Charmed: Destiny Romance (9 page)

‘Phew,’ he said. He settled the figurine back on the shelf. ‘Whoops. I’m glad I didn’t hurt this little guy.’

‘Oh, you’re fine.’ Aunt Gertrude patted him on the chest. ‘And
firm
.’ She kept patting him. ‘Ooh.’

‘Aunt Gertrude! Leave him alone.’ Mel didn’t want to talk with Michael. There was nothing more she could say, but her godmother’s behaviour left her with little choice. She had to get Michael out of here before Aunt Gertrude mauled him.

Mel grabbed her handbag from under the counter and rushed out to physically force herself between Michael and his attacker. ‘We’re going for coffee. Can you mind your own shop for a few minutes?’ She glared at the older woman.

Aunt Gertrude gave them both a butter-wouldn’t-melt smile. ‘Of course. You two have fun. Take all the time you need.’ She opened the door and waved them out. ‘Feel free not to come back!’

Once they were out on the cold, windy street, Mel’s insides froze up along with her fingertips.

‘I-I apologise about all that,’ she stammered.

Michael laughed, the sound more than a little uncomfortable. ‘It’s fine. She’s a . . . feisty lady.’

‘Yeah, that’s one word for her.’

Mel hadn’t grabbed her coat and neither of them had an umbrella, so they dodged from shop canopy to shop canopy to try to avoid the rain, finally making it to the cafe where they’d had breakfast the day before.

The day before!
Was that all it had been, a day?

By the time they entered the cafe Mel was wet and freezing and she hated to think what her hair looked like. In a gesture that had already become familiar to her, Michael ran his fingers through his hair so it sat back from his face – instantly looking like he’d had a team of invisible stylists swoop in and fix him up.

As they took a seat, Mel hoped the latte she’d ordered as they walked in turned up fast, if only to warm her up – and give her something to do except look at Michael and panic about what on earth to say to him.

‘Are you cold?’ Michael asked.

‘I’m fine,’ Mel said, but her chattering teeth no doubt gave her away. Her silky long-sleeved blouse was fine inside the toasty warmth of Crystal Gaze, but no match for Melbourne’s winter cold snap.

‘Here.’ Michael shrugged off his padded jacket – the one that had given her such erotic visions – and draped it around her shoulders before she could protest.

Mel winced in preparation for a vision to hit her, but nothing happened. All that she felt was immeasurably better, instantly warmed by the heat in the jacket from Michael’s body, and somehow comforted by having the scent of him surrounding her.

Something inside her that had been wound tight relaxed. But not her brain. She didn’t know why Michael was here – 
triple-damn not being able to read him!
 – only that she couldn’t spend more time with him. She shouldn’t even be having coffee with him – that was all Aunt Gertrude’s fault – because every minute in his presence made knowing that she couldn’t have him in her life that much more painful.

‘Michael, I —’ She figured the only way to get through this was to take the initiative.

He held up a hand to interrupt her. ‘Wait. Mel – let me say this. I have to say something first. Then you can say whatever you want to say.’

Mel hesitated, then nodded. He looked as if he was somehow in pain – and she was torn between wanting to comfort him and the frustration of not being able to probe his mind to find out what was going on for herself.

The waiter chose that moment to arrive with their coffees. Mel gratefully wrapped her fingers around the hot glass, but she stayed silent, giving Michael time to gather his thoughts.

‘I’ve been thinking,’ he said eventually, looking up from his coffee to meet her eyes with a troubled gaze.

She nodded to let him know to continue.

‘I didn’t sleep much last night, because I was thinking so much. I know we said we’d only have a day together, and I don’t want to force you into anything you don’t want. But I realised last night that I . . . I don’t do well with
goodbyes
.’

Mel took a sip of her coffee. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean, I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to Dave. I was so determined that he wasn’t going to die. And I was so angry with him for not telling me he was sick until it was all too late. In those final weeks, after I got back from my trip, I’d been there, at the hospital, every day. But I wasn’t there
that
day. Not for any special reason – we’d had no indication that it’d be that day anyway. It just happened, suddenly and without warning. And even though, in my heart of hearts, I knew it was coming, I’d never admitted it. Never said goodbye. He took that time from me and I couldn’t forgive him for it.’

Mel unthinkingly reached out and took his hand in hers. He interlaced their fingers together.

He gave her a pained smile. ‘Last night, when you left . . .’

‘I didn’t handle it very well.’

He shook his head. ‘You were fine. I was the one who didn’t handle it well. We agreed on one day together. I should have honoured that. But I pressured you, because I . . . I didn’t want to say goodbye.’

