“Why don’t you let me take you out for a drink after work? As a way of saying thank you for making my new job fun.”
“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? Invite Charlie too. The more, the merrier.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Come on, Beatrix. Actually, I’ve decided I’m going to call you Miss Mackenzie from now on. I like how that sounds.”
“Please don’t. Bea is fine.”
“Okay. Queen Bea it is.”
“No, that’s not what I…forget it.”
“So you’ll come out for a drink with me?”
“I’ll see what Charlie says.”
“Excellent.”
I don’t know what I’m trying to achieve here, but I can’t get enough of this woman.
And I want her to feel the same about me.
TWELVE
Beatrix
This morning was a lot more fun than I expected it to be. Damn Kellan and his cheeky charismatic personality.
I almost sighed out loud when I saw how excited he was about the strawberry experiment. I don’t know what he was originally anticipating, but his enthusiasm was very sweet.
Except now that he’s suggested we go out for a drink, I’m having second thoughts. I know he said to invite Charlie, but I feel like he would prefer if she wasn’t there. And I can’t let myself get too close to the guy.
Charlie, on the other hand, has made it very clear she’s already forgiven Kellan for turning her down for a date the other day, and seems to take the drink invitation as a sign he’s changed his mind.
She bounces off her chair at five on the dot and hovers over me. “Come on! Why are you being so slow? This is practically a double date! Hey, do you think we should ask Gavin in IT if he wants to join us? I know he has a thing for you. That way it won’t be awkward when me and Kellan start making out at the bar.”
I almost choke. “What? No! For a start, Gavin doesn’t like me. He would date anyone with a vagina. And secondly, remember the workplace rule? No interoffice relationships.”
“Kellan’s an intern. He doesn’t count.”
“Um, I’m pretty sure he does.”
“But he’s not even getting paid. What are they going to do? Fire him?”
“Yes, they could actually fire him. And you.”
“I’m sure that would be highly unlikely. Anyway, it’s not like I’m planning on having sex with him here in the office or anything.” She glances at her desk longingly. “Although, that would be super-hot.”
“Can we please stop talking about sex in the office?” I say.
“Who’s talking about sex in the office?” Kellan asks, his eyes lighting up as he arrives at my cubicle.
“No one.” I switch off my computer and stand up. “I have a bit of a headache. Why don’t you two go without me?”
Kellan’s face falls. “No. I wanted to thank you both for looking after me. It wouldn’t be fair to only take one of you out.”
“I don’t mind,” Charlie says breezily. “Bea can go home if she’s not feeling it.”
Kellan shoots me a panicked glance. I suppose it would be a bit mean to leave him to deal with Charlie on his own.
I sigh. “Okay. But one drink only. I have an early meeting tomorrow.”
“Great.” We all head downstairs, and Charlie automatically makes a beeline for our bar. The main entrance is tucked away in a back alley, so hardly anyone knows about it. Charlie and I swore we wouldn’t tell our colleagues we go there, so we’d have a secret place to vent close to the office if we needed it.
I quickly pull her aside and whisper in her ear. “Are you sure you want to take Kellan here?”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s our place.”
“Oh, honey, are you worried I’m not going to give you enough attention if we start letting Kellan socialise with us?”
“No, that’s not…never mind.”
We go inside the dimly lit interior and head to our usual booth at the back. The walls are draped with heavy dark grey curtains, and the décor is a combination of steampunk and twenties speakeasy style.
“I didn’t even know this place existed,” Kellan says, impressed. “But then I suppose the only venue I really frequent is Heaven Sent.”
The bartender brings over our regular cocktails. Mine is made from a blend of gin, vanilla, lemon, and sage. Charlie’s is a fruity thing full of strawberries and mint.
Kellan orders a glass of red wine and sits back, putting his hands behind his head and smiling. “This might become my new favourite hangout.” I feel like he’s constantly concocting mischief, and it’s starting to make me nervous.
He looks at the strawberry straddling the rim of Charlie’s glass. “You know, I never thought strawberries could be so interesting outside the bedroom.”
“Oh, yeah, how did it go this morning?” Charlie asks.
“Really well. Your friend is a natural at getting kids excited about science,” Kellan says.
Charlie raises an eyebrow. “Really? I never thought Bea was very maternal. Have you been hiding something from me, Mackenzie?”
“No!” I blush. All this talk of me being good with kids is weirding me out. “I just treat them like I would any adult.”
“Do you have any hot friends you can set Beatrix up with?” Charlie asks him.
“Charlie!”
Kellan laughs. “I’m sure Beatrix doesn’t need any help in that department.”
“Ooh, speaking of departments, how’s the new head of ours? What do you think of Elijah?”
“I haven’t really spoken to him properly yet,” he says.
“Yeah, I think he’s okay, but a little arrogant.”
I withhold a snort. If Elijah is arrogant, I don’t know what you’d call Kellan.
“Arrogance is such an unattractive quality in a person, don’t you think, Beatrix?” Kellan says, teasing.
