Love Fortunes and Other Disasters (11 page)

“I can't possibly do that,” Fallon said thickly. “A charm like that would be too precious to laugh at.”

*   *   *

In the afternoon, Fallon walked briskly over bridges and busy streets to the main Barnes Canal Cruises ticket booth. Tourists tended to take photographs of the peeling mermaid statue mounted on the roof of the booth. The mermaid's beautiful face was at odds with the two hearts she squeezed in her fists; Fallon didn't like the statue, but Nico insisted it was a relic. His parents would never take the old thing down.

Even in cold weather, the canal glistened and sunlight bounced off the hulls of the tied-up boats. Fallon spotted Nico reclining on one of the benches facing the canal, his nose buried in a newspaper. A cup of coffee cooled on the seat beside him.

“Did you secure us a boat, Captain?” she teased, dropping her bag onto the bench.

“Dad threatened to double my hours at the booth if I snuck off with one. We'll have to share space with the tourists.”

“That's too bad.”

Anais skipped her way over to the bench with a crinkly package of sweet rolls. “I got us a treat!”

Nico eyed the package with suspicion. The last time Anais got seasick, he was the one who had to mop up her mess on deck.

“What?” she said. “I'm hungry.”

Nico folded his newspaper. “If you take even one bite, we are not getting on a boat.”

“Come on, don't be stingy.”

“It's self-preservation.”

After some bickering, Anais reluctantly agreed to save the sweet rolls for later. Fallon handed Anais the stack of magazines she hadn't used.

When she tried giving Anais money for the eight she kept, Anais just told her to treat her with dessert the next time they went out. “Knowing you, Dupree, I'd be eating something flaked with edible gold.”

“I don't know about that,” Fallon said, laughing. Then she noticed that Anais's hands had turned white under the strain of holding the magazines. “Are you okay?”

Anais shoved the magazines into her backpack along with the sweet rolls and groaned. “I feel like I'm carrying a family of storks on my back.”

Fallon laughed and steadied her friend when she tilted. “If Bear was here, he'd carry it for you.”

“I know.” Anais pouted. “That's why I asked him to pick me up after the tour's over.”

“I see. You can't possibly return home unescorted,” Nico said.

“Bear doesn't know where I live,” she said, huffing. “We're going to wander the shops and have dinner. Then I'll find some way to say good-bye before we get to the drugstore. Bear gets positively light-headed after kissing. I like to use that to my advantage.”

Nico clapped his hands over his ears. “Too much information! Let's go.”

Fallon happily followed behind as they headed to the tour boat. The boat had an open-air deck and seating below for those who couldn't handle too much sun. The trio headed to the back of the boat for some privacy, squeezing past tourists already leaping from seat to seat, taking pictures. In the back, the engine drowned out everything, including the rave-reviewed commentaries from the captain.

The boat pulled away from the dock. They moved at a slow pace down the canal; Fallon admired the backyards of old brick buildings and waved with the tourists whenever they spotted someone. The boat shifted when the tourists rushed to gawk at the entrance to the Tunnel of Love. The tunnel had its own loop that other boats didn't enter. Fallon watched the happy couples climb into tiny boats, each one painted with hearts.
Experiencing the Tunnel of Love is another dream I'm fighting for,
she reminded herself. Her hair whipped back from her forehead, her eyelashes trembled. Autumn made the tour feel like an excursion.

The desire to talk about the rebellion stirred in her, but Fallon bit back the words in Anais's presence. Instead, she asked Nico about his first officer meeting.

“Did you make Martin fall madly in love with you?” Anais said, elbowing him.

Nico swatted at her. “Don't you remember my fortune?”

“Whatever. Entertain me.”

“I'm just the treasurer. My life revolves around memorizing the numbers on the bank statements so that I can tell them quickly if an idea is in or out of budget.”

“But you didn't join for the numbers,” Anais said. “Come on. Did Martin look any different from last year? New glasses, perhaps?”

“He looks … more tired now. I think being president wears him down.”

“Then take him on a vacation,” Anais said, grinning.

