No use putting it off, she thought.
Toni took off her bathrobe and went to her desk. She pulled out her gym bag and found her exercise bra and some shorts. As tired as she was, she knew that in order to live the lifestyle she craved, she had to pay attention to her body. She had to smash it into shape. There were no excuses for the little paunch that was starting to form in her belly, but less beer and more exercise would solve that problem.
She watched the rest of Cheers and then part of I Love Lucy while jumping around in front of the TV set before she had to get ready for work.
* * *
The bar was quiet when she arrived. The musicians were setting up their equipment, and Toni waved at the singer as she went into the back room. She enjoyed the Sunday afternoon shifts because there was always a singer of some sort for a few hours in the afternoon.
Today there was a singer and guitarist, the Jaded Blues. They played old bluesy and rockabilly tunes as well as riffs on current radio hits. Their long, shaggy hair and grizzled beards were reminiscent of the seventies, a time when the guys themselves were teenagers. Toni thought that for old guys, they were rather decent-looking and talented.
Toni put away her coat and tied her bar apron around her waist. She counted out a float before locking away her purse and coat.
Toni was working with Gill behind the bar, and two waitresses would be coming in to help as well when the band started at two.
“Hey.” Toni nodded at the bleached-blond, blued-eyed California girl. Gill always looked so bright and out of place in a dark little town like Hermana. Like a diamond in a pile of coal.
“Hi, Toni.” Gill grinned. “Did you have a good birthday weekend?”
“I did indeed,” Toni said.
“What did you do?”
“Oh, suffice to say, I had a good time. We’ll leave it at that.”
Gill pouted. “But I like it when you tell me your stories.”
“Maybe later, after a few drinks.” Toni winked as she turned to serve a customer.
* * *
The next few hours flew by quickly. The band had hit a good groove, and the beer was flowing to a nearly full house. Toni was pleased to see that at least half the crowd appeared to be out-of-towners who wanted to relax to a few tunes before hitting the road back to wherever they came from. It was often easy to spot the tourists because they had bags.
Shopping bags.
Canvas, plastic, cloth, vinyl...
Hermana was known for selling a wide variety of strange and interesting items. A lot of people would buy almost anything just to say they had bought something there and to get a cool-looking bag with Hermana stamped on the side.
The beer flowed and the tips were generous as people came and went. Toni turned to serve her next customer and was surprised to see her good friends, Maggie and Weldon standing before her.
“Hi, guys,” she greeted. “What can I get you?”
Maggie, a tall red-headed Sagittarius, ordered beers while Weldon, a handsome Virgo with short, sandy hair, grinned at her.
“We came to hear a set. It’s such a gorgeous day that we were out walking,” Maggie said as Toni poured their pints.
“I figured you’d be working today,” Toni said as she set the beer down. “Tourist season is cranking up again soon.”
“I was at the booth, actually, but it was dead. Everyone is outside or here, I guess,” Maggie said, looking around. Most of the tables were full, and people were still pouring into the bar in a steady stream. “My Lord, I haven’t seen this many people since before Christmas.”
“I know. It’s great,” Toni’s energy surged as she poured drinks for another customer. The sounds of beer opening, of people murmuring, of the band playing made her grin. She had a spring in her step and a ready smile for anyone who came to her. She poured several pints of beer for one of the waitresses and set them on a tray. When she was finished, she returned to Maggie.
“You know, Toni, you should come out for darts with us on Tuesday. My birthday treat to you.”
“Sure,” Toni said. “Name a time and place and I’ll be there. I don’t play darts much, but what the hell.”
* * *
When Toni arrived at the bar that Tuesday night, Maggie and Weldon were already seated at a table with a half-full pitcher of beer.
“Hey, guys,” Toni greeted.
“Hi,” they said. Maggie stood to hug her and help her with her coat.
“So this is your dart place?” Toni asked as she settled into the wooden chair.
“Yep,” Weldon said. “We come here almost every week. Sometimes even more than that.”