Why is he toying with me? Maybe he just can’t handle it when people see through his act.
Charlie’s phone beeps. She looks down and frowns. “Oh, damn. That’s Anita from Melbourne. Apparently, there’s a problem with her latest delivery. I have to go.”
“Oh, that’s a shame,” Kellan says with what seems like fake regret. “I hope everything is all right.”
“Sorry to love you and leave you.” She picks up her cocktail, gulps down the rest in two mouthfuls, and runs out. “See you tomorrow!” she calls over her shoulder.
I look at Kellan suspiciously. “Did you have anything to do with that?”
His eyes go wide. “How could I have influenced Anita? I don’t even know who she is.”
“I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t put anything past you.”
“Are you suggesting I orchestrated an elaborate plan in order to get you to myself?”
“I don’t know. Did you?”
He looks deep into my eyes, serious for a minute. “Someone must have really hurt you for you to be so defensive all the time.”
I contemplate retaliating in my usual way, but something about the tone of his statement makes me lower my guard.
“You’re right. I’m not usually this…abrupt with people, but I still find your whole matchmaking thing difficult to reconcile.”
“Because you think I’m extorting money from gullible people?”
It would be so easy to say yes and be done with it. I mean, that is a big part of it. But not all.
“Yes, there’s that, but also because I find the whole concept of soulmates damaging to society. Who decides who gets a soulmate? And what does the term ‘soulmate’ even mean? Do you ever have someone meet their soulmate, and then a week later, they die in a car crash? What happens then?”
“You’re assuming I endorse the idea that there’s only one specific pairing for a person.”
I blink. “You’re saying that’s not true?”
“Of course it’s not true. I’ve been around long enough to know that we can b
e connected to more than one human being on a deep level. The ones I predict are just the next in line. But you’d be surprised how many people don’t want to know that. I started out trying to explain the concept, but it just made my clients unhappy, so I stopped. But also, it’s interesting how often people do just have one partner. Many aren’t truly open to the idea of falling deeply in love for a second time.”
“I’m not necessarily saying I believe what you do is real, but what happens if you get someone like that?”
“I refund their money and say my muse isn’t working that day. It’s better they’re annoyed at me than have them despair of never finding another partner.”
“But why would they come to you if they didn’t really want one?”
“The brain works in mysterious ways.”
“If I pay you, will you tell me about my soulmate?”
He studies me for a moment. “You really want to do this?”
“I do.”
“Okay. I’m not charging you, though.”
“I don’t expect charity.”
“I know.”
I suddenly feel nervous. Even though the logical part of my brain is telling me anything he says will just be a random guess, I can’t help but wonder what will happen.
“You want to do it here?” I ask.
He looks around. The bar is quiet, considering it’s not too late and it’s only Tuesday. “If you like.”
“Okay.”
He reaches across the table and holds out his hands. “This only works with physical contact.”
In any other circumstance, I would ask how often he touches more than just hands to find someone’s soulmate, but the words fade in my throat when our fingers meet. It’s as if a flow of warm, golden liquid energy flows between us, connecting us on a more fundamental level than I could have imagined. My science brain is definitely on alert, but the rest of me can’t help but relax into the sensation.
He looks into my eyes for a second before closing his. I do the same.
With Charlie, he was able to describe her soulmate within a few seconds, but almost a minute passes, and Kellan remains silent. I open one eye. His are still closed, his brow furrowed.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
He doesn’t say anything.
“Kellan?”
He reluctantly disconnects his hands from mine. “I couldn’t see anything.”
My heart starts thudding. “You mean like the people you normally refund?”
His eyes widen. “No! It’s not like that. This is different. With those people, I just get a swirly cloud of haze. With you, I saw absolutely nothing. As if the process doesn’t actually work on you.”
“Riiight...”
“I swear, this has never happened before!”
“Maybe you’ve finally realised what you’re doing is wrong and you feel bad.”
“That is definitely not it. What I do is real and helpful.”
He’s doing such a good job of looking upset that I almost believe him. But then common-sense kicks in, so I stand up and drop some money on the table. “I’m going to go.”
“Wait, Beatrix…”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I leave, relieved that I was right all along. That weird energy that flowed between us must have just been a misguided rush of adrenaline or something.
Kellan Gallo cannot predict soulmates.
THIRTEEN
Kellan
I can’t believe my powers failed. I am so disturbed by what happened with Beatrix that I immediately head over to Heaven Sent. It’s not my usual day, but the club is open. I figure word will get out I’m in the house tonight, and I can book a few last-minute clients to check whether it was a one-off, or something more serious.
When Roxy sees me walk through the door, she grins. “Can’t stay away from me, huh?”
“Not exactly,” I mutter.
“What’s up, Gallo? You’re not your normal cheery self.”
“If anyone asks for my services tonight, please send them through.”
“Are you hard up for cash or something?”
“No, no, nothing like that. Just…please. If anyone wants to see me, I’ll be over in my booth.”
