by Ashlyn Chase
“Hey, it may not refer to how I see you.”
“You doubt everyone sees me as gorgeous and great in bed?”
Roz rolled her eyes.
He leaned over and kissed her. When he returned to the screen, he feigned surprise and said, “Hey, how about that? It says, ‘You’re viewed by others as handsome and virile.’”
“It does not.”
He grinned, sheepishly. “You saw through that, huh?”
“A little bit. Now go on. Read; I’m enjoying this.”
“Okay. ‘The Queen of swords is a very mentally focused person. You are seen as driven. Sometimes your sarcasm comes out wrong.’ Hey! I’m not sarcastic.”
Roz shrugged. “This is how others see you. Maybe you’re not aware of it.”
“Humph. I suppose.” He took a deep breath and continued. “‘Those around you may see you as a bit of a loner as well, because where you live is so different from where they live, even if it’s on the same street.’”
“Now that I can believe,” Roz said.
“What do you mean…because our building’s full of weirdoes?”
“Ah ha. That’s the sarcasm that doesn’t come out right! I live in this building, you weirdo.”
“Sorry. Hey, do you want to see the card? It’s a woman on an ice-covered cliff holding a sword, and a couple of white eagles soaring around the snowcapped mountains.”
“I’ll take your word for it. Go ahead. Keep reading.”
“‘Folks see you as someone with many responsibilities and projects. You seem to have your eye on the prize always. There is one very close to you who watches and learns from you.’”
“Well, that’s interesting.”
“Do you think that has something to do with you?”
Roz smiled shyly and lifted one shoulder. “Maybe. I’m learning to accept my body. I’m not learning how to dance, but I am learning how to take care of a sprained ankle, thanks to you.”
“Oh, nice. Now who’s being sarcastic?”
She grinned. “Never said I wasn’t.”
“Fine. I’ll just continue reading. “‘When people come to you for advice, they know they’ll get true Sagittarian honesty. Low on tact, but high on blunt information.’”
Roz laughed. “I guess you really mean it when you say you like the extra pounds I’m padded with; otherwise you’d tell me how fat my ass is.”
“You see? I’m an honest guy. Now do you believe me?”
“I guess I’ll have to. The cards don’t lie.”
“No, they’re kind of blunt and honest too.”
She sat up and wrapped her arms around him. “Don’t worry; they can’t say anything that will turn me away from you. I’m not hearing much to guide you in a career choice, though.”
“The next part might have something. It’s titled ‘What is your most important goal?’”
“Yeah, that sounds promising. Let’s hear it.”
“‘The nine of swords is an interesting goal. It is about nightmares and anxieties. It is about feeling as if you haven’t done enough. You carry some past guilt. Your goal seems to make sure that others are never in this same position. You would move heaven and earth to protect those you consider yours.’”
Konrad stopped reading aloud. This information hit too close to home, and he didn’t want to explain to Roz what it meant. He knew the truth, though.
He’d failed his pack. He allowed another Lycan to challenge him for alpha status, knowing the bastard couldn’t be trusted. He didn’t bother to dispute the lies that Petroski spread, either. He thought his pack knew him well and would never believe that crap.
So what if he did help a vampire who was about to burst into flames from the sun? Watching someone else suffer had never turned him on, unlike his nemesis, who seemed to revel in it. Sly was one of his best friends and had helped him in return, many times. Konrad would never regret their friendship, but apparently enough was said to plant seeds of doubt, and that’s all it took. He couldn’t blow off the challenge, or he’d be seen as a coward in the eyes of his pack, the very thing Petroski accused him of.
How Petroski found a female in the pack to testify that Konrad had left her vulnerable to attack, he’d never know. One of the foremost werewolf edicts was for all males to protect the pack females, especially those who weren’t yet mated.
Somehow Petroski got Ella to say she saw Konrad at the top of the hill that led from Newton to Waban. She claimed he ran when a rival pack began closing in. Then she said Petroski came bounding down the hill and saved her.