“In the winter they have a wing-and-beer special from Monday to Wednesday,” Maggie said. “So, it’s a nice night out.”
“I like wings,” Toni said.
“Good, ’cause we already ordered four pounds,” Weldon said.
“Whoa,” Toni laughed. “That’s a helluva lot of wings.”
“You bet,” Maggie said. “We like wings.”
Toni looked around the pub. There were quite a few people around for a Tuesday night. She grinned at the prospect of more tourists coming to town daily. More tourists meant more tips for her. Almost every table had a jug of beer and baskets of wings on it. As she looked around, she saw a man sitting alone at the bar, watching her with a strange look on his face. He was intriguing, yet the intensity of his eyes made him a bit frightening. He was young, probably around her age. He wasn’t bad-looking, so Toni figured he was likely meeting friends.
She looked away from him and ran her hand through her hair. She hoped it wasn’t sticking out weird from her hat. The problem with short hair was that it often had a mind of its own.
Maggie’s hair was always wild. The long, red curls frizzed in the summer and flew with static cling in the winter. Her crazy hair suited her personality—unpredictable and adventurous. Weldon’s hair was short and clean-cut, like he was. He had kind eyes that stared at Toni as he handed her a pint of beer.
“Anything new these days?” Toni asked the couple as she drank. She mused at how comfortable they looked with each other; how easy-going and relaxed, as if they’d been together forever. She supposed in Maggie time, they had been together forever.
“Not lately,” Maggie said. “No news is good news in my world.”
“I went to see my brother, Ben, on Saturday while Maggie was at work,” Weldon said with a sigh. Weldon’s brother lived in a mental institution about an hour away. Toni didn’t really know what was wrong with him but knew it had to be pretty bad to keep him locked up for 20 years.
“How is he doing?” Toni asked.
“The same. Sometimes he appears normal and focused, but he can shift so quickly into rage. He’s very jealous of Maggie,” Weldon said.
“Who wouldn’t be? She’s gorgeous and smart,” Toni said.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Weldon smiled.
“He does try to come to me still,” Maggie said as she sipped her beer.
“What do you mean?” Toni asked.
“He comes to me, like in astral projection. I’ve learned how to protect myself, but I can feel him there. Watching me. Sometimes he touches me in my sleep. It’s creepy ’cause they’re twins. Weldon and Ben.”
“That’s right,” Toni said. “I remember. Your long-lost twin that you didn’t even know you had until a few months ago. How strange for you.”
“I’ve been trying to make up for lost time by making regular visits. But it’s hard with my schedule.”
“I think it would be hard with anyone’s schedule. We all have lives, and traveling around to visit people we’ve just met isn’t part of the regular routine. It’s hard to incorporate change sometimes.”
“He has some physical aberrations along with his mental issues,” Maggie explained to Toni. “Ben, that is.”
“And he’s really good at astral projection,” Weldon said. “I’m not witchy like Maggie, but even I can see him and feel
him around sometimes. He’s jealous of my life and my opportunities.”
“You mean he just shows up?”
“Oh yeah, whenever and wherever he wants.”
“And he just stands there, or does he try and hurt you or what?”
“It depends on his mood. It’s especially creepy when we’re fucking or something like that.”
“Yeah, I bet it is.”
“He’s so jealous, though,” Maggie sighed, drinking her beer. “I worry that one day he’s going to take some kind of revenge on us, or Weldon, or me. I’m not sure where his anger lies.”
“I guess it’s understandable, living in an institution his whole life.” Toni shrugged. “But watching you fuck?”
“Well, I don’t know, really,” Maggie said. “Sometimes I can see him, sometimes I can’t. I’m not like Natasha or some of the others that can actually see the spirits on a regular basis. They come and go for me. I’m never sure what I’m seeing and what I’m imaging. It’s the same with feelings.”
“Yeah, I can get gut feelings about stuff. But most people do,” Toni said. “Or you would think that we all do ’cause we all have instincts and senses that operate even when we’re not consciously aware of them.”
