Madi Gras

It's Mardi Gras right now. I love Mardi Gras. When I was a kid I lived in Baton Rouge, so we went to New Orleans every Fat Tuesday. It's a state holiday in Louisiana, so all the schools are closed that day. My parents and their friends would lay a piece of plywood across the top of two ladders and all of us kids climbed up there to catch beads. 

I co-authored a book, His Fact My Truth, set in Mobile Alabama which I found exciting because that gave me a chance to write a Mardi Gras scene. 

Here is the blurb:

His Fact—he won’t leave his wife; Her Truth—she’ll follow her heart. Melanie manages to balance marriage, motherhood, and a successful law career, unlike her workaholic husband. Driven by frustration over his absentee ways, she harmlessly flirts with the handsome, athletic, and, married Fire Chief, Caleb Armstrong, at a community event. Things heat up at a local high school football game when she runs into him again. When Caleb holds Melanie in his warm, muscular arms she feels so beautiful and desired. What she knows is wrong, feels so right as she and Caleb come up with a way to have an affair and still protect their marriages. Turns out life’s not that simple. The sizzle starts to fizzle when Melanie’s forced to make a decision that could change her, and Caleb’s lives forever. What direction will Melanie’s heart take her?

Excerpt:

A city streetlight towered over the crowd and beamed down on them and the mass of people.  

Once his laughter died down, Caleb said, “I have an idea.” He released her hand and squatted down. “Climb up on top so you can catch more beads.” 

Sitting on his broad shoulders, she pressed her hands on the soft, fluffy hair on top of his fade. He rose to a standing position, so she sat high above most of the crowd. A jolt of heat shot through her as he clasped her legs, supporting her. Feeling safe and secure on his muscular shoulders, Melanie tilted her neck up and gazed at the glowing moon, high above the streetlamps. Its glowing, orbed outline blurred a bit, giving it a dreamy appearance. The excitement of Mardi Gras and being with Caleb had Melanie feeling like the moon was glowing inside of her.

The first float slowly rolled by. She flung out her hands to catch all the beads tossed her way, just as she’d done as a child at the New Orleans Mardi Gras. One of the krewe in a white skeleton mask threw a few necklaces into the air. She laughed as she caught one and draped it around her neck.  

A band marched by, strutting to the beat of the brass section and the drums. Then a pyramid float with a krewe in gold masks and pharaoh robes rolled by, and a little foil-covered cake whizzed toward her. She gasped when she managed to catch it. 

“Do you have somewhere to stash the moon pies,” she yelled down at Caleb, over the clamor of the crowd screaming for beads. 

“In my pockets.”

She passed the moon pie down to him as people pushed forward for the throws.

Masked krewe members in elaborate costumes held up strands of colorful beads, dangling them for the crowd to see before they flicked their wrists and flung them to the screaming revelers. 

Everyone in the crowd was reaching and yelling toward the floats, “Here, here.”  

Caught up in the fun, just like a small child, Melanie laughed and screamed as float after float came by, tossing shimmering gold, green, and purple necklaces, bouncy balls, frisbees, doubloons, candy, stuffed animals, Frisbees, whistles, moon pies and more. 

Before she knew it, she had a stack of beads around her neck, and Caleb’s pockets were stuffed with moon pies and trinkets. She rubbed her shoulders to ward off the chill in the air. 

Caleb called up to her in a loud voice that reverberated over the brash crowd, “We should go. It’s almost nine o’clock.”

“That’s right, I forgot about that city ordinance. We can’t wear masks past nine at night,” she said.

Caleb slowly squatted down, and she climbed off his back. He straightened and swung her into the circle of his arms. She leaned her head toward his until their lips touched in a wet, salty kiss.  His mouth tasted like fresh mint. 

Caleb pulled her closer and deepened the kiss into a demanding one. He let out a soft moan. 

As he dragged his lips off hers, he gazed into her eyes. “The hotel’s not far. It’s a short, fast walk.”

With his arm draped around her shoulder, he led her back from the street and out of the crowd.