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Chapter 26
September, 2004
Nature was not done
yet with the Sunshine State. Hurricane Francis was a Category
4 storm with 140 mph winds as it tore through the Caribbean,
but by the time it came ashore near Sewall's Point on Florida's
Atlantic coast on September 5, the winds topped out at 105 mph.
Strangely, it crossed the state from east-to-west, its track
with that of Charlie's making a huge X over Orlando. Some jokers
quipped that the universe was marking the famous vacation spot
as some cosmic target.
On the same day,
east of Grenada, the ninth storm of the year was born.
~*~*~
Will Darcy stabbed
the button for the nineteenth floor as he adjusted his tie. He
couldn't believe he was this nervous. After all, he had been
at meetings with the titans of industry. Why would seeing one
woman turn him into a bowl of mush?
He knew why. She
was the best thing he never had. And thanks to his idiotic behavior
in college, he never would have her.
Will made his way
from the elevator to the double glass doors of the offices for
Economic Development/New Orleans and his orientation meeting.
Without hesitation, he opened one and entered the small lobby.
Seated at the reception desk was a young, attractive African-American
woman with a telephone to her ear. She waggled her French-manicured
fingers at Will as she tried to get off the phone.
"That's right,
that's the number to the Convention and Visitors Bureau. They
can handle…say again? Yes, they can locate a hotel close
to the Quarter. Hmmm? … Oh! Sir, I'm afraid that New Orleans
doesn't provide that kind of service. You may want to
try Las Vegas. Good bye." She hung up the receiver with
a bit more force than necessary. "Mr. Darcy?" she asked
brightly as she walked from around the desk, holding out her
hand. Her flowery dress floated around her knees, and her high
heels showed her legs to best effect. "Hi. I'm Kaywanda
Johnson. Welcome to EDNO. Congratulations on joining the board,
sir."
"Glad to be
here, Kaywanda," Will shook her hand. "Interesting
phone call?"
"Oh, that?
We get a lot of calls for visitors' information because of the
web site. Folks often call the first site they get. This guy
was looking for 'company' while he was here. Do I look like an
escort service?"
Will chuckled. He
figured Miss Johnson could handle herself pretty well.
"Your meeting
will be in the boardroom. If you'll follow me?" Kaywanda
led Will into a room just off the lobby. The EDNO boardroom was
a large rectangle with one wall of windows looking out over Poydras
Street. The large table in the middle could handle two dozen
chairs; at least thirty more lined the walls. On the wall opposite
the windows was a screen; a projector hung from the center of
the ceiling.
"If you would
make yourself comfortable, I'll let everybody know you're here,"
Kaywanda said with a smile as she closed the door.
Will walked about
the room, hands in his pockets, looking at the portraits of the
past board chairmen. He found himself before the bank of windows.
They extended from the ceiling to about waist high. Looking out,
he could see a large office building across the street. He idly
wondered if someone at that moment was looking out their
window at him.
The sound of the
door opening caused him to turn around - and freeze.
~*~*~
Elizabeth Boudreaux
was pounding furiously on her keyboard, finishing up her portion
of the presentation. As usual, Eddie had changed something. Eddie
Masters might be the most gifted economic developer in the state
of Louisiana, but he had an annoying habit of "polishing"
a presentation right up to the last moment. This meant that everyone
else had to alter their portion, too.
She did NOT need
this, today of all days.
Jan Hill stuck her
head in. "Your nine o'clock is here, Lizzy." Economic
development organizations, or EDOs, ran lean and mean. That meant
Jan was the administrative assistant for just about everybody
in EDNO.
Lizzy looked at
her clock. Five minutes early. Of course, William Darcy would
be five minutes early. He was probably early at his own birth,
she thought crossly. "Thanks, Jan. Let me finish this…"
Another fifteen seconds and Lizzy was able to save the PowerPoint
presentation to the shared drive on the server. She sighed and
sat back.
Do I have time
to go to the rest room and freshen up? No. Rats.
She pulled out her
compact and checked herself in the tiny mirror. She fixed her
lipstick, gathered the folder of information for William, and
walked out of her office. As she moved towards the boardroom,
she could feel her anxiety grow.
What does he
look like now? Is there a run in my hose? Is he involved with
somebody? He could be married, for all I know. No, Chuck would've
told me. Why has he avoided us all for years? He sees Chuck,
Chris, and George, but except for Emma, he's had little contact
with us girls - Mari rarely and Jane hardly at all. He didn't
even go to Chuck and Jane's wedding! Or George and Emma's! Why?
