The Enchanted Garden Cafe

by Abigail Drake

  “You said someone would lie to me, and it happened. You talked about a stranger who just arrived, and that happened too. How did you know?”

  She’d also mentioned desire, but I didn’t bring that up. She already had a superior look on her face. “It wasn’t me, Fiona. The truth is in the cards.”

  I frowned. Candles flickered all over the shop, making it feel eerie and strange. She shuffled her cards without taking her eyes off me, a knowing little smile on her face. Kate and my mom stood behind my chair, as eager as me to find out what she had to say.

  “I don’t believe in any of this stuff.”

  Madame Lucinda shrugged. She wore a brightly colored scarf on her head. It was tied under her curly hair, and the ends of the scarf hung over her shoulder like a waterfall made of rainbows, sparkles, and butterflies. Butterflies must have been the theme for the evening. They fluttered all over her blouse, twinkled on an enamel pin she had clipped to her lapel, and hung on dainty gold chains from her ears and around her neck. It should have been tacky, but on Madame Lucinda, it worked.

  “You’ve told me the same thing before. I think the first time you expressed doubt may have been kindergarten, sweetheart. It doesn’t matter. The cards will see the truth and tell it, whether you want to listen or not. Do you want me to read for you?”

  “Yes. I mean, I guess so.”

  “I’m going to do a more in-depth reading. Usually, I can only get you to sit for a card or two. This time will be different.”

  She spent an awfully long time playing with the cards. Madame Lucinda loved a little suspense. Then she placed the cards one by one on the table. Every time she laid a card down, she made a little “ah” or “oh” noise. It was extremely irritating. I waited impatiently, tapping my foot. It took her a while, but finally she pointed to the first card. The fool.

  “Do you know what it means?”

  I glared at her. “I can guess. I feel like a fool for sitting here like this.”

  Madame Lucinda chuckled. We’d always bantered about my lack of belief. “It isn’t about being foolish, Fiona. The fool is the first card in the deck. It’s all about new beginnings and new ideas. If it pops up first, it tells me you are about to go in a new and exciting direction.”

  I tried to maintain a neutral expression. If I looked too interested, Madame Lucinda would make this even more painful.

  “What about this one?” I pointed to a card with two naked people on either side holding out a hand to each other.

  Madame Lucinda winked. “Of course, you would ask about that one, wouldn’t you? The lovers. But yours is weak. You have a lack of faith in your own ability to make important decisions.”

  Kate gasped. If she’d been closer, I would have kicked her.

  “Not exactly helpful information,” I said.

  Madame Lucinda tapped her finger on another card. “Yes, it is, because this is the chariot. It’s a vehicle. It means you’re in charge. You can choose which direction you want to go. And this card is strength or lust. It’s all about passion, living life . . . and making love.”

  She looked up at me with a twinkle in her eye. Like Kate, somehow Madame Lucinda knew I’d very recently slept with someone. I wondered if there was some kind of sign posted on my forehead, reading “Fiona just had the most mind-blowing sex of her life.”

  Madame Lucinda bit her lip to suppress a grin at the expression on my face. “Now here’s the good news. This is the tower. Usually, I’d be worried if I saw this. If it were in your past, it would indicate you weren’t willing to accept a change. But it’s in your future. It tells me soon your views will change on something you thought you were certain about, and you will embrace the change. And the best part of all, this is the star. It means your wishes will come true.”

  She looked at me triumphantly. Kate pointed to the deck. “Isn’t there one more card?”

  Madame Lucinda looked down. A card, still facedown, had been pushed off to the side. “How strange.”

  She turned it over slowly, and we all gasped. The devil.

  “Oh dear,” she said. “This is unexpected.”

  “What does it mean?” Even the picture was scary, a demon with horns on a throne made of skulls.

  “Someone does not have your best interests at heart. They’re motivated by an obsession with their career and money and social standing. This card is about ambition and a need to dominate that’s so strong, it overrides any thoughts for the desires and wishes of others.”

  I swallowed hard. “Who is it?”

