Bayou Babe

Bayou Babe by Imari Jade

Sugar and Spice Press www.sugarandspicepress.net

Copyright © First published in 2010 NOTICE: This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution to any person via email, floppy disk, network, print out, or any other means is a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment. This notice overrides the Adobe Reader permissions which are erroneous. This eBook cannot be legally lent or given to others. This eBook is displayed using 100% recycled electrons.

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Bayou Babe by Imari Jade

CONTENTS Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Sugar and Spice Press ****

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Bayou Babe Imari Jade **** Copyright (C) April 2010, Imari Jade Cover art by Anastasia Rabiyah (C) April 2010 ISBN 978-1-936110-68-1 This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. Sugar and Spice Press North Carolina, USA www.sugarnspicepress.com ****

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Chapter One The sound of the drums led him away from his stalled car and down the lone dark stretch of road. The rhythm pounded a haunting and mesmerizing tune unlike anything he'd heard before. A bongo beat riveted through his body as he walked. He continued to a clump of woods that ordinarily he wouldn't dare venture into but his curious nature often talked his mind into doing foolish things. A big white barn appeared, sheltered beneath the limbs of old gnarled oak trees that seemed to touch the sky. The moon and billions of stars illuminated the structure. A young black woman, dressed in white appeared and walked toward the barn. He could not see her face clearly from where he stood but she held her head high and proud like a Nubian princess. Long braided plaits hung down her back and peeped from beneath a red bandana tied around her forehead. She was a delightful sight at two in the morning. Her lithe body and graceful walk reminded him of a wood nymph frolicking in a forest. The sight held him captivated and enchanted until she disappeared beyond the barn door. Langston scanned the area for a few minutes, just listening to the music and waiting for someone one else to appear. He stepped from behind the tree once satisfied no one would jump out at him. He walked over to the side of the barn and peeped through one of the windows. There were twenty white-dressed African Americans inside. He looked around for the young woman. He had to get a good look at her. He 5

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gasped when he found her. She had stripped away some of her clothes. He sighed. She was simply lovely. Langston's eyes stayed glued to the young woman as she danced, half-naked, across the barn floor. His temperature rose several degrees when she turned and faced him. Their eyes met but not once did she acknowledge his presence or call attention to the fact that he spied on them. Nothing short of a shotgun blast could pull him from that spot anyway and he felt she knew this. Breasts like melons shook erotically with each movement she made. A snake slithered possessively around her curvaceous body. He gulped as he watched her roll her wide hips to a haunting drum beat. The people chanted, egging her on. He sighed. It made running out of gas in the middle of nowhere worth it. He stepped backwards and ran into something solid. Langston turned slowly. A behemoth of a man blocked his path. He was dressed completely in white, like everyone else in the barn, and carried one of the sharpest looking machetes he'd ever seen. The other man stared with a high level of contempt. "What are you doing here, stranger? This is a private event." He had skin the color of dark chocolate and shoulders so wide Langston could not see around them. Not in his wildest imagination could he fathom taking this man on in any kind of fight. Langston stammered. "My car broke down." Even at six foot, the man still towered over him. "I ran out of gas and started walking down the road. I heard the music and it lured me here." 6

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The man looked at him skeptically. "You're pretty far off the highway. We don't get many tourists out here." "I was trying to find a place called Madison. My boss sent me out here to do a documentary on the wetlands. I think I took a wrong turn somewhere." He nervously ran his fingers though his short blonde hair. "I've been driving around for hours trying to get back to the main road." He wondered if the behemoth bought it. The man looked him up and down as if trying to make up his mind whether to believe him or not. Langston had to admit that he would be a bit suspicious, too, if he caught someone snooping around his barn. "Where is your car?" Langston pointed down the dark road. The man stepped back. "Wait here. I think I have enough gas to get you into town." Langston breathed a sigh of relief. The sooner he got the gas, the sooner he could find his hotel room and get some sleep. He didn't know where he got the idea that it would be easy driving from New York to Louisiana alone. The man walked away and Langston turned his attention back to the activity inside the barn. The dancing had stopped and some kind of ritual was about to take place. Moments later roosters and chickens were slaughtered right before his eyes. He blanched from the shock. He didn't think he'd ever eat poultry again. He forced himself to look. The young woman from earlier had returned, completely nude this time, leading a shackled black man into the middle of the room. This is interesting. His forehead beaded with sweat and 7

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Langston knew it had nothing to do with the heat or the humidity. She had an ass that he would kill to touch and hips so wide they begged to be stroked. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had no right to fantasize about her like some sex starved teen. He felt ashamed. He was trespassing on private property and spying on something he had no business witnessing. The guilt quickly went away as soon as he felt his penis rise. Like his mind, his penis could be talked into doing very foolish things. He glued his eyes back on the scene. The others continued to chant as she smeared both their bodies with blood. The sight appalled and intrigued him at the same time. He might have been an uptown boy from New York but he'd been around long enough to know a voodoo ritual when he saw one. He jumped at a sound behind him. The man had returned with a red plastic gas can. "This should be enough to get you to town." He still carried the machete and he still looked pissed. Langston thanked him. "How far is town?" "About a mile in the same direction you were heading." "What's the town called?" "Madison." "Boy, do I feel stupid." He took the gas can and started to walk away. An agonizing scream pierced the night. He stopped and turned back to the window. The shackled man lay on the floor convulsing. Langston attempted to go to his aid via the barn door. "Stop," the man with the machete ordered. "It is forbidden to enter or interfere." 8

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"Something is wrong with that man. They've done something to him." "There's nothing you can do for him. Go—and tell no one what you've seen." Langston backed away and then ran away with the gas can as fast as he could. **** Langston pulled into the drive of quaint little bed and breakfast in the south part of Madison. His body so tense from what he'd witnessed he didn't think he could get his feet to move. He was too bone-tired to get a good look at the place and still pretty freaked out. He registered, got his key and headed to his room. He opened the door and stepped inside with his things. The room was decorated nicely, giving it a homey feel. He shuddered, trying to erase the images from his mind of the young man in shackles. He wondered if the poor fellow was dead, floating somewhere at the bottom of one of the bayous. He'd heard rumors of such things happening. He just wished he hadn't witnessed it. "What should I do?" He ran the scenario through his head again, especially the part with the young woman, as he put his clothes into the closet. Her beautiful image displaced by a horrifying scream. His hard-on disappeared. Langston showered and climbed into to his pajamas. He used the microwave to reheat a hamburger he had purchased earlier from a fast food restaurant. The soda tasted watered down and the fries were so cold that warming them would only make them harder. He tossed the fries into the 9

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wastebasket. They hit the bottom with a resounding thud. The microwave sounded. Langston took his hamburger out and carried it and the soda to a desk in the room and sat down. Fifteen minutes later, he snuggled down under the soft and fluffy comforter trying to sleep. An hour later he was still awake trying the get the young woman's image out of his head. She was unforgettable. Maybe it was her lovely haunting face, or her sensuous curves. Or maybe it was the fact that she had murdered someone. Langston reached for the television remote, certain that he could find some boring documentary to put him to sleep. He smirked. Maybe one of his own. He settled for a late night talk show with a long and unfunny monologue. A few minutes later, sleep overtook him. **** "They've found a body in the bayou," the sheriff said to some men at the gas station the next morning as Langston pumped gas into his cruiser. Langston's heart skipped a beat. He put the nozzle into his tank, squeezed the lever and listened. "It was a young black male." Why didn't that bit of information surprise him? "We haven't positively identified him yet but I don't think he's from around here." In just one morning Langston had learned that everyone knew everyone else who lived in Madison. Gossip ran rampart around the breakfast table earlier. He had listened without comment then too while he ate his grits, eggs and fried ham. 10

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During that conversation he learned the young woman's name, Halle Johnson, and that she lived in a cabin in the woods close to the barn. The owner of the bed and breakfast filled the visitors in on the city's culture and its Voodoo lore, and warned everyone to stay away from the woods and Halle Johnson, who supposedly had a very bad reputation. She was known to lure men into her cabin and the men were never heard from again. Langston removed the nozzle once his tank filled and attached it back to the pump while he listened as some of the locals questioned the sheriff. Once again Halle's name came up. "That is one bad woman. I heard tell that she had another one of those rituals last night at Bush's barn." Bush must be the man with the machete. Some of the other men laughed after one of them made a sexual innuendo about Halle. "You better stop before she puts a hex on you," another fellow stated. "I wouldn't mind if she wrapped that luscious body of hers around mine." The topic of conversation appeared out of the woods if by magic. Halle strolled across the street and entered the store. Langston froze and watched with interest. Luckily no one needed to use the pump he blocked. The conversation continued even though they knew she could probably hear them. Halle exited the store several minutes later which gave him the opportunity to get a good look at her. Like last night, he found her simply beautiful from her long hair right down to 11

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her bare feet. She was dressed in a bright red blouse that showed off her ample bosom and a black shirt that emphasized her wide hips. "Morning, Miss Halle," the sheriff said. "Good morning, Sheriff Tate." Langston shuddered. She had a seriously deep voice that sent waves through his body. She gazed over at him. He felt the moment she recognized him. "I see you made it to town safely." Langston nodded. "Yes. Tell your friend thanks for the gas and the directions." Halle nodded and walked off. Some of the men whistled and giggled. "What's your name, stranger?" the sheriff asked. "Langston Priestly." "Do you know that young lady?" Langston shook his head. "My car ran out of gas last night while I was trying to find this town. One of her friends gave me enough gas to make it here." The sheriff looked him over. "About what time was that?" Langston shrugged his shoulders. "It was late. Why?" "No reason." He paused. "Did you happen to hear or see anything suspicious while you were in the woods?" "No." The lie rolled easily from his lips. He didn't think the man believed him. "Are you visiting or passing through?" Langston took offense to the inquisition. He pulled out his credentials and presented them to the sheriff. "I'm here to do 12

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a photo shoot and documentary on the bayou for a company I work for. I'm going to be here a couple of days." The sheriff looked them over and handed them back to him. "Well, let me give you a bit of advice. Stay far away from Halle Johnson and those woods." Langston put his credentials back into his pocket. "She looks pretty harmless to me." "This is one of those cases when looks can be deceiving." "Do you think she has something to do with the murder of that man last night?" one of the men asked. "I don't know yet, Ed." He turned his attention back to Langston. "Her and her people are into that Voodoo stuff." "Voodoo stuff?" "Yeah, black magic and sacrificing chickens. You know the stuff." Langston nodded. "I'm not interested in such things. I'm just here to take a couple of pictures and write a decent story on the effects that drilling for oil has on the bayou and wetlands." The sheriff headed back for his car. "The bayou can get mighty dangerous at night." "Thanks, I'll remember that." **** [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Two Halle looked back only once at the tall blonde stranger just before she entered the woods. He was the one from last night...the one spying on their ritual. She hadn't really gotten a good look at him but she knew it was him from his spiritual aura and the fact that they didn't get too many strangers who were tall, blue eyed and handsome in their neck of the woods at night. She shook her head to clear away his image. He wouldn't be around long enough for her to take an interest in him. From what he had just told the sheriff, he would be there long enough to take some pictures of the bayou, tape his documentary and then he would to back to wherever he came from. Halle noticed the way the sun suddenly dipped behind some clouds. "Bad weather on the way." She stepped up her pace, wanting to be home before it started. She hoped the stranger had packed some boots and rain gear. The bayou wasn't a place to be caught in when it rained. She brushed aside a clump of bush and entered the dense part of the woods where the trees grew tall and leafy and blocked the view of her cabin from the prying eyes of the public. Her grandfather built the place back in the early thirties. It wasn't much but it had served her family well over the years. They were all gone now and the place belonged to her. She didn't know if she would keep up the tradition of raising a family there. Lately, she had given considerable thought to moving away. She longed to see the big city and 14

