"You're so much better than Norman,” he said. “He kept telling me my problems were all on the mental plane, not the physical. You're obviously much more perceptive."
I shook his hand with what I hoped appeared was a Mona Lisa smile. “I'll see you next week, and watch the ... ah."
His head knocked on a low flying fairy and her ballet shoe caught him in the eye, only adding to my seemingly prophetic ability. He stocked up with an armful of alternative medicines and left the shop with a spring in his step.
"Well done, dear,” Trish beamed. “He's one of our best customers you know, goes through stacks of products. If you can win him over, you've a client for life."
"A regular client is not to be sniffed at I suppose.” I grimaced.
"If you sniffed at him, it would probably set him off on the finer points of sinusitis. Apparently blocked noses run in his family."
I groaned. “Herbal tea, Trish?"
"Oo, yes, and then I'd like your auragraph."
"I'm not famous yet, what do you want that for?"
"Not ‘autograph'. ‘Aura-graph'. These cameras have just come in.” She held aloft a rainbow colored Polaroid. “They show your aura and spiritual energies."
"Sounds fun. I'll be there in a sec.” I headed off to the small kitchen at the back. Now I was starting to enjoy myself.
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Chapter Fifteen
A Highland Fling
By the end of my first week, I was feeling pretty chuffed with myself. Not only had I managed to pull off my psychic façade, but the look of bright promise on the face of clients made the deception totally worthwhile. By the weekend, though, I was aching to see Harvey and share my success with him. Luckily my skin had cleared up a bit and, although my voice was still husky, I wasn't feeling too rough. On Friday morning I set the autocat feeder for Pudding and packed a small suitcase, repacking several times before finally flinging in a combination of sexy tops and practical clothes and rushing to make the train.
The journey seemed to take forever, but the carriage eventually clattered into Edinburgh station. I swayed towards the exit, anxiously looking out of the window. A familiar tingling grew in the pit of my stomach as I searched for Harvey's face. A shiver of excitement rushed through me when I spotted him.
"Hello, gorgeous, can't tell you how glad I am to see you.” Harvey lifted me off my feet and swung me around before kissing me deeply and leaving me catching my breath.
"Now, hang on.” I held him at arms length and drank in his green eyes and untamed hair again. I willed my expression into seriousness. “You realize this visit is strictly educational.” His eyebrow quirked up. “I've only come up to learn the highland fling.” I kissed him back.
He gave me a wicked grin. “Of course. I think you'll make an excellent student.” He picked up my suitcase and slipped his hand into mine. “Come on, its freezing out here, it actually snowed a bit this morning. You're going to love the place where we're staying."
* * * *
Harvey was right. Our room was located in Castleton Lodge, with a roaring fire in the bedroom, claw foot bath in the ensuite, and a four poster bed draped with tartan bedclothes.
"Very opulent, I know, but only the best for my favorite student.” Harvey peeled off my coat and kissed me slowly on the lips.
I tried to remember Monique's advice to make it challenging for him. I forced myself to pull away. “Gosh, is that Loch Ness? Wonder if that's a local artist that did that."
I turned towards the moody oil picture hanging in a gilded frame on the paneled wall opposite our bed, but Harvey came up behind me. He slipped his hands round my waist and kissed the side of my neck.
"I had no idea you were so interested in art.” He nuzzled my ear.
I leaned back into him and said softly, “There's a lot you don't know about me."
He swung me round to face him and looked deep into my eyes. “Well then I've got a lot of work to do, haven't I, Miss Thomas? Now stop being coy, and let's start your first lesson."
Very soon he began educating me on some tantalizing Scottish traditions and the promise I'd made faded into the recesses of my mind. How could anyone swim against the tide of feelings I was experiencing? And who would want to? I had no choice but to allow myself to be carried on the pleasurable currents until I was lost at sea and Harvey was the only island in sight.
As we lazed on the tartan sheets and he trailed a finger up my arm, I wondered if exposing my heart to Harvey would prove perilous or liberating. I searched his radiant eyes and admired the curve of his lips again as the dimple appeared. This was new territory for me, uncharted ground. Yet this was Harvey. Harvey my friend, my confident, and now, finally, my lover. I knew I could trust him.
