“You, my friend, look like someone eating at the Mad Hatter’s table.”
“Why shouldn’t I? Life is good.” River popped a large bite of bun into her mouth.
“And it has nothing to do with a certain cold-hearted beauty who has stumbled into your life?” Audrey waved to old Mr. Jackson, who hobbled past every day on his way to play chess with his friends in the park.
“Nothing at all.” River grinned. “My card this morning suggested big changes are happening. Maybe we’ll find a way to overcome our differences. I know she came into my life for a reason. I just don’t know what it is yet.”
“To save her from herself, sounds like.” Audrey pulled out the thick book that held their accounts. “What was the card?”
“The Tower.” River grinned at Audrey when she gave her an incredulous stare.
“You mean destruction, upheaval, and crisis that makes you burn it all to the ground and start over? That Tower?”
River laughed. “That’s one interpretation. I’ll take the positive one.”
Audrey shook her head and carried her coffee and the ledger into the back office. “And this is why people don’t believe in tarot readings.”
River crumpled up the wrapping and cleared the crumbs, careful not to put her sticky fingers on any of the merchandise. After washing her hands she grabbed her phone and sent a text.
Still deeply humiliated by your show of physical weakness? Want to prove that you can keep up with me?She set her phone down, determined not to be one of those people who stared at it, waiting for a response.
I would leave you in the dust, regardless of the activity you’re suggesting. What ARE you suggesting?
River wasn’t actually sure. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. Hell, she hadn’t really thought Marina would respond at all. Her gaze fell on the map of metaphysical sites in Illinois.Depends. Do you hike as well as you do yoga?
How very lesbian of you. My time is severely restricted. The best I can do, if you’re going to keep things platonic, is offer a walk around Grant.
It was better than nothing. But was there an offer of more than platonic? What did she mean by that? River’s heart thumped but she chickened out, unable to ask the obvious question. She quickly came up with an alternative.3pm at the Buck Fountain?
See you there. Be warned, I won’t faint this time.
River laughed.Damn. I like catching you.She put her phone away, giddiness making her want to jump around the shop likea deranged school boi who got their date to the prom. Sure, it wasn’t a date, but that was a good thing. Dates put too much pressure on a moment. A simple walk around the park would make conversation easier.
She hummed as she straightened merch, did some dusting, and then sat at the counter perusing the latest catalogue of Crystal Magic Wholesale.
Audrey came back out of the office, and there was no mistaking the dimmed energy that matched her frown lines.
“Everything okay?” River asked, getting up from the stool behind the counter so Audrey could take it.
“Mostly.” She put the ledger back into the safe and popped it closed. “Things are getting a little tight. Between the repairs we need to do on the building and all the bills that come with it, we could really use some sales. We need to hope our online shop gives us a boost too.”
Some of the shine slipped out of River’s day. “Be honest. Are we in trouble?”
Audrey shook her head slowly. “No. Not yet. But we really need this winter’s business. Hopefully people will avoid the big A online and shop local.”
River stared outside, thinking. “We’ll figure out something. Start a campaign, run some social media ads, that kind of thing.”
“You know how to do that, do you?” Audrey’s eyebrow went up.
“I’m not ninety, Audrey. I can handle that kind of stuff. And if I get stuck, I’ll head to the university and kidnap a student.” She smiled and tried to project enough confidence to get Audrey’s spirit to lift. She made sure to block any thoughts to the contrary. Audrey could hear a pin drop thought in someone’s head if she really wanted to.
“Well, seeing as we have plenty of time right now, let’s start.” Audrey pulled an old notepad from under the counter and rolleda cracked old pen across to River. “Start jotting down ideas, guru.”
They listed everything they could think of, even the utterly ludicrous, like getting a celebrity patron. When River checked her watch for the third time, Audrey huffed. “What is it you’re in a hurry to go do? Or should I say who?”
River smiled. “I’m meeting Marina for a walk in the park. Which when I say it that way, does sound romantic, even though I told myself it wasn’t.”
“It isn’t.” Audrey pointed at her. “That woman is a mess of uppity narcissism and broken dreams she’s buried under heaps of ambition. Remember that Tower card? Destruction, upheaval and so on?” She nodded sagely. “That’s her. She’s a tower all unto herself.”
