Free Sugar Doll's Hurricane Blues by Kalua Lauber

deserve this. I tell you what I’ll let you go if you promise to give those to the newspaper. She wouldn’t believe me if I toldher but she’ll believe that shit. I feel really bad for her since our momma died. This way she can take him to the cleaner’s. Then he opened the back door and let me out of the car.”
    “That’s all? What else?” Bertrand asked.
    “He told me that if I just use it to blackmail the mayor he would find me and kill me clean.” Kevin nodded.
    “Why didn’t he just take the photos himself?” Bertrand asked.
    “I suppose he didn’t want his sister to find out that he had anything to do with it.” Kevin answered.
    “What did you do with those photos?” Bertrand was riveted by this story.
    “I sent copies to the Times Picayune, the Baton Rouge newspapers and to his house.” Kevin took a drink of his beer.
    “To his house niggah?” Bertrand asked in shock.
    “I figured that his wife had the right to know before the news struck. I know how that officer feels. I think that if it weren’t for the bad men in my mom’s life that she would have been a halfway decent woman instead of a drug addict.” Kevin sighed.
    “So you didn’t get any money from the deal?” Bertrand asked.
    “No, but I got the best story ever and the best laugh I’ve had in years. I’ll make money some other way.” Kevin replied and the two men toasted their beer bottles and chuckled.

     
    Sugar Doll hadn’t seen her mother since she was a teenager. She used to pray that her mother would come to see her when she was in high school. She would look into the audience forthe familiar face when she sang in musicals but never once did her mother make an appearance. Now the shoe was on the other foot. She was within walking distance from her mother’s bar but she vowed she would never go there. Tony’s visit echoed in her head for weeks. She tried to make sense of it but could not.
    “Hey pretty, when are you going to dinner with me?” Remy asked as he placed his hands on her shoulders.
    “When you ask me.” Sugar Doll answered.
    “Well I’m asking.” Remy smiled handsomely.
    “Asking what?” Sugar Doll teased.
    “Would you Precious Bouvier, accompany me to Le Beaudreu for dinner?” “Well since you put it like that, no.” Sugar Doll laughed.
    “No, why not?” Remy asked.
    “I need advanced notice, like perhaps a week.”
    “Is Friday night enough time?” Remy looked hopeful.
    “I’m performing Friday.” Sugar Doll toyed with his jacket.
    “What about Saturday?” Remy asked.
    “You perform Saturday.” Sugar Doll smiled.
    “Monday?” Remy asked.
    “Monday might work.” Sugar smiled and went back to the dressing room.
    “Man she is driving me crazy!”
    The show was a success and the place was packed again. Bertrand was noticeably absent. He was always in the bar. No one knew where he was and this had Remy worried. He helped the night manager to close the bar at 4 a.m.
    “This is just not like Bertrand. He didn’t call or anything.” Royal said as he locked up the money for the evening.
    “He usually takes Sugar Doll home.” Remy commented. He walked out to the front to see Sugar Doll sitting by the stage.
    “Hey girl, do you need a ride?” Remy offered.
    “No thanks, Bertrand always brings me home, it’s kind of far from here.” Sugar Doll smiled.
    “I know where you live country girl. I don’t mind, I’m not working tomorrow or I should say today.” Remy walked over to her and took her hand. “C’mon let me give you a ride, you look tired.”
    “Thanks, thanks a lot.” Sugar Doll smiled.
    They drove mostly in silence for the first twenty minutes. Remy broke the silence. “Where do you think Bertrand is right now?” He asked.
    “Well, Kevin is in town so maybe they are together somewhere. You never know, when we were kids they were as thick as thieves.” Sugar Doll smiled.
    “Thieves being the operative word. This Kevin has a record or something?” Remy