Scorpio Love

by S. Tamanaha

She smiled, a real smile for the first time, and he noticed that she had dimples. “I’m okay. This car reminds me of my father’s fifty-seven Chevy. Great car but no suspension. I’d forgotten.”

  As they pulled up to her hotel, she rolled his window back up, gathered up her purse and her bag, and thanked him for the ride. He reached out and took hold of her arm. There it was again—that little jolt of electricity inside of her. She almost wished that he wouldn’t touch her because she was afraid that he would somehow know.

  “I know you said that I shouldn’t be grateful to you, but I am. You didn’t have to trust in your dreams. I’m glad you did.”

  Trust in your dreams. She remembered the words of the woman who had sold her the crystal ball and the Eagle’s claw. “I’m glad too. Just do me one favor, would you?”

  “Sure.”

  “Be careful and stay safe. Good night.”

  Then she opened the door and she was gone. He watched her until she disappeared through the front entrance of the hotel. She was out of sight but certainly not out of mind. He found himself wishing that she wasn’t leaving the next morning. He had enjoyed talking to her and wished that he could have talked with her a little longer.

  CHAPTER THREE

  John looked at the business cards that Susan had given him frequently over the next several days. The story that she had told him was incredible, yet he couldn’t help but believe her. She hadn’t asked for anything in exchange for what she had done—no publicity, no reimbursement of costs, not even a thank you—and she had elected to tell him the truth at the risk of being ridiculed instead of mislead him. Just those things made her different than most of the people that he had met in L.A. since he moved to that city, but she intrigued him for other reasons as well.

  She was highly educated, an attorney, and yet she had been willing to allow her dreams to lead her to L.A. She was independent—opening her own doors, paying for the meal—but she didn’t display that excessive confidence and aggressiveness that he found so unattractive in the career women that he had met. She dressed conservatively and didn’t adorn herself with jewelry or wear a lot of makeup, yet there was something provocative about her, especially the way that she spoke in that quiet but sultry voice. She had a keen sense of observation and her observations about him had surprised and touched him inside; they had also allowed him to see the kind of person that she was and the kinds of things that were important to her.

  But it was still what he had seen in her eyes that made him pull out her cards several times a day. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it haunted him. Finally, one evening, he decided to call her. Perhaps speaking to her again would get whatever it was that was bothering him out of his system and laid to rest.

  The phone rang twice before she picked up. “This is Susan.”

  There was a lot of noise in the background. It sounded like a live band was getting ready to play and he heard male voices.

  “Hi, this is John. John Hellstrom.”

  It seemed as though her heart stopped beating for a full second. She had hoped but never really expected him to call.

  “Hi,” she said, forcing herself to sound calm. “Wait a minute would you? I need to move to a quieter place.”

  A few seconds later, she was back on the line and the noise and voices were gone. “All right, I’m back.”

  “Am I calling at a bad time? You sound as though you might be at a party.”

  She loved the sound of his deep rich voice. “Oh no, that’s just the band about to rehearse.”

  “Band?”

  “Just a group of guys with a small band. I help them to find gigs and I let them use my place for rehearsals since renting rehearsal space is so expensive. They’re practicing for a Halloween party tomorrow night. How are you? I didn’t expect to hear from you.”

  Her voice was soft and sexy on the phone and he liked the sound of it. “I’m still thinking about those dreams that you told me about. It really was all true wasn’t it? It seems surreal sometimes.”

  “Yes, all true. Incredible as it may seem.”

  “So you’ve never had dreams like that before?”

  “No, not before or since. So I really don’t have any answers for you like why you, why me, why then. It just happened and I’ve made up my mind to consider it a gift from the Universe ... to you.”

  “A gift from the Universe,” he repeated. He liked that. “By the way, a couple of the studio execs called me when they found out that I took you off of the lot. They wanted to find out what happened to you. I told them that I didn’t have any information. I said that you were so shaken up that you cancelled the interview and left L.A.”

  “They were probably worried that I’d write a story about what happened. Major TV star nearly killed by his own studio’s negligence. Anyway, I thought that they might try to track me down so I called my friend at the magazine that night and told her what had happened. I told her that if anyone from the studio called, she should just tell them that I had no intention of writing any kind of article and that I was upset and just wanted to forget about the whole thing.”

  “Didn’t she ask how you knew about the gun and what was going to happen? Or did she know about those dreams?”

  “No. No one knows about those dreams except you. I just told her that I saw him pick up the wrong gun; that no one else had noticed. Then I told her that it wasn’t exactly how I envisioned spending my birthday and it had been such a bad experience that I would be very grateful if we just didn’t talk about it. She didn’t ask me anything after that.”

  “It was your birthday?” He was surprised and realized that she, too, was a Scorpio.

  “Yes. I couldn’t figure out how to get close enough to you to warn you about the gun so I asked her to get me onto that studio lot to see you as a birthday present. She just assumed that I wanted to meet you, like every other woman in America does, so she arranged it for me. Maybe the fact that it was going to happen on my birthday had something to do with my having those dreams. I don’t know.”

