The Gypsy Ribbon Read online

  She jerked in surprise when her cell phone rang, but answered it immediately when she recognized the number. “Hey chickadee, is the party over already?”

  Lily laughed. “Almost. I’ve got a special request,” she said, “but I wanted to call and ask you about it first.”

  “What kind of request?” Beth asked cautiously.

  Lily’s next words came out in one long sentence. “James wants your phone number because he was really disappointed you left as suddenly as you did but I didn’t want to give it to him without asking you first.”

  Disappointed? The sudden blood rush roared in her ears and Beth was certain she had not heard Lily correctly. “I’m sorry. He wants my number? For what?”

  “What else would he want it for? He wants to ask you out,” Lily whispered impatiently. “Can I give it to him?”

  Beth sighed. “He’s not interested in me, Lily. I’m not even close to his type. I’ve seen the girls he’s been photographed with and they’re all like supermodels or something.”

  Lily gave an unladylike snort. “Do you hear yourself? More importantly, are you hearing me? He wants your number. May I give it to him?” She waited for the response and added quietly, “Maybe he wants to hang out with somebody real for a change.” She paused. “He really liked you.”

  Beth mumbled, “I don’t know what to do. I liked him too, I thought he was really nice, you know, and funny…”

  “Soooo… C’mon, he’s giving me the sad puppy face here,” Lily groaned.

  “Fine,” Beth rolled her eyes. “Give it to him. Between you and me, though, I’m not expecting anything to come out of it, so I’m not even going to start getting my hopes up.” Changing the subject, she said, “Who is the King of Cups?” but remembered as soon as the words were spoken aloud. “Duh–forget I asked that. Just…give James my number, okay?”

  “Thank you,” Lily sang, “Talk to you tomorrow!”

  After the call ended, Beth studied the cards she had drawn again, this time with more understanding. Lily had always been the Queen of Cups, and when Ian came into the picture, the cards had presented him fittingly as her King, their respective signs being Cancer and Scorpio.

  “King of Cups…what does Ian have to do with this? The question was what does James want, and the answer was Ian. Maybe Ian has something James doesn’t have.” She scooped her cards up and shuffled again, thinking about the next question.

  “What does Ian have that James wants?” She fanned the deck across the tabletop, closed her eyes and selected a card. As she pulled it out, another came out with it and fluttered to the floor. She laid the first card down and turned it over. The Ten of Cups, the card of lasting happiness, joy and contentment, happy family. Suddenly the pieces fell into place. Ian was happy and James wanted to be too. Made perfect sense. She picked up the card that popped out of the deck, and dropped it again as if she had been burned. The Queen of Wands. Her card.

  Beth sat and stared at the Queen for a long moment then mechanically put all the cards away. I’m done thinking about this, she decided, nothing’s going to come of it. Been there, did that, bought the shirt, thank you very much. She thought back to a time when she lived and breathed for the moment that Victor Tarucci the third–a.k.a. Shithead or He Whose Name Cannot Be Mentioned–would ask her out. An up and coming financial planner with a nearby bank, he dropped in for lunch several times a week at the sports bar where she waited tables, usually with other suit-clad professionals. He chatted her up quite a bit, finally–she thought–working up the nerve to ask her out. Handsome, witty, charming. Everything she thought she was looking for in a knight in shining armor, come to rescue her from a life of sore feet and going home at night smelling like french fries.

  After their casual dinner, he drove her back to his apartment on the pretense of getting his ID to go out to a local nightclub. Beth never saw him coming. He was all over her the moment his door closed. She put him off, telling him that she thought they should get to know each other better before falling madly into bed. With a cool smile, he apologized and assured her he understood, but took her home anyway with the promise to call her again really soon.

  The next day while at Walmart picking out a birthday card for Lily’s mother, Beth’s cell phone rang. She snatched it out of her back jeans pocket. “Hello?” There was no response, but she heard noise in the background. She tried again. “Is anyone there?” She listened for a moment and heard a man’s muffled voice.

  “Jesus, Tarucci. Watch the speed bumps. I almost spilled my beer,” the man complained.

