Toni closed her eyes. She had little regard for consequences. She acted on impulse and let the chips fall where they may. If people got hurt or if she got hurt, well, she had an experience in the meantime.
Life was about experience: take hold and go. Some places were great, others not so much. But in the end, lying around and watching TV and sleeping all the time wasn’t much of life either.
Toni was glad she took chances. Even her hedonistic adventures at swingers and fetish clubs didn’t faze her. She always went out looking for fun and usually found it. ‘She realized she was losing track of the ritual and drew her focus back to Lucy’s chanting. She held hands with Maggie and Ellie and grew aware of the growing energy rippling through one set of hands and into another and around and around the circle. She let the sensation flood her, urging the energy to grow stronger and faster. Before long, it was whipping through the circle of hands so quickly that Toni opened her eyes in disbelief. She saw that most of the ladies had their eyes open with the same look of wonderment she knew she must hold in her own.
Lucy still had her eyes shut as she clutched Natasha and Ursula’s hands. A smile touched her lips, and she opened her eyes.
“Ladies, we have built an energy stronger than we ever have before. Everyone is focused at this magical time. Let’s begin the spell for Toni.”
Lucy began the prayer that would activate the energy to bring romantic love into Toni’s life. Toni thought about having an open heart and open mind and let the energy of the women surge into her.
She briefly thought about her movie date with Sid the next day and then pushed him out of her mind. She wasn’t supposed to have preconceived notions. She thought about the faceless and nameless men in the clubs, warm lips against hers, strong fingers probing, hard cocks slamming frantically into her. She grinned and thought about her deepest desire, the ultimate orgy.
“Toni.” Lucy was calling her, and Toni snapped out of her reverie to look at her.
“Yes?” Toni said.
“What is your deepest desire?” she asked.
Toni opened her mouth and shut it. She opened it again. “To fall in love with a man,” she said, remembering what she was supposed to say. “To have a real relationship.”
“Let’s ask the elements and our guides to lead him to you,” Lucy said before she began another prayer. Toni nodded, closing her eyes. She let Lucy’s gentle words wash over her, practically knowing them by heart as she’d heard them several times before when the circle had cast the spells for Natasha, Madeline, and Adele. Those ladies had all had success with their birthday spells. She wondered what would happen to her.
Chapter Three
Indulge your sense of humor. Life doesn’t have to be serious all the time.
Friday afternoon at the bar dragged. Toni washed and rewashed the bar glassware. The second time around made the glasses shiny and spotless. She spent a lot of time hanging them back up in between stealing glances at the music videos on the big-screen TV. Few people were in the bar, which was no surprise since it was Good Friday, a holiday that made a nice long weekend for many lucky folks.
She impatiently watched the clock, which seemed to have a mind of its own when it came to time that day. Her date with Sid seemed like it wouldn’t be for years, but at last, 5:00 came and she was free.
“Good luck,” she said to Gill as she rushed to get her coat.
“Yeah, it’s going to be slow, no doubt about it,” Gill said. “Have fun on your date.”
“I intend to,” Toni said.
* * *
The sun was sinking as Toni hit the streets. A chilly breeze swept in from the ocean, and little patches of fog were already starting to form in the alleyways. She breathed in the air deeply and revelled in the smells of spring. Muddy, growing foliage, diesel, crisp air, and rain were some of the scents she identified as she dodged the puddles on the cobblestone sidewalks.
It had been raining on and off for days, and Toni knew it was going to continue on into May. She didn’t mind. It wasn’t raining that minute, and most of the time, the spring rains didn’t last long. There were a few gray clouds in the orangey sky and some faraway black ones. Another storm might hit before she went to bed.
She wondered what it would be like to be alone with Sid. What would they talk about? What he was like in bed?
Her apartment wasn’t far, and she quickly walked up the steps to the front doors. There were few apartment buildings in Hermana, and from the outside, they looked like large, old houses. She lived on the third floor, which had been hellish for moving but was quite pleasant view-wise from the inside. She could see her beloved ocean through the alley of the houses across the street, and if she stuck her head out the window, she could see the beginning of the beach.
Toni had an hour before Sid was due to show up, so she flung off her clothes and headed for the shower. Even on slow days, her body always reeked of stale beer. At least she didn’t smell of cigarettes too as the bartenders years ago must have experienced.
The water pressure was low, and she imagined a lot of the residents were preparing dinner and washing dishes. It had always been a chore to wash her hair when the water was like this. Now it wasn’t so annoying with her short hair. She lathered up her body with a strong-perfumed soap she had bought at Adele’s lingerie store. The herbs and spices in it were reputed to make her sexually irresistible to men. Toni didn’t spend long in the shower though because she wanted to get in some exercise and knew she would be heading back in before she left.
As she turned the water off, her heart was pounding. She grabbed a towel and blotted herself dry, wondering if she was going to have a heart attack. With a laugh, she recognized the feeling.
She was nervous.
The idea of it made her laugh again.
Nervous to go see Tropic Thunder with Sid. How crazy was that?
But nervous she was.
She pulled on her sports bra and some boy shorts and went into the living room.
