| Road Trip Challenge: Part 5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An hour later we were browsing through the many vendors of the French Market, purchasing miscellaneous trinkets for people back home, and getting a near sensory overload from all the music and wonderful food smells. I haggled with a jewelry dealer, trying to get the man to come down on his price for a beautiful vintage looking choker. Jason was at the next booth, which sold every kind of Mardi Gras bead imaginable, trying to get Cherry to show her boobs. Zane was next to me purchasing a necklace with a cherry-bunch pendant for Cherry, and Nathaniel was at the booth behind us looking through the CDs. I finally got my price for the choker and put it on immediately. Zane presented his purchase to Cherry who thanked him with a big kiss. Disappointed that he never got a rise out of Cherry, Jason went to join Nathaniel at the CDs. I continued browsing down the line of booths, stopping at the one that I remembered immediately as being from Caveat Emptor, a shop around the corner from where I used to live. I browsed through her selection of historical replica hats and costumes. I never knew the girl who ran the shop personally, but I had always admired her work. I finally made my way to the end and back out into the sun where the others were waiting after making a few more purchases. “Check it out,” Jason said reaching into his bag and pulling out a CD, “I got an Adam Sandler CD!” “That’s nice,” I said. “But we’re not listening to it in the car.” “Yes we are,” he argued, smiling. “No… we’re not! You’ll have to save that for when you get back to the privacy of your own room cause I can only take listening to Adam Sandler about once a year and that quota is filled every Christmas with the Hanukah song.” “Ok, fine,” he pouted putting the CD back in his bag. I laughed silently at him and grabbed Cherry, linking my arm in hers. “C’mon, I know something we need,” I said smiling wickedly and began walking back up to Decatur. When we got to Dumaine St. I took a right and then a left when we got to Chartres St. Halfway down the block I stopped and turned to the boys. “You guys go hang out for a bit in Jackson Square,” I said pointing further down the block where Chartres curved and the sidewalks led to St Louis Cathedral. “We’ll come get you when we’re done then we’ll head back to the hotel for a while and rest up for tonight.” They agreed and took off for the square. “Where are we going?” Cherry asked. “In there,” I said pointing to the store across the street from us. “Trashy Diva (http://www.trashydiva.com)… best corsets in New Orleans.” We crossed the street and entered the boutique, Cherry gasping as we entered at the sight of all the beautiful corsets in satins, velvets, and laces. One of the sales associates assisted us in choosing about 5 corsets apiece to try on. We spent an hour playing dress-up in the exquisite Victorian and Edwardian, Cherry choosing the first one she had tried on – a vintage-look cherry print, and me choosing purple and black brocade with velvet trim. “Ooh I love it that cherry print is so in fashion right now,” Cherry said as we exited the shop and turned right. The sun was setting and we watched as the sun tucked itself away for the evening, gliding over the towering spires of St. Louis Cathedral, painting a trail of orange, pink, purple and blue in it's wake. It wasn’t hard to find the boys; they were sitting patiently on the steps of the Cathedral. Or rather Jason and Zane were sitting. Nathaniel was sprawled dramatically across a step below them, the three of them drawing many appraising glances from women around the area. I couldn’t get to Nathaniel fast enough, I half ran across the square nearly skidding to a stop in front of them. “Oh God, get up! That’s nasty! Do you know how many people have peed, puked, and who knows what else on those steps,” I scolded. Nathaniel just smiled up at me. Those bedroom eyes got me every time and I softened a bit. “Yes, I know which film that is from, now get up.” “I can see up your skirt,” he said still smiling. He had caught me completely off guard with that remark and I gasped in shock, then half laughing I kicked him hard in the leg. “C’mon, get up.” As he climbed to his feet I caught Jason leaning over trying to catch his own glimpse up my skirt; and caught up in his mission he was taken by surprise when Cherry smacked him on the back of the head causing his forehead to hit the hard stone steps. “OWW!” he cried sitting back up and rubbing his head. “What’d ya have to go and do that for?” “Because you’re you,” Zane said laughing and sliding his arm around Cherry, trying to peek into her new bag. “You can’t see that ‘til tomorrow night,” she said slapping his hand away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 6 Index |