by Quinn, Taryn
“Yes. Charge your cards in the moonlight and your crystals in the sun. Some also like to do the crystals by the moon, but in my opinion, they get most of their energy from the sun.”
She touched the jagged tip of a tower of amethyst. “I’m not sure why they bring me so much happiness, but they do. And I agree, the sun makes them sparkle. Anything that happy should go together, right?”
“Exactly.”
Tabitha Monaghan came up behind me and peered over my shoulder. “Do we need to buy that many,” she whispered.
I pulled her forward, laughing at the notebook clutched in her arms. She owned Sugar Rush, the cake and confections shop in town. She’d moved into the building just before me. We’d bonded over wrestling her Christmas tree down the stairs. Chicks had to stick together.
While Forrester seemed like a pretty good landlord, his maintenance guy wasn’t on the property. And little things like helping a damsel in distress weren’t high on the coverage on our apartment app. If it wasn’t leaking, on fire, or broken, we were on our own.
It was pretty much how Tabitha, Kylie, and I had banded together.
“Taking notes?”
Tabitha pushed her glasses up her nose. “I have many questions.”
“I might have answers. Probably better ones with some of that sangria I saw on the table.”
Tabitha brightened. “Oh, it’s very good. I found the recipe on Pinterest. Mrs. Wainwright made margaritas too.”
“Bess, dear.” The older woman waved her off. “I’m already old enough to be your grandmother. Don’t make me feel any older.”
“Right.” Tabitha flushed. “It was really nice of you to put this together for our class.”
“I like to do it up in style.” Bess swayed lightly. “I also got a few of these for the next few days. I purposely did not move to Florida because I dislike this sort of heat.” She picked up her margarita and went back to the main table. “Now let’s eat then we can have our little class.”
Kylie Fisher burst through the door, looking decidedly disheveled. She tried to brush her hair out of her face. “Sorry, I’m late. I got…detained.”
Tabitha sat down in a chair on the right side of the table, then stacked cheese, pepperoni, and some sort of pickled thing. “You mean Justin detained you.”
I grinned. “Ah, young love.”
Kylie nibbled on her lower lip. “He’s very distracting.”
“So’s that hickey on your neck,” Tabitha said with a sigh before munching on her mini sandwich.
Kylie slid into the chair next to her. “Well, we can get you a guy, right?” She glanced over at me. “Can we practice a love reading maybe?”
I folded myself into one of the big round chairs. “Well, that’s half of my client calls.” I pulled my romance reading deck out of my bag, then tucked the canvas bag behind me. “Let’s start with what questions should we ask.”
“Will I find love?” Kylie asked.
I pointed at her with my hand full of cards. “Don’t be greedy. Ask the universe that and you’ll make trouble.”
Kylie’s eyes went wide. “Oh, no. I got my man. No one else can have him.”
I started shuffling. “When you’re asking the cards a question like that…” I flipped a card. “You get something like Two of Pentacles. While not a bad card, it doesn’t give you many details. This could mean you’ll find someone who will balance you. Kinda a meh reading though. And from what I know about Justin, he balances you, girl, but that probably doesn’t apply to Tabitha. So, you asked a vague question, and the cards gave you the wrong answer.”
Kylie frowned. “Okay, so more like, will Tabitha find a man soon?”
“Better, but still, soon means different things to everyone. Soon could be tomorrow or this year.”
“Can you get super specific?” Tabitha asked, her pen poised.
Something niggled deep inside of me. Teaching was heavier than I thought it would be. I could turn them away from the cards, or draw them in closer. I’d done my research when I’d first gotten into reading cards, but there was such a feel to being a tarot reader. You could learn the meanings of the cards, but if you didn’t trust yourself to interpret them, you’d never go beyond spouting off definitions by rote.
“Tarot can sometimes help there. The suits can offer some insight for timing, but you could do something tomorrow that will change everything. That’s why Tarot isn’t the be all end all for divining. It was actually created to be a game for the bored rich.”
