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“Boss Lady.” Leroy entered her bedroom reluctantly like he always did for the simple fact that Velvet was often in just her underwear and short bath robe. When she was like that, he couldn’t help but think of her in the shower. Like now she was spreading oil up her arms. He got the feeling Velvet had no idea how sensual she was during those moments. She rose, tall and shiny at his voice. Taking a tissue, she wiped her hands, giving him her attention. “Uh, did you and Milly discuss things?”
“So she wasn’t just being silly? You two are leaving today? Done had enough of me?”
“Did you really mean to threaten her about Carmen?”
“Yes.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Leroy, she was the one started telling me what I better do or else.”
“She’s just thinking of the baby.”
“So am I. I’m not letting Family Services get hold of Carmen.”
“But that’s not for you to decide. A human baby, hexed or not needs regular people around her.”
“Regular? You mean, I’m not good enough to take care of her?”
“It’s Devon. He’s a werewolf. There are times that boy is wild.”
“Everyone is wild during a fight.”
“I’m talking about all that everyday growling and howling. A baby shouldn’t have to be around that kind of stuff.”
“You know Leroy, there are regular children that are raised by werewolves, demons, or gargoyles, even by witches and they turn out just fine.”
“Vee, you and your associates aren’t qualified to keep a child. It’s too dangerous and I know you know that.”
“I don’t know any such thing. What I do know is that Milly is not taking Carmen anywhere.”
“Why not? She’s a good woman and we have a nice home with a backyard and Devon can visit her.”
“Right.”
“He can and so can you.”
“Devon looks forward to seeing her all the time.
“Our house isn’t open like yours. We are private people.” He waited for Velvet to say something. “Look, if you are trying to keep the baby from Milly just because you don’t like her, then you are wrong for that.”
“Milly is closed minded and on the verge of being a bigot. Carmen might be more than a normal child. She and Suzanne were connected, and I don’t know how that is going to affect her, but I know it will somehow. What will Milly do, if Carmen discovers she can fly, or decides she prefers to eat raw meat? What if she is a wereperson? Is Milly going to want to keep a freak or a monster child in that nice home?”
“You have no idea who Milly is,” Leroy said tightly, offended at Velvet’s assessment of his wife. “And let me tell you something else, lady. Milly and I are married, so stop implying taking Carmen is for her. I want the child too.”
“So do I, Leroy!”
“Well, you know you can’t raise her.”
“Why not? Because I’m not regular like you and Milly? You think that simple biological fact makes you better? Or do you believe people like me and Devon don’t deserve to have what our hearts want too?”
“I ain’t never said anything like that! I think it’s you that has the hang ups around here. I wouldn’t be surprised, if you only want that baby because you think she might change into something else.”
“I’ll love her regardless of anything. Unlike that harpy you are so married to!”
“Fine Velvet, turn nasty. I’m not really surprised though. You don’t need regular fragile folk around when you’ve got vampires, sprites, slayers and werewolves to order around and kiss your butt. I guess two tokens were too many.” With that he turned and marched out of her bedroom.
“Say what?” Leroy was already down the hall. “I said what did you just say?” She trotted up behind him.
“You heard me.” He continued to the temporary bedroom he and Milly shared. She sat in a chair near the window bouncing Carmen up and down on her lap, singing a song to the laughing child.
“Vee,” Carmen gushed upon her arrival right behind Leroy.
“Hi cutie,” Velvet greeted her, taking her out of Milly’s lap. “Missed you!” She gave her a big hug and kiss. “Hey, where is Devon?”
“Von?”
“Yeah, Von.” Velvet let her down at the open door. Carmen crawled out of the bedroom.
“What you do that for?” Milly demanded, pushing out of the chair to go chase after Carmen.
“Okay, Leroy, spill it. Let me have all you got.”
“Forget it. It’s not like it’s my business.”
“Say it,” she challenged him. “Or is being a bigmouthed coward a trait you and Milly share?”
“Stop talking about her like that! My Milly is the best woman I ever met! She ain’t a super hero like you, but she damn sure ain’t a god damned coward!”’
