Femme Noir (14 page)

Jhoaeneyie held up her hands. “Let’s just turn down the volume here. We’re all hurt and vulnerable. Remember we’re sisters and we love each other.”

I tasted bile and took a breath to speak but before I could, Sloane cupped my elbow. The tension rose within the little group. “N? Whassup? Doin’ okay?”

I sighed. “Sure. I believe I’ll have another candy drink, though.”

Venom fairly dripped off Ava-Suzanne. Darcy’s jaw muscles were rippling, and a vein throbbed in Jhoaeneyie’s forehead.

“Darcy. Ava-Suzanne, Jhoaeneyie,” Sloane said easily.

“
Sloane,
” they said icily, in unison. I looked from one to the other: Sloane, an affable grin on her face, Ava-Suzanne appearing constipated and unhappy about it. Darcy was angry, and Jhoaeneyie was upset but supplicant.

“I want you to meet Lila and Reese,” Sloane said as the singer and another woman entered the group.

“Excuse us,” Darcy said loudly and she, Ava-Suzanne, and Jhoaeneyie turned back to the bar. Jack, his eyes closed, held his forehead in his hands and was now surrounded by the three.

Chapter Fifteen

Lila, may I present Nora Delaney, fresh from the sticks of LA. And, Nora, this is Reese Montgomery, Lila’s partner.”

“Oh, thank God the skank bitch is
dead
!” Lila cried, shaking my hand and trilling laughter.

Stunned, I said, “What?” My shoulders were starting to bunch. Reese was heavyset but dapper in khakis, loafers, and a severely pressed, starched shirt. Lila wore a swishy, voluminous black skirt and gold sequined blouse with leopard-print pumps. With her flashing black eyes and saucy grin, she looked like a gypsy.

“I don’t mean anything, darling. It’s just such a marvelous
party.
And I love any excuse for a good party, don’t I, Reese Angel?”

Reese said nothing, but smiled, her face tense.

“Oh, poor dear Michelle, she will be so
deeply
missed.” Lila overanimated a sad clowny face.

“Did you know her?” I asked.

“Not a bit, darling.” Lila laughed into my face and swirled around me. I was dizzy trying to follow Lila and decided to shrug her off as a ditzy diva.

“Let’s have a look at you.” Lila held my face and turned my head this way and that. She growled and barked, snarling hungrily. Sloane took a step back. Then Lila said, “You’re a beautiful, strapping buck, aren’t you?”

“Watch it, El, you’re gone make my dog, Nora, blush,” Sloane said.

“The hell you say.” Lila rubbed noses with Sloane.

Reese pulled Lila back and wagged a finger in her face. “Lila, my queen, you mustn’t arouse suspicion. Remember whose girl you are.”

“What a bore. But as you wish, Reese Cup.” Lila grinned at me but then stood straight and solemn with a pouty mouth to face Reese. “I’m a harmless flirt. Simply everybody says so. You’re such a square.”

“Now, now, Lila, I’m sure you don’t mean that.” Reese smiled uncomfortably and stroked Lila’s arm.

“Hmph. I am and I do.” Lila pulled away and clung to me.

“Well, well, looks like Nora caught the big fish,” Sloane said. I gave her an exasperated look.

“Don’t worry about me, Reese.” I tried to be soothing. Reese’s dead shark eyes turned to look at me. “I’ll protect her from salacious influences. She’s safe with me.”

Reese looked as if she would like to strangle both Lila and me, but she smiled and said, “Of course you will. I am grateful.” She made an awkward little bow. Reese’s malevolent gaze remained on Lila, who was oblivious.

“Oh, will you? Will you take care of me?” Lila blinked up at me and feigned a faint, forcing me to catch her. She snuggled against me and cooed, “An oldie but a goodie.”

I tried to step away, but Lila’s grip was like a claw. Jack pushed into the group.

He and Lila screamed and hugged and air-kissed.

“That is a fabulous dress. Does it come in small?” Jack asked.

“There are no small women, just small faggots,” Lila replied.

They bumped hips.

“Meow, Jack, have you met our latest import? She makes me crave deep, dark, rich chocolate, doesn’t she?” Lila pressed us together. Jack saw the look on my face and burst out laughing.

