It had been the best advice of my life. After reading the slim volume, I knew I’d found my calling. The ancient art form of feng shui originated before electricity and was largely based around energy movement and intention. Even better, unlike my gift, the invisible powers of feng shui could be channeled into a fulfilling career.
Nine years later, I had absorbed everything I could about feng shui, and I was still in love with it. I could talk feng shui for hours, but only to people who were interested.
“Hudson doesn’t believe in feng shui, Sofie. It’s okay.”
“No, I’d like you to explain it,” Hudson said.
I took a sip of wine to give myself a moment to collect my thoughts. Hudson was an electronics guy, which meant he was a science guy. I tried to put it in terms he would understand. “Everything you see is one of two things,” I said, “energy or matter. Right?” Hudson nodded. “You interact with the objects, or matter, in your house daily, and these interactions can positively or negatively affect your energy. If your house isn’t supporting you, you might feel depressed or apathetic instead of joyful or energized. Whether you intend to or not, you’re going to carry this energy with you wherever you go. To follow the analogy, you’re far less likely to find the love of your life if you’re moping about. But if you change your energy by changing the objects in your home, then you can change the way you interact with the world and the way the world interacts with you.”
“So, what, by putting a plant on my doorstep, I’ll suddenly find the love of my life because it changed my energy?” Hudson asked.
“No. Not exactly. Just like there are rules to the way the world works—the laws of physics and all that—there are some guiding rules to feng shui. The plant would probably help your career more than anything.” I had pamphlets to help my clients understand the guiding principles of feng shui, but I didn’t think Hudson wanted to read the literature. “I think the best way to understand it is this: Feng shui has strong roots in common sense. You’d be surprised how often people forget it when decorating. They don’t have enough light in a room; they crowd furniture or plants near the door; they clutter their garages with so much junk they can’t fit their vehicle. All these little and big annoyances add up. They block your chi, which—”
“Don’t get too technical, Eva,” Sofie interrupted. She turned to Hudson. “Eva does magic, my dear. She’s trying to dress it down with science and mundane terminology, but it comes down to magic. She can enter a space and tell you what you need to change to make it feel better. She can walk through a person’s house and know things about them their shrinks don’t, just from their environment.”
“You’re making it sound too wishy-washy,” I said, knowing she’d cost me whatever credence I’d gained with Hudson.
“I guess I’ll have to take this house as proof that whatever you do with feng shui, it works,” Hudson said diplomatically.
“You could always hire Eva to feng shui your home.”
“I don’t know about that. I rather like my bachelor pad. And my life.”
* * *
I left the light on when I went to bed. The lamp would last at least an hour in my relaxed state, but I knew I wouldn’t have to wait that long. I had barely cracked open I’m a Stranger Here Myself when I heard the side door open. The door led directly to the bathroom along a tiled hallway, ideal for wet swimmers. I listened for the click of Dali’s toenails, but it was only Sofie who peeked into the studio-style bedroom.
“Where’s Dali?” I asked.
“Bunking down with his new best friend. They’re curled together on his blanket, neither of them really fitting. I wanted to take a picture, but since we’re not supposed to have Kyoko . . .”
I sat up and propped a pillow behind me. Sofie settled on top of the covers beside me and did the same. She had changed into lightweight flannel pants and a short-sleeve baggy shirt sporting a Starry Night print. Her feet were bare, and her toenails were adorned with lavender polish.
“Jenny knows about the curse?”
“She figured it out. She threatened to tell people—newspapers, scientists—if I didn’t help her.” My voice quavered. Saying it aloud made it sound even worse.
Sofie took my hand and squeezed it. “Does she really want Kyoko back?”
“Yes. Definitely. She seemed scared, but not scared about having Kyoko. I think something else had her spooked.”
“Good.”
“I don’t know how we’re going to find her,” I said. “Hudson may have coworkers who can look, but . . . but what if they fail? What am I supposed to do?”
“Nothing. She found you once; she’ll find you again. If you can’t find her, patience will sort this all out.”
