That Forbidden Love

Thinking about it right at that moment, Jazmyn felt PTSD rising from the slabs of chemical goo that would be applied to her face in a matter of hours. Evening concert and show makeup was the absolute worst and almost impossible to evade, especially with her agent and manager Madeline Decker, a single mother of two and all-time industry juggernaut who’d ride roughshod or guilt-trip her into submission; whichever one worked faster and did the job.

Jazmyn knew it was part of the business and rarely put up a fight for the most part. As long as she was allowed to sing freely and entertain to her heart’s content or use the time allocated.

A quick look at the clock sent Jazmyn scurrying to gather her things into a khaki backpack and grab a pack of Bishop’s dog food from the pantry.

“Come on, boy. Mama is late,” she called to the fawn-colored teddy bear canine who instantly jumped up and trailed behind her out of the bedroom and through the potted plant adorned passageway leading out of the apartment.

Familiar with his usual route, Bishop bounded for the entryway to the apartment directly under Jazmyn’s and began to bark.

She hadn’t entirely lifted her hand to use the bear-shaped knocker when the door was immediately jerked open, and a short, Middle Eastern man with graying hair and bushy white beards stood there with his arms wide open.

The boisterous dog needed no further encouragement before jumping into them.

“Morning, Mr. Bennett! I seem to be running late again.” Jazmyn bent to kiss the man’s sandpapery cheeks before handing him the bag of dog food.

“If I keep a penny for every time that you run late, sweetheart I’ll be a very rich man,” he replied with a wink and shooed her with a flick of his hand. “Run along now, Bishop and I will do just fine.”

The slight flush creeping up the old man’s neck made Jazmyn’s heart constrict with love as she rushed to her car and headed northwest for Central City. Navigating French Quarters traffic during the peak of spring when it was heavy tourist season was a drag and she preferred riding a bike to driving.

It took more than fifteen minutes to arrive at the foster center and from the miffed look on Brianna’s face at the foyer, Jazmyn knew she was going to get the full lecture.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, traffic was an absolute drag. You know how it gets,” she apologized hastily and kissed the blonde’s cheeks.

“It wouldn’t be if you’d been up at the appropriate time. This is why you are still single, Jaz, your sense of timing sucks.”

“Bri!” Jazmyn exclaimed with a laugh. “I’m single because all the men in this city are only interested in one-night stands and polyamorous affairs.

Not everyone can be as lucky as you; engaged to the love of your life just after three months of dating. Some of us are destined to kiss a lot of frogs before the real deal.”

“This has nothing to do with frogs but your penchant for jumping into everything that resembles the real deal,” Brianna retorted with a wry smile. “You’re still going to handle City Park’s tour alone. I think I’d just hang in the backgrounds today.”

Brianna C’mon!” Jazmyn groaned. “You know the park better than I do and you know how I suck at descriptions. What if I bribed you with dinner at Lobster Inn tomorrow?”

“I have a romantic date with my fiancé and I think I’d just suggest Lobster Inn,” Brianna replied smugly, already heading out of the door with a casserole in hand.

Before Jazmyn could follow after and suggest another form of platitude to get out of leading the tour, a horde of kids burst out of the recreational room and excited choruses of her name filled the reception hall as they all rushed to squish her in a hug.

“Hey, guys!” She half groaned and laughed as she struggled to breathe in the suffocating sea of excited children and teenagers who were almost like her adopted siblings and practically family.

“Guys, easy, you are going to suffocate poor Jaz,” Hilda Blanchfield, the director of the foster center came forward to disperse them and give Jazmyn a warm, calmer hug.

“Don’t mind their excitement. We almost thought you weren’t going to make it this time.”

“I overslept, I’m sorry guys,” Jazmyn apologized openly. “Brianna is taking me to task, don’t you worry about that.” Noticing Kennedy standing apart from the rest of the group, she beckoned the dark-haired girl closer with a smile.

“How have you been, dear? Ready for the tour?”

“Fine, I guess.” The girl shrugged noncommittally, tugging at one of her yarn braids without meeting anyone’s eyes.

Jazmyn didn’t know why she was drawn to the toffee brown-skinned girl like a moth to a flame. Brianna had mentioned that perhaps she saw herself in the girl and could relate to her situation.

Like Jazmyn, Kennedy’s parents had also been killed in a hit and run when she was a child, and she’d been raised by an aunt who’d passed away from cancer a year ago. At eleven, she’d known more losses than any child her age should have to endure and the distrust and wariness in her eyes felt familiar, like an age-old pain.

Jazmyn knew it would only grow worse as the years went by if no one could fulfill the connection she badly needed. It was the reason she yearned to get closer to her before it became too late.

“Are we going to stand around here all day or do we have a tour to begin?” Brianna demanded from the entryway right then. “The bus is ready to go and we are on a timer.”

Distracted from her tumultuous thoughts, Jazmyn gathered everybody together with a firm clap and a bright smile. “Okay, guys, let’s move it. City Park here we come!”

The yells of excitement that followed kept the spirit high as they headed downtown New Orleans. While Brianna moved around handing out identity tags to the children, Jazmyn couldn’t help thinking about what her friend had said earlier about her non-existent love life.

Despite her nonchalant, breezy attitude towards the subject, she really craved a deeper connection with someone. Something deeper than occasional bar hook-ups and meaningless flings.

She wanted something like what Brianna and her fiancé, Ryan shared. Someone who could handle her complexities and be a steady anchor for her wild, adventurous spirit.

Someone who’d be the Ying to her Yang, and thrust her world into a topsy-turvy carnival with just a single look.

She wanted the real deal and was beginning to grow tired of the usual horrible tinder dates and unsatisfactory referrals.

The hunger didn’t come often because there were loads of distractions and activities to focus on but whenever it did at moments like this, Jazmyn wished for nothing more but to find her dream man soon, or heaven knows she’d give him so much grief when he finally exhausted his sweet time and deemed it fit to grace her with an appearance.