For the second time that night, Meredith froze. This time, I knew why.
“Why, Daniel Levi, what on Earth are you doing here?” Meredith said, eyes widening in surprise. Dan gave her a broad smile that didn’t meet his eyes. Then Meredith rushed towards Dan and threw her arms around him like a long-lost cousin.
I shook my head, then turned to Kale.
“Did I tell you Dan lived in Omaha a few years ago?” Kale’s eyes narrowed as he took in Meredith and Dan’s embrace. He shook his head slightly.
“Meredith, wow, it’s been a very long time,” Dan said, stepping towards me.
“Chelsea, you didn’t tell me Dan lived here in Flagstaff! What an amazing coincidence! Didn’t you have a little crush on him when you were younger?” Meredith said, arm still linked to Dan’s.
I laughed and curled my toes in an attempt to suppress a blush.
You slept with him, Chelsea. So what. Good grief. Quit blushing.
I clapped my hand to my mouth. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I forgot to tell you! I ran into Dan, in downtown Flag. He lives here, too,” I said. Feeble attempt at honesty, I know. I’m a horrible liar. My ruthless real estate/demon Aunt Meredith wouldn’t buy it.
Meredith’s smile never left her face as Dan extricated himself from her arm. He strolled over to me, and his lips brushed my forehead. When I saw Meredith’s eyes narrow, I stifled a sigh. Some things may never change. Like crazy, overprotective helicopter Aunts.
“Gabe, meet Meredith. Meredith, this is Gabe. He’s also in the public health internship with Fia and Chelsea,” Kale said, gesturing to Gabe and providing a segue from awkward city. I gave him a grateful smile. He nodded.
“A male nurse? How… unorthodox,” Meredith said, voice dripping with condescension. Gabe’s genuine smile became strained, but he kept his hand extended to meet her handshake. My toes cramped.
“Nice to meet you, Aunt Mer,” Gabe said.
“Actually, Aunt Mer, Gabe is a pharmacist intern. But, fun statistic, about 10% of nurses are male these days,” I said. If the night continued like this, I’d take my chances with Candlewick and the stench of the stable.
“I have to say I do enjoy my nurses female. There’s something about an educated woman who knows just what the ailing need. There’s something ancient in the way a woman cares for the wounded. When you add beauty to the mix, well there’s no comparison, don’t you think?” a drawling southern accented voice said with humor from the stairs.
“Yeah, if you’re a chauvinist pig,” I said, turning. Then I met the cold blue gaze of the latest guest. His smile appeared friendly, but a frostiness filled his eyes. They reminded me of an arctic sea, not only in color, but in their icy stare. Sandy blonde hair slicked back on his head, and he sported a distinguished matching goatee dusted in gray.
“Hello, Mr. Fox,” Kale said, stifling a grin. I stared at him for a moment, and before I could formulate an apology, Meredith surprised me.
“Mike, so wonderful to see you again. How long has it been? Twenty years? And look at you, as youthful as ever!” Meredith said, clapping her hands together before kissing Michael on either cheek.
My jaw dropped. Meredith knew Fia’s Dad on a first name basis? What? Seriously, my life had to be a jacked 21st-century rendition of The Truman Show. Producers had to engineer this crap behind the scenes. My life couldn’t get any weirder. It looked like everyone knew each other. Everyone but me.
Conspiracy theories aside, I was no magnet for coincidences. Serendipitous events were more than likely part of some larger plan. But whose? I couldn’t wait to get Meredith alone, to grill her about what she knew.
“Meredith! How long has it been?” Michael said, returning her air kisses. “And you must be Chelsea. I remember hearing so much about you when you were a child. Now you’re all grown up, ready to take on the world. Your Aunt simply adores you.” He held out his hand, and I took it, face reddening.
“Mr. Fox, ah… hi,” I said, “I apologize for my comment earlier, I had-“
Instead of a handshake, Michael brought his lips to my hand in an old fashioned introduction. Dan snorted, interrupting my apology.
“Don’t say you’re sorry for speaking your mind, Chels,” Dan said.
Michael glanced at Dan for a second before smiling at me. “It’s nothing, my dear.”
