“This section of leading is soft, it feels like clay.” Kat held up her finger to show bits of something stuck under her nail.
“Hang on.” Reid walked over to the desk, opened the top drawer, and pulled out a small implement that had a hard plastic handle and a hook on the end. “I found this in here the first day.” He used the hook to scrape away the soft material. Underneath the fake leading, he was surprised to find a triangular-shaped bit of wire on a tiny, spring-loaded hinge. With more cleaning, a flick of his finger snapped the holder into place. “Pass me one of those prisms.” He reached out to Finn who was holding them. It slid into the holder easily and fitted itself against the length of the clear glass. “Okay. Now what?”
“I guess we look for five more holders.” Julie thought that was obvious. “Kat, can you check the rest of the window?”
Kat ran her hands over the rest of the leading. “Nothing here.”
“Then they must be elsewhere in the room. Spread out and look around.”
After a moment, Finn pointed to what looked like a decorative area on the chandelier in the center of the room. “There, I think that’s one.”
“Over here, there’s another one.” Tyler pointed to one of the top corners of the mirror frame.
“I’ve got one.” Gustavia fitted in a prism.
“And one here.” Julie called out.
Amethyst held the final prism, it was two minutes before the indicated time, and they were coming up empty.
“Amethyst, can you check the room again?”
She stood in the center of the room, focused, and turned slowly in place. Though each of the auras around the already-found holders showed clearly, she saw no others. On a hunch, she walked through the door and onto the balcony that overlooked the living room. Directly in front of her hung another elaborate chandelier adorned with crystals and prisms. She spun and looked back toward the room she had just left.
From this vantage point, she saw it. A glimmer at the top of the door frame. “Got it.” With seconds left to spare, she reached into a tiny, nearly invisible crevice, hooked the holder into position with her fingernail, and slid the prism into place.
“Now what?” She asked.
Before anyone could answer, the sun reached the correct position and slipped, magnified through the lens set into the clear glass section. Light speared into the center the prism in its holder in the upper part of the window sent a shaft toward the prism attached to the frame, which, in turn, flashed toward the one in the middle of the room. From there the light arrowed through each prism toward the one in the doorway which directed the beam into the lighting fixture hanging above the living room. As it passed through the suspended prisms and crystals, the arc of brilliance played across the body of the fixture and a shadow image formed on the blank, facing wall.
It was another tree.
“What the…?” Tyler shook his head.
“No, wait. I’ve seen that before.” Gustavia bumped her fist against her forehead. “Jules, where have we seen that tree? It’s so familiar.”
“In the kitchen.”
“The plaque over the old fireplace.” Tyler was the first one down the stairs though he was followed closely by the rest of the men while the women maintained a more leisurely pace.
When Amethyst walked in, they were already poking and prodding at the plaque in the hope of triggering whatever mechanism Julius had hidden within it.
“Ammie, what do you see? Anything?” Tyler asked.
With a quirk of a smile, Amethyst declined to answer, walked to the utensil drawer, pulled out a butter knife, and used it on the four corner screws that held the plaque to the wall. “Yeah, I see that the thing is screwed to the wall, sometimes things are just as simple as they seem.” Her words seemed to hold extra meaning as she caught Reid’s eye.
Behind the decorative image was a section of plaster that looked different from the rest of the wall. “Sorry Jules, hope this isn’t the good silver,” and Amethyst jammed the butter knife into the wall. The plaster was soft and crumbly. A quick twist of the wrist and she pried out a piece, then used her fingers to yank out the rest. Behind the softened plaster was a small cavity.
“Julie, you should do the honors.” Amethyst stepped back to let the other woman pull out a sheaf of papers and dog-eared journals.
“Those are my notes.” Julius, released by whatever force had silenced him, was able to speak. “I’m sorry they’re not especially valuable.”
