Gaia laughed. “Yeah. Like they’ve been doing that perfectly. Look. If you become human and accidentally discover some of your friends are paranormal, you’d freak out just like you were learning of it for the first time.”
A stab of sadness overwhelmed him. He thought about losing dear friends without whom his dream would never have been realized. Friends like Nick and Tory and Kurt.
“I trust them to keep their identities a secret. All you need to do is ask them to treat us like any other humans.”
“Riiiiight. That might interfere with your closeness. Trusting friends with your secrets is part of friendship. Who would you say is your closest friend?”
“Other than Claudia? Kurt, probably.”
She laughed. “Do you remember the first day you met?”
“Of course.”
“Let me show your girlfriend what I mean.”
“Why?”
Mother Nature raised one eyebrow. “Why not?”
Anthony didn’t know what Gaia was up to, but there was nothing about that day that would upset Claudia. Eventually, he shrugged and said, “Go ahead.”
Gaia smiled. She drew a large circle in the air and a scene appeared in it, again kind of like a movie. Claudia sat up and paid attention.
All three of them watched and listened.
A knock on the front door of the brand-new bar surprised Anthony, and he whirled toward the sound. Instead of opening the door, he strolled to the bow window that looked out onto Charles Street. He could make out a casually dressed male, but it was no one he had met before.
“At least it’s not Ruxandra,” he muttered. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to give her the slip when he’d snuck out of New Orleans, masking his scent and leaving everything behind. He hoped she’d think he had met his true death.
He strode to the heavy oak door and opened it wide. “Can I help you?”
“Funny,” the five-year-younger Kurt said. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”
“Come again?”
“Thanks. I hope to come here often.” The stranger-at-the-time gave Anthony a bright grin, making him wonder if he had found another friend, perhaps of the paranormal variety.
“Come in.” Anthony stepped aside and let the man enter. “Are you looking for a job?”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“What position are you interested in applying for?”
“I was thinking of something a little outside the box.”
Anthony scratched his head. “Have a seat and tell me about it. By the way, my name is Anthony Cross, and you are…”
“Kurt.”
Anthony wondered why Kurt didn’t give his last name, but it didn’t really matter. Until he heard the man’s idea, this would be nothing more than an exploratory meeting.
“So, what is this out-of-the-box idea you have in mind, Kurt?”
“Well, it’s like this. You’re going to need someone like me to handle unusual situations if things get dicey.” He leaned back in his chair and draped an arm around the finial, looking like he owned the place.
“What do you mean by someone like you?”
“I’m an ex-marine…and a wizard.”
Anthony couldn’t help his surprise. His reaction showed on his face, and the guy laughed.
“Seriously. I figured you could use an undercover bouncer. I’ll just hang out and drink, like a regular. That way it won’t spook the clientele, but you can rest assured that if any disagreements get out of hand, I can fix whatever happens pretty quickly.”
“How?”
“I can freeze time. Well, not exactly time. It has to do with quantum physics, but instead of explaining how it works, why don’t I just show you?”
Anthony’s curiosity demanded he explore it…whatever it was. “Okay. As they say in Missouri, ‘Show me.’”
“Look at your watch.”
Anthony’s Rolex indicated it was eight thirty. A moment later, it was eight forty-five and he hadn’t seen the hand move.
“Shit.”
“No shit.” Kurt grinned. “I can’t erase minds, but that’s where you come in. I think you can do that with hypnosis. Right?”
Anthony gave him a sidelong look.
“So, how about it?” Kurt persisted. “Do we make a great team, or what?”
“How much do you want per hour and when can you start?”
Mother Nature folded her arms. “They’re real good about not revealing themselves or each other or any of their unusual abilities, aren’t they?”
Anthony shook his head hard as if to erase the nostalgic image. “How did Kurt know what I was? I never asked him.”
“And you never will if I do this for you.”
Anthony paced and muttered out loud. “I’d just assumed as often happens when one opens oneself to the universe, serendipity or ‘coincidence’ stepped in. But now that I think about it, Nick must have told him.”
Mother Nature tipped her head. “Like I said… So, are you changing your mind?”
When he considered being able to live a normal life with his normal wife, who he’d propose to as soon as he had a believable birth certificate… “I really want my humanity back. All of it. Good and bad. But do I have to lose my friends? Can’t you just strongly warn them not to say anything? Make it really clear to them what will happen?”
She let out a huge sigh. “Give me a day or two, and I’ll see what I can come up with.”
Anthony’s gaze snapped to the goddess’s face. “You can…” He rolled his eyes. “Never mind. I forgot who I was talking to.”
Gaia laughed. “Now you’re getting it.”
“But there’s one thing you should know.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“One of your special children has been a thorn in my side for centuries. I know it was my fault for turning her, but is there any way you can turn her back or keep her away from us? She only recently lost her goal of making our lives a living hell, and I’m not ready to trust it yet.”
“Ruxandra.”
“You’re aware?”
Mother Nature sighed. “Yes. I’ve seen you struggle to handle her, and I have to give you props for patience. She can be a handful.”
“You got that right,” Claudia said.
Holding up one palm, Mother Nature continued. “I’ve witnessed the new relationship, and her bond with the wizard is real.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Anthony said. “But I’m still apprehensive.”
“What about turning her human…” Claudia asked. “I know she doesn’t deserve it as a reward, but it might be a really good idea for everyone concerned. I can’t imagine—”
Gaia held up her palm to interrupt Claudia. “Do you have any idea how hard this is to do? We’re talking about rearranging DNA.”
Claudia’s shoulders slumped. “I guess it’s out of the question. I just can’t help worrying that we’ll be even more vulnerable if we don’t know what she’s capable of.”
“She’s not interested in bothering you anymore.”
Anthony looked at her skeptically. “How can you be sure?”
Gaia snickered. “That’s one of my strokes of genius—not just for her, but for many jilted lovers.”
“What is?” Anthony asked.
“Ever heard this little ditty? The fastest way for a woman to get over a man is to get under another one.” Who do you think invented that?
Claudia’s hand covered her mouth. Anthony didn’t know if she was trying to stifle a gasp or a chuckle.
Gaia composed herself after her own hearty laugh. “I think they’ll be bitten by the travel bug at some point. A little wanderlust will keep them out of your hair.”