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“We’re all ‘sir’ nowadays,” he said. “What’s in there?”
“Looks like they were going to drive upriver and stay in one of the plantation homes. Nottoway. It’s near White Castle.”
“Then we’re going to White Castle.”
Although White Castle was considered a community all its own, with only a population of a little over twelve hundred, most people in the area thought of it as part of the greater Baton Rouge metroplex. The crown jewel for the city of White Castle was Nottoway Plantation.
Situated at a bend in the Mississippi River, Nottoway had once been saved by a Union soldier who had been a guest there years before the start of the Civil War. A beautiful example of Georgian architecture, her massive white columns and curved staircases leading to the second-floor entrance were stunning. Now a resort for guests to enjoy, it was breathtakingly restored and beautiful.
“There’s a restaurant,” said Dex. “Let’s grab some lunch and see if we can find the sisters.” He handed a photo to Trak, and they both embedded the picture to memory.
The girls were similar in appearance, both with dark hair and eyes, average height and build. But from their research, they did everything together.
“Two for lunch,” said Dex to the maître d’.
“Right this way, sir.”
He took them to a seat toward the back of the room, exactly what they would have chosen themselves. With views out the windows around the restaurant and a clear view of people coming into the restaurant, they would see everything.
“Damn, this all looks good, but this shit is expensive,” whispered Dex.
“We normally eat for free. Everything looks expensive to us,” remarked Trak.
“Gentlemen, I have water for the table, but would you like anything else?” asked the waiter.
“Iced tea,” said Dex. Trak nodded at the man.
“Do you know what you’d like for lunch?”
“I’ll do the oyster po’boy and fries,” said Dex.
“Same,” said Trak.
“Making my life easy,” he grinned. “I’ll be back.” They followed their waiter as he moved along the wall to a table half-hidden behind a screen.
“I think we just found our girls,” said Dex, nodding toward the screen.
They could hear parts of the conversation with the waiter, the women complaining about their food, demanding something else. All of that, in spite of the fact that their food was half-eaten.
They continued to watch them, even as their own meal was brought and consumed. Neither man left a single crumb, making the waiter smile as he brought two bowls of bread pudding.
“We didn’t order this,” said Dex.
“It’s on me,” he smiled. “I’ve been battlin’ them two for hours. Y’all came in, ordered, ate it all, and didn’t ask for nothin’. I sure hope you come back.”
“Are they guests?” asked Trak.
“Yes, sir. Checked in yesterday, but they’ve been a problem. Complained about the sheets bein’ too rough, the beds bein’ too high, the floors creakin’,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s a two-hundred-year-old house. The damn floors are gonna creak. Now, they wanna take their dessert and cocktails out to the gardens. Lord help me.”
Dex and Trak ate the delicious bread pudding soaked in whiskey covered in caramel sauce. When the women stood to leave, they tossed some cash on the table. It was more than enough for their meal, plus a generous tip for the waiter.
They followed the sisters as they walked toward the gardens to a table set for tea and dessert. It reminded them of Mama Irene’s gardens back home. High hedges lined the paths, mixed with flowers of every variety.
“What are we going to do?” asked Peg. “We’ve both got some money, but they took most of the inheritance for this stupid idea. We’re going to need to find jobs.”
“I know that,” said Tonia. “We’ve got enough to get us through for a while, but we have to stop staying at expensive hotels. We need to pool our money, buy a small place in the city, and find jobs. We’re both smart and capable.”
“We should try to take over the company,” said Peg.
