someone. I’ve never felt so pale in my entire life. My dirty blond hair, brown eyes, and a healthy tan probably don’t stand out as much as I feel they do. I get a few curious glances, but no one seems hostile. Toussaint takes my hand. I don’t know if he senses my discomfort or if he needs my support, but I gladly hold his hand. He gives me a sad smile and squeezes my fingers a little. I smile back.
Mimi returns shortly and motions us to follow her out as the service starts. “The funeral will be at five tomorrow.” She looks more composed.
“Here?” I ask.
She shakes her head and moves toward her car. Toussaint and I just stand there, looking at her walk away.
Realizing we’re not following, she turns around. “What are you doing? Come on, hurry. There are things to be done, and we have to drive back to the hospital.” I raise an eyebrow, and she says, “I suppose your bike is still there, no? You really don’t want to leave it in their parking lot all day.”
She probably has a point, but I feel hurt, as if she’s dismissing me. She lets me drive them to the hospital. Toussaint is silent in the backseat, lost in his thoughts.
When we arrive, I turn around and tell him, “Good-bye buddy.” He slides between the two front seats to hug me, and I hug him back while saying, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Mimi’s already gotten out of the car and come around to stand by the driver’s side. She’s standing right in front of me, and I badly want to hug her, but this isn’t the right time.
Or maybe it is. There’s a flame in her eyes when she looks at me. She catches my face in her hands, and the gesture is so tender, it melts my heart.
“Thank you,” she says.
I put my hands on her back and pull her to me. Her breasts crash against my chest, and I’m about to put my lips on her forehead in a chaste kiss when she tilts up her head. When our lips meet again, I pull her in a little closer but let her decide where she wants the kiss to go. The tip of her tongue wets my lips. That’s all the permission I need. My hand catches her waist, and I drink her in. Her hips hit mine. She cannot doubt for one second how aroused I am.
She threads her fingers into my hair, and I feel like a dirty bastard. She’s in pain, and all I want to do is worship her body. Maybe it would be good for her. I could make her forget everything, become the center of her universe. I could make her so hot and needy that she’d surrender herself to me. I could make her scream my name so loud—then I remember Toussaint in the backseat.
I peel myself away from her, and the regret in my tone is unmistakable when I whisper, “Toussaint.”
She shakes her head as if waking from a dream and nods. “You’re right. I should know better. I’m a mother now.”
“You’re going to make a great mother.” I would never say it, but I’m convinced that Josette’s passing is probably the first lucky break the kid has caught so far. “If you need anything—”
“I need time alone with Toussaint, with my son,” she says, getting into the car. “Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow then.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Monday at five, the crew of the Bush Fire is present in the little church. The strippers are in their Sunday best. Sally arrives on the back of Slider’s bike. She’s wearing black pants and a very modest black T-shirt. No cleavage, no makeup, and she doesn’t look a day over twenty.
Suzy, on the other hand, is a lot older than I anticipated. She’s in her forties maybe. Not that that’s old per se, but for a stripper, it is. Kim comes to the funeral with Vic. She’s dressed in white, and I remember that white is the color of mourning in China.
Two Knights are in attendance. They remain outside of the church, standing on guard duty at the door. I recognize Dmitry, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen the other.
We all remain standing in the back pews, and none of us participates in the service. I wonder
Mimi returns shortly and motions us to follow her out as the service starts. “The funeral will be at five tomorrow.” She looks more composed.
“Here?” I ask.
She shakes her head and moves toward her car. Toussaint and I just stand there, looking at her walk away.
Realizing we’re not following, she turns around. “What are you doing? Come on, hurry. There are things to be done, and we have to drive back to the hospital.” I raise an eyebrow, and she says, “I suppose your bike is still there, no? You really don’t want to leave it in their parking lot all day.”
She probably has a point, but I feel hurt, as if she’s dismissing me. She lets me drive them to the hospital. Toussaint is silent in the backseat, lost in his thoughts.
When we arrive, I turn around and tell him, “Good-bye buddy.” He slides between the two front seats to hug me, and I hug him back while saying, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Mimi’s already gotten out of the car and come around to stand by the driver’s side. She’s standing right in front of me, and I badly want to hug her, but this isn’t the right time.
Or maybe it is. There’s a flame in her eyes when she looks at me. She catches my face in her hands, and the gesture is so tender, it melts my heart.
“Thank you,” she says.
I put my hands on her back and pull her to me. Her breasts crash against my chest, and I’m about to put my lips on her forehead in a chaste kiss when she tilts up her head. When our lips meet again, I pull her in a little closer but let her decide where she wants the kiss to go. The tip of her tongue wets my lips. That’s all the permission I need. My hand catches her waist, and I drink her in. Her hips hit mine. She cannot doubt for one second how aroused I am.
She threads her fingers into my hair, and I feel like a dirty bastard. She’s in pain, and all I want to do is worship her body. Maybe it would be good for her. I could make her forget everything, become the center of her universe. I could make her so hot and needy that she’d surrender herself to me. I could make her scream my name so loud—then I remember Toussaint in the backseat.
I peel myself away from her, and the regret in my tone is unmistakable when I whisper, “Toussaint.”
She shakes her head as if waking from a dream and nods. “You’re right. I should know better. I’m a mother now.”
“You’re going to make a great mother.” I would never say it, but I’m convinced that Josette’s passing is probably the first lucky break the kid has caught so far. “If you need anything—”
“I need time alone with Toussaint, with my son,” she says, getting into the car. “Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow then.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Monday at five, the crew of the Bush Fire is present in the little church. The strippers are in their Sunday best. Sally arrives on the back of Slider’s bike. She’s wearing black pants and a very modest black T-shirt. No cleavage, no makeup, and she doesn’t look a day over twenty.
Suzy, on the other hand, is a lot older than I anticipated. She’s in her forties maybe. Not that that’s old per se, but for a stripper, it is. Kim comes to the funeral with Vic. She’s dressed in white, and I remember that white is the color of mourning in China.
Two Knights are in attendance. They remain outside of the church, standing on guard duty at the door. I recognize Dmitry, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen the other.
We all remain standing in the back pews, and none of us participates in the service. I wonder
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