All The Wrong Signs

It was around 6 when I decided to head to Lakyn’s shop. I had finished the book on Wicca and was now burning with a desire to learn all I could.

Walking into the shop, I noticed that the incense she was burning today differed from the one she had yesterday. Lakyn looked up from her counter. “I swear I thought you were bailing on me. I questioned if I came on too strong.”

I laughed at her, “no. I just finally was in the mood to unpack and then I finished the Wicca book. If that was a beginner book, I’m kind of afraid to see what else there is to learn. I took so many notes.”

Lakyn shook her head. “I don’t think you will ever know everything. I sure the hell don’t. Remember, you make your own magic. The books are a guide.”

Walking over to the counter where she was, I laughed. “I read where you could make your own sigils. There is no way I’d probably open a portal to another dimension.”

“Well, if you do, call me. You are the first person I’ve seen all day.” Hopping down off of her stool, she looked at me hopeful. “Have you eaten yet? I thought about ordering Chinese, Mexican, or sushi, or anything really. Anything but pizza. I hate pizza.”

Making a face at her, I shook my head. “No, I get a little obsessive when I get started with something new. I haven’t eaten anything today.” My stomach growled, as if to agree.

Lakyn spread out a couple of menus. “Come back here with me and pick. My treat.”

“Oh no. I can…”

“You can, but you won’t. You are actually doing me a favor. I have no friends in this stupid little town. Well, I did, but then she slept with my boyfriend, and I had to banish her.”

I looked over at her, but smiled. “Can you banish my ex-husband? He called today, but I sent him straight voicemail.”

“Sounds like you’re doing a pretty good job.” Lakyn said, watching me walk around the counter.

I shrugged, looking through the menus. “Let’s do Chinese. My ex hated Chinese, so I rarely go to eat it.”

“Sounds good to me,” Lakyn said. “They have the best crab ragoons. Like I could literally eat my weight in them.”

Flipping through the menu, I nodded. “Well, we obviously have to get them and some soup. I love the hot and sour soup.”

“Yes girl,” Lakyn said, pulling out her phone. “I think I’m going to get the mongolian beef and lo mein. What do you want?”

“Umm,” I said, putting a finger to my lips. “Honestly, I want it all, but let me try the sesame chicken and lo mein.”

“They have the best,” she said, nodding. “I’ll have to take you there one day so we can eat the buffet. It’s to die for.”

Lakyn made quick work of ordering our food on the app. As she typed, I looked up at the door. “It’s quiet today, huh?”

Setting her phone down, she nodded. “It’s quiet most days. I honestly get most of my sales on the weekend. I swear I have a couple of older ladies who keep me in business.”

“Well, I’m probably at least going to pay your light bill this month because I’m going to do some more shopping today.” I gasped, remembering, “and plants. Where can I get some cute plants for my bookshelf?”

“Oh girl,” she said, shaking her head. “My grandma is like a plant aficionado. All I have to do is mention you want some and you will have more than you will know what to do with. She gets super excited about plants.”

“You are pretty useful, you know that?” I said, laughing.

“Fate brought us together. We have to be like long-lost sisters.” She looked over at me, “so you tell me your story and I’ll tell you mine.”

I frowned. “Well... Collin and I started dating in high school. He was the popular, handsome quarterback, and I just thought he was it. My sister hated him from day one. That should have been my first sign.”

“Are ya’ll close?”

I nodded, “twins. About as close as you can get.” Sighing, I shrugged. “She tried to talk me out of marrying him, but you know how it is when you are young.”

Lakyn nodded. “You said you were married to him for 10 years?”

I nodded, “yeah, a couple of months ago he come home, and just announced he had been having an affair for over a year. She’s pregnant, and I was out.”

Lakyn made a face. “Are you serious? Like, did you even see it coming?”

Looking up at her, I shrugged. “Looking back, I can see red flags all over the place, but I was just so lost. It was like someone else was controlling me.” Shifting in my seat, I looked up at her. “He was so cold about it. Like I have problems where I don’t ovulate every month. The doctors had wanted to try fertility treatments, but he refused, and it makes me wonder if this wasn’t the first affair.”

“Be lucky you didn’t have kids with that jackass.” Lakyn leaned forward on the counter. “He obviously wasn’t for you. The universe did you a favor.”

She was right. I knew she was, but it didn’t make it any easier.

“Ok, your turn,” I said, nudging her.

Making a face, she shook her head. “I met Gavin online. He didn’t care that I’m all into nature and Wicca. He lives about an hour away, but he would come in on the weekends and spend time with me. Things were great. Well, the sex was great.”

I laughed, “red flag.”

“I should have seen it coming. Justine worked at the shop part time. I used to do a lot of traveling, so she would fill in for me.” Lakyn looked up. “apparently she thought fucking my boyfriend was part of the job description. I ended up cutting one of my trips short because I had totally blown my budget. I didn’t tell anyone except my grandma. I was coming home early. To make a long story short, I walked in on them screwing on my couch. I had to get rid of them and that damn couch. And I loved that couch.”

“How long ago has that been?” I asked.

