Twice Bitten, Once Shy: Confessions of a Fake Psychic Detective #5

Chapter 6

The Red Zone

What Zandra knows, and what Aaron knows, but what Jade can't possibly know, is that the psychic and the quarterback crossed paths not long ago. And it wasn't at a football stadium.

The Mead. Gene's ritual in the woods. Aaron was there.

"Zandra was a late addition to the instructor list," Jade says, oblivious to why Zandra and Aaron appear frozen in shock.

"Yeah. I didn't know you were going to be here," Aaron says. He doesn't bother trying to shake hands. Zandra doesn't mind.

"I didn't know I was going to be here, either," Zandra says.

Jade laughs. She's the only one.

You know what? Let's let him know I know. Athletes like Aaron get treated like demigods. A part of him probably holds out hope that I didn't notice him around that fire. Or maybe he's thinking that someone will come along to bail his ass out of anything that makes him feel uncomfortable, like this little introduction.

He is here, though. Things can't be going great for him if he's dancing for dollars on a river cruise. He'd do well to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Zandra sniffs. "Do you smell woodsmoke, child?"

"No," Aaron says and swallows hard. "I don't smell anything."

"I don't think I'm mistaken," Zandra says.

Jade breathes in deep through her nose. She pauses before saying, "Hmmm. I don't smell smoke."

A nervous chuckle dribbles out of Aaron.

I'll back off now, but I saw you, chuckles. I remember.

"Must be my imagination," Zandra says. "Anyway, nice to meet you for the very first time ever, Aaron."

Aaron nods and points to the bar. He mumbles something about grabbing a beer and shuffles away.

Jade pulls Zandra close so no one else can hear and says, "I didn't think he'd be that awkward. I hope he can pull it together for his presentation."

"What is his presentation about?" Zandra says.

"Digital coins or something? It took forever for him to explain it," Jade says.

If you can't explain something simply, either you don't understand it or you don't want others to understand it. Or both.

Aaron must've been tied in close with Gene if he fell this hard, this fast.

"How about a tour of the rest of the boat?" Jade says.

Zandra and Jade dodge the busy crew members as they make their way to the rest of the Curd Queen. Off the lounge are a series of "ballrooms," where the presentations and demos will take place.

They're too small to host a ball, but they might hold a few of the circular kind.

"The nice thing is the instructors won't need microphones," Jade says. "But maybe you do? I wanted to check. Don't spirits manifest their energy in electronics to speak since they don't have physical bodies to manipulate the air to create vocalizations?"

Uh, sure.

Zandra rubs her palms together and says, "The spirits that can manifest enough energy to do that are extremely powerful, child. That's not a spirit I would call upon for a room of mere tourists in the unseen world."

Jade buys it.

Of course she does.

"My mistake. I'm so glad you know this stuff," Jade says as she leads Zandra from the ballrooms toward a flight of stairs. "I'll show you the cabins."