Does he still resent the past? Has he forgiven me for what I've
done? I wish he wasn't here!
Before the doors
of the boardroom, she took a deep breath, smiled at Kaywanda,
who had no idea that Lizzy was so troubled, and reached for the
doorknob.
~*~*~
William tried to
breathe as he looked at Elizabeth. He thought it was unlikely
that she could be more attractive than she was in college, but
he was mistaken. Maturity had turned Lizzy into a gorgeous woman.
She wore her hair up in a carelessly professional way. She was
in a trim grey suit and pencil skirt, with a bright green shell
and black pumps. A gold necklace danced about her collarbone
and full breasts. Her dark, expressive eyes were fully upon him.
I knew this was
a mistake, he thought.
I still want her.
Lizzy fought to
remember her prepared greeting. "So, William Darcy, we meet
again."
Will blinked. Was
she teasing him? Her raised eyebrow gave her away. "It
looks that way, Lizzy. How are you?"
Lizzy relaxed in
the face of his grin. Her gambit to break the ice worked. "Good,
Will, I'm real good. And you?"
"Good. Not
as good as you, though. You look great."
"Thanks."
She wished she could say the same about him, but she couldn't.
To be honest, she was a little shocked at his appearance. She
expected that William would be dressed in his Hart, Schaffner
and Marx best, and he was - a navy suit with a light windowpane,
snow-white shirt with French cuffs, and a bright blue tie. He
would appear relaxed to the casual observer with his hands in
his pockets, but Lizzy could see that he had lost weight since
the last time she had seen him, that there were slight rings
around his eyes that weren't there before. He looked tired. And
most surprising of all, flecks of grey were in his hair. Oh
my god, William, how bad has it been for you?
"Thank you
for coming in for this orientation session. We'll get started
in a minute," she managed. "Do you want some coffee?"
"Sure, that
would be great."
"Come on, I'll
show you where we keep the stuff." She led him back though
the lobby to another door. This one took them into the heart
of the office. Most of the space was one huge room with ten cubicles
set in the middle. There were some private offices set along
one wall, while the far wall remained open to the windows.
"This is our
bull pen," Lizzy explained. "Most of the team works
out here. The vice presidents and the CEO, Carl Eden, have the
offices."
"Where are
you?"
Lizzy blushed. "I
have an office, myself, but it's only because I need the room
for my stuff, and I need to close a door when I'm handling some
reporter."
"Yeah, I'll
bet." Will tried not to show how the word "reporter"
affected him.
She walked up to
a middle-aged black woman. "And this is Jan Hill, our administrative
assistant, whom I'm sure you've already spoken to."
"I sure have."
Will grinned as he extended his hand. "Glad to finally meet
you in person, Jan."
Jan smiled. "Thanks,
Mr. Darcy. Welcome on board. Lizzy will take good care of you."
Lizzy laughed. "Don't
let her fool you. Jan really runs things around here."
"Most good
secretaries do. I'd be lost without mine."
"You just remember
that, Mr. Darcy, when it comes to bonus time."
"I do. By the
way, where's the boss?"
Jan answered. "He's
in Washington with our lobbyist, trying to save the National
Finance Center."
"Right."
"We'll talk
more about that in our briefing," explained Lizzy. "Let's
get that coffee."
They walked into
the break room. On one counter was a bank of coffee makers, designed
to brew directly into airpot dispensers. There were three airpots
before them, marked Regular, Decaf, and one with the logo of
the New Orleans VooDoo Arena Football team of a skull wearing
a top hat.
"Name your
poison," Lizzy offered.
He pointed at the
VooDoo pot. "Is that dark roast? I'll have some of that."
"Brave man.
How do you take it?" she asked as she fixed two cups.
"Black is fine."
She handed him his
coffee and then fixed her own with sugar and cream. Silently
they returned to the boardroom. They stood, sipping, neither
looking at the other while trying to come up with something to
say without betraying themselves. Finally, they were rescued
by the entrance of the irrepressible Eddie Masters, Vice President
of Economic Development, and, effectively, the number two person
in the organization.
"Mister Darcy,
I'm glad to see you," he cried. "Let me introduce everybody
on the team." He waved at the group of people behind him.
"Steve Papa is in charge of transportation and logistics.
