Tea Leaves and First Kisses (His Cup of Tea #3)
Chapter 1
Mischa
Filling the mug with rich hot chocolate, I finish the job with a swirl of whipped cream on top and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
"That looks absolutely divine, Mischa," Jenni Lane says to me when I hand her the beverage.
"Let me know how you like the spices. It's a new recipe we're trying out this winter."
She takes a sip in front of me and her eyes roll back in her head.
"Oh, Mischa, this is fantastic," she says. "Damn, there's no way I'm going to have any left by the time I get back to work."
Laughing, I say goodbye and think that she's probably right. Sea Glass Community Soccer Foundation isn't exactly in the heart of downtown, so given her reaction, there's no way that hot cocoa survives her commute back.
The afternoon is busy with folks popping by to try our various hot cocoa flavors.
In the winter, Frederick and I keep Sea Glass Scoops closed during the week.
But on the weekend, we continue to offer ice cream for those who are crazy enough to want it in this weather, but also several types of hot cocoa.
This has proved not only popular with the locals but also the tourists who come for the Christmas ambiance of downtown Sea Glass.
When the clock hits five, Frederick turns off the open sign and locks the front door. I begin the closing routine.
"What are you and Ada up to tonight?"
"Anniversary dinner. The Driftwood Room," he replies.
"You are shitting me. Has it seriously been a year since you two got married?"
Frederick laughs.
"Yes. A year ago, you were in Europe avoiding my wedding," he jokes.
"Dude, I was not avoiding your wedding. That trip was planned for the two years beforehand," I say, although I know he's teasing.
"I know. I know. I'm just kidding," Frederick says, slapping me on the back. "But, yeah, it's been an entire year."
"Man, that's awesome."
I count the bills quietly to myself, then involuntarily let out a sigh.
"What's up?" Frederick asks.
"Nothing. Just stupid stuff," I say with a shrug.
"I love stupid stuff," he jokes.
"Oh, just me wondering if I'll ever find what you have found. I'm literally turning 50 next year, and, well, I feel a bit pathetic."
"You are definitely not pathetic, and not only that, you are an American hero," Frederick says, with a tinge of defensiveness in his tone.
"Not anymore. That was thirty years ago."
"Who the fuck gives a shit if it was thirty years ago? You literally risked your life for this country and have the scars to prove it," my partner says forcefully.
Right on cue, my thighs suddenly feel extra stiff.
"It's not just that. I mean, obviously, it is that.
It's the whole reason I never became intimate with a woman for so long.
And then once I was fully healed, both physically and mentally, after lord knows how many years of therapy, well, you know, it's difficult walking around as a grown-ass man who is a virgin. "
"I'm not going to pretend to understand how that feels," Frederick says, "but it doesn't mean that you should feel dumb or anything like that. You are a hero, and you have suffered a lot because of that heroism. You're also a fantastic guy, Mischa."
"Oh, how sweet," I joke.
"Shut up," he says, giving me a playful punch in the arm. "But seriously, you're a great guy, and any woman would be lucky to have you."
Nodding, I give a small smile. Right then, there's a knock on the back door, and a minute later, Frederick produces his wife, Ada.
"Hey, Ada, happy anniversary."
She gives me a kiss hello and then grabs me by the shoulders, squeezing them.
"And when do you think you'll be celebrating an anniversary? It's about time you got yourself a woman who appreciates how rad you are."
Frederick chokes on a laugh.
"Babe, we were literally just talking about that before you showed up."
Rolling my eyes, I say, "Frederick was talking about it. Apparently, I'm in the middle of an ambush."
"Oh, really?" Ada says, turning to me with interest. "Well, you know how Frederick and I met, right?"
"Through Selwyn, right? Didn't he make you a custom piece of jewelry or something that Fred brought over?" I ask as I organize the counter.
"Well, yeah," she says, "but it all happened first because I went to that Psychic Sands Shoppe down the street from here."
Looking up at her, I can't help but open my mouth slightly in surprise. Ada is a very pragmatic person.
As if she can read my thoughts, she says, "My friend Lorna dragged me there."
"Is that the friend with the mohawk?" I ask.
Ada laughs. "No. I don't think you two have met yet. She actually just moved to town a few weeks ago from Maryland. She was too jealous of my move and loves Cape Cod."
"Oh, that's great. For you, I mean. You must be happy," I say.
"I am. But Mischa, you should totally go visit Lady Merla. If I hadn't, I don't know if I ever would have bumped into Frederick in the first place. Which was right out front of here."
"Oh, I kind of remember that," I say offhandedly.
"If it hadn't been for Lady Merla, I never would have followed my instinct to this ice cream shop. I think you should totally grab an appointment with her."
"I'll think about it."
It takes me over a week before curiosity forces my hand.
While Frederick is covering the shop with our employee, Kay, I walk down Main Street, past the Christmas fair booths dotting closed-to-traffic Main Street, to my tea leaf reading appointment.
When I enter the Psychic Sands Shoppe, the thick scent of incense and candle wax burning meets my nose.
A purple-haired woman guides me to the back velvet curtains where I am met by a tiny silver-haired lady with bright violet-blue eyes.
"Mischa. Correct?" she says to me.
"Yes, ma'am," I say, sitting before her.
She pours me a cup of tea, telling me to focus on my question while I drink it. Ada mentioned how she personally didn't have a question and just sort of had a broad thought. Her fortune was vague, and she thinks that was why.
But even with my specific focusing, and the minutes that pass as Lady Merla studies the wet tea leaf formations on my saucer, all she tells me when she places her soft wrinkled hand upon mine is to follow the colors.