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Story: The Strategist

Sylvia was waiting for him to kiss her at the restaurant and he didn’t push her away. I wouldn’t stand around watching it happen.

“Maybe they’re still friends. Why don’t you ask him?”

“On what grounds?”

“Just be straight with him. Askallthe questions.” Kiera grabbed a grape from the fruit bowl. “If his answers settle your nerves, then you have nothing to worry about, right?”

“He asked for a duel once,” I said.

“Go kick his ass. Loser pays for dinner.” Kiera elbowed me in the ribs. “He’s a great catch.”

“And smart too. Very thoughtful.Methodical.” Audri returned with two more bottles of wine. “He used to work for several companies creating their user interface.”

“What’s that?” Kiera asked the same question I had.

“He tests out strategies to help companies attract clients. Like choosing colors that people would most likely be drawn to, the shape of the buy-link box, where to place data that would have the most clicks. Stuff like that. He gave me some tips for my jewelry website and referred me to a former colleague when I wanted to hire someone to do it full time.”

“Forrest said he has a degree in enology too.” Kiera popped the cork.

I didn’t know too many people who studied the science of wine and winemaking. What prompted him to go that route?

For me, my dad inspired me to be a dentist. I remembered this little girl coming in with tremendous fear on her face. Dad had comforted her, transforming her fear to courage. From that day on, she always came in with a bright smile. Her fear had dissolved. I’d seen too many children and adults with that kind of phobia.

I slid a gaze out the door that led to the other room, wondering what Arrow was up to in the other room. If I had known he’d be here, I wouldn’t have come.

Ridiculous. Don’t give any one man that much power.

It wasn’t fear toward him . . . It was fear of me seeing something Iwantedbut not having the courage to go after it. A relationship would disrupt my responsibilities.

“Anyone want a tarot card reading?” Audri asked, waving a colorful deck.

“You read tarot?” I asked.

“Not really. But there’s a little booklet that’ll give us the interpretations.” Audri took out the deck and began shuffling. “I just got it yesterday. One girl on my design team had a reading with The Silver Rose—some well-known psychic—and bought her deck. I hear it’s hard to get a reading from her.”

Audri gave me a few cards to look at it. The art was mystical, dreamy. I’d gotten a fortune reading one time during the Lunar New Year at a temple, but that was based on Chinese Astrology where each year carried the energy of a certain animal. I loved how different cultures had unique ways of interpreting life. Life was unpredictable and not set in stone. It was all about our choices and how we lived our lives.

Choices. What should I choose? A chance at happiness or to stay annoyed and unhappy?

I’d never had a tarot card reading before.“Sure, why not? I’m open to see what the universe has to say.”

“Me too.” Kiera glanced at the cards. “It better not be anything bad.”

“Nothing is truly bad. It’s how we look at it.”

Kiera arched an eyebrow. “What are you, some kind of witch?”

Audri chuckled. “If I’m a witch, you’re all witches too.”

“Andbootifulbitches.” Kiera snorted, making me laugh.

I could tell the wine was getting to my friends.

“Audri’s right though.” I shrugged. “What could seem bad at the moment may actually be perfect in the long run.”

Kiera poked me in the ribs. “Witchy bitch!”

“You’re drunk,” I teased.