“What’s to stop her from telling people even if I do everything she asks?”
“Nothing.” Sofie smiled. “But she’s known for ten years, and she hasn’t said anything, so I don’t think she’s going to go blabbing now. You did the right thing. It’s not going to hurt anyone for us to watch Kyoko for a few days.”
“And if we learn something awful about her and can’t give Kyoko back, what then?”
“Then we face whatever happens. Between your mom, your nana, and me, we won’t let anything happen to you.”
But if Jenny convinced someone, anyone, to examine my curse seriously, I wouldn’t be the only one under scrutiny. They’d want to know where I got this ability, and how. They’d check my family first. The thought of reporters or scientists nosing around Sofie or Nana Nevie made my head hurt. Around my mother—the thought sent a chill down my spine. If I ruined her career, I didn’t think it’d matter if scientists commandeered my life; she would make it a living hell first.
“All the what-ifs in the world are not going to change a thing, so I suggest you spend your energy more wisely. Speaking of which, I got Hudson all tucked in.”
I laughed even as I spied the finger puppets. I considered picking my book back up, but my curiosity about what she’d seen on Hudson stayed my hand.
“Spit it out. What did you see?”
“Oh, I saw lots. He’s a good man. Very intriguing. He handled the cars breaking down well, don’t you think?”
“About how most people would.”
“And Kyoko and Jenny, he handled that about how most people would?”
“What are you trying to say, Sofie?”
“You know exactly what I’m saying. He’s attractive. He’s adaptable. He’s—”
“A career electricity man.”
Sofie shrugged. The finger puppets were replaced with the fairy godmother wand. “He’s attracted to you. I’m just saying you shouldn’t let little things get in the way of your happiness.”
I twisted to look straight at Sofie. She knew I wasn’t pining away for my Prince Charming, so why the campaign now? “You’re pushing. Why?”
“I like Hudson. He’s complex. He’s nice. I like what I see when he looks at you.”
“Like what?”
“Like the way he couldn’t tear his eyes off you when you were bathing Kyoko and when you were sitting on the couch. Like the way you sneak glances at him when you think he and I aren’t looking.”
“Don’t play games. What did you see? Did you see us together?”
“You know it doesn’t work like that.”
“Bull. You saw Nana Nevie with Theo the first time they met. A crossroads moment for them both.” Nana Nevie and Theo’s marriage had lasted two years and three months—a normal-length marriage for Nana. While they’d been together, you couldn’t be in a room with them without knowing in your bones that they loved each other. When they’d divorced, it had been an amicable parting, and they were still friends, as Nana was with all her ex-husbands.
“Mom’s a lot more open to love than you are,” Sofie said softly.
I opened my mouth to protest, then closed it. I was open to love, but I didn’t believe in the One True Love and it didn’t believe in me. Men were wonderful in short doses, which
was all my curse allowed. Lasting love was a myth. On some level, Sofie agreed with me. She had never married. She had long-term relationships, but they were always an afterthought, something tucked in around everything else she enjoyed. No man had ever shared her home.
The women in my family didn’t experience fairy-tale, lifelong-monogamy love. Maybe we weren’t capable of it. Even Nana Nevie, so open to love, didn’t follow the traditional path. She had been married five times in my lifetime and three times before my birth. My mother had married once. It had lasted three months before the annulment. The man hadn’t been my father. She hadn’t married since, and as far as I knew, she’d never come close again.
“I want you to be happy, Eva.”
“I am happy.”
“You’re content. Happy is different.”
“Content feels like happy.”
“Content is a bland cousin to happy.”
“You think a man is going to make me happy?”
“No. A man isn’t. But finding the right person to share your love with? Yes, that will make you happy.” The wand disappeared. A plate of coffee cake sat on her lap. Uh-oh.
“Where’s this going, Sofie?”
“The same place all your missed opportunities go, if you let the damn curse rule your life,” Sofie said, her voice sharp.
“It doesn’t rule my life. I have relationships.”
“You’re a serial dater. You play with men. You don’t have relationships.”