The whole weekend was pure pleasure. When we could tear ourselves away from the sensory delights of each other and our luxurious suite, we wrapped up against the snowy March chill and explored the cobbled streets of vibrant Edinburgh. We ducked into tea shops for toasted teacakes, admired the antiques and art, spent mellow lunches in the pubs, and filled our lungs with salty sea air on brisk walks. We were oblivious to the throng of people scurrying the streets and were lost in each other, talking, bantering, and laughing until my sides ached.
As usual, we spoke quite a bit about his work at House of Innovations. Harvey was worried something was going on at the office. Sunbed Sonya was being cagey about some of his latest prototypes and Jules seemed to be getting peoples’ backs up in the novelty department. We sat at a small corner table in a dimly lit street pub. Harvey had just finished another call on his mobile and sighed in exasperation. I stopped fiddling with the beer mat and gave him my full attention.
"Jules really has got some very strange ways of doing his market research, totally unprofessional. I mean, I told him to investigate parties that were interested in our robot range but he's told me micro-bots are out and I should be thinking ‘big'. Now he's trying to get a TV station interested in hosting ‘big-bot wars'."
I couldn't help laughing. “Perhaps Sunbed Sonya could host it? Oh, that reminds me, how did the auto-vacuum get on?” I leaned forward over the chequered tablecloth.
"Third prize in the House Innovators Award. I've got higher hopes for this other software we're working on though, voice recognition based stuff. Jules is very enthusiastic about it.” Harvey shrugged. “So that's enough about me, how's your work been going?"
I glanced away. I had avoided mentioning it since his last reaction on the phone, still torn between wanting to impress him and uncertainty about how he would react.
"Well?” Harvey reached for my hand across the table.
My eyes were drawn to his again. I took a deep breath and told him about my week. At first I was hesitant, but, with his gentle prompting, I began to elaborate and he seemed impressed at the number of people I'd seen. Soon we were joking about some of the more colourful clients I'd read the cards for.
"The problem is I didn't realize I would get so involved with the clients, you know, I really feel for some of them."
"Aha! So the psychic fodder is causing a lump in the throat. The mercenary Amber Thomas does have a heart after all."
"Well, I did have, but it was stolen by a brilliant, but very evil scientist and inventor who made money by inflicting his big-bot on the world."
"Touché. I guess we're two of a kind then. Come on, let's join forces and take over the universe.” Harvey bit his bottom lip as he looked at me.
I held his gaze for a long few seconds before feeling I had to break the silence. “So tell me about your family, you don't talk about them much."
Harvey took a sip of his beer and sighed. “Well, they're a very private lot. They can talk about the weather till the cows come home, but try to discuss anything vaguely connected with feelings and its heads down and noses in the nearest book. What about your breeding stock?"
"Hmph, I wish my family were less open with their feelings. I often think our surname should hav
e been Oddballs. Dad's lovely, but he has this terrible habit of spouting clichés, clichés that he always gets mixed up. He's always saying things like: ‘too much broth will spoil the cook’ and ‘look before you peep'. Don't laugh Harvey! It's really embarrassing. I never know whether he's doing it on purpose or whether he really does get muddled."
"He sounds like my cup of coffee ... I mean tea, I'm sure we'd get on like a house of wire."
"God, don't you start.” I squeezed his knee under the table.
"So what about Mummy Oddball and your sister. Didn't you say you had a big sister?"
"You really want to know? Well, when they deign to notice me, Mum and Sophie are always so busy telling me how I should live my life that I often feel like offering them my shoes. Still, you'd probably fancy Sophie, everyone does at first."
"Why? Does she look like you?” Harvey raised his eyebrows as I shook my head.
I wanted to be truthful, but wasn't sure if I was ready to test his loyalty yet. I sighed. “No. Totally different. She and Mum both look like they've stepped off the cover of Good Housekeeping: blonde, slim, elegant.” I watched his face for signs of interest but he gave nothing away. “Sickening really. But of course they both have fatal flaws. Mum is so wrapped up in Sophie that she hasn't got time for anyone else and as for Sophie...” I didn't want to sound too bitter. “Well, she's used to having her own way, I guess. She's married now and got a kid, but she's still got a lot of growing up to do. Not that I'm perfect of course,” I added quickly.
