Page 3 of The Rebel

Celine elbowed her. “Woman, be more subtle.”

“No, I’m not. How are we even having this conversation?” This was such a bizarre day. I focused on my niece. “Bella, I’m coming alone to your recital.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Okay. Thought I’d ask. But isn’t it weird that you don’t have a girlfriend?”

The day had just become stranger. Usually, I shut down all talk regarding relationships. The grandmothers always pokedtheir noses into everyone’s business, and it was best to nip everything in the bud before it got out of hand. But Bella was a child. I felt like I owed her something more.

“There are several ways of doing things,” I said slowly.

“Meaning?” Bella asked, calling me out on my bullshit explanation. “Youneversee ladies.”

Fuck my life.I was digging my own grave. There was no polite way of explaining to a kid that I was essentially a man-whore.

Isabeau seemed to sense that this wasn’t going anywhere, so she intervened. “Hon, we should get started on the jambalaya. It’s going to take a long time to prepare otherwise.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” Bella said distractedly.

I cleared my throat. “I’m going to leave, then.”

“Grandma, why aren’t you making a lilac perfume for Uncle Anthony?” Bella asked conversationally.

Once again, I was stunned. Apparently, so were my grandmothers, because Isabeau threw her head back like she’d been slapped, and Celine was blinking rapidly.

Damn, Bella’s growing up fast.

David and Felix started to laugh.

“You think this is funny?” I asked.

David shrugged. Felix nodded. I had to admit, itwasa bit funny.

“That wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Isabeau said. “We can’t give it to your Uncle Anthony, though. But as soon as we meet someone who could be a potential girlfriend for him, we’ll think about it.”

Out of respect for my grandmothers, I didn’t tell them that I thought this was a crock of bullshit. After retiring, the two of them opened a perfume shop on Dumaine—Fragrant Delights. Both of them swore that lilac had erotic properties or whatever.

I vehemently disagreed even though four of my five brothers were now engaged or married. Their respective other halves had gotten a lilac perfume from the grandmothers at some point, which only encouraged Isabeau and Celine.

The cynic in me saw this completely differently. My brothers simply found the right woman for them, and they were lucky. They weren’t even looking for someone. Lilac or no lilac, I was convinced the outcome would’ve been the same.

“But didn’t you say that you also had secret products for my uncles?” Bella continued.

This piqued my interest. Isabeau and Celine had been hinting at that for a while. Not that I believed in it—but I was curious. All my soaps and lotions were from Fragrant Delights. I needed to know what to avoid.

“We do,” Celine said. “We’re putting ambrose in all their products.”

“And what’s that supposed to do?” I inquired.

Isabeau smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

I chuckled. “And I’m leaving right now.”

“You do that, young man. I can see you cowering in fear already.”

I shook my head but didn’t reprimand them. My grandmothers, especially Isabeau, had their own unique way of seeing the world. I loved them immensely and didn’t mind that they were having fun at my expense.

After bidding them goodbye, I immediately left the house. It was still early on Sunday afternoon, so I wasn’t going home. Instead, I headed to the French Quarter to check out one of our establishments.

Maybe I’d call Beckett and see if he had time to meet. We often hung out together. We were closest in age, so that was probably a factor. And now, since everyone else was hitched, I saw even more of him than the rest.