  Victor laughed. “Then drink faster,” he said, “or you’re paying to get my interior cleaned.”

  “Victor?” Beth said loudly. “Can you hear me? Victor, it’s Beth. Hello?”

  She was about to hang up when the second man spoke again. “So you went out with that red-haired waitress from the Finish Line last night. She’s got great tits. Are they real?” He laughed.

  “Who the fuck knows?” Victor retorted. “She wouldn’t give it up.”

  “No way.” The other man gasped. “Not even a blow job?”

  “Hell no.” Victor laughed. “I had to buy her dinner and didn’t get shit for it. I’m not making that mistake twice. She’s a waitress, for chrissakes. I like my pussy with a higher personal standard of achievement, if you know what I mean.” Both men barked with coarse laughter.

  Beth felt sick, the bile rising up in her throat choking her. The card so carefully picked out fell forgotten to the floor. Turning off the phone, she ran for the exit with hot tears of shame burning her eyes.

  “He just wasn’t that much fun close up, it was better to admire him from afar,” she told Lily later, not wanting to admit the truth. Not wanting anyone to know the truth.

  Beth had a secret.

  Back when she and Lily were in grade school, they had both gotten silver abstinence rings, promising to wait until they were truly in love before they had sex. Beth had stopped wearing hers because the sports bar patrons reacted to the ring like a bull with a red flag–a challenge too great to be ignored. Numerous offers of assistance ridding her of her pesky virginity were made, but she turned them all down. Although she never came right out and asked, Lily assumed Beth had already done the deed when the ring went noticeably missing. Beth hadn’t disabused her friend of that notion.

  Not that I wouldn’t know how if I wanted to, she thought. Very well read on the subject of sex, she could cite such unimpeachable sources as her favorite romance novels and the magazines in the checkout line. In spite of not having any practical experience, she knew she’d be good in bed. Cheered by her potential prowess, she wove her hair into a loose braid and slipped into an oversized sleep shirt that read Don’t Make Me Call the Flying Monkeys. With a wide yawn, she headed for bed and sweet dreams she hoped wouldn’t feature smiling Irish eyes.

  * * * *

  With a broad smile, Lily turned to James. “She said I can give it to you. Give me your phone.”

  James handed it over obediently. While she entered in Beth’s contact information he asked, “What’s she like? I mean, really like.”

  “We’ve been best friends for yea–”

  James sat back and stroked his chin thoughtfully. “We just met this evening, but I have to tell you I think I would have been able to pick her out of a screaming crowd. She’s got something. It’s hard to describe, exactly.” He glanced around for his drink, and unable to locate it waved at the waitress to bring him another. “She is quite the beauty, but I don’t think she thinks she is. She’s funny too. Talks non-stop. I love that. She has a running narrative going all the time.”

  “She sounds a lot lik–”

  “And her car. Ah, it’s a great car. I told her so and I could tell by the look on her face she thought I was giving her a hard time about it. It’s got a lot of personality, that car, just like her.”

  “She’s always been pra–”

  “And that dress.” He rolled his eyes with a blissful si
gh. “I mean, pardon my saying, you being a right proper unmarried lady and all, but she is a luscious bit of woman. The women I see are like sticks most of the time, rail thin and naught but hard edges to hold on to. Beth is soft and curvy and…” The server arrived with his wine, and he downed half of it in one gulp. “…Christ almighty, listen to me. I’m going on like a teenage boy. Yeah, I liked her.”

  “So are you pla–”

  “I asked her to go back to my hotel and have a drink, and that’s when she took off running. I thought maybe I offended her or something. I guess I’m used to having to move quickly. I’m never in one place for too long.”

  “What if you were to–”

  James opened his mouth to speak again, but Lily raised a warning hand and laughed. “Shut it, James.”

  He laughed too. “I get that a lot.” He raised his glass in mock toast and said, “So now you tell me about her.”

