minutes to the hour, Verona looked at Fionna confidingly.
“And now, I've got to ask you, darling, why all the magical themes in your music? Is it a sincere interest on your part, or just a little something you throw in to please the fans? Because, I warn you, N'Awlins is a very magical place. If you fool around with the spirits, they're goin' to gitcha.”
“It's sincerely meant,” Fionna said, her large eyes wide with something akin to alarm. She certainly was very superstitious. Elizabeth thought her hands trembled. “I have a great respect for the powers that be.”
“Wise words,” said Verona, turning back to her console. “We've been talking to Fionna Kenmare. Remember, everyone, that's Green Fire at the Superdome at 7:30 on Saturday night. Hey, same time as the fireworks display over the river sponsored by WBOY. Tough choice, folks,” she said, with a wry wink at Fionna. “Me, I'll be at the concert. I'll be back right after these words.”
The engineer pointed to Verona, and hit a square button. Verona took off her headset. “Very nice, Ms. Kenmare. Thank you so very much for coming. I'm looking forward to the concert. Will any of us be able to sneak backstage and congratulate you afterwards?”
Fionna looked at Nigel Peters. “Should be, love,” the manager said, noncommittally, shaking the announcer's hand and turning to the producer. “We'll see you're on the invitation list for the party to follow. Thanks for a good show.”
Fionna rose and graciously offered Verona her hand. “Thanks, lovely. You made me feel very welcome. I hope the rest of the city's as warm as yourself.”
“We're happy to see you, darling,” Verona said, standing up and tossing her headset onto her desk. “And you!” She turned to Boo-Boo. “It's been a long time, you good-looking man. Where've you been?” She enveloped him in a huge hug.
“Oh, I've been around,” Boo-Boo admitted.
“Do you know everyone in this city?” Elizabeth asked, with a wry grin, as they left the studio.
“Near abouts,” said Boo-Boo.
Clinging to Lloyd, Fionna swirled ahead of them in a cloud of gauzy black skirts, and looked plaintively over her shoulder at Nigel. “Can we get something to eat? I'm hollow.”
Nigel looked at his watch. “Pat, Laura and I have got to get over to the Superdome, but there's no reason you can't find yourselves a meal, my dear. Perhaps Mr. Boudreau will oblige?”
“I'd be delighted to,” Boo-Boo said graciously.
* * *
“You are supposed to be our native guide, aren't you?” Lloyd asked, striding along in Boo-Boo's wake after they'd left the limo at the curb near the Royal Sonesta. “So where can we get a bite to eat before we go over to the arena?”
Liz winced at the barely concealed sneer in Lloyd's voice, but Boo didn't seem to notice.
“There's a pretty good restaurant right in the hotel you're stayin' at. It would give the ladies a chance to freshen up before—”
“We're going to be living on hotel food through most of this tour,” the security man interrupted. “I rather hoped you could do better than that.”
“Well, we do have one or two pretty nice eatin' places here in the Quarter,” Boo said with a shrug. “Let's see if I can't find somethin' that'll suit you.”
He started off up the street with the others trailing along behind.
“Something a little different, I hope,” Lloyd said, raising his voice to get in the last word. “Lord knows we have enough ordinary restaurants in England and Ireland.”
“I think I know just the place,” Boo called back over his shoulder.
“Not too far away, I hope,” Liz said, stepping up beside him. “I still can't believe how hot it is down here.”
In truth, she was having difficulty even thinking straight. Within half a dozen steps of their leaving the studio's air conditioning, she was drenched in sweat, and things seemed to weave and swim in the bright glare. It was like wearing a hot, wet, sweat suit in a steam bath .
“And now, I've got to ask you, darling, why all the magical themes in your music? Is it a sincere interest on your part, or just a little something you throw in to please the fans? Because, I warn you, N'Awlins is a very magical place. If you fool around with the spirits, they're goin' to gitcha.”
“It's sincerely meant,” Fionna said, her large eyes wide with something akin to alarm. She certainly was very superstitious. Elizabeth thought her hands trembled. “I have a great respect for the powers that be.”
“Wise words,” said Verona, turning back to her console. “We've been talking to Fionna Kenmare. Remember, everyone, that's Green Fire at the Superdome at 7:30 on Saturday night. Hey, same time as the fireworks display over the river sponsored by WBOY. Tough choice, folks,” she said, with a wry wink at Fionna. “Me, I'll be at the concert. I'll be back right after these words.”
The engineer pointed to Verona, and hit a square button. Verona took off her headset. “Very nice, Ms. Kenmare. Thank you so very much for coming. I'm looking forward to the concert. Will any of us be able to sneak backstage and congratulate you afterwards?”
Fionna looked at Nigel Peters. “Should be, love,” the manager said, noncommittally, shaking the announcer's hand and turning to the producer. “We'll see you're on the invitation list for the party to follow. Thanks for a good show.”
Fionna rose and graciously offered Verona her hand. “Thanks, lovely. You made me feel very welcome. I hope the rest of the city's as warm as yourself.”
“We're happy to see you, darling,” Verona said, standing up and tossing her headset onto her desk. “And you!” She turned to Boo-Boo. “It's been a long time, you good-looking man. Where've you been?” She enveloped him in a huge hug.
“Oh, I've been around,” Boo-Boo admitted.
“Do you know everyone in this city?” Elizabeth asked, with a wry grin, as they left the studio.
“Near abouts,” said Boo-Boo.
Clinging to Lloyd, Fionna swirled ahead of them in a cloud of gauzy black skirts, and looked plaintively over her shoulder at Nigel. “Can we get something to eat? I'm hollow.”
Nigel looked at his watch. “Pat, Laura and I have got to get over to the Superdome, but there's no reason you can't find yourselves a meal, my dear. Perhaps Mr. Boudreau will oblige?”
“I'd be delighted to,” Boo-Boo said graciously.
* * *
“You are supposed to be our native guide, aren't you?” Lloyd asked, striding along in Boo-Boo's wake after they'd left the limo at the curb near the Royal Sonesta. “So where can we get a bite to eat before we go over to the arena?”
Liz winced at the barely concealed sneer in Lloyd's voice, but Boo didn't seem to notice.
“There's a pretty good restaurant right in the hotel you're stayin' at. It would give the ladies a chance to freshen up before—”
“We're going to be living on hotel food through most of this tour,” the security man interrupted. “I rather hoped you could do better than that.”
“Well, we do have one or two pretty nice eatin' places here in the Quarter,” Boo said with a shrug. “Let's see if I can't find somethin' that'll suit you.”
He started off up the street with the others trailing along behind.
“Something a little different, I hope,” Lloyd said, raising his voice to get in the last word. “Lord knows we have enough ordinary restaurants in England and Ireland.”
“I think I know just the place,” Boo called back over his shoulder.
“Not too far away, I hope,” Liz said, stepping up beside him. “I still can't believe how hot it is down here.”
In truth, she was having difficulty even thinking straight. Within half a dozen steps of their leaving the studio's air conditioning, she was drenched in sweat, and things seemed to weave and swim in the bright glare. It was like wearing a hot, wet, sweat suit in a steam bath .
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