Merry inhaled deeply. “I suppose you’re right. I can’t help feeling guilty, though. He’s home with a sick parent and here I was, kicking up my heels—or trying to.”
“Hey, he might not be as saintly as you think, either. Didn’t he have any girlfriends back home?”
Merry’s green-eyed monster grabbed her by the throat. “You don’t think he’d… No, I can’t picture it. He even asked me to come with him. And he says he loves me.”
Roz smiled, knowingly. “And you love him.”
Merry simply stared at her friend.
“You do, don’t you?”
She faced forward and let the traffic mesmerize her. She wasn’t ready to admit it before, but now… “You may be right. Iwas holding back because of this ‘ridiculous’ city-life idea, as you called it.”
“Well, I’m damned glad we burst your bubble.”
“I feel like an idiot.”
Roz shrugged. “Yeah. Welcome to the human race.”
Chad knew that Morgaine, besides doing phone sex, was also a first-class phone psychic. When he wanted to get her attention, she usually knew it and tuned in to him. Sometimes, however, he suspected that she tuned him out on purpose and pretended not to hear him rattle her beaded curtain, or stomp around, or move light objects.
Like today. He wanted to know what was going on with his investigation, and she was ignoring him.
He had already hidden one of her earrings. It was her favorite pair, too. Dangly copper with Aztec-like designs. She’d said they conduct electricity to her head and third eye.All the better to tell your fortune, my dear…Plus she thought the copper looked groovy against her black hair and black clothing. He saw her searching frantically for the missing one.
Maybe she already knew what he wanted and couldn’t tell him anything more than what he’d heard already.That would be just like a psychic, but damn it, the least she can do is ask Jason what’s happening.Had he hired a private investigator like he was supposed to? Do they have any leads? Do they need any more information?
“Well, we’ll see how well she deals with having her phone lines crossed. That ought to get her attention. Oh good—it’s ringing and she’s across the room. Let’s see, which one is it? Ah, the psychic line. Let me make a slight adjustment, and… there. That call is now coming into the phone-sex line.”He couldn’twait to see the result of his prank.
Morgaine picked up the telephone and in her sexiest voice, she said, “Hello, lover. This is Venus. Tell me what I can do for you.” Silence greeted her.
“You’re awfully quiet. Some first-time callers need a bit of encouragement. Is that what’s going on? I’ll do anything you want, and I meananything.”
Click.
“That’s odd,” she said.
Gwyneth spoke from the kitchen. “What’s odd?”
“Someone on the sex line hung up on me. I must be losing my touch.”
“Y’all were probably just disconnected. Don’t pay it no nevermind.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Morgaine waited another minute for the caller to try again. When nothing happened, she strolled into the kitchen.
“What are you making?”
“I’m tryin’ out a recipe for one of those Yule log things.”
“Yule isn’t until December twenty-first. Why are you making it now?”
“Well, they’re tricky. I figure I have plenty of time to practice so I can get it right for the actual day.”
“Smart.”
The phone rang.
“Oh, there he is, Morgaine. I’ll bet he’s a shy one who had to screw up his courage.” Then she laughed. “Maybe I should reword that.”