  The door to the shop opened, letting in a gust of wind, which blew out several candles. We all jumped, including Madame Lucinda. The room was now so dark I couldn’t see who had entered. He walked slowly closer to us, and when we finally saw his face, we all let out a mutual sigh of relief.

  “Matthew,” said my mom. “How good of you to come.”

  Matthew answered my mom, but his gaze was on me. “I appreciate the invitation.”

  I hopped out of my seat. My entire body responded to his presence, like just seeing him turned on a switch somewhere deep inside me. “I’ve got to get back to the kitchen. Thank you for the reading.”

  I almost knocked over Kate in my haste to get out of the room. Madame Lucinda gave me a knowing look, and I heard her chuckle as I fled to the kitchen. Once there, I took a deep breath, trying to center myself. This was ridiculous.

  I wore another vintage dress from Sally’s. Cream with little lilac flowers on it, the dress had a tightly fitted bodice, a lilac belt, and a short, puffy skirt. It was cool and comfortable. I tossed on a pink apron over it, which read “Keep Calm and Have a Cookie,” and with shaking hands, put my beautiful tarot card cookies on a serving dish. I giggled about the words on the apron, a crazy-sounding giggle. I was on the verge of losing it and needed to pull myself together. I heard the bell on the door ring as people arrived for the event. We never knew exactly how many people would show up each week, but it seemed like a big crowd tonight. I took a deep breath and tried to get my head in the game.

  Picking up a cookie with a carefully detailed devil on it, I paused. Odd that Matthew had walked in just as the devil card was turned. I shivered involuntarily and frowned. Matthew was the least likely person to be obsessed with work. He didn’t even have a job.

  An image of Scott in his business suit fluttered through my mind, but I refused to dwell on it, not believing in this tarot card nonsense. I was putting coffee mugs and water glasses on a tray when Mom and Kate walked in. They looked serious. Sensing another intervention, I scowled at both of them.

  “What?”

  “Are you okay, honey?” Mom wasn’t exactly wringing her hands, but close.

  “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

  Kate and my mom both exchanged a long look. I hated when they did that. Then Kate got pink. With Kate’s pale complexion, she blushed in a full-body sort of way. It usually started at her chest and went right up to her hairline.

  “You seemed upset about the reading . . . and other things,” said Mom.

  I gave Kate a steady look, but she couldn’t meet my eyes. I slammed a spoon onto the counter. “You told.”

  Kate looked close to tears. “She knew. I didn’t say anything, I swear.”

  I was about to go on a rant when the door to the kitchen opened, and Matthew strolled in. I rolled my eyes. “Now what?” I asked.

  Matthew’s lips twitched as he tried not to laugh. He spoke to my mom. “Madame Lucinda is ready to start. She asked me to let you know.”

  Mom and Kate grabbed the trays. I made a move to help them, but Mom shook her head. “Kate and I can handle this. You stay here and chat.”

  They nearly sprinted out of the kitchen, a feat considering they carried trays full of food and coffee. Matthew watched their exit with a crooked little smile. “Subtle.”

  I groaned and took off my apron. “We need to talk.”

  Grabbing his arm, I pulled him into Mom’s tearoom. It was dark inside. The only ligh
t shone from a small lamp on Mom’s desk. I locked the door and leaned against it. Matthew watched me, his eyes dark in the dimly lit room.

  He was glorious. His hair hung to his shoulders like silk. He wore a loose black shirt with the sleeves rolled up and faded blue jeans. The yin and yang necklace rested against his chest. I gazed at him, swallowing hard, unable to speak.

  He came closer, a predatory sort of gleam in his eyes. “You wanted to talk?”

  I nodded but forgot what I meant to say. Instead, I stared at his mouth. I hadn’t realized the impact his closeness would have on me. I caught one whiff of his scent, and immediately my panties felt damp. Embarrassing.

  Matthew licked his lips, all the incentive needed for me to grab his head and pull it down for a kiss. He moaned and gathered my body against his the moment his mouth touched mine.

