by Robyn Amos
Just look how horribly wrong things had gone when she was playing by the rules. She could only imagine how bad it could get without any.
As the taxi pulled up in front of a brownstone in a residential neighborhood, Angie and Lilah sat looking at each other.
Lilah leaned forward to the driver. “Sir, are you sure this is the right place?”
He pointed to the address on the building. “This is the location you gave me.”
Lilah had been expecting something more obvious. Something that shouted fortune-teller with capital letters. At the very least a neon sign in the window. The two women got out of the cab and climbed the stairs.
Lilah hesitated before ringing the doorbell. She elbowed Angie. “Do you think the concierge could have made a mistake and sent us to the wrong address?”
Angie shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out. Ring the bell.”
Lilah was still worried she was in the wrong place when a twelve-year-old Indian girl answered the door. Lilah looked down at her printout. “Hi, is Sushma Ghira here?”
The girl stepped back from the doorway, turning to shout into the hallway, “Mom, you have customers!”
They followed the girl into the living room and took seats on the sofa. No incense burning or colorful scarves draping a table with a crystal ball. It was a typical urban flat, bathed in earth tones. Lilah could see another younger girl sitting at the kitchen table coloring. The utter normalcy dashed Lilah’s cheesy fantasies.
A few minutes later a petite woman descended the stairs. She wore a red pullover sweater with khaki pants, and her feet were bare.
“Welcome to my home,” she said with a heavy Indian accent.
Angie and Lilah rose to shake hands with the woman. Lilah took another look around and whispered, “We’re sorry to barge in on you like this. I’m not even sure we’re in the right place. The concierge at our hotel said—”
“Palm reading or tarot card reading? Is that what you’re looking for?”
Lilah looked at Angie who just shrugged back at her. “Um, yes, I think so.”
“Then you’re in the right place. Come sit down.” She led them through the kitchen and into another room, where a small table was set up in the corner. Sushma sat in a wing-backed chair against the wall and Lilah took the seat before the table in front of her. Angie took a seat on a chaise longue off to the side.
“What kind of answers are you looking for?”
“I don’t know…I guess just…am I moving in the right direction with my life?”
“Okay. We’ll do the tarot card. That will give you an overall view of your state of mind.”
Lilah felt her palms growing clammy. Thank goodness they weren’t going that route. “How does this work?”
The woman reached out and placed the deck in Lilah’s hands. “Each card has its own meaning. You will shuffle these cards, thinking about your question. As you do this, your energies will direct the cards.”
Lilah resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she shuffled. Even though the most rational part of her mind didn’t believe in psychics, there was another part of her that desperately wanted it to work.
“Okay,” she said, handing the cards back to Sushma. The woman then began spreading the cards on the table in a complex pattern.
Lilah gasped when Sushma pulled out a card depicting the grim reaper. “Oh no!”
“Do not worry. That card does not mean death in the literal sense. It’s change. Laying the old to rest so that new can begin. You’ll understand as I go through the reading.”
Sushma began interpreting each card and its place in the spread she laid out for Lilah. “This first card represents you, and it is The Empress. She indicates that you must follow your instincts, your intuition, to find your success.”
Lilah watched with rapt attention as Sushma continued through the reading, drawing on each card to interpret the others. “And here are The Lovers. The most literal interpretation is a choice between two potential lovers. For you, it could be two men or just a choice between two paths. The choice is yours, but you’ll only grow if you choose wisely.”
A choice between two potential lovers? Lilah had an instant flash of Tyler’s warm lips. A choice between two brothers?
Somehow she knew that wasn’t quite what the woman had said, but her mind locked in on the idea, even as Lilah tried to push it away.
When Sushma finally finished the reading, Lilah’s head was spinning. She couldn’t remember all the nuances of what she’d just been told.
The other woman must have sensed her confusion, because she said, “This is what you need to remember from all of that. You’ll come to a crossroads and a choice must be made. It could be a choice between two men or just two ways of living. Either way, there will be conflict and change. Even the right choice won’t be easy, so you must stay committed. Let your heart guide you through the fear. New growth and new opportunity await, if you choose wisely.”
Lilah nodded and thanked the woman, unsure of what to make of what she’d just been told.
“What a crock,” Angie said later when they were back in the taxi.
Surprised, Lilah looked up at her. “Really?”
“You ask her if your life is going in the right direction, and she tells you all this BS about crossroads and choices. They just rearrange and regurgitate the same drivel to everyone…new growth and new opportunity. Whatever. I guess she suckers people in with that accent. Oh well, I guess it was kind of fun, anyway, right?”
“Yeah.” Lilah felt her cheeks stinging with embarrassment because she’d completely bought the woman’s speech. It might not have made sense to Angie, but the reading really resonated with Lilah.
In fact, it tied in with what her best friend had told her on the way over. She could either dive into this opportunity with both feet or play it safe and head back home. But, she certainly couldn’t keep on wandering along halfheartedly.
She had a chance most people weren’t afforded. Two weeks to grab all the life experiences she could. In the recent past when she’d been presented with a choice to either play it safe or take a chance, she’d chosen safe.
Well, her first choice had just been made. Lilah was going to take a risk.
