"You didn't see him much growing up I take it?" I ask already knowing the answer.
"He would come around once in a while, but my mother has a lot of issues. Ones that Joseph didn't have a lot of patience for. That's why I eventually ended up living with him."
"Do you talk to your mother much now?"
"No." I think I see a flash of pain in his eyes.
"Oh."
"I suppose your parents were very hands on out in the 'burbs."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"There's no need to be ashamed of it Elizabeth. It's cool that your parents gave a shit. "
"Are you angry with your mom or Joseph?"
"No." He says again shortly. He obviously doesn't want to talk about this, so I leave it alone.
I notice a large sign that is advertising a palm reading for ten dollars, and I beg Roman to stop. I considered getting a reading online once, but I’d rather have a live in-person experience.
"Roman stop there."
"For what?"
"I want a reading."
"A reading? You do know that these people are frauds right?"
"No, I most certainly do not know that. The Long Island Psychic is real."
"Are you kidding me right now magna cum laude?"
"Summa cum laude."
"My bad, but that makes it even worse. You've got to be kidding about this reading."
"No I'm not kidding. I want to get a reading."
"Palm readings are the ultimate hustle. You're just itching to spend that money in your pocket aren't you?"
He parks the car.
"You're getting out too?" I ask.
"Uh ... yes. Someone needs to make sure that you don't spend all your damn money in there."
"Will the car be okay?" I whisper.
"Why are you whispering?" He laughs at me. "You watch too many movies. The car will be fine. Let's go."
An olive-skinned woman who doesn't appear to be too much older than me, dressed in a long orange and gold maxi dress with spaghetti straps greets us at the door.
"Welcome. Would you like a reading?"
"Yes I would."
"Who's first?" She gives Roman an approving once over from head to toe. Even the palm reader wants in his pants. It never stops.
"I'm just watching." He gives me an I told you so look, but I'm not swayed. I'm still a believer. The fact that she wants in his pants doesn't make her a fraud. It just makes her human.
"Ok then. Have a seat at the round table behind that curtain miss."
I give Roman a wink and make my way behind the curtain. The room is not exactly what I envisioned a palm reader's place to look like. I imagined lots of colorful, flowing drapery, candles and incense burning when in actuality it had more of a low key, calming energy. Pictures of sunrises and waterfalls on the walls. Natural wood shelving with tarot cards, candles and other trinkets for sale. An indoor waterfall sits in the corner of the room with a large wooden bowl at the base of it filled with cash, and some sort of recording of a Native American flute is playing through a speaker hanging in the corner. It's very relaxing and spa like.
"May I have your hands please?"
The woman holds my hands, palm side up and rubs her thumbs back and forth across the center of my palms. It tickles, but I try to hold still, because she is as serious as a heart attack about it.
"Something big is in the works for you. Something you've been working towards a long time."
Ding! Ding! Ding! I'm sold already.
"Yes," is all I reply. Remembering not to give details. I want to know what she sees, not what I want her to see.
"It's going to happen soon and it's going to happen fast, and there will be decisions you are going to need to make in order for it to work out long term."
"Okay."
"He will be one of those decisions."
"Who?"
"The man outside."
"Are you sure?"
What does Roman have to do with my business? This is where she's starting to lose me, because I think she assumes that he's my boyfriend or something. An obvious mistake to make, but a mistake nonetheless.
She lifts her head from my palms and looks directly into my eyes.
"I am sure."
"What about my love life?" I wonder if she sees anything about Ethan.
She pauses for a moment as she holds my hands, then looks at me curiously.
"He will be the love of your life."
"Who?"
"The man outside."
I almost laugh.
"Not likely." I mutter under my breath.
"But be careful. Because the passion between you two may consume you."
I tune much of what she says out after that. I've been successfully rattled. I don't think the reader is a complete fraud, because I feel (or at least hope) she was spot on about my business, but her comments about Roman have thrown me off kilter.