“Tell that to Antonio or Locke or Jordan.”
“You just proved my point.”
“I don’t know what your point is. Did you or did you not see something on Hudson?”
“Yes.” For a long moment, she stared at the cover of the book on my lap, or possibly at something else she saw there. “I saw danger represented—”
“Danger?”
“—and adventure and a puzzle that unlocked with a key you held.”
I swallowed. “That could mean a lot of things.”
“It does.”
“How dangerous?” I asked.
She shrugged. The coffee cake still sat on her lap. Despite her vague air, she was laser focused on meddling in my life. The problem was, she knew exactly which of my buttons to push. If she’d told me Hudson was safe or reliable—chemistry be damned—I would have kept my distance. A dangerous puzzle, though . . .
She stood, kissed my forehead, and then headed for the door. “This is going to be fun,” she said.
“Sofie . . .”
“Sleep tight, Eva.”
“Sofie!”
The door clicked shut behind her. I flopped back against my pillow and glared at the empty room. “Great. Now I want coffee cake.”
CHAPTER SIX
My first thought when I woke was of Hudson stripping in the hallway. The image had burned into my brain, right down to the tantalizing rise of his butt and that teasing grin. It wasn’t a bad way to wake up.
I replayed last night’s conversation with Sofie while I dressed. My aunt wouldn’t lie to me, but she wasn’t above omitting details that didn’t suit her purpose. Danger and adventure and puzzle were flame-bright words to my inner moth, and she knew it. Conversely, Sofie’s interest and her belief that Hudson might have long-term potential made me leery. I appreciated a short, hot relationship. No part of me wanted a lengthy romance.
I stuttered over the thought, then decided to pretend an infinitesimal part of me wasn’t calling my bluff.
I pulled on a skirt and V-neck, saw myself in the mirror, and immediately took everything off. It looked like I was trying too hard. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a tank top. Much better. The jeans hugged my butt and the creamy tank top made my skin look golden and flashed a hint of cleavage. Sexy without being overt. By the light of a Coleman glass lantern, I brushed brown mascara over my lashes, darkened my eyebrows, and slathered on sunscreen. I left my hair down and wavy, but I tucked a hair band into my pocket for easy access.
The sun was hidden behind the Santa Monica hills, but it glinted off the ocean’s waves. I paused on the pool house patio to take in the serenity of Sofie’s home, hearing the silence as much as any sound. No traffic noises, no sirens, no music. Just the ocean’s murmur scored by the cries of seagulls and the rustle of wind through the high fronds of the palm trees lining the property. I loved my apartment. I loved living in the city, where I could walk to everything I needed and buses circulated every few minutes. But I always missed this quiet.
Kyoko trumpeted, and a flock of pigeons burst from the eaves. Dali barked, circling Kyoko with a stick in his mouth. When he saw me, he galloped toward me, Kyoko thundering after him.
“Shoot!” I clutched my bag and sprinted across the yard to the main house. Dali thought it was a game, and he ran circles around me while I dodged the sharp end of the stick. Kyoko bugled again. In desperation, I grabbed the stick and threw. Both Dali and Kyoko spun and gave chase. I leapt the porch steps and burst through the back door, slamming it behind me. Hudson and Sofie laughed at me from their front-row seats on the couch.
“Thanks for the help,” I said, tossing my bag down and gulping air.
Hudson was fully dressed. Not that I expected him to be lounging around my aunt’s house without his shirt on, but a girl could hope. His gaze rested a fraction too long on my heaving chest before he looked down at his mug. Sofie smirked when she met my gaze. The wolf sat at her side, facing Hudson, its tongue lolling in a canine grin. A full moon floated above Hudson’s head. I glanced from the wolf to the moon and back. Not even Sofie could project an apparition to coordinate with someone else’s. It was a coincidental cultural association. And creepy.
“I’ve got pancake batter all ready to go,” Sofie said, rising.
Hudson grinned. “I haven’t eaten this good in years, Sofie.”
“Stick around, Hudson. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
“Do you want some help?” I asked Sofie when she passed me.