  I kissed him like a crazed, starving beast, and he kissed me back with equal abandon. He sucked on my lower lip and kissed his way down my neck. I nibbled on his ear, my hands still knotted in his hair, and he groaned. His hands caressed my breasts through the thin fabric of my dress, and when they moved lower to cup my bottom, I nearly lost it. I wanted him so desperately it was almost physically painful.

  He seemed to understand. His dark eyes were hungry as his hands slid up my naked thighs and found my panties. The bit of white lace was gone in seconds, and when I tried to unzip his pants with my clumsy, shaking hands, he gently pushed them away and did it himself. In seconds, he lifted me off the ground and thrust inside me. My legs were wrapped around his waist, and my back rested against the door as he slid slowly in and out, creating the most exquisite torture as he kissed me, his sweet tongue tangling with mine.

  My hands clung to his shoulders, and he held my bottom as his movements became faster and more intense. In moments, I gasped as we came together in a sudden and powerful rush. Feeling him shudder against me as I climaxed almost drove me over the edge a second time.

  Afterward, he held me and stared into my eyes. My dress was still hitched up around my waist. I should have been upset we’d done this nearly fully clothed in my mom’s tearoom while there was a party going on in the next room but didn’t care. I sighed and closed my eyes, resting my head on his shoulder.

  “Are you okay?” His voice was deep and soft.

  I’d been getting that question a lot lately. “Yes.”

  Matthew released my legs and put me gently on my feet. He zipped up his pants and scooped my panties off the floor. I slipped them on, my cheeks getting hot. When I stood up, Matthew straightened my dress and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. His face was serious.

  “I didn’t expect this to happen again.” He swallowed hard, and a muscle worked in his jaw. “I thought it was a one-time thing.”

  “I thought so too.” I let out a deep breath. “I got your beautiful note. Then you came here, and I saw you, and I didn’t realize . . .”

  “You didn’t realize what?”

  I took a deep breath. “How I’d feel. How I’d react to seeing you. I couldn’t stop myself.”

  Matthew grinned and kissed my forehead. “I’m so glad you couldn’t.” His lips brushed my ear. “I’m crazy about you. You know that, don’t you?”

  I twined my arms around his neck and lifted myself up to my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”

  It seemed like every time I was with him, the bond between us grew more and more powerful. There was nothing logical or rational about how I felt or the way I acted. Madame Lucinda had been wrong. I wasn’t driving this chariot. It careened out of control.

  I heard the door to the kitchen open, and Scott called out my name. “Fiona? Where are you?”

  I covered Matthew’s lips with my fingers as my heart sank to my toes. Scott was about to catch me with Matthew the same way he’d caught Brittany with his best friend. That could get ugly, and as much as Scott annoyed me, I didn’t want to cause him any additional pain. If he caught me with Matthew, it would be like stomping on his heart.

  A few minutes later, we heard the door open and close again. Scott must have gone out to the garden. I heaved a sigh of relief and slumped against the door. “Close one.”

  Matthew nodded, his face grim. “Sorry if I didn’t time it perfectly. I had no idea I was here for a booty call.”

  I blinked at him in surprise. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means I need to stay as far away from you as possible. I’m not comfortable sneaking around like this and don’t think it would be possible for me to hide the way I feel from your mom or your friends or anyone else. I’m not that kind of man, Fiona. I’m not as cold and reasonable and logical as you are. You wanted honesty from me, but maybe the person you need to be honest with is yourself.”

  Matthew reached around me to unlock the door, and left. I smoothed down my dress, lifted my chin, and took a deep breath. Counting to ten, I tried hard to compose myself and failed. I needed to exit the office, sneak up the back stairway to my room, and cry my eyes out. Unfortunately, as soon as I walked into the kitchen, I noticed Scott had left a giant bouquet of pink roses on the kitchen island. I stared at them, willing myself not to cry. He was trying to win me back. I knew it, but it felt like a knife in my heart.

  I glanced out the window and saw Scott leaving through the side door of the garden. His shoulders slumped, and he seemed upset, but he still looked gorgeous and perfect and well groomed. A Ken doll. But I was no Barbie, unless Barbie turned secretly slutty and slept with a doll that looked like he belonged in a boy band. I couldn’t say because I’d never been allowed to have a Barbie growing up since Mom thought they were a monument to warped and manipulative ideas about feminine beauty.

