Miss Fortune (31 page)

The same is true for our daughters, honey, Bonnie said.

Shes right, Daniel quickly added. Your daughters will respond to a more sensitive, aural approach.

Whatever, Aaron said.

Bonnie exchanged a look with Daniel. So for example, when you go and see Rachel over Thanksgiving, I think it would be very good for you to explain to her that you love her and you think shes beautiful and you really care what she thinks. You know, have an exchange with her.

Thats an excellent suggestion, Bonnie, Daniel the ass-kisser said. What were saying here, Aaron, is that your daughters will really respond to conversation as opposed to dictation . They dont necessarily like to be told what to do, but like most women, prefer to have a discussion and reach a consensus. The challenge for you, of course, is to take off your CEO hat and put on your daddy hat. Instead of issuing orders for the good of the company or the daughter, as the case may be try having a conversation and gently guide your daughter to reach a reasonable conclusion.

No, the challenge for Aaron was not to punch the mans lights out, a struggle that was becoming increasingly difficult with each session. But Bonnie was nodding so hard that she almost levitated out of her butterfly chair, and he wondered, like he always did in these situations, if he hadnt been living on another planet all these years while the rest of the world was spinning around somewhere else to a completely different set of rules.

Aaron? Daniel said softly. Do you think you can do that?

Hell yes I can do it, he said irritably.

Oh God, its a breakthrough! Bonnie said dramatically, and looked to Daniel for confirmation.

Subject: Thanksgiving

From: Aaron Lear lt; [email protected] gt;

To: Rachel lt; [email protected] gt;

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Hello Rachel. This is your father. I have tried to contact you by phone but you have not returned my calls. I am using this method to inform you that I intend to come to Providence on the morning of Thanksgiving. You are my daughter and you cannot shut me out of your life, no matter what you might think, and therefore, avoiding me seems pretty futile. I am coming, and if you lock the door, remember that I have a key. If you disappear, I will wait until you come home. So instead of avoidance, lets try to work together to resolve our differences. I look forward to seeing you. Love, Dad

Subject: FWD: [Thanksgiving] From: lt; [email protected] gt; To: Mom lt; [email protected] gt;

Mom is this your idea???? This marriage counseling is making you guys crazy! Well, its making ME crazy!! Please dont let Dad come here, I am begging you. We never do anything but fight and I do not want to fight with him. IM NOT MAD! I AM BUSY! I really dont want Dad to come. I am sorry if I am being a bad daughter but Im sooo busy right now that I really dont have time for all his bullshit.. Please call him off!

Subject RE: FWD: [Thanksgiving]

From: BonLear lt; 1 [email protected] gt;

To: lt; [email protected] gt;

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This is an automated message from BonLear [email protected]:

I will be out of town from November 18 through November 30. If you need to contact me, please call my cell phone, 212-555-9035, and leave a message. Thank you, Bonnie Lear

Subject Re: Thanksgiving

From: Rachel lt; [email protected] gt;

To: Aaron Lear lt; [email protected] gt;

Hi Dad. Thats great that you want to come to Providence! You will get to meet all my friends. I am having several people over Thanksgiving Day, mostly from my weaving class. You remember that I teach a bunch of losers how to weave medieval tapestries, right? Anyway, this is great, because hopefully, you will get a chance to meet and talk with r Byron and I know youve really wanted to do that. And oh yeah, 1 almost forgot. My best friend Dagne is a witch! She wants to try a couple of spells on you and see if she can cure the cancer

so you wont have to have surgery. They wont hurt but they might smell a tittle. Okay, see you next week! And listen, if Im not home, just let yourself in with your key. Yes, I remember you have it, and honestly, Id never forget that in a million trillion years. Rachel

Rachel was convinced her dads determination to come to Providence was a full-fledged, goddamned disaster and figured this was some sort of cosmic punishment, seeing as how shed been dabbling in witchcraft and enjoying it.

But Dagne was optimistic about it. Hell love your class, hell love FlynnI mean, I am assuming he will, just as I will, if I ever get to meet him. But keeping him such a top secret might work against you, she said with a sniff, still miffed that Rachel hadnt found time to introduce them. And then your dad will say, I was so wrong about you, Rachel, youve really got it going on, so I am going to restore your entire bazillion-dollar fortune this very minute! And with that, she lifted her third glass of wine in a toast.

