Chasing Him (Dark Love 4)

The bell rings, and Eric rushes to the door. A lady, perhaps late sixties, walks into the room carrying a small travel bag. She greets Eric and asks where she should set up. Her extremely long gray hair falls past her waist and is tucked behind her ears. She’s dressed in a long velvet maroon gown, and my eyes are drawn immediately to the turquoise ring sitting on her middle finger. The color and stone are hypnotizing, and I find myself struggling to look away.

She sits on the floor and places her bag beside her. We all remain quiet as she encourages one of us to step forward. Kate is sitting in front of her in a flash. The lady closes her eyes and mumbles to herself, circling her hands in front of her.

Oh, hell no.

She’s a clairvoyant.

Where the fuck is Eric’s brain at?

I don’t believe in this mumbo jumbo.

Recalling the first and only time I visited a psychic, she told me that Elijah and I would have three kids, all girls, and that Elijah would get a job in Seattle.

And look how that ended.

I want to stand up and leave the room.

Does she speak to the dead?

Is that what Julian wants?

My pulse starts to race as the anger consumes me. Accidentally, I knock the table with my knee, startling everyone in the room. If she asks me to come forward, I’ll tell her to fuck off. I’m not interested in hearing a money-making nobody tell me what my future entails, especially if it doesn’t include Julian.

Kate eagerly awaits her future to be told, and much like me, Lex is annoyed at Eric for wasting our time.

I lean over to Lex and whisper in his ear. “Good luck, you know what Charlie’s like with all this shit.”

“I know. That’s what I’m worried about,” he says, barely above a whisper.

The lady, whose name is Clarice, begins to speak to Kate. “I see a lot of traveling in your future.”

“Oh,” Kate coos.

“You travel for work,” Lex states the obvious.

Kate is quick to hush him.

“No. These places I see, they are exotic. At first, you’re uncomfortable, but you are drawn to these places.”

Kate’s mouth widens into a smile, accompanied by an over-joyous Eric happy clapping in silence.

Clarice frowns, and Kate’s smile dissipates. “I see a man. He is tall, dark, and is very reserved.”

“American?” Kate asks.

“I see a strong ethnic background. Beware of him. He will abandon you and burden you for a lifetime.”

“What the fuck?” I say out loud.

“Oh, blimey,” Kate notes in dark amusement.

Charlie’s eyes are wide with fear. “Your dark angel.”

“Her what?”

Eric warns me to keep quiet. I mouth ‘sorry’ to him, but he has already focused his attention back on Clarice.

Clarice continues to talk about Kate’s family, mentioning a few things that seem to excite Kate. After another ten minutes, Kate is done, and Charlie stands up to replace her.