He raises an eyebrow at me knowingly.
What does he know?
“I don’t understand.” Nobody is supposed to know about my past.
“I’m just William’s lawyer who is passing on this document to you.” He gives me a smirk. “It took me too long to locate you...Miss Whisper...De Ville.” He says my last name on a horrid sneer. “Where have you been hiding, my dear? I thought you had skipped town, long gone, but on a third attempt, to my surprise, I found you right here.”
I need this man away from me because he talks like he knows things about me. He waits for my response to his remark. I give him nothing but silence. Boxer and Miss Catherine drilled it into me to never talk about my past, no matter what.
My hands are starting to tremble, and I can feel myself sweating. I want this man to leave me alone. There’s something toxic about him; I feel it in my gut. I start to get up and move away because he’s sending my mind into a tailspin.
He grabs my arm and wrenches me down hard onto my chair, my elbow slamming into the table top. He’s a lot stronger than he looks. His calm façade is slipping as he grits his teeth together. “Now, now, let’s not be hasty. I only want to talk to you…unless you want me to tell your secrets to the good townsfolk?” He lets go of my arm when he sees I’m not going to get up again.
Did he just threaten me?
I watch him lick his bottom lip slowly as he studies me, his mask firmly back in place. I do not like the way this man makes me feel. He’s about William’s age, and I want to get away from him now, but he knows things. The sooner I hear him out, the sooner he will leave me alone. I can hear Lenny has stopped playing his saxophone and I start to look over to him, when the lawyer continues talking.
“Listen up, missy.” He looks over at Lenny calmly. “I can see I’ve already attracted a little attention around here, so I am forced to be brief.” He takes an envelope out of the inside of his suit jacket and slides it across the table to me. “Take it and enjoy your rewards.” He then looks back across at Lenny, who I can see has put his saxophone down and is making his way across the main street towards me, going as fast as his eighty-year-old frame will allow him, while he stops a car with his hand held up in front of himself. I turn back to the lawyer and he’s gone.
“Miss Whisper...” Lenny’s calling out to me as he nears me, watching that horrible man as he hurries off down the road to his car. I stop watching him and focus on Lenny. I feel better now that the lawyer is gone and quickly fold the envelope and put it inside my bag. I will look at it later. I can’t afford to draw unwanted attention that will bring questions. I need to stay under the radar in this town.
Lenny has reached my table, and he looks at where the lawyer has gotten into his car and driven off, and then back at me. “Miss Whisper, are you all right? I couldn’t help noticing that man had sat himself down uninvited. I know you are waiting on that nice boy, Lincoln.”
I put on a calm voice as I wipe my hands on my jeans under the table. I give Lenny a confident smile and tell him I’m fine. I give no more information, and for that, I feel bad. What could I tell him that wouldn’t get me more questions?
I thank Lenny for his concern and tell him how wonderful his music playing is just as Linc turns up. He gives Lincoln a nod of his head and then leaves me to go back to his corner. I know he wasn’t pleased with my vague reply and he was genuinely worried about me, but he was gentlemanly enough not to enquire any further.
“Hey, Whisper, sorry I’m late. I had a few last minute things that needed my urgent attention.” Lincoln has taken to giving me a peck on the cheek when he greets me, and today is no different. “What was that all about with you and Lenny?”
Great, now I have Lincoln noticing a little something was going down between the two of us. Fanny, our waitress, comes over when she sees Lincoln seated and notes our orders, and I take the opportunity to change the subject.
“Linc, why aren’t there any people in this town my age? My only true female friend is Miss Catherine.”
He thinks about my question. “This doesn’t seem the type of town for young people to want to stay around in. There really isn’t much to do here. I could see them gravitating to New Orleans, which would have the entertainment that young people enjoy and the job opportunities.” He really is a beautiful man, very kind and patient with me. He’s looking very handsome in black jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved button up.
“Why are you here in Connard?” I have wondered where he goes when he isn’t here, but I never wanted to pry. From the look on his face, I can tell I have surprised him with asking a personal question.
“Look at you getting all nosy on me.” He’s stalling for time. “I sometimes work for Boxer, so I’m here when he needs me, and sometimes I’m here because I want to be here, and other times I work somewhere else for a little while.” He shrugs off his casual response to my curious question. I’ve never wanted to pry because Lincoln has never asked about my time with William, and I know Boxer has secrets too, so I can’t help being inquisitive about the both of them.
Fanny brings over the coffees and sandwiches, and Lincoln, being such a big guy, starts inhaling his lunch. This looks like a snack for him, not a lunch.
I raise one eyebrow at him. “You cutting down on your food intake today or something?” He just laughs at me and shakes his head, while I nibble on my sandwich. I’m still not used to eating a lot of food in one sitting. Once he has finished his, I offer the other half of mine. Lincoln takes it, knowing my eating pattern. He never pushes me to do anything I don’t want to do. He’s very easy for me to be around.
I’m definitely curious to know more about Linc. I take a sip of my coffee, ready to ask my next question. “Do you have a girlfriend?”
He smiles a very knowing smile at me and replies, “No. I have a boyfriend.”
“Oh. Wow!” I know my eyes must have gone huge because Lincoln’s shaking his head and laughing at me again. I don’t know what else to say, so I take another drink of my coffee. That will teach me to be nosy.
Lincoln pulls out his wallet and shows me a picture of a really nice looking guy wearing glasses. “That’s Joel. We have been seeing each other for a few months. He lives in New Orleans and is a computer genius. You met him when he helped me with the armoire.” He lowers his voice and brings his head close to mine across the table. “Boxer knows him, and we got together after he came to help Boxer clean William Dupré’s home of your existence, and that’s the only thing I’m gonna let you get out of me.” He sits back and says louder, “We kind of hit it off. We enjoy each other’s company, and we are exclusive.”
I can see how relaxed he is talking to me about Joel. “I’m happy you’re happy. You shouldn’t be spending all this time with me, when you can be catching up with Joel.”
“I enjoy your company too. You’re a great girl. You should come with me one day and we can make a night of it in New Orleans with Joel and his friends.”
I know Lincoln means what he says. “I would like that.” I think I’m ready to be around a city of people and nightlife. This town and its small population have been good for me as I adjusted to belonging somewhere, but there are no people my age.
Lincoln gives me a serious face. “I do want to see you happy.”
I take his hand and squeeze it. “I really do like having you as my friend, my only friend, here in our twenties.”
“Well, we better find you some more before you turn into a spinster with a house full of cats.”
I laugh off Linc’s comment, but is that what I have in store for me staying in this town? I want to travel a little, but I want this place to be my base. At the moment, I’m comfortable where I am and with the people I have put my trust in.