How could anyone believe such a load of crap? How could she tell a lie like that? He suspected some kind of bribery but couldn’t confirm it at the time. Now he knew his suspicions were well founded, because Petroski took Ella for his mate. Poor Ella.
***
“Where are you?” Roz asked.
“Huh? Oh, I uh…It’s not important.”
Not important my ass. “Well then, what was that long pause for?”
“I was…uh, just studying the card. It’s kind of creepy.”
“Let me see.”
He turned the screen toward her, and Roz saw a dark scene. It appeared to be a man weeping in bed with swords all around him.
“Ick, that is kind of macabre. Well, read the rest of it. Maybe there’s something positive to counteract the negative.”
“Not really. The only thing it says after that is ‘This indicates one who failed to protect something or someone and wants to prove to themselves that they are not a failure.’”
“What could that possibly mean?”
His muscles tensed.
She waited, and when he didn’t respond, she folded her arms and said, “Okay, I guess you just suck at everything and might as well give up.”
He smirked. “You’re being sarcastic again, aren’t you?”
Roz kissed his shoulder. “You betcha. I doubt this is an exact science. There are bound to be things that don’t make sense. Now read.”
She may not trust it, but still she wants to hear every word. Konrad took a deep breath. “‘Where do you get your strength from?’”
Roz raised her eyebrows. “Me? Why? Do you think I should be tired?”
“No. That’s the name of the next section.”
“Oh.” She slapped her forehead and chuckled. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt. Read on.”
Konrad continued. “‘The Ace of Cups shows that you’re a very emotional fellow. Your love for others carries and drives you. You gain power from that bond.’”
Roz nodded, but remained silent. Emotional? Power? Yeah, I’ve seen him shake with emotion. But is that from love? It seemed more like pent-up desire.
Unaware of her thoughts, or ignoring them, he read, “‘This is about you creating family wherever you go. You may not have your blood family close for the most part, but you adopt people into your world.’” He looked up and smiled.
“What’s that for? Are you adopting me?”
He laughed. “That might be kind of awkward at this stage and illegal in several southern states.”
“No kidding. Let’s hear the rest.”
“‘You tend to have a pretty good humor about life as well, not a lackadaisical attitude, but definitely a “bring it on, I can take it” style.’”
“That I believe.” Roz tickled him.
He flinched. “Don’t start. I’m almost at the end.”
“Okay, finish it up. I’ll wait.”
“We’re at the last section. It says, ‘Why do you want to be remembered?’ Maybe there’s finally a clue about what I should do for a living.”
“Even if there isn’t, this has been verrry interesting.”
“Yeah…for you.” He chuckled and then continued. “‘The card is the Universe. No little dreams for you. You want to be remembered as someone who carved out their own place. You see the four figures in this card? Each represents a part of you that you are working to bring together. You want to be remembered as the
one who created safety for others as well as yourself.’”
“Well, how about that? You’re a security expert! It sounds like you should be doing exactly what you used to do.”
Konrad’s face fell. “Nifty.”
Roz’s mood deflated as well, understanding how much he really wanted a change. “What does that card look like?”
He turned the screen toward her. A bloated blue woman with big droopy boobs danced in the middle of the card. The four figures in the corners were hardly noticeable compared to that one, but she made out a dolphin, a goat, a lion, and a raven.
“What do you think it means? Who did you fail, and what’s all the talk about protection?”
“Nothing. It means nothing. I guess tarot was a bust for career counseling. Back to the drawing board.”
Roz didn’t believe the irritation in his voice meant nothing, and his earlier pensiveness meant something too. It wouldn’t do any good to demand he tell her what was bothering him before he was ready. He’d clammed up before, and he’d just do it again. He had some kind of a secret; that much she was sure of.
“Konrad, I know there’s something important you’re not telling me. And I can only assume you’re not ready to trust me with it yet.”
