Trance Page 6

  “I’ve lost people close to me too. I know it can be hard to let new people in,” he said.

  He thought this was about my mother. “Um, sure.” The thumping in my chest increased.

  “I’ll be here when you want me. Either way, take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Then either was I. I closed my eyes and before I could change my mind blurted out, “How about tomorrow night?”

  He paused. “Really? Great!”

  “Great. Pick me up at seven.” I hung up quickly before I made another excuse. If he thought my hesitancy was because of my mother, then I’d just let him go on thinking that. It’d be easier. Then I wouldn’t have to explain why I freak out every time I start to get close to someone.

  I turned over the ignition and drove toward the hospital.

  The hospital admissions clerk looked up Thomas Tink’s account on her screen. She was a plain woman. Early thirties perhaps, brown hair with a few strands of grey. She needed a good dye job. Maybe some blonde highlights to bounce light around her face. And concealer. She definitely needed concealer, especially in the unflattering hospital lighting here that accentuated the dark circles around her eyes.

  “How are you paying?” she asked.

  “I was hoping for direct billing details so I could do a bank transfer.”

  “Don’t you have a check book?”

  “With a bank transfer I could have the money in your account within seconds. It’ll be like magic.”

  “Yeah.”

  She gave me the information I needed and I logged into my phone making the necessary changes.

  “Done!”

  “Where do you want me to send the receipt?”

  “Can’t you just give it to me now?”

  “We have to post it. Is this the right address?” She read out my address.

  I gave them Lacey’s address instead. I didn’t want to bother my grandparents just yet. Not until it was absolutely positive that they couldn’t reverse the payment. They’d have to accept it then.

  I sat down in the waiting area and dialed Lacey’s number to tell her to expect the receipt and hold it for me.

  “You can still change your mind about the job at the store, you know,” said Lacey

  “No I can’t. They hated me at the interview.”

  “They didn’t hate you. You hated the job.”

  “They wanted me to sell tickets to shows at their ticket counter.” I rolled my eyes.

  “What is wrong with you? It was a job. You said you wanted a job, and you would have known about every show and been able to sell them to people not sure which one to see. I thought it would be perfect.”

  “Selling tickets to people wanting to be entertained, when I couldn’t entertain them?”

  “You need to lower your expectations. You’re unemployed now, remember.”

  “I’m waiting for the next opportunity. And I can afford to. That’s completely different to being unemployed. I have to be at home to help Thomas.”

  “No you don’t. He’s doing fine. You’re using him as an excuse not to live your life.”

  “I don’t want to have this conversation now.”

  “Then when? You’ve brushed me off for a week now.”

  “I’ve been busy.”

  “No, you’ve been hiding. I know you Scarlett Tinks. Just when things start to get great, you run away as fast as you can.”

  “I do not! In fact I agreed to see Jason again tomorrow night, as a matter of fact.”

  “You did?” She squealed in excitement. “I’m so proud of you. What are you going to wear?”

  “Wear?”

  “Come over tonight. No excuses. I have to dress you. You have to look gorgeous and hot and brilliant. With my skills, you’ll look all that and better.”

  I grinned. “Don’t make me wear those shoes though. The ones that you think are the perfect lucky date shoes. I could barely walk in them when they were stable.”

  She laughed. “I have something better in mind, anyway.”

  I lifted the lid to my laptop and sat up in bed, with it resting on my knees. I quickly glanced at the email subject lines to see if there was anything urgent that I needed to attend to. There was one from the theatre manager, about the cancelled show. It was sent to both Thomas and me, although Thomas rarely read his email, he preferred talking to people face to face. Generally, I did too, but email made some things easier, and as long as I limited my time and only let through emails of people I knew, I’d be okay.

  The venue had another opening in a month. Should we book it, he asked? Was Thomas going to be fit enough in four weeks?

  Oh ye of little faith - of course he was. He was moving through the house with a cane just fine. If he kept the tricks to those that required minimal movement, and relied on me to do most of the heavy stuff, he could absolutely be ready.

