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“Don’t you know there no way to control death? You gotta face it, baby. Just like everybody else. Otherwise, you may just miss your true fate.”
“It’s getting worse.” Anastacia pulled herself from the wall as she rubbed her eyes. “How do I make them stop?”
“I always found telling them was a good way.”
“Just tell them? Say, 'Spirits leave me alone.'” Anastacia dropped her hand from her face, opening her eyes to find the woman was gone. She blinked around the alleyway and then checked up and down the street. Her frown deepened.
“Damn ghosts.”
She pulled at the satchel on her side and plucked out a small notepad. With a quick flick of a pen, she crossed out "tour guide" from a list of jobs she had compiled earlier in the week. Her savings weren’t going to last much longer and she had yet to find anything close to an answer on how to fix her problem. There had to be a way to control it. There had to be.
MelCosterbeamedashe walked under the trees along one of the many paths of City Park. He reached up with wiggling fingers, the Spanish moss-draped on the boughs just outside his reach. The joyous feeling of being alive spread through his whole body as he continued to make mental notes of where to come back to later just for appreciation’s sake. He needed to take a long look at the art museum he had seen on the way in and drop by the botanical gardens.
His blue eyes raced from one tree to another, to the bridges, to the buildings, and to the small carnival as they passed. If it made him look more like a tourist, so be it; more than anything, he prided himself as a giant walking, talking sponge for information and history.
Strolling up ahead through the groves, a happy couple pointed out things to one another as they chatted. A smile pulled at Mel's lips. He wished Judy appreciated the history and sights as much as she enjoyed the party scene. Sometimes he believed she was seeing him just for the new bar he planned to open off Magazine Street. Maybe the park was a good idea for a future date, to share his interests instead of just hers.
“Are you even listening to me?”
Mel stopped, looking ahead to Jason, who was as exasperated as always with hands deep in his slack pockets and a slope to his shoulders like he carried the weight of the world. The poor man probably did, with how often Mel’s mind drifted. Jason was the business end, while Mel was the idea guy. Jason took care of the money and Mel took care of the designs. Jason held no less than two or three phones on his person at any one time. It was something Mel would never be able to do daily. One phone was more than he could handle.
“Sorry, Jay.” He truly was this time.
Mel ran his hand through his black hair, trying to tame the waves brought on by the humidity. He tried his hardest to pay attention to his friend but found it the most demanding thing to do when there were so many stories around them waiting to be discovered. Pulling his shoulders back, he tossed out a salute.
“I’m tuned in. Completely. What do we need?”
“You’ve got to get your head into this. This isn't your daddy's business anymore. No one to pick you back up and push you. It's just the two of us.” Jason took a deep breath through his nose to rein in his well-known temper. “I should have known better to bring you to one of the most historic parks.”
“You should’ve, but I can’t blame you for taking me out of the city, either. I’m much worse there.” Mel hooked his arm around his friend’s neck, pulling him in for a firm shake. City Park was a monument placed in the heart of the masterpiece that was New Orleans. Stretching green fields dotted with groves of oaks and ponds brought a bit of the bayou to the city. The history in the trees alone would make any hobby historian chew at the bit. Tourists and residents alike spread over the length of the park to enjoy the unusually cool day.
“How did you get so far in the business world with that flighty brain of yours?” Jason smacked the back of Mel's head to get him to release his hold.
“As you said, people were pushing me. Mostly Dad, but he wanted me to succeed. Hope he's back in the Statesbefore we open the doors. I know he’s not about the bar scene, but he’s excited with the improvements we proposed.”
“How long is he away for this time?”
“He didn’t say anything other than it’ll be an extended trip. If he’s wrapped up in a business rabbit hole, he’ll be gone for the duration of the project, especially now that I'm not a kid and don’t need him here. I hope he cuts out some time to give me a call but he’s where I get my flighty brain from. I’m not holding my breath.”
“What your pop has isn't flightiness, that's called work ethic.”
“How dare you say the 'w' word! We need to get something to eat. It will weigh me down a little. Get something in my stomach before you fill my head with boring numbers.”
“Always thinking with your stomach. It’s a modern miracle you aren’t fat.”
“Miracle nothing. It takes a lot to keep my girlish figure.” Mel patted his stomach and then pointed to the café not too far from them. “But as they say, fuel in the system does wonders for an already wonderful mind. At least get me set up with one of those beignets you keep talking about. I’ve been here a week and still haven’t had one.”
Jason rolled his eyes, smiling in agreement.
“You've visited this city hundreds of times by now, going back and forth since you were eleven. How in the hell did you never have a beignet?”
“Too full of sugar. Dad wouldn't let me touch them. And when I got old enough where it wouldn't matter what he thought, I had other things on my mind. Like our bar. But, I'm finally ready.”
“You saying Judy wasn't a big enough distraction for you?”
“I just started seeing Judy exclusively. Hell, you know her better than I do. You went to school together and everything. I can tell you both grew up together, too. Your minds are always about the bar scene.”
“I'll remind you to thank me later for setting you up.” Jason pushed at Mel in jest. They made their way through the line at the café when one of Jason’s phone screens lit up. “I’ve been waiting for this call.”
