The look on Jackie’s face said,Those sneaky heifers…I’m going to get them.
Antonio had asked Calvin for Tanika’s and Bronwyn’s info. Calvin was hesitant, having recently received a lecture from Jackie on an assistant’s role in protecting privacy. But when Antonio said he was trying to surprise Jackie, Calvin relented, writing their numbers on a Post-it note. “I’m only helping you out because Ms. Miles has been a lot nicer, relatively speaking, since you’ve been here. So, you must be doing something right. I can only guess what that is.”
Their driver broke a few speed limits and got them to the small airport just in the nick of time. A plane was waiting for them at the private jet terminal, already gassed up. Antonio and Jackie handed their bags to an attendant and boarded the plane, where they were greeted by the small flight crew. Antonio thought it was fly that everyone on the plane was Black, including the pilot.
“Hi folks, I’m Captain Campbell,” the pilot introduced himself. “Glad that you all joined us. I was getting worried you wouldn’t make it.”
“I apologize. This one is always late. Next time, we’ll be on time,” Antonio said. He could feel Jackie’s eyes burning a hole in the side of his head.
The captain laughed. “It’s all good. Luckily, this flight to Savannah is short. Just an hour and ten minutes if everything is fine. It looks to be a clear evening, so we’ll probably land around 5:00 p.m.”
Jackie looked puzzled.
“I know what you’re thinking—we could have driven to Savannah,” Antonio said. “But we wouldn’t get there in time for what I have planned.” He took Jackie’s hand, kissing the back of it. “Just roll with it, ma. Real talk. Whatever happens, whatever we’re feeling, I want to lean into it. You think you can do the same?”
Jackie gazed at Antonio, her dark brown eyes softening. She nodded.
“Lucky, that’s all I ask of you. Just give this a try…”
Antonio leaned in, kissing Jackie on her forehead.
The flight attendant came by with water, juice, and a fruit-and-cheese plate. “I hope you’ll make yourself comfortable during the flight. Please fasten your seatbelts. We’re about to take off.”
“You ready?” Antonio asked after they’d buckled themselves in, holding out his glass of cranberry juice.
Jackie smiled, tapping her glass to his.
AFTER CHECKING INTO THEIR HOTEL, ANTONIO HAD TO WORK TOconvince Jackie to change out of her heels into her sneakers. They made it just in time for his surprise: a trolly was waiting in front of the hotel lobby, with a dozen other people milling around outside of it.
Jackie read the sign on the trolly,Beyond the Ghoulish Gates. She looked at Antonio, intrigued.
Antonio could barely contain his giddiness. “Surprise!”
Jackie’s brows knitted together. “A ghost tour?” she typed.
A tour guide, dressed in black with the company logo on his buttoned-down shirt, stepped off the trolley and addressed the group. “Hey y’all! My name is Sam. And I’ll be your tour guide for this special twentieth anniversary ghostly tour. Tonight, we explore one of the most famous true crimes to happen in Savannah—the 1981 murder of Danny Hansford by Jim Williams, which inspired the book and movie of the same name,Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”
If Antonio had been quick enough to take a photo of the way Jackie’s mouth dropped, he’d have framed it to cherish that image for the rest of his life.
Jackie squealed. She opened her Notes app so she could write to Antonio without interrupting the tour guide. “That is one of my favorite books and movies of all time. How’d you know?”
Antonio spoke in a whisper, close to her ear. “The book in your office, remember? It was the day you lost your voice.” He tipped Jackie’s chin up with his finger. “I remember everything about you, down to the most minute detail. You’re unforgettable.”
He watched her throat bob as she swallowed, her eyes glistening with…tears? Antonio knew it was rare to see Jackie emote, outside of her legendary temper. He didn’t take it lightly that she was letting her guard down with him. “See why you needed sneakers now?”
Jackie nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek.
“C’mon, Lucky. Folks are getting on the trolley. Let’s get a good seat.”
The tour was fascinating, and the cast of characters was colorful. But Antonio couldn’t have cared less about any of it. He was soaking in all the tiny moments with Jackie. The way she leaned against his arm as Sam droned on and on about a particular point. Her breathy giggle if she found something funny or absurd. The way she wrinkled her forehead when she was paying attention…it was all adorable to Antonio. Outside of handling contracts and client negotiations, Antonio had never seen Jackie so engrossed in something.
When they got to Forsyth Square, Antonio did have the foresight to take out his phone and snap a picture. Jackie was standing underneath trees lined with hanging Spanish moss, the famous fountain in the background. In the twilight, it looked like a postcard. And she looked so damn happy.I want to keep making her happy, he thought.
The tour ended at the Jepson Center so the group could take a picture of the Bird Girl statue that was featured so prominently on the cover of the book. As Sam pointed out, it had originally been at the Bonaventure Cemetery but was relocated to preserve the history. When Sam mentioned an optional bonus stop at the cemetery, an older, gray-haired woman scolded, “This time of night? Oh, hell no! I don’t think so!” Everyone laughed and agreed. Nightfall in a Southern, Gothic cemetery? Yeah, that was too damn creepy.
“So,” Antonio began as the tour concluded. “I have late dinner reservations at The Gray. We can go back to the hotel and change. Maybe we—”
Jackie put a hand on Antonio’s chest. He stilled, looking down at the expression on her face. “What is it? Not hungry?”
