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Georgia Turner was a fellow American who had relocated to live in Bali to run a local charity, a fireball of a woman from the state of Louisiana. She was in her late thirties, a tall brunette with dark blue eyes. She had a light southern drawl to her speech and was blessed with a wicked sense of humor. She was also extremely perceptive and had an uncanny way of seeing through you with her sharp, observant eyes.
"Georgia, I don't know-" I began, tucking a piece of my long, reddish-blond hair behind my ear. It was a waste of time arguing with her because Georgia didn't take no for an answer. I could already feel the smugness emanating from her. She knew she'd won and I knew I'd be going out tonight.
"No if's, ands or buts," Georgia said as she cut me off. She turned smoothly on her heel and headed down the hallway. "Now get your behind into gear before I need to kick it. " I watched Georgia's ponytail bobbing as she bounced away.
"And I'll be back at eight. Be ready," She yelled over her shoulder as if an afterthought.
Glancing at my watch, I let out a groan when I noticed it was already almost seven. I guess it was time to get my ass into gear since Georgia wouldn't be late.
***
Humming to myself, I dabbed on lip gloss and pivoted in the mirror, giving my tight black wrap dress and wedge sandals a silent nod of approval. I walked down the hall into the living room and plopped down on the couch to wait for Georgia. Closing my eyes, I took in a calming breath, concentrating on getting my mental shields in place. It had been a while since I'd been in a crowd of people and unless I was prepared, it was going to be a long night for me.
I avoided going out a lot because of my 'gift'. And most days my 'gift' of being a psychic empath seemed to be more of a curse than a blessing. It gave me a front row seat to see the intimate details into the lives of strangers and their emotions. I told very few people about my abilities. I'd learned the hard way that most people either viewed me as a shiny new toy to play with or chose to avoid me at all costs.
"Josie!" Georgia's irritated voice brought me back to reality, snapping me out of my musings. "I've been knocking for two minutes. C'mon already, Anna's waiting for us. Let's roll, girl. "
Startled by her loud arrival, I'd been so focused on shielding that I hadn't heard Georgia knocking or been able to see her arrive. She was hard to block, her future and emotions almost screamed out for my attention. I had to stay on guard with Georgia. It would only take one small slip on my part for her to figure out my abilities.
"Sorry, Georgia. I'm just out of it today," I said. I reached ove
r to grab my purse and tried my best to push down my guilty conscience, offering her a small smile of apology.
"We can chat in the car. I didn't work this long getting ready to stand around in your house. C'mon," Georgia teased as she swept her arm down her body. Georgia's hair hung down her back in a sleek, shiny sheet and her hot pink, silk mini-dress left little to the imagination. She was what Americans termed 'a cougar. ' She happily flaunted her sexuality and viewed men as an entertaining challenge. Once she'd had her fun, she moved on to the next. There were days that I envied her nonchalance when it came to men and relationships.
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered as I followed Georgia outside to her car, getting in the passenger seat and reaching behind me to grab the seat belt. I was still struggling to fasten it when she gunned the engine and roared down my driveway. Georgia drove like she was chasing the last living man on earth or the last bottle of wine on the island. Or both.
"Josie, are you excited about tonight?" Georgia asked. I shot her a look out of the corner of my eye and smiled as I watched her bounce in the seat excitedly. "I just know tonight is going to be a night to remember. Something big is going to happen, Josie. I can feel it!"
"And what makes tonight so special?" I questioned. I found it ironic that this was coming from the non-psychic cougar that made this same prediction every time we went out. And to date, nothing exciting had ever happened.
"I can't put my finger on it, Josie. Maybe we can find you a man tonight. You've been here way too long with no lovin'," Georgia drawled, glancing over at me with a wicked smile before focusing back on the road.
"Georgia, you know I don't date. Men and I aren't a good mix," I huffed, folding my arms across my chest. It wasn't a lie, I didn't date. I avoided men and had given up on the idea of having a relationship a long time ago. It was yet another perk of being a psychic empath.
"Who said anything about dating? I'm merely suggesting that you have a little fun with no strings attached," Georgia replied lightly. "You're gorgeous, Josie. You could have any man you wanted. "
Georgia's words were ironic. I didn't consider myself 'gorgeous' but I was pretty. My long hair was reddish-blond and wavy and I was curvy in all the right places. I'd never had any problem attracting the unwanted attention of men. I just didn't want it.
"Whatever. Keep dreaming, cougar," I replied. I mentally started the countdown until she started her tirade. 3, 2. . .
"I told you that I'm much too young to be a cougar. I'm a puma. " Georgia raised an eyebrow and quickly shot me a dirty look. "Stop trying to change the subject, Josie. I'm just worried about you, sweetie. You seem so lonely. "
Hot tears pricked at the back of my eyes as I focused out the window for a moment. "I'm fine, Georgia. Honest. "
"That's where I beg to differ. You've been here for a year and Anna and I are your only friends. You don't date, you spend days alone writing and doing yoga. It's not good to shut yourself off from everything. "
Georgia had taken it upon herself to be my unofficial foster mom after she found out I'd been orphaned. My adoptive parents had both died in a car accident four years ago, leaving me with no family. I'd searched extensively for my birth parents but I'd hit a dead end when I found the records had been sealed.
"I've managed to make it 28 years being a loner, Georgia. Let's change the subject, please," I said crossly.
"You're in luck, sweetheart. We're here," Georgia said as she pulled into a parking spot near the front of the restaurant. We were walking towards the door when she turned to look at me mischievously. "Josie, let's talk about that fling I think you need to have before we go in. "
"Georgia. Let's have dinner, some drinks and some fun," I said sharply, cutting her off before she started giving me more relationship advice. I gave her a small shove through the heavy wood doors of the restaurant. "That's more than enough for me. "
"Spoiled sport. " Georgia pouted as her eyes scanned the room. She spotted Anna across the restaurant, waiting for us at a table that was close to the bar and had a fantastic view of the beach. Georgia waved her arm wildly to catch her attention and we crossed the restaurant to join her.
"Anna!" Georgia squealed, leaning over and pulling her up into a tight hug. Anna rolled her eyes at me over Georgia's shoulder as she halfheartedly hugged her back.