“About six months and I still haven’t replaced that couch.”

I smiled, “so not to get all personal. How old are you?”

“26. You?”

“28.”

Lakyn smiled, “so that makes you my older sister.”

“Shut up,” I said, laughing.

Shrugging, Lakyn smiled. “Face it. You are stuck with me now.”

We both looked up as a guy walked in with food. Lakyn groaned. “Ugh, Noah again. I mean, do you deliver to anyone else?.”

He snorted, “yeah, your friend over here.”

Lakyn laughed as I tried to look innocent. “So I guess you figured out Noah is like our only door dasher in town. He’s kinda mouthy, but I like him.”

“I mean, do either of you know how to cook?” Noah said, winking playfully at Lakyn.

Lakyn shrugged. “Why would I cook when I have you to deliver me food whenever I want it?”

“I do take days off. I don’t know what the two of you will do when that happens. One of you better learn how to warm up a pizza or something.”

I laughed, “um I can cook. I just haven’t felt like it.”

“Same,” Lakyn said, taking our food from Noah. “Same time, same place, tomorrow.”

Noah nodded, “bet.”

As he walked out, I looked over at her. “Well?”

“What?” Lakyn said, unable to remain serious. “Ok. Ok. So he is hot right. And he has made it clear that he is feeling me. But, and it’s a big but. He’s only 21. Like I can’t. He’s not mature enough for me.”

“You never know,” I said, wagging my eyebrows at her.

Rolling her eyes, Lakyn smile grew even bigger. “Maybe. But as my new best friend, you can’t sleep with him. K?”

“Well escalated fast.” I said, looking over at her.

“The friend part or the sleeping with him part?”

“Both,” I said honestly. “I know it’s crazy and its sounds stupid, but I feel like we have known each other for years. You remind me of my sister.”

Lakyn smiled. “fate brought you to me. I’m telling you.” She pushed my food over to me. “Eat, then I’ll show you all my new goodies and you can do some shopping. I mean, I know the owner. She might give you a discount.”

Opening my container, I looked over at her. “How did you get into this?”

“Wicca or the shop?” She asked.

“Both?”

“Well, my grandma is a huge hippie. You know peace, love, and all that. She taught me about nature and the zodiac. I was really into mythology and it just expanded from there.” She took a bite of her food. “The shop came when I couldn’t decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. This was her idea.”

“I mean, it’s kinda perfect. I’m jealous.”

Lakyn laughed. “I do get all the best stuff.”

“This is actually pretty good. I tried the other Chinese place, and I really wasn’t a fan.” I said, taking another bite.

“They are hit and miss. Mostly miss. This place is always good.”

We both ate until we were stuffed. I had to close my lid and push it away to stop eating. “Ok, remind me I don’t need all this food next time we order from here.”

“Umm, yeah we do. This will be perfect for later tonight.” Lakyn popped up, grabbing our containers and setting them behind us. Clapping her hands, she jumped. “I got a shipment in today that I’ve been waiting on forever.”

Getting up, I followed her to a group of boxes on the floor. It took us almost two hours to unpack everything, but inside were a bunch of pretty crystal towers, geodes, and spheres in all different colors.

“Ooh This is pretty,” I said, picking up one sphere and moving it in the light.

“That’s labradorite,” Lakyn said. “It’s one of my favorites.” She unwrapped another one that had more flash to it. “Here, take this one. My treat.”

“Lakyn no,” I said.

“Yes. Now go pick out what else you want and I’ll find a stand for you. I have some really cute ones that nobody wanted and I have them in a bin up front.”

Grabbing a couple of crystal towers, I walked over to the stones, picking up a few that I had wanted last time, and talked myself out of. “Tomorrow’s a full moo. Am I supposed to sit all of my crystals out?” I asked as I walked over to the books.

“Yes, that’s my favorite way to cleanse them.”

Nodding, I walked to where I had found the book on Wicca. I was hoping to find a volume two of the original book but I didn’t even see anymore by the same author. Growing I grabbed a book that had a bunch of sigils on the cover.

Turning around, I jumped as Lakyn walked over, taking the book from me. “No. You aren’t ready for that. Try this one.” When I frowned at her, she shrugged. “Fine, get both, but read this one first. It teaches you how to protect yourself.”

Walking to the counter, I eyed her suspiciously when I found she already had a bag for me with some goodies in it. Smiling, she shrugged, “some things are supposed to be given, not bought.”

Rolling my eyes, I pulled out my debit card. “You are spoiling me.”

Swiping my card, Lakyn handed it back. “Do you have any plans for Friday?”

When I shook my head no, Lakyn clapped her hands. “You should go to the movies with me. There is a new Guardian movie that I really want to see. This one is supposed to be even scarier than the last.”

I nodded, “sure why not.”

“Then if you are game, we can go to the Fire Starter. It’s a bar that a friend of mine works at. She can hook us up on the drinks.”

I frowned, “really. I thought I was your only friend.”

“Shut up,” Lakyn said, tilting her head. “Come on. You need to get out. I can see it. In fact, I know it.”

“Sure,” I said. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?