  “So that’s why you said that the arrangement you had with the magazine had to be for that day. Well, it’s lucky for me that you were born on that day, but I’m sorry that you had to spend your birthday like that.”

  She smiled. He really was a decent guy. “I’m not sorry,” she said. “Being able to save a life ... your life ... how many people ever get a gift like that on their birthday?”

  He smiled. She had been haunted by dreams for months and forced to disrupt her life and spend hundreds of dollars to travel thousands of miles and she considered it to be a gift.

  “So, other than still wondering whether I’m some sort of crazy person, how have you been?” she asked.

  “I wasn’t wondering whether you were crazy. Would I have called you up if I thought you were crazy?”

  “Maybe. At least if you’re using a phone you can keep a safe distance.”

  He laughed a little.

  “What about the other crazy people? How are you doing with them?”

  “Other crazy people?”

  “You know, the ones that you’re surrounded by in the business that you’re in. Or rather, the ones who drive you crazy.”

  He frowned slightly. “How do you know?”

  “Sometimes I sense things. That night, when it happened, I sensed that it wasn’t the first time that a serious mistake had been made on that set and that you were pretty fed up with them. I saw how people reacted and heard some of the things they said and, well, a lot of them seemed more intent on placing blame and protecting their own necks than worried about you.”

  He was amazed. “You sensed all that? In the couple of seconds that you were there?”

  “I think that’s why I was so upset. That and the fact that I was almost too late.”

  “I don’t know how you’re doing that but you’re right,” he admitted. “This shoot has had a lot of problems. Sometimes I wonder how some of these people ever got hired.”

  “I know
how you feel. I used to wonder how some of the attorneys I dealt with ever passed the bar exam.”

  He laughed. “So you didn’t enjoy practicing law?”

  “My father wanted me to be an attorney more than anything. The first so-called professional in the family. So I went to law school. Then he died and I realized that my passion wasn’t for the law. My passion had been to make him happy and with him gone, well, I began feeling like I was just going through the motions so I decided to take a break from the law and do something different for a while. I thought I’d go back after a couple of years but here it is, three years later, and I still have no desire to return to that field. I keep my license active, though, just in case I have to help out a friend or a friend of a friend.”

  “So what do you do now?” he asked. “Your card just says Program Director.”

  “I work for a non-profit organization and I run a program that helps people get out and stay out of debt. We offer workshops and services that help them to save money and manage their money.”

  “Do you enjoy it?”

  “It doesn’t pay as well, but I’ve found that it’s much better for me. I’ve met some good, hard-working and caring people. Sometimes a person needs to be reminded that there are still people like that in the world.”

  “I know what you mean,” he said.

  “Don’t get me wrong though. There are still those irritating people around even in the non-profit world and they always seem to be the ones who make the important decisions. Some of them don’t have a clue about what it takes to do the real work, but they make the decisions about the work. Sometimes the world can be so totally well, you know, crazy. See why I use that word a lot?”

  He laughed again. He couldn’t remember the last time that someone had made him genuinely laugh or been so in tune with the things that he felt. She talked to him comfortably, as though he was a friend, and he felt so comfortable talking to her.

  “It must be difficult for you sometimes,” she said then.

  “Being surrounded by crazy people?”

  “That and feeling like the new kid on the block with everyone looking at you and treating you like some sort of commodity instead of an actual person with a brain who has good opinions and suggestions.”

  He was stunned. “Okay, now I’m getting a little spooked,” he joked. “It’s like you’re reading my mind or something.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m not a mind reader,” she assured him.

  “Then how do you know?”

  “It’s like I said, I just sense things sometimes. It’s hard to explain in words.”

  “Try. I really want to know.”

  “It’s more like being empathetic I guess. If I sense the basic essence of a person, I can empathize with the way that person would feel in certain situations. Do you know what I mean?”

  “Give me an example.” He was intrigued.

  “Well, in your case, I sense that you’re a decent, intelligent, and hard working man. If I’m right about that, then I know that being hard-working, you wouldn’t like people who are lazy and incompetent. You most certainly would not like having to take orders from such people. Being intelligent, you would want people to respect your opinion and not see only what’s obvious on the outside. But since you’re new in the business, no one’s listening. They think that you don’t know anything and that you should just stand around and look good and say your lines— that’s what you’re getting paid for. And being decent, well, that’s the sort of abstract quality of a person that would make it difficult for him to deal with all of the other stuff. It’s the quality that would make him feel very alone sometimes, especially in a superficial, material environment.”

  He didn’t say anything for a few seconds. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet, serious. “I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone be so right about me—the real me.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable in any way. Some people don’t like to be assessed and I think that maybe you’re one of those people. I just wanted to let you know that I understand some of your frustration. The legal profession isn’t all that different from the one that you’re in. It has more than its fair share of arrogant and superficial people who, for some reason, seem to think that having a law degree gives them the right to talk down to other people and treat them badly. So if you ever need to talk to someone who’s not in your business but who understands, even if you just want to vent about something, feel free to pick up the phone and call me.”