Charlotte Lucas' portfolio is workforce issues. Bonita Carasso
is our international trade expert. I handle manufacturing and
special projects. Deborah Styne has the mouthful-of-a-title of
'business retention and attraction.' James Williams, oil &
petrochemical, and Sarah Hunt, entertainment and high tech, are
out today, but I'll handle their part of the presentation. Lizzy,
whom you've met, is in charge of communications and investor
relations. Our CEO, Carl Eden, couldn't be here today and sends
his best regards."
Will greeted them
all.
"All set to
learn some stuff?" asked Masters. Will nodded, and as he
sat down, Lizzy handed him a portfolio of information. Meanwhile,
Masters walked over to a computer in the corner, pulled up a
file and the presentation began.
"As you know,
Economic Development/New Orleans serves the ten-parish region
of Southeast Louisiana. This is the City of New Orleans, which
is also Orleans Parish. The other parishes are Jefferson, Plaquemines,
St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St.
Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington, a region of almost two million
people. We strive to work with our compatriots in the capital
region around Baton Rouge and the Mississippi Gulf Coast region
to support the John C. Stennis Space Center.
"We can't do
this by ourselves. EDNO takes a ten thousand-foot view of the
region, working with the local economic development organizations
on the ground in our member parishes, with the State of Louisiana's
Department of Economic Development, and with the Regional Planning
Commission of Southeast Louisiana.
"As you look
at our largest assets, you can see they are the Northrop Grumman
shipyard in Avondale, the NASA Michoud External Fuel Tank assembly
facility in eastern New Orleans, the National Finance Center,
also at Michaud, the Stennis Space Center on the Louisiana/Mississippi
border near Slidell, the ports of New Orleans and South Louisiana,
the UNO Research and Technology Park, and the medical hub centered
around the LSU Health Sciences Center, Charity Hospital, and
Tulane University Hospital.
"This is why
we have picked the sectors of the economy to focus on: advanced
manufacturing, transportation and logistics, health sciences
and biotech, oil and petrochemicals, and entertainment and sports."
"Sports?"
asked Will. "Entertainment I can understand, with the film
credits passed by the legislature. But sports? Shouldn't that
belong to the tourism folks?"
Master grinned.
"We were instrumental in bringing the NBA Hornets to New
Orleans, and the board thinks it vital to keep the Saints here."
"Like we can
do anything about that. That's between the governor and Tom Benson,"
Will remarked, referring to the owner of the NFL franchise.
"I can't argue
with that, Mr. Darcy."
"We can't afford
a new stadium, not when we need to expand the Convention Center
and pay for Federal City."
"Ah, you're
jumping ahead. Federal City is one of our major projects. Besides
that, we are working to make sure the state keeps its part of
the bargain and comes up with the incentives we promised Northrop
Grumman when they expanded at Avondale. NASA is retiring the
Space Shuttle, so we want them to retool Michaud to help build
the next-generation spacecraft. Since 9/11, security is all-important,
especially since the War on Terror. We want the Department of
Homeland Security to place one of the dozen or so regional headquarters
in New Orleans. We have to protect the National Finance Center,
payroll center for the Navy and Marine Corps, from congressmen
who want to move it to locations in their states. We want to
help LSU and Tulane form a consortium to do high-level bio-research
into gene therapy.
"And there
is BRAC and the Naval Support Activity Center in Algiers. Let's
start with that. BRAC is the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
As expected, they have targeted the Naval Support Activity Center
in Algiers for closure and will move NSA headquarters to the
DC area. It makes sense, because the NSA is split - the port
faculties are on the East Bank in Bywater, and the HQ is on the
other side of the river in Algiers. They also want to move the
Marine Reserve unit to the Naval Air Station, Joint Reserve Base,
located in Belle Chasse.
"Most places
would be upset with such an event, but we see it as an opportunity.
Cruse ship activity is up, and the existing facilities near the
Crescent City Connection Bridge are inadequate. The facilities
in Bywater would be ideal. We've tried to get the Navy to release
the East Bank location for some time, but we got nowhere. Now
we have a chance.
"Thus, Federal
City. Our proposal is to allow the Defense Department to close
NSA East Bank and have it turned over to the Port of New Orleans
for conversion into a cruse line terminal. Meanwhile, instead
of moving the Marines, we suggest keeping them in Algiers and
turn NSA West Bank into Federal City - a secure location for
the various Coast Guard, Army, FBI and Homeland Security agencies,
including the proposed DHS regional HQ. The City of New Orleans
can move its emergency headquarters there, as the place has its
own power generation and has one of the highest elevations in
the area - perfect for hurricane recovery efforts. Our figures
show it would cost the feds less than dismantling NSA, as long
as the state comes though with its promised match dollars. It's
a real win-win.
