Page 16 of Bad Luck Club

“Nonsense. If you’re having a bad day, then good company is exactly the right medicine.” She tugged him through a restaurant door and past the hostess station.

“You don’t understand,” Lee protested, but he couldn’t bring himself to resist her pull. He worried she’d fall over if he fought her. River already thought poorly of him—the last thing he wanted to do was bowl over the guy’s aunt. “I’m no longer employed.”

Dottie stopped at a booth, and Lee found himself staring at the beautiful woman who had already been seated.

“Blue.”

His heart skipped a beat as he stared at her, because she was somehow even more gorgeous than the last time he’d seen her. She was wearing a deep blue sweater that brought out the color of her eyes and drew out the striking contrast between her dark hair and her pale, milky skin. Only, her cheeks had turned a pale pink, and he realized he’d been staring at her for longer than was considered polite.

And then it hit him that she’d heard him say he was unemployed. The last thing he wanted was for this woman to consider him a loser—well, even more of a loser, considering he’d already made the worst possible first impression.

He shook his head. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I need to excuse myself. I’ve had a rough morning.”

“You lost your job,” Blue stated evenly.

Technically, he’d quit, but he wasn’t sure that was much better. So he didn’t say anything.

“All the more reason for you to sit down,” she said. “I may be able to help you.”

He released a bitter laugh. “You gonna offer me a job? I’m not qualified for much. Do you know if Chippendales is hiring?”

What in God’s name had possessed him to ask that?

“Don’t be silly, dear,” Dottie said as she pushed him onto the bench seat. “They only hire in the spring, but the good news is that you’ll have plenty of time to work on your dance moves. I know someone who can help. Her name is Stella, and if you don’t mind her eccentricity—”

“The goat lady?” Lee asked in horror.

Before he realized what he was doing, Lee slid further down the seat and Dottie sat next to him, probably so she could prevent his escape.

“We should never label people,” Dottie said disapprovingly. “We are all made of many pieces.”

Lee was surprised at the shame that washed over him. He didn’t know Dottie very well, but he found himself unsettled by her disappointment.

He turned his attention to Blue. “So do you have a job in mind?”

She squirmed a little, looking uncomfortable. “Not exactly. This is more along the lines of getting help to make a life change.”

“Like a life coach?”

“No, it’s a situation involving more people.”

He gave her a blank look. “A cult?”

Dottie snorted. “Not a cult, dear. I need you to keep an open mind. Can you do that?”

He started to tell her he didn’t want any part of her kookiness. He knew she was fond of handing out healing crystals and pretending to read tea leaves, but for some reason he hadn’t expected Blue to be part of her new age bullshit. He probably should have known better given Adalia had told him she was an artist too.

He almost pushed Dottie out of the seat, her age be damned, but one look at Blue kept him in place.

Despite her involvement in this, she didn’t look crazy. She seemed saner than anyone else he’d met since he’d arrived in Asheville.

“Okay,” he said, resting his forearms on the table. “I’ll hear you out. What’s this amazing opportunity?”

She held his gaze for a couple of seconds, and he was sure she was about to chicken out—which was equally intriguing and terrifying—before she finally spat out, “The Bad Luck Club.”

He blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I want you to attend a meeting of the Bad Luck Club. I think it could change your life.”

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