Chapter 28 ~ Joe Visits a Psychic Reader

Joe and Sam took the cut off toward Boulder before reaching downtown Denver and headed  toward Boulder. Five minutes later, Joe’s iPhone chirped his text tone. Sam put his left hand in the console on top of the iPhone. He felt Joe’s hand on top of his hand. 

“Excuse me, it’s my phone,” said Joe.

“Do I have to repeat my lecture about using handhelds while you drive? You’re responsible for my safety,” said Sam giving his hand a quick yank and slipping away from Joe’s grasp.

Joe felt like he was a yo-yo from a love to hate relationship with Sam. He had no idea where the yo-yo was heading. He said, “Who sent the text?”

Sam squinted at the iPhone. He said, “I got to get my eyes checked. I kin make the screen bigger once I open the phone. Don’t worry, I know your password.”

I’m going to change the password as soon as I get a hold of my phone, Joe thought.

Sam fiddled with the iPhone. “He said, “I got it, it’s that little green square with the white cloud they use in the comic books if somebody is saying something. You’d think they could come up with something more clever than that little thing. If it were me, I’d let people have the freedom to choose what they want to represent what they wanted. See what I’m saying? I’d use a can of Bud. Yup, that’d be my symbol for a text.”

“Whose the text from?” asked Joe.

“From your girlfriend.”

“Marie texted me?” asked Joe.

“The one that’s hot after you. Jody. Marie, don’t care if you’re alive or dead. That plane left the airport a long time ago. Forget her. What’s wrong with Jody?” asked Sam while he silently read the text.

“Read the text to me,” irritation in rising in Joe’s voice.

“Grab hold of your ass, partner. I got to figure how to spin the information to you so you don’t go nuts.”

“Is it bad? Why would I go nuts?” asked Joe glancing at Sam.

“There two issues here the way I see it. You want the bad news or the real bad news?” asked Sam.

“Whatever,” said Joe. 

“You got to learn to lighten up. Don’t take it all so serious. Nothing is ever as bad as it seems. And, the good moments are not going to stay forever. You need a beer. That’s what you need. But I’m not going to buy you a beer, because drinking and driving don’t mix.”

“When is the first time you bought something on this trip?” said Joe.

“You ain’t come close to paying me for what I done for you so far. You’re in debt up to your brown eyeballs. They are brown, right? You’re not wearing those colored contacts, are you? Lots of people in your line of work are phonies. You one of them?”

The traffic was crawling, and a traffic info sign on the side of the highway said there was construction up ahead reducing traffic to two left lanes. Joe was in the lane closest to the shoulder. He looked at the bumper to bumper traffic in the lane next to him. 

“Roll your window down, stick your head out and point to a spot where you want to pull in. When someone let’s you in, smile and wave. Pay attention to your driving. I’ll read the text. I already told you it’s from the woman who has her crosshairs set on your heart. She said, “I found Gloria Fallon. She lives in Boulder. I’m not sure of her home address. I can give you her business address. I’m not sure you’re going to be happy with it. Her business address is 1074 Baseline Road. Her business is in a strip mall just to the east of Route 36. I Googled it. Here’s the crazy part. She’s a psychic reader. Have fun. Seriously, you need me with you on this one, Joe. Give me the okay to fly into Denver. I can be there by ten tonight. I’ve checked the flights.”

“What are you texting?” demanded Joe.

“I’m telling her you got it under control and to keep digging. I’m protecting you, that’s what I’m doing. No need to thank me now. Get me a good meal and lets stay in a higher class motel than the last place. I don’t want bed bugs.”

“I didn’t see any bed bugs,” said Joe waving to a driver who let him cut in.

Sam said, “Now do the same favor for someone. That’s how we get by in life.” 

Once they crawled past the road construction at 45 mph, Joe stayed in the passing lane and accelerated to 70 mpg. Sam punched Joe on his bicep. “Ouch. How many time do I have to tell you not to do that?” said Joe.

 “Asked the psychic reader, maybe she can tell you when I’ll do it again,” laughed Sam.

“It’s not funny. You ever been to a psychic reader?”

“No, and I don’t want to talk about psychic readers. I kin see you’re rushing to get your future tole. If you think I’m gonna let you miss this gorgeous view the good Lord created, you are sadly mistaken. Feast your eyes ahead, Joe.”

Joe looked beyond the road into a valley below. Boulder sat in a valley against the mountains. They were not any ordinary mountains, but mountains whose sides were as flat and smooth looking as a marble slab. “What is that, Sam? I’ve never seen mountains like that,” asked Joe.

“That’s what I wanted you to see. That is sedimentary rock and those are called the Flatirons. You ask anybody with a little bit of geographical intelligence what city is associated with the Flatirons and they’ll say Boulder. Boulder is a place where the mountains meet the prairie. If I ever find the right woman, or if the right woman finds me, I might like to settle down right here.”

Ten minutes later, Joe exited to the right and at the end of the ramp, he turned left on Baseline. A short ride under the overpass, the strip mall was on his left, the University of Colorado campus on his left. Sam was about to pop Joe on the bicep when Joe said, “Don’t even think about it.”

He pulled into a parking space in front of Sacred Spirits Psychic Readings. “Let’s go and get this waste of time over,” Joe said. 

“Don’t be so quick to judge, Joe. If you keep an open mind, you might surprise yourself and learn something,” said Sam from behind Joe.

Joe flushed and pursed his lips as he walked onto the sidewalk in front of the strip of stores. Joe read the sign to side of the door. Open M W and Sat. Other hours by appointment. It was Tuesday, but a sign on the door read Open.

“Go ahead an open it. The door nob doesn’t bite,” said Sam.

Joe glanced at Sam then put his hand on the door nob and pushed the door open.  He stepped inside and incense flooded his senses. Joe’s eyes watered and his nostrils threatened to overflow. He reached into his pocket for a Kleenex. and blew his nose. From behind him, he heard Sam blow his nose. The walls were covered with occult and astrological posters. A book case rested against the far wall filled with paperbacks on psychic healing, conversations with spirits, and past lives. A table sat in front of another wall with an array of votive candles. In the wall behind a long counter that held glass cases filled with smooth stones, rings, and copper bracelets was a large old and worn mirror framed in cherry wood that long ago lost its shine. On top of the counter to the right of the mirror was a credit card reader and computer.

Joe called out, “Hello? Anyone here?”

A voice called out from behind a beaded curtain, “I’ve been waiting for you. You’ve traveled a great distance to see me.”