Page 57 of You First
Gray watched her for a moment, but when he saw the game was over, he set her foot back on the bed and released it with a pat. Meredith’s cheeks burned, and she tried to think of something to say, yet the right words had fled.
But not for the writer in the room. “You’ve been to the French Quarter, right?”
She nodded. “It’s been a while, but yeah.”
He casually took another bite of spaghetti, taking his time before continuing. “So you know the fortune tellers who are always camped out between the St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square?”
Meredith pictured the space crowded with artists and street performers, and the card tables and camp chairs of all the palm and tarot readers. “Yeah, I’ve seen those.”
“Well, once when I was twelve, my family and I were walking around the quarter, killing time before going to Antoine’s for dinner, and I spotted this fortune teller.”
The smile in his eyes made her relax. Listening to Gray always allowed her to forget herself.
“I don’t know what it was about her except she had these huge gray eyes and cocoa-brown skin, and when she looked at me, it was like she was calling me to her with her mind.”
He lifted his right hand — the one that had grabbed her foot — and crooked his finger in the universal come-hither sign.
Meredith hoped she didn’t show it, but the gesture, even in imitation, had power. She wanted to obey it.
Gray took another bite — his last bite of pasta — and kept on with his story. “Anyway, I had to — I just had to have her tell my fortune. I’d never done that before, and I’ve never felt inclined to do it since, but that day, I just couldn’t walk away.”
“So did you?” Meredith asked, running a piece of French bread through a little sauce on her plate.
“Well, I asked my father for the money — it was twenty dollars for a tarot reading, and I only had ten. Of course, he refused.” He gave her a look that parodied paternal disapproval, and she grinned. “But Bax and Cecilia each gave me five dollars—”
“Who’s Cecilia? Your sister?” Meredith asked, sure she’d never heard him mention the name before.
A shadow dimmed his face. His smile held, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yes, my late sister.”
A soft gasp escaped her. “Oh, Gray. I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head gently. “It’s all right. Talking about her is easier than it used to be. She gave me the fiver because she wanted to make me happy.” The smile in his eyes returned. “Whereas, Bax chipped in to help me defy Dad.”
Gray’s chuckle gave her permission to laugh.
“So I went to the fortune teller, and she drew three cards, and I’ll be damned if I can remember what they were,” he said, shaking his head. “But then she asked me if there was a question I sought to answer, and there was. I wanted to be a writer even then, so I asked her if I would be successful as a writer.”
At this, Meredith beamed. She loved knowing that he’d always wanted to do what he was doing, and she loved it for him that he’d become a success.
“And this part I remember as clear as day…” His voice went soft, and he searched her eyes. “She turned over the Knight of Pentacles. Do you know what that one means?”
“No.”
“Neither did I at the time, but she explained to me that it is this knight’s job to persevere to make dreams come true. He has to be tireless. He has to work hard. He has to stay the course, even when he feels discouraged,” Gray said, giving her a meaningful look she couldn’t pretend to understand. “In other words, he has to be stubborn about his success.”
Meredith’s breath caught.
“So, I think stubbornness is a good thing. It means you will be able to persevere to claim what you want in this life.” He gave her a smile that warmed her all the way through. “I can’t think of a better trait for you — a student who is a young mother. You need to be stubborn.”
His words felt like permission and encouragement and understanding all at once. They reminded her that what she was trying to do with her life — become a nurse, provide for Oscar, and maintain her independence — may not be easy, but her dreams had value. And pursuing them was not a mark of selfishness, as Leona and Jamie often suggested.
His gaze connected with hers, and for the first time in a long, long time, Meredith feltseen.And feeling seen, she discovered in that moment, was as sexy as the most erotic touch. Her breasts felt flushed, and her breath went shallow.
She had to get some distance again.
Meredith reached forward and took his tray. “Want any more?” she asked, hoping he couldn’t hear the tremor in her voice.
The sharp blue of his eyes was unrelenting.He can see everything.