Chapter 7
Lilah’s List Blog Entry
October 28, 2007
I’m not sure if it’s wise to indulge the whims of your youth at the ripe old age of twenty-nine. You see, this is how I ended up with an unusual tattoo in an unusual place.
As Tyler stepped through the entrance to Sapa restaurant, he realized he was early. He’d planned to hang back, perhaps arrive fashionably late, but he was actually eager to get the evening under way.
He’d chosen the restaurant knowing that Lilah would appreciate the dramatic lighting combination of hanging lanterns and candles. It could be very romantic.
Tyler blew out his breath, reminding himself that they weren’t here for that. Was this a classic case of wanting something he couldn’t have? Because this borderline obsession he was developing for Lilah was uncharacteristic.
He walked over to the bar, hoping a stiff drink would put him in the right frame of mind. Before he could place an order, his cell phone rang. His brother’s number flashed on the screen.
“Reggie?” he answered.
“Yeah, I’ve got some bad news, bro.”
Tyler gritted his teeth. “Just don’t tell me you’re not coming.”
“I can’t make it. This is the only night I can meet up with Max in the studio.”
“Reggie—”
“I know what you’re going to say, but aren’t you the one always preaching that my music has to come first? Well, that’s what I’m doing. I need to lay down a dance track if I want the DJs to spin ‘Love Triangle’ in the clubs.”
Unfortunately, Tyler couldn’t argue with that. Which made him want to all the more. “Why can’t you just—”
“I’m going to have to catch you later, man. Studio time isn’t fr
ee.”
Tyler clicked his phone closed, unsure what to do with the frustrated energy coiling inside him. For the second time now, Reggie had put him in a position of not being able to deliver on his word.
Why did Lilah want to date a guy like that anyway? If they got together for real, it would just be more of the same. On the other hand, he would never—
Whoa. His thoughts were headed down the wrong track again. Lilah wanted a date with Reggie. He was the one she’d had a crush on in high school….
Never mind that Reggie would never be able to appreciate a woman like her. Not the way Tyler could.
That sentiment was reinforced as he watched Lilah walk through the door before Angie. Under her brown leather jacket, she wore a velvety-black V-neck sweater that begged to be touched, and a pair of hip-hugging black jeans and low-heeled black suede boots. Her hair flowed in curls from a high ponytail and her cheeks were rosy from the October chill.
She looked cute. And sweet. And in that moment, Tyler felt a longing like he’d never felt before. What was it that was pulling him to her despite his better judgment? There was definitely something between them, and it was more than their impromptu make-out session the night before.
He’d felt it when she was in high school. It hadn’t been romantic then. But it had been nice to talk to someone who didn’t want something from him. Even though he was in college, she’d been able to grasp the complex social issues he’d wrestled with at the time.
Tyler had been going through a brooding phase where all the political injustices of the world weighed heavily on his young mind. It had been part of his nature, at the time, to debate everything, but she’d held her own in their discussions.
Now, years later, he couldn’t remember anyone that had been as easy to connect with.
Lilah spotted him right away, walking over and catching him in a one-armed hug. “There you are. This place is gorgeous.”
Angie came up on his other side and did the same. Tyler was sandwiched between two beautiful women, and he no longer minded that Reggie wasn’t coming.
But he had to get the dirty work out of the way. “I have bad news, ladies. Reggie’s not going to be able to make it tonight. He couldn’t get away from the studio after all.”
Tyler waited to hear a sigh of disappointment, but Lilah just shrugged it off, looking strangely relieved. “Oh well, I guess it’s just the three of us then. Do you think you can handle two women on your own?”
Before Tyler could respond, the hostess motioned for them to follow her to their table. Tyler trailed behind the women feeling his sense of anticipation rising.
Lilah was giving off a confident vibe that was a far cry from the guarded woman he’d met last night. Although she’d loosened up considerably after a couple of appletinis, she’d remained a bit melancholy. Tonight she was all smiles and sass as she slid into their booth.
Tyler situated himself across from the two women and picked up his menu to force his eyes away from Lilah. It was important not to rush things after last night.
“I have to tell you, Lilah,” Angie said, studying her friend. “That psychic must have worked some kind of mojo on you after all because you’ve been a bundle of energy ever since.”
“Psychic?” Tyler asked.
“Yup,” Lilah answered. “Number 21 on The List—visit a fortune-teller.”
“How did it go? Did she tell you anything useful?”
“It sounded like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to me,” Angie said.
“She didn’t put a spell on me or anything. I actually decided to take your advice, Angie. I have an amazing opportunity to do some things I’ve always wanted to do. I have to stop worrying about the consequences, and just go for it.”
Tyler smiled at Lilah. So he hadn’t been imagining it. She really was shining from the inside out. “So, besides the psychic, what else did you girls do today?”
“From The List, just the psychic,” Lilah said.
“Yeah, but afterward Lilah treated us both to manicures and pedicures.” Both women held out their hands to be admired.
“Very nice,” Tyler said dutifully.
“Meeting with your brother was supposed to be the other item I checked off today. That would have been a big one, so I guess I need to pick out another big thing to do instead.”