“You and Aunt Mer know each other?” I asked, pulling my hand from his firm grip. Did Fia knew of their acquaintance? She had to. The Craigslist ad for an apartment had seemed too good to be true. Did Meredith play some weird psychological trick on me- begging me not to move to Flagstaff, but arranging for my housing in the background? And that meant Fia, she knew about this? Or did our parental figures plan this without either of our knowledge? And, why?
I took in Michael’s light blue button up shirt under a dark blue blazer and gaudy red crocodile designer shoes. A man who overlooked no detail. Unafraid to display his wealth and confidence. What was his motivation in this game?
Meredith smiled warmly at Michael, then raised her eyebrows. “Mike and I go way back, isn’t that right?”
“Too true. We served concurrently on the Children’s Club board back in Nebraska,” Michael said. “It’s exceptional to see you again, Meredith. What a happy coincidence.”
Right, coincidence my ass.
He walked towards the front door.
“Why don’t we take our little dinner party somewhere more comfortable? I know Franco and Mari are whipping together Fia’s favorite- rack of lamb- tonight,” he said, motioning for everyone to follow him inside.
“Mr. Fox, I wanted to personally thank you for this invitation. You are my idol! I would love to open a pharmacy chain as successful as Perfect Smile,” Gabe gushed as we followed Michael through the entryway.
I cringed, but Gabe stood too far away for me to give him a subtle nudge. Fia would not be impressed by Gabe’s charming of her father. Then again, Fia hadn’t yet blessed us with her presence, so maybe Gabe would tone it down by the time she rejoined the group.
I glanced around the entrance, which managed to be both rustic and grand at the same time. Massive logs, similar to the cabin in the woods, lined the vaulted ceiling. A chandelier made from what looked like antlers of some giant animal hung from the apex, at least eight-feet in diameter. Native American style rugs lay scattered across the wooden floors, their primary colors standing brilliant against the natural wood.
“I am always happy to give advice to ambitious young men,” Michael said, patting Gabe on the shoulder. “We all start somewhere.”
“Too true,” Meredith said. “You’d be surprised at how many of us start out as starving students.”
“Wow, I can’t imagine the great Michael Fox as anything but a well-fed tycoon!” Gabe said, keeping up with Michael’s pace as we entered a parlor area off the main entryway. I stifled a laugh at Gabe’s never ending supply of enthusiastic yet cheesy compliments.
The parlor’s ambiance reminded me of another century. A grand piano sat in one corner, along with a couple of guitars. Several western themed seating areas ranging from rocking chairs to settees and love seats sat in groups throughout the giant room. Michael led us to the largest grouping and invited us to sit.
“Hey, ya’ll, I see everyone’s met Daddy,” Fia said, sauntering in.
“Sofia, so good of you to join us,” Michael said, still standing. “How is Candlewick faring without his doting partner?”
Fia gave Michael a peck on the cheek. “He looks too chubby. Someone needs to be taking him for a ride every day, Daddy. I thought we agreed Vaz would train with him while I did the stupid internship,” she said, with a pout. Michael nodded.
“Vaz has been busy, but I’ll see if Franco can spare an hour a day out of his schedule,” Michael said. “Speak of the devil.” Michael beamed at a Latino man, dressed in a pair of khakis and blue western shirt.
Franco gave a small bow in greeting. “I apologize for my delay, sir. Ms. Sofia reported Candle
wick required attention,” he said in a British accent. Perhaps Spanish heritage?
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Frank was so not one of Fia’s boyfriends. Shorter than Fia by several inches, with white hair, and weathered skin the color of dark rum, he looked about 100 years old.
“Frank cleaned her stall,” Fia explained, squeezing herself between Gabe and I. “I’ll take a rum and diet.”
Franco nodded. “What can I get for everyone else? Supper will be served shortly.”
We ordered our drinks and Franco hobbled to a cowhide wrapped bar on the opposite wall. How could he ride a horse?
“So, Mr. Fox, tell me. What does one have to do to get this kind of house?” Gabe said, turning towards Michael with his usual eager expression. Fia rolled her eyes and turned to Dan, asking him something in a whisper. I struggled to quell the tightness in my chest. I wished Dan sat next to me, instead.
While Meredith and Michael gave Gabe some tips involving chain marketing and divestitures, Kale turned to me.
