“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 thePeanutscomic 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. “Thankyou, 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.”