“Oh, no. This won’t take a moment. Sit. Relax.”
I narrowed my eyes at her and she gave me a false innocent look. I sat, selecting a chair far from the kitchen and across from Hudson.
“Good news,” he said. “I don’t know how, but the Suburban works. I drove down to the gas station and back without a problem.”
“Looks like your bad luck broke,” Sofie said from the kitchen.
“That’s great,” I said. “How’s it look?”
“Trashed.” A silver terrier popped into the air at his feet.
We sat in silent commiseration until Sofie called us to set the table.
“I got Jenny’s last known address,” Hudson said after we all helped ourselves to fluffy pancakes from the tiered platter in the middle of the table. “It’s in Arlington Heights, close to Koreatown. I thought we could drop by the gallery to pick up your car; then we’ll have a vehicle when we drop the Suburban somewhere to get it detailed.”
I stuffed a bite into my mouth and chewed while I thought of the best lie for this situation.
“Eva doesn’t have a license,” Sofie said baldly.
I bugged my eyes at her and swallowed too quickly. I gulped some orange juice and met Hudson’s gaze. His expression flattened, and thick black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.
“You don’t have a license.” It sounded like an accusation.
“Uh, not right now. It got, ah, revoked.”
Sofie sighed.
“For what?”
“For . . .” I came up blank.
“For not paying her parking tickets,” Sofie said. Hudson likely mistook the irritation in her voice to be disappointment over my supposedly delinquent payments, not my lie.
“Wow. You must have had a lot of tickets,” Hudson said.
“Parking is limited near my apartment.” That, at least, was the truth, according to Ari.
“Huh.” Hudson leaned back in his chair. The glasses disappeared. He steepled his hands and a Rubik’s Cube popped into existence above his
fingers. “Well, we can work with that, I guess.”
* * *
Sofie saw us off from the front porch, a wolf seated at her side. The wolf had a pipe in its mouth. I hadn’t seen that one before.
“Come back anytime, Hudson,” she said, giving him a hug before squeezing me tight. “Give him a chance, Eva,” she whispered.
“Hopefully we’ll be back later today with Jenny,” Hudson said.
We drove with the windows down even though the cool morning air pebbled my skin. With the windows up, the stench would have suffocated us, and the wind helped dry the back. Hudson turned the heater on our feet, and for a while it worked. Noise from the wind and traffic made it difficult to hold a conversation, so I didn’t try. I focused on keeping my emotions calm, which meant burying my guilt for involving my aunt. I had literally left my problem at her doorstep, and even though we had a plan, chances were it wouldn’t work. Jenny would prove to be insane, and I would be responsible for my aunt being implicated in this illegal fiasco.
I focused on suppressing my curse and picturing lush fields of grass and sky, open and peaceful. Hudson’s topless image overlaid it and my heart rate spiked. I pictured lounging in my bathtub, but then a naked Hudson was rubbing soapy hands down my body. The Suburban’s electric locks protested with a zit-zit sound. I pounced on a mental image of Chatter, Ari’s cat. As a Bengal breeding reject, Chatter couldn’t decide if she wanted to be a wild cat, a lap cat, or a dog, and I loved her. As we cruised down the 10, I replayed some of my favorite memories of Chatter as a kitten. Hudson—half naked or otherwise—didn’t intrude.
Miraculously, the Suburban survived over a half hour with me as a passenger. The electronic windows and locks, the dash displays and clock, and the heater didn’t, but the engine was only just beginning to putter and clunk when we coasted into a business park and bounced over an endless line of speed bumps. Five-story concrete buildings loomed on all sides, with pockets of trees cowering in spindly groupings. Hudson passed the parking garage and parked in one of the few empty spaces near double doors discreetly marked with EliteGuard’s logo. He pulled out a new flip phone he’d picked up on his morning gas run. The black screen stared back at him. He crunched the power button. Nothing happened to the phone, but tiles of the weird metal city on green plastic sprouted around Hudson’s torso like body armor.
Tiny Glitches: A Magical Contemporary Romance Page 8