What did she feel like doing?
The exercise DVDs called to her, and at last she settled on a 20-minute hip-hop workout. She popped the DVD into the player and tried to focus on the exercises the nicely toned lady on the TV was telling her to do. With every hop and stretch, her thoughts kept going back to Sid. She wondered if he worked out at all. She doubted it. He had one of those annoying skinny-man bodies that high-strung air-sign guys often had. It was unlike her own womanly fire-sign curves that had to be monitored closely with lots of exercise. But if she wanted to be the unicorn at swinger’s clubs, the desirable mistress in leather at a fetish night, she had to work at it.
Before long, sweat was pouring down her face. She prayed for the video to be over, but time was messing with her mind once more. After what seemed like forever, she was finally able to go back into the shower.
The second round had more water pressure, so she shaved her legs, armpits, and pussy even though she had only just dealt with them all the day before. She wanted to be smooth and soft, just in case.
Her pussy tingled with anticipation as she groomed herself. The response was almost Pavlovian, as if it knew getting shaved would get it some kind of action tonight. And it always did, even if it was just her own fingers delighting in the silky-smooth flesh.
At last Toni finished her duties and stepped out into the steam-filled bathroom. She wrapped her hair in a towel as she went into the bedroom. It was useless to put her makeup on in the bathroom as the mirror was all fogged up. She found a hand mirror and opted to sit on her bed while applying her make-up.
When she was finished, she went into the kitchen to get a beer. Her stomach was churning and she figured she’d better have a sandwich as well. As she hungrily ate and sipped her beer, flipping through sitcoms without seeing them, she regretted that she’d put on lipstick.
Finally, it was time to dress and wait. Her heart thumped in her chest as she found a spring jacket and put it by the door.
Toni wore a tight, lig
ht pink, furry sweater and jeans. She sat on the couch to test if her jeans were’ too tight to sit through a movie and ended up switching to a pair of soft velvet slacks.
The buzzer rang and she let Sid up, then nervously waited for his knock at the door. Pacing, she imagined him going through the lobby and up the three flights of stairs. She closed her eyes and listened for his footsteps in the hall.
The knock at the door startled her even though she’d been waiting for it. She opened it and Sid stood there, his gray-blue eyes twinkling.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Sure,” she said. “Do you want to come in for a beer?”
“I don’t think we have time,” he said, looking at his watch. “How long does it take to get to the theater?”
“It’s only about a ten minute walk from here,” Toni said. “You do want to walk, don’t you?”
“It’s always easier to walk. Parking sucks in this town. Even when it’s not tourist season.”
“Yup.”
Sid stepped into the apartment and looked around. “Sure, I’ll have a beer. Why not?” he said as if she’d just asked. He went over to her couch and sat down.
“Why not indeed?” Toni smiled as she went into the kitchen to get the beer. She brought it in and sat beside him on the couch.
“So, tell me, Toni,” Sid said, “about this palm reading stuff you do. I’ve been thinking so much about it since you looked at my hand.”
“What do you want to know?”
“How did you get into it? Why the palm? Why not tarot or something else?”
“When I was in high school, I had my palm read at a fair and I thought it was cool. The fortune-telling lady seemed to know so much about me just by staring at the lines in my hands. It was bizarre.”
“Is it true though? Do you believe what she said, or was it lucky guesses?”
“Most of what she said has come to pass. I think there’s definitely something to it. Don’t forget the lines change as we have experiences. And of course, the lines change even more for people who work with their hands. Accidents can also change the lines.”
“And your fate?”
“So it would seem,” Toni said. “I read a lot about it over the years. When I came to Hermana, I met a lot of people who read palms and I learned from them as well.”
“Do you do it professionally?”
“Sure, but I also like to have a steady paycheck, which is why I work at the bar. I like talking to people and often pick up clients through there.”
“Where do you read palms? Here?”
“No. Sometimes I’ll share a booth at the mall with one of my friends like Maggie. And in the summers, I’ll participate in various fairs and weekend flea markets. I can make some really good coin sometimes.”
“I bet. This is the town to be in if that’s what you like to do.”
Toni nodded as she drank her beer. “What brings you to town?”
“I’ve been here a few years now, doing odd jobs here and there. This warehouse gig has been going on almost two years. Probably the longest I’ve ever had a job,” he laughed.
“Why Hermana? Surely there are more exciting cities?”
“I like the energy here. Of course, I first came here with friends. A bunch of us rented a house for a while, but one by one, people went their separate ways. I’m the only one left out of that crowd.”
“Do you do witchy stuff?” Toni asked.
Sid shook his head. “Not as a rule. I’ve been to many circles and ceremonies, though, and I’ve participated in a few séances. All that stuff. But I don’t read crystal balls or minds or anything like that.”
“I bet you read people more than you think you do. You’re an Aquarius, so you’re a pretty good judge of human nature.”
“I certainly judge human nature, heh,” Sid said. He tipped the last of his beer into his mouth and set down the bottle. “And I’m judging that we’re going to be late if we don’t move our asses.”
“Let’s go,” Toni said as she grabbed her coat.