“Isn’t everything?” Bess asked from the head of the table. She was sitting back, relaxed, with a big goblet of an icy pink drink.
“Rather accurate, right? But when it comes to love, things can be ever in flux. One of my favorite Tarot teachers always says nothing is ever fixed in stone. The tarot cards tell a story, but you write the ending.”
I didn’t know why that in particular was hitting me hard tonight, as if the universe wanted me to keep that in mind going forward.
Not that I ever let myself forget it for long. But we all needed reminders now and then.
Even the one teaching others.
“That’s true.” Tabitha started scribbling in her notebook. “So, the more direct questions will get a direct answer.”
I grinned. “As direct as tarot can get. The cards like to call you out sometimes, and other times, they are vague. Let’s try something like, has Tabitha met the man she’s going to get involved with?”
I shuffled and closed my eyes. I hadn’t intended on doing a reading for anyone tonight. Normally, I had a few rituals I did to prepare, but this was just friends talking over drinks.
Speaking of that…
I opened one eye. “Tabitha, can you pour me some of that sangria?”
“Oh, sure.” She got up and went to the big pitcher.
With her studious energy redirected, I centered myself and focused on the question. She was a sweet girl with a bit of loneliness in her eyes.
I pulled the Ace of Pentacles and The Moon. The deck I was using had a dreamy feminine vibe focused on empowerment. Both images mirrored one another. Our fair Tabitha was just starting her journey. And it didn’t really include a man yet from what I could tell. She probably wouldn’t like that answer.
But half of my job was giving people answers they didn’t really want. It was up to her to work through it.
Tabitha set the goblet of golden sangria full of apples, pears, and raspberries. I smiled up at her and closed my fingers over her hand. “Love is sometimes blocked for a reason.”
She swallowed and looked down. “Maybe.”
I firmed my grip, watching her aura vibrate between a blue that told me she was feeling very sad and alone and a golden sweetness. I tapped the cards I’d set down on the table. “Maybe you’re just at the beginning of the journey to find your guy. This Ace is always a sign of good things to come. But you have to trust yourself.”
“I’m not really great at that.”
I smiled up at her. “We’ll teach you how to get started, okay?”
She nodded. “I’d like that.”
Impulsively, I stood and hugged her. I didn’t share my personal space with just anyone. She didn’t seem to know what to do at first, then her arms looped around my back.
“Oh, I need to get in on that.” Kylie jumped up and wrapped around Tabitha’s back until we were all giggling like lunatics.
“Okay, that got heavy.” I dabbed at my eyes. “The heat is probably getting to all of us.”
A loud bang from the front of the building had all of us moving to the half wall. I peered down and found Lucky and Caleb wrestling with a marble-topped table.
We were too far away to hear what they were saying, but I went on my tiptoes when Caleb stepped back and lifted the bottom of his T-shirt to wipe his face.
“Why is that so hot?” Tabitha was craning her neck too.
“I wish I could tell you.”
Bess came up beside me. “Because that boy has abs
for days, that’s why.”
I laughed and looped my arm around Bess’s. “That he does. And arms and shoulders.”
“Teachers didn’t look like that when I was a girl. Hell, most teachers were women unless they were professors.”
“Well, women are the smarter gender anyway. But I’m sure he does well enough.”
Bess patted my hand. “You’re right there, my dear.” She took one last look over the edge and shook her head. “They are pretty, but today is about us girls, not sweaty men.”
Kylie brushed her finger over one of the wilted flowers dotting a planter along the half wall. “Sweaty men always have a place as far as I’m concerned.”
“Wait until you’re over sixty, Kylie,” Bess said and floated back to the table.
Kylie glanced at me. “Pretty sure I’m always going to want a sweaty guy. Especially if he’s over me.”
I laughed. “C’mon, you don’t like to be on top?”