Nico blushed and mumbled, “Not with Camille around.”

“Are you serious? She's still there?”

“Camille's the vice president,” Fallon said.

“That must be awkward.”

“Camille's not over him,” Nico said in a pained voice. “She's been ruthless in stealing his attention. It's awful.”

“Martin can't want her back.” Anais grabbed Nico by the collar. “Please tell me you've been listening to gossip. Does anyone know why he broke up with her?”

“No one knows for sure, but the breakup probably had something to do with Camille spending more time at Zita's shop than with Martin.” His expression clouded. “Apparently, Camille had been told that she was ‘meant for better things.'”

“Poor guy.” Anais released his collar.

But Fallon shivered with unease. She raised her voice over the engine. “Who told Camille that?”

“Someone at work, probably. Rumor has it that Camille will be promoted to manager at Zita's shop after graduation.”

Fallon breathed in the crisp air scented with the flavors of the town. She didn't like this strong connection between Camille and Zita's shop. The higher Camille climbed in the shop, the more likely she was a serious threat to the rebellion. This wasn't just about Nico's unrequited love anymore. As if sensing her thoughts, Nico stared out at the water in silence.

“What about you, Fallon? School's only been in session for a week and you're already in trouble,” Anais said.

“What?”

“You've been talking to Sebastian.” She said it more as an accusation than a fact. “Be careful. That boy eats hearts for breakfast!”

“It's not like that. We just happen to be in the same club.”

“You joined a club?”

Fallon told Anais about the charm-maker's club.

Anais raised an eyebrow. “I didn't know you liked charms. Not enough to make them. Man, I wish my dad didn't work me so hard. Then I could join.”

Nico panicked. “You wouldn't want to. It's a tiny, boring club. We don't do anything.”

“You joined too?”

“Someone has to protect Fallon from Bastion,” he said.

Anais nodded. “Well done, Nico.”

The boat shuddered as tourists gathered on the right side to take photos of a bronze cupid statue. Fallon curled her hands around the railing. A week ago, she would have laughed along with them about Bastion. But now, she couldn't ignore her changing opinion of him.

The truth was disappointing in some ways because disliking him had been so effortless. The dog groomer in him had been an odd surprise, along with his fierce, quiet love for his grandmother. Sebastian remained a mystery, but as she beheld pieces of the real boy underneath, she felt her own heart give. Just a little.

 

chapter 9

QUALITY

“Boy, you look surprised,” Robbie said with a grin.

When she heard the knock on her door Sunday morning, Fallon didn't think she'd find her brother standing on the other side. Panic flooded her chest. Although happy to see him, she hadn't prepared for visitors. Her dooming love fortune hung innocently on her corkboard. Fallon invited him inside but kept him standing near the door.

Since his employment as a clothing inspector, Robbie never left the house in less than quality. His mustache and slicked-back hair were perfectly oiled. He smelled of spicy aftershave when he bent down to hug her. The leather jacket and khaki slacks he wore molded to his body perfectly.

“What are you doing here?”

“Checking up on my little sister.” He looked at her strangely. “You didn't call. I got worried.”

She'd forgotten. With everything that had happened this past week, Fallon had been lucky to remember calling her parents. “I'm sorry. School's been taking over my brain.”

“Enough to distract you from sharing your love-fortune news with me?” He shook his head. “I have a hard time believing that, but I understand. Mom and Dad told me about the news. You're stuck waiting, huh? How unusual.”

“Zita's only reminding me that being patient is part of my romantic journey,” Fallon said. Her pulse quickened, but the lie came easily.

“Mom and Dad sounded pretty upset, but there's nothing we can do if that's your fortune. I asked them if they were holding out on me— Is Fallon adopted or what? The joke hadn't gone over too well, as you can imagine.”

A rush of guilt overpowered Fallon. She was the only member of the family who hadn't found love early. Maybe she
had
been adopted.

Robbie reached over and tousled her hair. “Hey, now. Don't worry. I'm here to cheer you up. How about we spend the day together?”

Since getting married, Robbie hadn't gone anywhere without his wife. Fallon fought the urge to look behind him. “Just us?”

