6
Grace
Ilaughed out loud at the text response from Lucas. Then I immediately got pissed at myself for laughing because Lucas was still a giant douchenozzle. I'd fired off some pretty ugly texts when I had to find my own ride home and continued my tirade (with some restraint) into the next day. I'd spaced the messages out long enough to keep from being considered a stalker, but close enough together so he wouldn't have enough time to forget about me. So six messages fired off, insulting his genetics, his manners, his looks, his truck, and his manhood. The last one just let him know I still thought he was an ass.
So...I held my phone up and stared at it. I guess I was done.
With a weird feeling in my chest, I pressed Delete Thread on the text messages I'd sent Lucas, and I went into the contacts area of my phone and deleted his number out of it. It was better to do that than to leave temptation up in the air. Now I couldn't text him at all.
Unless he texted me.
Which he wouldn't.
Right?
"Uuuughhh," I said, tossing my phone onto the counter. "One date. Get a grip on yourself, Grace Banner." It had been a terrible date. Massively bad. And yet...when he'd realized I was onto him, he'd turned into somewhat of a gentleman. Somewhat because he definitely wasn't perfect.
With a start, I realized Lucas wasn't the end of the world. I reached over and snagged my phone again, and dialed Portia up. She'd given me her cell phone number which was a real risky thing to do considering how we met.
She answered on the second ring. "I heard," she said, effectively cutting off my tirade about how shoddy her services were. "I stand by my capabilities and must remind you dating is not a sprint. It's a marathon and the participants must condition themselves before running it." There was a pause and just as I was about to speak, she rattled on. "Do you think you're conditioned enough to run it, Grace Banner? Or do you think you need to pause and catch your breath?"
This chick. "Considering I camped on your doorstep for a week, I would consider myself quite conditioned. But I would also caution you about your running analogies. I only run when chased. And right now I'm not feeling very chased. So forgive me if I decide to walk."
I could hear the roll of Portia's eyes. "I have a couple more men I'd like you to meet. One of them is Louis -"
I only knew one Louis. "From the butcher shop? No. Absolutely not." My stomach roiled at that one.
Portia let out a huff of breath. "Fine, the other one is a psychic working downtown."
"No. No psychics. I'm a clairvoyant. Why in the world would I want to live with a psychic? That would make for some super awkward family dinners with both of us spouting out nonsense."
Portia let out a long breath. "You should never wait for something to fall into your lap. If you see someone you want, go get him."
Chills ran across my back. "The only falling being done is by me right now. Over every nonexistent object in my path."
"Keep joking, Grace. It's a defense mechanism that will fail you one day."
The line clicked in my ear. Portia had hung up.
I growled at my phone and set it down on the counter. Portia was both annoying and cryptic. A deadly combination.
Later that night,after changing into a cotton tank top and a pair of yoga capris, I headed back to my shop. I had a late appointment today with a new customer. Before I walked out the door, I pulled down the soft cashmere wrap and placed it over my shoulders so I wouldn't seem too casual. I slid on a pair of ballet flats and jogged down the few stairs into the backyard. I'd built my shop several years ago with the help of my dad. It was an adorable mint green building with bright white shutters. Flowers adorned the porch and the top of it, spilling out of their hanging baskets. The landscaping was simple and green, but the smell of gardenias floated up and hit my nose, immediately relaxing me. I took customers back here by appointment only, and today I'd only set one because I was still shaken up by the events of my week.
I jiggled my keys, searching for the right one, before I was able to unlock and push open the door. The smell of lavender and white sage hit me immediately and I let out a happy sigh, just like I did every single time I came in here. Flipping on the lights, I headed to the back of the small shop and picked up some papers I'd left lying around. Other than that small thing, the place was pretty clean.
I lit a sage bundle, quickly walked around the place in a clockwise motion, and allowed the smoke to filter through all the nooks and crannies of the room, then saged myself before placing the bundle into a heatproof bowl. After that, I picked up a homemade concoction I'd made of rose and lavender and sprayed that in my hair and onto my decolletage. I lit several white and purple candles, turned on some concentration music and sat down to wait for the appointment.
I didn't have long to wait. I heard the back gate unlatch and footsteps over the rocks I'd placed to help people navigate back to the shop. Moments later, an extremely tall man with a slightly familiar face stepped in to the open door. I stared at him for a second before I remembered to greet him.
"My apologies. You look like someone I used to know."
A sheepish smile crossed the man's face. "Well, yes, I do." He stepped forward and extended his hand. I reached for it, only to feel the tell tale signs of a vision coming on.
"No," I whispered, knowing darn well I wouldn't be able to stop it. My hand clasped in his and the future foretold itself. Moments later, I swayed, only to feel myself swept up into powerful arms.
I wasn'tsure how long I'd been out, but I blinked rapidly to get my bearings. I stared up at a white ceiling and the fragrance of herbs came back to me. I winced and clasped my hand to my head, only to see a man staring at me with concern all over his expression.
I groaned. "I am so sorry," was all I greeted him with.
