Penny Serenade (6 page)

“I’m not worried about your driving record,” she stated.

“Then there’s no problem with my picking you up.”

Audrey studied his face. He’d badger her until she agreed.
“All right.
I give. Pick me up.”

 
The way his face lit up did curious things to her stomach. “Great. What time do you want me here?”

“Seven-thirty.
But if you’re late,” she cautioned, “then you’ll really know what it’s like to get the brush off from me.” As if she hadn’t tried enough times already without success.

He gave her a Boy Scout salute. “I’ll be here.”

“Whatever,” she said, her voice oozing doubt.
 
If he were waiting for her to show some outward sign of excitement, he’d be waiting awhile.

“See you at seven-thirty.” He walked to the door and opened it, pausing long enough to give her a wink. “Bye.”

“Yeah, bye.”

She didn’t even have a chance to blink and the door reopened. Before she had a chance to spew a string of obscenities, Betsy came in carrying her big jewelry bag.

Flustered, Audrey hurried to pull herself together. If Betsy caught on something was amiss, she’d get an earful. “I’m so glad you came in today,” she began, careful to keep her tone even. “How did you know I was working on inventory?”

The elderly woman scoffed. “Now dear, I’m only psychic every other day. I let you know last week that I’d be stopping by today.”

Audrey laughed at the witty remark. “That’s right, you did tell me. I totally spaced it.” At this point she didn’t even know what day it was.

“That isn’t like you,” she returned, and made a beeline for the new calendars. “Oh my, these are lovely.”

Audrey could say the same thing about Betsy. Along with being a tarot card reader and aura consultant, the elderly woman made eye-catching jewelry. At fifty-four years old, she exuded a youthful radiance, not to mention she had a sharp mind. Trivia games were her specialty, and Audrey knew better than to play against her.

As usual Betsy looked flawless in a breezy summer skirt and top ensemble, and was adorned with sparkling necklaces, rings and bracelets. On anyone else the amount of jewelry she wore would look gaudy, but she managed to look elegant. The two had met right before her grand opening. She’d sent out an advertisement for local artists to get in touch with her, wanting to showcase their work in her shop. Since then they’d become fast friends. In many ways she considered Betsy to be the mother figure she never had.

“I know, aren’t the sepia tones startling?” Seeing the woman’s shoulder sag, Audrey sprang to action. “Let me get that for you.” She placed the jewelry bag on the counter and unzipped it. Inside were stacks of black velvet cases. One by one she opened them. Each piece of jewelry glittered in rich tones of garnet, amethyst, lapis, amber, and emerald.

The beauty of them left her in awe. “These are spectacular.”

Betsy’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, dear. They’re a joy to make.”

“Good, because I can tell you already that I’ll need more of the lapis bracelets, they’re almost sold out.” The entire birthstone collection sold better than any other pieces of jewelry in the store, but the lapis ones went first.

“Oh my, again?”

She grinned at the woman’s modesty. “They’re a staff and customer favorite.”

Audrey looked through the rest of the boxes, oohing and ahhing like she discovered buried treasure. They were the perfect distraction.

“Pardon my prying, dear, but is there something new going on in your life?”

She looked to Betsy with a start. “What do you mean?”

“You have a distinct glow about you.”

“I do?” She bent down and looked into the jewelry case mirror, turning her face from side to side.

“Your aura is…different,” Betsy pressed.

She straightened and tapered her eyes. “Oh stop it. I told you about reading my aura. Save that for your clients.”

“It’s very noticeable. Almost blinding,” she continued.

“Enough.” Audrey didn’t know anything about auras and she failed at reading people. She went back to rifling through the jewelry when Betsy started to hum. “I hate it when you do that,” she groaned.

The woman’s brows arched in question.

“Hum,” Audrey blurted. “I hate it when you hum.”

“Oh I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t realize I was.”

Audrey knew better. “Don’t play coy, I know you. There’s something on your mind and you want me to know what it is.
Hence the humming.
Spill it.”

The extended pause that followed raised her blood pressure.

Betsy folded her hands in front of her body. “I’m wondering what has changed since the last time I was in. It wouldn’t have anything to do with the man that left about the same time I arrived, would it? His aura was glowing too.”

“It was?” The thrill in her voice surprised even her. The jig was up.

Betsy’s grin tripled. “It’s becoming clear to me now, dear.”

Was she that transparent? No, she couldn’t be. Dominic irritated her. “You’re mistaken.”

“I’m rarely mistaken when it comes to auras and reading people, dear.”

“You are this time,” she said quietly. At least she hoped so.

“I’ll stick to my instincts, dear. He was a handsome young man. It has been ages since I’ve seen beefcake like that.”

Audrey gasped. “No one says beefcake anymore.”

“Well I do,” she retorted in a stern voice. “My Lucas, rest his soul, was every bit a beefcake when we met. In fact, he was
a beefcake
the entire time we were married.”

When put that way, she thought the sentiment somewhat cute.
Outdated, but cute.
“I think it’s wonderful you spent forty years together.”

“Forty happy years,” added Betsy, a wistful gleam in her eye. “I blow a kiss to his picture whenever I leave the house.”

“You’re lucky to have found someone you wanted to share your life with.” Audrey didn’t figure she’d ever know what that was like.

