know them
all, or at least a few, but in actuality she knew none. I hadn’t
told her that after our first trip to the Parlor I’d returned, that
I’d become friends with Nancy, or that I wasn’t quite the
disbeliever I’d been. But if Nancy greeted me in her customary
fashion, Francesca wouldn’t be in the dark for long.
I was too tense to enjoy
the soft leather seat, or Francesca’s perfume which had somehow
fused with the car after so many trips. Francesca wasn’t helping
either. She tried to play off this new turn of events as if it was
nothing, but she was far too excited. I was beginning to worry that
soon she’d be Mrs. Connor... what the hell was his last
name?
“What’s Conner’s last name?” I asked,
turning to see Francesca better.
“It’s...” A flare of panic, her hands
tightening on the wheel.
“Holy shit. You don’t even know his
name!”
“ I do,” she said firmly.
“It’s... Price. His name is Connor Price.” She paused at a
four-way, letting the herd of pedestrians cross. “But I’m more
interested in you and Lucas,” she tacked on, hurrying to change the
subject before I thought up some more questions concerning her
‘beloved’ for which she couldn’t answer. “Has he popped your
cherry?”
“ Not yet.”
“ I feel as if you’re
holding onto your virginity with both hands. Stop clinging,
Adelaide, and let it go already.”
“ I’m never letting you
play godmother to my children.”
She wasn’t the least bit offended. “You have
to have sex to have kids, so at this rate I predict you’ll die
alone. No, not alone. You’ll have cats. Lots and lots of cats.”
“ I want to have sex,
believe it or not, and I’m ready... I guess. It’s Lucas, he’s
stubborn. He won’t do it until he’s convinced I’m
ready.”
Francesca’s head jerked in
my direction, staring as if I’d contracted some rare new disease.
“Jeez, Adelaide, you can’t even give it away.”
“ Watch the road!” I
barked.
We skimmed past a mail
truck, too close for comfort. Francesca was forced to concentrate
as she weaved us through the tiny grid of crowded streets, driving
into tourist central.
“Go on,” I said, feeling her indecision and
desire. “Say it, I know you want to.”
“He’s cheating!” she cried, as if she
couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I mean, I know he likes you, he’s
waiting and all, like a gentleman, but he must be seeing someone
else.”
“He’s not,” I said calmly. I felt totally
sure.
She arched an eyebrow,
playing the jaded strumpet who knew better. “Why don’t you get a
reading and see,” she challenged, pulling up directly in front of
the Parlor.
* * *
I was only too happy to
see Eclipsys, a first I’m sure. It meant I was saved. She worked at
the Parlor, a friend of Nancy’s, but unlike Nancy she wasn’t
gifted. I recognized her for a fraud that first time we met, so you
could say we didn’t get off to a good start. That fact would pay
off now.
She and Francesca bantered
over the front desk, Eclipsys explaining that Nancy was with a
client. I hurried to cut in, “No need to wait for Madame Bristow,
you’ve done a reading for Francesca before. The stars are as good
as the cards, isn’t that what they say?”
Francesca’s look was
dubious. Obviously she knew I was full of shit.
“ We’ll be in room two,” I
said ushering Francesca in that direction. “You go ahead, get your
things and meditate,” I told Eclipsys. “Or whatever it is you do to
prepare.”
Eclipsys said nothing as I
pushed Francesca down the hall, a parting as brief as our greeting,
and for that I was grateful. She knew who I was and what I could
do, but as we weren’t friendly, she revealed nothing. Sometimes, I
swear, it paid to be a bitch.
“You’re being weird,” Francesca observed as
I shut the door behind her. She sat, removing a compact to touch up
her flawless face. “Weirder than usual,” she said absently,
perusing the small mirror
all, or at least a few, but in actuality she knew none. I hadn’t
told her that after our first trip to the Parlor I’d returned, that
I’d become friends with Nancy, or that I wasn’t quite the
disbeliever I’d been. But if Nancy greeted me in her customary
fashion, Francesca wouldn’t be in the dark for long.
I was too tense to enjoy
the soft leather seat, or Francesca’s perfume which had somehow
fused with the car after so many trips. Francesca wasn’t helping
either. She tried to play off this new turn of events as if it was
nothing, but she was far too excited. I was beginning to worry that
soon she’d be Mrs. Connor... what the hell was his last
name?
“What’s Conner’s last name?” I asked,
turning to see Francesca better.
“It’s...” A flare of panic, her hands
tightening on the wheel.
“Holy shit. You don’t even know his
name!”
“ I do,” she said firmly.
“It’s... Price. His name is Connor Price.” She paused at a
four-way, letting the herd of pedestrians cross. “But I’m more
interested in you and Lucas,” she tacked on, hurrying to change the
subject before I thought up some more questions concerning her
‘beloved’ for which she couldn’t answer. “Has he popped your
cherry?”
“ Not yet.”
“ I feel as if you’re
holding onto your virginity with both hands. Stop clinging,
Adelaide, and let it go already.”
“ I’m never letting you
play godmother to my children.”
She wasn’t the least bit offended. “You have
to have sex to have kids, so at this rate I predict you’ll die
alone. No, not alone. You’ll have cats. Lots and lots of cats.”
“ I want to have sex,
believe it or not, and I’m ready... I guess. It’s Lucas, he’s
stubborn. He won’t do it until he’s convinced I’m
ready.”
Francesca’s head jerked in
my direction, staring as if I’d contracted some rare new disease.
“Jeez, Adelaide, you can’t even give it away.”
“ Watch the road!” I
barked.
We skimmed past a mail
truck, too close for comfort. Francesca was forced to concentrate
as she weaved us through the tiny grid of crowded streets, driving
into tourist central.
“Go on,” I said, feeling her indecision and
desire. “Say it, I know you want to.”
“He’s cheating!” she cried, as if she
couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I mean, I know he likes you, he’s
waiting and all, like a gentleman, but he must be seeing someone
else.”
“He’s not,” I said calmly. I felt totally
sure.
She arched an eyebrow,
playing the jaded strumpet who knew better. “Why don’t you get a
reading and see,” she challenged, pulling up directly in front of
the Parlor.
* * *
I was only too happy to
see Eclipsys, a first I’m sure. It meant I was saved. She worked at
the Parlor, a friend of Nancy’s, but unlike Nancy she wasn’t
gifted. I recognized her for a fraud that first time we met, so you
could say we didn’t get off to a good start. That fact would pay
off now.
She and Francesca bantered
over the front desk, Eclipsys explaining that Nancy was with a
client. I hurried to cut in, “No need to wait for Madame Bristow,
you’ve done a reading for Francesca before. The stars are as good
as the cards, isn’t that what they say?”
Francesca’s look was
dubious. Obviously she knew I was full of shit.
“ We’ll be in room two,” I
said ushering Francesca in that direction. “You go ahead, get your
things and meditate,” I told Eclipsys. “Or whatever it is you do to
prepare.”
Eclipsys said nothing as I
pushed Francesca down the hall, a parting as brief as our greeting,
and for that I was grateful. She knew who I was and what I could
do, but as we weren’t friendly, she revealed nothing. Sometimes, I
swear, it paid to be a bitch.
“You’re being weird,” Francesca observed as
I shut the door behind her. She sat, removing a compact to touch up
her flawless face. “Weirder than usual,” she said absently,
perusing the small mirror
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