Kylie’s eyes sparkled. “Sometimes. But Justin sure looks good when he’s pinning me down.” She winked and followed Bess.
Tabitha’s eyes were wide. “Did she say pinning?”
I laughed. “She sure did.”
“Have you done that? I mean, been pinned?” She crossed her arms over her middle, fascination and surprise tingeing her voice.
I grinned. “I tend to do the pinning.”
A delighted laugh bubbled out of Tabitha. “I’m so glad you helped me with my Christmas tree. I never would’ve had the guts to meet someone like you if we hadn’t bumped into each other.”
“Like me?” I gave one last look over the wall and enjoyed Caleb’s flexing biceps before I steered Tabitha back to the table.
“So outgoing and sure of yourself. I could never be like that.”
“Fake it til you make it, girl. And add in a little self care to believe you’re worth it.” It had taken me a damn long time to find myself, but I’d become a helper for a reason. Maybe being a teacher was more of a calling than I thought.
The Universe was a weird and wonderful thing.
I gave her an encouraging smile. “Let’s learn about those cards. They can help a bit.”
She nodded. “I’m ready.”
Her spirit made me grin. “You sure are.”
“Hey, what do your cards say about finding love?” Kylie asked before biting her lip. “I mean, for you. You’re single, right? Or you don’t want to go there right now.”
I shuffled again to give my hands something to do. “I’m open to whatever happens.”
Within reason, I added mentally.
And hey, if pinning was involved, maybe I’d just take that as a sign from a benevolent goddess.
Three
“Wakey, wakey.”
I fumbled for my phone. Wait, that wasn’t my phone. “Ugh, Ry?”
“Did you forget something?” Ryan Moon’s voice came out of my speaker.
We both had our Alexa devices set up so we could drop in on one another. I’d thought it was a good idea when I made her set it up.
I rolled onto my back and quickly kicked my foot out to touch the floor of my bedroom to stop the spinning.
“Did we have a podcast?”
“We did, but we can reschedule.” She paused. “Are you sick?”
I pulled the pillow over my face. “Maybe.”
“I can’t hear you.”
I flipped it back. “Maybe.”
“That sounds more like hungover.”
“Maybe.”
Ryan’s husky laugh filled my bedroom. “What did you do last night? I thought you were just getting together to talk about tarot with some people.”
“There was sangria and margaritas and finger food.”
“So, more drinks than eating going on, huh?”
“Ugh. Yes.” I rolled up to a seated position and the room only shifted a little. I may still have been drunk. “I think Tabitha dumped way more than just wine into that sangria.”
“Well, if you make it right—or like half the Pinterest recipes—there’s usually triple sec in there too.”
“Ugh. She did say it was from Pinterest.” Based on the taste at the back of my tongue, I’d bet it was more like brandy. It never, ever treated me well. “Would you hate me if we skipped it tonight?”
“No big. We can do it tomorrow. Want me to bring over the hangover cure?”
“Oh.” I sighed as I rubbed my stomach. “You don’t mind? I mean, technically I could walk across the way to the diner.”
She laughed. “Nah. I’m bored anyway. I’ll be there with a meatloaf special.”
“You’re the best.”
“As long as you’re aware of that fact, the bestie status is sound. See ya in a bit.”
I dragged myself out of my bed and padded to the bathroom. I looked like death dipped in glitter. Somehow I’d lost my shorts and kept my bra—which was usually the first thing I took off—and had one sandal on.
“You’re a mess.”
There was no fixing that without a shower. I stripped off what was left of my outfit from the night before and scrubbed my face, hair, and person. It was still as hot as the surface of the sun according to my phone app so I dragged on a pair of boxer shorts I’d stolen from an old boyfriend and a tank top. I put my hair up into space buns to get it out of my face.
By the time I stumbled into the kitchen, I was slightly better. Post coffee and Tylenol, I was closer to human. I switched to lemon water to rehydrate for the wine I was sure that was in my future, then forced myself to settle on my yoga mat and stretch out the rest of the kinks from drunk sleep.
