by Queau, Amy
“What? What does that mean? That’s my past? With Sam? Maybe it’s supposed to be the other way around. You know, not upside down,” Charlie said casually.
“Yeah, I think you’re right. That doesn’t sound like the two of you at all. You must have accidentally turned it that way when you flipped it over. Well, nevertheless, it’s your past. I’d rather hear about the future,” Maxie said, winking.
Sam shook his head, grinning, and returned to the couch after giving Charlie a kiss on the cheek.
“Okay, so your Present. Close your eyes and let the card pick you again.”
Charlie closed her eyes and ran her hand across the table, choosing the first card she touched. She flipped it over and saw a drawing of a bright sun with vibrant oranges and yellows. The bottom half of the card held a large white horse and two nymph-like creatures on the steed’s back. She waited to hear the explanation.
“Here it is. Okay, so “The Sun” is your Present. Satisfaction. Contentment. Success. Favorable social relationships. Love. Joy. Devotion. Unselfish sentiment. Engagement.” Maxie paused and looked over to Sam. “A happy marriage. Pleasure in daily existence. Earthly happiness. A good friend.” Maxie said, glowing.
Charlie smiled. Okay, so maybe it’s not complete hocus pocus.
“So then, the Future,” said Maxie, smiling.
Charlie returned Maxie’s smile and reached down to feel a spark on her fingertip. Her smile instantly vanished, thinking she had received an electric shock. She looked down at the card, then to her hand, shaking away the sting. She chose the card out of spite, needing to know which one it was that made her flinch. As she flipped the card over, the word slapped her in the face. “Judgment” was all that was written. The rest of the card had a drawing of men and women reaching up to the heavens, pleading for their lives, while God smoked a hookah and played a fiddle.
“Oh! Another upside down card,” Maxie said, searching for the page in the pamphlet while Charlie studied the card’s artistic details.
“Judgment. Here it is! Oh…” Maxie looked at Charlie, worried. She looked back down to the card and again to the pamphlet, scratching her head. “Okay, well, this is your Future, then. Delay. Disappointment. Failure to face facts. Alienation of affection. Deep worry.”
What does that mean? That’s supposed to be my future with Sam?
Stupid magic.
“You know, I could have read them wrong. This was my first time.” Nothing in her tone or demeanor convinced Charlie that Maxie was happy with the results.
*
After a quick bite to eat, Maxie was on her way out the door. “Busy, busy! I have a few errands to run before it gets too dark. I have to walk the dogs, too. So, gotta go! I love you both so much. Oh, and Charlie, thanks for being a good sport tonight. Maybe next time we do it, it’ll make more sense.”
Charlie nodded and opened the door for Maxie.
“Thanks so much for coming. Always so good to see you,” Charlie said, giving Maxie a quick hug.
“Goodnight, kids.”
“’Night, Ma. Thanks for comin’,” Sam said.
Charlie happened to notice the concern on Maxie’s face, just as Sam closed the door.
Sam’s head cocked to the side. “Take that frown off your face. You don’t believe in any of that stuff, do you?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her back.
“Na, it was silly,” she said, shaking her head.
“Good. Then, let’s take a bath and watch a little Star Trek.”
She nodded slowly, pretending she heard his last words.
“Charlie? You’re not listening to me.”
“Huh? Oh, sorry. Just thinking about work on Monday, that’s all.”
He rolled his eyes and let out a laugh. “Right.” He nudged his head toward the bathroom. “C’mon, let’s go.”
Chapter Two
The temperature on Monday morning was below zero, and Charlie had to get up early to make sure that all the sidewalks were salted. Afterward, she went to her office and began filing some old work orders.
“Hi! Are you Charlie?” a woman said, startling her.
Charlie looked up and saw a fifty-something-year-old woman standing at the door. Her hair was short and blonde, cut very boyishly. She was extremely small in stature and very skinny.
“Yes. What can I do for you?”
“I’m Roxanne! Robin sent me. I’m a caretaker over at Greenwood Estates. She said you might need some help over here today, so I thought I’d stop in.”
Charlie walked over to her and shook her hand gratefully. “Hi Roxanne, it’s very nice to meet you. This is great of you to do; I could really use your help today. Did Robin okay all of this? How many hours do I get you today?”
“For up to eight, I’m all yours… Put me to work!” Roxanne said cheerfully.
“Oh boy. Well, what do you prefer doing? Take your pick, it all needs to get done,” Charlie said.
“Do you have any apartments that need cleaning?”
Charlie’s eyebrows shot up. “Yes, two of them.”
“Give me the nastiest one you’ve got!”
Charlie smiled. “I already love you, Roxanne.”
That week, Roxanne came on staff full-time. Half of her days were spent as Charlie’s leasing consultant, and the other half were spent on miscellaneous projects that came up daily: parties to clean up after, messy hallways, and garbage on the property.
*
Charlie returned home from work Friday evening and was excited to have a quiet night in with Samuel, her cocoa, and pajamas. He’d be leaving the next day for New York and as she opened her apartment door, she was sulking. When she walked in, there was a note on the fridge from Samuel. Attached to it was a puzzle piece. She set it aside and read the note.