“May I see them?” Finn asked. As he leafed quickly through the documents, he thought Julius might not be the best judge of their value. At just a quick glance, he recognized several designs that were ahead of their time.
Respectfully, he addressed the spirit, “With some modification, there are a number of applications for your work. I think you underestimate its value.” To Tyler and Julie he said, “We’ll talk later about those ideas we discussed before?”
“Of course.”
_,.-'~'-.,_
The ride back home that evening was just as silent as the one that morning had been. Amethyst focused on the star-lined sky in an attempt to ignore the thick atmosphere between them. Before the car had come to a full stop, she was out the door and down the path.
By the time Reid walked through the door, she was already in the bedroom with the door closed.
Keeping her at arm’s length had seemed like a good idea but now he was beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake. Sometimes, though, the best offense was a good defense. Who said that? Some idiot who had never been in love with a woman like Amethyst. He would have bet on it.
Reid kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the sofa, fully clothed—as far as he could, anyway—and punched his pillow into what he hoped was a more comfortable configuration. As he had every night since then, he concentrated on dragging his mind back from its endless replay of the night she had taken him in.
Punching the pillow had helped release a little of the pent up emotion but not enough. He felt like his body would explode if he didn’t do something. A few long steps took him from one side of the room to the other. Not enough.
He dragged his shoes back on, tied the laces with short, vicious movements, and grabbed his jacket from the peg hook in the laundry room. A walk in the cold would do him a world of good.
_,.-'~'-.,_
Even through the closed door, Amethyst felt his intense desire to get out of the house and assumed it would be forever. She heard the click as he gently closed the door on his way out. That was it then. He was gone. She wished she could sink through the floor; disappear into the earth. As a second best option, she yanked the covers over her head and in the relative safety of their womb-like warmth, let it all out. Each sob shook her body like a rag doll as the tears released long suppressed emotions.
It wasn’t until he scooped her into his arms, duvet and all, that she realized he had come back. More, that he was kissing away her tears as he begged her not to cry.
“Shh, baby. I’m here.” Over and over, he murmured the words of comfort as she held tight. “I’m right here.”
His reassurance triggered a flood of confessions.
Everything she had never told him fell from her lips in a rain of honesty revealing fears connected to her ability that she had never admitted before. The worries she faced with her clients, the mistaken feeling that no one without her same abilities could understand her.
He told her of work experiences that he had never before shared, “Every day it seemed a little easier to go along with the crowd even if I lost myself along the way. I never thought I would lose you. I should have paid more attention.” He stroked her cheek.
“Me, too. I knew you were struggling to succeed at something you never wanted to do in the first place. I should have listened to your heart, not your words. Can you ever forgive me?”
His answer came in an onslaught of kisses that washed away the past as they dove into each other and the world finally righted itself and began to sp
in again.
Chapter Fifteen
Amethyst, Gustavia and Kat worked behind the scenes to give Julie the kind of bachelorette party that would match her temperament. Not a night of drunken debauchery—just something more her style, an evening with friends—a celebration of her marriage rather than a sendoff to her freedom.
Okay, maybe a night of tipsy tomfoolery. Without male strippers.
They debated the guest list and whether a trip to the city would be better than a night on the town in Oakville. Finally, it was decided that while a trip to the city would present considerably more options, between holiday traffic and unpredictable weather patterns, it would be a logistical nightmare.
Instead, they hired a limo and hitting all their favorite local haunts, picked up more guests along the way. Tamara the jewelry maker climbed in last and they hit Tassone’s for pizza before the four of them took a spin across the stage for live karaoke night with the other six partygoers as backup dancers.
Each wearing a matching tee that Gustavia and Amethyst had decorated with pictures of Julie and Tyler and glittering tiaras they made quite a picture. Julie’s tiara was attached to a fluttery veil and bounced behind her while she danced across the stage, microphone in hand having the time of her life.
It was exactly the right type of party. People she loved, celebrating and having fun and in a few short days, she would be marrying the love of her life.