Angie pulled out The List and spread it out in the middle of the table. “How about going to a karaoke bar? I think there’s one on the lower west side.”
Lilah stared at The List, shaking her head. “No, I need something bigger. I think I’ve got to bite the bullet on the tattoo.”
Angie squealed with delight.
“Wow.” Tyler raised his brows. For some reason he hadn’t been expecting that. “So what’s it going to be? The classic lower back tattoo you girls seem to love? Or maybe a sexy ankle tattoo?”
She sighed. “I don’t know yet. I think I may need a few appletinis first.”
“Oh no, my dear,” Angie said. “You are cut off. After last night, nothing stronger than diet soda for you.”
“Look who thinks she’s my mother now.” Lilah rolled her eyes and leaned toward Tyler. “I don’t actually want a tattoo anymore, but it’s on The List, so I’m committed to doing it. All I know is, I’d better get it over with before I chicken out.”
Tyler imagined Lilah stretched out at the tattoo shop, her jeans pulled low, exposing that golden skin at the base of her spine. “This sounds like a very important, not to mention permanent, decision. I think I’d better come along as a consultant.”
“Really? You want to watch?” she asked.
“You bet.”
“Okay, I could use the extra moral support.”
“Let me see this list.” Tyler reached for the sheet of paper that was still sitting on the table in front of Angie. “Maybe there are other things I can help with.”
As Tyler scanned through The List, he couldn’t resist glancing up at Lilah. He saw a blush tinge her cheeks as she realized what he was probably reading.
A new resolve solidified in his mind. Lilah would be his.
He’d spent a lifetime putting his brother first. Why couldn’t he have just this one thing for himself? If Lilah proved resistant to his seduction, he’d bow out. But he owed it to himself to see if there could be something real between them.
Reggie had already passed up his chance with her, and it wasn’t as though he’d been pursuing her. So why would he care?
Besides, it seemed Lilah would be in need of a man to complete her list, and Tyler was more than willing to apply for the job.
Tyler and Angie helped Lilah out of the cab as she gingerly tried to stand alone. “That was the most traumatizing experience of my life.”
Lilah knew she was being a tad melodramatic but, to her surprise, she was still feeling quite a bit of pain.
“Stop whining, you crybaby. It wasn’t that bad,” Angie said, pulling her through the diner door Tyler held for them.
Lilah gasped. “Says the woman who has no tattoos of her own. That may very well be the worst pain of my life. Well…besides a toothache…and menstrual cramps and—”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t have gotten it in such a sensitive area. I still think a shoulder would have been more practical.”
“And have people see it every time I wear a sleeveless blouse? I don’t think so.”
“People are still going to see it whenever you lie on the beach. And since you love to tan that fair skin of yours, if you lie on your back, it’s in full view for all the world to see.”
Lilah was grateful that Tyler was politely ignoring the ludicrous banter that had been going on between them since they left the tattoo shop. While they had continued their debate in the cab, he had given the driver directions to an all-night diner. This, so Lilah could order the pancakes she’d been promised for being a good girl and holding still for the nice tattooist.
The out-of-the-way diner wasn’t jam-packed at nearly midnight. There was a line, but it wa
s moving quickly.
“The important thing—” Lilah announced “—is that now I can cross getting a tattoo off my list. I can tell my grandchildren it was a byproduct of my reckless youth.”
Angie snorted. “Oh yeah, they’ll really think reckless when they see that thing.”
“Okay, maybe not reckless. But you were the one who said it needed to be meaningful. Something that would help me remember this adventure.”
“And that tattoo reminds you of this adventure how?”
“It symbolizes happiness—exuberance, effervescence, ebullience even.”
“Well, if it’s such a symbol of joy for you, then you should have gotten it someplace where you could actually see it.”
“I can see it.”
“Not without a mirror or some interesting contortions.”
Lilah looked to Tyler for help, but he still wasn’t paying them any mind. Now, he was quietly asking the hostess for a table for three.
As Lilah slid into the booth beside Angie, she groaned. “It feels so good to get off my feet.”
Angie released an exasperated sigh, and as Lilah met Tyler’s gaze, he gave her a look of barely contained laughter.
“I must say, this has been quite an experience. I’m so glad you ladies let me tag along.”
“No problem, I needed the extra help holding her down.”
Lilah poked her friend in the arm. “Once again, I didn’t see you lining up to join me in that chair. I think Betty Boop would have been cute on your ankle.”
“Nope, this is your adventure, not mine,” she answered without lifting her head from the menu. “But if I ever did get a tattoo, I’d get something much more exciting than—”
“All right, ladies, that’s enough. Do you two always bicker like this?” Tyler asked.
Lilah exchanged a look with Angie, and then they answered him in unison. “We’re not bickering.”
Tyler stared at the two of them for a moment then picked up his menu in surrender. “My mistake.”
Lilah and Angie laughed.
Lilah didn’t know what to make of Tyler’s easy acceptance of her banter with Angie. Chuck would have been chiding them to be quiet long ago. He hated when they yammered on, claiming their chatter gave him headaches. Tyler didn’t seem the least bit annoyed. Instead he seemed…genuinely pleased to be in their company.