Damn if they weren’t adorable.
I wandered out of my bedroom to my small living room. I’d embraced the boho chic style in the open floorplan of my perfectly-sized apartment. Plants and herbs I used in my practice dotted the shelves I’d put up. Macramé hanging planters held easy to care for greenery and added to the serenity of my space.
I gathered a few supplies from my bookcase and filched a few crystals from my altar to help with the nerves that would be sure to pop up. I said a quick prayer of thanks to the goddess Brigid for her knowledge and for borrowing from her altar.
Moving to the plethora of divinatory items I had displayed in my corner alcove, I choose a few straightforward tarot decks for the evening. Then I closed my eyes and let my intuition tell me which oracles to bring with me.
I laughed when I opened my eyes to find a daisy bag under my fingers. “Freya, are you giving me a sign for the evening?” She wasn’t a goddess I prayed to. She was the goddess of love and fertility and most often associated with daisies and their purity.
I wondered if there was an offering in the lake to her because damn if this town wasn’t exploding with fertility. I laughed and shook my head as I stuffed all my things in a retro canvas bag with a pair of vintage roller skates embroidered on it.
I grabbed my cell phone, my water jug to combat the alcohol that would surely be in my future, and my keys. When I opened the door, I found the hulking piece of man-bun in the hallway.
His charm glowed as surely as his ultra-tanned skin. “Hope there was no hard feelings for my bonehead move.”
I grinned up at him. “Nah. Sorry my music was so loud.”
“Oh, believe me, it was no problem.”
I twirled my keys on my finger. “Glad you enjoyed my workout.”
Lucky hooked his thumb on the edge of his workout shorts. Mostly to show off his sin lines, I was sure. I enjoyed them, even if he didn’t give me the little buzz that his friend had. “Workout? So that’s not your…” His other hand tugged at his beard.
My eyebrow arched. “My… Oh.” I laughed. He thought I worked the pole. “Dude, I’ve talked to you a few times at the café. I work at Kinleigh’s.”
“Oh, sure. I knew that.”
I laughed again. I couldn’t help it. “You do know that it’s a large workout craze.?
? I stepped closer to him. “I could snap your neck with my thighs.”
He swallowed. “I’m down with trying that.”
“You would be.” I tipped my head. “Is that supposed to be a pick-up line? ‘Hey, are you a stripper?’”
“No. I mean, it wouldn’t bother me if you were.” He cleared his throat. “Equal opportunity and all that shit.”
“I’m so glad. Catch ya around, Slick.” I passed him and headed for the staircase.
“Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it,” he called after me.
I just waved him off.
And that was why I was a single. Men were utterly ridiculous. The fact that he went with ‘yo, I’m cool with you being a stripper’ as his opener made me want to weep for humanity.
My cell phone buzzed in my hand. I looked down at the screen and shook off my mood. Tabitha was asking if I was still coming. I could practically feel her uncertainty through the text. I shot off a quick reply that I was on my way up the stairs.
Music greeted me as I opened the door to the roof. It was early evening, but since we were still in the clutches of July, sunset wouldn’t be for hours yet.
As I’d feared, Bess had gone all out. Huge umbrellas kept the worst of the sun off of the table she’d set up with fruit and a charcuterie board in the shape of a star. White candles were lit all around the food in the center as well as in groupings of various heights on the smaller tables she’d set up with crystals.
I laughed as I walked to the little group waiting for me. “Did you buy out the whole shop?”
Bess flushed, then patted her hair. “The ladies at Moonstone and Obsidian were very helpful.”
“I bet.” I was certain Georgia, the proprietress, saw Bess and led her right into temptation. She was a savvy businesswoman, and Bess was probably like a gift from the goddess. Luckily, Georgia was also proud of her shop. The crystals were all of good quality.
“Well, this is a good way to charge all your new babies.”