"Our only issue
is to convince the Navy and the BRAC Commission to approve our
proposal. We're spending a lot of time on this and we're making
good progress. The state, the city, and the entire region are
on the team. The state's congressional delegation - Democrat
and Republican - have come together to lobby hard for this. Do
you have any questions?"
Will didn't; he
was already aware of much of what Masters related. But once Masters
got going on a subject, he was hard to stop. He hoped his eyes
didn't glaze over. Several times during the speech, he and Lizzy
had shared amused grimaces.
"No, Eddie,
I think you've got it covered. I think we're gonna win this one."
"I think so,
too, as long as we don't let up. Now as for the National Finance
Center…"
~*~*~
An hour and a half
later, Eddie Masters had finally wound down his presentation.
The others jumped in when it came to their own area of attention,
but Masters always got in the last word. After awhile it got
a little funny, and when Will would glance at Lizzy they both
would have to bite their tongues.
"Well, we've
covered a lot of ground. Are there any last questions, Mr. Darcy?"
asked Masters.
"Not today,
but I know I'll be working with Steve and Bonita in the future.
Please talk with my administrative assistant, Barbara, and get
an appointment with me." They both agreed to do so.
Lizzy stood up.
"I just have a few more housekeeping items to go over with
Mr. Darcy. Thank you so much for your time."
Will also stood.
"I'd like to add my own thanks for all of you taking time
out of your busy day to show me the ropes. I know I'm the new
kid on the block when it comes to the board, but I plan to dedicate
as much time as I can to it. My father was on the board here
and always spoke highly of your efforts. It's an honor to follow
in his shoes."
Will spent the next
few minutes taking his leave of the participants, mostly with
Eddie. Finally, he and Lizzy were left to themselves. They looked
at each other and grinned.
"Alone at last,"
they said in unison, before cracking up.
"I'm…I'm
sorry about Eddie," giggled Lizzy. "He does go on a
bit."
"I'll say,
but he seems to know his stuff."
"That he does."
"And doesn't
mind letting the whole world know it in minute detail,"
he cracked, which set off another round of laughter. "Well,
what else do you need?"
"Oh, just some
personal stuff for the board. We can do it now, or later, if
you need to go."
"No, I've got
time. Let's get it done."
A couple of minutes
later, Will was seated before Lizzy's desk as she dug out a form.
"Thanks for your cooperation, Will. We would like some information
about you. It's all optional, but we like to really know our
board."
"Go ahead -
shoot."
"All right,
your title with DGS. You're president?"
"President/CEO,
yeah."
"All right."
She made the correction on the form. "Communications to
your business address and email account?"
"Sure."
He verified his home address and birth date. Then Lizzy hesitated.
"Marital status?"
Lizzy tried to sound uninterested.
"Single."
It took all of her
self-control not to look up at Will at that moment. "All
right, we can skip the next few questions…"
Will was curious.
"What are they?"
"Umm…spouse's
name, birth date and anniversary, children's names and ages…"
Lizzy was turning red.
"Nope, don't
need that."
"Well, that's
everything. Just have to add it to the database."
"Go ahead.
I've got time." Will was pleased that the time had passed
so well. Lizzy seemed to bear no animosity about Tulane. He was
also loath to leave her. He looked around her office at the photos
displayed - several of her and Jane, a couple with Mari, some
vacation shots. No guys.
Is she unattached
too?
"Well, that's
done," Lizzy proclaimed with a flourish.
"You know,
Elizabeth, it's…it's good to see you again," Will said.
Lizzy turned to
him, the surprise evident on her face. Will wondered if he had
blundered again before a smile broke out on her face.
"It's good
to see you again, too, William."
Will struggled with
his voice, trying to come up with something innocent to say.
"You've done well with yourself, I see." His eyes bore
into hers.
For an instant,
Lizzy was transported to a place in her past. She was back on
a fraternity house porch on a warm, late summer evening, sharing
it and good conversation with a tall, handsome graduate student,
the sounds of the street in her ears. She had seen the same look
before, but she didn't know what it meant. Too late, she learned
in a most terrible way. Now, she wondered, did it mean the same?
