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“He told me he couldn’t leave me in the water alone because of a rip tide, and then he ran into my house and got me a towel so I didn’t have to flash my butt at the world.”
“Thank god for that,” Ruby says, holding her stomach as she catches her breath from laughing.
“Yeah.” Sunday turns back to a rack of necklaces and picks out one with little sterling silver butterflies dangling from it. “But now I can’t stop thinking about being on the beach naked with Banks. That’s not weird, is it?” she confesses, wincing as she waits for Ruby’s judgment to kick in.
“Nah, definitely not weird. An extremely attractive man saw you in the water naked—I’m assuming he was out for a jog, which means no shirt?”
“Yeah, and I’ve watched him run by my house before,” Sunday says, feeling guilty.
“I doubt you’re the only woman on the island who enjoys the scenery whenever Henry Banks is around. I mean, come on: square jaw, firm body, broad shoulders, quiet and mysterious…you’re fifty-four, not dead. No one expects you not to entertain a little harmless fantasy about a guy like that.”
“Wait, does that mean you have a thing for Banks?” Sunday asks, trying to sound nonchalant as she inspects the butterfly necklace and tries to imagine it on Olive.
“God, no. Definitely no.” Ruby puts both hands in the air like she’s surrendering in a bank heist. “He’s handsome, yes, but I respect his job, what he does for me, and the fact that he does it so well. I would never want to get those wires crossed, and furthermore, I’m just not attracted to him like that. We’ve known each other for so long.”
“You’re not attracted to him?” Sunday looks at her like she’s crazy.
“Nah. Banks is cool as a cucumber and a damn good Secret Service agent, but I’ve always been into guys who are more cerebral—you know, the ones who can sit around and talk about books and who get excited about things like a perfect sunset, or the way a smell reminds them of something important.”
“And you know a lot of men who are into sunsets and the memories invoked by scents?” Sunday leans a hip against the counter that holds all the necklace racks. “Ohhh, wait. I feel like Mr. Dexter North might be into books. And, oh, heyyyy—he’s a writer, so he’s probably pretty adept at using his senses and appreciating the magic of the natural world.” She sweeps her hands through the air dramatically, sounding just as jokingly sarcastic as she looks.
Ruby’s cheeks turn pink and she tucks her hair behind her ears. “We’re just working together on a project.”
“Uh huh. And I’m just thinking of doing friendly things with Banks, like trading one-person dinner recipes, or discussing the fastest way to get to the mainland.”
Ruby glances around and lowers her voice again. “But Sun, he’swayyounger than me.”
“Not this again. Give me a break—the man is a man, and you’re a gorgeous, successful woman in your own right. So take the credit you deserve, and accept that he might be attracted to you in spite of the fact that you’re fast approaching the big five-oh.”
Ruby makes a gagging face. “Fifty.”
“Hey, don’t knock it. Not everyone makes it to fifty, and most don’t make it there with as much panache as you.”
“Thank you. And you’re right,” Ruby says. “I’m here, I have my health, and I have two great kids. I shouldn’t be worrying myself about a few crow’s feet or some gray hairs.”
“You most definitely should not,” Sunday says, taking Ruby by the elbow and steering her towards Ella now that the other customer has picked her pack of tarot cards, paid for them, and left the shop.
“Ladies,” Ella says, spreading her arms expansively. She’s wearing an ombre shirt of yellows, oranges, and pinks, and as she lifts her arms, the fabric flows all around her like she’s got batwings. Ella has a gold ring on each finger of both hands, and she wears her long, graying hair pulled into a chic topknot, with just a touch of bright lipstick to finish off her look. “Welcome, welcome, welcome,” Ella says, clapping her hands together and lacing all of her fingers so that her rings clink together. “You’re here for a reading.” It’s not a question.
“I—“ Ruby is shaking her head no, but Sunday grabs her hand to silence her.
“Yes, we are,” Sunday says. “We heard great things about your readings, and I really wanted to try. Ruby is along for the ride, but she might want one too.”
Ruby looks surprised, but says nothing.
Ella squints at both of them. “Sunday,” she says, looking directly at Sunday. They’ve met around the island a number of times, but Sunday wouldn’t have flinched if a woman she’d never met had greeted her by name; it certainly wouldn’t be the first time. “I feel that you need a psychic reading. You and me, sitting in my room, and me channeling all of the messages that you need to hear. Does that sound right?”
Sunday nods. “It sounds perfect. I’m ready for all of the messages.”
Ruby holds her purse across the front of her body protectively as she watches Sunday. They know each other well enough that Sunday knows Ruby isn’t fundamentally opposed to the psychic reading, she’s just not totally convinced yet that it’s for her.
“Listen,” Ruby says, “I’m going to grab a coffee next door and chat with Molly. You let me know when you’re done and then we can see how the rest of the afternoon looks for us time-wise.” She shoots Sunday a meaningful look.
Ruby leaves and the bells on the door tinkle behind her. Sunday waits while Ella locks the front door of the shop and turns the sign over to the “Be Back Soon!” side.
“Follow me, darling,” Ella says, sweeping through the shop with her batwing shirt drifting around her.
Ella’s room is in the back of the building, and it’s nothing more than an eight-by-eight square foot space that’s been partitioned off from the rest of Doubloons and Full Moons. She pulls a curtain aside for Sunday and motions for her to choose one of the two comfortable looking stuffed chairs. Sunday sits in a yellow corduroy chair and puts a decorative pillow in her lap so that she can run her fingers through its tassels as she listens to whatever Ella is about to tell her.
