Page 5 of Love Letters from a Libra (BLP Signs of Love #13)
Libra Daily Horoscope – Jupiter is ruling your planet today, making it ideal for an unexpected connection. Someone might surprise you with how well they see you .
My screen had dimmed twice. I’d been staring at Jules’s number for so long, which I added to my contacts in my phone. It had been three days since he gave me his number at the café. I took a deep breath and typed.
Me:
You never told me your last name. Tell me something that’s not in your chart.
I hit send before I could talk myself out of it. I tossed the phone as if it were burning hot. What kind of opening line was that? I hadn’t even said my name, but normal hadn’t been our vibe so far. I busied myself cleaning my room, and when the notification chimed, it sent me diving across my bed.
Jules:
Smoke. My aunt taught me how to make peach cobbler from scratch when I was nine. I still make it every year on her birthday. Your turn.
Damn. I blinked. No delay or “who’s this?” Just an immediate, genuine response that made me smile. Ah, and he turned it back on me. Clever.
Me:
I secretly watch horror films, but I tell everyone I hate them because I don’t want to admit that I watch them with my hands over my face.
His response came fast.
Jules:
That explains the nightlight I spotted on your last live.
Me:
Stalker.
Jules:
Observer. Different skill set.
Me:
Semantics and seriously, are you watching my lives all the way through?
Jules:
Yeah, why not?
I rolled my eyes but found myself smiling. I was attracted to his energy.
Me:
Fine. Tell me something else. Something unexpected.
Jules:
I have a sister in college who thinks astrology is capitalist propaganda, but still checks her Co-Sun app every morning.
I laughed out loud at that one.
Me:
Skeptics are the most obsessed. She sounds like a Scorpio.
Jules:
Close. Scorpio rising.
The fact that he knew his sister’s rising sign, the exact time and location the zodiac sign was ascending when she was born, made me pause. Most guys I dated barely knew their sun sign, also known as their zodiac sign, let alone knowing anything about risings.
Me:
We should do coffee again. I want to hear more about your family.
My stomach fluttered as I watched the three dots bounce as he typed.
Jules:
I figured a Libra like you would rather touch pretty things than sit in a loud coffee shop. There’s a botanical garden with a greenhouse cafe on Milton. Tomorrow at two?
My eyebrow shot up. He was right. I would prefer to do something different.
Me:
That actually sounds perfect. I’ll meet you there.
Jules:
Wear comfortable shoes.
I tossed my phone aside, realizing it was almost midnight. I moved toward my closet, wondering what exactly one wore to a botanical garden with a man who seemed to know me better than he should have.
I pulled out outfit after outfit, creating a pile on my bed.
Too casual. Too fancy. Ugh. I finally settled on high-waisted jeans that made my ass look like it had its own zip code, a cute green top, and matching sandals.
I would keep my jewelry simple, with small hoops and a delicate gold necklace.
I laid everything in my reading chair, like I’d done in high school before important days.
I headed to the bathroom, where I applied coconut oil to my curls. “It’s not a big deal. We’re just going to look at plants.”
My reflection looked unconvinced.
Before crawling into bed, I texted Toni.
Me:
Having a non-date with the cafe guy tomorrow. Botanical gardens. Send good vibes.
Her response was immediate:
Toni:
Girl, if he’s taking you to see plants instead of drinking booze, he’s either husband material or a serial killer. No in-between. Details after.
I smiled and placed my phone on the charger.
The Wild Root Nursery was the kind of place I’d post on my Facepage with some caption about grounding your energy. Jules approached me with his locs pulled back. I adjusted my top as he hugged me. He smelled amazing.
“Hi, beautiful.”
“Hi. This is my kind of spot. You nailed it.”
“I thought you would like it.”
We weaved through rows of flowering shrubs and potted herbs. The floor was still damp from recent watering. The nursery wasn’t crowded—a mother with her toddler and a few older couples.
Conversation flowed as we discussed the podcast and the plants surrounding us. We turned into a corner filled with tropical plants when Jules stopped suddenly. He reached toward a medium-sized plant.
“This looks like a plant you might like,” he mentioned, lifting the terra cotta pot.
I stared at the prayer plant in his hands
“Do you like it?” he asked.
The plant’s leaves were deep green with red veining.
I reached for the plant, and my fingers brushed against his as I took the pot.
I examined the leaves. “It’s perfect. You will never believe I assigned the prayer plant to my Libra sign because of how the leaves rise and fall daily, constantly seeking balance.