  “This is so strange. We hardly know each other and yet I feel like you’re already a close friend. And the way that you treat me, it’s as though I am a close friend. Why?”

  “Because decent, hard-working, and intelligent people aren’t as easy to find as one might think. And because I understand how being in a profession like that and surrounded by people like that can be a strain, especially on someone who is decent. So I’d like to be a friend ... if you want me to.”

  “I think I’d like that,” he said softly.

  She was happy. She knew that he really needed a friend. Without one, she was certain that he would not survive that world that he had chosen to live in. He might rise in popularity and gain affluence and power, but that lifestyle and the kind of people who would be surrounding him would eventually destroy his spirit, his soul. She couldn’t bear the thought of that happening. She loved his soul.

  “So, what are you doing for Halloween?” John asked, interrupting her thoughts. “Are you going to be at that party with the band?” He asked it casually, but what he really wanted to know was what kind of social life she had and whether she was seeing anyone seriously. He realized that it was unreasonable—they barely knew each other—and yet he knew that he would be upset if he found out that she was involved with someone.

  “Just until they get set up and I make sure everything’s all right.”

  “So, you’re kind of like their manager?”

  “Sort of. I try to find them gigs and I fill in as a keyboard player and backup singer if I have to. Whatever’s needed.”

  He grinned. “You play keyboards and sing too?” The more he learned about her, the more interesting he found her to be.

  “Only if I have to. They’re all young guys trying to earn some money and making their own way like I had to at their age. And they’re willing to work hard and put in the time to rehearse so I don’t mind helping them out. And they’re pretty good. How about you? Big Halloween bash tomorrow?”

  “The studio wants the cast to attend some sort of Halloween party to help promote the series. It’s all about that you know.”

  “Do you have to wear a costume too?” she asked, wondering if he would be taking a date with him to that Hollywood party.

  “When I put on a tux, that is a costume. For me anyway. By the way, if we’re going to be friends, can you tell me how to pronounce your last name?”

  She smiled. “You just break it up by two-letter syllables—Ta-mo-ri. Tamori.”

  “What kind of name is that and what does it mean?”

  “It’s an Okinawan name and not even my father really knew what it meant because in Asian language, the meaning often depends on how the name is written and after Japan conquered Okinawa, many of the names changed. It’s very complicated.”

  “It almost sounds Native American,” he said.

  She laughed. He liked her laugh and remembered that she had dimples. “That’s exactly what a lot of Mainland people thought I was when I visited places like Chicago or New York. That or Hispanic. But that’s okay with me. It lets me see how certain people really are.”

  “How they are?”

  “When I was in Chicago a long time ago, during high school, a lot of people there thought that I was Hispanic or Native American because I was tanned and I had very, very long hair. Some people don’t care for those ethnic groups and I’d see it in the way that they treated me or spoke to me. Then they’d find out that I was from Hawaii and their entire atti
tude would change. Suddenly I was exotic and desirable. I hated it. So now, I let most people think I’m whatever they believe I am. If they can’t accept me for me and they’re going to base how they treat me on whether they think I’m a certain race or where I’m from, then I’m really not interested in knowing them anyway.”

  “I can relate to that,” he said. “People judge me all the time based on what they see on the outside.”

  “I can imagine. But at least in your case, they all like what they see on the outside.”

  “It’s still not me.”

  “I know,” she said. “You’re much more than some picture on a magazine cover.”

  Her words touched him again. Suddenly, he heard a male voice in the background. “Susan, sorry, but Jess just got here.”

  “All right, I’ll be right there,” she said to whoever had been speaking and then returned to their conversation. “Sorry for the interruption.”

  “It’s all right. I guess I’d better let you get back to your friends. And I’ve got to be at a photo shoot early tomorrow morning.”

  “Well, you have a good night John. I’m glad you called.” She resisted the urge to invite him to call again soon.

  “I’m glad too,” he said. “Good night.”

  He hung up the phone reluctantly. Her voice and the things that she had said kept playing in his head. They barely knew each other and yet she seemed to know a lot about the person that he really was and how he felt. He didn’t understand why her opinion of him should matter and yet it made him feel good that she thought he was a decent, hard-working and intelligent person and much more than the image on a magazine cover. Not once since they had met had she asked him about his Hollywood lifestyle, which other people always assumed was so exciting and glamorous. In fact, she seemed to understand the realities of show business and the world that he was forced to live in and she seemed only to be concerned about whether he was surviving that environment. He wasn’t one who made friends easily. He was always suspicious about the motives of people who were friendly towards him. But when she had offered her friendship, he felt that she was doing it for him, not for herself, and, once again, he instinctively trusted her.