Femme Noir (10 page)

Amber skated to my side. “Who are you?”

“I wanted to ask you—” I began. The phone rang.

Amber bellowed, “I’ve got someone needing a Scorpio pendant
gift-wrapped,
someone else wanting to look at Tarot decks, another one needing a new moon goddess pentagram, a guy wanting to buy that sarcophagus, and now this. She better get me some fucking help around here.” Then she rolled off to get the phone. I waited. Amber skated back.

I smiled. “Do you have a minute?”

“Does it look like I have a minute?” Amber said. “You want to know about the wands and if I’m single, right? I can always tell. I have a gift for insight.” She clattered around to the rear of the case to unlock it. “Which one do you want to see?”

I was almost speechless. “Well…I…”

Amber addressed the ceiling. “That’s all I need, another damn magician. You know what happened last time. But if that’s what is in the cards, then make it so. Blessed be.”

I laughed. “No, no, you got me all wrong.”

Amber smirked. “Sure I do.”

“Hey, listen, I’m just standing here. I don’t give a shit about all this crap.”

The phone rang. “Stay here,” Amber commanded. She skated off to answer it. I gazed at various titles on a display table.
The Dumbass’ Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft,
Gunilla’s Guide to Massage,
The Tibetan Book of the Dead,
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,
Be Here Now,
666
by Aleister Crowley,
Tantric Yoga,
Easy Vegan Recipes,
Magical Herbs,
The Gospel According to Thomas,
How to Levitate,
The Qaballah,
What You Should Know about Gnosticism,
and
Natural Childbirth.
I was about to pick one up, I didn’t know which one, when Amber returned.

“You’re a Capricorn, aren’t you?” Amber said, nodding.

“What? No. My birthday is in May.”

“I can always tell. Cappys are so stubborn.” Amber laughed. “So listen up. We can go out, but there are some things you need to know first. I am devotedly bi and I like it. I only do open relationships. Monogamy just kills me, you know what I mean?”

“I only came here to ask you—” I spoke slowly from shock.

“Amber,” someone called. “I need two grams of dragon’s blood.”

Amber squeezed my arm. “Don’t go away.”

A customer nudged me over so she could look more closely at the wands. My skin was beginning to crawl.

“Aren’t these beautiful?” the customer said reverently. “I wish I could buy all of them.”

I just watched, feeling so alien, I might have grown horns or sprouted tentacles.

“I’m a light worker,” the woman said and at my look of bewilderment, she added, “I work in the light. I work
with
light. And you’re someone with immense fire and energy. I could tell immediately.”

I cleared her throat. “Can you tell me…”

The woman smiled, looking eager.

“Where is Earth and how do I get there?”

The woman laughed and walked to inspect the mortar and pestle sets. Amber skated back, a lit cigarette dangling from her mouth.

“What’s that?” I sniffed, suddenly interested.

“Clove cigarette. Try it.” Amber placed it between my lips. I got a strong whiff of patchouli from Amber’s skin.

I smoked and smiled. It was good. I started feeling a little buzzed. “You sell these here?”

“Yeah. That and American Spirit. No, keep it,” Amber said when I tried to return the smoke. Amber removed another from her skate boot and lit it from a lighter she stowed in her skirt. “Really mellows me out. You know what I mean?”

“Sure. Now listen. I came to ask about Michelle.”

Amber smiled wryly. “You don’t really want to pull on that thread, do you?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“It sounds a helluva lot better than it lived.”

“What does that mean?” I was loving the luxury of smoking in a shop.

“Capricorn, why don’t we go out for a drink after I close so many hours hence?” Amber grinned, tapping her ashes to the floor. The phone began ringing. “I gotta go. But think on this: The easiest person to lie to is the one who wants to be deceived.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“I know who you are.” Amber smiled, skating backward. “And I will enjoy trying you on for myself. See you at nine sharp tonight.” Amber reached the phone.

“Aren’t you going to the funeral?” I called.

Amber shook her head, the phone ringing underneath her hand. “I said good-bye when I kicked her sorry ass to the curb. I gotta work. A funeral is for the people who care.” Amber licked her lips and air-kissed me. “Light and Love,” she yelled into the telephone.

