“And?” Rainy couldn’t help herself; she wasn’t a believer, but she wanted to know about the cat.
“She said that my dead grandfather was haunting Sequins. And honestly, my grandfather hated cats, so it came as no surprise to any of us.” Ursa shrugged. “My family is weird. We got rid of the cat, but not the ghost.”
They laughed so hard they held their bellies, holding on to each other for balance as they maneuvered the sidewalk in their high heels. A slow rumble of thunder came from the sky and Braithe yelped, grabbing Tara’s arm and staring at the sky suspiciously. It was all humorous and fun beneath the veil of alcohol.
Maybe this isn’t so bad, Rainy thought. She walked alongside Ursa, who was recounting her time with Miami Oscar. Tara and Braithe were up ahead, leading the way, and Mac was somewhere in the middle, calling out directions as she read them off her phone.
They found a place online: readings for forty dollars apiece, group discounts available. There was no such thing as psychic ability, Rainy assured herself. This was like a show: they were going somewhere to be entertained, like any other place in Vegas. They had to navigate their way across puddles, making a game of leaping dramatically, arms flying. Rainy felt silly. She hadn’t even done these things when she was a kid. As they walked, Braithe told them she’d tried to get an appointment with a famous psychic her mother had seen here in Vegas, but there were no openings.
“Stephen always makes fun of me for wanting to go, but I swear to God that guy knows what he’s talking about.”
“She’s obsessed,” Tara announced to the rest of them. She was tiptoeing on a narrow strip of pavement to avoid a puddle. Braithe didn’t seem bothered by Tara’s comment; she looked happy, almost beaming.
“Ohhh,” Ursa said. “Does he have dark hair and a scar on his cheek? I’ve seen him on TV.”
Braithe nodded. “Yeah, that’s him. My mom went to see him before she married my dad. There was this other guy before my dad and I guess she was unsure about which man to go with. So she went to see the psychic and he said stuff about her that no one knew. Freaked her out, but it gave her such clarity. She said he changed her life. I just think it’s cool.” She dipped her head, laughing, and Rainy marveled at how beautiful she was.
Rainy sidestepped a wad of gum. She was starting to feel the exhaustion; it was tag-teaming the alcohol, making mush of her thoughts. And then they were there, the shop a blur of neon and incense and pastel crystals that looked like candy. She ran her hands over the lip of the shelves, listening to the others talk to a man who introduced himself as Luc.
“Is that your real name?” she heard Mac ask. She didn’t wait for Luc’s answer; she ducked behind a display of shirts and pretended to look for a size. Places like this freaked her out: people claiming to hear from other beings, relaying messages. She was chilly, the night had dried uncomfortably on her skin and her buzz was a faint hum now. Had she really been dancing beneath a ceiling of bubbles only an hour ago? She eyed the door, wondering if she could slip out and send them a text saying she wasn’t feeling well. Peeping around the display, she saw that Tara had taken a seat at Luc’s little table and he was laying cards in front of her. The words came back to her.
Do not be deceived by liars and manipulators. Astronomy, psychics and mediums are signs of a nation perverted by the idea that they can control their futures. They are evil manipulators of truth.
She tugged her phone from her pocket, hoping to see a text from Grant. Nothing, but there was a text from Viola.
I’ve got heartburn. You up?
The Tigers are getting their cards read and I’m here, too, she wrote back.
Viola’s text came back at record speed.
Say what? And don’t try to act like you’re not a Tiger, okay? I saw you in Tara’s story and you looked like you were having the time of your life.
Rainy rolled her eyes, trying to squeeze the smile off her face.
That part was fun but now they’re acting weird and I want to leave!!!
Whoa, whoa, you never use excited punctuation. How bad is it?
She bit her lip, thumbs paused. It wasn’t that bad, was it? Things had been weird, then great, then weird again. She decided to say exactly that to Viola.
Weird in what way? Viola asked.
They’re asking a lot of prying shit. Braithe is floating around superhappy and Tara keeps looking at me like I’m wearing tampons for earrings.
She’s just territorial, Viola sent back. Ignore her and don’t answer any of their questions. They’re always like this with Grant’s girlfriends. Don’t let them play you.