Chapter II: Taming a Wild Heart

I woke up late the next morning. The temperate climate of Newcastle is a pleasant change from some of the more extreme weather I've slept in, and I might have slept too late were it not for the occasional hum of tires on asphalt as my neighbors pulled out of their houses, waking me.

I rose and got ready for my first day of work.

When I arrived at the wagon, Beau and another woman were just walking up. Beau smiled at me in greeting, but the other woman, with short, choppy black hair, merely gave me a silent glare and walked inside. Confused, I looked to Beau for explanation. He chuckled. “That's Cornelia,” he explained. “Don't mind her. She's a Goth.”

Making a face, I followed the hostile woman into the tiny workplace. Our first day was fairly uneventful, which was good, because it gave me time to ask questions and get familiar with my role in Beau's little business. By the time the clock read five, I felt fairly equipped in my role as a Horoscope Reader, and even Cornelia was beginning to warm up to me a little (meaning she didn't give me a nasty look every few minutes).

When I walked out of the caravan, I was at a loss of anything to do with the rest of my day. I walked home slowly, savoring the sights and sounds of the early evening, but it was a short walk, and soon I was standing at my mailbox. Staring at my bare little shelter, I felt suddenly lonely. Inspiration struck in the form of my cell phone ringing. I answered it and was pleasantly surprised to hear Xander's voice on the other end. “Uh, hi, Moriah? It's Xander,” he said awkwardly. “Listen, I got off work early today, and I was, uh, wondering if you wanted to hang out maybe?”

I stifled a gleeful laugh at the adorable timidity in his voice. “Of course! Would you like to come to my place?” I asked. He agreed and I gave him directions. 

Less than twenty minutes later, he drove up in his mother's old van. One arm was behind his back, and I raised an eyebrow as he came closer. When he brought his arm out, he had a bouquet of beautiful white flowers in his hand. “For you,” he said, giving a funny little bow. I grinned and accepted them.

For a while, things went well. We chatted again, him telling me about a job he'd pulled on a convenience store in the neighboring town. As he spoke, I was secretly doubting myself. Was he really the one the visions had told me about? Or was I merely so blinded by my attraction to this diamond in the rough that I had convinced myself he was the one the visions had meant for me to choose? Suddenly, he rubbed his neck, explaining that he had wrenched it pulling items off the shelves that afternoon, and I saw my chance.

One of my visions had shown me a special mark that would be on the man I was meant to marry. A birthmark of sorts, located on his right shoulder blade. I hadn't thought of it in years, but it popped into my mind just then, and I jumped on the chance to offer him a soothing massage. He gladly accepted, and as I rubbed the tension from his muscled shoulders, I subtly examined the skin of his back, inching the tank top away from his right shoulder blade. Nothing... my heart sank. And then, there! Yes! There it was, though I had nearly missed it in the waning light. My instincts were right! Xander was the man I was meant to be with! I rejoiced on the inside, but I strove to remain calm as I finished rubbing his shoulders until he stretched languidly and turned to thank me.

More determined than ever to see this through to the next step, I barely hesitated when I leaned in to kiss him.

He kissed me back, a slow smile spreading over his face as I pulled away. “Wow... Moriah, I... wow...”

I merely smiled and walked away to sit on the grass a short distance from him. He joined me, sitting close by, and we watched the stars for awhile. I told him about my job as a Horoscope reader and tried to explain the alignment of planets in the various houses, but eventually we just ended up gazing at the sky together, enjoying the silence.

When hours had passed and it was full dark, we rose, knowing he should go, and neither of us ready to part just yet.

“Xander?” I began, and he looked at me with those blue eyes. I found myself unable to hold anything back. “I came here to Newcastle for a reason,” I admitted. “My... powers... they've been leading me to someone nearly my whole life. I know now that someone is you. I want to be with you... to be yours...”

I reached for his hand, but to my surprise, he pulled it away, holding both hands off as if to ward off a disease.

“Whoa, whoa, Moriah, hold on!” he protested. “We just met! I mean, tonight was great and all, but... I'm not exactly the family type. You've seen my parents, you can guess why! I'm... I'm just not ready for any kind of commitment, much less... well... whatever it is you were expecting.”