“How do you know Daniel?” he asked quietly. His dark chocolate eyes searched my own. I took a deep breath, debating the best way to approach the subject. Kale’s earthy scent of patchouli and violets filled my nostrils.
“Dan?” I said. “Oh, he went to my high school back in Omaha.”
“For how long?” Kale asked. He appeared calm, but I couldn’t resist. With caution I sent out my energy feelers, having blocked them during the introduction to avoid being overwhelmed. He was agitated, according to his energy pattern which bulged outward in aggression. No snap, crackle, pop that time.
“How long have I known Dan?” I asked, accepting a cocktail from Franco.
“No, how long did he go to school with you?”
“Uh, actually not too long. Maybe four weeks?” I shrugged, uncertain of Kale’s sudden interest in Dan. Dan already confessed the reason he found me in Omaha. What did Kale care? I sipped my fruity drink.
“Did you discuss our conversation with him?” Kale asked.
My eyes grew large, and I glanced at the others. Pre-occupied in their own conversations, no one watched us. I leaned closer to Kale, determined to distract him from this conversation.
“Not a great setting for this discussion,” I said. Kale leaned close to me, our noses inches apart. He took my hand. Again, I felt the hum of his energy buzz through my fingers. My heart skipped a beat.
“Have you ever studied natural medicine in your nursing program? Many healers use acupressure for healing. This, right here, is the pressure point for curing headaches,” Kale said in a loud voice. He pressed the space of my lower thumb knuckle firmly. I stared at him, at a loss for words. Everyone else chatted amongst themselves, oblivious to our conversation.
“You need to prepare for duplicity in everyone,” Kale said, softer than before as he released my hand. “Everyone in this room has an agenda, and all of their plans involve you in some way.”
Knots of tension fell away in waves of clarity. Whatever pressure point Kale used opened my mind.
Kale was right. Who was I kidding? I couldn’t ignore the facts. The freaking moon was going to catch fire. Kale and his people believed I could help them perform a ceremony to save the world. From who? From the demons? I needed to muster the courage to find the answers, and surrounding me were the people who might be able to help.
“Kale, are you telling me I shouldn’t trust you?” I said. How many people who claimed to help would lecture me about the same point. But my gut clenched. I needed to be careful with whom I consulted.
“Dinner is served,” Franco called from a doorway near the piano. Everyone stood and made their way to the dining area. Fia’s black sling-backs clicked into step with my own.
She leaned in close and whispered in my ear, “Kale’s pulling acupressure moves when you’re a few feet away from Dan? Juicy! I love it,” she said, with no hint of jealousy. I flushed, glancing at Dan. He stared at me for a few seconds, before engaging again with Michael.
Before I could answer, Franco directed everyone to their seats. I sat between Kale and Gabe. Fia and Michael sat at either end of the oval dark alder wood table. Meredith and Dan sat opposite from Kale and me.
The dining room decor darkened than the parlor area. Not in a comfortable way. The wooden floors matched the dining table, and subdued faux candle-lamps lined the walls. A single muted chandelier made of deer antlers and crystal ornaments hung above the table. A grizzly bear stood snarling but motionless on hind legs behind Michael’s seat, his front paws outstretched in a frozen attack. I shivered, the carcass too lifelike for my taste.
“Everything looks grand, thank you, Franco,” Michael said, dismissing Franco from the dining room. We all dug into the delicious lamb, roasted potatoes, and green beans with almonds. My tastebuds danced as I sniffed, then sipped the Bordeaux wine, a perfect pairing to the lamb entree. Murmurs of appreciation for the food turned into light table talk.
“Mr. Fox, how crazy is it you went from a tooth drill to machete?” Gabe asked Michael, taking another bite of lamb.
But Michael, distracted by the state of his daughter, ignored Gabe. By my count, she drank her third glass of Bordeaux, and her arm hung around Kale, fingers stroking his shoulder. I averted my gaze. Fia’s fake fawning over Kale irked me. Her fingers played with his black ponytail, and she whispered into his ear. Kale moved her hand to the table, away from his hair.
“Enough,” he said.
“Fine, whatever,” Fia huffed. “I need to find a man who likes to take me dancing.”