Hey babe, we’re going to play a game. All of the clues are hidden somewhere in this apartment. The first one will be a gimme so that I can be assured that you understand how it’s played. Ready, go!
Find your dad, and you’ll find the next clue.
A game? What is this all about?
After changing into her pajamas, she ran to the framed photo of her dad on the shelf in the living room. She turned it over and stuck to it was an envelope containing another clue and a different puzzle piece. She ran to the piece she left in the kitchen and tried to connect them. When it was obvious they didn’t fit together, she read the next clue.
“Good job. Now turn around and go the other way. In a place you never stay, the next clue is hanging around.”
A place I never stay? What does that mean? What room do I spend the least time in? His studio, maybe?
She walked into the studio and it was a mess, as usual. She had no idea where to start. There were piles of paper, files, laptops, phones, shelves of plant and herb encyclopedias, World War II books, and art utensils everywhere with no discernable order to the chaos. It was too overwhelming. She considered the clue again.
A place I never stay… Oh! Hanging around! The closet!
She opened the closet door and found the next clue and puzzle piece attached to the hanger that held her favorite sweatshirt.
This is so much fun!
You’re on a roll! Keep going.
That’s it? What does that mean?
It must have been a play on words. A roll? Do we have any buns? She searched the bread container in the kitchen. She found the buns, but there was no clue.
She stared at the words while preparing a cup of cocoa, munching on one of the rolls.
Aha!
She scurried over to the cabinet where they kept the rolling pin and plucked it out from its spot. She found the next one.
How long did that take you? I have full faith I’ll be seeing you soon.
She went around to every clock in the apartment, assuming the clue had something to do with time. In the bedroom, hidden under their alarm clock was the next clue.
Wow! I’m impressed. Start putting the pieces together now. The last one will be unde
r the surface.
Taking the most recent puzzle piece, she went to the kitchen table to arrange them. It was a postcard of what looked like a bridge. She couldn’t make it out without the last piece.
Under the surface. Under the surface. The surface of what?
She walked to the bathroom, thinking it may have been submerged in something. Nope. Standing in the center of the apartment, she looked around. She checked underneath the living room chairs. She walked to the bedroom and checked under the bed. She even walked down to the storage area below their apartment. Nothing.
She decided to try to make sense of the puzzle again. She sat at the table, arranging the pieces and the answer came to her.
Underneath the surface. Clever. How did he know I’d assemble the pieces at the kitchen table?
On the underside of the table was the last puzzle piece, attached with tape. As she fit the corners into their spot, the photo was revealed. The Old Cedar Bridge.
The Old Cedar Bridge was built in 1920. It was a rickety old thing that was closed to automobile traffic in the 1990s. Since then, it had only been open to pedestrians and bicyclists. Complete with park area, the bridge had a large parking lot and was surrounded by trees. It sat atop a marshy area of the Minnesota River where wildlife and flora were abundant.
Charlie smiled, but was still confused. She turned the postcard over looking for more information, and there was a final note to her from Samuel.
How long are you going to make me wait here for you? Call Gabe, he’ll bring you to me.
Within seconds, she was on the phone with Gabe and he told her he was already en route to their apartment.
Charlie ran to the bathroom and fixed her makeup. She hurried into her room, put her work clothes back on and whipped off her bandana.
This is it. He’s going to ask me to marry him.
She heard a honk and looked out her balcony door. Gabe was waiting.
*
When they arrived in the parking lot near the bridge, Charlie didn’t know where to find Samuel. Gabe pointed her in the right direction and she took a deep breath.
“Wish me luck,” she said.
“Nah, you don’t need it,” Gabe said with a nudge.
She exited the car and walked toward a path. It was a quarter-mile of tarred pavement surrounded by maple, willow, and birch trees. There was barely enough wind to make the smallest branches sway. It was warmer now—warmer than it had been that morning, but still cold enough to quicken her pace. Squinting, she could see a man standing at the entrance of the bridge. She smiled. Her heart fluttered as she looked down at her ring finger.
Why would my answer be anything but yes? He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
This is the last time this finger will be bare.
As she strode closer, she could make out his face. Samuel was wearing a nice shirt and tie, and his face was clean shaven. His nose was red and Charlie could see his breath. He was nervously smiling.
“Hi,” she said.
“Come here,” he said, holding his hand out to take hers.
He pulled her close and gave her a brief kiss before he spoke.
“I’ve been thinking about you—about us. I can’t imagine spending a day of my life without you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he said, his nervous smile returning. “You’re brilliant, you’re beautiful, and I love your warmth and your touch. I love that you wake up every morning with awful bed-hair, but that somehow you’re still wearing your lipstick. I think about all the times we’ve gone to the grocery store at one o’clock in the morning or stayed up for one more game of Scrabble and one more episode of Star Trek. I love that we can say absolutely everything without a word, but sometimes not be able to say exactly what we mean after we’ve talked for hours. I know it’s only been a year, but I’m still crazy about you, and I don’t think I’ll ever find anyone else that makes me feel the way you do.”
He reached into his pocket and got down on one knee. Charlie let a giggle escape her throat when she noticed his tremble. Oh god, he’s really nervous.
