Jackie’s eyes widened as she typed, “Oh my god! That was one time! The duck?” She sighed. She really missed cursing.
“I know, sis,” Erica stood and stretched out her arms to Jackie for a hug. “But your line name wasn’tLittle Miss Dynamitefor nothing, though. You’ve always been a bit unpredictable.”
“Rude,” Jackie typed, then playfully nudged Erica before leaving her office.
JACKIE DIDN’T FEEL LIKE HEADING BACK TO THE OFFICE AFTER HERdoctor’s appointment. Thinking about seeing a therapist made her uneasy. There was no way a therapist wouldn’t look at her strangely when she told them—through an app—that she was so stressed out she literally couldn’t speak. Instead, she decided to distract herself with retail therapy.
She made her way into Couture and Collars, a high-end pet boutique near Buckhead Village. Between Mo busting in, Antonio’s hero act, and Doctor Erica, she hadn’t had a moment to celebrate the good news about PeeWee. Her cancer-free baby definitely deserved a few treats, and shopping for him always put her in a good mood.
“Ms. Miles!” Pamela, the owner of the boutique, hurried over and gave Jackie air kisses. “We have the most adorable Louis Vuitton vest that just came in. It would look absolutely ravishing on PeeWee! Would you like to see it?”
Jackie nodded, clapping her hands in excitement.
“Please follow me,” Pamela instructed.
As Jackie followed Pamela to a glass counter, she saw a flash of red out of the corner of her eye. A woman with wild red hair and shabby-chic clothes was standing near the designer dog bedding. She looked totally out of place in such a high-end establishment, and she also looked familiar. It wasn’t until Jackie saw the woman’s shoes—a pair of well-worn combat boots—that it clicked.
It washer. That weirdo woman from the animal hospital.
Jackie held up a finger to Pamela to excuse herself and marched right over to the woman who was perusing a ruffled dog bed liner. Fuming, Jackie tapped her on the shoulder and waited for her to turn around.
“For the last time, Icanafford to shop here. Oh.” The woman looked at Jackie, surprised. “It’syou. The lady with the Frenchie. I was wondering when I’d run into you again. I told you he’d pull through. I’m usually right.”
Jackie wanted to wipe that smug expression right off the woman’s face. She pulled out her phone and typed, “What did you do to me?”
The redheaded woman wrinkled her nose. “What are you talking about?”
Jackie’s fingers were going so fast across the phone screen that she wouldn’t have been surprised to see flames. “You put a curse on me! I know all about hexes! My great-grandmother worked roots! You put a root on me.” That last part about her great-grandmother Willie may or may not have been an exaggeration. Willie was just really good at cursing people out. She was probably where Jackie got it from.
“Oh! Now I remember.” The woman let out a dry chuckle. “So, how long have you been struck silent?” She looked over at Jackie’s phone. “An app? That’s creative. I guess you couldn’t stay quiet for long.”
Jackie typed furiously. “You need to take this curse off me! For real! You’ve ruined my life!”
“Oh dear,” the woman sighed, clutching a string of bright blue beads around her neck. “Toots, I don’t do curses or hexes. I just let you know what’s already in motion. Mother Mary can’t get rid of the truth. I just say it as I see it. Honestly, I should have charged you my going rate for that tidbit of information.”
Jackie’s hands shook as she typed. “I’m not paying you for anything! Tell me, how the hell do I get my voice back? Permanently?”
“Well.” Mother Mary fingered the ends of a gold-plated dog collar as she thought. “Have you been speaking with your heart and accepting the truth? There is power in the tongue, Toots.”
Overhearing the commotion, Pamela eyed Mother Mary suspiciously. “Ms. Miles, is this lady bothering you?” She looked Mary up and down. “Ma’am, perhaps Petco is a better fit for your needs.”
Mother Mary gasped. “Discrimination! I’ll have you know, I’m a successful businesswoman, and I can afford anything—well, just about anything—in this store!” She looked at Jackie. “Besides, I’m speaking to a client.”
Pamela looked at Jackie. “Ms. Miles? Is this true? Do you know this woman?”
Jackie nodded, assuring Pamela that she was fine.
“Very well. Please let me know if you need anything. Security is just a call away.” Pamela gave Mary a parting side-eye before returning to the counter.
“What a twat,” Mary mumbled. “She doesn’t know it, but her husband is robbing her blind. And sleeping with her assistant. But enough about her. You, doll, let’s get to your problem. You didn’t answer my question.”
Jackie gnawed at the inside of her cheek before typing a response. “I have been truthful at times. Very specific times.”
Mary raised a brow. “What times were those? Hun, I’m not quite following.”
“During sex,” Jackie’s app blared loudly.Shit. She must have accidentally pressed the volume up again. People in the boutique turned to look. At that moment, Jackie wished the ground would swallow her whole.
Mary chuckled. “During hanky panky, huh? Sometimes that’s when we are our most open, vulnerable, and truthful selves. You need to keep that same energy outside of the bedroom, if you want this silent treatment to stop,” Mary tapped her chin thoughtfully. “You and your lover must have a dynamic connection for your true voice to return in that setting. Kismet. Cosmic soulmates. A divine pairing.”
