Deaths of Jocasta (8 page)

At eighteen, I had been too scared and fragile to risk touching someone without explicit guidelines and rules. I saw sex as good or evil, abuse or love. But sex has the consequences you allow it to have, I thought.

The music ended.

“That was most enjoyable,” Emma said, still in my arms.

“And you,” I replied, “said you wanted nothing physical from me.”

“Well, I guess this is physical,” she answered, then she took my face between her hands and kissed me, for the first time, on the lips.

The crowd cheered, with several cries of, “Go, Emma,” and “Let’s hear it for older women.” I waved to them, as did Emma, both of us enjoying the attention.

As we walked off the dance floor, back to Emma’s friends, I glanced about, an idle glance, really. Cordelia was staring at me. Our eyes caught for a moment. She raised her glass to me, with a half-smile on her lips. I nodded briefly in return, then looked away, unsure of what to make of her gesture. Had Danny told her I was having an affair with Emma? Was she sardonically toasting that?

Emma led me into her circle of friends. My back was turned in Cordelia’s direction.

A different band now played and the watchers now became the dancers.

“I never could stand rock and roll,” Herbert said over me to Emma. “Shall we retire to the relative calm of the library?”

“An excellent idea,” Emma and several others assented.

I walked with them, still puzzling about Cordelia’s toast.

“So you must have a lover, with dozens more waiting in the wings,” said the elegant lady as she fell into step with me.

“Me?”

“No?”

“No,” I answered.

“How do you feel about older women?” she flirted.

Cordelia was dancing with her blonde. Too short for you, I thought. She started to turn in my direction and I hastily looked away. I linked arms with the elegant lady. Let Cordelia see that.

“I find older women quite intriguing,” I flirted back as we left the living room.

Careful, Micky, or you’re going to have half the women at this party expecting to sleep with you before the night is over.
My loins told me that they, at least, would be happy with the idea. It’s dangerous to be around this many women and be this horny.

Elegant woman, Julia, by name, was fun to flirt with, but we quickly established that neither of us was truly serious. We parted company at the library door. I went to the front porch, then onto the lawn. I paused under a tree, looking back at the bright house.

What if she thought I did it for money, crossed my mind. I was still worrying over Cordelia’s half-smile. A few months ago her grandfather had died, leaving her a considerable fortune. Was she toasting my supposed success at getting a rich woman for a lover? Likely, I thought, if she had talked to Danny and Danny had passed on her suspicions that I was sleeping with Emma. Danny passing it on was very likely. I had to find Danny and set her straight before the rumors got too out of hand.

I started back to the house. Of course, Danny was probably dancing with Cordelia right now. Better than the blond runt.

A figure in white stepped out onto the porch. I stopped, hiding myself in the shadow of a tree. Her height gave her away. It was Cordelia. I backed farther into the shadows, not wanting her to catch me staring. She was joined by her blonde.

I turned away from them, walking until I was safely out of range of the outdoor lights. Then I turned back toward the house, following the dark edge of the woods around to the back, so that when I finally re-entered the house, it was through the back door. I stayed on the porch, unwilling to be trapped too far inside.

The built blonde that I had seen earlier sashayed over to me. This time I stared at her tits, but she coyly covered her cleavage with a gloved hand.

“Later. But not too much later,” she said, then turned and went back into the house.

“Not much,” I answered to her retreating curves. She was familiar. I was still trying to place her, when I saw Cordelia enter the dining room. I left the porch, going back out on the lawn. I retraced my previous circumnavigation and ended up on the front porch again.

Let me find Torbin, see what ludicrous outfit he’s concocted, then I’ll go hide up P.C.’s favorite magnolia tree, I told myself, feeling foolish at my constant motion.

“Aha, got her.” A hand gripped my shoulder. Danny. “Explanation time, dear El Micko,” Danny continued. She led me to a corner of the porch. Elly, Joanne, and Alex were there. “Why do we keep hearing you referred to as ‘one of Emma’s girls’? How did you meet?”

