Chapter 6 #4
“We want to see how the reader does with skeptics,” Andrea said. “It’s easy to perform well when you have a believer in front of you. Just be your usual cynical self, Wren dear.”
Okay, then. That was something she could do.
Wren watched as Luna called in the tarot-card reader, a woman around her age dressed in a colorful peasant skirt, Jesus sandals, and crop top.
She had the expected nose ring, incredible sleeve tattoo, and beads in her dreadlocks.
She sat down, sent Wren a smile, and played with her tarot deck. Luna introduced her as Cilla.
Wren wasn’t overly fond of the amusement in her eyes. “Not a believer, huh?” Cilla asked her.
“Not even a little bit,” Wren assured her.
“So, you aren’t interested in hearing my usual spiel about vibrations, auras, and unseen energies?”
“Not even a little bit.”
“Pity,” Cilla said as she fanned the deck, old, hand-painted, and beautiful, on the table between them. “Thank you for the compliment, Effie; the deck was my grandmother’s. She painted the cards herself.”
Points for her, Wren thought. Good guess about Effie. She’d obviously done her H-Town homework.
“Do you think you could try to focus your energy on the cards, Wren?” Cilla asked, and Wren caught an ever-so-slight hint of irritation in her voice.
Okay, time to reign in her skepticism and cynicism.
She didn’t believe, but she’d been taught that everyone deserved respect.
She’d learn nothing from a choice of three random cards, but she could make it easy for Cilla.
After all, she was trying to secure a job.
She sat up, winced, and caught her eye. “Sorry,” she murmured, staring at the cards.
For some reason she was drawn to the last one to the right and pulled it away from the deck.
Cilla flipped the card over, and Wren took in the fine details of the large silver moon, the two dogs, and the vibrant colors.
“With the Moon, we are dealing with illusions and secrets, energies whispered in darkness. Often-hidden truths are surfacing. Does that resonate with you?”
Wren wrinkled her nose. It did, and kinda didn’t. If she thought hard, she could apply it to Kyro—and his stupid proposal—or to her career, where she wanted to go next. Or to Dane, who seemed hella secretive.
“Pick the next card,” Cilla said, and Wren sighed, wanting this to be over. And, she noticed, no one had offered her a coffee yet, but there were two still-full coffee cups in front of the empty chairs where, she presumed, Effie and Cedric sat. God, her headache was coming back.
As soon as she finished the thought, Andrea placed her hand on hers, and yep, gone again. Unexplainable. Also, undeniable.
Wren chose another card, the Tower this time. “Forces are conspiring to shake you up. You have new truths to learn, old habits to shake off. There’s an awakening.”
Wasn’t there always, though? Wasn’t that what life was about—steps forward, sideways, back, then a massive change of direction? Wasn’t that how you learned to grow?
Wren heard the coffee shop’s electronic “boo” and didn’t turn.
Dane was here. Maybe she knew because ripples of baby fireworks danced up and down her spine, maybe it was because her heart stuttered and sighed.
They’d yet to kiss, but her body knew he was around before the rest of her caught up.
Somehow, she recognized him on a deeper, tougher, scarier level.
He approached their table, greeted everyone—except, obviously, the ghosts—and leaned his shoulder into the wall, an amused smile on his face. “Tarot reading, Wren?”
“Not my idea,” she muttered, not looking at him.
He craned his neck to look at the cards. “Mmm, Moon card … complications and confusion. Tower card, sudden change and awakening.”
Wren spun around and hooked her arm over the back of her chair. “Get that from an ex-girlfriend?” she snarkily asked, remembering how he’d picked up information about dance studios.
He smiled at her. “One of my colleagues does tarot-card readings as a hobby.” He nodded to the deck. “You need to pick another card.”
She glared at him, huffed, and refusing to look at the spread, tapped her finger randomly and pulled a card free. Reluctantly looking down, she saw two intertwined lovers looking back at her. Her eyes flew to meet Dane’s as a chorus of oohs and aahs enveloped her.
“Such an interesting card,” Cilla cooed, sending Dane an appreciative look. “Especially since you chose it directly after he walked in.”
Seriously, she was at her limit. She needed to leave. Now. Wren pushed her chair back and looked at Luna. “She’s good. Hire her.”
Cilla threw up her hands. “But I haven’t finished your reading… The Lovers card signifies paths crossing, hearts colliding, cosmic timing—”
Wren grabbed the hem of Dane’s T-shirt and tugged him off the wall. Without letting go, she led him through the tables and out into the sunshine. Even the “boo” as they left the shop sounded disappointed.
Wren pointed across the street to The Bar. “I know it’s only a little after three, but I need a drink.”
“Sweetheart, I think you need several.”