Read Online My Own True Love by Susan Sizemore - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Susan Sizemore
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at you. The choice really isn't all that hard," she said. She picked up the guitar and put it back in the canvas bag to protect it until it was time to play.
"Okay, let's go." She wagged a finger at Beth. "No pickpocketing."
Beth grimaced. "You crazy? 'Course I'll—"
"No you won't."
"Dammit, Sara!"
"And no swearing." Oh, God, Sara thought, I sound just like my mother. She almost didn't blame Beth for giving her a disgusted look and running out of the tent.
Sara called after her, but when she got no answer she clutched the bag to her chest and followed the girl to the bustle of the fair. It was a bright and beautiful morning, except for the ever-present smoke in the air. The sky overhead reminded Sara of her one trip to Los Angeles a few years back. "A few years forward. Whatever." I'm talking to myself. That's crazy. You listening to me? she asked the ring. It didn't answer. She decided to ignore it as well, and plunged into the crowd.
She was lost instantly, of course. Beth was nowhere in sight. She never had gotten her bearings the day before when she'd had the ring or Beth or Toma as a guide at all times. She wondered where Toma was now, and remembered where she'd first seen him. Maybe she could find him now. Maybe he could help her find Beth and find a place where she could play for the fairgoers. Toma. She got a warm, sweet feeling from just thinking about him. It was disgusting, that was what it was. Pure, mush-brained, romantic tripe. All the ring's fault. She just wished it didn't feel so good.
"Hmmph," she complained, hefted her guitar, and wandered down a jammed pathway that looked vaguely familiar. She smiled triumphantly a few minutes later when she recognized the alley that led behind Toma's stage: The stage must be around the next turning. She hurried forward as fast as she could dodge around the fairgoers, many of them excitedly chattering women. She felt a stab of jealousy at the realization that the women were chattering about Toma the Magnificent. She found herself tossing her dark curls, smug in the knowledge that she was the one Toma the Magnificent wanted to marry. Not that she could marry him, of course, but it was nice to be wanted.
Toma emerged from the alley just as she reached it. He was bare chested, with a blue silk headband holding back his long black hair. Beth was with him, A smile lit his face as he saw her; Sara thought for a second she was going to melt. He took her arm and drew her into the privacy of the alley.
"She's crazy, Toma," Beth said as they looked deep into each other's eyes. "She belongs in Bedlam, I swear!"
Toma gave Beth a stern look. "Hush, mud lark. Let me talk to her." He looked back at Sara. "I don't have much time."
She nodded. "Show time. I know."
"Beth's been raving at me. Is any of it true?"
Sara nodded. "I can't steal."
"You can't do anything else."
He looked so frustrated she wanted to comfort him. She supposed trying to explain magic rings and time travel and reincarnation would only make things worse. "I'm going to play the guitar," she said, since it was the only thing she really could explain. "Instead of stealing. Make an honest living."
"You see!" Beth chimed in. "Crazy. Mother Cummings'll kill us all!"
Toma ignored the girl. Sara would have tried to say something reassuring, but Toma had caught her gaze with his, and she couldn't turn away. His look was so intense, so pleading, she didn't know what to do. He wanted something from her. Lost in his gaze she wanted nothing more than to give him anything he wanted.
"I need you," he said. "Do you know how much I need you?" His hands tightened on her shoulders.
For a moment she thought he was going to shake her. But he dropped his hands to his sides and balled them into fists instead. "You can't understand." The intensity bordering on anger left his face. "Why do you want to make an honest living?"
She was almost too shocked to answer him for a moment. To her it seemed so obvious, but how could
"Okay, let's go." She wagged a finger at Beth. "No pickpocketing."
Beth grimaced. "You crazy? 'Course I'll—"
"No you won't."
"Dammit, Sara!"
"And no swearing." Oh, God, Sara thought, I sound just like my mother. She almost didn't blame Beth for giving her a disgusted look and running out of the tent.
Sara called after her, but when she got no answer she clutched the bag to her chest and followed the girl to the bustle of the fair. It was a bright and beautiful morning, except for the ever-present smoke in the air. The sky overhead reminded Sara of her one trip to Los Angeles a few years back. "A few years forward. Whatever." I'm talking to myself. That's crazy. You listening to me? she asked the ring. It didn't answer. She decided to ignore it as well, and plunged into the crowd.
She was lost instantly, of course. Beth was nowhere in sight. She never had gotten her bearings the day before when she'd had the ring or Beth or Toma as a guide at all times. She wondered where Toma was now, and remembered where she'd first seen him. Maybe she could find him now. Maybe he could help her find Beth and find a place where she could play for the fairgoers. Toma. She got a warm, sweet feeling from just thinking about him. It was disgusting, that was what it was. Pure, mush-brained, romantic tripe. All the ring's fault. She just wished it didn't feel so good.
"Hmmph," she complained, hefted her guitar, and wandered down a jammed pathway that looked vaguely familiar. She smiled triumphantly a few minutes later when she recognized the alley that led behind Toma's stage: The stage must be around the next turning. She hurried forward as fast as she could dodge around the fairgoers, many of them excitedly chattering women. She felt a stab of jealousy at the realization that the women were chattering about Toma the Magnificent. She found herself tossing her dark curls, smug in the knowledge that she was the one Toma the Magnificent wanted to marry. Not that she could marry him, of course, but it was nice to be wanted.
Toma emerged from the alley just as she reached it. He was bare chested, with a blue silk headband holding back his long black hair. Beth was with him, A smile lit his face as he saw her; Sara thought for a second she was going to melt. He took her arm and drew her into the privacy of the alley.
"She's crazy, Toma," Beth said as they looked deep into each other's eyes. "She belongs in Bedlam, I swear!"
Toma gave Beth a stern look. "Hush, mud lark. Let me talk to her." He looked back at Sara. "I don't have much time."
She nodded. "Show time. I know."
"Beth's been raving at me. Is any of it true?"
Sara nodded. "I can't steal."
"You can't do anything else."
He looked so frustrated she wanted to comfort him. She supposed trying to explain magic rings and time travel and reincarnation would only make things worse. "I'm going to play the guitar," she said, since it was the only thing she really could explain. "Instead of stealing. Make an honest living."
"You see!" Beth chimed in. "Crazy. Mother Cummings'll kill us all!"
Toma ignored the girl. Sara would have tried to say something reassuring, but Toma had caught her gaze with his, and she couldn't turn away. His look was so intense, so pleading, she didn't know what to do. He wanted something from her. Lost in his gaze she wanted nothing more than to give him anything he wanted.
"I need you," he said. "Do you know how much I need you?" His hands tightened on her shoulders.
For a moment she thought he was going to shake her. But he dropped his hands to his sides and balled them into fists instead. "You can't understand." The intensity bordering on anger left his face. "Why do you want to make an honest living?"
She was almost too shocked to answer him for a moment. To her it seemed so obvious, but how could
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