch to remove her purchases.
He reached around her. “Let me get those for you.”
“Thanks.”
Tonya gave him a sidelong glance, silently admiring the turned-back cuffs on the crisp pale-blue shirt. A pair of tailored navy slacks and black leather slip-ons had replaced his jeans and running shoes. The lingering scent of his cologne wafted to her nose. Notes of jasmine, musk, and sandalwood were the perfect combination for his body’s natural pheromones. And in that instant, she pondered why someone with his looks and talent was still single. She suspected maybe his ex-wife had soured him when it came to a forming a committed relationship, or perhaps he was so used to women coming on to him that he simply ignored them. She did notice women staring, whispering, and pointing to him when she had sat in Jazzes with her friends listening to live music, and she had been no exception. However, it wasn’t as much about his attractiveness as it was his musical talent. He had played a horn solo, the muted notes so hauntingly beautiful that it left her spell-bound.
Her focus wasn’t on getting involved with a man but putting all of her energies into starting up and making her business viable, because when it came to love she always found herself on the negative side of the ledger. Once she committed, she went all in, and in the end she wound up the loser. It had been that way with Samuel, and the result was that she could not give Darius what he wanted or needed for them to have a satisfying relationship.
“What on earth did you buy?” Gage asked as they followed the flagstone path leading to the guesthouses.
Tonya smiled. “A little of this and a little of that. I could’ve spent the entire day at the French Market, but some of the vendors were closing for the day.”
“The flea and farmers’ markets open at nine and close at six depending on the season and the weather, while retail stores open every day from ten to six.”
“I haven’t seen that much of the city, but right now the French Market is one place I plan to visit over and over.”
“When I take you around the city, I’m going to begin with the nightlife, and after you recover we can visit some of the other parishes.”
Tonya walked up the steps to the guesthouse located farthest from the main house, unlocked the front door, and punched in the programmed code on the wall keypad to deactivate the security system. She had left the table lamp on in the entryway because she did not like walking into a dark house. She flipped a wall switch, and the table lamp and a crystal chandelier in the living room flooded the space with warm, golden light. She slipped out of her shoes and left them on a thick straw mat.
“Do you always take off your shoes when you come into the house?”
Tonya dropped her keys on the drop-leaf oaken table. “Yes. It’s a habit I picked up when living in Asia. I’ll take those,” she said to Gage, reaching for the bags as he, too, slipped out of his shoes.
“I know you profess to be a strong, independent woman, but damn, can’t you allow me be chivalrous just this one time,” he teased, smiling.
Tonya patted his shoulder and felt solid muscle under the cotton fabric. “Yes, my liege. Come with me and I’ll show you where to put them.” She led the way across the living room to the kitchen.
“I’ve been to DuPont House a few times, but I’ve never been in any of the guesthouses,” Gage admitted as he followed Tonya into the eat-in kitchen. “They’re as large as some of the cottages where I grew up in Tremé.” He placed the bags on the floor next to the refrigerator, and then walked over to the French doors spanning the back porch. There was still enough light for him to see the gardens.
“Do you still live there?”
Gage turned and stared at Tonya. He still found it hard to believe she was fifty when she could easily pass for a woman ten years younger. He had celebrated his forty-sixth birthday last November, and there were times when he felt much older, especially when it came to dealing with his ex-wife and son. It was only after constant threats to cut him off that Wesley finally finished high school, and now at twenty he found every excuse known to man not to attend classes at a local junior college. Fortunately for Tonya, she wasn’t faced with the same dilemma because come May her daughter would graduate college.
He returned to the kitchen, rested a hip against the countertop, crossed his arms over his chest, and watched Tonya as she emptied bags filled with seasonal fruits and vegetables. “No. I live in the Upper French Quarter between Dauphine and Burgundy Streets.”
“How far is that from Bourbon Street?”
“About two miles; far enough away where I’m not kept awake from the constant nighttime debauchery.”
Tonya rolled her eyes upward. “Do you hear yourself? I was under the impression that musicians stay up all night and sleep during the day.”
“For me it’s only two nights a week. Monday through Thursday nights I’m usually home because I have to teach the next day. Speaking of teaching, that’s why I wanted to talk to you.”
She held up a hand. “Have you had dinner?”
“No. Why?”
She met his eyes. “You can tell me over dinner, but first I’m going to light a few candles, turn on some music, and change my clothes, and then I’ll make something for us that won’t take a lot of time.” Tonya continued to set plastic bags of shrimp, avocado, fresh cilantro, scallion, red onion, fresh ginger, red bell pepper, salad greens, and several types of cheese on the countertop.
“Are you planning for us to have a romantic dinner?”