  Madame Lucinda came in and saw the roses. She took a whiff of their sweet scent. “How lovely. I saw your boyfriend carry them in. He’s a handsome devil, isn’t he?”

  She winked at me, grabbed another plate of cookies, and strolled back to the front room. I stared after her in shock, wondering what she meant to convey with that comment. One thing was certain. When Auntie Mags messed around with my chakras, she did something to my brain as well. I didn’t know what to do or who to trust anymore. I had to wonder if the devil card wasn’t about Matthew or about Scott. Maybe it was about me.

  I walked out into the garden and sat by the fountain. There was no magic, no sparkle, and no music. My whole life had been perfectly planned. Now I’d become a woman who’d slept with a man she barely knew. Several times. And he probably hated me.

  “It’s your fault,” I whispered to the fountain. “You made me kiss him.”

  I brushed a leaf off my skirt and stood up. I didn’t like the person I’d become, but there was no going back to who I’d been. Fiona with the lists of pros and cons, dos and don’ts. Fiona with the timeline in her head, her whole life mapped out and organized. Fiona with the definite ideas about who she wanted in her life and why. That girl didn’t exist anymore. It was time to grow up.

  Chapter Nineteen

  A bonfire makes every event more exciting.

  ~Aunt Francesca~

  The Wiccans were a fun bunch. They came once a month for a midnight party on the night of the full moon. Tonight would be no ordinary full moon party, however. It was the summer solstice and a big deal for Wiccans. They called it Midsummer or Litha, and it always turned into a huge event.

  Mom and I started working early. It was a beautiful, cloudless day and would be the perfect night for a Midsummer celebration. We had an area in the back of the garden we could use as a fire pit for a bonfire. Although there were restrictions on burning things in the city, we had a special permit because of the religious nature of the ceremony. The leader of the Wiccan coven, Eliza Dragonsong, made sure she renewed the permit every year.

  Eliza, a lawyer who wore designer clothing and had her blonde hair perfectly highlighted and cut in a bob, didn’t look like a Wiccan priestess. She had on a dark blue suit and an expensive pair of pumps and carried a briefcase imported
from Italy. In legal circles, they called her the “dragon lady.” Beautiful, professional, and all I aspired to be someday except for the little part about her being a witch and embracing her inner goddess.

  Her face lit up when she saw the flower-covered arch we’d made for the ceremony. “Beautiful, ladies. You never fail to get it right.” She waved a piece of paper in the air. “Here’s the permit. Sorry I’m late. They gave me a little trouble over it this year.”

  Mom sighed. “I’m sure it has to do with Anderson Solutions and their legal team. Their goal is to make everything as difficult as possible for all of us.”

  Eliza frowned. A divorce lawyer, she couldn’t handle our case, but she had recommended a friend, Janet Kilpatrick, and we’d hired her on the spot. Janet worked for a big firm in town. She was also a South Side girl we’d known for years, and she’d been happy to take the case. She never expected a small zoning issue to take up so much of her time. She gave us a serious discount, but Anderson Solutions had a lot of time, money, and resources invested in this case, and they pulled out some big guns on our little café.

  “The city council meeting is coming up soon, isn’t it?” Eliza’s office, located only a few blocks away, put her in the center of the South Side and made her aware of what had been happening.

  Mom nodded. “Fiona will speak for us. We took a vote and decided she’s the best person for the job.”

  I blushed, and Eliza smiled. “No one could handle it better than you, Fiona. I hear Mr. McAlister is sending someone to attend for him. He’s too sick to come himself.”

  “Has he made a decision yet?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “I doubt it. Anderson Solutions wouldn’t be so jumpy about little things like bonfire permits if he had. They’ve been putting pressure on the other businesses to convince Mr. McAlister to sell. They stand to lose a lot of money if this deal doesn’t go through.”

  “And we have a lot to lose if it does,” Mom said quietly, staring at the garden with its beautiful crumbling walls and flowers. Her life’s work. A thing of beauty lost forever if Anderson got their way. I changed the subject.