“Especially since he knew about me but I never knew about him,” Weldon said.
Toni nodded and glanced over to the bar. The shaggy-haired man was looking at her again. This time, he raised his pint glass to her and drank deeply. Toni winked. Maggie saw her and looked over at the man.
“Oh, that’s Sid. He hangs out here sometimes. He’s good at darts,” Maggie said. She waved at him and called, “Come over.”
Sid slid from his stool and sauntered over to the table. Toni appraised him as he walked. He was thin and wiry with shoulder-length hair and a bit of a beard and moustache. He had an electric energy about him that Toni could almost feel. She held her hand out to him as Maggie introduced them.
“Sid, this is our friend, Toni. You can be her partner in darts,” Maggie said.
Toni shook his hand, taking in how weirdly glasslike his gray-blue eyes were as they stared at her.
“A pleasure to meet you, Toni,” Sid said. “Maggie’s told me a lot about you.”
Toni withdrew her hand and stared around the table.
“Oh, I see... this wasn’t some chance ‘let’s go play darts’ thing. You guys planned a blind date for me!”
“So what if we did,” Maggie crowed. “You guys are going to have fun, you’ll see. Sid likes a lot of the same things you do.”
Sid sat down just as the waitress brought over several baskets of wings and a fresh pitcher.
“I’m always happy to meet new men,” Toni said. “What do you do, Sid?”
“I work over at the superstore. I mostly stock shelves and do stuff in the warehouse. Real exciting, I know, but it pays well and I pretty much make my own hours.”
“I never sneer at an honest man’s work. I’m a bartender myself.”
“Well, there you are. People gotta drink, and someone’s gotta pour.” Sid grinned.
“Toni also reads palms,” Maggie said. “Show her your hand.”
“Palm reading, eh? I’m not so sure I believe in that stuff, but do your thing.”
He held out his hand, and Toni took it. His flesh was rather cold, his fingers long and delicate, the pads worn from manual labor. She studied his head and heart lines first.
“Oh my, you had your heart broken,” Toni said.
Sid stared at his hands. “You can see that?”
“She either left you or died,” Toni said, holding his hand closer, trying to see the lines better.
“She died,” Sid said. “We were high school sweethearts, and then she died two years ago. Drowned, actually, on vacation in Mexico.”
“I’m so sorry,” Maggie said.
“It’s okay, I’ve moved on. Everything happens for a reason, so they say. Although I’ve not really figured out the reason for her untimely death yet. But I’m sure there is one.”
Toni continued to study his palm.
“You’re going to live a long, adventurous life. And be married at least twice.”
“Well, that’s standard for an Aquarian, isn’t it? Multiple marriages?”
“Aquarians do get bored easy, so your mates do have to keep you on your toes,” Maggie said. “Same with us fire signs, right, Toni?”
“That’s for sure,” Toni said. “And Virgos are just plain kinky.” She winked at Weldon, who blushed.
“Hey...” he protested.
“Everyone has a secret side. And Virgos have an inner pervert dying to be unleashed,” Toni pushed.
“I’m open to exploring pleasures of the flesh, yes,” Weldon agreed. “Maybe Maggie and I already have a secret life.”
“I’m the king of kink,” Sid said. “Or at least, I am when I find people who like to play.”
“I think we’re going to get along fine,” Toni said as she continued to explore his hand. “See that mound there? That’s your sexual fantasy spot. And boy, you sure have a big one.”
She held out her own hand. “See how I have the same thing? I love sex, and I love to try anything once.” She grinned. “Well, almost anything.”
Sid clasped her hand in his. “Maybe we’ll get a chance to find out just how kinky we can get.”
“Maybe, maybe not...” Toni said. “You’d have to actually take me on a date first.”
“We are on a date; it’s just that you didn’t know it!” Sid laughed.
“Sure,” Toni said. “We’ll see.”
“Hey, the board is free now,” Maggie said, pointing at one of the dart areas.
