A Fare To Remember: Just Whistle\Driven To Distraction\Taken For A Ride (19 page)

Alec had always been drawn to willowy blondes, the all-American beauty, cool and aloof, except in bed. The woman he’d met that morning was the opposite. She had an exotic beauty, every feature magnified just enough to make it extraordinary. Her mouth was wide, her lips lush, her skin like silk. Her violet eyes were ringed with dark lashes, and her raven hair tumbled around her face, creating a perfect frame for her beauty.

“You payin’ a visit to Ruta’s?”

Alec glanced up and the cabbie grinned, watching him in the rearview mirror.

“Do you know her?” Alec asked.

“Oh, yeah. Ruta is the best in the city. I met her back when I was working with NYPD. Now I see her whenever my luck goes south at the track.” He chuckled. “If she devoted herself to the ponies and lottery numbers, she’d probably be a millionaire. That woman has some scary psychic powers.”

“Interesting,” Alec said. His eyes came to rest on the cabby’s photo. Mario Capelli. He wondered if Mario knew that Ruta Lupescu was sitting on a multimillion-dollar lottery ticket. She owned a piece of property that every developer in Manhattan would trade his mother to own.

In the past twenty years, real estate values in the Village had skyrocketed. Most of the undeveloped property had been scooped up long ago in a mad race to provide housing and retail space to a growing population of very affluent New Yorkers. But Ruta Lupescu had acquired her building fifty years ago, before Greenwich Village became one of the city’s most attractive neighborhoods.

Now her building sat smack in the middle of a row of six properties owned by Harnett Property Development. With all seven in hand, they could build something special—a new hotel, luxury condominiums, or maybe a shopping complex with a movie theatre. But without Ruta’s property, plans for anything big were put on hold—unless Alec could convince her to sell.

His father had always considered the property to be his to begin with and had never made a reasonable offer, preferring instead to badger the old Gypsy into selling. But Alec took a more pragmatic approach to the problem. Everyone had their price, even Ruta Lupescu. It was his job to find it.

“What can you tell me about her?” he asked.

“Ah, she’s a sweetheart. Always willing to help a person in need. Why, most of those folks who live in her building are on fixed incomes. She barely asks for rent.”

“Seems a bit silly in this day and age,” Alec commented.

Mario shrugged, glancing over his shoulder. “I suppose it does. But Ruta came from nothing. She and her mother were refugees back in the late thirties. They came with only the clothes on their back. Just a few years after they arrived, her mother died. Ruta was a teenager. She told fortunes on the street and lived in the basement of an old building until she saved up enough to rent her shop. The story goes that one night, her landlord stopped in and she told him his fortune. And when it came true, he gave her the building, free and clear. A whole building for one fortune. Like winning the lottery, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” Alec murmured. He’d heard the story a million times, but told with much less awe and reverence. His grandfather, George Harnett, had been the man. And Ruta’s fortune had predicted good health and a long life for Alec’s grandmother Judith, who had been seriously ill for nearly a year. The very next day, Alec’s grandmother had miraculously gotten out of bed, and within a week, she was her normal cheery self.

“Back then, the Village wasn’t the best place to live,” Mario commented. “But things have changed.” He laughed, shaking his head. “That Ruta could live like a queen, but she’s still telling fortunes for ten dollars a pop.”

“What about her family? You’d think they’d want her to be comfortable.”

“Her daughter moved to Missouri with her husband a few years ago. She wanted Ruta to come with them, but the old lady was determined to stay. I don’t blame her. She loves that place. And everyone in the neighborhood loves her.”

Alec sat back, glancing around the cab. The interior was decorated with photos. At first, he assumed they were of Mario’s children, but upon closer examination, Alec found smiling couples, many of them dressed in wedding wear. “What are all these pictures?” he asked.

“Ah, most of them are fares. At least, that’s how they started. Once in a while, I make a few introductions and one thing leads to another and before you know it, they’re walking down the aisle.”

“You’re a matchmaker?”

“I guess you could call me that. Are you looking for a wife?”