Velvet started to retreat from the bedroom with a short snort, and said, “If you say so.”
“I was referring to Detective Omar.”
“What about him?”
“I guess he wasn’t dead enough, or animal enough to keep around.” Leroy eyed her as she closed the door and leaned against it. She was inviting him to have his say. “He was hot for you and you knew it. Led him on I’d say, when all you really wanted was to screw around with Troy.”
“I can screw around with anybody I damn well want to, Leroy.”
“Ole Wilder saw that just a bit differently, didn’t he? He showed us all you ain’t necessarily the dominant one in that relationship like we all thought you were.”
“Even if that were true, so what? Omar is my friend and an ally to us, not a token. I just wish I’d known you had such a low opinion of my character when you were gutted alive on the docks! But it’s cool,” she said, getting off the door and opened it. Carmen came speeding on her hands and knees back into the room trailed by Milly. “ You didn’t find Devon? Come on, angel. Let’s get you a snack.”
“Hold on,” Milly said. “Is everything straight?”
“Yeah, you and Leroy are getting the hell out of my house this evening, and Carmen is staying with me.”
“Look here, Velvet Washington.” Milly reached for Carmen and Velvet swept her up in her arms, then shielded her with her bigger body. “You and this freak show is no place for a child. Think about her and not yourself for once.”
“What’s wrong with me wanting what I want? You think just because you are married to a normal man that makes you special and entitled? And the rest of us have to live according to the judgmental rules y’all make?”
“I swear, Velvet if you don’t give that baby over to Leroy and me, I will call Family Services.”
“Fine. Now, I’m going to swear to both of you.” She walked just outside the bedroom and said. “If either of you attempt to call anybody to take this baby from me, the other one will be struck deaf, dumb and blind.”
“You bitch!” Milly screamed. “You can’t do anything you want! I’ll find a way to beat you!”
“If you want a baby so much, why don’t you just have one?”
“You,” Milly sputtered, then struck Velvet in the arm before Leroy pulled her back. “God, I hate you!”
“Because I’m a freak?” Velvet balanced Carmen on her hip, then looked down at Milly. “Do you also hate yourself, married lady?”
“What?” Milly pushed on Leroy’s restraining arms about her waist. “I’m a proud decent woman! I don’t have any reason to hate anything about my life. It’s you that goes against nature!”
“But God has blessed me,” Velvet sat. “He gave me Carmen, and though I’m not married, I can conceive a child too. You can’t. Neither of you can make a child. Seems to me that is what goes against nature. You are the freaks!”
“How?” Milly trembled and shook. “How can you know that?” She turned to Leroy. “You didn’t tell her?”
“I’m a witch,” Velvet said simply.
“Damn you, Velvet!” Leroy shouted and set Milly aside. “You just had to push her all the way! You just had to hurt her!”
“I suppose the things y’all say to me and about my friends fill my heart with gladness.” She shut the door on both of their furious faces.
~*~
In the kitchen, she put the couple upstairs out of her mind. Carmen
was staying with her, and Leroy and Milly could reconsider things, or go to hell as far as she was concerned. She sprinkled some more cereal on the tray beside the baby on the countertop. Carmen preferred playing than snacking. She held Velvet’s face in her little hands squeezing her lips out of shape.
“You like me better than that silly Milly, don’t you?”
“Of course, she does,” Suzanne said, appearing in front of the dishwasher.
“Didn’t I tell you to stop hiding? This is your home for crying out loud.” Why was she going off on the sprite? She was the only one around her that made any kind of effort not to get on anybody’s nerves. “I’m sorry, Suzanne. I guess Milly and Leroy have me more worked up than I thought.”
“They just left.”
“I know.”
“Leroy sure had a nerve talking to you like that.”
“I said some crap too.”
“You can’t let anyone take Carmen away. I gave her to you.” Suzanne swirled around staring at the top stairs.
“What?”
“Thought I heard someone lurking up there.”
“Lurking?”