I shook my head. Another dead end. I dropped my butt and ground it out. This crazy place, Amber talking in riddles and trying to seduce me, which left me cold. I left to go for my run.

Chapter Eleven

I drove to the river just because of my unfamiliarity with the town. Had I realized how close to the hotel it was, I would’ve jogged to it.

Instead of parking right away, I drove farther down on Riverside Drive, from Southwest Boulevard to 121st and back, just admiring the scenery. Tulsa was a beautiful city. It was bursting with trees. Like a city had been built in the forest. I saw seagulls, which I didn’t expect to see away from the beach, and herons gliding gracefully over the water. The entire stretch of track was pretty and made me consider moving here. There were lots of people out,
white
people to be sure, but that didn’t faze me. Even in these cremating temperatures, people were jogging, biking, blading, playing Frisbee golf, rugby, and volleyball. Families, couples, and singles were strewn on blankets in the grass. Dogs barked and ran with the joy of life. Children shouted and screamed from the playground equipment, and vendors were selling water and juice and ice cream and pretzels. I pictured myself here…buying a house close and running here every day.

When I returned to Southwest Boulevard, I did a U-turn and parked, thinking I would run seven or eight miles if I watched the time. Once out of the car, my sunglasses fogged, I began sneezing, my eyes began watering, all in a flash. I stretched and I forgot all my miseries and discomforts as my spirit soared. The upcoming funeral did not bother me now. I took off, loving the feel of my feet hitting the ground, propelling me. I pulled air into my lungs greedily, speeding past joggers and walkers and even some slow bikers. I loved my legs that were as strong and dependable as iron. I felt I could jump any hurdle today. I nodded, smiled, at everyone I passed. Birds sang, locusts buzzed, crape myrtles bloomed, squirrels chittered, and I ran through it all, the river and I running silently together. I even loved the soggy air that wilted me. In the car, I drank and drank of the water I bought on the return run. But my cottonmouth persisted. I threw the empties over my shoulder into the back. I stopped at a drugstore, and to my everlasting irritation, like a failure or a defeat, bought a sinus and allergy relief medication and dry-swallowed two before I left the store.

Back at the hotel, my clothes wringing wet, I checked my messages—none—showered and shaved my scalp with practiced efficiency. Then I admired myself dressed in the mirror. “I am so, so
fine.
Max should be so lucky.”

I found Café Kokopelli with no trouble. Again, when I stood, rising out of the car, my sunglasses fogged me blind. The restaurant had sheltered outdoor seating with ceiling fans, several floor fans, and an overhead mister that hissed cool microscopic water droplets onto the diners. The restaurant also had twinkling lights and jazz grooving softly in the background.

Ava-Suzanne, Darcy, and Jhoaeneyie were waiting, having saved a table nearest the cold, black outdoor fireplace. Ava-Suzanne wore two mothy sweaters and she rubbed her arms and hugged herself continually as if she were cold. Darcy, when she had a chance, sandwiched Ava-Suzanne’s hands between hers, trying to keep her warm. Jhoaeneyie was booming, woofing, and gesticulating about something. I watched this little show from the parking lot with distaste.

After I was seated, I felt Darcy’s gaze penetrate me in a particularly disturbing way. I ignored her and reached for the chips and salsa.

“See that?” Darcy gestured to the parking lot full of expensive cars. “I like to keep an eye on her.”

I guessed she was bragging about her BMW again, so I just nodded absently.

“So, I hear you met Max,” Darcy said snidely. As she sipped her herbal tea, Ava-Suzanne scowled at me. Jhoaeneyie whistled.

“Is that what you heard?” I replied smoothly.

“She’s something else, isn’t she?” Darcy asked, her voice low. Ava-Suzanne knocked one of her sharp elbows into Darcy’s ribs. “Oh, honey, I’m just talkin’. You’re my sweet pea. Here, take your tinctures.” Darcy removed two bottles from her bag and handed them to Ava-Suzanne. “Yeah, Max and I almost hooked up.”