“Morgane's spending time with her friends.”

Fallon managed a smile. “Just a second.”

They spent the morning wandering the streets around the complex, sharing stories of their experiences along the way. Robbie told her about the time he and Morgane snuck into the belfry after hours, taking photos with each of the forty-eight bells. She didn't have anything as exciting to share, though sitting under the bridge with Sebastian came to mind.

“I have a friend who likes collecting silence,” Fallon said. She turned her face away so that Robbie wouldn't see her cheeks burning. “He runs around town recording pockets of quiet. I went with him once.”

Robbie stopped at a storefront to examine a knitted scarf. “I didn't know Grimbaud was ever quiet.”

“There are gardens and little caf
é
s. Places where couples can have privacy.” But, she realized, such parts of town were designed to cater to people in love. The everyday townsperson had to be more clever to find peace away from stolen kisses under yew trees or over shared desserts.

“Not thrilling enough,” Robbie said, crinkling his nose at the scarf. “You'll be a senior before you know it!.”

“Not for another three years.”

“Still. Maybe you better start planning something.”

Fallon sighed. “Aren't you a responsible adult now? Don't tell me to break rules and risk arrest.”

“Arrest? Who said anything about that? Maybe next year you'll get a better fortune and you and your boyfriend can work together.”

“Yes. Maybe,” Fallon said wistfully.

“What's going on over there?” Robbie asked, pointing at the construction cones across the street.

She couldn't tell. “We need to go that way anyway for lunch,” she said, thinking of taking him to a caf
é
that served excellent omelets.

They crossed the street and turned the corner, finding a small crowd of curious onlookers standing in front of a park that served as a miniature shrine to Love. People dropped coins into the gurgling fountain and enjoyed the topiaries shaped like hearts. The main draw was the statue behind the fountain named
Love Being Cherished
.

The marble statue depicted a voluptuous woman as Love, her naked body and tumbling hair positioned just right to be inoffensive. A teenage boy stood on marble steps to her left; he kissed her cheek while shedding lovers' tears, a bouquet of roses and a poetry book chiseled into his hands. The teenage girl kissed Love's other cheek daintily, with wide-open eyes; her hands curled outward, accepting whatever blessings came her way.

Fallon thought the statue was beautiful; she understood why people came to this patch of earth just to admire it. But today, no one was allowed near the statue except for the construction workers. The workers finished securing iron beams underneath the statue. A truck waited on the street.

“That statue's being removed,” said a woman standing nearby.

“For refurbishment?” Robbie asked.

“No. For good.”

Robbie's face flushed with outrage. “How could that be? This statue's been here for generations. It's a relic.”

The woman shrugged, but she looked just as upset. “Nothing belongs to the town anymore, does it? Zita bought the land the statue sits on, and she can afford to remove it. I don't know why. It's offensive to touch something made in honor of Love.”

More than offensive
, Fallon thought. The statue symbolized the townspeople's connection to Love. Removing the statue felt like a slap in Love's face. Tension rippled in the air as the construction workers continued preparing the statue for the move. Robbie asked around, but no one seemed to know where the statue was being moved to. The workers remained tight-lipped, even when someone threw a water bottle at them.

Underneath the unease, Fallon heard the faint sound of a tango. She scanned the crowd and found a familiar boy standing on the outskirts with giant headphones covering his ears. He was the same boy from the library. The boy's hands curled into fists, his eyes stormy.

Fallon couldn't catch his eye, but she wanted to make him feel better.
It's just a statue, after all,
she thought, but it felt like a lie. Dread made her toes tingle. She grabbed her brother's arm. “Robbie, let's go.”

*   *   *

Witnessing the historic statue's removal had shaken up the Dupree siblings. Robbie ignored the clothing shops as they walked to the caf
é
. He made no snide remarks about the tattered skirt the woman in front of them wore. He didn't even blink when they passed a toddler wearing a drawstring hood that was against clothing regulations. Fallon should have been grateful that Robbie wasn't prattling on about his job, but at what cost?