“It is only me,” Celeste said, coming down. She wore four inch heels and a skirt so short that Velvet and Suzanne got an eyeful of what was under it. “Didn’t want to interrupt, if you were in the middle of something.”
“Another night out?” Velvet inquired idly.
“I might stop off for a minute at Tanaka’s. Want me to tell someone something?”
“Maybe I would, if I were in the fifth grade.”
“I guess you also don’t want to know what his people are saying about you and him behind his back.” Suzanne tugged on her skirt giving her the big eyes and shook her head. Celeste eyed her back, but didn’t take the hint. “They say he’s been drinking again, worse than when his poor wife was murdered. The general consensus is that you and him was messing around before Jasmine died. And that fight you had with that hump back wasn’t about Leroy.” Celeste paused as if waiting for Velvet to comment or ask a question first.
“Celeste, I don’t care for gossip.”
“Is it really gossip when you are involved in it?”
“Okay, I’m going to tell you this one time. Mind your own business, and we might get along fine. Got that? Suzanne watch the baby,” she said, leaving the kitchen.
“Yeah, I got that.” Celeste’s tone halted her just on the other side of the swinging door. “I get other things to.” Celeste came through the door as she turned around. “You don’t intend to make me an associate.”
“It isn’t likely.”
“You that jealous?”
“Jealous of what?”
“Wilder and me.”
“Wilder can do-” Wait a second! Was she implying she and Wilder were having something? Wilder did start going out a lot lately and on the same nights as Celeste, now that she thought of it. Sneaking around though? No, Wilder wouldn’t, not with another witch. Not a witch like Celeste.
“And Troy,” Celeste added. She glided past Velvet and swirled around as if to show Velvet what she was offering up to the men. “Now, don’t get mad. I haven’t fucked anyone- yet.”
“Celeste, you are free to have any man that will have you.”
“Is that your way of saying neither of them wants me?”
“I’m saying I don’t care.”
“Liar.”
“The reason you won’t be an associate is because I don’t trust you. I offered you a chance to prove yourself after you tried to steal my mojo, but you didn’t.”
“What do you mean? I helped you and Devon get it together after you were jinxed, and I helped you with Samantha! I’m a fantastic healer, better than you!”
“Only one other witch I know of that is lacking in wielding her own spells that is as strong as you with healing, is my grandmother. So don’t think I look down on you in that aspect. You are a kitchen witch, by definition I can’t trust you.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Where did you get the ultra violet? You aren’t strong enough to take in that kind of light without a spell.”
“You think you know so much.”
“You’ve been stealing from Suzanne.”
“So? What you expect me to do? This city is swarming with evil vampires.”
“You could have asked.”
“You mean, beg you!”
“I meant you could have asked Suzanne. She wanted to be your friend. The two of you have a lot in common.”
“Why didn’t you say anything before?”
“I was reserving judgment, trying to figure you out. But there isn’t anything to figure out, you are a crafty thief and you love doing it.”
“Now what?” Celeste raised her arms and dropped them. “I suppose I’m out of a job at the least.” She gave a short laugh looking at Suzanne. “I guess you are the lucky one, huh?”
More like she was simply smarter, Velvet thought. “I hoped you’d change and be upfront.”
“You hoped,” Celeste cut in with a loud voice. “You hoped, I’d bow and scrape, kissing your big ass. I’m a witch, just like you, not some strange little alien!” Her aura spun out from her body filling half the room. Suzanne tugged at her arm, said her name in a calming voice. “Get off me, you little imp!” Celeste jerked her arm back, then pushed her to the floor.
“You better cool it, Celeste. Suzanne, get up and take Carmen upstairs.”
“Oh, don’t bother! I’m out of here!”
“Vee, don’t let her leave like that.”
“I don’t have control on how she leaves.” It was good riddance as far as she was concerned. But Suzanne seemed to like her or something.
“Celeste, come back in and apologize,” Suzanne coaxed her, taking her tentatively by a fingertip. “We can start over and be friends. Right, Vee?”
“It’s up to Celeste. It isn’t that important to me. I’m taking Carmen up with me. You two can talk among yourselves, I’ve had it for this evening.”