I pause, knowing there’s no way I can possibly do that.
“What? You prefer to sleep in? Join the club.” He shrugs. “But believe me, if I can do it, you can too.”
“It’s not that.” I pause, wondering why I’m so reluctant to tell him. I mean, now that I’ve got the job what do I care what he thinks?
He looks at me, waiting, gaze adding up the seconds.
“It’s just—I have class.” I shrug, thinking how class sounds so much older than school, like I’m in college or something.
He squints, looking me over again. “Where?”
“Um, over at Bay View,” I mumble, trying not to wince when I say it out loud.
“The high school?” His eyes narrow further, newly informed.
“Wow, you really are psychic.” I laugh, knowing I sound nervous, stupid, coming clean when I add, “I’m finishing up my junior year.”
He looks at me for a moment—too long a moment—then he turns and opens the door. “You seem older,” he says, the words so abstract I’m not sure if they were meant for me or for him. “Stop by when you can. I’ll show you how to work the register and a few other things around here.”
“You want me to sell stuff? I thought I was just giving readings?” Surprised to hear my job description expanding so quickly.
“When you’re not giving readings you’ll be working the floor. Is that a problem?”
I shake my head as he holds the door open. “Just—just one thing.” I bite down on my lip, unsure how to proceed. “Well, two things actually. First—do you mind if I go by a different name—you know, for the readings and stuff? I live with my aunt, and while she’s totally cool and all, she doesn’t exactly know about my abilities, so—”
“Be w
hoever you want.” He shrugs. “No worries. But since I need to start booking appointments, who do you want to be?”
I pause, not having thought this through until now. Wondering if I should choose Rachel after my best friend in Oregon, or something even more common like Anne or Jenny or something like that. But knowing how people always expect psychics to be about as far from normal as it gets, I gaze toward the beach and choose the third thing I see, bypassing Tree and Basketball Court as I say, “Avalon.” Immediately liking the sound of it. “You know, like the town on Catalina Island?”
He nods, following me outside as he asks, “And the second thing?”
I turn, taking a deep breath and hoping he’ll listen when I say, “You can do better than Stacia.”
He looks at me, gaze moving over my face, clearly resigned to the truth if not exactly thrilled to hear it from me.
“You have a serious history of falling for all the wrong girls.” I shake my head. “You do know that, right?”
I wait for a response, some recognition of what I just said, but he just shrugs and waves me away. Still watching as I head for my car, having no idea I can hear him when he thinks: Don’t I know it.
sixteen
The moment I pull into the drive Sabine calls my cell, telling me to just go ahead and order a pizza for dinner since she has to work late. And even though I’m tempted to tell her about my new job, I don’t. I mean, obviously I need to inform her, if for no other reason than to spare me the one she’s lined up, but still, there’s no way I can admit to getting this particular job. She’ll think it’s weird. Even if I omit all the stuff about getting paid to give readings (and believe me, I’d never dream of mentioning that) she’ll still think a job at a metaphysical bookstore is strange. Maybe even silly. Who knows?
Sabine’s far too reasonable and rational to ever get behind such a thing. Preferring to live in a world that’s sturdy and solid, that makes perfect sense, versus the real one that is anything but. And while I hate always having to lie to her, I really don’t see how I have much of a choice. There’s just no way she can ever learn the truth about me, let alone that I’ll be giving readings under the code name of Avalon.
I’ll just tell her I got a job somewhere local, someplace normal, like a regular bookstore, or a Starbucks perhaps. And then of course I’ll have to find a way to back the story up in case she decides to follow up on all that.
I park in the garage and head up the stairs, tossing my bag onto my bed without even looking, then heading for my closet as I yank off my tee. Just about to unzip my jeans when Damen says, “Don’t mind me, I’m just sitting here enjoying the view.” I cover my chest with my arms, heart beating triple time as Damen lets out a low, sweet whistle and smiles at me.
“I didn’t even see you. I didn’t even sense you for that matter,” I say, reaching for my tee again.
“Guess you were too distracted.” He smiles, patting the space right beside him, face creasing with laughter when I pull on my shirt before joining him.
“What’re you doing here?” I ask, not really interested in the answer, just glad to be near him again.
“I figured since Sabine’s working late—”