Alec chuckled. “No, not at the moment.” But he couldn’t ignore the image of the violet-eyed beauty that drifted through his mind. He imagined she was a woman who could keep him interested for a long time. He’d find out tomorrow morning, but for now, Alec had to concentrate on the job at hand.

Mario pulled the cab over to the curb, then pointed to a brick five-story. “That’s Ruta’s. Say hello for me and tell her I’ll see her tomorrow afternoon. I take her out to Brooklyn every Thursday. She tells fortunes for free at a retirement center there.”

Alec paid the cabbie, then hopped out. He walked along the sidewalk, back and forth in front of the shop, as he collected his thoughts. His father had always come away frustrated from his meetings, unnerved by the yearly curse she had put on him. She’d even become a legend around the office. Whenever the photocopy machine broke or important paperwork got lost, it was blamed on the Gypsy’s wrath.

Alec took off his jacket and draped it over his arm, then loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. All he had to do was keep his cool, listen to her concerns and then address them, logically and calmly. His father had never tried that approach, so it might just work the first time out.

A tiny bell rang above his head as he entered the shop. The interior was a hodgepodge of old wooden display cases, thick tapestries and threadbare furniture, just another in the mix of odd establishments scattered throughout the Village. He wandered over to the counter and bent down to examine Ruta’s merchandise, if it could be called that.

There were birds’ nests and the jaw from some sharp-toothed animal, a small bowl of amber crystals and a bottle of dark green liquid. Everywhere he looked, there was something more bizarre—feathers and pickled eggs and dried roots and berries. His gaze halted on a stuffed weasel that sat above the cash register. The place was downright creepy—and empty. “Hello?” he called.

An instant later a slender figure popped up from behind one of the counters. Her long black hair tumbled around her face, and when she brushed it back, he met familiar eyes of a strange violet color. For a long moment, they didn’t speak, a tiny frown marring her smooth brow.

“It’s you,” he finally said. “From the sidewalk this morning.”

“Yes,” she murmured. Her fingered fluttered up to her necklace and she rubbed the pendant nervously. “How are you? How did you find me?”

“You work here?”

She nodded. “I do. My grandmother owns this place. Ruta Lupescu.”

“Your grandmother,” Alec said very slowly. “Ruta is your grandmother.” He fought the urge to step back out to the sidewalk and regroup. Either this was incredible luck or terrible irony. He’d been thinking about this woman all day and now here she was, as if destiny had put her in front of him.

Was there any way to separate business from pleasure now? Ruta had made her feelings about the Harnett family well known. What were the odds that her granddaughter would feel differently? Given time, perhaps he could enlist her help to convince Ruta.

For now, that’s what he needed—time. He could play it cool, collect a bit more information and revise his strategy. “I understand you tell fortunes here.” He swallowed hard, suddenly finding it difficult to speak. Out on the street, he felt safe, in control. But this was her environment. His mind drifted back to the old woman’s curse. Perhaps her granddaughter was even more powerful than she was.

“My grandmother usually does the readings,” she said. “She’s not in right now, but she’ll be back in about a half hour.” A tiny smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. “Funny, I wouldn’t have pegged you for the type to come into this shop.”

“I’ve always been curious,” Alec admitted, returning her smile. “And some power must have made me walk through that door.” He leaned in closer, bracing his elbows on the counter. “Maybe you would do my reading?”

She paused, then shook her head. “I’m really not that—”

“I won’t hold you to anything you tell me. I just have a few simple questions.” At first, it looked as if she might refuse and he’d be forced to leave without learning anything more.

“All right,” she finally said. “Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll go get the cards.”

“Cards? Aren’t you going to look into a crystal ball or read my palm? Or maybe you could do the tea-leaf thing?”

“There are many ways to do a reading,” she explained. “I prefer tarot cards, but if you’d like me to read your palm, I can do that.”

Alec sat down across the table from her and held out his hand. Right now, all he wanted was to touch her, to see if her fingers elicited the same intense reaction they had that morning. “Let’s try this first, and if I don’t get the answers I want, we’ll give the cards a shot.”

She reached out and took his hand in hers. The moment she did, Alec felt his blood warm and his pulse leap. Slowly, she drew her fingers over his palm, stroking it gently. He tried to concentrate on the task at hand, but Alec found himself fascinated by the sensations her touch evoked.