“It would’ve been lonely if I hadn’t,” Betsy said, and then clapped her hands together. The wistful look changed to intrigue. “So tell me what’s going on with you and this new guy in your life.”

The woman was too brazen at times. “He’s
not
in my life.”

“Ah, then you’re in denial.”

“He’s not in my life in the way you think,” Audrey corrected and blew a strand of hair from her face. “We just met the other day. He bought one of your bracelets.”

“How lovely, but you know, dear, connections can happen instantly. They’re often more potent than a physical connection, and have a longer shelf life.”

“That may be true in some instances, but this isn’t one of them. I’m going on a…
well,
I’m going with him to the planetarium tonight. It’s not a date, but he heard I was going and since he’s going too, he offered me a ride.” There was no reason to explain that he’d all but coerced her into going with him. “That’s the only reason we’re going together. I’d call it carpooling.
Harmless.”

Betsy smiled the motherly smile she had come to love. “Good for you. You’re too pretty to coop yourself up in here all the time.”

No one understood that it was her choice to not date. “I’m only doing it so he’ll leave me alone.”

“Right, because that makes more sense.”

“It does, in a backwards sort of way,” Audrey insisted. She hoped Betsy didn’t ask her to explain how that worked out, because she didn’t know herself.

“He won’t want to leave you alone after spending time with you.”

“You’re sweet,” Audrey said, hoping in some small way that was true, “but he’s not really interested in me or my shop. And probably not in the planetarium either. He’s just trying to make up for being a jerk.”

Betsy moved around the shop, checking out the new candle holders. “How can you be certain, if you hardly know him, dear?”

“Trust me, he hates everything my shop represents,” she said. “He calls the stuff I sell new age crap.”

“Perhaps someone rather than something in the shop caught his eye.”

Audrey couldn’t help but smile. Betsy was a hopeless romantic, where she wasn’t. “You’ve read one too many of those bodice rippers in your day,” she teased. “It has warped your mind.”

“I do like those books, guilty pleasures. Tell me, what’s his name?”

“Dominic.” Saying his name sent flickers of heat along her body.

“It suits him. Strong and warrior-like. I picked up good energy from him, dear.”

Wait, what was going on here? Betsy was supposed to be on her side, but instead it sounded like she was Dominic’s biggest fan. How frustrating. “Well I don’t get that,” Audrey snapped. “He gives off signals that I can’t read. I’d hardly call it good.”

“That’s because your hormones are registering something else, dear.”

Audrey almost choked on her spit. “Oh my word, they are not. Leave my hormones out of this.”

Betsy’s lips curved. “I’ve lived a long time, dear, and I’m rarely wrong about people. It would be good for you to get out and spend time with a nice young man.”

“First of all, he isn’t that nice,” she said in defiance. “And second of all, I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. I have my work and my…housework.” To hear how little she had going on in her life bummed her out. Much as she loved her shop it didn’t leave time for many other things.
“Oh, and my garden.”

“You’re too independent for a woman of your age.”

Her brows crinkled. “What does that mean? I only need to worry about myself, so of course I’m independent.
 
I like not worrying about what someone else thinks and feels, or worrying about making changes for someone to fit their mold of how I should be.”

“You’ll change your mind someday, dear. It will sneak up on you.”

“I’m not of the hurry up and marry mindset,” Audrey argued.

Betsy chortled. “I’m not suggesting marriage, it’s much too soon. Enjoy his company tonight and be open to where it goes later.”

“Yeah, yeah.
He might be handsome, and okay, somewhat charming, but I don’t expect anything to come of it. I don’t even remember how to date.” She realized her error and backpedaled. “I don’t mean date, more
like,
I don’t know how to socialize with men anymore.”

“It will all come back to you, dear. You’ll have to let your guard down some.”

“I don’t intend to do any such thing.” Audrey jutted out her chin for emphasis.

“You might find yourself having a good time if you do.” The elderly woman straightened up the bookshelf and turned her big brown eyes at her. “You’re a passionate woman, dear. Don’t deny yourself life’s little pleasures by holding the reins too tight.”

She balked at the idea of passion. The only passion she had experienced in the past few years came from sexy calendars and her fingers. While Dominic did succeed in stirring her desire, eventually he’d talk and that ruined the big picture. “I’m not about to give up my control to or for anyone, especially for some new age naysayer.”

Betsy’s smile suggested she knew better, and Audrey had a sinking feeling it was true.

“All right, dear.
I better get home. I have an aura reading in an hour. Have a nice time tonight.”

“Doubtful. At least we’ll be in the dark so I can pretend he isn’t there.”

“Or you two can make-out.”

The suggestion made her face burn. “Oh stop it. It’s a star show, not the movies.”

“I don’t recall a single movie the entire time Lucas and I dated. Regardless where you go, kissing is free.”

Audrey snorted. “You’re too cute.”

“I’ll let you be dear, and will drop by with more lapis bracelets soon.”

She leaned in and gave Betsy a strong hug.
“Sounds good.
See you soon.”

After she left, the shop stayed quiet for awhile. People who had a life were out enjoying the nice balmy weather. It didn’t bother her too much, sometimes quiet was good.