"Perfect to me, oddball habits and all. Sophie's probably quite jealous of you.” Harvey squeezed my knee back as I shook my head and laughed at the thought. “I'd like to meet them some time though, your family I mean. They sound fun."
"I couldn't expose you to that.” He frowned and I backpedaled. “Not yet anyway, you need to practice on my Aunt June in London first—she's the mildest odd ball in the family."
Harvey smiled again. “I think you mentioned her before, doesn't she write obscene poetry and send poison pen letters to all the local councilors?"
"She's not that bad, in fact she's always really sweet to me, the poor old dear. She's probably the one member of the family that's on my wavelength, and her poem about breasts was quite funny, I thought."
"Huh. Well I better have a look at her so I know what you'll be like when you're 80."
"Well, in that case, I better check out your great Uncle Frank then and see what I've got in store too."
"Out of the question. His wooden leg might prove irresistible to you."
We argued about who had the most dysfunctional family before we decided to have some fun at the Edinburgh woolen mill trying on kilts. My attempts to persuade Harvey to go ‘full Scottish’ were foiled when an officious shop assistant overheard our giggles in the changing room and asked if we were serious purchasers. Later, over a sumptuous dinner at an intimate restaurant off the main drag, Harvey bought out a slim black leather box and pushed it across the table to me. My cheeks flushed as he told me to open it.
"It's just a little something from the inventor's conference, I hope you don't mind."
"Mind?” I opened the small box gingerly. “Harvey, this is gorgeous.” I held up the chain of tiny white crystals, admiring the way they sparkled in the candlelight.
"They're called rainbow jewels. Look,” he took it from me, “you join it up to connect the fibre optics running through the chain which make the crystals glow."
I gasped as he twisted the ends of the chain together and the delicate crystals began to glow softly, changing subtly from white to the palest pink through to golds then vibrant emeralds and blues. The rainbow colors shimmered softly in the light. I had never seen anything so breathtakingly pretty. It was a startling, but elegant piece of jewelry at the same time.
"Harvey,” I was dizzy with pleasure, “thank you so much. I want to wear it straight away. It'll be perfect with my black dress."
He grinned back at me as I struggled to undo the gold chain I was wearing. He stepped behind me and I lifted my hair away from my neck as he easily released the chain before replacing it with the glowing rainbow jewels.
"I just thought of you when I saw it.” He kissed the side of my neck gently, sending a shiver up my spine as he whispered in my ear. “It's one of a kind."
By the end of the weekend, I felt closer to Harvey than ever and, judging by the look in his eyes and the warmth of his kiss before I slipped on the train, he was still pretty keen on me too. Neither of us wanted to say goodbye as the station man waved the flag.
"And make sure you tell the police about those prank calls, Amber, they should be able to block them or something.” Harvey looked serious as he squeezed my hands.
"Don't worry, I can look after myself, you know. I'll tell you what happens when I blow the whistle on them."
I gave him a last hug before tearing myself away from the comfort of his strong arms and stepping onto the train. All the way back I couldn't stop thinking about him. I could still smell his aftershave on my clothes, and feel the bristle of his jaw on my cheek. I touched the rainbow jewels under my jumper and daydreamed about seeing him again next weekend.
The phone was ringing when I opened the door to my flat. I dropped my suitcase and made a mad rush to grab it, almost tripping over Pudding in the process. It was Tanya.
"My gawd, girl, you better come round ere quick, the unthinkable's happened!"
"What?"
The panic in her voice made me nervous. It was unusual for Tanya to get stressed about anything.
"You're not gonna believe it. The lines turned blue, just get your arse over here now. I think I'm bloody pregnant!"
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Chapter Sixteen
The Turning Point
Tanya, being Tanya, didn't take too long to calm down and accept the blip.