  I closed the lid of the laptop and headed out into the kitchen. Even though I was tempted to just say yes, right there and then, I was obligated to ask first. I’d already made enough decisions for them today, there was no point in pushing my luck.

  My grandmother was playing the piano that sat at the far end of the dining area, and my grandfather was strumming his ukulele. They were playing a Beatles song.

  I sang the lyrics as I sat down beside my grandfather. He was grinning from ear to ear. Either he was still on painkillers, or like me, he enjoyed a good sing-along. I knew exactly which it was.

  His cane, a simple wooden stick painted dark green with a handle on the end, like you’d find on the end of a spade or shovel, leaned against the wall. When the song ended, we all applauded one another.

  I told him about the booking. One month. His eyes lit up, the lights from the kitchen making them twinkle. He didn’t even need to say the words, I knew what his answer would be. He reached over and squeezed my grandmother’s hand. “Still in?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “Then it’s agreed.” I walked over to the calendar planner that hung near the telephone, and wrote down the date. I circled it with a big red pen. “Better start thinking about our acts then. Need some help with that?”

  “I certainly will. We can make it the best darn show I’ve ever done. Everyone will remember Thomas Tinks after this.”

  I went back and placed my arm around his shoulders. “Of course, they’ll never forget. You’ll be a legend.”

  “He’s already legendary,” said my grandmother. I nodded in agreement.

  I looked at the kitchen clock. It was past five. Lacey would be home from work soon, and would expect me over, but she could wait. Besides, she would want some time to rifle through her wardrobe to plan an outfit. I’d give her as much time as she needed.

  I sat and sang two more songs with my grandparents before saying goodbye.

  “No dancing,” I said, wagging my finger at my grandfather as I slid open the back door.

  “No fair,” he responded.

  EIGHT

  Lacey had a mountain of clothes on her bed. It looked like a bear had climbed underneath to hibernate for the winter. “Anything left if your wardrobe?” I asked, even though I knew even a pile this large wouldn’t have made a dent in her closet.

  She tapped her finger on her chin staring at the pile. “Nothing’s right. I don’t understand, I never have a problem picking an outfit for you.”

  “I’ll just wear this?” I picked up a random dress from the bed that turned out to have a leopard print on it. I grimaced.

  “Sure, go ahead. Put it on.” She was challenging me. She knew I wouldn’t wear leopard print.

  “You mean you are going to let me choose? I’m thrilled.” I picked up a hairbrush from her dresser. “I’d like to thank my friend, Lacey Letterman, for allowing me to choose my own outfit for my own date. The amount of trust she’s put into me is beyond words.” I wiped an imaginary tear away from my eye. “Lacey, how can I ever repay you for your trust. You’ve been an inspiration.”

  She smirked but
shook her head. “Oh, I haven’t given up this challenge. Don’t think you’ve won this yet.” She closed her eyes and placed her fingers on her temple. “I’m receiving inspiration, something is coming to me, hummmmmmm, yes, yes, I can see it. It’s red. No, wait, it’s blue. The image is coming clearer.”

  I threw a pillow at her that hit her on the leg. She opened one eye, grinned, and kicked it back at me. We both fell onto the bed laughing.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, “I’ll check out the racks at work tomorrow. We had new stock in last week, I’m sure there will be something suitable. What time is he picking you up? I’ll make sure I bring an outfit before he arrives.”

  “Nothing too short. Or plunging.”

  “As if I’d even try.”

  We looked up at her ceiling. Unlike mine, hers was smooth and painted white. No stars or planets. I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep if I looked up at nothing.

  “How’s the Andy thing going?” I asked.

  She rolled onto her side, pushing some clothes out of the way so she could lean on her elbow. “Not happening. I’m moving on. I don’t understand, he’s so timid. I invited him over for dinner last night.”

  “And?”

  “And he ate dinner. Thanked me for my wonderful cooking skills and that was it. I do not want to be thought of as someone who can cook a nice meal. I have far greater talents than that.”

