Stone in Love (7 page)

Charlie and Lindsay lost their floats to the swift–moving current, during their display of affection. “I’m ready to get out, anyway,” Lindsay told Charlie.

“Fine by me,” Charlie said.

Ireland and Jeffrey chose to keep floating farther down the river.

Walking the gravel trail to their campsite, Lindsay noticed an airliner camper had pulled into the site next to them. Whoever was staying there had also pitched a large tent with tie–dye, spiral, beaded curtains hanging in the entranceway.

“That’s interesting,” Lindsay said, taking a closer look. “There’s a Jerry Garcia welcome mat in front of the tent. Our neighbors must be stuck in the sixties.”

“Want to go introduce ourselves?” Charlie said.

“Why not?”

Charlie knocked on the metal door of the airliner, while Lindsay snuck off in the direction of the tent.

She pursed her lips and touched them with her index finger. “Quiet,” she mouthed, tiptoeing over fallen leaves. She stood at the edge of the tent and leaned closer to the beaded doorway.

Ambient, new–age sounding music played inside. Looking between the lines of flowing beads, she saw a woman sitting on a stool with a small table in front. The woman’s gray, bouffant hair was wrapped in a black and green scarf, and she was dressed in a jade–colored cloak. Her eyes were closed and her index fingers were touching her thumbs.

Somehow, the woman sensed Lindsay’s presence. “You have come seeking council from Tilly, the great and astute. Do not stand there—come forth child.” She lifted her arms, and wooden bangle bracelets slid down the length of each one, clunking together. Tilly made a come–hither motion, with fingers ornamented by long, sapphire–colored nails.

Lindsay turned to Charlie and held out both hands, palms up. “Okay?” she whispered.

Charlie met her at the doorway. He pushed the beads to the side, and Lindsay ducked under. Incense burned on the corners of the square–shaped table, filling the room with the aroma of amber and woodsy musk.

The woman gestured to the corner of the tent where some wooden stools were stacked. “Bring a chair over to the other side of the table.”

They sat down and Tilly held out both of her hands, palms up. “Each of you place one hand in mine,” she said, with the raspy voice of a lifelong smoker.

Lindsay looked at Tilly’s calloused, wrinkled hands, and then at Charlie. Following his lead, she positioned her hand on the woman’s. Tilly’s hands were as cold as a thousand winters.

“Do not speak,” the woman said. She closed her eyes, and the lids fluttered as if she were spontaneously zoning in on both Lindsay and Charlie’s brain waves. Beside the table, the freestanding black light lamp illuminated Tilly with an unearthly, achromatic glow.

Despite the humidity in the air, a cold chill went down Lindsay’s spine. The woman opened her eyes and directed her attention to Lindsay. She studied her for a moment before closing them again. Had she sensed her apprehension?

Tilly said, “I see great success for one of you; which one, I do not know. New beginnings, dreams fulfilled, existence validated. Your aura is emerald green, which represents growth and healing. This is good.”

Her lips turned down into a pronounced frown. “I foresee a life in disrepair for the other. Love lost, old burdens renewed,” she shook her head regretfully … “a tormented soul.” She released both of their hands.

“Tilly, please,” Lindsay said, “what color was the other person’s aura?

“It, too, was green,” she said, extinguishing the incense in a glass of water.

Lindsay needed more. “Then that person won’t be as doomed as you predicted. Green is good, right?”

“Not all greens are good, child, for this shade was a muddy, dark green. It signifies insecurity, contempt, jealousy.” She stood from her chair and ushered them toward the beaded exit. She held up the spiral beads for them to duck underneath.

Once outside, Lindsay circled back around. “Tilly, what can we do to change the outcome?”

“I cannot council on how to bring about your desires. I can only tell you what
is
, and I fear that you are courting disaster. Good evening,” she said, and let the beaded curtain fall.

Lindsay and Charlie held hands, walking to their campsite. “Do you think that lady was for real?” Lindsay asked.

“That old quack? Of course not. I was indulging her, letting her go on. I’m sure it made her day.” He lifted Lindsay’s hand to his mouth and kissed the front of it. “She probably entertains the regulars every weekend. Don’t think twice about what she said. Let’s just focus on tonight.”