“Will do.” Roxy knows me well enough not to push too hard.
I get one of the bartenders to bring over a martini, and I drink it in one mouthful. Part of me thinks I should probably try and be as sober as possible to conduct my next session, so there’s no doubt whether alcohol has affected my ability, but it’s never been an issue in the past. Besides, I need to calm myself down a little.
It’s not long before a pretty brunette sits down beside me. “Roxy said you had an extra opening tonight? I was booked for next week, but I’m super excited to move our appointment forward if it works for you.”
“Yes, perfect. All right, let’s go.” I stand up and drag her by the hand next door to the strip club.
She laughs nervously. “What are we doing?”
“There’s no time to explain. Don’t worry—you’ll get what you came for.”
At least, I hope so.
She looks around the sleazy interior, and for the first time, I wonder if maybe I should look for somewhere a little more respectable to work. I always thought the strip club was fun for the shock value, and also the practicality of having somewhere quiet to go right next to Heaven Sent, but when I imagine seeing my surroundings through Beatrix’s eyes, it seems a little tawdry. If not slightly lame.
Not that I’m thinking about that woman right now. She’s the reason I’m feeling so out of control. I need to check I can still do my thing.
I press the brunette into a chair and snatch her hands.
“Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths,” I demand.
She giggles. “Maybe you should be taking your own advice, buddy.”
“Shh. Do you want to know who your soulmate is or not?”
“I do,” she confirms. “Sorry.”
I force myself to slow my inhale and exhale and focus on the woman in front of me. After a second, a stocky little pink-haired woman appears right in front of me. I laugh, surprised. “Well, that was unexpected.”
The brunette grins, as if being caught out. “I didn’t tell you I was gay. I’m assuming that’s what you’re finding unexpected?”
“Oh, no, it’s not that. I didn’t expect the vision to be so vivid.” Or to show up at all. “Are you currently dating anyone?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Do you know anyone with pink hair?”
She furrows her brow for a moment and then gasps. “Janie?”
“Is Janie about five-foot tall and looks like she spends half her life doing CrossFit?”
“Oh my God! Yes! But she’s seeing someone else right now.”
“Ah. Well, bide your time, sweetheart. She’ll be yours soon enough.”
The brunette seems to be in shock. That’s normal. I get all sorts of reactions after a revelation. At least I know my powers still worked on her.
I stand up. “Well, I must be getting back to the club. More people to do, and all that.”
She doesn’t move.
“Is everything okay?”
“You don’t understand,” she says, dazed. “Janie is currently dating my brother.”
Ooh. That’s awkward. I can’t say I get many of those, but it’s not totally unheard of.
“I’m sorry. I’m sure your brother will get over it eventually.”
“But he told me he was thinking of proposing!”
“Well, she won’t be saying yes. And that will leave the door open for you. Now, I really must be going.”
I leave the brunette on her own. Normally, I would offer to buy her a drink and let her talk through all the problems associated with a complicated prediction, but I need to see at least two more clients to be sure I’m fully functional.
A rather straight-forward match featuring a widow finding new love in a year’s time goes smoothly
, and then another one with a woman who I suspect is going to meet her soulmate through work in the next few weeks also goes well.
So it appears that my skills have not failed me after all. I let out a deep breath, my confidence restored.
I wonder why I couldn’t read Beatrix? Maybe there’s something wrong with her. Or maybe she’s so dead against the idea of soulmates that it broke my system.
Well, whatever the reason, it’s not my problem.
I’m going to help the people who actually want me and appreciate me.
***
Beatrix
I wish Charlie lived closer. It’s too late for me to go home and then drive all the way to Wellington Point. Not that I should be driving after drinking anyway.
I go back to my place, feeling silly for letting myself get sucked into Kellan’s universe. What had he hoped to achieve? Did he realise he couldn’t fool me and so pretended that his fake gift didn’t work? Or was he trying to make me think that I didn’t have a soulmate lined up somewhere down the track in order to punish me?
The teeniest, tiniest part of me wanted to see who he did come up with. He could have just described a random dude, or been super arrogant and described himself, like I’m sure he does with many of his clients.
As with everything, I start out with a healthy dose of scepticism, but I do genuinely want to be proven wrong. But then, if Kellan’s ‘talent’ was actually real and he predicted my soulmate, who’s to say I’d meet them soon? He told Charlie she’s going to have to wait a year. I find it highly irresponsible that now part of her brain is going to be holding onto that timeframe, even if only subconsciously, and she won’t be able to live fully until some mysterious redhead shows up in her life.
The more I think about it, the more it makes me angry. I’m really protective of Charlie and I don’t want her to get hurt.
I’m tempted to go and track Kellan down and give him a piece of my mind.
But then he’d know he’d gotten under my skin, and I can’t have that.
However, I might talk to HR tomorrow and recommend he be moved to another department.
I think it would be too distracting to keep him around.
And not because I’m into him.
Mind Reader Page 6