That Old Black Magic by Mary Jane Clark Read Free Book Online

they had swept over Piper’s earlier that day at the bakery.
    â€œSabrina Houghton, we’d like you to meet our guest baker, Piper Donovan,” said Marguerite. “Piper will be helping Bertrand for a while. Her family has a bakery in New Jersey, and she has made some fabulously creative wedding cakes.”
    Piper shook the woman’s hand. “So nice to meet you, Sabrina.”
    â€œWonderful, Piper. I can’t wait to hear your ideas,” said Sabrina. “After dinner Leo and I should be able to sit and talk with you about them. We’re so excited.”
    â€œActually, I want to hear about your preferences and your fiancé’s and then envision your wedding,” said Piper. “Any thoughts I might have will reflect yours.”
    Bertrand glanced around the reception area and over Sabrina’s shoulder, getting a view of the packed bar. “Business is good, n’est-ce pas ?”
    Sabrina nodded, raising her voice to be heard above the din. “Thank goodness, yes. It’s never been better. We’re packed tonight, and we’re booked solid for the rest of the week and through the weekend. That Times-Picayune article a couple months ago really put us on the map.”
    Sabrina led them through the bar area, which had once been the parlor of the house, and into the dining room. Draping velvet curtains hung from the elongated windows, and fresh flowers in crystal vases decorated the mantelpiece of an exposed-brick fireplace. The walls were lavender, with the ceiling painted the much darker shade of aubergine. The room was cozy but not cramped, with snowy white cloths spread over the tables. Gleaming silver candle holders of different designs stood in the middle of each one.
    As soon as the three were settled into their seats, a waiter came to the table and introduced himself.
    â€œGood evening, my name is Patrick, and welcome to Bistro Sabrina. May I bring you a cocktail?”
    â€œI read that New Orleans is the birthplace of the cocktail,” said Piper. “So I think I’ll have one. Any recommendations?”
    â€œLegend has it that the first true cocktail was the Sazerac,” said Patrick. “Would you like to try one?”
    â€œWhat’s in that?” asked Piper.
    â€œOur bartender makes it with rye, bitters, sugar, and a splash of absinthe.”
    â€œWhoa.” Piper glanced at Bertrand and Marguerite for their reactions.
    â€œOh, go ahead, Piper,” said Marguerite. “Try it.”
    Bertrand nodded. “Yes, it’s a fitting start to your visit to our city.”
    Piper laughed. “Okay. Sold. I’ll have a Sazerac, please.”
    When their drinks arrived, Bertrand offered a toast to Piper’s visit.
    â€œYou’ve been so welcoming to me,” said Piper. “I know I’m going to love it here. But already I have a favor to ask of you.”
    She explained that she had an opportunity to meet and audition for a casting director. “I know it’s not great timing, being that tomorrow is my first day of work and everything,” said Piper. “But I’ll come right back afterward and work extra hours at the end of the day.”
    If Marguerite and Bertrand were annoyed, their facial expressions didn’t reveal it. They plied Piper with questions about her acting career. She gave them a brief history so far, including the stint on the daytime drama A Little Rain Must Fall.
    â€œOh,” said Marguerite, making the connection. “So that’s how you came to make the wedding cake for the soap star Glenna Brooks?”
    Piper nodded. “Yes, Glenna and I became good friends, and when she remarried, she wanted my mother to make her wedding cake. But my mother has macular degeneration and isn’t able to manage the intricate decorating anymore. She suggested that I try. She likes that it gives me another focus between acting jobs.”
    â€œSmart lady,” said