Toward the end of their encore, Gustavia flashed the group one of her patented mischievous looks, and reached into her pocket. The LED lights she had threaded through her braids flashed to life and began to blink. It was classic Gustavia and the crowd gave her a standing ovation.
By midnight, it was just the four of them again, hanging out at Hayward House pouring the night’s last bottle of wine while they exchanged boyfriend stories.
“Toaster oven. For Valentine’s day.” Julie described her last gift from Logan.
“Nope, not weird enough. Bland and boring, but not weird.” Gustavia judged. “Here’s mine. Remember in college when I dated that guy who played the Ocarina? He went home on break and brought me back a stuffed squirrel. Not the toy kind but the kind that comes from the taxidermist. It was creepy and I swear the eyes followed me everywhere.”
“Weirdest gift I ever got from a boyfriend? It would have to be the five-year membership to the fruit of the month club. Guy was totally into his body—like more into his than mine—and all he talked about was how fruit was nearly the perfect food. I still have over two years left on the subscription.” Amethyst waved her glass.
Screaming with laughter, Kat burst out, “Ammie gets man fruit in the mail.”
“Ew, that sounds really dirty,” Gustavia said.
“This month it was ugly fruit and red bananas.”
“Oh, I stand corrected; Ammie gets ugly man fruit in the mail.” Tears streamed down Kat’s face as laughter doubled her over.
“Stop it, my face hurts.” Julie was also in tears, barely able to breathe.
“What exactly is an ugly fruit?” Gustavia was curious.
“A big, greenish, sort of wrinkled-up looking grapefruit.”
That visual image was too much for Gustavia who now joined the hysteria.
“What about Reid? Come on, he’s got some kind of quirk, right?” Kat prodded.
“Kat!” At Julie’s obvious surprise, Kat answered, “What? I’ve had zero love life so I have to live vicariously through you guys.”
“Don’t lose heart,” Amethyst lifted her glass in emphasis, “weddings are a great place to meet someone.”
“And Reid? How’s that going?” Gustavia took up the question about half out of curiosity and half to let Kat off the hook.
Shining eyes and a slightly sappy grin told the tale, but for Kat’s benefit, Amethyst confirmed, “We’re totally back together.”
“That’s wonderful news. Are you going to move back home?” This from Julie.
“We haven’t talked about that yet. He’s still job hunting so I guess it depends on what he finds. My place is a bit tight for two people so even if a miracle happened and he found something he could do here, we would have to start looking for something bigger.” That was a depressing thought. She loved her little home.
“Maybe it will all work out for the best.” Julie’s lack of concern seemed uncharacteristic and hurtful until Amethyst got a good look at her self-satisfied expression.
Gustavia looked at Julie, raised an eyebrow in question, and at Julie’s triumphant nod, began to beam.
“You,” Amethyst speared a finger at Julie, “you know something and you’re holding out on me.” She tried to inject a note of menace into her tone but it fell flat. Turning to Gustavia for support, she was surprised to see a nearly identical expression on her face. Kat’s, too.
“All of you? Let me in on the secret.”
“Reid will be getting a job offer.”
Frowning, “What kind of job? How do you know that? I don’t understand.”
“Finn gave us the idea when he and Gustavia first started dating. He heard we might find Julius’ notes and thought that if we did, we could form a foundation to support young inventors while simultaneously finding updated uses for some of Julius’ inventions. Tyler and I loved the idea and we want Reid to become our director.”
“Is that why Tyler kept blowing him off when he asked for help finding a job?”
“We were hoping to find the notes and waiting for the final appraisals on the jewels from the last cache. That way, if there wasn’t going to be enough money to create a good funding base; we wouldn’t get anyone’s hopes up. Last week we learned that there would be more than enough money so we decided to move forward.”
