BAYOU

crickets

"Why didn't you tell me you knew Angel?"

Sugarplum expected that'd be the very first question she'd receive once she came over to her sister's house. "I don't know, Daisy."

It had been maybe three days since she'd cooked for him last, the biggest pot of jambalaya she'd ever made so he could leave her alone for good. Though he'd still text her randomly throughout the day, asking the dumbest questions.

So Daisy didn't get the cooking gene?

Putting your foot in food is a good thing, right?

Why they keep saying I'm Mexican?

Daisy isn't a virgin, is she?

He was getting far too comfortable. If she answered at all, it was one-word responses. Very short. She didn't have the time. But then she made a habit of leaving his messages on read and he scared the shit out of her that one day when she went to the faculty restroom at work.

"Boo!"

She couldn't help it, she yelped.

He laughed.

"Whattt??? What do you want, Angel?"

He ignored her obvious frustration and spoke as if they were close friends. "I didn't even know you worked here. Then I saw you walking down the hallway in your student teacher gear and was like look at Suga, Suga."

"Why are you here?"

"Running errands for Father Jones. He hates me." He smiled. "You in your little pencil skirt and glasses. Okayyyy."

"Don't."

"What? Give you a compliment? It's cute. You stopped texting back, what's up with that?"

"Asking if Daisy-Mae is a virgin is definitely crossing the line."

"She's all sweet and pretty. I don't want to scare her. Because whatever the opposite of a virgin is, I'm that."

"She's twenty-nine, Angel."

"Alright, alright. I don't know how you country folk move. Everything's so much slower down here."

She rolled her eyes. "Is there anything important you had to say?"

"I just had a question now that I think about it. That Luke guy." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Was he grooming you?"

She hadn't talked to him since, not even that day, just relieved herself and left with her heart thumping erratically. But no matter how far she walked away, his words were still echoing in her mind. Was Luke grooming her?

"Do you like him?" Daisy-Mae asked. "Because if you do, I won't get in the way."

"What? Who?"

"Angel."

"I hate him, actually."

Daisy-Mae faltered, "Oh..."

"I mean. Hate is a strong word, he just annoys me sometimes. I like him for you, though."

"Really?" A smile grew on her face.

"Go for it."

She looked at Daisy-Mae's attire, her brown skin in a white dress that brought her already small waist in dramatically, which emphasized the spread of her hips. Pretty lashes, red glossy lipstick. Faux beauty mark on her cheek. Her hair was perfectly coiffed in finger waves.

Both her sisters loved that fifties look. They were all kitten heels and tight dresses. Housewife wear.

"He's coming over today, isn't he?"