by Ashlyn Chase
She peeked at the number and was surprised to see it was Noah. Maybe her sister was wrong. Perhaps he understood “not now” meant “probably later.” She hoped so. She diverted her course and found a quiet corner as she answered it.
“Noah?”
“Hi, Kizzy. I just wanted to ask you one thing, then I’ll leave you alone.”
“Leave? No need to do that. Please ask your question.” Maybe he did misunderstand.
“I was hoping you were sincerely busy and not just blowing me off. If it’s the first one, I’ll keep calling until we settle on a date. If not, I’ll slink away sucking my thumb, but I won’t call again.”
She laughed. “Thumb-sucking isn’t good for your teeth—and please keep asking. I wasn’t blowing you off.”
“Good!”
He sounded surprised.
“Did you think I just gave you an excuse and wouldn’t want you to call again?”
“Kind of, yeah.”
“I’m glad you checked. My sister said you’d think that. I really didn’t mean it that way.”
He let out an audible exhale. “I’m glad I talked to my sister-in-law then. She said that checking would be the only way to know.”
“You spoke to your sister-in-law about me?”
“I—well, Dante couldn’t keep his stupid mouth shut. He brought up the situation at Sunday dinner.”
“Sunday dinner? I was the subject of discussion at your family’s dinner table?”
“Sorry. Like I said, it wasn’t my intention.”
“No. It’s okay. How many people hate me for turning you down?”
He laughed. “Nobody hates you. It was me they were talking about. I was thinking I must have done something wrong. I decided to ask my sister-in-law about it privately. Dante opened his big mouth before I could do that. It probably wouldn’t have been a topic at all, except that my mother wants all of us to settle down. Be happy. Now that the older ones have, she’s pressuring us younger guys. Nothing to worry about. We’re used to dealing with pressure.”
Kizzy chuckled. “I guess I know what you mean—sort of. I’ve had that kind of pressure in reverse. ‘There’s plenty of time for that, Kizzy. Concentrate on your career, Kizzy.’” She did her best to imitate her father, but her low, gruff voice just sounded comical to her ears.
He laughed. “We might be able to get them both off our backs if we date infrequently.”
She smiled, knowing he couldn’t see it. “I suppose so. But don’t worry about that. I’m not letting other people run my life.”
“I’m not either.”
That was dumb, Kizz. Why don’t you just call him a mama’s boy? “I didn’t think you were.”
Fortunately, he cleared his throat and changed the subject. “I’m playing in a charity basketball game called the Battle of the Badges to benefit the children’s hospital. I know I’ll be on the court, but I’d like to take you out afterward.”
“Won’t you be expected to go out for beer and celebration with your teammates—provided you win, of course?”
“I can do that if you’re not interested. I’d rather take a quick shower and go out with you though. Or if you don’t feel like watching a basketball game, we can just—”
“No!” She wasn’t about to make that mistake again. “I’d love to go to the game and watch you play, then see you after, as long as I don’t have to work… When is it?”
“This Saturday.”
“Great! Yeah, I can go Saturday. What time?”
“One o’clock. I have to be there early. Would it be okay if I have Dante drop me off and then pick you up at noon? If you want me to come and get you, I’ll pick you up, but it would be early, and I’d have to borrow his car anyway—and then he’d have to be in it, because he wants to come…”
She laughed. “It’s perfectly okay to have him drop you off and then come get me. Or I can meet you there.”
They chatted a few more minutes to pin down the plan, and when she hung up, she was happy. As a parting joke, he’d said “Have a crappy day” and chuckled. She giggled and wished him a crappy day as well.
He was a little younger than she was. He didn’t have his own car. He lived with a roommate. But all that didn’t matter. It was Noah she was interested in, not his age, car, or apartment.
There were plenty of guys at the hospital with larger salaries and more possessions, and as much as her father would probably like to point that out, she didn’t think he’d be that rude. He might not like her dating a mere firefighter, but he’d have to suck it up. This was her life. Or at least her love life. Her destiny may have been decided before she was born. That in itself presented a dating challenge. “Hi, my name is Kizzy. I’m an ER doc. Oh, and by the way, my family is rather unique. We’re witches. I hope that doesn’t bother you…”
She had a sixth sense about Noah. She didn’t know for sure, but she thought she recognized a like-minded soul—or at least a trustworthy one. If she were a betting woman, she’d bet he had a secret too. It would be nice to have that level of trust with someone, eventually.
She returned to the patient who’d been waiting for their instructions and found she was able to deliver them with a smile on her face and a spring in her step.
Her sister was right. She needed this.
* * *
Dante had cleaned up the spare room, filled out his landlord’s paperwork for insurance, and done all he could do to take care of his own stupid mistake. Noah was staring at the book, comparing it to a translator app on his computer, because Dante had refused to translate any more Latin from this book.
Not that he didn’t care about what had gone wrong, but if there was nothing to be done about it, why not just let it go? They had always been different in that way. Noah needed to understand things, and Dante could just take an outcome at face value—even if the answer was one he didn’t like. He could say, “Yup. That didn’t work,” and move on. Noah had to know why it didn’t work, and he wouldn’t give up until he was sure he was beat.
