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With a reverent nod, Lia gathered up the deck, placing the stack he had chosen on the top. Then she began to lay the cards out in a particular order facedown the way she had with his cousins. She’d called it a Celtic Cross and remarked that the layout was one of the most traditional.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Yes.” He growled the word from between clenched teeth as he noticed a trace of excitement mingling with anxiety bubbling in his gut. Refusing to fall for Lia’s theatrics, he ruthlessly tamped down the emotions.
As if drawn to the drama unfolding at the dining room table, his cousins raced over and took the empty seats on either side of him. Eyes bright with curious intensity, they leaned forward, their full plates and refilled crystal tumblers forgotten.
“We’ll start with these two in the center,” Lia intoned, indicating the crossed cards.
She pulled the bottom one out first and flipped it over, revealing an old man with a long gray beard and bowed back. He carried a lantern and leaned on a walking stick. The character reminded Paul of Gandalf the Grey from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
“This is the Hermit reversed,” Lia said. “It indicates what’s currently influencing you. It’s crossed by...” A dramatic pause followed as she turned over the next card. “The Fool. It is the first card of the Major Arcana and indicates the beginnings of a journey. The Fool can represent following your instincts despite what might seem the more sensible practice.” Lia touched the Hermit card. “As you can see the Hermit is upside down. This indicates that your time of isolation is over. You are ready to rejoin your community.”
Paul glanced from Lia to Poppy to Dallas and back to Lia as he absorbed her words. All three women were completely engrossed and he had to resist the urge to snort derisively. Let them have their fun. Nothing Lia said so far pertained to him. He didn’t isolate himself. He worked long hours to make sure his clients’ data was safe. As for starting a journey...he had no plans to travel anywhere.
Lia flipped over the card below the first two. “This position is the basis of the situation.”
“That doesn’t look like a very happy scene,” Dallas said.
Paul peered at the image on the card and frowned. Two people slogging through the snow, their backs hunched, looking very much as if they were lost and having a very difficult time. Above them was a glowing church window with five circles.
“Many interpret the Five of Pentacles as a dire financial situation,” Lia said. “But I often read it as someone who either can’t see a helping hand being extended to them or is unable to accept the aid being offered.”
As expected, none of this made any sense. Paul forced down his impatience. He wasn’t in a situation where he had need of anyone’s assistance. With the exception of Lia’s appearance in their lives, everything in Paul’s orbit ran as smooth as clockwork.
“What’s in Paul’s past?” Poppy asked, pointing to the card in the nine o’clock position.
Lia turned it over. “The Three of Wands, indicating someone who has achieved much and is now satisfied with all they’ve done.” She lifted her gaze from the cards and regarded Paul. “I think that sums up your past perfectly. You’ve spent a lot of time working hard on your business and now you get to look forward to what’s next. The position above is possible outcome.” She flipped the card over.
“Whoa,” Dallas murmured. “That’s grim.”
The card showed a woman standing blindfolded and bound in front of a semicircle of swords. The bleakness of the image made him suddenly glad that it wasn’t a definite outcome. Even as that thought crossed his mind, he rejected it. This was nothing more than a foolish pastime. None of this meant anything.
“This is a potential outcome,” Lia pointed out.
Poppy worried her lower lip. “It doesn’t seem like Paul is destined for a happy ending.”
“The key to this card is the blindfold,” Lia said. “It symbolizes confusion and isolation. But notice that while her arms are bound, her legs are free. She could walk away from this dangerous situation at any point. Instead, she’s choosing to stay where she is.” Lia moved on. “This next position is near future. It shows some situation that you will soon have to face, but not with the same certainty as the outcome. However, it can influence how things turn out.”
As she finished speaking, she flipped the card over and Paul’s heart stopped dead at the sight of the two naked people on the card with the sun shining down and an angel hovering around them.
Poppy squealed with delight. “The Lovers.”
“Well, well, well,” Dallas said. “Paul, what aren’t you telling us?”
To his dismay, he felt a rush of heat beneath his skin. It couldn’t be possible. Lia must have managed some trick with the deck. There was no other explanation for why this card had shown up in this position after what had almost happened between them.
After what he wanted to happen between them.
“Looks like I’m going to get lucky,” he remarked, retreating into humor to cover his discomfort.
“Good for you,” Poppy said, making it sound like he’d been neglecting his sex life.
Dallas nodded her agreement. “Maybe you’ll meet someone at Ryan’s wedding who you’ll click with.”
Paul was standing up for his best friend at a small, private wedding in a few days. The speed with which Ryan had fallen for Zoe continued to bemuse Paul, but he had no hesitations about the two being perfect for each other.
“Unlikely,” Paul said, “since I know everyone who’ll be there.” Yet, even as he spoke Paul couldn’t stop himself from glancing Lia’s way. In truth, he’d already met someone who intrigued him.