Jules shrugged. “You strike me as someone who appreciates things that change in cycles. Seasons, day or night. Planetary movements.”
“You never told me how you got into astrology,” Jules asked.
“I’m not going to lie. Most men think it’s bullshit or pretend to?—”
“Get in them jeans?” Jules finished my sentence with a smirk on his face.
I laughed despite myself. “I was going to say seem evolved, but yeah, that too!”
Jules licked his full lips. “Honestly, in my line of work, you have to notice patterns and human behavior. Astrology is just another pattern language,” Jules clarified.
Impressed, I raised my eyebrows. “Wow, most people don’t see it that way.”
“I’m not most people.”
We walked and turned to a section that was more humid and warmer.
“What’s your sign?” I asked, knowing it was clichéd, but I was curious.
“That depends. A birth chart has multiple placements, and sun signs are what most people mean, but that’s surface level.”
I blinked, surprised. “Right, so what’s your sun sign then?”
“Scorpio.”
“Ah, fixed water, secretive, intense,” I murmured, mostly to myself.
“You say that like you’re giving a diagnosis.”
I laughed. “I categorize people by their planetary placements.”
Jules gently took the plant from my hands. “Let me carry this. We’ve been out in the sun too long. You look like you could use some water.”
He was right; my mouth was dry. I followed him into an attached café where we settled at a cute little iron table. A server approached us, and Jules glanced at me first. “Sparkling water with mint for me.”
“I’ll take a sparkling water with lime,” I replied. The server nodded and left.
Our drinks arrived, and I took a long sip of my water.
After our drinks, we wandered outside to pay for the plant.
I was relaxed now, with the sun beaming down on us felt good.
Jules walked beside me, carrying my plant in a paper tote bag as we walked along a winding path surrounded by blooming orchids.
Our arms brushed against each other occasionally, sending little sparks across my skin.
Jules paused to admire a row of bonsai trees.
“This reminds me of being a kid, my aunt would take me and my sister on nature days. We would visit museums on free days or take walks on the trails. I didn’t realize it then, but she couldn’t afford vacations, but Aunt Nubi always kept us busy.”
“That’s so sweet. Did your aunt raise you?” I asked.
Jules nodded. “Yeah, my pops passed when we were really young, and then my mother years later.” Jules reached out to touch a leaf.
“I’m sorry.”
Jules shrugged. “My aunt is the one who taught me to pay attention, to be quiet long enough to notice the rhythm of things.”
I smiled. “Damn, that explains the Jedi calm.”
Jules laughed. “Jedi calm. I’ll take that. I like it.”
I smiled. “I spent a lot of time at my grandmother’s with my cousin and aunties. They were loud but full of love. My mom was quiet, but my dad was the hurricane, the one who couldn’t sit still.”
Jules smiled. “I can see that; you’re definitely a little stormy.” He laughed.
I smiled but rolled my eyes.
“The good kind of stormy, summer rain. Necessary.”
His compliment warmed me like the sunlight. We continued walking.
“Okay, one last question before I decide if I trust you.”
“Hit me.”
“Do you eat potato salad from just anywhere, or are you properly trained in the art of unverified dishes?”
Jules paused. “I need to know who made it. How many aunties approved it, and if it has raisins in it, I’m calling the police.”
I burst out laughing. “Okay, okay. You’re invited to the cookout.”
Jules pretended to wipe sweat from his brow. “Whew!” He laughed.
The rational part of my brain was telling me he was too good to be true, but the quieter part was curious. Jules saw me. Something was intoxicating about being seen.
As we approached the exit, an older woman was standing at the door.
“You two make such a cute couple. It’s nice to see young people who look so good together.”
My cheeks flushed. “Oh no, we’re friends,” I corrected.
Jules’s expression was unreadable. Was he disappointed? I couldn’t tell, but the thought of being more than friends both thrilled and terrified me.
“I should probably get home,” I said outside.
“Of course.”
We headed to my car, and he opened the door for me, another intimate and old-fashioned gesture.
I grabbed the paper bag and secured it on the floor on the passenger side.
“Thank you for today,” I said, suddenly aware that we had shifted into awkward territory.
“You’re more than welcome, Zanaa.” The way that man said my name was like he was tasting it, sending shivers down my spine.
Jules closed my door. While I waited for him to get inside his car, I checked my phone, noticing a mixture of missed calls and texts from my parents, Rell, Toni, and even a sponsor for my blog. I would get back to everyone later. I checked my mirror and pulled out.
I knew I would see him again. I wanted to figure out what this was between us. Something that felt dangerously like recognition.