4 - Weekend Visit
Holy fuck! It’s a full ride! – Camille
Camille had submitted applications to every school that she had ever even considered attending. Even if it was just for a brief flitting moment, she applied. Unless it was in the state of Massachusetts. She needed to get away from here. From her sister. From the club that only saw her as the president’s daughter who needed to be protected.
So, she applied to all the colleges and universities that had a good swim and dive team. Her parents had helped with the majority of the applications. But there was one that she applied for over at Priscilla’s house.
Early in the spring semester of her senior year, the envelopes began arriving at her parents’ house.
Oregon State
SMU – Southern Methodist University
Harvard
Duke University
The Ohio State
Berkeley
Acceptance letters and scholarship offers arrived from all over the country. Camille almost gave up hope for the one she really wanted.
It was the only one that she applied to without telling her parents. After all, she had never thought about it before. Never even considered it. Not before meeting him. The shirtless man who understood her insomnia and could disappear into the darkness of her back hallway.
Just when she had begun to lose hope, it came.
LSU – Louisiana State University
Located in Baton Rouge, which, coincidentally, was the same town that the Cajuns were based in. She acted surprised when her dad mentioned that. Dismissed it as a side note when Toad said something. And refused to meet her mother’s eyes when it came up in conversation.
Sid had given a soft sound of understanding, kissed her youngest daughter on the temple and returned to the task of fixing dinner. Although Camille was certain that her mom knew that Camille knew that’s where the Cajuns were, Sid never said anything else about it.
However, Camille was certain that her mother and Evie were trying to figure out which of the Cajuns had caught her attention. Whenever anyone spoke of them, she did not have to hide any reaction. She did not know his name. He did not come up with the others for Evie’s wedding or when she had her twins.
Plans were made for them to visit the college and the Cajuns and Camille hoped that he would be there then.
With a full ride athletic scholarship for swim and dive. It covered everything, including room and board.
It was the best offer. And the one she wanted. She wanted to see him again. The large black man who haunted her dreams. That is when she would actually sleep.
And her daydreams the rest of the time.
When the Texas Renegades from Austin and the Louisiana Cajuns from Baton Rouge came up for Evie’s baby shower, she had watched for him. He was easy to pick out with his height and bulk. But he had not been with them. Nor was he with them when they came up for the wedding or when the twins were born.
And she couldn’t ask about him. For one thing, she still did not know his name. For another, it would be a little strange for her to be asking about a man that she was certain was older than herself.
By how much, she still was not sure.
So, at the last minute, on the last day that they were accepted, she submitted the application. Then she sat back and waited. And hoped. And prepared to argue with her parents about going to school in Louisiana.
Her parents were not sure that they wanted her to go so far away. Especially with her insomnia getting worse.
The fact that LSU offered her a full ride made it easier for her parents to agree. And of course, the Cajuns were there in Baton Rouge to watch over her.
Little did they know that it was a Cajuns member that had her applying to LSU.
Before she accepted the scholarship and signed with the college, her parents insisted that she narrow down her choices. Not to be too obvious, she chose Duke, her all-time favorite, Berkley, because her parents did not want her in California, and LSU.
As expected, they denied Berkley and set up tours for the other two. The tour guide at Duke couldn’t get off her phone long enough to pay them any attention and Trigg cut the tour short. Camille was glad that suddenly her new top choice was also her parents’ top choice.
On their weekend visit to LSU, they toured the campus, and she loved the natatorium. The diving well was fantastic. Camille couldn’t wait to use the pools. Seeing Mike the Tiger had definitely been a highlight. She had not expected to see a real tiger being kept on the campus.
But now, after a full day on the campus, she was on the back of her dad’s bike, headed for the Cajuns compound. She and her mom had ridden down in the jeep that Sid drove. But Trigg could not be caged for that long.
Her mom had a headache and opted to stay at the hotel. Camille guessed that the headache had more to do with the giant soaker tub with jets. There was probably another remodel in her father’s future. Once again, Camille would be the reason why.
As they got closer to the Cajuns clubhouse, the butterflies in her stomach multiplied. Praying that her dad couldn’t tell, she hugged him tightly. He reached down and squeezed her leg as he slowed down for the entrance.
They pulled through the gate of the large two-story house, and she started scanning the area for him. Camille never got his name. Never thought about it until she had told her parents she talked to a Cajun. When they asked who, she shrugged and admitted they never exchanged names.
She sure as hell did not tell them that he had kissed her.
He had been shirtless, with his jeans were low on his hips. There hadn’t been a lot of light, but the little bit there had been, emphasized the planes and dips on his eight pack.
Her dad’s voice saying who they were and why they had there pulled her out of her thoughts. Trigg nodded at the prospect that pointed to where he should park. A moment later, he was walking his bike backwards into a spot. After killing the engine, he held out a hand for Camille to get off.
They walked up to the clubhouse with his arm across her shoulders. Zydeco stood on the wide porch with a grin.
“I thought you were bringing your baby to us!”
Zydeco stood on the front porch with a hand braced on the decorative post next to the steps. His dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail that brushed the bottom of his collar, strands of gray were threaded through his hair and concentrated at the temples. A similar patch of gray was at the center of his beard. A large smile emphasized his laugh lines and crows’ feet from years spent in the sun.
He stood just under six feet with a slim build. Camille had learned years ago not to discount the smaller guys. They might not have the muscles on top of muscles like Trevor and Tank… and her nameless man. But they could often put the larger men to shame with their strength.
“She is my baby.” Trigg answered as they mounted the steps. He looked at his daughter and shook his head. “Just say it.”
She smiled as she looked up at the ceiling of the porch. “Traditionally, the ceiling of a porch is painted blue to represent water. It’s believed that spirits can’t cross water, and therefore would keep unwanted spirits out.”
“Really?” a man said stepping out of the house. “Kind of makes sense with Darkness.” He extended his hand to Trigg. “Gator. You must be Trigg. And your baby.”
Gator was a short, stocky man that was only a few inches taller than Camille. His dark blonde hair appeared to grow darker instead of lighter with age. Where the other man had streaks of gray, Gator had streaks of black. His skin was also tanned and the tattoos that she could see were faded with age and sun.
Trigg shook his hand. “This is my baby girl, Camille.”
“Well, come on in. We thought you might want a place to get away from school, we have a room for you.”
Smiling, she followed Gator inside. They took the stairs to the second floor and walked down a hall where Santa stood next to a door with a cheesy smile. With a little encouragement, Camille opened the door and busted out laughing.
Trigg scowled as he looked in the room that was decorated for his baby girl. Posters, figurines and even the bedding were covered by fairies of every kind and style.
“Fucking fairies.” He grumbled.