He took his hand from hers to run his fingers through his hair again, sitting back heavily in his chair.

Mel didn’t know what to say. She concentrated on her coffee, words swirling through her head. If only Michael could read
her
mind! She wanted to be with him. She wanted the chance to explore the possibility of making a life together. She wanted to curl up in his arms and never, ever leave.

But that was impossible.

The Magic Council forbade her from revealing herself to a non-magical person and from having any kind of normal relationship outside of the magical community. Even if there was a way to overcome all that, he had no idea who she really was or what she could do. And bitter life experience had told her that he wouldn’t want her if he did. She was a curiosity. A freak. An outcast. Someone to be avoided and pitied and bullied. No one
wanted
to be with her. Not once they knew.

Mel still remembered all too well the painful taunts of her schoolmates. The unspoken fears and suspicions of adults that she could read as plainly as if they’d said it. Until she’d found the haven of working at Crystal Gaze, Mel’s life had been hellish.

She couldn’t tell Michael. But even if she could, he’d look at her differently. He’d never trust her again. She never wanted to see that expression – that look of fear or disgust – on his face.

‘So I guess . . .’ Michael said after a long pause, ‘. . . I guess, I came to say goodbye. Properly. If that’s what you want.’

‘Michael, I . . .’

He gave her a lopsided smile. ‘And if you don’t want, then that’s fine with me, too.’ He bit his lip. ‘I’d be really fine if you
didn’t
want to say goodbye just yet.’

The few sips of coffee Mel had swallowed settled into a huge, heavy weight somewhere in her chest. That’s what it had to be – indigestion. This feeling, this ache, this want . . .

She took in a deep breath before she could speak. ‘Michael, I ca—’

Shrivelled-up lady parts!

The voice echoed through Mel’s head like a temple gong.

Shrivelled-up lady parts! The voice taunted again. Take a chance! That’s the problem with you – you’re too scared to try!

‘Aunt Gertrude?’ Mel said, putting a hand up to her suddenly aching head.

‘Where?’ Michael said with a start, looking around with a slightly panicked expression.

‘No, she’s not here.’
She’s in my head
.

‘Oh, okay.’

I can’t! Mel thought back to her godmother. What about the Magic Council? What about my status? What about the fact that he’s non-magical, not to mention the fact that I can’t read him?

That’s your problem – always over-thinking things! Don’t think. Just feel. This isn’t about forever. It’s about fun. Have fun!

But what about —

My girl, I love you, I do. But if you don’t shut up I’ll be forced to take drastic action.

But —

Just as Mel was concentrating on the telepathic conversation and recognising that Michael was still sitting there waiting for her to finish her sentence, something strange happened.

In slow motion, Michael’s half-full glass of coffee lifted just slightly into the air and tilted. Michael didn’t notice until it was angled sharply enough to clink against the edge of the saucer.

‘Shit!’ His immediate reaction was to reach for it, to try to right it, but in fumbling for it, it toppled all the way over, splashing coffee all over his front.

‘Oh!’ Mel gasped. She reached for the serviette under her coffee, but as she did, her glass began to spin around, picking up speed, until it, too, tilted over and splashed coffee all over
her
blouse.

Thankfully, Michael had been too busy sorting out his mess to notice the against-the-laws-of-physics way Mel’s glass had moved, but the waitress over at the counter was looking at them with very wide eyes. Mel tried to send reassuring thoughts her way, but wasn’t sure how successful she was at calming the startled girl.

Aunt Gertrude was going to answer for this!

‘Let’s get out of here,’ Mel said.

Michael shook his head, holding out his stained shirt between thumb and forefinger. ‘Ah, yeah. Geez. What a mess.’

Outside, Mel was grateful for still having Michael’s jacket around her shoulders – not just to ward off the cold, but the coffee had made her silk top almost transparent, clinging to her lacy bra without leaving anything to the imagination.

‘I’m sorry,’ Michael said in a rush. ‘I’m not normally that clumsy. I don’t know how it—’

‘It wasn’t your fault,’ Mel said vehemently.

‘But I—’

‘Trust me. It wasn’t your fault.’

He looked at his shirt and then at hers. ‘I guess we should . . .’

‘Is your car nearby?’

He gestured down the street. ‘Just there.’

‘Would you drive me to my place so I can change? And then we can go to your place.’

‘Yeah, okay – wait.’ He stopped and turned to her, eyebrows raised. ‘“We” can go to my place?’