I turned my gaze to Darcy. “What?”

Darcy grinned. “Max and I were almost a couple.” Ava-Suzanne squirted tinctures under her pale tongue, blew her nose on a used tissue, and buttoned her bulky sweater.

“Yeah, you and every other butch in town,” Jhoaeneyie added with a wink. “She’s a dirty skirt. When she’s single, it’s every dyke for herself because that one goes on a trampage.”

“She wasn’t like that when she and I were together. I had a calming influence on Max.”

“Is that right?” I crunched angrily on a chip. I stared at Ava-Suzanne, who had leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed to catch the sun on her pallid skin. This chick must be a riot in bed.

“Yeah, it was years ago, before my sweet pea. Didn’t Max mention it?”

I grinned, feeling like a shark. “Nope, sure didn’t.” I wished Jack were here to whisper the truth in my ear. What would he say about this?

“She has
issues,
you know. Made her run away. Maybe it still hurts her too much.” Darcy shrugged and sipped her iced tea. The cubes had dissolved and the glass had sweated a lake on the table. Ava-Suzanne stared at us for a second with one cold eye.

“Hurts
her?
” I couldn’t resist asking. Then I gave up. I really didn’t want to fight about what had to be a fantasy and so just agreed. “I know you’re right. Max carries her wounds deep.”

“That’s so true,” Darcy said dreamily.

Jhoaeneyie laughed like a horn blatting. “I
know
that’s right.”

“Lay off Max for a while, okay?” Darcy barked.

“Yeah, Jhoaeneyie, let her go already,” Ava-Suzanne added, showing fang.

“Hey, she’s nothing to me anymore. I’ve
moved on.
” Jhoaeneyie leaned forward with her face all sincerity. “I
hate
being right about her. I really do. It hurts me.”

“Well.” Darcy pointed at Jhoaeneyie. “That would be true if even one speck of it were true.”

“Whoa,” I interrupted. “Time out.” They all looked at me. “How are the margaritas?”

Chapter Twelve

Our food arrived and we began eating in silence. I enjoyed the place. Tiny sparrows pecked at crumbs at the feet of the diners. I crushed a chip and threw it to the birds. I luxuriated in the low mumble and laughter of others around me. The jazz and the shade from the burning sun and the warm breeze transported me to a contentment I hadn’t known off the court since before I let Michelle move in.

“Excuse me,” Darcy barked to the waitress. “This isn’t right. I ordered blue corn tortillas, not white. And I wanted fruit instead of black beans. And I want extra sour cream.” Darcy thrust her plate into the hands of the waitress, who mumbled an apology and strode off. Darcy rolled her eyes and wiped sweat from her forehead. Ava-Suzanne picked anemically at her food, piercing tiny pieces with her fork and then smelling them before returning each bit to the plate, rejected. Her food looked as if she had taken a big spoon and stirred it all into a quagmire. I ate of mine, relishing everything. It was hot and delicious and spicy and pleasingly Tex-Mexy. Plus, if I finished quickly, I would leave sooner.

“How was your run?” Darcy asked, twiddling her thumbs. Ava-Suzanne shoved her plate away with disgust and nibbled a chip, her sallow skin emanating unhappiness. Jhoaeneyie just kept shoveling it in.

I spoke with a full mouth. “Oh, it was beautiful. I—”

“I used to run ten miles a day when I was single. I’d run every year in the Tulsa Run, you know. Really big deal. But Ava-Suzanne convinced me to give it up for the good of my healing. It was just too much stress on my joints. Plus, it’s more time for us together.” Darcy smiled and patted Ava-Suzanne’s leg. I chewed madly, trying to keep the laughter down. Where were Jack and gin and smokes when you needed them? I swallowed fast and sneezed into a napkin and dabbed my eyes.

“Allergies? Us too.” Darcy studied me as if I were a specimen. “Oklahoma will do that to you, worst state in the Union for—”

I protested, my face clogged, “I’ve never…I don’t…”

Darcy waved me away. “Doesn’t matter. Natives can suddenly develop them. No one knows why.”