It would have concerned Dante more, but Noah had promised he wouldn’t try another experiment without someone around for safety reasons, and if researching kept Noah occupied, Dante could spend more quality time with Mallory.
Lately, she had been excited about a new project. He was happy to hear the optimism in her voice when they spoke on the phone. But he wasn’t about to let her forget about the hypnotherapist either.
Checking his watch, he saw that if he left now, they could stop for coffee on the way and maybe spend a little more time together.
Staring at his brother, who was zoning out on the couch with his iPad, he asked, “Hey Noah, Joanna and I are going out. Do you need anything?”
“Hmmm… Nah.”
Noah’s preoccupied answer was what he’d hoped to hear. “I’ll be gone all afternoon. Try not to get into trouble without me.”
Noah just nodded.
The weather had been getting steadily warmer and sunnier. But even so, May in New England was unpredictable. Dante grabbed a light jacket and jogged down two sets of stairs to his Camaro. He tossed the jacket into the back seat and roared off to Mallory’s town house.
When he got there, her front door was open, but the screen was closed. He would have panicked if both doors were standing wide open. Apparently, she had been watching for him. As soon as he pulled into her driveway and shut off the engine, she appeared on her doorstep. She had on a pair of skinny jeans and a pretty green sweater that made her eyes even brighter.
With her purse hanging from her shoulder, she locked the front door and walked confidently to his car. “Hey, handsome,” she called out.
She made him smile whenever he saw her. Not just because she was beautiful, but because she genuinely seemed to like him and think he was plenty good enough for her. He wondered why he’d ever felt inferior t
o her before. She wasn’t the “perfect” girl he had thought she was in high school. They were just two people, now adults, with a bit of shared history and at least one oddity in common. That was enough for a start. More than what a lot of people started with.
She fell into the seat beside him and leaned over to give him a peck on the lips.
“You seem cheerful today,” he commented.
“I am. I’m a little nervous about this appointment, but I get to see you, so it won’t be a total waste.”
“A waste? Is that what you expect hypnosis will be?”
“Well, no. I’m just trying not to get my hopes up. If he can cure me, that would be fantastic, but it seems like a long shot—to both of us.”
He frowned as he backed out of her driveway.
“I guess we won’t know unless we try,” she continued.
The word we pleased him and made him nervous at the same time. He was involving himself in her treatment. It wasn’t as if that had happened by accident. He had deliberately inserted himself into her life against advice to the contrary. Had he done the right thing? What if the hypnotherapist uncovered the fact that she was actually half monkey on her father’s side or something… His suggestion could backfire.
But she hadn’t even talked about using hypnotherapy to get to the root of the shape-shifting. She just wanted to know why she was seeing dead people and if she could make it stop. A totally human therapist could wrap his mind around that much. Probably not shape-shifting.
“So, how is the project coming?” he asked, hoping to change the subject in his own mind to something more pleasant.
“I’m not sure. I cruised past the gallery, thinking she’d only sell stuff she herself liked, but our tastes must be wildly different. There was nothing I liked at all.”
“She’s probably not concerned with liking the stuff so much as she is with selling it. I wouldn’t worry about what you see there. Just show her what you can do. If she thinks there’s a market for it, she’ll let you know.”
“Or if there isn’t, she’ll tell me that too.”
“Come on now. People are going to love your stuff. I thought what you showed me was brilliant.” He turned toward her and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring grin. She seemed to relax as she smiled back.
“I think you’re prejudiced, but I’m glad someone’s on my side.”
“Does it feel like anyone is against you?”
“Not personally. It’s just the way the world works. Whoever has money seems to have the most value. An artist can be wildly talented and die penniless. It seems like all creativity is subjective, and an artist is at the mercy of whims.”
“It’s a gamble, for sure. So is life.”
She was quiet. Had he said something wrong? They rode in silence for a while.
When he suggested they stop for coffee, she checked the time and said, “No. I just want to get there. The Southeast Expressway could make us late. I don’t want to miss this.”
“You sound excited. I’m glad you’re open to the whole hypnosis thing. I didn’t know if you would be.”
“What other options do I have? I can’t think of anything. I don’t care if it’s a long shot. I’ll take any shot right now. The last thing I need is to chat up a bunch of invisible buyers at my first and possibly last gallery show.”
He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out.”
She was quiet for a few moments, then faced him squarely and asked, “Dante, are you sure you want to get involved with a woman like me?”
He glanced over and took in her serious expression. He desperately wanted to put a smile back on her beautiful face.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Well, some people might think I’m unstable and dangerous.”
“Don’t worry.” He flashed a grin. “I love unstable, dangerous women.”
She leaned back against the leather seat. “Well then, you’ve met your dream girl.”
* * *
“What brings you here today, Miss Summers?”
“Didn’t Dante tell you?”
“I spoke to Mr. Fierro about the problem, but I’d like to hear it in your own words. Also, I want to know what you’re hoping the outcome of our session will be.”