Have you been smoking incense again? Rachel asked suspiciously, then rolled onto her back so that she could stare up at the ten-foot ceiling and crown molding of her living room. Do you know how ballistic Dad is going to go when he sees that tree and finds out Mr. Valicielo is suing me? Or that window upstairs thats been broken for over a year? Or that the garage is leaning to the right and the cable has been cut off?

Pretty mad, huh? Dagne asked as she examined a spot on her arm.

Yep. Pretty mad. From the beginning, he told me I had to keep the place up, and if I didnt, he was going to sell it. And then he told me if I didnt get out of school he was cutting me off, as in permanently. I dont really care, I swear I dont, but I just need some time to get on my feet before he yanks the rug out.

Itll work out. Trust me. Ive got your back, Dagne said with a wink.

Rachel half laughed, half moaned.

Im not kidding, Dagne said, frowning at Rachels smile of disbelief. All right, you dont believe me? Ill show you, she said, and suddenly stood, marched to where her purse was lying on the dining room table. She pulled out an envelope, turned and marched back to the living room, and tossed it onto Rachels tummy.

Whats this? Rachel asked, sitting up.

You know that figurine of a dancer Myron gave you that you thought was so stupid? It got thirty dollars on eBay.

What? Rachel cried, and looked in the envelope. It was full of money.

And the torch thingies, they brought sixty, Dagne said proudly. Theres three hundred bucks in there.

Rachel stared at the money, then at Dagne.

I wanted to wait another week. You remember that tea set he gave you? The bidding is up to one hundred and twenty-five dollars, but it wont close for another three days.

You mean you sold those things on eBay? Rachel asked, just to say it out loud.

Yes, Dagne said, beaming. I mean, you were in a bind, and the stuff was just stuck around places. You havent even noticed theyre missing! she said proudly.

Dagne! You did that for me? Rachel squealed.

I just wanted to help. Youve always helped me out when I needed it, and I just wanted to do something.

I think Im going to cry, Rachel said, clutching the envelope to her chest.

Please dont, Dagne said, blushing now. Come on, forget that and tell me about Flynn. I wanna meeeeeeet him!

Rachel sighed dreamily and set the envelope aside. God, Dagne, what can I say? Hes perfect. Absolutely perfect.

So did you figure out if there is anyone waiting for him in England?

That one caused her to wince a little. There was someone. And now I think she doesnt want to let go, and who can blame her? He told me hed ended it, but that shes not accepting the end. She pushed herself up on her elbows and looked at Dagne. I wont be able to accept it, either.

Accept what?

The end.

Dagne snorted and gave her a dismissive flick of her wrist. Dont be ridiculous. Its not going to end! From everything youve told me, hes just as crazy about you as you are him!

Right but he doesnt know the whole story. He doesnt know about Lear Transport Industries, or that Ive been cut off and cant pay my bills and my neighbor is suing me for all I am worth, which as of this moment, is about $410. He knows I am doing temp jobs, but I think he thinks that is just me having a little fun until I land on a dissertation topic. At least thats partially true, she said miserably.

Hey, money is not everything, Dagne said, with a bit of a spark. Lots of people dont have your kind of money and they manage to make a happy life!

Im not saying its all about money, but She stopped there. There was no polite way to explain that a lot of money really did make a difference in the way people perceived a person. She should knowshed been Miss Fortune long enough.

Hes not going to hold it against you, Dagne continued. Anyway, we are going to solve that problem. You may not be an heiress anymore, but you wont be a pauper, either. At least until you find a real job. Actually, I was thinking of asking Glenn if there might be something in his company you could do.

Glenn ? Rachel said, coming to a full sitting position. Youre still seeing him, arent you?

Dagne shrugged, sipped her wine.

Are you kidding? Rachel shouted, laughing. I thought you couldnt stand him!

I didnt think I could, Dagne said defensively. But he is a nice guy and hes got a really great job. He probably pulls down seventy-five grand a year.

Really? Doing what?