“Yes, doll baby, I’ve met her. Go easy. She’s an amateur at you,” Jack said.

“Amateur, schmamateur, have you seen those hands?” Lila asked. Everyone looked at my hands, which I promptly shoved into my pockets.

“I declare, Lila, you are a married woman. You’ve been settled so long, you’ll finally have something fun to tell at confession,” Jack said.

“No, she won’t,” Reese said.

“She might,” Sloane added.

“Hell, no,” I stated.

They all turned to look at me. Lila’s chin was trembling, Sloane and Jack were grinning, and Reese was thunderous.

“She’s not available…I’m not available…you do the math,” I said.

Sloane raised her eyebrows. “You’re not available?”

“Last night she was,” Jack said. He and Sloane slapped palms.

“Oh, Nora, don’t break my heart wide open right here before my last set. Don’t make me sing the blues for real.”

“Don’t break her heart,” Reese said to me, her teeth gritted.

I shrugged. “I’m somewhat available.” I wished I had gone immediately to see Max.
My
Max, as I was already considering her.

Lila smiled. “Just look at that face!” Lila made fish lips and grabbed my jaw. The group sighed in relief. Lila was charming and flirtatious, throwing back her head to laugh and touching my biceps. Lila had a gaudy cigarette holder that she sucked on frequently for effect. When she smoked especially hard, she looked like Betty Boop.

I put down Reese’s careful stare to Lila’s aggressive behavior. Lila squinted at the bar where Darcy, Jhoaeneyie, and Ava-Suzanne sat, talking.

She pointed her cigarette holder toward them. “Reese, dahling, I see those three boors everywhere. Who are they? How do I know them?”

Reese raised Lila’s free hand to her mouth languidly and kissed it, Lila’s other hand still being caught on my arm. “Fans, my princess. They’re fans of yours.”

“Oh, of course.” Lila laughed, squeezing me again and tilting her head and tossing her short slinky black mane. Reese’s eyes smoldered. I moved away from Lila, closer to Sloane. “You know what I say, if you’re a hugger, hug me twice, bitch, but don’t ever touch my butch,” Lila exclaimed, referring to someone approaching to embrace Reese. Lila and Reese ignored Darcy, Jhoaeneyie, and Ava-Suzanne. Jack air-kissed Lila again and returned to the bar.

I watched Jack nurse another shot and cigarette. A man approached, nudged Darcy over, sat down next to Jack, and patted his shoulder. I turned back to the sound of Lila’s voice.

“—know that Reese is an artist?”

I groaned inwardly. There were more artists crawling out of the woodwork in Tulsa than were contained in the whole of the Los Angeles Museum of Art.

“Let me give you a tour.” Lila grinned, her luscious overbite making for a spectacularly schmoozy smile. She took me by the arm and led me to a wall of the club. Reese and Sloane followed us.

“Of course by day, you know this is my
incredibly
chichi and tiresome restaurant. And at night, it becomes my
sanctuary.
I just live to sing, you know.
”

“Don’t we all,” I said.

Lila tittered. “You are
delicious.
” Lila pointed with her cigarette holder, the smoke trailing delicately after her hand. “Here is one of her earliest paintings. I was so skinny then. I hadn’t yet come into my voice.” Lila batted her eyes and tipped her head. “But Reese saw my potential, didn’t you, darling?” Lila said over her shoulder. “And she encouraged me and painted me and put meat on my bones and a voice in my throat.”

I tried to extricate my arm from Lila’s firm grip. When I still couldn’t, I tried to engage Reese in the conversation. “Is that true, Reese?”

“Every bit of it. But what my humble princess doesn’t say is that she made me grow as a painter too. These early works are too sentimental. They’re positively puerile.”

I studied the paintings. Lila in a garden, Lila on a couch, Lila at a microphone, Lila just standing. As they progressed, I did note a certain density becoming present in the pictures. A color complexity and mastery of brush stroke emerged over time. An ambience coexisting simultaneously with a focused objectivity developed that wasn’t present in the early works. I grudgingly admitted that I was impressed. Reese was good. Sloane just smiled, staying silent.

