minutes.”
Jack nodded. “Thank you.”
Madison concentrated on the menu. Not that much of it appealed to her. She’d have been happier with an order of fries than a plate of crab-stuffed mushrooms. She didn’t even bother to check out the salads. Yuck. Of course a cup of blue cheese dressing just about made any salad bearable.
“Would you like me to make a couple of suggestions?” he asked, and she looked up to see if he was making fun of her. “You look indecisive.”
“Nope. I know what I want.” She set the menu aside. “And you?”
“Ready.”
“Okay.” She saw that Tara had stopped at another table. “Let’s talk about this afternoon. I’m thinking the spa should be next.”
“Fine.” He leaned forward, and lowered his voice. “Now tell me about Madam Zora.”
Madison groaned. “I thought we’d settled that. I don’t know the woman. I only met her briefly.”
“But she gave you a reading.”
“It was nonsense.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I don’t remember.”
He smiled. “Yes, you do.”
“Excuse me?”
“You might not have liked what she said, but you remember.”
“Says who?”
“I heard you on the phone.”
“Nice.” She tried to recall what she’d said to Karrie. Nothing incriminating. At least not when he was in the room. Where the hell was that waitress?
“Don’t forget that I interview people for a living.” Jack caught her eye and held on to her gaze. He looked pretty serious. “I’m damn good at it, too.”
“Why on earth would it matter what that woman said to me?”
“I want to get a feel for her style. How broad she keeps her predictions, how accurate she is about personal information.” He sighed and glanced around. “To tell you the truth, I don’t want to come off like a total skeptic when I interview her.”
The waitress showed up, and Jack immediately leaned back and fell silent. While she took their orders, Madison tried to decide what to tell him. He seemed earnest enough. She could tell him about Karrie.
As soon as Tara disappeared, Jack was back on hisgame. He leaned forward, determination in his eyes. “You said something to your friend about Madam Zora getting lucky. May I assume there was some accuracy to her prediction?”
“Yes, but it could easily have been coincidence.”
“That said…” He gestured impatiently for her to continue.
“Okay, so my friend Karrie is attractive, late twenties, obviously single since she was my date for the party,” she said, and ignored his attempt to hold back a smile. “So how far a stretch was it for Madam Z. to predict she would meet some hunky guy, fall in love and live happily ever after?”
“From what the women in the office say, around here that’s a rarity.”
Madison stifled a laugh. “You’ve got me there. But Karrie didn’t meet Rob here in Manhattan. She knew him from college back in Las Vegas.”
“So didn’t Madam Zora know he would be a man from your friend’s past?” he asked, the question clearly rhetorical, judging by the smug expression on his face.
“Actually, she did.”
His gaze narrowed. He leaned closer. “What exactly did she tell your friend?”
Madison shrugged. “That she’d return to the desert and would hook up with this guy she knew. Turned out he was her former archaeology professor.” Goose bumps rose on Madison’s arms when she remembered another small detail. She laughed nervously. If she told Jack it would sound crazy. He’d probably think she was messing with him. Or worse, that she really believed in this baloney.
“What? You remembered something.”
“You won’t believe me.”
He frowned with impatience. “What is it?”
“She knew Rob’s initials,” she said slowly, and when his frown deepened, she added, “Madam Zora told Karrie the man she’d meet again would have the initials R.P. But of course Karrie didn’t make the connection that night at the party. She hadn’t seen or thought of Rob for over eight
Jack nodded. “Thank you.”
Madison concentrated on the menu. Not that much of it appealed to her. She’d have been happier with an order of fries than a plate of crab-stuffed mushrooms. She didn’t even bother to check out the salads. Yuck. Of course a cup of blue cheese dressing just about made any salad bearable.
“Would you like me to make a couple of suggestions?” he asked, and she looked up to see if he was making fun of her. “You look indecisive.”
“Nope. I know what I want.” She set the menu aside. “And you?”
“Ready.”
“Okay.” She saw that Tara had stopped at another table. “Let’s talk about this afternoon. I’m thinking the spa should be next.”
“Fine.” He leaned forward, and lowered his voice. “Now tell me about Madam Zora.”
Madison groaned. “I thought we’d settled that. I don’t know the woman. I only met her briefly.”
“But she gave you a reading.”
“It was nonsense.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I don’t remember.”
He smiled. “Yes, you do.”
“Excuse me?”
“You might not have liked what she said, but you remember.”
“Says who?”
“I heard you on the phone.”
“Nice.” She tried to recall what she’d said to Karrie. Nothing incriminating. At least not when he was in the room. Where the hell was that waitress?
“Don’t forget that I interview people for a living.” Jack caught her eye and held on to her gaze. He looked pretty serious. “I’m damn good at it, too.”
“Why on earth would it matter what that woman said to me?”
“I want to get a feel for her style. How broad she keeps her predictions, how accurate she is about personal information.” He sighed and glanced around. “To tell you the truth, I don’t want to come off like a total skeptic when I interview her.”
The waitress showed up, and Jack immediately leaned back and fell silent. While she took their orders, Madison tried to decide what to tell him. He seemed earnest enough. She could tell him about Karrie.
As soon as Tara disappeared, Jack was back on hisgame. He leaned forward, determination in his eyes. “You said something to your friend about Madam Zora getting lucky. May I assume there was some accuracy to her prediction?”
“Yes, but it could easily have been coincidence.”
“That said…” He gestured impatiently for her to continue.
“Okay, so my friend Karrie is attractive, late twenties, obviously single since she was my date for the party,” she said, and ignored his attempt to hold back a smile. “So how far a stretch was it for Madam Z. to predict she would meet some hunky guy, fall in love and live happily ever after?”
“From what the women in the office say, around here that’s a rarity.”
Madison stifled a laugh. “You’ve got me there. But Karrie didn’t meet Rob here in Manhattan. She knew him from college back in Las Vegas.”
“So didn’t Madam Zora know he would be a man from your friend’s past?” he asked, the question clearly rhetorical, judging by the smug expression on his face.
“Actually, she did.”
His gaze narrowed. He leaned closer. “What exactly did she tell your friend?”
Madison shrugged. “That she’d return to the desert and would hook up with this guy she knew. Turned out he was her former archaeology professor.” Goose bumps rose on Madison’s arms when she remembered another small detail. She laughed nervously. If she told Jack it would sound crazy. He’d probably think she was messing with him. Or worse, that she really believed in this baloney.
“What? You remembered something.”
“You won’t believe me.”
He frowned with impatience. “What is it?”
“She knew Rob’s initials,” she said slowly, and when his frown deepened, she added, “Madam Zora told Karrie the man she’d meet again would have the initials R.P. But of course Karrie didn’t make the connection that night at the party. She hadn’t seen or thought of Rob for over eight
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