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experience life outside the bayou. She even entertained the idea of enrolling in college and finishing her education. Selling potions and voodoo souvenirs to the locals and tourists paid the few bills that she had and kept her fed but she didn't think she wanted to do that the rest of her life. She wanted to visit big department stores and eat in fancy restaurants and most of all, she wanted to get as far away from the past as she could. She was tired of the rumors, the whispers and the jokes about her. Halle kept her head high and pretended not to hear the gossip. It really hurt since they didn't really know her. If she actually did half the stuff they said she did, she suspected she would be in jail by now or dead. A couple of chickens came out to greet her as she walked up the gravel lane. She shooed them back toward the coop and then climbed the steps up to her porch. Halle unlocked the door and stepped inside. A faint scent of pineapple incense tickled her nose and brought back fond memories of her grandmother. It was her favorite. She said it kept away the evil. Halle didn't know if it was true or not but to her the smell only meant that it might be time to redecorate and buy some new drapes and furniture. Five years since her death, and Halle kept everything just the way she left it. "Good morning," she said to Exotica, the five foot boa, as it slithered in the cage her grandfather had built so it couldn't get out on its own. Exotica was the family's pet...beautiful, loyal, and harmless just as long as no one messed with her. Halle put down the bags and began to put the groceries away. She fixed her breakfast at the same time. She had an hour before her first client arrived which gave her enough time to 15

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eat and then change into her costume. Her clients expected her to look the part of a traditional voodoo priestess right down to the bare feet. She didn't mind that part except in the winter time when it was too cold. She wasn't going to get pneumonia just to please someone's fantasy. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Three Langston turned off the engine and opened the car door. The bayou was quiet as he stepped out. He walked around testing the wet ground to make sure it was strong enough to support him and the car. He didn't want to get the rental stuck in mud. Huge cranes flapped their wings and flew over him. Other birds joined them just a short distance away. Satisfied with the stability of the earth, Langston looked up at the sky. The sun had been out earlier but now hid behind a cluster of dark clouds. That wouldn't stop him from taking pictures. He'd brought along the right lights and filters to emulate sunlight but he preferred natural lighting. Thunder rumbled off in the distance. Langston ignored it. He'd have his pictures and be long gone before the rain came down. He'd always had a different impression of what a bayou was supposed to look like. He imagined this spooky place with weeping willows trees, huge iguana lizards, and some backwoods murderous villain lurking in a shanty in the woods. Right now it was scenic and beautiful with turtles resting on rocks, fish swimming beneath the water alongside crawfish, crabs and shrimps. The willow trees were there, covered in so much moss it dipped into the water. People sailed by in little boats and canoes. A couple waved and posed for him. Others fished from make-shift piers. The mosquitoes made life miserable for a little while as he worked but they had calmed to just biting every now and then. It all seemed so peaceful and beautiful until the first raindrop fell. 17

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It came down hard and fast. He tried to get his camera equipment put away. Strong winds and hail accompanied it. The water rose so fast he didn't have time to react. It filled his shoes and weighed down his pants so much that it hindered his movement. Something splashed in the water behind him. He turned just in time to see the huge tail of an alligator descending into the water. From appearances it seemed that the alligator had jumped from somewhere close by. He imagined it watching and waiting to sneak up on him while he took pictures. Langston shuddered. "That was too close for comfort." He tossed the remaining camera bags into the trunk of the car and then ran around to the driver's side. He fumbled with the electronic key while ducking the hail that was doing some serious damage to the paint job on the car. The key slipped out of his hand and sank down into the water. "Shit." He bent down and fished around for it. He felt a sharp pain in his left ankle. "Something bit me." He kicked his foot and struck something solid. The form moved swiftly away from him. Pain shot up his leg. Langston went down on one knee. The knee landed on something small and hard. "The key." He fell flat on his behind when he moved to retrieve it. The water rose to his waist. He grabbed the key and tried to stand. The pain nearly sent him back down. "Great, just great." He clicked the button on the key remote but the lock didn't budge. "It's wet." He pulled himself up to stand, shook the remote and tried it again. This time the locks lifted. Langston pulled up, using the door handle for leverage and then opened it. He slid inside and closed the door behind him. He started up the car, 18

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thanked God when it didn't get stuck in the mud, and drove away from the bayou toward the highway. His sight turned fuzzy. The last thing he remembered before passing out was a rapidly approaching tree. **** Halle knew the moment she saw the blue flashing light through the window that trouble was coming. She pulled open one side of the curtain and looked out. Sure enough a Madison City Police cruiser sat on the gravel parking spot outside her house. The driver of the car turned off the light and then the engine, opened the door and stepped out. It was Sheriff Tate in the flesh, alone but armed. Halle closed the curtain, moved away from the sofa, and walked toward the door. He rang the bell before she had a chance to open it. "Who is it?" She didn't want to sound too anxious. "It's Sheriff Tate." Halle opened the wooden door and stared at him from behind the screen. Sheriff Ernest Tate has been a thorn in her side since childhood. Although he'd grown up with her mother, he seemed to take a special interest in ruining her life. As far as she knew she hadn't done anything to him. The man simply didn't like her and that was his problem. "Is anything wrong, Sheriff?" "That's what I've come to find out. Doctor Stetson told me that a journalist got bit by a moccasin out in the bayou and you and Bush brought him in for treatment."

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"Yes, that's true. We found him laying half in his car and half out. He must have passed out before he could start it up. It happened during the storm yesterday." "Doc says he's staying out here with you." Here it comes. "Yes, I'm looking after him." Ernest shifted his weight from one leg to the other. "Is that wise?" At sixty-two, Ernest still was an imposing figure as when she was a child, with his dark aviator glasses perched strategically on the bulb of his nose. He was a big man about six feet-one and probably weighed about two hundred pounds, and all of it was stuffed into a dark blue uniform with a flashy gold badge. "He doesn't have any family here. Someone needs to look after him until he gets better." "But it's inappropriate for a young, single woman to stay alone with a young man, especially a stranger." "What's inappropriate about it? He's ill, full of mindnumbing drugs and unconscious most of the time. Bush comes over ever few hours to check on me and him." "You know what I mean. People are bound to talk." "I don't care. They talk about me anyway. What's one more rumor?" "You bring a lot of it on yourself, you know, with that hoodoo church of yours." Halle ignored the mispronunciation of her religion. "You're a pretty young woman. What will you do if that young man tries to take advantage of you? He's a mighty big guy. There's no way you can fight him off." 20

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Langston taking advantage of her was the least of her worries, not that the thought hadn't come to her mind. She opened the screen door. "Would you like to come in and see him? He's in no position to piss on his own, let alone attack me." Ernest removed his hat and entered. Halle led him in, keeping the door open just in case he tried something. She opened the bedroom door. "See for yourself." Ernest went in, stayed a moment and then exited. "He's out like a light." "Told you. The doctor said he's going to be like that a couple of days. Once he's healed up, Bush and I plan to take him back to the bed and breakfast where he's been staying." Ernest headed to the front door. "I still don't think it's appropriate, him sleeping in your bed and all." "I'm sleeping in my grandmother's room, if you need to know. I don't have any intentions on sleeping with him, or corrupting him or putting a curse on him." Ernest stepped back onto the porch and donned his hat again. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Halle put on her biggest 'I don't give a damn' smile. "Thanks for the concern." Ernest got back into the cruiser and drove away. Halle closed both doors and walked back in to check on Langston. He still slept on his back, oblivious to everything going on around him. Lucky him. If he knew what was going on around him while he slept, he'd probably pack his things and leave Madison as quick as possible. 21

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Halle walked over to the bed, drawn by Langston's gentle snores. "Who is this man and why do I care what happens to him?" She peered down on him. Truth be known, she didn't know a thing about him and she didn't know why she decided to bring him into her home when she knew the controversy it would stir. Maybe she just did it because he was cute or the fact that her body got all hot and bothered whenever she saw him. A white guy? She smiled. Her ancestors must be turning over in their graves by now. She walked away from the bed and out of the room. Sheriff Tate was wrong, as usual. She wasn't in trouble. The man in her bed was. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Four Langston's eyes opened slowly. A ceiling fan rotated slowly above him. He watched the blades spin for a moment as he tried to figure out his whereabouts. He knew he wasn't in his apartment in New York. Nor was he in the room at Maddie's Bed and Breakfast. Where the hell am I? He smelled pineapple. He tried to sit up. "Don't," someone told him. He knew that deep, sultry voice. "You've been injured." "My head hurts like a bitch." "You have a very high fever." His eyes adjusted to the room but it was still a bit blurred. His skin felt damp with sweat. He moved his head around until he could see the other person. It was her...Halle. "I'm so thirsty." Halle moved from where she sat and walked over to the bed. She reached for something. Ice clinked into a glass. "Drink this." She bent over and pushed a straw through his parched lips. Her breasts were now eyelevel to him hidden behind a white blouse and probably some kind of bra contraption. He sighed. He might feel like hell all over but he was still a man. He sipped on the straw, keeping his eyes focused on the way her bosom rose and fell with each breath she took. The sweet taste of tea entered his mouth. It was lemony with a hint of mint. Langston swallowed and his throat burned. He guessed 23

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it served him right for the sexist perusal of Halle's cleavage. She moved the straw away. "Thank you." He heard the glass as it landed back on the nightstand beside the bed. "Where am I?" "In my home," she answered. "You've had an accident. Lucky you missed a tree and only plowed through some brush. Bush and I found you unconscious in your car." "Bush?" "The man who gave you the gas the other night." She reached back over to the nightstand. The sound of water startled him. Seconds later she pressed a cool compress against his forehead. It felt like he had died and gone to heaven. She put the cloth back into the water and doused his forehead again. He caught the aroma of eucalyptus on his skin. Halle dipped the cloth and continued her ministrations down his face and neck. She lowered the covers and was about to do his chest. He reached his hand up to stop her. "This could get embarrassing." His skin might have been on fire but he knew he was nude beneath the covers. She looked down at him with those big brown eyes. "You've been here for three days, burning up with fever. I think I've seen everything you've got by now." She smiled revealing a mouth of beautiful white teeth. Her face was angelic right down to her luscious full lips. Langston felt a boner coming on. "Well maybe not everything," he replied. She playfully slapped his hand away. "I'm just following the doctor's orders." 24

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"The doctor?" The pain in his leg suddenly returned along with his memory of what happened. Halle went back to bathing him down. "You were bitten by a snake. If Bush and I hadn't been out looking for the chickens, you would be dead by now. You lost consciousness behind the wheel of your car. It was during the storm." Langston had been too busy thinking about the snake to notice that she had moved down past his abdomen and was slowly heading south. His penis wasn't distracted and giving her a sixteen gun salute. "What type of snake?" he asked trying to will it down to normalcy. "A cottonmouth water moccasin, and from the size of the bite I would say it was a mighty big one." "Big?" Halle nodded as she stroked his left hip with the cloth. "Enormous." His Willie jumped. Halle smirked and went to work on the other hip. "Bush managed to get your car started again and we drove you to the doctor's office. He suctioned the poison out and gave you anti-venom. He told me to keep an eye on you for a couple of days, in case you're allergic to horses." "What does horses have to do with this?" "The anti-venom is made from a horse's blood serum." She made it past his hips and was working her way down his good leg. He had a rock hard erection that didn't want to be ignored. 25

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"The doctor bandaged up your leg and we brought you back here." Langston sat up suddenly. "My boss must be worried." Halle pushed him back down on the bed. "He knows," she replied. "Your cell phone kept ringing so I answered it. I hope you don't mind. I thought it might be a family member." "No, I don't mind. I'll call my family later." He paused. "Thanks for telling him, and for everything." "You're welcome." "Did he say anything else?" "Just for you to take all the time you need to recuperate, and that your documentary can wait. He promised to call back later on to check on you." She reached for a first aid kit. "I have to change that bandage now. You might not want to look." Why didn't he listen to her? He rose on his elbows and nearly fainted when he saw the wound. The starkness of the black and blue mark against his pale skin made him feel queasy. It also took care of his erection. "It's healing nicely," she muttered as she washed the infected area and replaced the bandage. "You'll be up and around in a week or so." Langston fell back against the pillows. He didn't think he could take being around Halle for an entire week. All she had to do was look at him with those eyes to get him all hot and bothered. By the end of the week he'd probably be back in the doctor's office with a serious case of blue balls. "Are you hungry?" 26