  Lily smiled. “Beth been my best friend since…well, forever…and I love her dearly. She lost both her parents when she was very little, and she lived with her aunt until she passed away a couple of years ago. She’s been on her own since that. She’s a little rough around the edges sometimes, and her mouth tends to get her in all kinds of trouble, but a lot of that is just self-preservation. She’s as tenderhearted and sweet as they come.” Her voice lowered conspiratorially. “I’ll tell you a secret and if you ever tell her I told you this, I’ll kick you into the middle of next week.”

  James flinched and raised his hand. “I solemnly swear. Jaysus, do you threaten Ian like this? No wonder he’s toeing the line now.”

  Lily giggled. “Stay on point, James. Beth has been crushing on you for years, and she was completely floored–as was I, I must say–to find out you are Ian’s brother. Now she’s coming face to face with one of her fantasies, and I think she finds you more than a little intimidating.” She took a sip from her own glass and smiled when Ian winked at her from across the room. “If you’re really interested, you’re going to need to convince her that you’re sincere. I mean, your reputation isn’t exactly spotless, you know.”

  He sighed and his shoulders sagged a little. “Years ago, a tiny bit might have been deserved, but a lot has been exaggerated to the point that even I’m shocked at what I’ve supposedly done. Most of it is just rumor and publicity, I swear.”

  “I already knew that, James,” Lily smiled. “You were raised in a good family and I know you’re a true gentleman at heart.”

  His cheeks burned at the unexpected compliment. “Gentleman, I don’t know, but one thing you’re right about is that I do come from a good family.” His gaze swept the room, lingering on Ian, Meg and Heather laughing at a shared joke. “The old man never approved of my leaving school for the band. He wanted me to finish my studies first and find a good woman to settle down with.” He looked down at his hands and for the briefest moment his eyes misted over, the pain of losing their father in a car accident two years ago still fresh. “He would have wanted to be here for this,” he mumbled.

  She leaned over and gently patted his hand. “I have no doubts he’ll be watching over us.”

  He nodded once and straightening up smiled back at her. “So how do I go about convincing Beth I’m sincere?”

  Lily rubbed her hands together. “Well…” she began slowly, “I just might have a few ideas…”

  4

  Beth was by nature an early riser, but the prior evening’s potent combination of mead, wine with dinner and the near kiss that made her go screaming off into the night had taken its toll, so it was nearly eleven before she awoke. Her eyes barely opened when the silence was shattered by the Wicked Witch of the West theme from the Wizard of Oz. After a moment of lazy deliberation, she rolled over to answer her cell phone, curious at the unknown number.

  “‘Lo?” she mumbled.

  “Good morning, sunshine,” that damnably musical voice said. “Are you not up yet? Jaysus, gal. It’s all of eleven o’clock. It’s James, by the by. James Kelly? You might remember, we met last night in a dark and scary parking lot…”

  She bolted upright in the bed. She quickly smoothed her mussed hair, her braid having unraveled in the night. “James! Um…yes, I’m up. Uh…Hi! What’s…going on?”

  He laughed and a small chunk of her emotional armor fell away in response to that warm, rich sound. “I’m calling to see if you’d like to go to lunch. Someplace out in public during the broad daylight hours so I don’t frighten you off again.”

  Still not quite certain she wasn’t deep in the throes of a really excellent dream, she thought fast. Surely there’s no harm in just having lunch, a little inner voice chided. “Okay,” she agreed. “What time? Would you like me to meet you somewhere?”

  “How long will it take you to get ready?” he asked. “I think I’m pretty close by, I can pick you up.”

  “I can be ready in just a few minutes,” she said, then added warily, “Just how close are you?”

  “Very,” he snickered.

  She rocketed out of bed and ran to her bedroom window, yanking the blinds open to reveal the parking lot. Just as she suspected. There he was, leaning against the hood of his rented Lexus, clad in faded jeans, a Tampa Bay Bucs t-shirt and ball cap, running shoes, and the most devastating smile she had ever seen. Yup, still dreaming. She giggled in spite of herself and waved.

  He waved back. “So…how long will it take you to get ready?” he repeated patiently.