“Okay. I see dead people. I think. At least I see and can speak to people who others say aren’t there. It’s confusing, because I don’t know who’s real and who isn’t. For all I know, it’s all an elaborate hoax and everyone is in on it but me.”
“That must be disturbing.”
“Yeah, for everyone involved. Except for Dante. He seems really cool about it. I don’t know why.”
“Maybe he really cares about your well-being. Is that not true?”
“No. I mean, yeah. That’s true. I’m sure that’s it.”
The therapist let it drop. “And what would you like our work here to do?”
“Make the spirits go away. I only want to see and speak to real people. Can you make that happen?”
“We can certainly work toward accomplishing that. Will you be all right if someone shows up during our session?”
“You mean, will I freak out? I haven’t yet. Most of the people are quite nice.”
“Good. The reason I ask is that if someone arrives, you’ll know for a fact that no one is here but you and me. The door is closed.”
“True.” Mallory’s stomach fluttered with nerves as she put her sanity in the hypnotherapist’s hands. The guy seemed nice enough.
“First, I want you to know you’ll be in control the whole time. If at any point you want to come out of hypnosis, simply raise your hand. I’m here to keep you completely safe and comfortable.”
She would have felt safer if Dante was in the room, but she had insisted she’d be fine. Now she was sarcastically chastising “five-minutes-ago Mallory.” Dante said he’d go and browse through a bookstore nearby and come back in an hour, so she really had no choice but to get comfortable with this stranger.
“You won’t make me cluck like a chicken, will you?”
He frowned. “No. What purpose would that serve? I’m a hypnotherapist, Miss Summers. Not the type of hypnotist you see on stage.”
“Okay. Good.”
“Besides, remember how I said you’d be in control? All you have to do is tell me you’re uncomfortable, and I can change the script or end the session altogether. I’m here to help you, not entertain myself.”
She figured that would be his answer. He probably wouldn’t have much of a business if he didn’t do what he said he was going to do. “So, I’ll be able to talk to you, even under hypnosis?”
“Yes. You will. Have you been hypnotized before?”
“No.”
He smiled. “I’ll bet you have. Ever been driving down a highway and suddenly your exit comes up, even though you thought it was several miles away?”
“Yeah. But that’s because I tend to daydream.”
“A lot of your daydreaming is probably hypnosis. You don’t need a hypnotist to be hypnotized. Actually, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. If you allow your mind to drift from its conscious beta state to a subconscious alpha state, you’re experiencing hypnosis.”
“Oh.” After thinking about it for a second, she added, “That sounds like it could be dangerous.”
“As long as you don’t fall asleep at the wheel, it’s perfectly safe. You can bring yourself back from alpha at any time.”
“Alpha? Beta? Do I need to know this?”
He laughed. “There won’t be a test, if that’s what you mean, but it’s always good to know what’s going on. Every part of your body vibrates to its own rhythm. Your brain has a unique set of brain waves. In neuroscience, there are five distinct brain wave frequencies, namely beta, alpha, theta, delta, and gamma. We’ll only go from beta to
alpha and back.”
“What are all the other states for?”
“Well, theta is that twilight state between sleep and barely awake. Deep sleep is a very low frequency called delta. We won’t even approach gamma.
“Just remember that you can bring yourself back from alpha to beta at any time. I’ll put you into a very relaxed alpha state called a trance. From there, we can access your subconscious mind. Do you have any other questions?”
“No. Do you?”
He smiled. “Not right now. When we begin, I want you to remember you’re completely safe. If anything makes you uncomfortable, all you have to do is raise your hand, and we’ll stop the session immediately. But let me bring you back gently. Don’t jolt yourself back to full consciousness, even though you can.”
“Okay. I think I’ll be okay.” She surprised herself when she realized she meant it.
“Good. I want you to find a comfortable position. You can recline in the chair or sit up or lie on the floor. Whatever is most comfortable for you.”
She glanced at the carpet, not because she was actually thinking of lying down, but because she wondered if anyone did. It looked clean, but yuck. It could be full of ground-in dirt from people’s shoes, dropped cookie crumbs, or who knew what else. “Nope. I’m good.”
“Okay. Let’s begin. Take three deep, cleansing breaths, and let them out slowly. Breathe in, hold it for a few seconds, and relax as you exhale.” He spoke softly. “Simply breathe deeply and relax a little more each time you exhale. Inhale…and exhale. You can close your eyes or allow them to drift closed on their own as you relax.” His voice had already taken on a dreamlike quality.
He asked her to breathe normally while he counted her down to an even deeper relaxed state. Other than feeling boneless after a good orgasm, she didn’t know how much more relaxed she could get.
“Seven, six… Even more relaxed. Five, four… Deeper and deeper. Three, two…and one. You’re completely relaxed.”
Soon he was describing a beautiful, safe, calm place. He led her along the grassy banks of a slow-flowing river. He told her to feel the sun on her shoulders, smell the freshness of the pine-scented air, and listen to the birds as they chirped in the distance. He let her spend a few moments just enjoying the peacefulness of the place as his voice trailed off.