The moment was broken
as Kaywanda stuck her head in the door. "Lizzy, your lunch
date is here."
Lizzy turned to
Kaywanda with a mixture of relief and irritation, missing the
surprise and disappointment on Will's face. "Thanks, K."
"Umm…I
guess I ought to leave." Will got to his feet.
"I'll walk
you out. I think you know my 'date.'" Confused, Will followed
the two women to the small lobby.
"WILLIAM!"
cried Marianne as she flew into his arms.
"Hey, Mari,"
Will said in relief, "how's my favorite singer?"
"How would
you know? You never come to my performances."
"Sorry, gal
- life is running me ragged."
"Then get you
a woman and slow down." Mari winked at Lizzy over his shoulder,
who turned beet red again.
"Hey!"
Mari said as they broke the clutch. "We're gonna grab some
lunch. Wanna come along?"
Will glanced at
Lizzy, who nodded. He mentally kicked himself. "Aw, I wish
I could, but I've got this business lunch I can't get out of."
"Oh, poo! You
sure you can't make it? Lizzy, can you talk him into it?"
Lizzy wondered what
the hell had gotten into her friend's brain to make the woman
want to embarrass her to death. "Mari, I'm sure that if
Will was free, he would come." She glanced at Will.
Mari wasn't giving
up. "Then give us a rain check, huh?"
Will smiled, "You
got it - next time, and I'm all yours. Ladies, I've got to go.
Kaywanda, thank you for all your help."
"No prob, Mr.
Darcy."
"Mari, tell
Chris 'hi' for me. Lizzy, it was great seeing you again."
Will stopped, afraid of saying too much. He smiled. "Have
a great lunch, and I'll see y'all soon." He waved as he
left though the doors.
Mari turned to Lizzy.
"Sooo, William's back, hmm?"
"Mari…"
Lizzy said dangerously.
Kaywanda piped up.
"Oooh, sounds like history there."
Lizzy turned to
the receptionist. "I knew Will Darcy from my college days.
An old friend." She turned back to Mari. "Let's get
something to eat." Before you say anything else.
~*~*~
It was routine for
Lizzy and Mari to have lunch at least once a week, as they worked
in the same building. Sometimes they ate in the building cafeteria,
managed by the insurance company that made it their home office,
and sometimes they were joined by Charlotte or others. But this
summer's day it was just the two of them as they walked down
a block to grab a po'boy at the Commerce Restaurant. Patrons
in dresses and suits stood in line and gave their orders to the
staff, which then would make the sandwiches or plate lunches
to order.
"Wha'cha want,
hawt?" asked an elderly black woman behind the counter when
it was Lizzy's turn.
"Po'boy, large
- half shrimp, half oyster - dressed."
"Right. An'
you, hon?" Mari ordered the lunch special of spaghetti and
meatballs. After paying for their meals and receiving their drinks
- two Diet Cokes - they stood at the head of the line for a couple
of minutes waiting on the food. The two, with sandwich and spaghetti
on plates, made their way to an open table. Mari didn't question
Lizzy's choice as she unwrapped the twelve-inch monster. It was
Lizzy's habit to eat half the thing and bring the rest home for
dinner.
The two ate in silence
for a little while, until Lizzy noticed the expression on Mari's
face. "All right, Mari, what is it?"
"Nothing. It
was nice seeing Will Darcy again, wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was."
"Mmm-hmm."
Lizzy put her po'boy
down. "Now, what is that supposed to mean?"
"What is what?"
"Your…your
comments."
"What comments?"
Lizzy rolled her
eyes. "Don't play innocent with me! You know what I'm talking
about." She paused. "I'm glad everything went well
today. I was nervous about seeing Will again, but now that I
have, and it seems that we're able to get along, I'm very happy.
Satisfied?"
"No."
Mari sat still, her hands in her lap, and gave Lizzy an aggravated
look. "Elizabeth Boudreaux, maybe you can fool yourself,
but you can't fool me. Don't try to sit there and pretend you
weren't affected by Will's visit today. You know, and I know,
you've judged every man you've dated in the last five years against
the standard set by Will Darcy and found all of them lacking.
You're still in love with him. And I won't be satisfied until
you either let him go and move on, or do something about it now
that he is back in your life."
Lizzy sat in stunned
silence.
Mari colored after
her outburst. "Well, I'm sorry, but you asked."