Mel still felt uneasy. Despite Aunt Gertrude’s encouragement to ‘have fun’ Mel just wasn’t sure if she could do that. Michael was . . . too important to be a plaything. Which was a ridiculous thought, of course, because how could he be important to her after just twenty-four hours of acquaintance? She couldn’t possibly be important to him. And so Aunt Gertrude was right – this had to be about ‘having fun’.

And Aunt Gertrude was also right – Mel was thinking way too much about all this.

‘Michael, I . . .’ Mel swallowed hard. ‘I had a really fun time with you yesterday.’

‘So did I.’

‘And I’d like . . . I’d like to . . .’ Mel broke off, uncertain how to voice her thoughts. Saying ‘have more fun with you’ sounded too trite and a bit sleazy. ‘I’d like to spend more time with you.’

He broke into a smile, one that felt like it could make the rain disappear.

‘But I can’t . . . I can’t promise more than that. That’s all it can be.’

He shrugged. ‘I know better than most, you never know what tomorrow might bring. So we’ll just take it one day at a time.’

‘One day at a time,’ Mel echoed. Yeah. She could do that. Couldn’t she?

When they got to Michael’s car, he stripped off his drenched shirt and pulled a T-shirt from his gym bag. Then they drove to Mel’s apartment building and she raced upstairs and changed her top, before joining Michael back in his car. She didn’t invite him in – she didn’t want images of him in her home to haunt her, later. When this was over. As it was destined to be.

‘What do you want to do?’ Michael asked.

‘Honestly?’

‘Of course!’

‘I want to go back to bed.’ She rushed to finish, before he could misunderstand her. ‘I mean like, a nap. I’m so exhausted. I want to curl up somewhere and listen to the rain and nap.’

He nodded. ‘How about my sofa? I’ve got a heap of TV shows that a guy at work downloads for me. We could grab the doona, make ourselves some fresh coffees and snuggle up. Yesterday we had a day out. Today we’ll have a day in.’

‘That sounds about perfect.’ And it did. She knew it wasn’t the kind of ‘fun’ Aunt Gertrude had in mind. But it was the kind of fun Mel desperately wanted.

‘Oh, crap.’ Michael slapped a hand on the steering wheel.

‘What?’

‘I just remembered – I have to go in to the office this morning.’

‘You’re back at work?’

He shook his head. ‘No. But I have to sign some papers. They have to be done today.’ He blew out a breath. ‘I’ll get them to courier them to my place.’

‘Why don’t you just stop in on the way? I can wait in the car.’

‘You’re sure?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘It’ll take five minutes, I promise. And then we won’t have to move for the rest of the day.’

‘Just warning you, I’ll probably nod off to sleep in the car.’

He gave her another of those sunshiny smiles. ‘I’ll carry you upstairs, like Sleeping Beauty.’

‘You’ll do your back and I’ll snore on you. No. Best to wake me up, I think.’

They laughed and made small talk until Michael pulled up in front of a huge Victorian mansion in Malvern that had been cleverly converted into offices.

A large, classy sign announced it to be the headquarters of ‘Harrison and Sons – Family Financial Solutions’.

‘Wow,’ Mel said.

‘I know. The building was going to be demolished. Dad bought it and restored it.’

‘It certainly has a lot more personality than a concrete tower on Collins Street.’

‘Yeah, it does, doesn’t?’ He smiled proudly at the building. Despite his issues with work right now, he was obviously very attached to the company. Mel wished she could read his mind and see his future and tell him everything was going to be all right. But it was all still just as blank as it had been when he’d first walked into Crystal Gaze.

Mel waited in the car while Michael went inside, taking the steps at the front two at a time. She didn’t close her eyes – knowing she’d probably fall asleep if she did, and she didn’t really need Michael to see her with head slouched and drool on her shoulder – but instead watched the people passing by.

A woman appeared, carrying a cardboard tray of coffees, and headed towards the entrance. Mel sat up straighter. She recognised her. It was Kate, the woman from the restaurant.

Kate got to the steps just as Michael walked out. She looked up and clearly got a fright – she nearly wore four cups of coffee down her front. Michael laughed and reached out to steady her, greeting her warmly. Kate looked just as nervous as she had last night – and Mel couldn’t help wondering why.

The temptation was simply too overwhelming. Mel reached out with her mind. At first, Kate’s thoughts were as scattered as they’d been the night before.

Oh God, I hope he doesn’t find out. He can never find out.

Mel needed to focus. She slipped her ring off to help free her powers. The wave of anxiety that washed over her was enough to leave her reeling. She grabbed the dashboard to help steady herself as she was assaulted by image after image.

A file with the name Johnstone on it.

A computer screen, filled with columns of numbers.