  “Not even a kiss on the cheek this time? Ouch.”

  “Oh we kissed, I made sure he wasn’t going to get outside without sticking his tongue down my throat. But he didn’t make the move, I did. Who wants that?” She chewed the side of her cheek.

  “Obviously not you.”

  “I want someone who’ll take me and press me against the wall as he kisses me, making my knees go weak. I want someone that sends sparks of electricity over my skin with his touch. I want the fireworks. Why can’t I have the fireworks?”

  “Maybe you should date a pyrotechnician?”

  “I would if I could find a hot one. Is that like, a full time job?” She grinned and sat up on the bed. “Have you eaten?”

  “I haven’t. The burger joint?”

  “Where else?”

  The burger joint, as we called it, was actually called Richard’s Grill. Although nobody named Richard worked there or owned it. Why it was called that, we had no idea, but that didn’t stop us coming here. They had the best steak sandwiches this side of forever. I bit into mine, letting the barbecue sauce drip down my arm.

  “I’m proud of you,” said Lacey. She was staring at me with her head tipped to one side. “I think it’s great you are going on a real date with him.”

  “It’s not his fault I freak out. And he’s been sweet, even when I didn’t call him back right away, he didn’t say anything about it, just wanted to know if I was okay.”

  “Why would he? Some guys are decent you know.”

  “Sure they are. I know that. But he’s in showbiz, with probably hundreds of women throwing themselves at him after every show, he doesn’t need me.”

  “But he wants you.”

  “Do you think he can be trusted?”

  She shrugged. “How do I know? But he hasn’t done anything so far for you to believe that he’d be a jerk. He’s been honest, and super nice. You’ll regret it if you don’t find out.”

  “I know. That’s why I agreed.” I frowned. “It’s time I got my act together.”

  “Just don’t make it bigger than it needs to be, though. It’s one date. I know you like him, and he obviously likes you, so if it works then fantastic, but if it doesn’t, then no big deal. Alright?”

  “Alright.”

  “I mean it, Scarlett. Don’t make this bigger than it needs to be. You’ll do your usual thing and sabotage it. So it’s just a regular old date with a hot guy. And there are plenty of hot guys around.”

  “None that are beating down my door.”

  “If a guy actually tried to beat down your door, we both know you wouldn’t be on the other side by the time he got through. You know you don’t let people get close to you.”

  I picked up two fries, stuffing both of them in my mouth at the same time, so I wouldn’t have to answer.

  “And if you decide that he isn’t for you, then throw him over my way.” She pretended to drool on the table.

  “Don’t even think about it. Where’s the friend code?”

  “But he’s so hot.” She clapped her hands in front of her silently. “Pretty please?”

  She grinned.

  “You know, I’m only teasing,” she said.

  “I know. But really I’m fine. I’m not making this a bigger deal. I’m not putting any expectations on this date at all. It’ll be fun. And if it isn’t then so what? I’ve got hundreds, no thousands, of other things going on in my life. I don’t need a guy.”

  “But I do. Find out if he has any hot friends. Preferable those that guarantee to send shivers up and down my spine. And then, we can double date.”

  “What sort of friends do you think he has?”

  “Oooh, let me see if there are any best buddy pics.” She grabbed her phone and searched online for incriminating photos. I felt cold and looked away.

  “Nothing. Only press photos, nothing personal. He likes his privacy.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?” Suddenly I liked him even more.

  My grandparents were asleep when I got home. The porch light off and the side light on so that I could make my way around to the back door. Every time I came home now, since granddad’s fall, I’d become anxious. Of what, I didn’t know - granddad was being extra cautious and my grandmother wouldn’t let him do anything that would aggravate his injury. He wasn’t likely to hurt himself again, but still that nagging feeling that I was leaving them alone and without help caused the hair on my neck to prickle until I was inside and knew they were safely asleep. That’s when I felt calm.

  I locked the back door behind me, checked on them, and made my way to my bedroom.