  “Give me just a minute.” She breathed then hung up before her mouth could betray her thoughts. Her mind was racing as she began trying to talk herself off the ledge. “Yes, he’s sitting out there waiting for me. Me. Okay, don’t panic. Jeans, jeans…where the hell are my jeans…”

  She hopped through the bedroom on one leg as she pulled them on, thanking the Goddess she had finally gotten around to doing laundry yesterday. Pulling on a light knit top, she ran to the bathroom, dabbed on a little makeup and yanked a brush through her hair until she was satisfied it didn’t look like she had just crawled out of bed. She found one sneaker in the closet–one of the good pair that she saved for special occasions–and after a brief but harrowing search found the other one under the bed. She laced them up, grabbed her purse and ran for her front door.

  Stop right there! Her inner voice screeched before she could fling the door open and sprint down the stairs three at a time. Walk. Do not run. Taking a deep breath, she counted to ten, then twenty, then fifty. When her pulse was as close to normal as she was sure it could be under the circumstances, she opened the front door and stepped out into the sunlight.

  * * * *

  James was a bundle of nerves. He had sat there for at least five minutes before he got up the courage to call, but once he heard her voice he relaxed. Now he was keyed up all over again as he waited for what seemed like hours. It’s only been ten minutes, he tried to reassure himself, sitting back on the hood. A horrible thought suddenly occurred to him and he froze, muttering under his breath. “Christ almighty. I hope she’s not sneaking out the back door.” He was just contemplating a stroll around the back of the building to check when she glided down the outside stairs.

  Thinking her even lovelier in the daylight, he smiled warmly at her. Slipping down off the hood of the luxury sedan, he took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her fingertips. “Good morning, Miss Beth,” he intoned formally He caught himself staring at her beautiful eyes as he tried to count the varied hues of green and gold.

  “Good morning, James. This is a nice surprise,” she said, lowering her lashes shyly. “I guess Lily told you where I live too.”

  He nodded. “I had to coerce that bit of information out of her, so don’t hold it against her.”

  Beth smiled when he opened the car door for her then ran around to get in the other side. “Where did you want to go for lunch?” she asked, fumbling around for and finally finding the seatbelt. With a loud click, she belted herself in and looked at James expectantly.

  James
assumed a bewildered expression. “Honestly, I have no idea,” he confided, “I never thought I’d get this far.” She stared at him in disbelief then burst into laughter which continued until tears rolled down her cheeks. When she was able to compose herself again, she peeked over at him from underneath the damp lashes. “Well, do you have any suggestions?” he demanded, then unable to resist any longer burst into happy laughter which got Beth started all over again.

  After a few minutes of unrestrained hilarity, James broached the subject again. “Let’s just handle it this way. I’d like to spend time with you. How do you propose we do that? We can work lunch in there somewhere, I’m sure.”

  Beth thought for a moment. “I had planned on going to the mall today, but I’m sure that’s not something that you’d like to do. It’s not really very exciting…”

  His face lit up with delight. “I haven’t been to a mall in ages. I don’t get to do stuff like that on tour. We’re always in too much of a hurry,” James said.

  “If you really want to, we could just walk around the mall for a while, maybe get something to eat in the food court,” she offered.

  “I would love that,” he murmured as he started the car. He sat staring in momentary confusion at the steering wheel then turned a bright smile to her. “Now then, darlin’, where’s the mall?”

  * * * *

  The drive to the large Brandon mall took only a few minutes from her apartment. Finding a parking place close to the building, they entered through one of the big anchor department stores. Beth was charmed to watch his myriad expressions as they moved through Dillard’s toward the interior of the mall. He seemed determined not to miss anything, and she found herself getting swept up by his infectious exuberance.

  They chatted amiably while they walked past store windows, pausing occasionally to admire a display or browse an aisle kiosk. Just as they turned toward the food court, Beth happened to notice that they were being followed. Not just by one person either, but a whole group of people, growing by the minute. She could have smacked herself for her own stupidity bringing one of the most famous faces in the world to the mall. She cleared her throat nervously “There are people following us,” she whispered.