Page 11 of Vampire's Vixen

As we headed back to the parking lot, it occurred to me that sometimes a good walk was just what you needed, and you never knew where it would lead.

Ginger was waiting in the restaurant when I pulled in. She had a large iced coffee in hand, and she waved as I walked through the door. I headed over to the booth and slid in opposite her, carrying my own triple-shot mocha. A number of the customers were looking at her. That was probably a common occurrence. It was hard to not notice her—she practically glowed.

“Do you mind that they stare at you?”

A few of the men were staring with open lust, but most of the gawkers simply watched her, and I detected a hint of wistfulness in their looks.

Ginger shrugged. “It’s part of life. The Fae always stand out. And given my nature, I appeal to people who are lonely, or who need a bright spot in their day. That’s what I do, actually. I call it listening therapy. People book time with me to talk. Now and then I’ll suggest that they see a therapist, and they sign a waiver that stipulates if they tell me they committed a crime, I can—and probably will—tell the police. But most people just want someone to talk to, especially if they don’t want to burden their friends or family.”

“A paid friend?”

“A paid companion, I suppose. I do have several regular clients, but the majority come in once or twice, and when they’ve got their feelings off their chests, they move on.” She paused as the waitress came up. You could either eat in, or order takeout.

“I’ll have the three-piece chicken and tots,” I said.

“A fried chicken sandwich,” Ginger said. “Heavy on the tomatoes and light on the sauce.”

The waitress nodded. “Drinks—” She stopped as she noticed our coffee cups, then grinned. “I keep telling the boss we need to get a better coffee maker,” she said, laughing. “Water?”

I nodded. “Please.”

As she moved away, I turned back to Ginger. “So, how do you make a living if people only come in once or twice?”

“I also sell vegetables, eggs, and honey at the farmers market. Vegetables in the spring and summer, honey year round, eggs year round. I have a small homestead on the edge of town, with an acre. I keep beehives, and my vegetable patch is a set of terraced beds. I mostly grow tomatoes and herbs. I also have several apple trees and I sell apples in the autumn. It’s a simple living, but it works.”

“That sounds nice,” I said. “A lot of work, though.”

“It is a lot of work, but I’m happy with my life.” She took a sip of her coffee. “You love matching up people, don’t you?”

I nodded. “I actually don’t mind the readings I give, either, but so many of the people coming in are looking for something to help them through trauma. Somehow, I attract those who need emotional support.”

“In a way, you’re a little like me. I’ll bet you anything that it’s your connection to Aphrodite that’s setting you up for them. Maybe you should ask her about all of this. About why you don’t have more clients looking for love.” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “Tell you what, we can help each other. I can recommend some of my clients visit you, if I think they need a reading or if they’re looking for someone with whom to share their life.”

Perking up, I nodded. “And I can recommend they visit you, if they seem to need someone to talk to. I like that. Do you have any business cards?”

She opened her purse and brought out a beautiful case, then opened it and handed me a stack of ten cards. “I can get you more, if this works out. And you?”

I took the cards, which had a border of hydrangeas, with her name, phone, and the tag line of I’m here to listen on it. “These are lovely,” I said, opening my own purse. In contrast, my business card holder was a smooth silver with embossed corners. I handed her a stack of my own cards. They were a pale pink, with green floral edges that came together in the top center to form a heart made of vines.

At that moment, the waitress brought our food and water. She deposited it on the table, along with the check. “If you need anything else, just let me know,” she said.

We dove into our food, and began the process of getting to know one another, with all the requisite questions about interests, favorite foods, books, and shows, and all those other personal facts that wove together to create a new friendship.

CHAPTER SIX

We spent about an hour on lunch before Ginger reluctantly glanced at her phone.

“I have a client coming in a while. I’d better get home and gather eggs before they arrive. I’m so glad we met,” she said. “I’ll drop in at your shop in a day or so and take a look.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I enjoyed this afternoon a lot. And I’ll take your advice—I’ll ask Aphrodite for her input. I’m still so new to all this priestess/pledged to the gods stuff that I’m not sure how everything works.”

“You’ll figure it out,” she said. “Okay, lunch is on me, this time. Next time, you can pay,” she added as I started to protest.

“Sounds good, but I’m leaving the tip.” I tossed a ten on the table. “Have a great session.”

As we left the restaurant, I realized I was more relaxed than I had been in a while. Ginger Lily definitely had a way of calming the spirits.

I dropped home to freshen up and play with Miss P. for a few minutes. By now, it was three-fifteen, and when I opened the door, Astra was there, at the dining room table, working on her laptop. She looked up as I came in the door.

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