Which was definitely not the best kind of sleep.
I got a text from Ryan that she was around the corner, so I jumped up to set my small table and put on some music. Feeling a little more like myself, I danced around the room to my favorite boy band. They were infectious and had surprisingly well-written songs, and I didn’t even care that I was staring at the wrong end of twenty as the British dudes of One Direction became my dinner playlist.
I heard a noise in the hall—what amounted to a yowling cat singing along to “Stockholm Syndrome”, and fumbling at my doorknob.
“Man, I knew your voice was terrible, Ry—” I opened the door.
A very sunburned and slightly unsteady on his feet Caleb Beck was at my door. He was frowning and looking at his keys then back up at me. “Oh, sorry.” He swayed a bit and smiled. “Hey, it’s my favorite neighbor.” He leaned in. “Gosh, you smell good.”
I put my hand on his chest and pushed him back into the hall. “Wrong door, Romeo.”
He frowned down at his keys again. “Well, that’s why it didn’t work.” Then his gaze tripped over my very braless chest and down to my legs. “Have mercy.”
I laughed and turned him around. “Okay, Uncle Jesse. Your place is that way.”
He glanced over his shoulder with an exaggerated whisper. “Sorry. I really shouldn’t have had that third beer on the fairway. Damn Lucky and his craft beer. I got a little lost.”
“I hope you weren’t driving.”
“P’shaw. No. I’m a resp-respons—respectable teacher, and I would never do such a thing.”
I took his keys from him. “Good to know.”
He leaned against the wall beside his door, his flyaway overlong hair in his eyes. “You are really pretty.”
“Thank you.”
He reached out for my hair, flicking the little curls sticking out of my space buns. “Are you wearing pigtails?”
I unlocked his door and handed him his keys. “I am.”
“That shouldn’t be hot.”
“And yet I’m a-freaking-dorable.”
He laughed. “You are.” His eyes were soft and sweet and a lot unfocused. Much as I’d been last night with my friends.
“And so are you. Didn’t realize you knew all the words to One Direction.”
He shrugged and tried to straighten up, but ended up leaning on the wall again. “Seven-year-olds w
ill always love Harry Styles.”
“So do twenty-something-year olds.”
“Don’t tell anyone,” he was back to the exaggerated whisper, “but some of the songs are pretty good. Catchy. Especially this one.” The end of the song floated into the hallway. “Hey, do you want to kidnap me?”
“Not really.”
“Aww.” He hiccupped. “I’d be a good captive. I clean up after myself.” He shouldered open his door to show off his pristine apartment save for a few boxes in the corner. They must’ve done a lot of arranging last night. He even had a rug that was surprisingly not beige propped up against the wall. “I’m housebroken and everything.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. No, my nipples were not reacting to a male who had their shit together. Or that even when he was a tad drunk, he made me want to lean in and take a good whiff. He just had to smell like bergamot—spicy and warm. One of my favorite essential oils, of freaking course. “Good to know.” I took a big step back. “Think you can manage now that you’re in the right apartment?”
He held on to the door to steady himself. “If I said I needed help out of my clothes, would that be too forward?”
“Yes.” But I couldn’t stop the bubble of laughter from escaping.
He sighed and hung his head. “Okay. I think I’m good.”
Dammit, he really was adorable. A rumpled golf shirt was half untucked from his khakis and his face was almost glowing red. My witchy self couldn’t leave him in that state. And I didn’t want to think about undressing him too much, but I held up a finger. “Wait a second.”
“Did you change your mind?”
“No.”
Disappointment creased his brow. “You sure?”
“Well, I’m going to help you but not to get undressed.”
I stepped back just in time for Ryan, my best friend in all the world, to appear in the hall with two bags and her eyebrows raised almost to her hairline.
“Hello.” She glanced from me toward a swaying Caleb. “Did I interrupt something?”