“You make a living at it?” I asked.

“Oh, hardly.” Reese chuckled.

“Don’t listen to her, Nora!” Lila crowed. “She is ever so popular. Always in demand is my Reese Cup.” Lila seemed to make this remark sincerely, but her eyes shone hard.

Reese smiled, pleased, but she was still unsettling like a sheathed knife. “It’s an avocation that I’m hoping to nudge into a vocation. I have a few shows, I have a few dealers,” Reese added with a shrug, then continued with deliberate lightness. “I have one in LA. I go there on business frequently. What part is your stomping ground? Perhaps we could dine.”

“Oh, I’m sure your business doesn’t take you to my territory,” I answered, wanting to win this contest.

“All the nudes are at home,” Lila whispered conspiratorially, pulling hard on her cigarette. “Couldn’t show those here, of course.” She laughed.

“Nudes?”

“Yes, Reese paints mostly nudes. Something about integrity in the human form and that it must be naked to appreciate properly. When I sit for her, I find it just so
sexy.
She’s always looking for models. I believe she must’ve painted every femme in town, haven’t you, darling? Her studio is in our home and there, I can keep an eye on her. She has women coming and going all hours, don’t you, my naughty imp?”

“Yes, but only for work. You are my one and only passion, princess,” Reese answered.

Sloane winked at me.

“And here is her latest painting!” Lila announced. We had made a circuit of Queenie’s and now stood at the stage where the musicians were tuning up for the next set. The painting was of Lila at the mike, singing so ferociously, she looked like a tigress after an antelope shank.

“Oh, forgive me, I must fly. My band awaits and they are impatient for me.”

“Isn’t everyone?” I smiled, all smooth sex.

“Oh, I love you, you dirty scamp. Reese Cup, can I keep her as a pet?”

Reese glowered but made her voice light. “Whatever my princess wants, she gets.”

“I would never survive in captivity. Perhaps just part-time?” I answered.

“Oh, darling, you are a hoot and a half. If you enjoy art and would like to see more, I…
we
must insist you come for dinner at our house tomorrow night. We won’t take no for an answer, will we, Reese Cup? You must come. I love entertaining, especially new blood. About seven thirty, Winthrop Tower, nineteenth floor, bring Merlot.” Lila kissed me on the cheek and turned and glared at Reese, who stared at me with a sly smile and flat eyes. Sloane kept her eyes on the ceiling, smothering a laugh.

“Reese, come, I
need
you,” Lila said. They both went backstage.

“What was that?” I asked incredulously.

Sloane smiled and offered a small plate of finger food. As I ate, Sloane made excuses about having to leave, then asked, “Aren’t you going to see Max?”

I swallowed hard and shifted my gaze from staring fixedly at the newest Lila portrait to stare miserably at Sloane. “Why bother? Aren’t you two—?”

“Oh, no.” Sloane laughed. “Best friends. I’ve been staying in the guest quarters until I can find a new place. Michelle stayed with me for a while, you know, and now I want fresh digs. Bitch wrecked my damn car. So I’m driving hers.”

“Oh!” I said, an enormous weight falling from my chest. “But the dyke who escorted her at the funeral…”

“Friend. You want me to draw you a map to Max’s cootchie? Nigga, be a
man.
”

I gazed at Sloane nakedly. “I don’t know a fucking thing, do I?”

“Nope, but don’t let that stop you.”

Sloane and I laughed together. Then she moved away, saying she had spoken to someone at the bar that she needed to finish getting to know.

The band swung into “Night and Day” with a flourish and it was so loud that I decided to finish my drink out on the deck before racing over to Max’s. I stopped at the john. In the humidity, the door had swelled, so I kicked it open. In the stall, there was standing water, I thought the toilet leaked but soon realized the tank had so much condensation it pooled on the floor. I checked my watch: Six p.m.

I hung my head over the sink and spooned handfuls of water over my scalp to cool my head. My sinuses complained by stuffing up immediately. I cried out and jerked upright when a hand crawled under my shirt and up my back.

Amber was grinning at me in the mirror. She was shorter without her skates on. “Hello, lover.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I got someone to cover for me at the bookstore. You and I have unfinished business.”