I stared at him, numbed by his words. “Well, uh... guess I better be going...” he said, and nearly ran to the curb and his van. I watched him drive away with a mixture of confusion and hurt. Surely the signs weren't wrong? He had the birthmark. I had seen it with my own eyes. Moreover, he was at least as attracted to me as I was to him. What had gone wrong?

As I got ready for bed, I kept thinking about it, and I concluded that the Magic had never steered me wrong before. Surely, this must be part of the plan, a challenge I must simply move past. If one could even call it a challenge. Captivating and seducing a young man isn't exactly what most buxom gypsy girls call a challenge. But Xander obviously had Commitment Issues. So I would merely have to tread carefully and bide my time. The opportunity would present itself, I was sure. I had but to wait.

That opportunity presented itself the next day. I was off work, so, steeling my courage, I went to Xander's house as soon as a reasonable hour had arrived. Luck was with me, so I found him at home. His mother let me right in this time, barely taking a second look at me. Xander was just coming downstairs as I entered, and his eyes went wide when he saw me.

“Uh, Moriah! Hi,” he greeted me, looking nervous. I could see this would be easier than I had feared.

“Hi,” I said brightly, adding an abashed tone to my words. “Listen,” I started. “You're right. I'm sorry about last night. I just got caught up in the mood.” I giggled girlishly. “Can we start over?”

He strode over and took my face in both of his hands and kissed me on the forehead. “You,” he said, “are an angel. I'm sorry too. I could have been more tactful.”

I shrugged, dismissing his words from the night before as he had just dismissed mine.

“You, uh, you wanna go upstairs?” he asked, eying the living room where his mom was doubtless hearing our entire conversation.

I nodded, and he took my hand, leading me up to his room. The bed was less a conscious choice than the only comfortable place to sit in his utilitarian bedroom. But it suited my purposes. As we chatted, I slowly inched closer to him until we were eventually cuddling. When I leaned over during a lull in conversation and nibbled lightly on his earlobe, he looked at me in surprise. I lifted an eyebrow invitingly. Needless to say, that was all the encouragement he needed.

After our amusement upstairs, we went downstairs to find his mother and father sitting in the living room watching TV. Ignoring their presence, Xander grabbed a pillow off a nearby chair and before I knew what was happening, he hit me with it. I laughed and grabbed my own weapon from a matching chair. It was on!

Bessie just sat there tuning us out, but Buster stood, glaring disapprovingly at our childish play. When glaring didn't stop us, he turned to Bessie. “I've had enough of this,” he growled, and left the room. Xander and I kept pillow fighting.

Eventually things wound down, and I invited Xander over to hang out at my place. He accepted the invitation with a relief that was evident. I feel sorry for him, with such a bad relationship with his parents. I feel sure that, had I known my own parents, we would have gotten along well. Gypsies don't tend to have the sorts of conflcts that you see in Outsider families, probably because there are less rules, and the ones there are are known by all. Plus you have the entire Family enforcing them instead of just one or two parents. Gypsy children are raised by a real community.

We hung out again at my place, talking, walking around, staring at the stars as night fell. Poor Xander was exhausted. Apparently he had had to go back into work the night before after he left me, and hadn't gotten back home until early morning. When I had arrived at his house, he was just getting up.

I told him to go ahead and snooze in my sleeping bag while I did a few things that needed doing. I weeded my garden and cleaned my little shelter until I was certain he was fast asleep. Then I brought out my wand. I'd been practicing this particular spell since I was a little girl. It's nothing very complicated, just a simple Good Luck Charm. But I had finally found the one I was to be with, and I didn't want anything to happen to him, especially given his career and the poor way he took care of himself. So I charmed him, as he slept.

Eventually I had to wake him up from his nap, since we both needed to go to work the next day. He gave me a drowsy hug, then drove him while I climbed into my sleeping bag, still warm from his body heat.

I was sleeping soundly until I suddenly awoke in the early morning hours. It was still dark, and I felt sick! I rushed out of my sleeping bag and barely made it to the toilet in my shelter before my stomach heaved its contents out of my body. Settling back in after I had washed up as best I could, I wondered what I could have eaten that day that would cause such a reaction. But I was still so tired, so I only had a moment to wonder before sleep took me again. I did not dream.