“Tonight, huh?” Lindsay tried not to show her uneasiness at Tilly’s prediction, but it bothered her nonetheless. Charlie should know; Southerners are a superstitious bunch.

Charlie gave her a sexy wink. “That’s right.”

“Well, in that case, I better get a shower.”

Lindsay opened the passenger–side door of the van and grabbed her suitcase. She unzipped it on the seat and searched for a change of clothes, while Tilly’s scratchy voice echoed in her mind. If anyone could truly predict the future, they’d be rich and famous—not hanging out in the primitive camping area of Givhans Ferry State Park.

Lindsay resolved to forget all about Tilly’s predictions. They hadn’t asked for her “council” in the first place. Though, in the back of her mind, she had an uneasy hunch that Tilly was legit.

Chapter Nine

Lindsay closed the curtain on the stall in the wood–framed shower house. Charlie showered in the men’s section, on the adjacent side of the building.

She couldn’t help thinking that this thing they had was too good to be true. For the first time in a long time she had butterflies, as she contemplated what her night with Charlie might be like. She couldn’t imagine how she would respond to a man’s loving touch. Then there was the question of
allowing
herself to surrender to him. Would she return his love in the patient, tender fashion she was certain he would bestow upon her? Could she?

After her shower, Lindsay dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a plain white tank top. She sat on the wooden bench inside the shower house, rubbing lotion on her legs, while her hair dried underneath the towel.

A hunger pang roared in her belly, and she realized she had eaten all day. No wonder she felt so weak. Right, that was it—she needed food. It had nothing at all to do with delaying their lovemaking.

She brushed her hair into a ponytail, curled her eyelashes, and spritzed on some perfume. Having cleverly planned her outfits, she slipped into a pair of white flip–flops with a glittery heart embellishment.

When she pulled open the bathhouse door, Charlie was standing on the other side. “Hey, I didn’t know you were waiting,” Lindsay said.

“Did you think I was going to leave you here by yourself?”

It had turned dark, but Lindsay hadn’t been afraid. The shower house was only a hundred feet from their campsite and besides, she’d had too much on her mind.

“I shouldn’t be surprised,” Lindsay said. “That was very sweet of you to wait for me. Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” Charlie said, extending his elbow.

A slight breeze had set in and lured the aroma of Charlie’s cologne right to her nose. He smelled sensational and looked equally good in his blue jeans and simple black T–shirt. His freshly shaved face looked touchably soft. She resisted the urge to nuzzle her own cheek against it. Instead, she clutched his upper arm, and they headed back toward the campsite.

“You smell phenomenal,” Charlie said.

“I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

“You know, I could smell your perfume before you walked out the door. That’s the same one you were wearing last night, isn’t it?”

Lindsay nodded, wondering what she was thinking, spritzing it on. She didn’t need her favorite aphrodisiac working its magic right now. Butterflies … no, more like bats, flapped inside her belly.

“If I were blindfolded, I could pick you out of a lineup by your scent,” Charlie added.

“Thank you. That’s very flattering. You know what I thought about earlier?”

“What’s that?”

“We haven’t eaten a thing all day. I’m starving.”

“You’re right. I guess food was the furthest thing from my mind, but it was selfish of me not to think about you. We may be in luck.” He pointed to the campsite. “What are Ireland and Jeffrey doing over at the picnic table?”

“Hey y’all,” Ireland shouted. “We made steaks on the grill. Come get a plate.”

“You’re a life saver,” Lindsay said, wasting no time, piling potato salad onto her plate. She picked the biggest steak left, with no apologies.

Not so much as a word was said while everyone chowed down. Apparently Lindsay wasn’t the only one who’d been starving.

“Now I’m stuffed,” Lindsay said, rubbing her stomach. “I can’t believe I went all day without eating.”

“Your mind must have been in the gutter,” Ireland said, tapping Lindsay’s foot under the table. “How late is it anyway?”

Lindsay pulled her cell phone from her pocket to check the time. “Eight–thirty,” she said. She’d missed a call six hours earlier. Looking at her call log, she didn’t recognize the missed number, but whoever it was had left a voice mail. “Excuse me one second,” she said, stepping away from the table.

The message on her voice mail was the high point of an already fabulous day. A brand new medical emergency facility in North Charleston had called about her application. They wanted to schedule an interview.