“Will you marry me?” he asked, while opening a small black box that held a half-carat round diamond. The band was white gold and had four prongs that held the stone above its surface.
Charlie felt a moment of dizziness. Breathe, just breathe. As soon as she inhaled, the weightlessness was gone and she bit her lip with a reserved smile.
“Yes,” she said.
A grin, exposing the one dimple, rose to Samuel’s face as he stood and placed the ring on her finger. He scooped her up into a lengthy embrace and kissed her forehead.
“This ring is only temporary. I didn’t know what you’d like, so I just wanted to make sure I had one to give you. I’d like you to pick one out that you’ll love wearing. Forever,” he said.
She smiled. “I like that. Forever.”
They made out like teenagers in his car for another twenty minutes before heading out for a celebration dinner.
Chapter Three
Saturday
Charlie dropped Samuel off early at the airport the next morning. Afterward, she headed straight for Uptown to shop for her new ring. It was sunnier than it had been since the fall, and she strolled down the street with a huge smile on her face, watching the ethnic diversity and lifestyles that Minneapolis boasted.
None of this feels real. It’s like being in a movie. Charlie looked down at the ring on her finger. She loved it. But Samuel was insistent that she at least have a look to see if there was something else she would prefer. After all, he had said, she was going to be wearing it for the rest of her life.
She smiled again and glanced in the window of a shop, an orange handmade scarf catching her attention. As the bells on the door jingled, around her were woolen mittens in various colors, hand sewn socks in stripes, solids and dots, and racks upon racks of hats and scarves like the one that had caught her eye outside.
Charlie combed through the racks and decided to treat herself to a dark green, heavy silk scarf with light green fringe. Still smiling, she stood in line to purchase it.
“Charlie?” a woman’s voice said from behind her.
Charlie turned and her throat fell into the pit of her stomach. In an instant, every memory of a year earlier came crashing into her mind. She felt weak, out-of-control, and began trembling.
Just breathe.
“Oh, my… Lily?” She stuttered her words.
“It’s so good to see you! I always wondered what happened to you. Come here and give me a hug!” Lily said while throwing her arms around Charlie.
Charlie stood, shocked. Her first instinct was to look around the store for him. Her second was to run.
“Are you here all by yourself?” Charlie asked.
“Yep, just doing some shopping. I thought I’d treat myself and take the afternoon off. The restaurant has been pretty slow these days.”
“That’s too bad,” Charlie said.
“What have you been up to? Are you still at The Crimson?” Lily asked.
“No, no… I haven’t been there for almost six months now. I’m a property manager for an apartment complex in Eagan.”
“Oh, really? Well, then I’m glad I ran into you—”
“Are you thinking about moving?” Charlie asked.
“Oh no, I’ll never leave my house! But, Jesse is moving back in a few weeks and he’s looking for a place.”
Jesse. No.
“Oh, I don’t think it would be a good idea if I was Jesse’s landlord. Things didn’t turn out so great for the two of us.”
“Nonsense. It’s history. You two were such great friends, I’m sure you can pick right back up where you left off.”
Yeah, probably not.
“If he’s looking for a place in Eagan, I can get some information for him with some of my competitors. I just need to know his budget, whether or not he has pets, and any additional amenities he’s looking for. I could call or mail you some stuff.” Charlie
spoke so fast that she ran out of breath for the last words.
“Why don’t I just give you his number—” Lily said.
“No, if anything you can give him mine. Here, this is my business card. If he has any questions he can give me a call.” The words spilled out of her mouth faster than she could think. All she wanted to do was to get out—out of the conversation and out of the store.
Digging into her purse and pulling out the first credit card she could find, she handed it to the cashier before she was even given the total.
“Well, I’m not sure about his budget, but he doesn’t have any pets,” Lily said. “I’m sure he’d like a washer and dryer in the building. Does that help?”
“Sure, he can give me a call if he wants. I’d be happy to help him.” The cashier handed Charlie a receipt to sign and bagged her scarf. “Gotta run, Lily! It was great seeing you. Good luck at the restaurant.” After giving Lily a hug goodbye, she scurried out of the store.
Charlie’s heart pounded through her chest the rest of the afternoon. She was frightened about the amount of anticipation she had at the thought of Jesse calling her. She was also embarrassed and distressed about the fifteen pounds she had gained and whether or not he would notice. Her mood had shifted dramatically and any urge to continue shopping was now gone.
Stopping by the gas station on her way home, she bought a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She tore open the package with trembling fingers and lit the best tasting cigarette she’d ever put to her mouth.
She sat in her car, inhaling drag after drag. When she was finished, she threw the butt into the parking lot. She sat for a minute, silent, until she had to release her hurried thoughts with a very long, excruciatingly loud scream.
*
I hate that I want to see him!
Chapter Four
Work was a welcome diversion for the next few days: maintenance checks. Supervising her crew, Charlie’s job was to enter each apartment, assess living conditions, and go through a checklist with her employees to make sure all the appliances and plumbing were working correctly. The checks weren’t terrible as she was allowed to dress casually and Roxanne was able to maintain the office while she was out on the property.