Page 6 of Doubly Tied

“Honey, don’t be sorry. I have four sisters, three daughters, and an assortment of nieces and nephews. We are a close-knit family, yeah? There is nothing we don’t tell each other. Part of why I like driving folks around. People like to chat, you know. Me too.”

The older woman grinned in the rearview mirror and Ani returned the gesture. She was funny and warm and put her mind at ease. She hardly ever talked to anyone outside her sisters. And then, it was few and far between conversations. Another reason she needed this weekend so badly.

“Thanks. I appreciate it. After my ex and I split, I broke down and cried for two days straight,” she confessed.

His outright rejection had hurt Ani. She’d shared her deepest hidden desires with him, only to have him mock and scold her. The memory was still painful. Ani had been too shaken to discuss it with her sisters at the time, but that was what this trip was for. To reaffirm their sisterly bonds, and to let it all hang loose.

The fact she found herself confessing to her Uber driver on the way to the airport only cemented her belief this trip was kismet. Her skin positively tingled with anticipation as they neared the airport.

“So, where you going,chica?”

“Um, it’s some resort island. My sister found it. Hang on, let me look up the name,” she said, and pulled out her phone, scrolling through the messages until she found the one with her itinerary for the weekend. “Moongate Island. That’s it! Odd name, right?”

“Moongate Island? Sounds magical,” the driver returned.

“Yeah. It does.”

“You know something,chica? I think you’re gonna meet your destiny this trip. You’ll see. Just be open to it.”

“You think?” Ani wondered.

“I know it. The world is full of magic. I believe some of it is reserved for every single one of us. But sometimes you have to take a leap of faith in order to claim yours.”

“A leap of faith?” Ani questioned. Sure, she had heard of the idea before, but had never really thought it applied to her. She was meticulous, organized, a planner by nature. When she was in school, she’d won awards by following strict outlines for her projects and papers. Ani was not afly-by-the-seat-of-her-pantskinda girl.

“You’ll know when the time is right,” the driver said.

“I will?”

“Sure you will! Believe in yourself,chica. Sometimes things work out easy for people. Other times, things require hard work. Like me,” the woman said with a laugh. “Life has never been easy, but I made sure it was fun! Look, I’ve always had to work hard for what I want in life. When I look at you, I see that same iron will. You have that telltale sign of someone who is motivated. Am I right? Cause I am telling you, it is right there in your pretty blue eyes.”

“I guess I have always worked hard,” Ani answered.

That much was true. Sage was spunky and sassy. Her strong will,and big mouth, served to get her where she wanted in life. Ginger was sweet and patient. Both worked hard, but they were just so well suited to their careers, things seemed easy for them. Not Ani. She loved a challenge, enjoyed that part of her job. But the thrill was gone. She hated whatEarthOilstood for. That a company so rich could be so careless. She needed a change, if for nothing else than to soothe her soul. And she wanted to get away from her slimy boss.

“So, you work hard, but you play hard too, yes?” The woman raised her salt and pepper eyebrows to her hairline as she waited for Ani to answer.

“Yeah, I have to admit I do. Part of the reason I can’t find the right man, I think.” Ani laughed out loud.

“Ah, those were boys. Training wheels.”

“Well, how many bikes does it take ‘till you find one that fits?” Ani quipped.

“No worries,chica. You’ll find your true destiny. I feel it. Trust me. I’m psychic sometimes. The key to happiness is to trust in yourself.”

“You know what, I believe you,” Ani said with a laugh.

It was about time Ani shed her boring day to day business mien. She needed to start believing in something other than what the numbers predicted. Everything she did was with meticulous calculation. From the most difficult projects to the way she partied. She always strived to get the most out of every endeavor. After all, what was the point in doing something if you weren’t going to do it well? But she had yet to succeed in the one area of her life she was desperate to get right.

Her heart.

That’s me, she thought with a frown.Hardhearted Ani with no one to love.

Maybe her mystic Uber driver was right. Maybe it was time to let the Fates drive for a while. Her love life was in the pits. Her career needed an overhaul.Yes. This vacation could not have come at a better time.

Ani needed an affirmation. She deserved the chance to be happy with her life’s choices. These yearly trips with her siblings allowed her to reconnect with her family, but maybe this time she could hope for something more.

So what if she scared a few boyfriends away with her enthusiasm in the bedroom? Good riddance. Ani needed to find someone who shared in her appreciation for physical affection and exploration.

---