"I suppose they do these lunch time jobbies now, I can nip out of the office on Wednesday and no one will be any the wiser."
I paled at the thought. I had to stop her doing anything rash. “But you said you're probably already ten weeks gone. And what does Titus say?"
"Titus? You think I've told ‘im? Gawd, girl, you must be crackers! I don't wanna lose ‘im; he's the best thing that ever happened to me."
"But he might really want this baby. Did you think about that?"
"Blimey, you could have a point there, girl. ‘E's always goin’ on about his cute little nephew.” Tanya tapped her lip with a purple polished nail. “What if ‘e runs a mile though?"
By the end of my visit, I'd convinced her to tell Titus even though she still seemed more concerned about losing him than anything else. I was more shaken by it than Tanya, I reckoned. She was used to sidestepping problems with those long legs of hers, but now nature had bowled her a googly that she couldn't avoid. I left her to pack and get ready to head to Chester where Titus was staying. As I gave her a parting hug, I sensed the responsibility was beginning to dawn on her. She knew I'd support her whatever and she promised me she wouldn't rush into anything.
Over the next few days, my spots and headaches continued to worsen and I found keeping up my psychic clients at the Rowan tree was quite exhausting.
"I think you need a detox, dear,” Trish said, frowning in concern as I came out of my room at the end of the following week. “Psychic powers can take quite a toll on the physical plane; you really mustn't do too much."
I nodded in agreement, thinking a few days off would be just the tonic I needed. “I'm going to just take phone calls next week if that's ok, I just need to clear out my system, I think."
"Haven't you got your boyfriend coming back from Scotland this week?"
"He was, but he's got another conference in Birmingham now so he won't be back until Wednesday. I'll be on the mend by then I hope."
I smiled as I remembered our lingering conversation on the phone the previous night. Harvey insisted on talking to me every day. It was a good thing he wasn't coming back yet with
me looking the way I was.
"Yes, I'm sure your chakras will have cleared by then.” Trish smiled sympathetically.
I hugged myself against the cold and headed home.
* * * *
"Pudding, do you think my nose has grown?” I asked as he weaved in and out of my legs whilst I stared at myself in the magnifying mirror.
I turned my face from side to side to try to see my profile. I'd always had quite a short button nose, but in this light it really did look as if it had grown. How weird. I took another sip of my wine. I'd been trying to clear up my skin by using a mud facemask which had left me with a somewhat blotchy if not smoother complexion. I picked up my hair brush and began detangling my long locks. At least my hair was looking good, thick, and long. I pursed my lips at my mirror image then I stopped mid-stroke as I spotted something else. A dark, coarse hair growing out of my chin. I gasped and rummaged in the draw to pull out the tweezers and plucked it out viciously, leaving a tiny red dot where it had been.
"What the hell is going on?"
I stared into the mirror and my light grey eyes stared back at me in sudden alarm as I thought about all the physical things that had happened to me. My feet, hands, and nose had grown. My skin was awful and my voice was cracked and husky. My hair was longer and thicker than ever, and, for the first time, I was sprouting a hair from my chin. For a moment I felt like I was in some bizarre witch teen flick or Kafka-like metamorphosis. An image from American Werewolf in London flashed through my mind and I checked the back of my hands, which were gripping the sink.
"I can't believe I'm looking for hair on the back of my hands, Pud.” I snorted to myself in disgust, secretly relieved that my pale hands looked as normal as ever. “Still, something's not right here. There must be a logical explanation."
I chewed my lip for a moment and remembered I'd borrowed Tanya's internet organizer from her last week to look at some psychic websites. I ran to my bedroom, almost tripping over Pudding, to check out my symptoms on the small PDA.
I lay on my rumpled duvet until my eyes ached, typing in symptoms and wading through virtual medical encyclopedias until my head was reeling. It wasn't as easy as I'd thought. Just when I reckoned I'd narrowed it down to a rare form of elephantiasis, or some genetic hormonal disorder causing testosterone build up, the medical sites came up with something else. Finally I ended up finding a self-diagnostic site which told me I was suffering from psychological stress, body dysmorphic disorder, and hallucinations.
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