Hotel Thibodeaux Files for Bankruptcy
The passing of Theodore Thibodeaux III has thrown the New Orleans hallmark, the Hotel Thibodeaux, into disarray, so it would seem. The hotel — along with its substantial debts — was bequeathed to the daughter of the lively and infamous French Quarter personality “Theo III”.
Amelie Thibodeaux has since filed for bankruptcy. She is the only surviving heir of Theo III, as Theo’s wife Sabine (née Beauchamp of the Garden District Beauchamps) tragically passed away less than a week after their first and only child was born, twenty-two years ago.
The estate sale auction was held yesterday. According to sources, the proceeds from what must be considered a treasure trove of NewOrleans heirlooms made only a small dent in the several million-dollar debt Theo III reportedly racked up through a rampant addiction to gambling. Also according to our sources, Amelie Thibodeaux was unaware of her father’s gambling habit until after he suffered a fatal heart attack in the Hotel Thibodeaux bar — and was, according to local musician and personal friend of Theo III, Lenny Fontaine, “dead before he even hit the floor.”
The young Thibodeaux heir and fourth-generation hotelier has been forced to put the hotel on the market. Bargain hunters might get a deal, but estate agents warn that only those with deep pockets should make a bid for the 27-room landmark establishment, which also includes a bar and restaurant that once received a Michelin star in its long-ago heyday (and this reporter’s meal of Shrimp & Grits indicates that said heyday is well and truly over). The Hotel Thibodeaux is in need of substantial upgrades and will require an investment upwards of tens of millions to restore to its former five-star glory.
The auction will be held at the hotel next Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Amelie Thibodeaux.
This information explains the bruise-like shadows under the angel’s eyes.
My poor little Amelie.
She’s exhausted.
She’s suffered heartbreak, betrayal and destitution, all at once.
But still, she’s loyal to the place.
Possibly because she has nowhere else to go.
Even so, there wasn’t a thing about her that would have suggested to me that she’s a victim. She doesn’t think of herself that way. She sees herself as a survivor, still carrying on the legacy of the place, even if it’s no longer hers.
But even lost little survivors need saviors.
She needs me.
My new obsession’s sharp teeth slice deeper into my heart.
I start making phone calls.
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I leave him sitting there,even though I wish with everything I have that my heart was whole. That it hadn’t been shattered into a million tiny pieces and left me broken.
I hate being broken.
I would love more than anything to be carefree like Sadie and take this guy up on his offer. To leave the hotel for a few hours and find out what it feels like … to kiss his perfect mouth.
I thought he was handsome before he smiled and then when hedidsmile … I felt like I’d been given a reprieve from my brokenness. I fell wildly in lust with the man.
That dark smile changed me. It made me wonder about things I’ve never wondered about before. What a bigger life would feel like. What it would feel like to fall in love.
I’ve never seen such a beautiful human being before. He could have been a movie star or one of those perfectly-built people you see on magazine covers. His eyes were blue with green around the rims.You could see the colors of them even in the dimly lit bar. He’s tan. His dark hair flicked out from under his baseball cap against his neck sort of romantically. He had tattoos on his muscular chest where it was open at the front. He even had some on his hands.
His hands.
Who knew a man’s hands could be so appealing?
I found myself wondering how strong their grip is. What it would feel like to have those tanned, strong-looking hands … touching me.
My broken heart is beating faster now. I’m sneaking down the back hallway, to my secret room.
God. He’s following me.