A doctor’s office – Kate holding Tim’s hand as a doctor said something serious and pointed at Tim’s chest. Tim nodding, looking stoic and brave.

A desk and a hand – Kate’s, by the looks – following a list on a sheet of paper.

That file again – the name ‘Johnstone’ in block letters.

And overlaid with the images, Kate’s frantic voice.

He can never find out. Please let him never find out . . . that it was me! I made the mistake in the Johnstone file! His father will forgive him eventually – but I’d be fired! He’s just taking time off as punishment – but I can’t afford to lose my job. I wish I could apologise, but he can never know. I’m so sorry he’s taking the blame. But I can’t let this cost me my job. Not now.

Mel scrambled to put her ring back on, relieved when Kate’s hysterical thoughts dimmed and then receded. She was left shaken and breathless. And full of regret: why had she given in to her curiosity and read Kate’s thoughts?

She’d been lulled into a false sense of security. Spending all her time around Aunt Gertrude and the shop staff who didn’t care about her gift had made her lazy. Then spending time with Michael who she couldn’t read . . . She’d begun to forget the dangerous nature of her abilities. And now look where it had landed her! But bigger than that: Michael was suffering for a mistake he hadn’t even made. He was miserable, and none of it was his fault.

Kate must be exaggerating – she wouldn’t be fired, surely? Michael was too nice a guy to fire someone for one simple mistake. Besides, he’d already told her how much he valued Kate as an employee, and it was clear there must be some kind of extenuating circumstances – Kate had been distracted because of Tim’s illness.

Michael deserved to know the truth. To have his self-confidence restored.

Mel blinked to focus on the two of them. They were still chatting, looking friendly and – on the surface – relaxed. This was the problem with knowing the inside and outside stories at the same time. She wished she knew Michael’s – did he have any inkling that Kate might be at fault?

Kate and Michael said farewell and Michael made his way back to the car. Now, of course, Mel was left with a decision she’d never wanted to make: did she tell Michael or not?

Michael decided to make one more stop on the way to his place: the supermarket. He asked Mel to stay in the car, and she shrieked in horror and delight when he piled the results of his expedition onto the back seat. Ice cream. Microwave popcorn. Potato chips. Frozen pizza. Chocolate. A lot of chocolate.

‘Michael! We’re going to have to go to the gym for a week to work that off!’

Michael started the car and headed for home. ‘It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do.’ He sighed heavily. ‘I saw my father when I was at the office.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah. Asked if I could come back – told him I was ready.’ He was gripping the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles had gone white and he had to make a conscious effort to back off the accelerator. ‘He said no. Not until July.’ It would have been a different story if Dave had still been around to argue the case.

‘Oh, Michael.’

He shot Mel a tight smile. ‘Don’t get me wrong, this, today, is great. Wonderful. But I need to get back to work. I’m going out of my mind.’

‘I’m sure it’s not that bad.’

Michael blew out a breath. ‘I’m not so sure.’ He shook his head. ‘Every hour out of that office is more time to question myself. To question my professionalism, my abilities.’ This was the first time he’d ever said these thoughts aloud and it was kind of scary. ‘I’m afraid that the longer I’m away the less able I’ll be to actually go back.’ That was the crux of it – every day, more self-doubt grew inside him. Would it soon grow large enough that he’d never get back to where he’d been before his life imploded?

Mel didn’t say anything further, just reached over to gently squeeze his leg.

Once they were home it took no time at all to set everything up just the way he’d envisaged it when Mel had made the suggestion – the doona on the sofa, pillows for napping, a bowl of popcorn popped and salty and ready to go. They discovered they had almost opposite tastes in movies and TV, but eventually found an adventure/fantasy show that they both agreed on.

It should have been perfect. But it wasn’t. Michael couldn’t put his finger on it, but something wasn’t working.

He was on edge somehow. And then he realised why: Mel wasn’t the least bit relaxed. Sure, she looked that way, snuggled up next to him, tucked under his outstretched arm, delicately eating popcorn one piece at a time. But it wasn’t right. Something about her almost vibrated with tension.

He’d talked her into this. Known she was hesitant. Had he done the wrong thing? Did she really not want to be here? Not want to be with him? He paused the show.

‘What’s up?’ Mel asked.

Michael hesitated. He needed to say something. He had to. Couldn’t just sit here wondering. He shifted on the sofa so he could look at Mel directly. ‘Do you . . . Do you want to be here?’

‘Of course I do.’

‘I just get the feeling that you’re not really . . . comfortable.’