“It’s a long story,” I answered.

“It’s a long night. We’ve got time,” Danny countered.

Someone joined the group, handing out filled champagne glasses over my shoulder. I half-turned to look. Cordelia. “Go on,” she said, handing me a glass.

I waved it away. I was unnerved by Cordelia standing so close.

You don’t have the right to know everything, Danny, I wanted to say. Some questions I don’t have to answer. Some I don’t have an answer to.

“Emma keeps a harem, don’t you know? I’m number forty-two, available on alternate moonless Sundays, and as the lunch special on Lundi Gras,” I replied.

“I’d always wondered how those rumors were started,” Emma laughed over my shoulder as she joined us. “Mardi Gras, perhaps, but Lundi Gras? Now,” Emma continued. “Why don’t you introduce me to your friends? Some of you I know, though Alexandra Sayers, your presence here is a pleasant surprise.”

“I guess I’m getting a little too good at straight camouflage. The long, dangling earrings will have to go,” Alex answered.

“Does your father know? Or is that a rude question?” Emma inquired.

“He knows, if he wants to know,” Alex replied carefully. “Does that make sense?”

“Perfectly,” Emma responded.

“Joanne Ranson, Detective Sergeant in the NOPD,” I introduced. “Danny Clayton, Assistant District Attorney, Elly Harrison, R.N., and…” I faltered on coming to Cordelia.

“Cordelia I know,” Emma supplied. “I’m very glad to see you here. I had so hoped you would come, though surely your grandfather is spinning in his grave.”

“Perhaps,” Cordelia replied, “but I don’t live my life to please him, or his memory.” She continued, “This is my friend Nina Douglas.”

The short blonde. As Emma shook her hand, I turned around and got my first good look at her. Definitely too short, probably had to stand on a stool to kiss Cordelia. Boring all-American face, dimples and a nose that could only be described as pert. Pale blond hair and big brown eyes. Disgustingly cute. I turned back around.

“Can I ask pairings? Or is that passé?” Emma inquired.

“Danny and Elly are buying a house,” I supplied. “A hard-core married couple.”

“Joanne and I,” Alex explained, taking Joanne’s hand, “but no house yet. Separate apartments still, in fact.”

“Micky’s our resident tomcat,” Danny added.

“Meow,” I opined.

“Micky,” Alex said, with a grin that should have warned me. “Tell us about your sex life.”

“Not tonight, we haven’t time,” Danny cut in.

Thank you, Danielle Clayton. In front of both Emma and Cordelia.

“Not much to tell,” I answered dryly, hoping to forestall any speculation.

“Oh, yeah?” Danny returned. “What about that time junior year when you and three…”

“No! That was college and it doesn’t count,” I overrode her. “Danny,” I added in an undertone.

“I think I’m too old for this conversation,” Emma said, standing up. “Have a delightful evening, girls, women, that is.” She breezed off the porch.

“Did I embarrass you?” Danny asked, all innocence.

“How would you like me to recount some of your college escapades to your parents?” I hissed at her.

“She’s not your parent.”

“Well, still…how about your favorite high school teacher?”

“I guess not,” Danny said, suddenly contrite.

“So are you going to tell us?” Alex bantered. “Or do we have to guess what three referred to? Women? Dogs? Cucumbers?”

“Is she always this bad?” I asked Joanne.

“Worse, usually,” Joanne replied laconically.

“Pigeons? Fingers? Elephants?”

“I don’t remember,” I burst out.

“But I do,” Danny chimed in. “I had the room next door.”

“Three of everything,” I said. “Women, men, dogs, cats, aardvarks, three-toed sloths. Every animal, mineral, and vegetable this planet possesses. And a few threes that were quite possibly alien, but it was late in the evening and I don’t really remember. And now, you’ll have to excuse me,” I hurried on, standing up. “I’ve gotten very thirsty.”

“Have some champagne,” Alex offered.

“No thanks,” I replied. “Water.”