As she stared at his palm, he took the chance to examine her more closely. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. His eyes fixed on her mouth, and he imagined kissing her. She’d taste like some sweet, exotic fruit, strangely addictive, yet unfamiliar to him.

“What would you like to know?” she murmured, glancing up.

“Let’s start with your name,” Alec said. The words came out before he realized what he was saying. In truth, that was the only question he wanted answered at the moment.

Another smile curled the corners of her mouth and Alec’s regret evaporated. “It’s Sabina.”

“Like the Audrey Hepburn movie?”

“But without the
R.
Sabina, not Sabrina. Sabina Amanar.”

“Sabina,” he repeated.

“What’s your name?”

“You’re the psychic. Why don’t you tell me?”

She stared down at his palm and continued to run her fingertips over his skin. “Your name makes no difference. It won’t change your future.”

Alec winced inwardly. If she knew his last name was Harnett, it would definitely change his prospects for dinner with the lovely Sabina. “What do you see there?”

“You work very hard. Even now, your thoughts are occupied with matters of money and power. But there is one problem that weighs heavily on your mind. There is something you want, something you…” She paused as if to carefully choose her words. “Covet, but it will not come easily. You are tempted to use trickery to obtain this thing, but that will not bring it to you.”

Alec shifted uneasily. She could be talking about anything from the new Jag he’d been looking at to his next real estate deal to her grandmother’s building. But then again, she might actually be talking about his desire to yank her into his arms and kiss her. Either way, he didn’t like that she was able to see through him so easily. “Can you be more specific?”

She frowned, then drew in a sharp breath, as if what she saw surprised her. “There—there is family involved. And a decision made many years ago.” Sabina placed his hand on the table, then drew back. “That’s all I see,” she said softly. “You should come back when Ruta is here. She’s much better than I am.”

“I think you’re doing a fine job. So what do you advise I do?” He reached out and took her hand, turning his palm up again. “Tell me.”

“Be honest,” she said, not bothering to look down. “Say what you mean and mean what you say.”

“Have dinner with me,” he countered.

Sabina gasped. “What?”

“You told me to be honest. We were going to have coffee tomorrow morning. Let’s have dinner tonight instead.”

“I hardly know you,” Sabina said with a coy smile.

Alec knew she’d accept the invitation. The attraction between them was obviously mutual. “You’re psychic.” He grabbed her hand and placed her fingertips on his temple. “Just read my mind and you’ll know everything you need to know. I’m a good guy, right?”

“Yes, I suspect you are. But I still don’t know anything about you.”

Alec stood. “My name is Alec. Alec Har—” He paused, then cleared his throat. Now was not the time to reveal all. “Harper. I’ll pick you up this evening in front of the shop. Seven, if that’s all right.”

“I really think we should start with—”

“You read my palm, Sabina. You must know that I don’t take no for an answer.” Alec pushed back from the table and walked to the door. “See you this evening.”

When he reached the street, he turned back and looked through the glass-paned door to find Sabina staring at him, an odd frown on her face. Alec gave her a little wave, then stepped to the curb to hail a cab. But when the cab pulled up, he hesitated, then pulled open the passenger-side door. “Can you wait a few seconds?”

The cabbie nodded and Alec strode back inside the shop. She was standing where he’d left her, toying with her necklace as she had earlier. Without hesitation, Alec reached around her waist and drew her up against his body. A moment later, he lost himself in the taste of her mouth. A tiny cry of surprise slipped from her throat, but then she softened in his arms and returned the kiss, her tongue gently teasing at his.

Alec could have stood there for the rest of the day, kissing her, letting the waves of desire wash over him. But there would be time for that later. He drew away and smiled. “I’m not sure why I did that,” he whispered. “But if you figure it out, let me know.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the shop. As he hopped into the cab, Alec chuckled to himself. So maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to mix business with pleasure. Besides, from the very moment had Sabina touched him, all thoughts of business had disappeared from his head. Right now, he had one task at hand—romancing Sabina Amanar. And that would be nothing but pleasure.