Lizzy said nothing
and reached for her sandwich before changing her mind. "You're
right, Mari, I have been kidding myself." She held her face
in her hands. "I was SO nervous before he got there, and
yet when I saw him, it was like old times. I don't think I breathed
easy until he admitted he was still single. I'm hopeless."
"Lizzy, I could've
told you Will wasn't married."
Lizzy shook her
head. "I thought he may have kept it quiet. You know how
he likes to keep personal stuff to himself."
"Lizzy, he
wouldn't have been able to keep something like that from Chris
or Chuck. Besides, he's a public figure in New Orleans. He wouldn't
be able to keep it quiet. You're not being sensible."
"I never have
been sensible when it comes to Will." She sighed and lifted
her head. "All right, I admit it. I still love him, a little.
I'm glad he's my friend again. I can be happy with that."
Mari reached out.
"Don't you want more?"
Lizzy smiled sadly.
"Mari, what about Will? Does he want more? No, I'm
not going to get my hopes up. As far as I know, nothing has changed
since college. I have his friendship again, maybe, and that's
good enough for me."
~*~*~
It comes as a surprise
to many people that there are more World Trade Centers than the
Twin Towers destroyed in the attacks of 9/11. In the United States
alone, there are almost sixty. The first seeds of the international
movement were sown in 1970, when the pioneer World Trade Centers:
Houston, New Orleans, New York, and Tokyo, and a number of World
Trade Center enthusiasts first organized an association to facilitate
international trade by bringing together exporters, importers,
and service providers.
In New Orleans,
the WTC building was built in 1967. At the intersection of Canal
and Poydras, towering over 400 feet above the Spanish Plaza and
next to the Aquarium of the Americas, the WTC offered magnificent
views of the busy port and the grand, meandering Mississippi
River, as well as New Orleans' distinctive skyline.
The Plimsoll Club
occupied the thirtieth floor of the WTC. It was a private dinning
club for businesspeople, mainly in the shipping, fabrication,
petroleum, and finance industries, even though membership was
open to all. The food was almost as good as the spectacular views
offered by its windows.
Will walked the
blocks down Poydras Street with a decided bounce to his step.
He was foolish to have been apprehensive over the meeting with
Elizabeth. In fact, it could hardly have gone better. She seemed
to have no ill feeling over what happened five years ago. She
seemed genuinely happy to see him, and he thought that the invitation
to lunch was sincere.
Maybe there was
a chance? Would she be interested in going to dinner?
Hold it, cowboy,
just one second! Your track record reading Elizabeth Boudreaux
sucks. Don't make that mistake again. Just take it easy and be
open - and see what happens. At the very least, you'll have to
apologize for your behavior at Tulane.
Still, a wide grin
broke out on his face, echoing the sunny September day. But
I've got a second chance!
Will, like his father
before him, was a member in good standing with the WTCA and the
Plimsoll Club. He ate there often enough to be recognized by
the maître d' and was shown to his table immediately. Within
a few minutes, Ben Leahy, the president of a refrigerated warehouse
firm on the Industrial Canal joined him. They decided to take
advantage of the lunch buffet and were soon eating and talking
business.
"Do you think
you've ironed out your problems with the state over your incentives?"
Will asked.
"Yeah, we think
so. Steve Papa at EDNO has been working with us on it."
Leahy ran his hand through his thinning hair. "The state's
great at making promises, but they don't seem to wanna pay up
in the end." The company had expanded its operations to
meet the demand from Russia for frozen chicken. The state had
agreed to pay for improvements to the dock, as it was public
property. The company had agreed to front the bill, and now they
were left hanging for the reimbursement. "The administration
keeps poor-mouthing us, saying priorities have changed. They
ask us to be patient, and they will pay up someday. Hell, I need
my money now. I ain't gonna wait for Momma Blanco to set up another
committee."
Will chuckled. Kathleen
Babineaux Blanco, as she insisted on being called, had become
the first woman elected governor of Louisiana the year before.
Running as a conservative Democrat, she split the support of
the business community from the Republicans and narrowly won.
It was hoped that she would be more interested in economic development
and trade missions than her Republican predecessor, who had spent
a lot of his second term in his duck blind.
Unfortunately, Governor
Blanco had proven a better candidate than governor. Her first
legislative session showed her administration to be both clumsy
and disorganized. Major appointment to boards and administration
posts were yet to be filled. Her first foreign trade mission
was to Cuba, of all places. There was little Louisiana could
sell to the island nation, and she accomplished nothing but offending
the small but vocal anti-Castro Cuban population in New Orleans.