“Let’s go before someone else snags it.” Weldon plucked his dart kit out of his pocket and went over to the chalkboard to draw up the teams. Maggie pulled a dart kit from her purse.
Toni watched with amazement. “Boy, you guys come prepared,” she marveled.
“We try,” Maggie said. “Don’t worry, we brought extra sets.” She took more dart kits from her purse and handed them to Sid and Toni. “There you go,”
Toni opened her darts and admired the pretty feathers.
“Girls against boys?” Weldon asked.
“Sure, why not?” Toni said. “I’m not so good, but you never know if we can whip your guys’ asses.”
The game passed quickly as the girls and Sid were all rather evenly matched. Weldon, as the dart connoisseur, beat them all, which was lucky for Sid since they were partners.
“We whipped your asses,” Weldon gloated as he tallied up the final scores.
“And maybe I’ll whip yours when we get home, if you’re so lucky,” Maggie purred as she kissed his neck.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Weldon said as he kissed her. Toni watched them flirt and looked over at Sid. He smiled at her.
The waitress brought another pitcher of beer, and another game began. By the time Weldon had beaten them all again, Toni was pleasantly trashed.
“So, gypsy queen,” Sid teased. “What else are you going to tell me about my future?”
Toni took his hand and traced the lines with her fingers. “You are going to have a wide variety of jobs. A variety of lovers. And there’s going to be some kind of tragedy,” she said as a burp escaped from her lips. “‘Cuse me.”
“Haven’t I had enough tragedy in my life?” Sid asked. “Really...” He frowned and took his hand back.
“I’m just saying what I see,” Toni said.
“What about fame and fortune?” he asked, crossing his arms and glaring at her.
“What about it? You work in a store as a warehouse dude. How would you get fame and fortune? You actually have to work for it, you know.”
Sid narrowed his eyes. “What do you know? You’re just a bartender.”
“I don’t aspire to fame and fortune. Well, of course, who doesn’t want fortune, but I can do without fame. For now. What do you want to be famous for?” Toni asked.
“I’m a man of many
talents,” Sid said. Toni peered at his hand.
“You have many talents, but you aren’t so great at the follow-through,” she said. “It’s your biggest flaw.”
“Well, I’m an Aquarius. I think big, but sometimes the reality of trying to roll my dreams into action doesn’t work as well as I’d like it to.”
“Most people have those problems,” Toni said as she stared into his hand. “But yeah, follow-through is a challenge for you.”
Sid nodded, then looked earnestly into her eyes.
“So, about love. I’ll get married a couple of times, and then what? When do I get married the first time? Who do I marry?” he asked eagerly. He stared into the lines of his hand while Toni traced them with her fingers.
“It’s likely you’ve met the person you’re going to marry. Or if you’ve not met her yet, you will soon.”
“How do I know?”
Toni shrugged. “Maybe you’ll fall like a ton of bricks. Or maybe she just grows on you. It isn’t obvious.”
“Will she be chasing me around?” he asked. “I don’t want any stalker chicks.”
“No, no stalker chicks. You’ll be in love.” She smiled.
“How can I ever fall in love again?” Sid sighed, having another sip of beer. “I was in love, and then she was taken from me. Makes it kind of hard to want to do it again.”
“You will.”
“And money, when does my money improve?”
“When you get focused.”
“You psychics... I hear the same damn thing no matter what. All platitudes and no concrete stuff.”
“So you’ve had your fortune told before?” Toni said.
“Well, duh. Look where we are. Do you think I can live in Hermana without running into all you witches every ten minutes? Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Jeeze, Sid. Why so serious?” Toni asked in her best Heath Ledger “Joker” impression.
“Oh, screw it,” Sid said as he stood. He pulled out his wallet and threw down a few twenties. “Here ya go. I’m outta here. Nice to meet ya.”
He barely looked at Toni as he pushed his way out the door. Toni watched him, her mouth hanging open.
“What the fuck was that?” she asked Maggie. “You set me up with a psycho.”
Aries: Swinging into Spring Page 2