It's been a few weeks since she saw them at Jaz and Thomas's introduction/get-together.
All three of them were supposed to play a hand in her mission or game of love.
And for a moment, the only one that seemed to capture her was playing mysterious fortune teller.
It got to the point that she wanted to know more. She was skeptical about what he said, but then again the halos. A reasonable explanation would be again she was seeing things, but the more she thought about it, the more she questioned her eyesight.
Maybe a trip to the eye doctor was the next best thing, I mean she did actually need glasses. It was just that they were at home, on her desk probably sealed shut since she barely ever used it.
But that wasn't the big issue, the issue was finding anything to help gather some sort of understanding about her right hand.
Nneka and Stella had stopped by a bookstore for the causal browsing, her local bookstore. Once inside, they went their separate ways. Stella went to the children's section, and Nneka to the spiritual section.
She didn't know what led her there, just that her legs walked aimlessly until they found that particular section. Once there, Nneka's fingers rolled off the spine of the books, looking for something she wasn't even aware she was looking for.
Palm reading.
When her fingers finally landed on a thick book, she took it. She pulled the book back, as another hand placed itself over hers.
She looked at the person's face for a second and decided to yield it. But when it finally registered who was standing beside her, she stepped closer pointing at him. "It's you."
"You can have it," Javi said.
He handed it to her, but she pushed it back to him. "No, you seem to know your stuff. I wouldn't want to bother the master." She joked.
He reached up and picked up an identical copy behind it, and waved it up. "It's a bookstore, there's usually more than one copy."
She was dumbfounded, quickly glancing away as she took the book he originally offered. "Right." she chuckled. Her body heated up forgetting that basic fact.
"Enjoy your red book." He says referring to its colour, but she didn't grasp what he meant. She just nodded, while he scoffed, turning away.
"Wait," Nneka grabbed his arms. He looked back, staring at her hand and then at her. "I mean, you know this stuff. Maybe you could help me?"
"Alright." She lets go. "You're looking for palm reading?" "Anything actually." she nervously laughs.
"What's anything?" Javi began. "What are you trying to figure out, your future, past, or your love life for example."
Her eyes opened up and brightly stared at his. "Anything?" she hesitated.
He chuckles. "Tell you what? How about you do a little more research and when you're ready you can call me."
She nodded quickly, "Yeah—"
"But first..." he searches through the rows searching for something. Then immediately handed it to her.
"Reincarnation?" Nneka, filled through the pages, a little confused.
"Light reading, unless..." he reached for it, planning to take it back, but she shoved it against her chest. Making a small noise, as it hit her chest.
"It's fine," she mustered. "I'll start here."
Javi grinned pulling out his phone. He opened his contacts list, just as Stella walked in.
"Did you find..." Stella stopped. In her hand were a few baby books, and a wicked smile that slowly crept on her face. She shuffled towards them with glittery eyes, "and this is?"
"Oh, this is..." Nneka was stuck. Out of every conversation that came up between them, names were never exchanged.
"Javier, but everyone calls me Javi." He told them.
"Hi, I'm Stella, Nneka good good friends. " She looks between the two of them. "I hope I'm not intruding in—"
"Oh no, I was just helping her look for a book. She wanted my help on some research—"
"Oh..." Stella peaked at the book cover. "Reincarnation, huh...I didn't know you believed in that kinda stuff?"
"I don't, but you know how much I love a good book."
Stella raised her brows, agreeing "Right..."
Javi held his hand to his mouth, clearing his throat with a smile. He put his phone back in his jacket and stood there swaying. "So...I'm going to—"
Stella stopped him. "Wait, are you that guy from the bar?"
He looked at Nneka, then at Stella nodded. "I do work at a bar, not sure which one you're talking about though."
"The guy who gave you free fries."
He laughed, then covered his mouth seeing the hint of embarrassment that was on Nneka's face. "Sorry."
"You're the palm reader," Stella yelled. Nneka hit her shoulder. Stella rubbed it, then whispered it instead. "You're the palm reader."
Javi looked at Nneka. "Yeah, I do that on special occasions."
"Can this be one?" Stella asked, "Just this once."
Still looking at her, he agreed. Only because Nneka's eyes were pleading with him. "Sure..."
"Well mister Palm reader, read away."
Stella held her dominant hand to him, while her books under her other arm.
Javi took her hand. He pushed it flatter and traced the lines on her finger. When he reached the fate line, he hesitated.
See palmistry wasn't an exact science, but with his previous understanding and knowledge of tarot and other things belonging to the mystic arts, he could see things that well others obviously couldn't.
And at that moment, he saw something. Something that had him stepping back and praying for his alarm to ring.
Luckily for him, the gods answered.
He dropped Stella's hand as his phone rang. Good thing his alarm ringtone was any Spotify song on shuffle.
He pulled his phone out for only him to see and turned it off after a few seconds of pretending to read a text. "Sorry, I have to go. Maybe next time?"
The girls nodded, but Stella needed one question before he could leave.
"Did you see anything though?"
"Um..." he looked at her hands and noticed the ring on the other one. "I see a happy marriage."
Stella raised a brow, watching as Javi walked off.
"Shoot, I forgot his number," Nneka said.
Stella turned to her, "You had one job."
"Well someone came at the wrong time, so I really couldn't now could I."
Stella looked away, "my bad, should I..."
She took one step towards Javi, with her mouth expanding into a yell, again in the library, when Nneka covered her mouth and pulled her back. "I'm going to let go, but you have to promise me you won't yell."
Stella nodded as she stood up straight. "so...he seems nice."
"I guess so. "
"And what are you going to do about it?"
Nneka shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe wait till fate calls my name or something."
"Is that what reincarnation was, cause I could have sworn it was something completely different. "
"Let's go." Nneka turned to Stella and pushed her to the cashier.
"I wonder what he actually saw though."
They paid for their books and left the bookstore.
But that wasn't all.
As soon as they took a step outside, a bike zoomed past them, shoving Stella into Nneka.
Nneka caught her and helped her stand straight. "You okay?"
She looked back at her, then fixed herself, "Yeah, just...what a day."
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