* * *
They laughed through the movie as if they’d never seen it before. When it was over, Toni wiped her eyes with a tissue, hoping her mascara wasn’t running. They sat through the credits, pulling themselves together.
“I don’t know why I laugh so hard at some of those scenes. They’re so wrong,” Toni said as they filed out of the theater.
“Comic genius. Every one of those guys is stellar. I’ve never seen such a great ensemble,” Sid said.
“It’s so immature but so clever. I guess its appeal is that they pick on everyone equally, but mostly pampered actors.”
“It’s a riot, and my Lord, I hope they never do a Tropic Thunder 2, because they’ll never capture that golden magic again.”
“No,” Toni said. “It’s now a classic. Stiller, Downey, Black, and the other guys too. Mr. Booty Sweat and the sensitive smart guy. It’s so brilliant.”
“I didn’t even realize that was Tom Cruise the first time through,” Sid said. “Not ’til about halfway through the movie. I don’t pay attention to credits and commercials much.”
“No. I didn’t either. I saw it when it first came out, before all the uproar, so it was all a surprise to me too.”
“Do you have the DVD?” Sid asked.
“No.”
“I’ll lend you mine sometime. There are some extras on it you’re going to want to see.”
“I’d like that,” Toni said.
“Do you want to do something else?”
“I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs a bit. ‘That was a long time to sit after being on my feet all day,” Toni said.
“I hear you. I worked today too for a few hours, so my shoulders are a bit achy,” Sid said. “Is it warm enough to go to the beach?”
“We can try. You know we can always leave if it’s too windy.”
It had rained while they were in the theater and puddles glistened in the light of the full moon. The sound of the ocean in the distance lured them down the streets until they were at the edge of the boardwalk.
“It looks pretty wet,” Sid said. “Are you sure you want to go?”
“What am I? Made of brown sugar?” she laughed, pulling at his arm. They stepped onto the wooden boardwalk that sprawled along the beach. In the summertime it was a welcome relief from the long stretches of sand and sunbathers, and thee boards would click with Rollerblades and the hum of bicycle wheels. However, in the early spring, not many people were willing to brave the wind and dampness of the late night.
The full moon provided ample light to make their way across the wooden planks. In the distance, along the shore, the sporadic beams of several lighthouses blinked. The waves crashed and thrashed with a roaring energy that made Toni’s heart race once more. Sid took her hand, and she squeezed his in relief.
“A lovely night,” he said wistfully. “It’s nice, walking here with you.”
“Away from the maddening crowds,” Toni said sarcastically.
“Yeah, I’ll be glad when summer’s here and there’s tourists everywhere. I miss the hustle and bustle on the streets and in the clubs.”
“Especially the clubs,” Toni said. “Slim pickings these days.”
Sid laughed. “Oh, not too happy with the company you’ve been keeping?”
“Present company excepted, of course,” Toni said. “You know what I mean.”
“Of course I do. I love going to clubs.”
“Me too. Where do you go?”
“It varies. Mostly the dance ones. I often do two or three in a night. I hate staying anywhere for long,” Sid said.
“I have different clubs for different moods,” Toni said. “I do like to go dancing. I always end up somewhere dancing.”
“Do you want to go dancing tonight?” Sid asked.
“Well… it is Friday night. Even if it is Good Friday.”
“Why don’t we go check out the Dance Cave?”
“Sure, I’d like that,” Toni
said, squeezing his hand tightly.
Sid stopped and stared out at the ocean. “Look at how far it goes,” he said. “All those waves, endlessly marching forth.”
“I know. Kind of reminds me of shadowy demons charging toward us like in Lord of the Rings or something.” Toni sighed as she leaned her head against Sid’s shoulder. He put his arm around her and turned her toward him.
“They’ll never reach us,” he whispered. “At least not today.”
Toni stared at him, then looked back out at the waves.
“There’s always a chance, a hope, a dread…” she said.
“No tsunamis are in the forecast,” Sid said. “We’re safe.” He hugged her against him for a moment and then released her.
“The moon is a hopeful moon,” Toni said, looking up.
“Good Friday,” Sid said.
Toni looked at him. “Are you religious? Do you want to be at church or something?”
“God, no,” he snorted. “I do things in my own time, not when everyone else tells me to. I believe in God and Karma and even the Devil too. Don’t think I should spend days worshiping great teachers and philosophers or I’d never get anything done. Think about all the people who’ve influenced you more than Jesus,” Sid said earnestly, looking at Toni.
She blinked. “I see where you’re coming from.” Toni nodded. “I have my own ideas about things, but I get superstitious discussing Jesus on Good Friday. Let’s just move on from that, shall we?”
“I would love to,” Sid said as he wrapped his hands around Toni’s face and tilted it toward him. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. She eagerly kissed back, tasting a faint hint of mints and buttered popcorn.
His hands left her face and reached for her hips, He pulled her as close to him as their coats would allow. Their kisses grew hungrier as the waves slapped and splashed in the background.
Toni was aware of a vibration through the boardwalk and realized people were approaching. She pulled away from Sid and saw two shadows in the distance.
Aries: Swinging into Spring Page 4
