“You’re sweet.” A flush crept up my cheeks as the story only a few people knew wanted to roll out of my mouth. “Promise you won’t laugh if I tell you something?”
“Promise,” he said, but I knew just looking at his big boyish smile that he’d fail.
“Forget it.” I reached for my gyro and took a big bite. Some of the cucumber sauce missed my mouth and slipped down my chin. Picking up my napkin, I dabbed at my face to wipe it off.
“No. Promise.” He raised up his hand as if swearing on the Bible. “And when a Boy Scout swears, he means it.”
I studied his face, which turned serious, giving me the courage to continue. “So . . .” I swallowed the food down, looked toward the plate of French fries next to my gyro, and noted the pita overflowing with onions. “I believe in astrology, the alignment of the stars, fortune telling, and all that jazz.”
His mouth twitched, and I debated stopping, but he motioned with his hands for me to continue. “Go on.”
“I’m a Pisces and—practically everything they say about Pisces is true.” I peered up at him through my lashes. “We’re generous and emotional souls. Kind. Compassionate. I think that’s why my calling truly was to become a nurse.” I picked up my fork and poked it through the meat, which had fallen out of my sandwich. “Well, one summer when I was in high school, Beth and I went to track down this popular psychic in Leon, a couple towns south of our hometown.”
I noted that he hadn’t touched his food. He seemed engrossed in our conversation, which urged me to continue. “Beth didn’t want to get her cards read, but I kind of coerced her to come with me. There was something I needed to ask the psychic.”
I reclined against the chair as I recalled the day. I’d specifically gone to find Evangeline because I’d heard of her and needed to know things—things for my mama, for our family, and mostly for myself. She’d been known to be exceptional with fortune telling.
That hot summer day, one I remembered so vividly, Evangeline told me about my father and foretold my future.
Brian didn’t need to know the specific details, and I didn’t know him well enough to share, but I did tell him one piece of information she’d foretold that day. “She predicted everything about Dr. Hot Pants, and that’s how I know he’s the one.” I nodded once, confirming the prediction.
Brian rubbed at his eyebrow. His lip quivered as if he was holding in laughter. When he composed himself, he turned in my direction, but I could already feel myself warming with irritation. I hardly knew this guy, and I didn’t appreciate him thinking my life was some sort of joke.
“Never mind.” I stuffed my mouth with a couple of fries and started to chew.
“No, go on. I find this interesting. Just because I don’t believe in fortune tellers or astrology doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not true.”
“Whatever,” I mumbled, my mouth full of food.
“Enlighten me, please,” he said sweetly. “I want to know what she said.” His face turned serious again, his eyes no longer amused.
When had I ever cared what other people thought of me anyway?
I dropped my fork, ducked my head toward him, and continued, “This girl was good. No crystal ball or anything. She only read our palms and had Tarot Cards. She predicted I would move to a big city.” His lip twitched again, but I just ignored it. “She predicted I’d major in something that would help people, and that my mama would remarry. She’s not remarried just yet, but I don’t doubt that her relationship with Hank is headed in that direction.” I angled closer to whisper my next revelation. “And she predicted I would marry my soul mate, Dr. Klein. She said, ‘He’ll be the one that makes you smile every day for the rest of your life. Give you the happily-ever-after you deserve.’ As silly as it sounds, I believe her.”
“What did she say exactly?” he asked, seeming truly interested as he leaned in farther. “Did she say, ‘I predict you are going to marry a doctor, his name is Dr. Klein, and he works at New York Cornell Hospital’?”
“Of course not.” I frowned at him. “I mean, when she said I’d move out of Bowlesville to a big city, she didn’t say New York.”
He rested his elbows on the table, steepling his fingers together. “Well, then how do you know she meant him?”
“Because she said I’d really meet my soul mate at work. And she saw papers and moons in my future. She was vague and precise all at once.” I shook my head, knowing that I made no sense. But I’d been there, and I knew with such clarity she’d seen my future. ”She specifically said that I’d marry the man who’d give me the moon,” I whispered.
His face broke out into a sudden smile. “Oh, yeah?”
I could feel my mouth turning up to match his smile. “Yeah, and on my very first day of work, I was already attracted to him. I mean, look at his fine ass. Even being the alpha male that you are, you have to appreciate a fine specimen when you see it.”
“So he reached up in the sky and grabbed the moon and handed it to you, and that’s how you know?” He started to laugh, which made me want to hit him in the face.
“Of course not, dummy. A couple days after I started working, I was looking for something to take notes on when we were at the nurses’ station, and Dr. Klein handed me a kid’s notepad to take notes and on it . . .” I felt my eyes widening, like I was admitting a conspiracy. “Get this . . .” I gazed left and then right. “On the right upper hand corner of the notebook was a moon. A paper notebook. I didn’t understand her prediction until that moment.”
Brian grinned and nodded with understanding then coughed to cover his laugh, eventually breaking into full-blown, uncontrollable laughter. The sound of it rippled through the diner and had everyone turning in our direction.
I narrowed my eyes at him, thoroughly annoyed. “It’s called a sign. Ever heard of it? Look it up in the dictionary.”
He continued to laugh, holding his stomach as my body temperature rose, the heat reaching the tips of my ears. I’d had enough. I pushed my chair back and stood to leave. I didn’t have to sit here and take this—him laughing at my life, thinking I was some sort of joke. I reached in my purse, grabbed a twenty, and threw it on the table.
Brian instantly calmed down and grabbed my hand. “Hey, where are you going?”
I ripped my hand from his grasp. “Home. Jerk!” I stomped out of the restaurant, never looking back. When the warm summer air hit my skin, sweat beads formed against my forehead.
I hated him for making me feel embarrassed about this. Evangeline’s predictions had come true in succession. Her prophecies were the only hope I had in my own future. It’s the thread that kept me together. I lived with the comfort of knowing how my life would play out.
Swallowing down my emotions, I raised my hand to hail a cab, but the stupid cab traveled past me. I dropped my head and closed my eyes. I couldn’t believe how awful this night had been. Sarah had fallen sick and ditched me. I had wasted all my effort to gain Dr. Klein’s attention but instead he’d left the bar with another girl. The last straw was Brian mocking me.
My lip quivered, followed by tiny tears prickling my eyes, and I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling small and insignificant. After a second, I lifted my head to search for another cab.
I hated that all I wanted to do was go back to my normal town of boring Bowlesville. I’d give anything at this moment to watch movies with my mama and sit in the kitchen, drinking the hot cocoa that she made me every night. I’d thought I wanted the big city lights, but not anymore. I wanted my old life back. I should’ve stayed at that hospital and continued helping old people pee.
As I waited for another damn cab, the first tear fell down my cheek, and I angrily swiped it away. I’d never felt so alone.
Who was I kidding? I wasn’t this big bad girl moving to the big city. I was one big wannabe fake.