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He couldn't recall the last time he ate. She had something cooking and it smelled delicious. "Yes." She moved the cover back over his body. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She left the room with the bowl of water. Suddenly he felt weak and very alone. **** [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Five Halle turned off the pot and walked over to the cabinet. She pulled out a large white bowl and filled it with gumbo. She placed it on a saucer that lay on top a large wicker tray. She got a spoon out of the drawer, grabbed a couple of napkins, and then placed them next to the bowl. She grabbed a pack of crackers out of the canister, took the butter from the refrigerator and buttered them. She would have preferred to serve a piece of French bread with the meal instead of the crackers but she didn't think he could handle that yet. French bread was something that had to be eaten with strong teeth and she hadn't figured out if his beautiful, expressive smile was the product of the good hygiene or a very good dentist. Halle smiled and took a moment to fan herself. The rain had gone and the heat had returned. In her mind she knew the sudden rise in her temperature had nothing to do with the ninety-degree weather outside. The snake that had bit Langston Priestly had been of formidable size, but he was packing a serious python between his legs. Another stereotypical racial myth dissolved. The white man in her bed was hung heavier than a horse. Not that she'd seen many penises in her lifetime...just a couple here and there during the rituals, and usually those were flaccid. Most of the men kept their clothes on because they feared she would castrate them. Halle laughed. Now where would they get a dang fool notion like that? 28

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Most people had a misconception of what Voodoo really was. It wasn't black magic or hoodoo. It was more a religious ceremony, with altars and Loas and a heck of a lot of chanting. Her family had brought the practice over from Haiti years ago, so it all seemed natural to her. She didn't put down any other religions. She had been to both Catholic and Baptist churches. She found it all interesting and the people weren't too much different than the ones that came to worship with her. Ignorance had a lot to do with what people believed. Sheriff Tate was guilty of being one such ignorant person. He had come calling the evening that she brought Langston home from the hospital. He told her that it was just a routine call but Halle couldn't remember him coming over when Roscoe had been bitten last summer. He had entered her home with his nose turned so far up in the air she feared he'd choke. She might not live in a glorious home like he did but she kept the place neat and clean. She got rid of him a couple of minutes later after she convinced him that Langston wasn't dead and that she hadn't killed him. Halle picked up the tray and carried it back into the room. Langston had managed to find the television remote and propped himself up on the pillows to watch the news. He turned it off as soon as she entered. "Bored?" she asked as she sat the tray down on the nightstand. "No, just trying to take my mind off my injury. It's stopped burning and now it's only throbbing." "That means its healing." She pulled up a chair next to the bed. 29

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"What is that delicious smell?" "Gumbo." "Never had it." "Then you're in for a surprise." She sat down and tucked a napkin under his chin. He had the most amazing blue eyes. They reminded her of the sky. His body wasn't brawny or beefy, but chiseled, like he worked out in a gym from time to time. His chest was broad and he had the cutest little nipples. She reached for the bowl before he could notice her staring at them. She scooped up some and placed it between his lips. He had a hint of blonde five o'clock shadow on his chin. It made him look devilishly handsome. "This is fantastic," he muttered in between swallows and chews. "What's in it?" "Seafood. Shrimp, oysters, crabs. There's sausage, ham and seasonings." "And you cooked this yourself? I love it." She giggled. "Women don't cook in New York?" "Not any I know but I did date a girl who could whip up a pretty good fondue." Halle smiled. He had a sense of humor. He was going to need it while he was in town. She just bet that the rumors were running rampart about them now. "It's my grandmother's recipe. She taught me how to cook when I was a child." "She must have been a very amazing woman." "She was. A Voodoo priestess has to be versatile." He didn't choke after she said it. That was a very good thing. "Are you a priestess?" 30

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She nodded and fed him. "Yes, I was born one. So was my mother." She ladled another spoonful. "You're a very good dancer, too...give or take the snake." Halle blushed. She was smart enough to send Exotica down to Bush's place for the extent of Langston's stay. She dabbed at his chin with the napkin. "Not all snakes are bad. Exotica is a pet. She's as gentle as a kitten." Langston eyes widened. "You've never been bitten?" "No, she's defanged. My grandfather made sure of that." She fed him some crackers and helped him wash it down with some more iced tea. She fed him two more bowls until he was full. She took the tray away and left him. He needed a nap and she needed to clean the kitchen and slow her pulse down. **** Elnora Jackson was Halle's first customer. Elnora came quite often to have her fortune told and to buy love potions. She'd never married and had been trying to woo Jasper Conners for the last thirty years. Jasper was a teacher and a deacon of a local Baptist church. He'd been married once for a short period of time but his wife had died. Elnora attended the same church and wanted to be his next wife. "Rumor has it that you have a fine white man tucked in your bed back there." She motioned toward the back bedrooms. Elnora was also one of the town's biggest gossips and shitstirrers. According to gossip, Halle was the biggest tramp in their neck of the woods. She couldn't help it if men liked to 31

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look at her. Deacon Conners was no exception. He offered her a ride once and he wasn't talking about in his car. "I know you didn't come all the way out here for such foolishness, Elnora." She didn't feel that she owed the woman an explanation. It was just none of her business. It went in one of Elnora's ears and out the other. "You can tell me. I know it can get pretty lonely in this bayou at times. Who is going to know if you have a little tryst with a white guy?" Halle sighed. People and their foolish hang-ups. She didn't care if a person was white or black or Chinese. She wondered if Elnora would have mentioned anything had Langston been black. "There will not be, nor has there ever been, any tryst going on in my bedroom." Halle prepared the altar while Elnora stared at her like she had just told the biggest lie in the world. She'd finish up quickly and get Elnora out of her home as quickly as possible...preferably before Langston awoke. "They do things, girl. Things a brother won't." Halle ignored her. "Let's get started Elnora. I have a pretty full schedule this morning." Elnora sat down and gave up. She left thirty minutes later, clutching her love potion tightly in her hand. Halle had lied. She only had one other client scheduled and she was driving up now. Jasmin Record had a secret that only Halle knew. She had murdered her step-father when he tried to molest her as a teenager. That part wasn't a secret. The entire town knew but what they didn't know was that Jasmin had demons in her 32

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mind that made her think and do stuff with men and women that would make a porn star blush. She came to Halle monthly to have the demons exorcised. So far nothing Halle tried worked. Jasmin just needed a damn good psychiatrist Halle got them some tea. Jasmin wore a pant suit and heels that made her appear like a nice young woman who attended church regularly or taught school. Jasmin confessed to driving all the way to New Orleans to having a hot and heavy lesbian affair with a stripper who just happened to have a boyfriend who was into bondage and being punished. She didn't keep one sordid detail to herself. Halle's head spun with information overload. Jasmin cried after describing the ordeal. Halle consoled her, gave her some soul-healing herbs and sent her on her way. Halle watched the car as she drove off. It had started to rain. **** [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Six Langston shook nervously as a powerful storm pelted the roof and windows, but the storm had nothing to do with his present state of alarm. That was due to Jasmin Record's erotic lesbian tale which he had accidentally overheard. The front door opened and closed, followed by footsteps padding around the wooden living room floor. He sank back onto the pillows. Halle was probably preparing the doors and windows against the bad weather. He moved around on the bed. He had to get himself together before she returned. His balls ached worse than his leg. Halle peeked inside the door. She was garbed all in red. "You woke?" Langston nodded. Tantalizing aromas filled the air. When did she have time to cook? The young woman entered, dressed in an ankle-length skirt and peasant blouse. She had a red bandana tied around her head. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. I need to get some clothes and change. I don't want to get food on this." She looked so cute in her costume. "Come on in. I've been awake for a while." "It's raining. I think we're in for another storm like the one the other day." "I'm beginning to appreciate the rain," Langston said as he watched her dig some clothing out of a bottom dresser drawer. She was as impressive from behind as she was from the front. Halle walked into the bathroom and emerged a few 34

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minutes later, showered and changed into a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. Her hair was still damp. "Dinner will be ready shortly." "I'll just watch some television until then." What else did he have to do being flat on his back and incapacitated? He supposed he could do some reading but everything he had with him was in his car. "Can I use your telephone? I think I better call my host over at the bed and breakfast. She might be worried that I might skip out without paying my bill." "It's all taken care of," Halle replied. "We've only got one hotel around here. Your boss took care of it and Bush went over and got your things." "Is that Bush fellow your boyfriend?" Halle giggled. "No, Bush is my cousin. Our mothers were sisters." "He's a frightening fellow with that machete." "Well, he's very protective. You don't know what it's like for us...what we go through." He had a pretty good idea from what he'd heard. They were ostracized, ridiculed and probably whispered about day in and day out. It must have been awful for them. So far she had been the perfect host and took care of his every need. Well, not every need. He needed to go to the bathroom and there was that other thing. He threw back the covers. "What are you doing?" He tried to stand. "Nature calls." "There's a urinal," she said, hurrying to his side. The covers fell to the floor exposing everything he owned, including the kitchen sink and the plumbing. 35

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"You're not strong enough to walk by yourself." She put her arm around his waist and braced him with her hip. He slipped his arm around her shoulder. "I'm a grown man and perfectly capable of going to the toilet by myself. Besides, I need a shower." "Then at least use the crutch. Now sit." She helped him back down on the bed. "Let me set the chair up for you." She pointed to a plastic and metal shower chair next to the crutches against the wall. She disappeared into the bathroom with the chair. He heard the water hit against the porcelain and then Halle reappeared. "Try not to get the bandage wet, hard-head." She stepped away from the door. Langston smirked. She sounded like his mother. He rose again and the pain shot through his bad leg. Halle smirked and he ignored her. He was much too arrogant to let his anguish show. Dizziness and nausea overtook him as he tried to walk. Maybe Halle was right but it was too damn late to admit it. She handed him the crutch. He placed it beneath his arm and hopped into the bathroom to relieve his aching bladder. A few minutes later he had figured out how to maneuver into the tub and onto the chair. He heard Halle leave the bedroom. He relaxed from exhaustion. It wasn't the first time he'd be accused of being hard-headed. He wasn't used to anyone doing anything for him. His father had taught him independence at an early age, and he guessed it stuck. He washed quickly, including his hair with some honey suckle scented shampoo in the stall that reminded him of Halle. He scowled. He didn't know if he liked the idea of smelling like a 36

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flower but he suspected it was better than smelling of perspiration. He found a new toothbrush waiting on the sink when he finally managed to get himself out of the tub. He hadn't remembered seeing it there earlier, but he was probably blinded by all the pain that radiated up and down his leg. He dried off with a huge towel and then grabbed the crutch. He brushed his teeth and then left the bathroom. To his surprise the bed had been changed and straightened. He slid back beneath the covers and sunk back on the pillows. He was asleep before he knew it. **** [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Seven "The police have been snooping around the woods all day," Bush said to Halle as she poured him a tall glass of milk. "It's been raining. What type of clues do they expect to find in the mud?" She pushed a generous piece of homemade peach pie over to him. "You know Sheriff Tate. He's not one for letting a little rain stop him." Halle sat down across from him with her own pie and milk. "He won't find anything." "You know that and I know that but it won't stop that jackass from looking." He cut into the pie. "How's the patient?" She smiled. "Feisty. The medicine the doctor prescribed has him asleep right now." "Is the leg healing properly?" Bush cut into the pie. Halle nodded. "It looks like Doc got all the venom out. It's still bruised." "He's lucky. A bite like that is often deadly." Bush put the piece of pie into his mouth and chewed. Halle agreed. "We were just in the right place at the right time." "Has he asked any questions about the other night?" "No." She paused. "Maybe he won't say anything." Bush put the fork down. "We can't trust outsiders Halle. He's a reporter. Don't let your feelings for him cloud that fact. 38