  Opening my laptop, I checked my email. The theatre manager had confirmed the date of the show, and booked in the previous night for a full rehearsal. That meant everything was set and ready to rock and roll. He wanted to know if the television crew was right to film parts of the rehearsal away from the noisy crowd of a live show. Sure they could, I replied.

  Immediately my thoughts went to costumes. One month might seem enough time to create an outfit, but for something intricate and fitted that would work well on TV, have the right amount of glam I was after, that could take weeks. Plus I needed to be sure I could move easily in it, that it wasn’t going to snag on the back of the disappearing box or something. Now that would be a true wardrobe malfunction. It had never happened to me before, and I didn’t want to press my luck.

  I closed the lid of the laptop thinking about what color I should wear. If grandma and I were to wear matching outfits, it would have to be something that suited both of us. I could go shorter than she could, although she still had killer legs for her age.

  I changed into pajamas and got into bed with a sketch pad and pencil. Something fitted was a must, but something new that had wow factor to it as well. I tapped the pencil to my lips as I thought about ideas, scribbling down rough sketches. Soon my eyelids were too heavy to continue. I looked down. I’d come up with eight pages of drawings. Enough that we could make a decision tomorrow about what we were all going to wear.

  I placed the pad beside the bed, turned off the light, and looked up at the stars. Tomorrow. My thoughts drifted to Jason and what our date might be like. I hoped it wouldn’t be dinner and a movie. Not that I minded eating good food, of course, but he had to be more original than that didn’t he? Just what did gorgeous stage hypnotists do on dates? I had no idea. I couldn’t even guess. I realized I didn’t know anything about him. Not really. Not past the witty banter, the gorgeous smile, and his brilliant talent. Oh, and that amazing kiss.

  Did he have any brothers, sisters? How long has he liv
ed around here? Does he even live here, or is he only passing through? For the first time in a long while, I wanted to know more about someone new.

  I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, thinking about his lips touching mine.

  “You will look amazing in this.” Lacey sent through a picture of a fitted blue top with silver edging, paired with a dark pink skirt. The skirt looked to be made out of a shimmery soft silk that would flow and dance around your legs as you walked. The type of skirt that would flare up in a circle if you twirled in one spot.

  “Please tell me it’s from the sale rack,” I texted back.

  She rang me.

  “Just tuck the tags under, I’ll take them back tomorrow. It’s not the type of outfit you want to be seen in twice anyway.”

  “You are going to get in so much trouble.”

  “Doubt it. I think the manager has the hots for me.”

  “Isn’t your manager a woman?”

  “Very funny. But seriously, no eating pasta sauce, swimming fully clothed, or making out on the grass.”

  “I’ll put that on my not-to-do list.”

  “Just strip off to your underwear if you want to do anything crazy. It’ll be more fun that way anyway.”

  “Crap. Underwear. I didn’t get anything new.”

  “Seriously? Fine. Red or black?”

  “Are they my only choices?”

  “Nope. But if you are going to let him see you in them, they better be super hot.”

  “I am not going to sleep with him on the first date.”

  “Chicken.”

  “White. I want to look sweet.”

  “You in white? Sounds so unlike you.” I poked my tongue at her through the phone. She continued. “I’ll find something with bling. What’s your budget?”

  “Can’t I return that too?”

  “Eewww.”

  “Mwahaha. Kidding. I don’t know - keep it under a hundred.”

  “Done. See you in twenty.”

  Twenty minutes. I had already washed my hair twice. I tried to straighten it, but it curled right on back up. I stared at the clock. Ten to six. Twenty minutes: Lacey arrived to dress me. Seventy minutes: Jason arrived to date me. Nothing like a good production schedule to make this into a bigger deal than it needed to be. I concentrated on breathing to calm myself. I knew I could talk to him. He’d show me a good time. What was I so worried for? Only the fact that I haven’t been on a date for goodness knows how long and the last guy I was with was something I never wanted to experience again. No pressure.