He opened his mouth, but before he had a chance to respond, she held up her hand and kept talking. “I can understand that. We haven’t known each other very long. But I won’t let you hide whatever it is from me forever. Eventually you’ll need to find a way to let me in.”
He hung his head for a moment and then looked up with a teasing expression. “Can’t I just distract you with sex for the rest of our lives?”
She sighed. “Nice try, wise guy.”
***
Two weeks and lots of TLC later, Konrad placed his hand on the small of Roz’s back as they strolled toward the bartender school. With its location on the second floor of a strip mall, he pictured a bar fight at an Old West saloon with someone thrown out a second-story window.
“I don’t know why we didn’t think of this sooner,” Roz said. “Dancing would have taken months to learn. This bartending course is only two weeks.”
“I know. It would be ideal to find a new job in only a couple of weeks. If their placement program is any good, maybe we’ll be hired right out of school.”
“I’ll have to give at least a two-week notice, but you could start right away.”
“Yeah, thanks to my getting fired from the security job.” I wonder if I should have told her I just quit. Now she probably thinks I’m a loser.
“I don’t think you’re a loser! In fact, you’re more of a winner, for telling me the truth.”
He stiffened.
Roz glanced up at him. “I got fired once.”
“Really? You? I can’t imagine you doing anything that wrong.”
“You know I’m a klutz, right?”
“Uh-oh. Where did you work? A china shop?”
“Like a bull in the? No, but thanks a lot for the visual.”
“I’m sorry. I was trying to make a joke. You know I wouldn’t intentionally insult you.”
“True.”
Konrad changed the subject as they ascended the stairs. “What are the odds of our getting hired by the same bar?”
“Nothing says we have to work together. It might work out better if we don’t. I hear that too much togetherness can be hard on relationships.”
“Yeah. We could wind up on different shifts if the place is small and they don’t need more than one bartender at a time, and then we’d never see each other.” He spied the lettering on the first door they came to. “Ah, there it is. Mass Bartending School.”
He opened the door for Roz and followed her in.
The place looked exactly like a working bar. A long mirror backed one wall. In front of it sat bottles of every description, holding liquids of every color. The bar itself was made of highly polished wood. He imagined there must be a sink and refrigerator behind it. A few students were already present, sitting on bar stools. He pulled one out for Roz and then seated himself.
“Aw, isn’t that cute?” said a thin red-haired girl with several piercings and tattoos. “And they say chivalry is dead.”
That one will probably get a job in a biker bar.
“Looks like she’d fit right in,” Roz thought loud enough for Konrad to hear.
They gazed at each other and chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” the girl asked.
“Oh, nothing. I’m Roz, and this is my boyfriend, Konrad.”
The redhead flipped her hair behind her shoulder. “Too bad.”
Two other men sat together at the opposite end of the bar. One spoke up. “I’m Glenn, and this is my boyfriend, Bruce.”
The redhead rolled her eyes. “Just my friggin’ luck. You’re all taken.”
“What’s your name?” Konrad asked. Not that I care a whole lot.
“I’m Chastity. Yeah, I know. Don’t start.”
“Don’t start what?” Roz tipped her head and looked genuinely puzzled.
Nice acting, sweetheart I know you didn’t miss that joke. Maybe if this gig doesn’t do it for us, we can try out for some plays.
Chastity waved her away and faced the opposite direction.
A short, chubby guy whose hair looked prematurely gray shuffled in from the back room. He carried an armload of paper and folders.
“Good evening, everyone.” Strolling behind the bar, he continued his introduction in a monotone voice. “My name is John Kelly. Welcome to Kelly’s Bar.”
“I thought this was Mass Bartending School,” Chastity said.
“It is. But when I’m instructing, we call it Kelly’s Bar. When my partner Ron’s instructing, we call it Ron’s bar.”
Konrad folded his arms. “Ron and John, huh? Don’t you have surf shop?”
