“How long do you think it’ll be before the inn will be up and running?” Nydia asked.
“I don’t know. It’s going to take a while before they’re able to remove the soot off the walls and ceilings, and Hannah’s going to have someone come in again to clean the rugs and carpets. The last time we discussed a launch date, she said she wanted to open between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. That would give us time to gear up for Mardi Gras and the tourist season.”
Nydia thought about the number of times Hannah had mentioned when she wanted to open the inn for business. “She has to stop projecting an opening date, and just let everything unfold in its own time.”
“You tell her that, Nydia. It seems as if you’re the only one who can get through to her because you give it to her straight, no chaser, while Jasmine and I try to sugarcoat everything.”
Nydia’s fingers tightened around the arms of the rocker as she stared at the rows of oak trees lining the path up to the house. “I’ll wait until she’s not so emotional, because right now she’s wound so tight she may have a breakdown. I can’t believe she talked about getting her father’s gun and shooting that little shit. And were you serious about cutting him?”
Tonya chuckled. “If he’d come at me I would have filleted him like a flounder.”
Throwing back her head, Nydia laughed so hard tears filled her eyes. “I guess he was lucky, because he didn’t know who he was messing with.”
A slight frown appeared between Tonya’s eyes. “I bit my tongue and took enough crap from my first husband to last a lifetime and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a man degrade me now that I’m in my fifties. Gage knows that and he walks a real fine line when it comes to making decisions with me.”
Nydia sat straight. “I thought you and Gage have a wonderful marriage.”
“We do, but as with most married couples we don’t agree on everything. Wesley has been talking about moving out and getting his own place.”
“What’s wrong with that, Tonya? He’s how old?”
“Twenty-one. It’s not his age, but that I feel he’s not ready to live on his own without supervision. Okay, he’s working part-time for the restaurant, taking classes at one of the local colleges, and he’s also in drug counseling. But he hasn’t been clean and sober a year, and that’s too soon for him to live on his own. I should know because my brother was an addict.”
“You want him to stay and Gage wants him to go?”
Tonya shook her head. “Not exactly. Gage claims he can trust Wesley not to start abusing again, but I told him all Wesley has to do is run into some old junkie friends and he’s bound to go down that rabbit hole.” She closed her eyes. “When I agreed to marry Gage I never thought I’d become a stepmother—especially to a twenty-year-old.” She opened her eyes and met Nydia’s. “Don’t get me wrong. I’ve come to love that boy as much as I do Samara, because he was given a raw deal from the day he was born. His mother was a whore turning tricks for her habit, and he never knew what it was to grow up in a so-called normal home. When he asked me what he should call me I told him I’d like Mom or Mother. You have no idea what it is to watch a young man break down and cry because he claimed he never really had a mother. But I suppose it will be different with you and Lamar because his daughter is still young.”
“What are you talking about, Tonya?”
“Come on, Nydia. It’s as plain as the nose on your face that you and Lamar are sleeping together, and it’s just a matter of time before that man is going to put a ring on your finger. I may be new to New Orleans, but I’m privy to a lot of gossip whenever I cater a party. I become the help and the hosts believe I’m invisible when they talk about anyone and everything of note. And judging from your dance performance with Lamar at Cameron and Jasmine’s wedding, you two have been the topic of several conversations.”
Nydia knew it was time to trust her friend enough to tell her everything about her relationship with Lamar, including his wanting to marry her. “Everything has been moving so quickly that I’m barely able to think straight.”
“Have you said yes?”
“No. I need more time to ask myself if this is really what I want. Although I’ve fallen in love with Lamar, right now I can’t see myself as his wife. Then there’s the question of his daughter. Even though we get along well together I don’t know if she’ll resent me sharing her father with her.”
“There’s only one way to find out,” Tonya said. “Once you agree to marry Lamar, then he’s going to have to sit down with his daughter and talk to her about it. She may or may not like it, but you have to remember Lamar is the adult and he’s responsible for her and not the other way around.”
Nydia shook her head. “I’m not ready for a situation where I’m going to deal with a surly and perhaps even a confrontational teenage girl, because I can assure you there will be enough fireworks in that house to light up the Fourth of July.”
“It has nothing to do with becoming a stepmother, Nydia. Samara went through phases when she and I butted heads constantly until she realized her mama wasn’t going to roll over and let her do whatever she wanted. Young girls have mood swings because of hormones and whatever the hell else we go through as adolescents, but somehow we’ve grown up to emerge from that temporary crazy cocoon as beautiful, colorful butterflies.”
Nydia knew Tonya was right when she recalled some of the scenes she’d had with her mother. The back-and-forth and give-and-take until Isabel shut her down completely. Those were the times when Nydia swore if she had a daughter she would listen to her without pulling rank.
“So, what have you and Gage decided about Wesley’s future?”
“We’re still discussing it. I’d like for him to complete at least one or two years of counseling and earn his associate’s degree before moving out on his own. He can still work for the restaurant, but I’m going to insist he take random drug tests.”
“How long will he have to adhere to that?”
“For as long as I say. Don’t forget, Nydia, the café and supper club are my investments, while Gage owns a portion of Chez Toussaints. And if Wesley’s going to work for me, then he has to abide by my rules.”
Nydia saw Tonya in a whole new light. She wasn’t only a professional chef but a businesswoman looking after her investments. “I want to be tough like you by the time I’m fifty.”
Tonya waved a hand. “Don’t play yourself, Nydia. I wish I’d been as tough as you in my twenties. I know you had your ups and downs with your ex, but you stood your ground, because you never supported him financially. Do you realize how many women are taking care of grown-ass men nowadays? They pay their car notes, child support, buy expensive clothes and sneakers, feed their hungry asses, and still get disrespected when he goes out and cheats on them.” She shook her head. “Don’t sell yourself short, baby girl. You’re beautiful and smart, and I don’t know Lamar Pierce that well, but from what I’ve heard about him and just saw inside, you have yourself a winner.”
“He claims nerds can get gangsta, too.”