Boat sales. I was going to ask him if maybe you could be the boat girl.

Boat girl?

You know, the one who stands on the boat and points to things. She glanced at her watch. Oh geez, I really have to go soon, she said and stood up. Im meeting him at Fratangelos later.

Oh God, youre actually letting him into the hood? Rachel cried, surprised.

Shut up, Dagne said. But she was smiling. Come on; lets do that spell for your dad.

Did you have one in mind? Rachel asked, gaining her feet.

Of course. The one that instills kindness in meanies, she said, walking over to a mirror next to the door to check herself out. Thats the beauty of being a witch, you know. You can trot the spells out when you need them. So okay! she said, turning away from the mirror. This should go real quick as long as you have some dried wisteria and cow dung.

Cow dung, Rachel said thoughtfully. I think I left it in the basement.

Dagne was halfway down the basement stairs before Rachel told her she was kidding.

A half hour later, they were standing under the eaves of the garage, shivering from a bone-chilling rain, preparing to do an anti-misfortune spell, which Rachel thought was hilarious. So hilarious, she kept giggling as Dagne tried to get the balsam wood to light. But it was too wet.

After several tries, Dagne tossed the match aside. Never mind. We probably dont really need to burn balsam anyway. So okay, all we have to do is wrap these stones in the ribbon and stack them. Five separate bundles, she said, thrusting the stones and the ribbon to Rachel.

Why do I always have to do it? Rachel whined, snatching the stones and ribbon from Dagne.

Because you are the one with all the problems, Miss Fortune, Dagne testily reminded her.

I cant even see what Im doing, Rachel groused as she stacked the five stones they had taken from her water garden and tried to wrap them in the ribbon.

Would you please hurry up? Im going to be late for my date.

Rachel fumbled in the dark with the stones, and finally, freezing and exasperated, she tied them as best she could. Okay. There they are.

Great, Dagne said. Give me your hands.

Rachel put her hands out; Dagne grabbed them and they stood, facing each other, holding hands.

Turn your face to the moon, she instructed Rachel.

The moon? There is no moon! Its raining!

God, just look up! Dagne snapped. Okay, here we go. Goddess moon, shine your light and show us the path away from the many misfortunes that surround us. Goddess moon, shine your light and lead us away from the misfortunes that will come. Goddess moon, shine your light, and fill us with your strength to avoid mi

The sound of the stacked stones falling over startled them both.

Toavoidmisfortunes, Dagne muttered quickly, and they both looked down. The stones had fallen out of the ribbon and scattered around their feet.

That cant be good, Rachel said.

It cant be that badwe got most of the spell in. Dagne glanced at her watch. Shit! I really gotta go, she said, letting Rachels hands go, and she stooped to pick up the wet balsam.

Rachel grabbed the red ribbon but left the stones behind in her haste to follow Dagne inside. She followed her all the way to the front door. Youre coming Thanksgiving, right? she called as Dagne ran across the porch and down the steps.

Wouldnt miss it! Dagne shouted as she reached her car, and quickly dove inside to get out of the rain.

Rachel stood there, watched her pull out of the drive. And as Dagne started down the street, an old Geo Metro pulled into the drive. Oh, fabulous . Myron. She was supposed to be spared misfortune!

She stepped inside, went to pick up the wineglasses.

Yo! Myron called from the front door as she washed the wineglasses. Anyone home?

Back here!

He came striding through the kitchen door, planted a big kiss on her cheek. I was beginning to think you didnt live here anymore, he said, moving instantly to the fridge. Ive been by a half-dozen times and you arent home. So I guess youre working hard, huh?

Rachel glanced over her shoulder at him to see if he was kidding. Apparently, he wasnt.

Man, your cupboard is like, bare , he said, shaking his head. Cant even get a decent sandwich out of here.

Im having a little financial crisis, remember?

What about the temp thing? he asked.

I cant really make enough to pay all the bills, she said.

Myron turned and looked at her. You really need to call up the old man, Rachel. Youre wasting away to skin and bones.

Hello, what did he say? I am ? Rachel asked, looking down.

Myron laughed. You could fit another you in those jeans, havent you noticed?