“But Micky,” Alex said, her hand on my arm. “You haven’t answered the burning question of the night.”

“I don’t think I want to.”

“Now, now. Where,” she continued, “did you learn to dance like that?”

Finally a safe question. “My cousin Torbin taught me.”

“The famous cousin Torbin that I’ve never met?” Alex inquired.

“The very one.”

“You’ve never met Torbin?” Danny asked. “He’s here. You’ve got to meet him.” Which started a Torbin hunt. Everybody wanted to meet Torbin. I was hoping Cordelia and her runt blonde would disappear, but they followed.

Where was Torbin? I still hadn’t seen him since he breezed into my room this afternoon. Finally I spotted Andy.

“Just a second,” I said to my followers. “Hi, Andy. So how come you didn’t dress up?”

He looked chagrined. Then I burst out laughing. Andy, a computer nerd, had dressed as a computer nerd. He had on black horn-rim glasses, held together with fishing wire and tape. And a horribly tasteless yellow, brown, and green checked jacket complete with overly full pen protector in his pocket. Floppy discs poked out of his back pocket.

“Have you seen Torbin? I have an admiring horde panting to meet him.”

“He’s around somewhere,” Andy replied, looking around the room.

Suddenly, the tall curvy blonde approached me.

“Now,” she demanded. “I must have you now,” she said. “Here, on the floor.”

The blonde, moving quicker than anyone with curves like that had a right to, threw her arms around me and spun me off balance until I was bent precariously backward, my feet doing little to hold my weight.

“What the…?” I started.

She cut me off with a boisterous kiss. Her hand made a quite blatant and visible assault on my breasts. But now I knew who I was dealing with. Only one person would dare such an outrage.

“Torbin, let go of me,” I yelled, elbowing him in his falsies.

“Well, I never,” he huffed. Then took me at my word and let go, unceremoniously dumping me on the floor.

“Mussed my lipstick, I declare,” he said, hovering over me.

“You’ll pay for this,” I hissed. Andy was doubled over with laughter. I didn’t dare look at anyone else. “Itching powder in your jock strap, pepper in your rouge. I will get you someday, Torbin Robedeaux. Be assured of it,” I cursed from my prone position. I had been set up. If I were playing any role but my own, I might even find it funny. But in my present position, I could not.

“Oh, girls, you’ve left some trash on the floor,” Torbin called as he made his grand exit.

“Do you intend to lie there all evening?” Joanne asked, standing very close to my head.

I didn’t really mean to, but she was standing over me, with that damned slit halfway up her thigh. From my floor perspective I could see way beyond thigh level. So I looked. And she caught me looking.

“Black lace. Is that the real you?” I commented, trying to discommode her. “Pull me up,” I said, extending my hand.

“Someone give me a hand with this body,” Joanne said, not at all discommoded.

Cordelia came around to my other side and reached out her hand. I had no choice but to take it. Now I was the discomfited one.

She and Joanne, each holding a hand, pulled me up. I let go of her hand too quickly, disconcerted by her touch. The three of us stood together, confused and awkward for a moment. At least I was; I don’t know what they were feeling.

“Well, I hope we’re all having a good time here tonight. I know I am,” I said sarcastically, trying not to look back at Cordelia. “Now, I really am thirsty. And I really have to get a drink of water.” With that I stalked off, more in search of quietude than water. Cordelia had badly thrown me off kilter. How could she just reappear with a cute little blonde in tow and pretend that nothing had happened between us? What did she expect me to do? Smile blandly and congratulate her?

I walked quickly past the partying clumps until I was out in a dim corner of the back porch.

What does she think…? Then I knew what she thought, or had a pretty good guess. Micky Tomcat, as Danny had said. What could I do? Tell her, “I know Danny’s told you a lot of things about me, and yes, they’re all true, but I’ve changed, really, I have.” Right. Why would Cordelia have an affair with a Cajun bastard who had, and there was no other word for it, a slutty reputation? Particularly when cute little good girl blondes are available?