I looked across the table at Dan, whose mouth set in a tight line. He shook his head as Meredith leaned towards him, also speaking to him in whispers. Caught between feeling irritated and maintaining decorum, I let out a breath. Irritation won out over propriety. If my dinner in denial wouldn’t work out, then maybe a round table discussion of the facts could lift the veils of our secrets.
“Aunt Mer, Dan told me something fascinating today,” I said, plastering a fake smile on my face. Meredith stopped speaking to Dan and looked at me with raised eyebrows, her hazel eyes widened.
“Is that right?” she said. “Dan is full of interesting stories. Why I remember back in Omaha-”
“In fact,” I said, “It’s a story he told me when I ran into him here in Flag. But somehow, I think the charming tale would have been more timely to share back when I was younger. Maybe five years ago?”
Dan met my eyes, shaking his head once. I glared at him. The anger that simmered under the surface of my skin suddenly boiled over, out of me. I could feel my heated energy pulse out erratically.
“Chels, do you remember the one about the Beatle’s and the stars?” Daniel asked. Nice. His attempts to distract me with meditative techniques proved useless. Did he think I still lacked control? Suddenly, I didn’t care.
I was pissed at Fia for leading Kale on, angry at Meredith for keeping secrets from me, and livid with Dan for not telling me everything sooner. Meredith manipulations by having me move in with an old acquaintance’s daughter rubbed me the wrong way, too. She hid behind her show of wanting to keep me home, when she planned on sending me here this whole time.
Did she know about the prophecy? How could she not? And she couldn’t share this little detail with me a little sooner?
My hands trembled in my lap. Whether anyone liked it or not, this confrontation was happening. Now.
“Kale,” Meredith said, clearing her throat. “The Hopi culture so intrigues me. Tell me, do you participate in the kachina dances?”
“Meredith, I’m surprised you don’t know Kale, too,” Fia said, removing her mouth from Kale’s ear. Thickened with alcohol, she drawled slow as syrup. Irritation dripped from her words. Mine wasn't the only life falling victim to behind the scenes manipulations. “Seems you’ve got some sort of history with almost everyone at this table. It’s like a family reunion, isn’t it?”
“I’ve never met Kale before tonight, dear,” Meredith said. She rubbed at
her arms. “Speaking of family, where is your beautiful mother?”
Fia cheeks flushed, and she glared at Meredith. “What do you care? My mom’s not around, right Daddy?” She took a gulp of the wine and poured another glass. Michael motioned for Franco to remove the bottle from Fia’s hands. Franco eyed Fia with trepidation, then looked at Michael again. With another nod from his boss, Franco sighed and attempted to extract the bottle with a murmur to Fia. Fia shoved Franco’s arm away.
“Fia, darling, I think you’ve had quite enough,” Michael said.
“There isn’t enough wine in France for me to get through this CF of a dinner,” Fia shouted. She slammed down her long-stemmed glass, red liquid spilling on the table. “I’m outta here.”
She rose from the chair and stumbled towards the parlor area, bumping into the door jam as she left, but keeping her head held high. Kale took a deep breath. He rose and nodded at me, before following her out of the room. I continued glaring at Meredith, and suddenly her wine glass fell from the table and spilled on her pantsuit. Meredith gasped, and Dan looked surprised. He avoided eye contact with me.
“My goodness, call me Grace. I’ve got to clean this up. Franco, show me where you keep your peroxide.” Meredith jumped out of her seat and followed Franco.
“Excuse me, I need to take this phone call,” Dan said, and I felt a tap on my foot under the table. He raised his eyebrows at me before leaving the table.
I crossed my arms, feeling my energy falling around me. Had I caused Meredith’s glass to fly from the table. My energies only affected people’s auras. Could I control ambient energy, as well?
Michael’s serene gaze met mine, unaffected by the chaotic turn of our candlelit dinner. Sandy eyebrows raised, and a slight sigh the only sign he noticed the chaos ensuing around him. Then, with the practiced etiquette of the wealthy, he sliced another piece of lamb with the knife in his left hand and raised a fork to his mouth with his right hand. After enjoying his bite, he smiled at me. Gabe texted someone. He must have missed what transpired the last several minutes.
Moonfire Page 16