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He witnessed a lot of stuff. I can't be sure what but he asked a lot of questions before I sent him off." "He won't talk." "You said it yourself that you saw him talking to the sheriff at the gas station." "That doesn't mean he was talking about what he witnessed. He doesn't seem the type to rat." "You don't know anything about him. Don't let your heart and those blue eyes of his cloud your better judgment. He'll be out of here as soon as his leg heals. Those kind don't hang around small towns like this. He's just here for a story." Halle didn't want to hear it. She'd been alone with Langston for four days and he didn't seem the kind of person who only did what he did for money. "Are we still meeting here tonight?" Halle nodded. Once a month she held a gathering at her home in the portable building out back. "Do you think that's such a good idea with the reporter here?" "Yes, he's usually asleep by ten. We won't disturb him." "Maybe we should cancel or maybe choose somewhere else," Bush suggested. "It will be okay," Halle insisted. "He'll probably sleep through the whole thing. Those pain-killers are pretty strong." **** [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Eight The drums returned to his head. Langston tossed on the bed. His body felt hot and sweaty. He tried to open his eyes but the fever within him raged. His mouth felt dry and he was very thirsty. Maybe he should have listened to Halle...maybe the shower hadn't been a good idea. He didn't think a little water could infect his wound. He dozed back off but the drums kept right on beating in his mind. Minute later he heard chickens clucking and rosters crowing. There was singing. Halle's sweet voice entered. She spoke in a language he couldn't understand. Langston sat up in bed remembering. They were performing another ritual and they were doing it somewhere nearby. He threw back the covers but could not get himself in motion. He staggered. The medication had him drowsy and disoriented. Maybe he could do it if he rested a bit. He closed his eyes and willed himself to rise. Langston opened his eyes again after what seemed like an eternity. The fever had disappeared some and he didn't feel as dizzy. He threw back the covers and moved his legs around to the side of the bed. Luckily he'd donned his pajamas earlier or there was no way he could wrestle into them now. He pushed his feet into his slippers and used the mattress to get to his feet. Pain radiated up his legs but he ignored it. He hobbled across the room to get the crutch and then left the bedroom, passing through foreign rooms that he'd take time later to put to memory and headed toward the 40

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sound at the back of the house. It led him to an immaculate kitchen, decorated in red and white curtains and tablecloth like he imagined it to be. Huge cast iron skillets hung from a rack on the ceiling and on the windowsill sat little ceramic cows and chickens. The room smelled like someone had been cooking up a storm. His stomach growled. The sound of drums destroyed the vision forming in his head of him and Halle sharing coffee in this kitchen. He limped over to the back door, opened it, and hobbled outside, looking around for Bush and that machete. He made it to the side of the garage and peeped in through the window, prepared for the worst. "Well, I'll be damned." Halle and Bush were entertaining about fifty people, serving them food and playing with the kids. "I knew they were wrong about her." He hobbled back inside the house. "Murderesses don't break bread with friends and neighbors." He was winded by the time he made it back into the bed. The kitchen door opened and closed. Halle peeped into the room dressed in her white costume. "Hey, I'm glad you're awake. How do you feel?" "I'm feeling fine. I had a fever earlier but it's gone." She came into the room carrying a plate of food on a wicker serving tray. "I hope you're hungry." She pulled the foil cover away from the plate, revealing fried fish, potato salad, hush puppies and corn bread." His stomach growled loudly. "I guess that answers your question," he said playfully. "All that is missing is a cold beer." 41

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Halle dashed out of the room and came back with an iced Miller Light. "Just this one because you're still recovering." "Yes Ma'am." **** [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Nine Halle said goodbye to the last person and entered the quiet house. She wondered if Langston was still up. She walked through the house and peeped into the room. He was asleep. She walked away smiling. She told Bush they had nothing to worry about. She didn't know why she felt so sure he was harmless. Maybe it was the way he looked while he slept at night or the way he looked deep into her eyes when they spoke. He hadn't given her a reason to doubt his sincerity and he always seemed appreciative of each and every little thing she did for him. She headed toward the kitchen to fix herself a snack. There was still some peach pie left from earlier and maybe she still had some Cool Whip in the refrigerator to top it off. If not, she was sure she had a gallon of vanilla ice cream buried beneath the chocolate chip cheese cake she was saving for a special occasion. Lucky her metabolism burned everything off because she'd had a sweet tooth ever since she was a little girl. Her grandmother hadn't made matters any better by insisting that she learn how to bake from scratch. She sighed. She missed those times when the two of them used to get together in this very kitchen and roll out dough for cookies. Her grandmother let her put the sugared sprinkles on the finished product. Her mother was also a good cook and she had taught Halle how to do gravies and soups. She had also taught her the most valuable lesson of all that didn't have 43

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anything to do with cooking. She taught her how to hold her head up high in the face of adversity. The wind pushed against the kitchen door. Halle finished her pie and milk and washed the dishes. The rain had started again and it was gently pinging against the windows. Halle turned off the kitchen light and walked down the hall. She'd check on Langston first and then hop into the tub. **** [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Ten The scent of honeysuckle entered the room even before she did. Langston pretended to be asleep as she moved around the room opening drawers and removing clothing. She tried to be quiet, tip-toeing around so she wouldn't wake him. She dashed into the bathroom and filled the tub with water. He imagined her undressing, stripping out of her clothes and underwear. He conjured up the image of her beautiful brown body as she stood there nude, preparing to enter the water. He heard a splash and then a sigh as she entered the water. I should be in there bathing her, rubbing the towel against her skin and lathering her with soap. His penis bobbed against his thigh. Maybe he should have kept his pajamas on instead of taking them off when the fever returned. The water drained from the tub. Langston pretended to be asleep. Moments later Halle stuck her head out of the door and then exited, wrapped in only a bath towel. She had unbraided her hair and it hung loosely down her back like thick black yarn. She tiptoed back over to the dresser and bent to retrieve something from a bottom drawer, giving him a tantalizing look at her sexy brown behind. Halle rose and turned slowly. "Oh, you're awake?" "Yes." Everything in him burned with need for her. "How are you feeling?" "I think my fever just spiked." He nodded to the towel that had slipped down to just below her nipples. 45

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Halle looked down "Oops." She adjusted the towel. "I thought you were still sleeping." He made an attempt to get off of the bed. "Maybe I should leave. I've taken over your room and making you feel awkward in your own home." "Nonsense." She hurried over to the bed and pushed him back down. "You're still too weak to go gallivanting around the bayous and as far as you being in my way, you're not. I just forgot these." She held up a pair of panties in her hand and just as soon as she realized what she held onto she quickly put her hand behind her back. "Maybe I should go back into the bathroom and get dressed." Langston smiled at her. "No need to rush on my accord. I'm enjoying the view." The rain picked that particular time to beat steadily against the window and the roof. Halle noticed it too. "I like the sound the rain makes against the tin roof. It's relaxing." He wanted to snatch her into the bed with him. "Are you trying to change the subject?" She smiled weakly. "No, just trying to avoid it." "Why?" "Because I'm standing here nearly naked, and you are naked beneath that sheet." He rolled over to the side to get closer to her and leaned on his elbow. "You're a very beautiful young woman," he replied. "And desirable." She smiled but tried to hide it. "What has brought this on?" "The rain and the sight of you in that towel." 46

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"Are you're trying to say you're interested in me?" Langston nodded. "That's exactly what I'm trying to say." "That's the pain killers talking. You don't know anything about me, just like I don't know anything about you." "What do you want to know? My life is an open book. My name is Langston Priestly. I'm thirty years old, single and never married. I'm a documentary maker and I'm from New York." He paused. "Your turn." Halle adjusted the towel again but all that did was give him a better view of her long legs and narrow waist. The striking lightning illuminated the room and her creamy mocha skin. "My name is Halle Johnson. I'm twenty-seven years old, single and never been married. I'm a voodoo priestess from Madison, Louisiana." "Anything else?" "Yes. Everyone around here thinks I'm trouble. So if you know what's good for you you'd pack your things and get as far away from this place and me as soon as possible." She turned to go back into the bathroom. It took everything in his power to hop out of the bed and stop her. Pain shot through his injured leg but he ignored it because stopping her seemed more important than any damage he could do to his leg. "Don't do this. Don't succumb to the gossip. I don't care about what anyone says about you." Halle stopped and turned around to face him. "You should. They think I'm a murderess. Your life could be in danger." Langston pulled her toward him and into his arms. The towel dropped to the floor between them. "What can you 47

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possible do to harm me? If you wanted me gone, you could have left me in the swamps to die. But you brought me here and took care of me. That does not sound like the actions of a murderess to me." Their bodies pressed against each other. Langston lifted her from the floor and she wrapped her hands around his neck. "Are you a murderess?" She shook her head. "No, I'm not." Before he continued he had to ask. "What about Bush? Are you covering for him?" "No, Bush never killed anyone, either." "What about the man from the Voodoo ceremony? He was covered in blood and I heard him scream." Halle chuckled. "That was Vern. He's not dead either. It's part of that particular ritual." She paused. "We do kill chickens but we cook them later and eat them after the ceremony." That's all he needed to know. He ran his hand over her hip and gently squeezed one of her butt cheeks. She moved in closer to him. "I've never been with a man before." Langston inched them back toward the bed. "Those seven little words are all I need. I'll be gentle, darling. For one night stop thinking about this town and the gossip and think about yourself." **** [Back to Table of Contents] 48

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Chapter Eleven His body is phenomenal, Halle thought as she watched from a spot next to him on the bed. She slid her finger up his good leg and watched the pale blonde hair rise from the attention. Through the corner of her eyes she saw his penis rise and bounce every time her fingers got close to his thigh. She'd seen naked men before, all of them black and none of them half as desirable as the man propped on her pillows. Hair fell sexily across his forehead as he ran his fingers through it. She closed her hands around his penis. "Do you like the way this feels?" she asked as she slowly began to stroke his shaft. "More than you'll ever know. Your hands are so soft and warm." She lowered her head and took it into her mouth. She felt the bed move as Langston laid back to enjoy what she was doing to him. She wiggled her tongue around and tickled the sides of his penis. She reached down with her free hand and cupped his balls. They felt heavy with his semen and warm. She moved that hand around them, cupping them and weighing them while she continued to suck on his cock. Langston moaned softly. She'd never done such an act before so she really didn't know if she was doing it right. From the sounds he made perhaps she might have some skills in the area. She concentrated on the head, tickling the little hole with her tongue until it rewarded her with seminal fluid. It didn't have much of a taste, kind of bland with a 49

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pinch of salt. She lowered her head to see how much of him she could get in her mouth and stopped when she nearly gagged. "Your mouth makes me feel warm and tingly all over." She let his penis slip out of her mouth and then she put it back inside, pulling gently on the skin until she felt it bounce against her teeth. Langston gasped her name. "Halle." Her body reacted to the sound of his voice. Her nipples hardened with excitement. She released his balls and put both hands around the shaft, massaging him while she drew her mouth to the head again. "If you don't stop that I am going to shoot." Halle lifted her head. Langston sat up and stared down at her. The stark blueness of his eyes made her tremble. They were like two glass marbles with deep blue irises. The sight warmed her all over. She put her hand on his bad leg and kissed his thigh. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" Langston moved around on the bed. "No, you didn't." He pulled her toward him and lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply. Halle melted in his arms, surprised by how lethal his kisses were. She closed her eyes, trying to enjoy it. His touch was gentle and boy did he know his way around a mouth. The next thing she knew she was on her back with those sexy lips on one of her nipples. "Um," she purred as the heat from his breath touched her delicate flesh. He manipulated the other nipple with his 50