Lindsay’s face was already hurting from smiling, when she started walking back toward the picnic area.

“Someone called about one of your applications, didn’t they?” Ireland asked.

“Yes, I can’t believe it,” Lindsay said.

Charlie took a final bite of steak and pushed his plate away. “Application?” He excused himself from the table.

Lindsay met him halfway.
Finally I can tell you there’s more to me than cosmetic consultations.
“I have great news. And you are the very person I want to share it with.”

“Great, I’m anxious to hear it. First, do you want to say goodnight to Ireland and Jeffrey?”

“We probably should.”

After they helped clear away the paper plates, Lindsay and Charlie thanked Ireland and Jeffrey for dinner and said that they would be turning in for the night.

“See you tomorrow,” Jeffrey said.

“Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do,” Ireland said, zipping the small tent closed with Jeffrey and her inside.

Charlie unlocked the back of the van and let down the steps. The queen–sized bed took up most of the room in the van, but there was enough space for a small table and two fold–out chairs. Lindsay took a seat in one, and Charlie sat in the other. “All right, let’s hear this good news,” he said, reaching across the table and cupping her hands in his.

“First of all, I have to tell you how embarrassed I was telling you I worked at the mall. Even though you don’t seem to mind, I’m not comfortable at my age saying that’s what I do for a living. I graduated from college six months ago with a degree in health services.”

Charlie’s eyes lit up, concealing what he already knew. “Why didn’t you tell me? That’s awesome, something you should be proud of.”

“I know,” Lindsay said, glancing away, “but it’s not a big deal when you don’t have a career to show for it. I’ve applied to more doctors’ offices than I can remember—to be a medical assistant.”

“I’ve been rejected because,” she counted on her fingers, “I don’t have any experience, the position has already been filled, or maybe they just haven’t liked me … who knows. I missed a call earlier today from a new emergency–care office in North Charleston. They looked over the application I submitted a month ago and said they would love to interview me.”

Charlie had not yet seen this happy side of Lindsay. He couldn’t help wondering if she’d applied to his dad’s office. God knows, he and his sole secretary could use the help. But he suspected Lindsay, as independent as she was, wouldn’t want Charlie’s help getting her foot in the door.

Charlie leaned forward. “Wonderful. Congratulations.” He reached across the table and embraced her. “I wish you’d have said something about it before. I could have tried to help you.”

“I doubt it. You’ve got connections in the sky, not on the ground. And thank you, but I wouldn’t have asked for help. This is a quest that I’m on. A mission to conquer all by myself.”

Just as he’d suspected. “Have you always been this independent? Sounds to me like there’s more to it.”

“Do you really want to hear all this nonsense? It’ll probably bore you to death, and I don’t want you feeling sorry for me.”

“I don’t have anywhere else to be.” Charlie sat back in his chair, his hands on the back of his head. “You’ve got my undivided attention. And I won’t feel sorry for you, scout’s honor,” he said, holding up a couple of fingers.

“All right, here’s the short version: My dad forced my mom to stay at home and raise his daughters. He didn’t want her working, yet he didn’t have a steady paycheck himself. He painted and sold his own artwork, if that tells you anything. Right out of high school, my older sister, Kelly, married a lawyer. Mom was overjoyed to see her daughter living the life she could never give her. And she was steady in my ear, encouraging me to follow in Kelly’s footsteps. But you see, that’s not me.”

“You want to depend on no one but yourself,” Charlie said, finishing what he was sure she was about to say.

“I do. I want to be wholly self–sufficient, and I don’t know how one accomplishes that living off of someone else’s dime. I want to contribute something good to society.”

“Well, I for one think that’s highly commendable,” Charlie said. “With that kind of attitude, I’m sure you can do anything you want to.”

“Thank you.” Lindsay covered her mouth and yawned, her eyes watering. “It was wonderful spending time with you today, but I’m getting tired. Mind if I take a rest on your satin sheets?”

“Please do.”

Lindsay left her flip–flops under the table and crawled into the bed. Charlie lay down beside her, both of them with their hands behind their heads. Lindsay took deep cleansing breaths, resting her over–worked mind. Good things were happening, but it was all so fast that she felt a little overwhelmed.