The Scheme

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 gri

I narrowed my eyes at him, thoroughly a

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 wa

FIVE

BRIAN

Well, shit.

I felt like a total douche. I was a douche. She’d told me not to laugh, and that was exactly what I’d done, but I couldn’t help it. Her total belief in what the psychic had said was ridiculous. Sure, I didn’t believe in shit like that, but still, I didn’t have to be rude.

I picked up her cash, dug into my wallet, and threw my own cash on the table, well over the check and tip amount, and darted out the door, hoping to catch her. Thankfully, she was standing at the corner, by the stoplight. She was slumped over, holding her stomach. When I jogged closer, I noticed her cheeks glistening, wet from fresh tears.

I’d made her cry. Way to go, shithead. My stomach clenched as though I’d been punched in the gut. “Kendy!” I called out before I came closer.

She might give off this tough girl appearance, but I had a feeling she’d be embarrassed if I caught her crying.

She gave me a once over and crossed her arms over her chest, then spun in the other direction. From the side, though, I could still see her smeared eyeliner. She was obviously pissed, but she looked like a kitten playing mad. And it was cute as hell.

“I’m not talking to you,” she mumbled, blinking up at the sky and swiping at her cheeks. “There’s so much pollution here . . . Something’s in my eye.”

I was right—kitten playing tiger.

I bit my lip to keep the smile off my face. If I lost it, there would be no way I could redeem myself.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized right away before she could get a word in. I truly meant it, and I hoped she heard it in my voice. “Even though I don’t believe in that sort of thing, that doesn’t give me a right to put you down because you do.”

She turned in my direction, her eyebrows still furrowed, but I continued, “I’m sorry I laughed at your story.”

A cab pulled up, and she had every right to step right in and not look back, given the way I behaved.