My Favorite Souvenir(89)

I dug into my pocket and pulled out my billfold. “Forty? Last time it was only twenty.”

Zara shrugged. “I charge a premium now when I talk to dead celebrities.”

After a moment I laughed. “You mean David Bowie? That actually wasn’t Bowie, it was Zoe.”

Zara shook her head. “Well, it’s still gonna have to be forty, because apparently I need to buy a damn hearing aid for when I speak to people on the other side.”

I peeled two twenties from my billfold and placed them in Zara’s hand. Forty was actually a steal. Hell, I’d have emptied my bank account if she could tell me whether or not Hazel was going to show up tomorrow. It would be worth it to finally get a night of solid sleep.

Zara tucked the bills into her bra and shut her eyes, holding both hands out to me.

When I didn’t immediately do anything, she peeked open one eye. “Give me your hands.”

“Oh. Yeah, sure. Sorry.”

I sat there watching her in silence for a solid five minutes. Her closed eyes went through a series of different expressions. At one point, her brows and mouth pinched tight, and she looked annoyed. Then a minute later, a smile spread across her face. Eventually, she opened her eyes and let go of my hands.

I was anxious. “Did you see something stressful?”

She waved me off. “Nah. I just wanted to hold your hand a little bit. It’s been a long time since a man who looks like you did that.” She twisted in her seat and pulled out a deck of cards from a storage box on a chair next to her. I recognized them as the tarot cards she’d used last time.

Zara pushed her dreadlocks from her face and flipped over three cards. Studying them, she pointed down to the first two. “We already spoke about your past, so I assume you’re here today to learn about your present and future.”

I nodded. “Yeah, that would be great.”

She picked up the middle card and held it to her forehead with her eyes closed for a minute. “You’re lonely,” she said.

I frowned but nodded.

Zara leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I can send you to a little place on the other side of town. Tell them Zara sent you, and for fifty bucks you won’t be lonely anymore.”

I chuckled. “That’s okay. I think I’m good.”

She set down the middle card and picked up the next one, again holding it to her forehead for a moment. “Your pussy doesn’t want a new friend.”

My brows drew together. “Excuse me?”

“You do have a cat, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, he is not going to like his new friend.”

“Who’s his new friend?”

“How should I know? I’m just telling you what’s coming to me.”

“Okay, okay.” Might that mean Hazel is coming? My cat didn’t exactly love her the first time they met. Maybe that’s a positive sign?

“And the apple you’ll be looking for? It’s in the trunk of the car.”

“The apple? That’s what you see? I’m going to misplace a piece of fruit?”

“Hey,” Zara snapped. “Don’t get pissy with the messenger.”

I dragged a hand through my hair. “Yeah, you’re right, sorry. I’m just anxious.”

“You’re anxious about the girl you were here with last time? The redhead?”

My pulse started to race. “Yeah. What do you see about her?”

Zara closed her eyes tightly for moment, and then opened them. “Nothing. Sorry. I’m not seeing her at all.”

My heart sank into my stomach.

“But I do see something else,” Zara said. “Are you into astrology, by any chance?”

I shook my head.

“Is your birthday in May, or maybe a woman in your life has a birthday in May?”

I shook my head again.

“I’m seeing a bull. But not just any bull. It’s the kind they use in those astrology charts to represent people born under the Taurus sign.”

I racked my brain for any kind of a connection to the month of May or astrology, but came up empty.

Seeing my face, Zara frowned. “Look, kid. Normally I’d make up some bullshit like you’re going to meet your future wife next Wednesday, or tell you I see a breakup in your future when nothing exciting is coming to me. But you don’t strike me as someone who wants to hear that crap.”

I smiled sadly. “I’m not. I appreciate you trying, Zara.”

“No problem, sweetheart.” She reached over into the storage box where she’d pulled out her tarot cards and took out something else. Extending what looked like a business card to me, she said, “This is a half-off coupon for the place I mentioned earlier that could help you get rid of your loneliness. Just in case you change your mind.”

I shook my head and stood. “Hold onto that for me, Zara. I may be back to take it tomorrow night.”





Chapter 32




* * *



Matteo



Wandering the French Quarter in the morning as the sun came up was an interesting experience, like a surreal calm after a storm. Pretty sure some of the people passing by me hadn’t even gone to sleep yet; some still seemed drunk.

Then you had the older couples slowly strolling along, looking for a place to eat breakfast as the sound of a street performer’s clarinet played somewhere in the distance. The cleaning trucks were out, attempting to wash away the sins of the night before. And early-morning commuters rode by on their bikes. The city was waking up, and I longed for Hazel to be here with me, so we could wander these streets together.