Page 8 of Masked Love

“Well, it looks like you’ve got yourself a new client.”

I chuckled and finished off my old-fashioned drink. “Indeed.”

I really wanted to try that kissing thing again, but the spell had been broken, so I pulled out two more tickets and showed him. “I have these if you’re interested. It could be fun.”

Greyson took the passes from my hand and scanned them before looking at me with a raised brow. “Fortune telling?”

“Only VIPs have access to them. Don’t you want to know your future? Maybe one day you could find your Prince Charming.”

“Okay, let’s do it. Sounds fun!”

We ordered two Lucifer's Demon drinks, which was a specialty for the evening. It included rum, red wine, and ginger beer. Retaking his hand—because I was getting way too used to holding it at this point—I tugged Greyson toward one of the fortune tellers on this floor who had set up a table tucked into a corner. We had to wait for another couple to get their fortunes told, but we were next in line since it wasn’t very crowded up here.

Once they wrapped it up, I nudged Greyson to sit. “Do you want this to be private, or would you like me to sit with you?”

He rolled his eyes up at me, and I wanted to kiss the sarcastic expression off his face. He was too damn adorable for words. “I don’t believe in these things. They’re all fake. Let’s do it together.”

We sat down at a round table with a red tablecloth. Our fortune teller was dressed as a gypsy, covered in brightly colored scarves and heavy makeup, but no crystal ball sat in the middle of the table. Instead, she had a deck of tarot cards.

“I specialize in love and relationships. Would you two like to know your future together?” she asked in a heavy accent I could only assume was fake for her gypsy persona.

Before Greyson could tell her we weren’t partners, I said, “Yes.”

He looked at me with a crooked smile and shook his head. “Sure, have at it.”

She spread out the blue cards covered with gold stars face down. “Pick out three cards from the pile,” she said to Greyson. Then she had me do the same thing. The three cards Greyson picked were set face down; then mine were placed next to his. In the middle, she chose a card and laid it between ours.

“This set represents you,” she said, pointing at Greyson. The woman flipped over all three cards. “This card on the top is the Eight of Swords. The blindfolded and bound woman represents your struggles, while it sometimes feels like your life is out of your control. That your hands are tied, and you don’t always know what to do about it. The bottom card is the Wheel of Fortune, which means good luck in love is coming your way. That you’ll soon find yourself in a new and exciting relationship. And the card on your right is the Sun card. This is about hope and positivity. It’s about you thriving. It could also mean new love, or love at first sight.”

He looked at me with a raised brow and a crooked smile again, a common expression tonight, as he shoved up the glasses that had slipped down his nose. Then his face blushed straight to his ears. What did that mean? Was she right? Was there a man he was interested in? Did I really want to know?

Next, she turned over the cards that I’d chosen. “Interesting. The first one here at the bottom draws my attention.” It was an image of a heart with three swords stabbing it. It gave me a sense of sadness. That couldn’t be good. “This reflects you being hurt and that while you may appear outwardly confident, inside, you get hurt easily and can take things to heart when they are negative. It can also mean sadness, heartbreak, or grief.” Then she looked at Greyson. “Because you are blinded currently, you are unaware of his pain.”

We looked at each other, but I gave nothing away. I’d been heartbroken before, but growing up alone in foster care impacted me the most. It certainly affected my love life and those I chose to be a part of it, and why my relationships usually ended badly. Those fears of being abandoned, though it wasn’t my parents’ fault, consumed me for the longest time when I was younger. It was also why I always wanted to please my grandfather. But mostly, it was hard to find someone whowas well-balanced and not someone who was arrogant or only wanted sex. I needed something more meaningful, which had been difficult to find.

“This card on the left is the Hierophant. In love, it represents traditional and solid relationships and is filled with commitment.” That right there was exactly me. Interesting. “And the last card is the two pentacles. This means you are juggling decisions. Whether it’s breaking up or making room for a new relationship.” Seriously, she was pretty good. I didn’t know how accurate Greyson’s cards were, but mine were pretty spot on, not that I really believed in that sort of thing, but it was definitely food for thought.

She flipped over the last card sitting in between each of the cards we had chosen for ourselves. Death. My stomach flipped for a strange reason, unsure of what that meant.

“The Death card can represent many things. If you two are in a relationship now, it could mean a breakup or changes in your romantic status, such as one of you moving away. But it can also mean new love. Relationship changes can also be good. It could mean the beginning of a relationship and newfound love.”

I had to admit that I was impressed. I couldn’t help but glance over at Greyson again, who was watching me with an expression I couldn’t read.

“Your readings could mean many things, depending on your relationship status. If you have been together for a while, you may want to work on your struggles before they separate you. Find out what is blinding you to your current situation,” she said, indicating Greyson. Then she looked at me. “And you need structure and a loving relationship. Something fulfilling. Ask yourself if that is what you are getting, and if not, it would explain your heartbreaking card.”

“And if we aren’t dating yet?” Greyson asked carefully.

“Then open your eyes and accept this new thing growing between you two.”

Greyson and I glanced at each other. I wasn’t sure what to make of that, but it certainly had me seeing him quite differently. Yes, I was attracted to him, but date him? Could I do something like that and still work with him?

So, there maybesomething to this fortune-telling thing. I wasn’t a believer, but damn, she was kind of spot-on about my falling hard and fast for Xander. The more I got to know him in such a short time—outside of work when he wasn’t wearing his grumpy pants—he was pretty chill and fun. And sexy. Let's not forget about sexy, even as Sherlock Holmes. Don’t even get me started on the near kiss we had. Damn that adorable couple for interrupting us.

Strangely, after listening to our fortune teller, I kind of wanted this thing between us not to be fake. I would love to try something new and real with Xander. If he wanted a traditional relationship full of structure, I could do that. I could be a positive force for him if he were sensitive to words and heartbreak. Why did I find that evenmoreendearing? As if I needed another reason to crush on him.

But then, I reminded myself I was only his PA. I had nothing to offer him other than to protect him from his grandfather, this Matthew Preston guy, and an overflowing inbox full of unwanted emails and spam. Sure, I could be a great boyfriend, and I was attractive, intelligent, and fun. But I was no Xander Hayes. He was way out of my league, not to mention that people got weird when it came to PAs and their bosses having something romantic between them. People envisioned naughty escapades in the boss’s office or secret rendezvous out of town for some steamy nights until they had to face reality and return to the monotony of work and life.

The thought of naughty escapades had my heart beating a little too fast. I shut that right down.

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