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fingers. It tightened and budded with his touch. Her back arched automatically as she discovered what it would be like to nurse a baby at her breast. "You have very beautiful nipples," Langston said as he switched sides. "I can suck on them forever." Halle sighed at the thought. They didn't have forever. In a couple of weeks he would have his story and be gone. Langston left her breast area and worked his way down her sternum, planting gentle kisses that made her giggle. She reached up and touched his silky soft, blonde hair. It curled around her fingers. Langston stopped kissing her stomach long enough to stare up at her. "I want to taste you." Halle eyes widened. "Does that mean you want to...?" "Oh yeah." He lowered his head and then raised her thighs. Halle hoped he couldn't see the flush on her face. "You smell like honeysuckle." He ran his tongue against the lips of her vagina. "Uh." Her back arched again. "That feels so wonderful." Langston continued, egged on by her words. He used his tongue to part the delicate flesh, gently nibbling on it as she thrashed above him. His tongue entered her. "Oh, oh," she moaned. Oddly enough it didn't feel as strange as she thought it would. His tongue was rough yet soft as it got personal with her walls. Her body opened and grew moist as he licked and sucked her into submission. Halle could not control herself or the situation as he introduced a finger inside of her and went back to work on the lips. 51

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Her buttocks lifted from the mattress and her thighs cramped as she tried to take control but Langston just continued. Her stomach clenched as he worked on her clitoris. Nothing could compare to the feel of this man making love to her with his mouth and fingers. Halle bit her bottom lip as Langston bore down on her clitoris with a little more force and she exploded. "Oh!" Her hips rose but he held her down, licking at her juices as they flowed from her body. "Ah!" Her hand left his head and joined the other on her stomach, comforting the spasms as they rolled through her. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, they quieted and she lay flat against the bed exhausted and satisfied. Langston raised his head. "Don't die on me yet. The best is yet to come." "Are you serious?" she asked. "I can't move." Langston smiled down at her. "You don't have to move a muscle." He maneuvered his way between her legs and pressed the head of his penis against her wet opening. "Oh no," she gasped as he entered her. "I'm still a virgin." He smiled down on her wickedly. "You mentioned that earlier." He rose over her and his penis dangled over her thigh. "I want you to close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you to." Halle looked up at him skeptically. "I don't like the sound of that." "It will all be over before you know it." "It's going to hurt." "Only if you fight me. Just close your eyes, relax, and think happy thoughts." He moved back into position. "Now close 52

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those big brown eyes. We're going to do this on the count of three." Halle nodded and closed her eyes. Langston's hands went to her hips and he lifted her until their private areas met. "Okay count along with me." "One." "One." "Two." "Two." "Three." He entered her before she could reply. "Ouch." Pain shot through her entire body. Halle hit against his chest. "You tricked me." Langston chuckled. "I didn't mean to. I just tried to lessen the pain for you. Did it work?" The pain gradually subsided. She tightened her thighs around his waist and slid down on him. "What do you think?" He went in, touching the sides of her vaginal walls, marking his territory. She didn't hurt but she did itch. As if reading her mind he moved inside of her to scratch it. Halle put her hands flat against his chest, rubbing the scant blonde hair that curled softly against his skin. She bent from the waist and kissed a blue vein that throbbed just below his nipple. His body was pale and beautiful, like sculptured snow. She pushed up and looked down on him. "I've always had a thing for blue eyes." Langston put his hands on her hips and moved her up and down his shaft. She rolled her buttocks around, grinding them against his abdomen. 53

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"I've always had a thing for sexy voodoo priestesses." He whimpered. "Roll that butt, girl. You don't know what that does to me." Halle stifled a giggled. He sounded so corny, but she did as he asked, meeting him thrust for thrust. She always felt selfconscious about the size of her rear and his attempt at sex talk erased any doubt from her mind that it was adequate enough to please a man. Langston rolled her over and curved her legs around his hips. He buried his penis deep inside of her. Halle arched her back as he sank into her wetness. He continued to pound into her, moving in and then out and then back in again, driving her mad with desire. He withdrew slowly, teasing her only with the head of his cock. She never liked to be teased as a child but this she could get used to. He withdrew again and then eased back in, sinking so close to her womb her knees shook. "Oh my goodness." "Is that a good 'oh my goodness' or a bad 'oh my goodness'." Halle trembled beneath him. "That was a great 'oh my goodness'." "Hold on. I'm about to rock your world." He raised her hips and sank deep. "Oh yes," she gasped as the wave of the orgasm tore through her. She clutched at his back, raking her nails against it. Langston held on to her as wave after wave erupted inside. Her entire body felt alive and so exhilarated. "That's it, enjoy it." 54

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Her body continued to shake as he resumed his position and continued to make love to her, gently at first to let her catch her breath and then with a passion egged on by the rain that pelted against the window. Halle closed her eyes and tried to enjoy the moment for what it was worth, and just when she thought it couldn't get any better he flipped her over on her stomach and took her from behind. She trembled again. "Don't be afraid," he whispered into her ear. "I won't hurt you." "I'm not afraid," she replied. "Just curious. Oh! That feels heavenly." He lifted her until she was on her knees and he was crouched behind her, moving in and out of her slowly. He took in air as he pulled out and then slowly pushed back in. "You have no idea how wonderful this feels." "Should you be putting so much weight on that leg?" "I don't care. I'll just have to suffer later. Right now all I can think about is how good you feel. Your skin is so soft and the view from back here is breathtaking." Halle blushed. She couldn't see anything but the pillows on the bed, not that she cared. His movements increased. "Oh, my. Maybe I shouldn't have chosen this position." "What's wrong?" "I'm about to come." She rocked back on his penis. "You're so silly. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?" 55

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He laughed with her. "No, I wanted to make this night last forever. Oh, baby." He shook above her, holding on to her buttocks with both hands at first and then his body slid forward until he lay against her back. "Hold on." He slipped out and then slammed into her. What in the world did he do? "Oh shit that feels so wonderful." Her body responded with another orgasm at the same time as his. Her knees buckled beneath her sending both of them spiraling onto the mattress into a heap. Neither seemed to mind as their organs opened and released like the clouds up in the sky. **** [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Twelve All good things had to come to an end, Langston discovered a few days later after the doctor arrived and gave him a clean bill of health. He packed up his things and moved back to the Bed and Breakfast even though Halle insisted that he wasn't crowding her if he wanted to stay with her. Luckily there was still a room at the bed and breakfast. The Browns, the owners of Maddie's Bed and Breakfast, were out of town but the young woman they left in charge welcomed him and gave him back to the keys to his room. The next morning he decided to take a trip around town to find out a couple of things before he went back to work. He turned the rental car into the parking lot of a local diner and climbed out. He hadn't had time to eat before he left and he was starved. The diner was clean and very crowded he discovered when he entered. He had eaten at many such places in his lifetime but this one had that small town charm the big city diners didn't have. The place had most of its original fixtures, including an antique soda fountain and juke box. He walked over to the counter and hopped up on a barstool and got the waitress' attention. "You're the guy who's been staying with Halle." Langston nodded at the young black woman. "Yes." She pulled out an ink pen and pad from her pocket. "What will it be?" "Donuts and coffee." "How many?" 57

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"Three if it's not too much trouble." She looked him over. "No, not too much trouble. Glazed, chocolate or jelly?" "Glazed. Hot if you have it." "Three hot, glazed donuts and a cup of coffee coming up." Langston watched her walk away wondering who she was. She returned quickly. Langston accepted the plate, finding it odd that everyone seemed to know him. "Thanks." He paused. "Do I know you?" She shook her head. "No, I'm a friend of Halle's. My name is Jasmin Record." Langston carefully picked up his cup of coffee, trying not to react now that he had a face to fit the voice he'd heard in Halle's home a couple of days ago. Funny, she didn't look like a sex addict. This was one of those cases when looks were deceiving. Jasmin Record looked like the girl next door, with a creamy brown complexion, reddish brown bob haircut and big brown eyes. She was just a tad taller than Halle, but thinner. "Nice to meet you, Miss Record. I moved out of Halle's place and I'm back at the bed and breakfast." Jasmin busied herself cleaning the counter. "Why? Don't you like her?" He nearly choked on the coffee. "Yes, I like her very much. That's why I left. I didn't want to be a burden and impose on her any more than I have." He picked up a napkin and dabbed the coffee from his chin and then the picked up a donut and sampled it. "This is good." 58

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"It's homemade and one of the diner's specialties. Now don't change the subject. Halle likes you." "What makes you think that?" "Well, I've never seen her so happy and out of everyone in this little psychotic hamlet, Halle Johnson deserves some happiness." "Care to elaborate?" "Don't tell me you haven't noticed how most of the folks around here treat her." "Yes, as a matter of fact I have. Why is that?" "Because they're crazy." A bell tinkled and the door to the diner opened. Langston turned at the sound. A middle-aged woman walked in, dressed from head to toe in what he'd call church clothes. "Talk about queen crazy," Jasmin whispered to him. "Watch out for that one. She'll be over here and in your business shortly." "Who is she?" Jasmin leaned forward and re-filled his coffee. "That's Elnora Jackson, the town's biggest gossip." The other woman waved at Jasmin and then to some of the other diners. Elnora then walked over to one of the tables, clutching her purse under her arm as if she expected someone to steal it. A few minutes later the noise level rose in the diner as Elnora and another woman talked. Langston went back to his coffee and his conversation with Jasmin. "How long have you and Halle been friends?" "All our lives. We used to play together as kids and we went to school together." 59

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"Then you're in a position to answer a question. Why does everyone in this town seem to hate her, and don't tell me because they're crazy." Jasmin laughed. "They don't hate her. They're scare of her. Most of them think she can cast spells on them. You know how it is? They're not willing to accept her for her different religious practices and Halle doesn't help matters much by not putting them in their place when they confront her with their accusations." "When did all of this start?" "A few years ago, back when Jim Pritchard disappeared." "Who is Jim Pritchard?" "A guy Halle used to date. He grew up here, too, and then one day he just disappeared after the two of them got into a very loud argument." He made a mental note not to get into a loud argument with Halle. "What was the argument about?" "I don't know. I wasn't there but he must have started it. Halle never argues. She's the sweetest, most even-tempered woman I know." She looked up and frowned. "Trouble's coming." Langston looked over his shoulder. Elnora Jackson headed over his way with her purse still clutched under her arm like a football. Her cologne got to the counter before her. "What can I get for you today?" Jasmin asked once Elnora hitched up her skirts and sat next to him at the counter. She moved her purse from under her arm and put it beneath the counter. 60

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"A cup of tea and a piece of apple pie." Jasmin went off to fill the order, leaving him alone with Elnora. "You're Langston Priestly, aren't you?" "Yes, do I know you?" "Not really. My name is Elnora Jackson. I'm a friend of Halle's." Langston extended his hand to Elnora and she shook it. "Nice to meet you." "No, the pleasure is mine. I heard you came to our fair town to do a documentary on the wetlands and the bayou and got a less than friendly welcome from a water moccasin." "Yes, I've had better receptions but to be fair, I invaded its territory." Elnora laughed loudly. He did not think it was that funny. "Halle failed to tell me that you had such a delightful sense of humor." "You've discussed me with Halle?" "Of course. The two of us are real close, almost like sisters. She tells me everything." Langston doubted that. He also caught the expression on Jasmin's face when Elnora said what she said. "Huh, that close? Well, I'm glad to know you're such good friends with Halle. I was beginning to think she didn't have any friends since she never spoke of anyone. The only person I ever met during my stay was her cousin, Bush." He had in fact overheard both conversations Halle had with Elnora and Jasmin. 61