Worst of all, she had a tendency to set up a commission or committee
rather than take a stand on almost any issue. A new nickname
was foisted on Madam Governor: Kathleen "Committee"
Blanco.
"Speaking of
EDNO, I'm joining their board," Will said offhandedly.
"Yeah, I thought
I heard that. Taking your daddy's place?" For a region of
over one and a half million people, New Orleans was really a
small town.
"It wasn't
really a reserved place, but I'm glad to be there."
"Hmmm…I
know somebody at EDNO…who is it? Boudreaux! Elizabeth Boudreaux."
Will looked up.
"Yeah, she's head of communications there…"
"Yeah. She's
Mike Riviere's girlfriend."
Will's stomach dropped
to his knees. "Mike Riviere, the lawyer? I thought he moved
to Washington. He's working for Senator Landrieu, isn't he?"
"Yeah, but
he flies back every other weekend." Leahy dug into his lunch.
The two men began
talking of more mundane issues, but only one was enjoying his
meal. Will Darcy's had the distinct taste of dust.
~*~*~
Emma found the front
door of the Lakeview Players Community Theatre unlocked, so she
let herself in. Wandering into the theater from the lobby, she
saw a man with a ponytail working on a set on the stage, boards
and power tools all around.
"Hello!"
Emma cried.
"What?"
screeched the man. "What do you want? Auditions are closed!
We cast the play last week!"
"No, no, I'm
not here to try out."
He puffed himself
up. "Oh! And why not? Who would not want to be in my
play?"
Emma looked around
to see if there was anyone else to deal with rather than this
maniac. As the place was otherwise empty, she tried again. "I'm
Emma Katz. I was referred to you by Susan Vernon to help with
the set."
"Ah, a volunteer!
Wonderful! My name is Reginald de Courcy. I'm the director of
the play, Guest in the House."
That couldn't be
his real name, but Emma held her tongue. "Oh. Did you write
it?"
"Err…no,
it was written by Hagar Wilde and Dale Eunson. But the staging
is all original! My own creation!"
"I've had some
experience in set design with Tulane Summer Lyric."
"Excellent!
You see, we've begun on my set. Would you like to see the sketches?"
"Sure."
Emma made her way to the stage. Meanwhile, de Courcy flounced
his way to his notebook. He had a page opened by the time she
got there and spent the next few minutes going over his elaborate
plans.
Emma took it all
in with good grace. She had dealt with the amateur wanna-be's
in community theater before and learned to let their egos roll
off her back. She just wanted something else to do to get her
out of the house. Getting back in set design ought to do it.
At least here,
people will appreciate what I do.
Just then the front
door opened again. "Ah!" cried de Courcy. "Frank!
You're late, as usual!"
A good-looking man
in a shirt and tie with brown hair came down the aisle. "Sorry,
Reggie, but I do have to work. I see we got a visitor."
"Yes! This
is our new set designer, Emma Katz."
Huh? How did
that happen? thought
Emma.
The director pointed
at the newcomer. "This naughty fellow plays Dan Proctor
in the play and has volunteered to help with the construction
of the set."
"That's me,
an all-around fellow." He stepped on the stage and crossed
to Emma. "Since our director has neglected to do it, let
me introduce myself. I'm Frank Church."
~*~*~
On September 2,
2004, Tropical Depression Nine formed from a large tropical wave
southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. As the storm moved to the
west, it gradually strengthened, becoming a tropical storm on
September 3. It reached hurricane strength on September 5.
The storm passed
over Grenada two days later, battering several of the Windward
Islands as it entered the Caribbean Sea. It began to rapidly
intensify again and became a Category 5 hurricane just north
of the Windward Netherlands Antilles and Aruba on September 9.
The monstrous storm weakened slightly as it moved west-northwest,
towards Jamaica.
After passing Jamaica
where it battered the coast with hurricane-force winds for hours,
the tempest resumed its more northerly track, and regained Category
5 strength. It passed through the Yucatán Channel late
on September 13 while its eye wall affected the westernmost tip
of Cuba. Twelve thousand residents and tourists were evacuated
from Isla Mujeres off Yucatan. Once over the Gulf of Mexico,
it weakened slightly to Category 4 strength, but maintained that
intensity as it approached the Gulf Coast of the United States.
As it was the ninth
named storm of the 2004 season, it was tagged with a name that
began with the letter "I." The storm was therefore
named Ivan.
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