Mel wasn’t meeting his eyes. ‘Are you kidding? This doona is great! And comfy sofa, yum. And popcorn, delish. Put the show back on – that main guy is pretty good-looking. He might wake me up, if you know what I mean.’

The fake cheer in her voice was evident.

‘Mel, come on. I haven’t known you that long, but I can tell you’re lying.’

She was folding the edge of the doona into pleats, carefully measuring and lining them up, creasing each fold with her fingers.

‘Mel?’

She was silent for a long time, but Michael wasn’t prepared to let her off the hook. He’d had enough of people not telling him the whole truth. Dave thought he was doing the right thing in protecting the family from his illness, but Michael wouldn’t ever forgive him for it. Not even now.

‘How much do you trust Kate?’ Mel finally said, her voice so soft Michael had to strain to hear it.

‘Kate?’ he repeated, startled. Asking about his work was the last thing he’d expected her to say. ‘What on earth has Kate got to do with anything?’

‘It’s just . . . do you think there’s any way she might have . . . could have . . .’

Michael frowned. ‘Mel, what’s really going on here?’

Mel swallowed hard and then finally met his eyes. ‘Kate. She’s the one who made the mistake. With the Johnstone file. Not you.’

‘What?’

‘She’s really scared you’ll fire her,’ Mel said quickly, as she reached out to take his hand in hers. She began babbling. ‘Please don’t fire her, Michael. Tim’s not well, there’s something wrong with his heart, and they can’t afford for her to lose her job right now. That’s why she let you take the blame. Even though it was her fault. She feels so bad about it, but she figures that your dad won’t fire you. I don’t think she gave any thought to the impact it might have on your self-confidence, but she seems to admire you so much, maybe she didn’t think it would have any repercussions for you. Besides, she’s too caught up in her own problems to really think about anyone else.’

‘What? You . . . How do you know Kate?’ He dropped Mel’s hand and shifted back. ‘Is this all some kind of elaborate set-up?’

Mel looked close to tears. ‘I knew I shouldn’t tell you. But I just hated that you were taking the blame when it’s not your fault.’

‘What the . . .?’
Kate
made the mistake with the Johnstone account? That made a lot of sense – explained it all, really. But . . . 
Why was Mel of all people telling him this?

Mel scrambled out from under the doona and began putting her shoes back on.

‘Mel? What is this? How do you know this? How do you know Kate?’ That awful feeling was sneaking over him again – of other people knowing more than he did. Mel was keeping secrets from him, just the way Dave had.

‘I shouldn’t have said anything.’ She found her flowery scarf and twisted it around her neck.

‘Of course you should!’ Michael got to his feet. ‘You should have said it before now. You should have said it right away!’

‘You’re angry.’

‘Damn right, I’m angry. What the hell is going on?’

She grabbed her handbag. ‘I’ll see myself out.’

‘You’re not going anywhere.’ He rounded the sofa to block her path to the door. ‘Not until you explain what’s going on. How do you know Kate? Why did she tell you about the Johnstone account?’

She looked like she was in pain, but Michael was too furious to care. He’d been set up again, people knowing things behind his back, not letting him in on the secret. How it could possibly come to be this woman, the hippy-gypsy chick from the new-age shop who’d wormed her way into his heart, he had no idea, but that wasn’t the point.

‘I can’t explain. I’m sorry.’

‘Stop apologising! I’m sick of people treating me like this! I can handle bad news, okay? I can handle it, if people would just tell me the truth up front, not keep it from me.’

‘Michael, it’s not like that. I’d never met Kate before last night, I promise. I haven’t been keeping secrets. Well, not secrets like that.’

‘Really?’ She was saying one thing, but her face told a different story. Guilt was written so clearly on her features it could have been a tattoo. ‘Then tell me how you know all this.’

‘I . . . I can’t.’

She put her head down, but before she did, Michael caught a glimpse of tears in her eyes. His anger deflated a little, concern for her edging its way in against his will.

A million different scenarios raced through his mind. ‘It was Annie, wasn’t it?’

‘Annie? She’s your sister, right?’

‘Don’t play dumb! She’s the one who sent me to that stupid shop in the first place, told me to get a psychic reading. She told you. She set all this up, didn’t she?’

‘I’ve never met Annie.’

‘Then tell me,’ he said, trying to modulate the fury in his voice – not sure if he succeeded.

‘Stupid Aunt Gertrude,’ she muttered under her breath. ‘What would she know? “Have fun” – it’s not like I haven’t tried before! Stuff like this always happens.’

‘What do you mean, “stuff like this”. Like what?’

Mel sucked in a deep breath and then blew it out in a rush. She looked at him, a determined yet strangely desolate expression on her face now.