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"I came by just the other day. Halle said you were asleep in her bed." Langston frowned. Halle never said that. "Miss Johnson was good enough to let me use her room. She's a nice young woman. I don't know too many people who would go out of their way to make a stranger feel welcome." "Our Halle's special that way. She must be very lonely out there all by herself without a man to take care of her." "She seems to be doing all right without one. She's seems very independent to me." "Yes, but she's just too pretty to be without a man." "Maybe she prefers it that way." "Well, she's been that way since Jim Pritchard disappeared." She chuckled. "The two of them used to be quite an item in high school. Everyone thought they were going to get married." "Why didn't they?" Elnora leaned in closer. "Rumor has it that the two of them got into an argument and Halle killed him and dropped his body into the bayou behind her house." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Thirteen Langston never thought he'd be driving around town asking questions like in his younger days as an investigative reporter. Back then he spent countless hours hunting up dirt around town for tabloids. His victims were usually politicians and movie stars. But that was a long time ago and he wondered if he still had the skills. It also gave him the chance to see a little more of Madison. It was a nice place with quaint little houses. Kids played in parks and in their yards, innocent to all the lies and deception all around them. To the novice eye, Madison was like any small town, but to the trained eye of a reporter it was a gold mine of sordid little stories. So far he had talked to about a handful of people and all of them had no problem telling him their rendition of what happened between Bill Pritchard and Halle Johnson. Each story was just a little bit different but each led him to another person to talk to. Myrtle Washington hopefully was the last person. She had lived in Madison all her life and at eighty, considered to be one of the most knowledgeable people in the area when it came to information. In her younger days Myrtle served at the town's historian, but she had retired and only saw a few visitors. Langston made sure he called ahead and got the okay before driving over. Myrtle's house lay deep in the woods, across the bayou from Halle's. The mid-sized post-colonial structure sat sheltered among the cypress and willow trees indigenous to 63

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the area. It also sat on about two acres of land. One dedicated solely to the raising of sugar cane. Myrtle's granddaughter, Frieda, answered the door. She was around his age. "Come on in, Mr. Priestly." She led him into the house and to a parlor where Myrtle waited. He saw the resemblance instantly. Myrtle Washington was a short white woman with mangled grey hair and blue eyes. Frieda had the same blue eyes but she was much taller than her grandmother and outweighed her by about fifty pounds. Frieda left the room. Myrtle sat in a bentwood rocker with an afghan coverlet thrown across her knees. She offered him a seat across from her which he accepted. He looked around the well-kept room. The wooden floors where polished and the furniture looked expensive. The walls were littered with pictures of Myrtle with family members and some well-known celebrities. One picture in particular caught his attention. It was a picture of a young Myrtle Washington and a young black woman who bared a striking resemblance to Halle Johnson. "That's me and my best friend, Marion Johnson, Halle's grandmother." "They could be twins." "Could have been," Myrtle corrected him. "But you should have seen Halle's mother Emma. Now there was a beauty both inside and out. Marion, too. No wonder Halle turned out looking the way she did." "Yes, she certainly is beautiful." "The only thing she has from her father is those eyes." 64

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"Did you know Halle's father? She's never talked about him." "Sure I knew him. His name was Calloway." "Is he still alive? I'd like to meet him." "No, I'm afraid not. He was killed in a car accident about a month before Halle was born." "That's a shame." "You said you're a friend of Halle's. Are you from around here?" "No, as I explained to your granddaughter, I'm from New York and I'm here doing a documentary on the bayous and wetlands for a magazine I write for." "So what does that have to do with Halle?" "Well, she took care of me recently when I got bit by a water moccasin." "I heard something like that." She adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "I also heard that there was a fine looking white man staying across the bayou near here." Langston blushed. "Yes, well I moved out but I can't help but get the feeling that everyone in town is trying to warn me about something." "You don't seem like the type to listen to idle gossip." "Normally I'm not." "But you're interested in forming a relationship with Halle, and you're afraid to do so unless you clear the fact that there are no skeletons in her closet." Was his feeling for Halle that transparent? Frieda rejoined them, bringing in a tray of tea and little cakes. 65

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"Yes, that's right. I've heard some pretty horrible rumors. I don't believe any of them but I just can't figure out why talk like that got started." "It's simple. Halle is a young, beautiful, and single African American woman who practices Voodoo in the bayou. It's fodder for gossip. Everyone is just angry because she refuses to conform to what they consider a normal life. They just don't understand to Halle, her life is normal. So they make up stories that have gotten so out of hand the tellers now actually believe their lies." "Like the one about the disappearance of Bill Pritchard?" "No, that one is true," Frieda replied as she served them team. "He disappeared about six years ago. No one around here has seen him since." "You know everyone I've talked to, including Sheriff Tate, thinks Halle murdered him and dumped him into that bayou out there." Frieda looked at her grandmother and then sipped her tea. "Don't tell me the two of you believe she could do something like that?" "Don't be crazy," Myrtle replied curtly. "Of course not. Halle Johnson isn't a murderer." "Then why the side-ways glance just now between the two of you?" Frieda put down her tea. "It's because of me. I started that rumor a long time ago because I was jealous. Both Halle and I dated Bill Pritchard in high school but he stopped seeing me and started dating Halle exclusively. Then one day he just disappeared and no one ever heard from him again. Both 66

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Halle and I were questioned by the police. I guess I sort of panicked and said maybe Halle killed him and dumped him into the bayou." She sighed. "I tried to recant the remark later but by then it had spread all over this part of Louisiana." Langston frowned. "So Halle is suffering all this humiliation because of your jealousy?" Frieda nodded. "Pretty much so. I'd take back what I said if I could but no one will listen. They'd rather believe Halle is a murderer." "So no one has heard from Bill Pritchard? People just don't disappear from the face of the earth." "This one did." "So how can you be sure Halle didn't kill him?" Myrtle grew tired of the argument. "Because I know Halle. That girl wouldn't harm a flea." "How can you be sure?" Langston asked. "How well do you really know her?" "Better than you think," Myrtle answered. "Halle is my granddaughter." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Fourteen "Glad to see you made it back here alive," Victor Brown, the co-owner of Maddie's Bed and Breakfast, said as the two of them sat in the parlor about to eat breakfast. Victor was a thin white man who dressed in overalls like a farmer instead of a businessman. His sparse gray hair lay plastered to the left side of his head with enough grease to fry fish in it. His southern twang gave his lineage away. "Why wouldn't I come back alive?" Langston buttered his toast and bit into it. Victor's wife Maddie entered the parlor struggling with a tray of ham, grits and eggs. It was the first time he'd seen either of them since he moved out of Halle's place. Langston hopped up and took the tray away from her and placed it on the counter. "Thank you. My arthritis is acting up today." She wasn't much bigger than her husband but she could cook. "I was just telling Mr. Langston that I'm glad he got back from Halle's alive." Maddie shook an angry finger in his face. "I think it's about time we stop gossiping about that young lady. After all, she took real good care of him. Even the doctor said she did a great job nursing him back to health." Victor grinned wickedly. "What else did she do for you?" "Miss Johnson was the perfect hostess and I'm grateful for everything she did for me. She's a real fine lady." 68

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Victor hooted. "Ooh, you're smitten with her. The last man who fell in love with her ended up dead." The eggs congealed in Langston's gut. "How?" Maybe moving back in with this man wasn't such a good idea. "He just disappeared." Maddie clucked at him. "Jim Pritchard ain't dead. He probably got tired of this place and got the hell out of here." She exhaled. "I swear sometimes you men gossip worse than a bunch of women. And Sheriff Tate is no better," she sputtered. "I used to believe all that crap too. So I did me some investigating lately. The dead man they found last week in the bayou had a heart attack and fell out of his boat." Victor's smile disappeared. "Who told you that?" "The coroner. The sheriff knows, too, but he'd rather kick up mess rather than tell the truth." Langston went back to his food. Too bad the rest of the town wasn't as smart as Maddie. "You sweet on Halle?" Or conniving. "A little. She'd make some man a fine wife." Maddie winked at him. "I knew it. I think you're a nice young man. Halle deserves someone like you after all she's been through." "I can't believe the sheriff has been pulling my leg all these years," Victor muttered under his breath. He picked up his cup of coffee. "Kind of takes the mystery out of this town now. Her being a murdering voodoo priestess brought in a lot of tourist business." Spoken like a true businessman, Langston mused. Too bad poor Halle had to suffer because of it. 69

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**** [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Fifteen The old house seemed empty now that Langston had moved out. Bush stopped by earlier to see how things were going and unfortunately he sounded relieved to find out that Langston had left. Halle sat awaiting Jasmin Record's weekly visit. Fond memories of her and Langston's night together played vividly in her head. He'd made her first time memorable, making her come over and over again and exploding inside her with such passion. Then later on the next day they ended up back in bed again, this time making love slowly while listening to the last remnants of the storm. He promised to call her later after he spoke to his editor. Jasmin blew her horn. Halle rose, walked to the screen door and stepped outside onto the porch. The air smelled fresh and clean, mixed with a little seafood and bayou marsh. Alligators splashed in the water and pelicans flew overhead. Jasmin stepped out of the car, looking uncharacteristically comfortable in a pair of denims, a tee shirt and brown thong sandals. She looked cute. Jasmin closed the car door and walked up the stairs and stood next to her on the porch, looking out at the bayou. When they were younger they used to swing on a tire Bush made for them in the backyard. Halle sighed. That seemed like so long ago. "The day turned out real nice after all that rain." 71

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Halle agreed with her. "Sure did. Come on in. I got a fresh pot of coffee brewing and some pecan pie." Jasmin hugged her. "Good old Halle. You always know what I need." Halle opened the screen door and allowed Jasmin to enter before her. Once inside they traveled to the kitchen, arriving just as the coffee maker's alarm sounded. Jasmin sat down at the kitchen table while Halle got their coffee and pie. "I made an appointment to see a sex therapist next week." "What brought this on?" Halle added Splenda to her coffee while Jasmin added white sugar. Jasmin chuckled nervously. "Don't you think it's about time? Come on, even I know I'm sick." Halle sighed. "I don't think you're sick, and I never did. I think you're just looking for love in all the wrong places." Jasmin agreed. "Maybe you should go to school to become a psychiatrist." "I've thought about it but I think there's some rule forbidding the selling love potions on the side." Jasmin laughed. "Selling love potions is not as bad as selling your soul for sex." She sighed deeply. "I've taken a real good look at my life lately and I don't like what I see. There is no excuse for what I've done." She rubbed at her hand. "I just stood in the shower this morning for hours crying and trying to get this dirt out of my system." "There's nothing dirty about sex. You just haven't found the right person. You know, someone who makes you feel special." 72

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Jasmin raised her cup to her lips. "Do you really think there's someone like that out there for me?" Halle nodded. "Maybe not in Madison, or even New Orleans, but he's out there." She cut into her pie and placed a piece in her mouth. The flaky crust melted on her tongue. "Have you found someone like that?" "I believe so." Jasmin leaned closer, looking just like the little girl she grew up with. "Any one I know?" "I don't think so. He's new in town." Jasmin relaxed back in the chair. "What's he like?" "He's funny, kind and he has this New York twang that makes my knees weak." "A northerner?" Halle nodded. "With big blue eyes and thick blonde hair." Jasmin sputtered. "He's white." "Um hum and sexy." "Does he have any brothers at home?" Halle chuckled. "I don't know. I'll ask him the next time I see him." Jasmin ate some of her pie. "This is so good, just like the kind your grandmother used to make." "It's her recipe." "Can I ask you something personal?" "Ask away." "How many men have you been with sexually?" Halle blushed. "Only one." "Are you serious?" "As a heart attack. I just recently lost my virginity." 73

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Jasmin laughed. "This town is a bitch. Here you are, the nicest person in the world being accused of being a slut and a murderess, and here I am the biggest slut in the world and a murderess being accused of being an angel. We both need to get the fuck out of this town before we die a miserable death." "Go figure. You make sure you make that appointment just to clear your conscience. This town won't know what you've done unless you tell them." "You're a good friend, Halle Johnson." Halle agreed. The only thing stopping Jasmin from having a decent life is herself. **** Halle's telephone rang later that evening. "Hello." "Hello, beautiful." Halle's mouth formed a smile from ear to ear. "Hello." "I've missed you." "I've missed you, too." "Are you busy?" Her stomach clenched with desire. "No, what's on your mind?" "Dinner and a movie." "Huh?" "Dinner and a movie. Would you like to go out with me tomorrow night?" "That's original. I thought you were tying to sneak over here tonight for a little sex." 74

