He nearly spilled his tea. “How did you know my name?”
With a serene smile, she pulled a deck of tarot cards from beneath the table. “I have my ways.”
She answered his gaping stare with a wink. “I Googled you, of course. What a shame about your wine bar. Such a lovely place.”
“It was.” He’d put so much time, work, and money into renovating that old diner, hunting down furnishings and decorations to create the perfect balance between sophisticated and cozy. The Amphora had reflected his personality and taste so well it felt more like home than his own apartment. Greek-inspired small plates complimented the wines—at least, as far as his uneducated palate could tell. He’d even snuck his cousin, a sommelier at the family’s flagship restaurant, a hefty under-the-table payment to construct their wine list. And for six months, it ran as smooth as butter—until a new, bigger wine bar opened up the street. With live music. And a killer Instagram account.
Xander didn’t stand a chance.
Zora patted his hand, a motherly gesture that pulled him from his ruminations and grounded him in the very weird present. “Running a business is hard, especially on your own.”
“Oh, I had help.” Every last one of his staff was a joy to work with. Letting them go crushed Xander’s heart.
“And you have help here too, you know. Don’t be afraid to call on your new community. We take good care of each other.”
“Yes, I’ve seen that. Thank you again for everything you did to make Gus’s memorial service so…memorable.”
She chuckled. “It was that. Now, tell me.” Her piercing gaze demanded his focus. “What guidance are you seeking today?”
“I, uh.” It was the strangest sensation—his mind seemed to blank, yet words spilled from his lips. “I don’t know how to make Souvenir Planet profitable.”
She arched an eyebrow. “And?”
Yup, this old gal definitely had a sixth sense.
“How do I convince someone to look past her scruples and see… I don’t even know how to say this.” No matter how he phrased it, the sharp old bird would realize he was talking about Hannah, and that felt like a betrayal.
“Something is standing between you and the one you love?”
His throat tightened. “Love is a strong word, but we like each other, and, uh…”
“I see.” She patted his hand again. “Is that all?”
“Yes, sure. That’s all.”
She pursed her lips and gave him a powerful mom stare, the kind that saysI know you’re hiding something, and you’d better confess before I find out.
Though beads of sweat prickled his forehead, he blurted the ugly truth.
“There’s this curse.”
“Oh?” A wide smile crossed her plump face. “Tell me about that, darling.”
Stomach churning, he quickly summarized the burden he’d carried since birth.
“And so everyone in my family believes that I’m doomed to failure.”
“As do you?”
“Ugh.” He cradled his aching head in his hands. “I mean, after so much negativity, it’s hard not to.”
“Hmm. Let me think.” She hummed for a moment, gazing into the distance. “You’re carrying quite a heavy load, my dear. Not to mention the ghost issue.”
Xander nearly toppled backward from his chair. Could this woman really see right through his skull?
She waved a be-ringed hand. “We can deal with that later. For now, let’s start with the shop and the lady, then we’ll tackle the curse.”
This was turning into a major excavation. Maybe he should just forget the whole thing and return to Souvenir Planet. Hammers and ledgers and wiring—that he could wrap his brain around. But this psyche-delving stuff made him itch and squirm.