_,.-'~'-.,_
“You find a new job yet?” Tyler threw the question at Reid almost as an afterthought while lining up his new toy, a digital bowling ball, for what he hoped would not be his third gutter ball in a row. It had taken only one humiliatingly awkward release of the ball before he realized that only the wrist strap tether had kept him from tossing the controller directly into the TV.
“I’m courting offers.”
“Interested in one more?” Tyler deliberately kept his tone mild.
“Hit me.” Reid scored a spare.
“There’s a small foundation that needs a director.”
“I’m listening.”
“The right person would have to wear a lot of hats, especially in the beginning because it’s only in the planning phase at the moment.” The prospect actually made Reid’s heart speed up until reality settled in and it dropped like a stone. “I probably don’t have enough experience for something like that.”
“If it helps, I’ve got an in on the hiring committee.”
The game forgotten for the moment, Reid’s eyebrows shot up and then he scowled. “Then why have you been giving me the runaround every time I ask if you know of any job openings?”
Tyler only shrugged but the look on his face made Reid picture cats and canaries. “It was all about the timing. I’ll send you a copy of the mission statement and if you like what you see, the job’s yours.”
“How can you promise me a job if…” Finally, Reid clued in. “It’s you and Julie—starting the foundation. I would be working for you?”
“With us. You would be working with us. Let me send you the MS, no strings. You read it, think about it, and get back to me.” The starting salary Tyler named was reasonable.
“You’re sure you don’t want someone with more experience?”
“I want someone who is passionate about what he does. That’s you. If you need to hire a consultant in the beginning, we can work with that.”
Reid held out his hand, “Send me the Mission Statement but I can tell you right now, I’m in.” The two men shook on it.
_,.-'~'-.,_
After all, it had taken to get to this moment, Julie should have been a quivering bundle of nerves, instead, she was relaxed and confident, almost regal, as she w
alked through the golden glow of candlelight toward Tyler, her shining eyes never leaving his for a moment. If they had, she might have noticed that Amethyst was completely oblivious to anything but Reid as she communicated her love to him without speaking.
She poured her heart into her eyes, then into his as the officiant began to speak those meaningful lines. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here…”
Reid returned her gaze with a questioning look, Amethyst mouthed, “Will you marry me?” Her heart raced as she watched the play of emotions across his face.
When he looked back at her, she could see the sheen of tears in his eyes as they locked onto hers. “Yes,” then he mouthed along with Tyler as he spoke the traditional wedding vows—for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer. Amethyst followed suit as they renewed their own commitment to each other.
The next thing she heard was, “You may kiss the bride.” The wedding was over, she had missed the entire thing, and she didn’t care. Sorry, Jules, she thought. I’ll have to catch the video.
When it was her turn to walk up the aisle behind Kat and Tyler’s younger brother, Amethyst couldn’t tell if her feet touched the floor until she exited the room and was in Reid’s arms, laughing and framing his face in her hands.
Kat, who carried a tearful Estelle inside her, walked down the aisle behind Gustavia and took her place before turning to watch Julie enter the room. Once the ceremony ended, Estelle would have to leave because after being present for the pre-wedding preparations, her energy was flagging. Since Julius had been dead long enough that none of the wedding guests would recognize him, he took a seat at the back of the room. Kat could see him, proud face beaming, from where she stood. Julie had tried to talk him into walking her down the aisle but, knowing he was not supposed show himself to people on that grand a scale, he declined. It was one thing to sneak in at the back of the room and quite another to parade himself down the aisle.
Watching Julie walk toward Tyler, Kat was ashamed that one of the emotions running through her was envy and even though she tried, she could not entirely shut that feeling down. It saddened her to think she might never experience this for herself. The feeling persisted throughout the ceremony and even after as she allowed Estelle the change to give Julie a hug before the spirit had to pull her energy away. When darkness settled back over her vision, she prepared to withdraw into the background as much as she could and still perform her bridesmaid duties with a smile.
She Shall Have Music (Psychic Seasons Page 18