A floral fragrance filled the air, coming from a doorway with a thin green-and-gold curtain. Saint moved aside the curtain and disappeared into the room before exiting a while later, holding a tray with a teapot and two smaller bowls. He placed the tray on a table against the wall and filled teacups before offering them to the customers, free of charge.
A weird little curiosities shop appearing out of nowhere and then offering free tea? Laced with some type of drug, perhaps?
Murder husbands.
“Well, that’s not sketchy at all,” I mumbled to myself.
“Sketchy?” Lupin appeared at my side. “We think of it as being kind to our guests. Tea soothes the soul.”
“Sorry,” I said, cheeks heating. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“None taken.” He smiled. “I understand your wariness. Many who come to the Emporium feel the same as you. That’s why they come. Life has beaten them down, and they’re desperate for something… more.”
“I came because my e-reader died. Tragic, I know.”
“Can you download a reading app to your phone?”
“Too small. I like a bigger screen when I read. My phone is for my games.” No reason to tell him what type of games I played… definitely not the dating simulation ones where you could romance several hotties at the same time before choosing one of them. Nope.
“Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise,” he said. “It led you here.”
Saint approached with a steaming cup of tea and handed it to Lupin. “Here you are, love.”
“Thank you.” Lupin accepted the cup. With his free hand, he pulled Saint toward him and pressed a kiss to his temple. “What would I ever do without you?”
“Forget to eat, stay hydrated, and a dozen other things.” Saint’s eyes crinkled as he leaned into Lupin.
My heart thrummed a little. I was no expert on the matter—clearly—but their tender gazes radiated love. The kind of love I’d only read about.
A jingle came from the door as someone exited the shop. The shuffles from the other customers had gone quiet. Looking around, I noticed I was the only one left.
“Oh.” How long had I been in there? It felt like only minutes. “Guess I’ll get out of your hair.”
“Please don’t leave yet,” Lupin said, tone friendly. “You haven’t found what you came in here for.”
“I didn’t come in here for anything. Your hubby suckered me in at the door.”
“Ah, yes. He does have a certain allure that charms those he meets.” Lupin smirked at Saint, who offered him a shy smile in return. His gray eyes then shifted back to me. “However, you didn’t happen upon my shop by chance. Fate guided you to me.”
“Fate? I wouldn’t go that far. I mean, this place is awesome if you’re into the whole witchy and mystics thing, but it’s not really my style. Well, apart from the books. They’re kinda cool.”
“And yet, you’ve been here for a while. Searching for something.”
I looked between them. “Let me guess. You’re about to tell me you have all the answers I seek, and for the limited-time offer ofonlytwo hundred bucks, you’ll give me those answers? Plus tax, of course.”
“You resort to sarcasm and jokes when you’re nervous,” Lupin said. “Yet, deep down, your heart is crying out for someone to listen. I read people. More so, I can hear the cries of their hearts. And yours, Evan, is drowning so far in the depths the screams won’t stop ringing in my ears. That’s why you were drawn here. It’s why you haven’t even stepped toward that door since you’ve come inside.”
“Yeah? And why is that?”
“Because the Emporium only makes itself known to the souls who need it most.” Lupin walked over to the nearest display and touched one of the necklaces. “The woman, Victoria. She’s been swamped at work on top of dealing with the stresses of a messy divorce. It’s affected her sleep and taken a toll on her health. The item she purchased tonight will allow her to have the best night of sleep she’s had in months. Isaac, a man who was in here earlier, just lost his job and is at the end of his rope. The charm he found will give him clarity and open up more opportunities.”
The more he spoke, the moresomethingclawed in my chest. A desperation that had my feet planted in place despite the logical side of my brain telling me to get out of there. Lupin seemed genuine, but I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. Which wasn’t far at all, seeing as to how I could barely lift a 24-pack of soda without struggling.
“I feel like y’all are about to scam me,” I said. “To spare you some disappointment, I want you to know I live paycheck to paycheck, and what little money I have left over after bills, I blow on books and junk food. So you won’t get a big payout by conning a sucker like me. You’ll get like forty bucks, a mountain of credit card debt, and a gift card to Applebee’s.”
Lupin’s mouth skewed up in a half-smile. “Tell me something. Do you enjoy your life?”
“What kind of question is that?”
