153 - Cajun Shrimp Cocktail

*Good evening, my name is Henry, in case you don’t remember me. Will we be having dessert tonight? And are we getting engaged again? - Henry*

The fall semester of Camille’s senior year of college seemed to fly by. Her new dive partner was good, not enough for them to place nationally, but good enough to get a few medals for her senior year. Sid and Trigg flew down for Senior Weekend and Oma took Nicki dress shopping for homecoming.

Sid and Trigg stayed an extra week and watched Nicki be crowned Junior Princess, in her marching band uniform. The next night she went to the homecoming dance with Julio who was also attending LSU. Mitch went to the dance with some of his friends, including the boy he had a crush on.

With the kids out, Sid insisted on going out with her daughter and son-in-law. Camille pulled out her burgundy dress and high heels that Darkness loved so much. When she came down the stairs, her husband looked at her like he could eat her whole.

Darkness took them to the riverside restaurant that he had proposed. As Camille stood by the railing that overlooked the river, she pointed with her wine glass to the table inside that they had been at.

“We had this snooty waiter that tried to give me red wine. No, that’s wrong,” she shook her head. “We had a cool waiter, it was the sommelier, he insisted that I was too young to know what I liked.”

“Shit,” Sid laughed. “Did you tell him your nail polish thing?”

“Yes, and then I said it was genetic.”

Laughing, she tapped her glass against her daughter’s, “Good for you.”

“And we had just ordered dessert,” she grinned at her mom. “We got it to go and I don’t think we ever ate it.”

“Did you have something better?” Sid asked as Darkness stepped up behind Camille.

Grinning at her husband and ignoring her father that was standing behind her mom, Camille nodded, “I had some dark chocolate.”

Darkness leaned in and kissed her lips as Trigg groaned and mumbled under his breath.

“Oh, shush you,” Sid said as she rolled her eyes as she elbowed her husband in the ribs.

“Woman!”

“They have a table for us,” Darkness said softly.

“Hmmmm…. I think we should have dessert this time.”

“I like what we had for dessert last time,” Darkness grinned as Trigg continued to complain and grumble. “We can always fuck like rabbits, make a shit ton of noise and payback your parents for listening to them.”

“I like the way you think,” Camille admitted as they headed to the door where the hostess stood waiting for them.

“Are we here for you to brag that you did not do what you said you would?” Trigg growled out as they followed the woman to the C-shaped booth that overlooked the river. He gave a soft oomph before hissing out “Woman!”

“You’ll shush it,” Sid hissed back in warning.

“Should I worry?” Darkness asked as he helped his wife slide into the booth.

“No,” she laughed as he slid onto the seat next to her. “Just be grateful that the kids are staying at friend’s houses tonight. We may be competing to see who’s louder tonight.”

Grinning at his wife, his eyes twinkled, “Challenge accepted.”

“What do you recommend?” Sid asked as she looked at the leather-bound menu.

“I like the St. Andrews Cross in our room,” Camille replied with a smirk.

Sid bit back her laughter as her husband glared at their youngest daughter.

“I don’t want to think about you having sex,” Trigg told his daughter.

“How do you think you’re going to get more grandbabies?” she asked her father.

“I just don’t want to think about it,” he grumbled.

“Get over it,” Sid demanded as the waiter walked up and introduced himself.

“Oh, my gosh!” Camille smiled at the man. “You were our waiter the night he proposed.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he grinned. “Y’all were my first proposal.” Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and let it out before opening his eyes and giving them a tight smile. “Sorry, I try so hard not to let my hick accent come out, but I was so excited for you two.”

“Makes you more human,” Sid assured him. “I’m assuming that the Cajun shrimp cocktail is spicy?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Henry went through the daily specials, and they placed their orders. He promised to freshen up their drinks and then gathered the menus.

“Little boy,” Trigg moved the drink menu away from the waiter. “I am not driving tonight, and that man there thinks that he can make his wife scream louder than I can make my wife scream. Plus, he’s paying tonight. I’m keeping the drink menu.”

Henry looked at Darkness who shrugged and made a motion to give the older man whatever he wanted.

“Go for it, I’m going to need water all night,” he grinned at his father-in-law. “Not only will his daughter be louder, but she’ll be screaming long after they are trying to sleep.”

“You lead a dangerous life, my friend,” Henry offered the darker man a fist bump. “Respect, man.” He then offered the same fist to Trigg, “Show that young buck what experience can do.”

Grinning, he looked at the two women, “Either way, it looks like you two will be winning tonight.”

“He’s not wrong,” Camille told her mom as they clinked glasses again.

“May we both survive the night,” Sid offered with a smile.

“And if we don’t,” Camille laughed, “that’s a hell of a way to go.”

“Death by orgasm,” Sid grinned, “I volunteer as tribute.”

“I’m glad that you find it amusing,” Trigg complained to his wife.

“Sir, I had no intention of marrying your daughter until you could give her away.”

“Then why-“

“Daddy,” Camille reached across the table and grabbed her father’s hand.

She waited until he looked at her.

“The only way that Celt could do the custody was if I was the primary guardian because he is not licensed to practice in either Arkansas or Louisiana. But because I was a legal resident of Massachusetts, he could represent me. And by extension, my husband.”

His face fell as he looked at Darkness. The dark jaw was tightened and his teeth ground together. Trigg let out a long deep breath.

“I’m sorry,” he told his daughter’s husband. “I thought that you had just run off and got married after I asked you not to.”

Darkness forced himself to relax, “I promised that you could walk your daughter the aisle, and I plan to keep that promise. We did what we had to do to protect my brother’s kids. And I don’t regret it. I love her, and I love those kids.”

Nodding he agreed, “I was out of line.”

Henry returned and placed the Cajun shrimp cocktail in front of Sid and then the shared appetizer and small plates in the center of the table. Another waiter walked up and brought the refills of the drinks.

“Oh, damn,” Sid shook her head. “That’s hot! Babe we’ve got to move down here.”