Girls of Alpha Beta Delta

[Note to Readers: I know that some of you have been getting impatient with the way this story has wandered away from its original characters and settings. I understand where you're coming from, but I am just feeling my way around here, trying to broaden the palette a little bit. Please know that your patience is appreciated, as well as the time you spend reading, and your comments — even the negative ones. My hope is that in the end it'll all be worth your while.]

Jenny got out her own laptop and began to research what was happening in Austin that weekend. She had been scrolling through an event calendar for a few minutes, not seeing anything that particularly grabbed her, when suddenly a familiar name appeared. It took her a second to place it, and then she realized — this was Hana's band, and they were playing the very next night!

She wasn't superstitious by nature, but this seemed like a pretty clear sign. She decided that she would do whatever she had to do to make sure she was there.

* * *

The day got off to a late start in the House of Love, as one by one the ladies drifted down to the kitchen. As each one arrived Annie fixed her up with a plate of leftovers from the previous night, along with eggs and grits if she wanted them.

By midafternoon everyone was showered and dressed, and they gathered in front of the house to wait for Joseph Charles, whom Monika had engaged to take them on a driving tour of the city. It was a sunny but cold day and when the limo arrived they were all happy to climb inside, helped by the smiling and ever-gracious Mr. Charles.

After driving around the Garden District for a while, they drove along the river to the French Quarter, crawling slowly up and down the historic streets. From there they headed to the Lower Ninth Ward, where Joseph rolled down the window between them and narrated some harrowing stories of Hurricane Katrina.

It was quiet in the car as they circled back toward downtown. Joseph let them off at Louis Armstrong Park, where they spent some time walking around before heading south toward Jackson Square. They admired the cathedral and watched a street musician ply his trade to a small but enthusiastic audience. Then Monika led them down a series of side streets to a tiny, nondescript restaurant that smelled like heaven itself.

The food was a mixture of Indian and Creole that was like nothing Miss White had ever experienced before. She ate almost to the bursting point, then sat back and watched Jodie and Angel, who were shoveling it down like they were having a contest. Miss White grinned and shook her head; she respected a woman with a healthy appetite.

After dinner they walked out of the restaurant to find the limo waiting for them. Joseph opened the door for them and helped them in; stuffed as she was, Miss White was glad of the assistance. She couldn't help noticing that a long, lingering look passed between Joseph and Angel, and found herself wondering what that might mean.

* * *

Kristin had dinner with Nicola Santini and her mother that evening, and as soon as she got a moment alone with Lina, she said with a smirk, "I talked to Jenny today. She says hi." The red flush that spread immediately over Lina's face removed any doubts that remained in Kristin's mind; something had definitely happened there.

A warm little tingle made itself known between Kristin's legs. Somehow knowing that Lina had been with Jenny made her that much sexier — and she was plenty sexy already. She was a little shorter than her daughter, with bigger boobs and a bigger butt. In fact her body was pretty spectacular all around, and she was not shy about showing it off. Today she was wearing an extremely tight, low-cut dress, and Kristin found herself staring reflexively into the older woman's cleavage.

It took and act of will for Kristin to lift her gaze back up to Lina's face, and when their eyes met, some sort of spark seemed to pass between them. Then Nicola returned and the moment was over. But even as they resumed chatting, Kristin's ever-active mind had gone to work, devising scenarios and calculating possibilities.

* * *

As they started heading out of town — Monika knew an out-of-the-way nightclub that always had great music — Angel reached into her purse and pulled out an enormous spliff. She lit it and took a big puff, exhaling an impressive cloud of smoke, then passed it around. Annie and Jodie partook while Monika and Miss White declined, but really there was no way to be in the car without breathing in the fumes. By the time they pulled up in front of their destination — which from the outside just looked like an abandoned warehouse — they were all laughing, bright-eyed, and eager for fun.

Inside a big band was playing on a small stage. They were so crowded together that Miss White couldn't count them all — there must have been at least a dozen, including a full horn section. The music was loud and funky, the bass reverberating through the floorboards. Angel, Annie, and Jodie immediately hit the dance floor while Monika and Miss White headed for the bar.

Monika ordered them Sazeracs and for a while they just leaned against the bar watching the younger women dance. But eventually the pull of the music was irresistible and they hit the floor as well. By this point Angel, Annie, and Jodie had been swallowed up by the crowd and were out of sight.

The band played for a solid half hour without a moment's pause, and when they finally took a break to wipe off the sweat and refresh their beverages, there was a thunderous roar of applause. When it died down the sax player stepped up to the microphone and said, "I see a friend of ours out there and it would be awful nice if she'd come up and join us for a number. Could y'all give her a little encouragement?"

The crowd obligingly began to clap, whistle, and stomp their feet. A minute later, when a figure finally emerged from the crowd and climbed onto the stage, Miss White was surprised to see that it was Angel. Later she would learn from Monika that Angel was something of a local legend; her father was a musician and she had been a teen prodigy who sang with his band. But her father, who felt burned by the music business, had not wanted her to pursue a career in it. Instead Angel had worked as Monika's maid while pursuing an acting career that never took off.

But from the moment Angel stepped onstage it was clear she was in her element. For a minute she huddled with the band — which for the moment was pared down to bass, drums, guitar, and sax — then they launched into a song that everyone in the place immediately recognized as "Time Is on My Side." But Angel made it her own. Her voice was smoky, soulful, and powerful, but she used it with restraint; only once in the song did she really cut loose, hitting a high note that caused glasses to rattle as the band dropped out behind her. By the time the song was over, Miss White had goosepimples all over, and felt like she was maybe a little in love with this girl.

The audience screamed its approval and Angel beamed, but resisted entreaties to do another song. She left the stage and the band launched into another funky jam, with the missing members joining in again one by one.

Monika and Miss White returned to the bar for another round and were soon joined by Angel, who had a strange, almost haunted expression on her face. She quickly downed one drink and started on another; Monika gave her a look but didn't say anything. She was halfway through a third when Jodie appeared and pulled her, somewhat reluctantly, back onto the dance floor.

They were quickly lost in the crowd again and the next time Miss White saw them, they were dancing very close, with Angel's hands quite blatantly gripping Jodie's butt cheeks. Miss White felt her nipples spring to life, and began to wonder what other surprises the night might still have in store.