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Langston chuckled. "That thought has crossed my mind but I don't want to add fuel to the gossip fire." "You think they won't be gossiping if they see us out on a date?" "That's good gossip, anyway. I really don't care what people say about me, I never have." "Me either, well, not lately." "What's the finest restaurant here in town?" "McDonald's." "I'm serious." "So am I. That's the name of the place. It's just off the main highway. You don't have to wear a tuxedo to enter but it's nice, or so I've heard." "You've never eaten there?" "No, never saw the need to." "Find the need to. Let's get gussied up and have a wonderful night out on the town just you and me." He whispered some sexy endearments into the receiver that made her all wet between the legs and then he hung up. "What in the hell am I going to wear?" She ran over to her closet and fished through. "Nothing is right. I'll just have to go to the mall tomorrow and to the salon to get my hair done." "Red is definitely your color," Langston said to her when he showed up at her door the next day. Halle let him in, glad he liked her new hair color. He handed her a bouquet of flowers and then handed a box of golf balls to Bush who stopped by to check on her. "How do you know that he likes to play golf?" 75

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"He looks like a golfer." Bush laughed. "He stopped by to see me the other day and we got to talking." "Your cousin is a really nice fellow when he's not carrying a machete." "Langston stopped by and asked my permission to take you out on this date." Halle nearly dropped the flowers. "He did what?" "He's an old-fashioned guy," Bush explained as he admired the balls. "Since I'm your only living male relative, he asked to court you and I gave my permission." Halle eyed her cousin suspiciously. "What changed your mind about him?" "You can learn a lot about a person just by talking with them." "And it had nothing to do with those golf balls." Langston laughed. "No, we got around to discussing sports and that's when I learned that Bush is a golfer. I just happen to like to play a round or two myself and I just happen to have a friend in New York that's a professional golfer. I called him up and he shipped those balls by FedEx for Bush." Halle grinned. "You traded me for golf balls?" "No," Bush said innocently. "He's sending me a set of autographed golf clubs, too." Halle hit him playfully on the arm. "Don't keep her out too late." "I won't," Langston promised. "We're just going into town to McDonald's and then to a movie." 76

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"I hope you're talking about the restaurant and not that fast food place." "It's the restaurant. I even made reservations." "Sweet. Hey, Halle can't have any strawberries, she's allergic to them." Halle punched him on the arm again. "I'm not six, Bush. I think I'm capable of controlling my allergies." He kissed her on the forehead. "I know." "Would you like me to bring you something back to eat?" Bush shook his head. "No, I'll just raid your refrigerator." "There's still some gumbo in the freezer and some pecan pie." Langston perked up. "Did you say pecan pie?" Bush nodded. "Halle makes the best in the south. I'll save you a piece." "I'll hold you to that," Langston said as he held the door open for Halle. "I'll bake two more tomorrow," Halle said as they walked down the stairs. "You'll be too tired." She slid into the rental car and Langston ran around to the driver's side and got in. "Really, it's no trouble. I don't have any clients scheduled tomorrow to tire me out." Langston reached over and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm not talking about that. I plan to bring you back here later and make sweet, sweet love to you, darling, until the crack of dawn." **** 77

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Chapter Sixteen McDonald's was a quaint little restaurant and not at all what Langston expected to find in the tiny little town. The owner, Mercedes McDonald, ran a very classy establishment with well dressed waiters and waitresses and served a five star menu from seafood to steak. Langston eyed his date while perusing the menu. She looked absolutely adorable with her new short hairdo and snazzy blue pants suit. She even wore heels that brought her height nearly eye level to him. "See anything you like?" "I sure do," Langston answered watching her eyes as they moved around the menu. Halle looked over and caught him staring at her. He winked at her. "I mean on the menu?" Langston looked back down at his menu. "I think I'd like to try the steak." "Red meat will kill you." "Yes, I know, but what a way to go. How about you?" "A nice big, thick piece of meat doesn't sound bad at all now that you mentioned it." She removed her shoe and used her toes to stroke his leg all the way up to crotch. Thank God for tablecloths. He lowered the menu. "That can be arranged but only if you'll allow me to butter your brown buns." 79

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Halle giggled and it warmed his heart. It also drew the attention of several of the diners who'd been staring at them since they walked in. One in particular...Sheriff Tate. Halle followed his eyes to the officer's table. "Don't look now but we're about to have company. Langston frowned. "I thought we could enjoy a meal without a disturbance." "Good evening, folks." Halle nodded at the man. "Good evening, sheriff." "I'm surprised to see the two of you here." "Why?" "No particular reason except I thought you were recovering from snake bite." Langston stuck out his leg. "It's healing nicely. Miss Johnson took good care of it." Tate looked at Halle. "I guess you heard about the body we found in the bayou near your home." "Yes, you know there are no secrets in this town. "What about it?" "Just thought you'd like to know that the man died of a heart attack. So you're cleared this time." Halle smirked at him. "It's nice of you to come all the way over here to tell me that." The sheriff frowned at her. "You know, it's only a matter of time before you and your people slip up." Halle shrugged his shoulders. "Let me know when you find something but until then, I plan to enjoy my date with Mr. Priestly if you don't mind." 80

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The sheriff didn't hide his emotions well. Sweat beaded on his forehead. "So the two of you are dating now?" "Yes," Langston answered. "Do you have a problem with it?" "No, I don't but there may be a few in town that might." "Is it illegal for a documentary maker and a voodoo priestess to date?" "Don't be a smart ass. You know what I mean." "Oh, you mean because I'm white and she's black?" "Exactly." "Well you can tell those people to kiss my butt." Halle giggled. "Be careful in the wetlands, Priestly. The next time you might run into something deadlier than a snake." "Thanks for your concern, Sheriff, but I've already alerted my people that if anything should happen to me or Miss Johnson while I'm down here they should tear this town apart until they find out what happened." "You don't have that much power." "Did I neglect to tell you that my father works for the FBI?" Sheriff Tate backed away. "You're bluffing." "Try me and find out." The sheriff walked away from the table in a huff. "That's the first time I ever saw him back down from anyone. Are you telling the truth?" Langston nodded. "He's retired now but they call him in for cases from time to time." "Must be nice to have a father to get you out of trouble." 81

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"I don't need my father, darling. I know how to handle people like Sheriff Tate. I could write a story that would bring every journalist in the country down here." Halle gasped. "You wouldn't really write that story would you?" "No, not unless you want me to. I'd be just as him, spreading tabloid gossip without any proof." The waitress finally arrived to take their orders. Her hand shook because she was nervous. Halle ignored all of it, pretending not to notice. "How can you stand it?" "They're afraid of me. They think I can put a hex on them or something." "Can you?" Halle rolled her eyes at him but didn't deny it. "Why do I have the feeling that there's more to Halle Johnson than meets the eye." "Because there is." **** Sheriff's Tate's little visit did not put much of a damper on their dinner as Langston thought. Halle held her own, wolfing down a sizeable amount of her steak, following up with a baked potato, and a piece of bread pudding for dessert. After dinner they went to the movies and watched a vampire flick Halle just had to see. He found it funny but didn't really get why she seemed so enamored with the lead vampire. He wasn't anything special with all that dark hair and big blue eyes. 82

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"What is that noise?" Halle had just finished explaining to him why women fall in love with fanged fictional characters. "Sounded like an accident," Langston replied. "A bad one." He hadn't seen much traffic on the dark highway since they left the movies but there was certainly something happening up ahead of them now. Halle tried to wiggle forward to get a better look but her seatbelt held her in place. Normally he didn't chase ambulances but this looked serious. A woman frantically tried to get his attention by standing in the middle of the highway, waving her hands. He pulled over to the side of the road and parked. One car lay flipped on its right side near the edge of the bayou, and the other car behind it hadn't fared much better. The impact forced it sideways in the road. "Call 911," Langston said, handing Halle his cell phone. He stepped outside his car to see if he could help. Halle joined him a few seconds later. "The police and ambulance are on their way." Three bodies lay in the road, a male lay trapped and unconscious in the flipped car. The hysterical woman kept trying to tell him something but she only spoke Spanish and he didn't understand her. The woman repeated herself. "It's her baby," Halle said, kicking out of her shoes. "He's in the bayou." Before he could stop her, Halle ran toward the bayou and jumped into the water. "Halle! Oh, my lord Halle!" 83

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Langston ran back to his car and pulled a flashlight from his trunk and then ran back over to the bayou and trained it on the water. Halle resurfaced for a moment and then the dove back into the murky bayou. Two police cruisers and an ambulance arrived. Sheriff Tate stepped out. He ran over to the car. "It's my son's car." He ordered the other officers to help get his son out of the car. The young Spanish woman hurried over to him. Sheriff Tate's body shook and he ran toward the bayou, recognizing him. "What's going on, Priestly?" "There a baby in the water. It must have been thrown on impact. Halle's in the water trying to find it. "That's my grandson." He began to remove his uniform. Langston never felt so useless in his life. His leg still wasn't completely healed and afraid it would go out. "I'll help try to extract your son while you help Halle." Tate agreed. "Have my men call for divers." Halle resurfaced again at the same time the other policemen freed his son. This time with the small child in her arms. The paramedics ran over to assist her, taking the infant, and began performing CPR on it. Sheriff Tate fell to his knees crying. Langston pulled his soaking wet date into his arms. "You scared me half to death." Her teeth chattered. Langston removed his jacket and slung it around her shoulders. "You could have been killed." "Sometimes I react before I think. All I know is that I had to find him." 84

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Other emergency vehicles arrived. One of them insisted that Halle let them examine her. "I'm okay, just a little cold. One handed her a blanket. "You're a hero, miss. The little fellow's fine and breathing on his own." "I'm so glad." Sheriff Tate walked over to them once he made sure his son and grandson were okay and were taken to the hospital. "I've been wrong, Ms. Johnson, for the way I've treated you all these years. You did a very heroic thing tonight and I wouldn't have blamed you if you hadn't tried to help." "I didn't have time to think about it. I just reacted. I couldn't see a thing in the dark water but then I felt this little hand. I scooped him up and place him on my chest and swam to the surface." "I'm so glad you speak Spanish," Langston replied. "It's part of my culture." Sheriff Tate shook her hand. "Thanks again. I better get to the hospital." Langston watched him walk away. "Miracles do happen." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Seventeen Halle watched as the worshipers paraded the oufo flags at the beginning of the Voodoo ceremony. The people danced, warming the air along with the rhythms of the drums around the poteau-mitan. Others carried in food for the Loas to eat so they could recover their strength from their long journey and to enable them to grant favors to their servants. Exotica rested contently around her waist as the serpent's power entered her body. By doing so spirit, wealth and happiness was supposed to possess everyone present. The dancing continued. Halle's hips swayed rhythmically as she connected with the spirit world. It had been a long day of giving advice, healing, and distributing herbs to those who sought her out. She also evoked a few spells for those who asked. A woman came to her for a healing spell, while another wanted one to help her fall in love. The biggest joy of the day was when a little old man came to her for a spell to put a little joy in everyone's lives. While she danced the other worshipers who weren't dancing continued to enter the hounfort with offerings for the spirits. They carried things like eggs, tobacco, and liquor...small things that they could afford to offer. An assortment of symbolic articles lay on the altar. Candles, money, food, necklaces and amulets sat next to pictures of Catholic saints, ceremonial rattles, bottles of rum and other items in no logical order. She would perform the ritual of the altar once the spirits arrived. Halle continued to dance to the 86