“Uh…no,” he said, sounding bored. Maybe he’d heard that one before.
“Why does Ron use his first name and you use your last?” Glenn asked.
“Because Ron’s last name is Dick. He thinks Dick’s Bar sounds a little like a gay bar.”
Glenn elbowed his partner. “That’s what we can name our place.”
The other students chuckled.
“Well, let’s get started.” John passed out the folders first, then each student received a few papers stapled together.
Konrad glanced at the pages of recipes.
John leaned against the bar. “This is what we’re going to make tonight, but first I’ll talk about the different glasses we’ll use.” He lined up a few glasses of various shapes and sizes.
***
Two other guys had joined the class by the time the students started hands-on training. Chastity was happy to learn they weren’t together, and Roz noted the one who introduced himself as Bubba seemed just the type that little miss total-body tattoo would go for.
“Okay, so you’re about to learn how to pour a shot without measuring,” John said. “Pick a highball glass and one of the bottles with a spout.”
Everyone grabbed a bottle of colored water. Roz realized their class would cost a whole lot more than $350.00 if they poured real liquor, but couldn’t help being disappointed anyway. Imagine how fast the three-hour class would fly by if we got to drink our mistakes.
Konrad chuckled.
You must be reading my mind again.
“Yeah, and I was just thinking the same thing.”
“You saw me demonstrate a standard pour a moment ago,” John said. “Now I want you all to try it. We’ll measure afterward to see how close you’ve come.”
“This guy reminds me of Ben Stein when he talks,” Chastity whispered to the guy beside her.
“I’m surprised she knows who that is,” Roz whispered.
“It’s probably from commercials. She’s not old enough to remember his movies and TV show.”
While distracted, Roz tipped the heavy bottle upside down, and it slipped out of her grasp. Crash. Glass shards and liquid exploded
and landed everywhere.
Glenn jumped back, but some of the liquid landed on his gray pants anyway.
“Oh, that’s a shame,” Bruce said. “That was your favorite pair.”
“I’m so sorry,” Roz said. “I’ll pay for dry cleaning.”
The guy named Bubba glanced down at his jeans. “Hey, you got some on me too. Are you gonna pay for my dry cleaning?”
John hung his head and extracted a dustpan and brush from beneath the counter. As soon as he’d handed it to her, he crossed his arms and said, “This is why we don’t use real alcohol.”
Without a word, Roz cleaned up the glass. Meanwhile, Konrad found a bar towel and sopped up the gold liquid.
“Hey, I mean it,” Bubba said, agitated. “I ain’t washing these pants.”
Konrad straightened. “They’re jeans. They’ll go through the washing machine just fine. Besides, I don’t see anything on them.”
“Look here.” Bubba pointed out a miniscule drop. The golden color barely showed.
Konrad leaned against the bar. “You’re being ridiculous.”
Bubba started toward Konrad, and Konrad advanced on Bubba.
Roz slapped a palm against each of their chests. “I’ll wash them. No need for bloodshed, okay?”
Konrad stood where he was. “The guy can wash his own pants, Roz.”
Bubba glared down at her hand on his T-shirt and snarled, or came as close to it as anyone could. Something about him seemed off.
“Roz, why don’t you try that pour again?” Don said.
She picked up another bottle, and when she had the full shot in the glass, Bubba purposely bumped into her, knocking the drink out of her hand. It went crashing to the floor again, except this time it coated her shoes and Konrad’s pants. She gasped.
“That’s it,” Konrad said. “Let’s take this outside.”
“No!” Getting flustered, Roz tried again to interject herself between the two large, angry men.
Bubba pushed her out of the way, and she fell.
Konrad reacted as if he hadn’t thought about the consequences. Before she knew it, he threw a punch that knocked the guy off his feet.
Bubba climbed upright wearing a menacing smile. He took a swing at Konrad, but her lover’s reaction time was too quick, and the guy’s fist connected with the bottles. Several more crashed to the floor and shattered.
