Page 44 of Drive
Jacques pulled the phone away from his ear. “Hang on, Pal,” he called, his voice cracking — actually cracking — with the excitement. “I’ll come tell you in asec.”
“You killed you a rat up dere?” his grandfather asked, and Jacques dissolved in fits of laughter. He could hear Kate laughing too, and Kate’s laugh, as singular as she, sounded like a car with a badstarter.
“Non, attendez, s’il vous plait,”he called down, relying again on his French to placate hisgrandfather.
“You speak French?” Kate croaked, stillsnickering.
“Just enough to satisfy mygranddad.”
“Hmm… we might have to take advantage of that. You’ll definitely need to brush up forFestival.”
A jolt went through him at her words. “Holy shit. This is real, isn’tit?”
“Yeah, man. Really fuckin’awesome.”
Jacques let that sink in a minute. And then, “We need moresongs.”
He heard Kate sniff. “You’re notlying.”
Over the next ten minutes, they specced out a rehearsal schedule and built in some time to compose together. Jacques also needed to drive, and he wanted to keep some of his time for Rainey. In short, he knew he was about to be seriouslybusy.
But he was happier than he’d been inyears.
After he hung up with Kate and rejoined Pal in the kitchen to tell him the good news, Pal made them celebrate with music. He pulled Jacques out onto the back porch, Pal with the accordion and Jacques with his guitar, and they played Zachary Richard and Lost Bayou Ramblers until Floyd came in through the backgate.
“Mais, what’s all dis? It not even noon, and you’s goin’ ta town,” he said as he hiked his way up the porch steps. “Now wait,me.”
His wrinkles shuttered his eyes as he squinted at Jacques. “Scène, songs, andsilence.”
Jacques grinned. “You’re already right, Floyd. My band is playing at Scène Fais DoDo.”
The wrinkles stretched open enough for the whites of Floyd’s eyes to peek through. “Mon Dieu.No wonder y’all is howlin’ at da moon when de ain’t nomoon.”
They played two more songs together with Floyd clapping time, and then Pal took his friend inside to start lunch, leaving Jacques to the quiet of the back porch. He wasted no time in pulling out hisphone.
Rainey hadn’t called or texted, but this time, Jacques didn’t hesitate to call again. He frowned when he got her voicemail a second time, hoping she was all right and her sister was all right, but this time he left amessage.
“Good morning, beautiful. I hope you’re feeling okay today. I just got some news I want to share with you. I…” He paused to gather his thoughts. “Playing with Heroine last night felt amazing, but what I keep thinking about is your kiss. And I’m hoping you’re gonna call me back in like two minutes. Bye,Rainey.”
He sat down on the porch steps, willing her to call him before he walked back inside. The day was mild, but the cloudless sky promised a warmer afternoon. A mockingbird in Pal’s pecan tree trilled an impressive aria in the hopes of attracting a mate. Jacques eyes found him bobbing and dancing at the end of a branch, making a spectacle ofhimself.
“I think I can relate,” hemuttered.
* * *
Rainey didn’t callhim back that morning. Or that afternoon. Or the followingday.
And while Jacques was busting his ass writing songs and practicing with the band, he’d still catch himself checking his phone a couple of times an hour, feeling like a fool every time. To his shame, he’d texted and called again that first night, unable to reconcile her silence with the time they’d shared. The following day, he resisted the urge to call or text yet again because as far as he was concerned, only assholes did that, and he’d always tried his best not to be an asshole. There were already too many of them in theworld.
But confusion and anger singed him deep in his gut when he thought of her ghosting him. She’d been in that courtyard. She’d kissed him right back. And she’d given as good as she’d gotten on her front porch. And at dinner with him three nights before. Rainey knew what they could be. Sheknew.
Didn’tshe?
Because if she knew — like he did — what they felt like together, then why the hell didn’t she want thatagain?
Why?
And if she didn’t know? If she didn’t feel what he felt when they were together, how had he gotten itwrong?