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sound of the chanting, of the drumming, calling up the immortal spirits to come down from the cosmic plane to visit. She grazed her foot across the ground and hopped as she performed the Dyouba, an ancient dance from Haiti. The worshipers came today for guidance from their ancient ancestors, and at the moment she sought some divine intervention for herself. Her life was at a two lane junction and she did not know what road to chose. Halle stopped dancing momentary to trace veves on the ground with flour chalk to honor the visiting Loas. She began dancing again as one of the spirits possessed her. No one came near her because touching her while the trance rode her was dangerous enough to kill the person. Halle's head went back as the spirit entered her. All the stress and anxiety left her. Through it all she still heard the chanting and the drumming in the dark spot in her mind. It was the last thing she remembered before she blacked out. When she awakened, the second part of the ceremony, the manje-lwa, or the sacrifice had begun. One of the worshipers responsible for buying the animals directed the ceremony. Grilled corn and cakes sat at the foot of the poteau-mitan, along with the animals to be sacrificed. The animals were adorned in blue, the favorite color of the Iwa. Later the Loa spoke through her. Halle felt no pain as it gave advice and cited prophecies of future events. The Loa rebuked some worshipers for failing to perform their duties to him, their community and their families. The Loa departed somewhere close to midnight, leaving Halle giddy and very tired. 87

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**** Halle's telephone rang early the next morning. It was Langston. "You're going where?" "To Mobile, Alabama." "What are you going there for?" Did they now have that type of relationship where she could ask such personal questions? "I'm trying to get some information." "For your story on the wetlands?" "No, for personal reasons." "Oh." "Are you still there?" "Yes," Halle replied. "When will you come back?" "In a day or so." "Will I see you when you get back?" She hated herself for sounding so needy but she missed him. "Sure, I'll call you." He hung up. Halle pursed her lips and blew out a breath. "What the heck was that all about?" She stretched and climbed out of bed, tired and sore from last night's dancing. Being a priestess was easy. Understanding men mentally exhausted her. She stretched again and grabbed a pillow from the left side of the bed and brought it to her nose. It still smelled like him. She tossed it back. "Let him have his little secrets. I have things to do." It was festival time again in their area of Louisiana and Halle planned to display some of her potions and set up a booth for fortune telling like she did every year. 88

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People went for that sort of stuff when they came to visit the bayou. There would be music and dancing and plenty of food. It was the one time of year she actually enjoyed living in Madison. Although the locals shied away from the booth most of the time, the tourists seemed to love it. She usually went home before dark but this year one of her favorite bands, the Rowdy Boys were scheduled to play and she wouldn't miss them for anything in the world. She hoped Langston got back from his business trip in time. He'd called her earlier to explain he had to leave to get more information for his story but promised he'd be back before the festival ended. **** Halle sat alone at a table, eating her seafood while trying to ignore the stares. She'd changed out of her costume and dressed casually in a pair of slacks and a short-sleeved blouse to try to blend in with the crowd. Several other people joined her at the table but left a couple of seats in-between them and her so they wouldn't appear to associate with her. She looked around. The high school students really did a nice job on decorating the gymnasium for this part of the festival. The theme for this year featured all the types of seafood that made Madison famous. Halle picked up a crawfish and pulled off its head. She sucked out the insides and then put it on her plate. Then she pulled off the tail and extracted the meat from it. The hot tangy spices burned her tongue just the way she liked it. She washed the seafood down with a bottle of beer. After eating she went to the ladies room and scrubbed the seafood from her hands and checked 89

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her makeup. Her seat was still vacant when they walked back inside the gym. Couples were dancing on the floor to recorded music while waiting to for the band to return. Halle sat back down, thinking about all the things she had to do tomorrow for the second day of the festival. She planned to bring out more love potions since she'd sold out what she'd brought with her this morning. The voodoo dolls also sold out midway through the festival, so she'd have to get more down from the attic where she stored them. Elnora Jackson entered on the arm of Deacon Jasper Conners. People stopped what they were doing to stare at them and then went back to their conversations. Elnora led the good deacon over to the food line and then they disappeared into the crowd. Halle kind of hoped that Jasmin would put in an appearance but Jasmin told her beforehand that she wouldn't be there. She stayed closer to home now that she was in therapy and didn't need to be around all that temptation. Halle understood and hoped the therapy worked. A loud gasp sounded through the gymnasium right after the end of a song. Halle looked up and saw people heading toward the door. Two people had entered but she could not see them clearly except that one was a white man and one was black. She squinted until she recognized them. "Oh crap." **** [Back to Table of Contents] 90

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Chapter Eighteen Bill Pritchard stood in door of the high school gymnasium looking robust and healthy. Langston stood beside him looking like the cat that just swallowed the canary. Conversation ran around the gym so fast that the loud sound muddled her brain. People stood around her in disbelief, some were literally stunned and confused by seeing the supposed dead man standing before them. They were even more stunned to see him walk up and give her a big bear hug like he used to do when they were in high school. The band returned and began to play again, blocking out their private conversation from the others. "Surprised?" Bill asked her. "I sure am. In more ways than one." She looked over at Langston for an explanation. "I thought it was time to put the last rumor to rest." "But how did you know where to find him?" Bill removed his arm and allowed her to breathe. "Langston is one cracker jack investigative reporter. You've got yourself a good man here. He came all the way to Mobile to find me with nothing more than some gossip from this place." "But you weren't lost. I knew where you were." Langston looked pissed. "Then why didn't you tell anyone? Why did you allow these people to assume that you murdered him?" 91

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Halle put her hand on her hip. "You've been here nearly two months and you know how they feel about me. Do you think they would have believed me?" Bill chuckled. "Halle has always been a handful. Broke my heart to have to leave her the way I did but my grandfather was dying and there was no one else to look after him but me. I really didn't have time to say goodbye or explain anything to anyone once the hospital called me. Had I known Frieda started that rumor I would have come back sooner and straightened everything out." He touched Halle's hair intimately. "I've talked to you hundreds of times since I left. Why didn't you tell me what had happened?" "Well, it didn't seem important. You have a new family and a life in Mobile and it really isn't important to me what others think of me." Bill had finally married and had two kids. "I'll bring Emily and the kids the next time I come for a visit." "You didn't bring them?" "No, her folks are having some kind of big super sale at their store and Emily and the boys stayed to help out. She sends her love." Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of Sheriff Tate. "Bill Pritchard, is that you?" "Ernest?" Bill hopped up and shook Ernest's hand. "Look at you. Man you haven't changed a bit." Ernest had arrested Bill a couple of times for minor offenses...mostly teenage pranks. "We thought you were dead." 92

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"So I've heard. No, I'm very much alive. I have a farm in Mobile, a wife and two sons, so you can back off of Halle now. I'm surprised at you. Halle's no murderer." He chuckled. "In fact, she's afraid to step on a roach." Ernest scratched his head. "Yeah, I'm beginning to find that out." He turned to Halle. "I'd like to apologize to you again for all the trouble I've caused. I also want to thank you again for saving my grandson's life." "How's he doing?" Halle asked not used to all the kind words from Ernest. "He's growing like a weed. The doctor said he didn't suffer any damage for being in the water. We were just lucky that you did what you did and we'll forever be grateful." "How's your son?" "He's recovered and went back to work." "Nice to hear that." "Do you mind if I steal Bill away from you for a few minutes. There are plenty of folks here waiting to speak to him to see if he's real." "Sure," Halle replied. "Mr. Priestly can keep me company if it's not too much trouble." Langston smiled at her. "No trouble at all." **** The sight of his naked body lying upon her bed made her feel warm inside. He looked real natural there...something she could get used to. He finally got a chance to finish his documentary with her by his side, just in case another snake decided to take a bite out of him, and he was helping her 93

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write a book about growing up in Madison. While out in the bayous, he taught her how to use his fancy cameras and she taught him all that she knew about the wetlands. They even stopped in to see her grandmother after he told her that he had snooped in her life and accidentally found out about their relationship. Of course everyone in town knew that they were related but tried to hush it up since her father had been white and had an illicit affair with an African American Voodoo priestess. Everyone had conveniently forgotten the fact that her parents had gotten married and that she wasn't the bastard child they made her out to be. Since Bill's arrival a couple of weeks ago their narrowmindedness was starting to change. He'd gone back to Mobile but had stopped in to see Frieda before he left. She did not know what he told her cousin but she seemed changed...more alive. She probably finally got the chance to get rid of the guilt she'd been harboring all these years. All the ghosts were now put to rest. People who hadn't given her the time of day since she'd been born spoke to her now when they saw her. It had only been a little over two months since Langston Priestly drove into town and made things change. She would be forever grateful to him too since she didn't have to worry about the police knocking on the door and carting her off for some fictitious crime. Halle hopped upon the bed. "I suppose you'll be heading back home soon." She crawled into the crook of his arm and pressed the back of her head against it. "Sooner or later." 94

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"I suppose they miss you back in New York." "I suppose they do." "What's New York like?" "Big, over-crowded and polluted." He reached over and touched one of her breasts, hefting it in his hand and then gently massaging the nipple between his fingers. Halle's back arched in response. "You don't sound like you miss it that much." Langston reached over and kissed her on the forehead. "It's home but if you've seen one big city you've seen them all." "I've never been outside of Madison." Langston stopped rubbing. "What? Are you kidding?" "No. I've wanted to go to New Orleans all my life but I never have." "What's been stopping you?" "Me. I don't think I'd fit in." Langston chuckled. "What do you mean by that? You're a lovely young woman." "I'm a voodoo priestess who sells love potions and spells in the bayou." He pulled her on top of him. "You're exotic and beautiful and I think you'd fit in a place like New Orleans. The place is multi-cultural and has a legendary Voodoo background." He folded his arms around her and kissed the top of his head. "I'll take you there this weekend." Halle reached between them and touched his rapidly growing erection. "I thought you had to get back to New York." She moved around a little until she positioned him 95

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against her in just the right spot. Halle slid back, taking him deep inside of her. "Ooh." She rocked her hips until she grew wet. "They can do without me for a couple more weeks. I have amassed a lot of vacation time over the years." "I bet they're sending you there for a story." He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her and moved his hips. "Yeah. I'm doing a story on the city's recovery since Hurricane Katrina." He grew thicker inside of her as they talked. She pushed herself up to a seated position and ground her vagina into his pelvic area. "Too bad it's not Mardi Gras time there. I've never been to a parade before." "We could do that next year...make a vacation out of it." His hands roamed up and down her back." "You'd come all the way back here from New York to take me to Mardi Gras." "No, we'll come all the way back from New York to visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras." Halle stopped grinding against him even though her body was alive with lust. "You're taking me to New York?" "Yes. I can't leave you here. I'm in love with you, Halle Johnson." "But Madison is the only home I've ever known." "Are you saying that you don't love me and you don't want to go with me?" "No, I'm not saying that at all." She went back to riding him. "This is all so sudden." "Are you worried about something?" 96

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"We're so different." "No we're not. You're a beautiful young woman whose vagina is so tight that my penis is finding it hard not to shoot inside of it." Halle giggled. "You're so crazy. I don't know if I can leave my church." "Bush can handle it. He is a Voodoo priest. He told me it was okay to take you away." "Did you explain to him that I might not come back?" "Honey, he knows. So does your grandmother. We have their blessing." Halle rolled her buttocks around. "Oh," she moaned. "I hardly think my grandmother gave us her blessing to run off to New York to shack up." "Who said anything about shacking up? I've got a ring in my pants pocket that I planned to give to you tonight at dinner when I propose to you but being balls deep inside a hot young thing has blown the fancy proposal to hell." Halle laughed as Langston turned her over on her back and entered her again. "Yes." "Yes what?" "Yes I will marry you and follow you to New York." He thrust deeply inside of her. "You're not saying that because I've promised to take you to New Orleans first." Halle wrapped her legs around his waist so she could take him in even deeper. "No, I'm saying it because I love you, Langston Priestly."

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Langston squealed and humped her playfully. "My family is going to love you. Especially my sister. She tells fortunes in Central Park." "You never told me that?" "Didn't have time. I was too busy falling in love with you. Ooh, I think I'm about to come." Halle clung to him as a mind-shattering orgasm rolled through her body. "Oh yeah," she agreed. "Don't stop." The End **** [Back to Table of Contents]

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