Read Online The Glass Kingdom by Chris Flynn - Free Book Online Page B

don’t get it. How does that apply?’
    â€˜Well, we got my car back and I’m helping you expand the business. Two ticks there. And as for the High Priestess—well, I’m going to interpret that as a sign of the Shadow, the whispering inner voice that is about to emerge in order to transform my personality into something more powerful.’
    â€˜Righto. What do you think: steak and bacon pie, or steak and mushroom? Anything about that in there?’
    I don’t think she even heard me. She was on one of her rolls.
    â€˜Add to that the Eight of Cups, which generally indicates the need to move on emotionally, and the Page of Pentacles, which almost never comes out in a reading, and it’s pretty clear what my immediate future holds. The Page of Pentacles is a wealth card, more precisely suggesting that I will soon have the opportunity to manage a lot of money.’
    â€˜I like that one. What’s this about moving on emotionally, though? Am I getting the boot here?’
    She snapped out of her train of thought and stared at me as if she’d forgotten I was there.
    â€˜God no. Don’t worry, babe, you’re safe. What I think that means is that all the other men I’ve known are going to start fading from my memory.’
    I snorted. ‘You think about these blokes often, do you?’
    â€˜The thing is, I only spent time with them because part of me knew that they were just temporary. What I remember about them should start to fragment now, to fall apart and crumble.’
    I’d seen that faraway expression on her face a thousand times. It was time for me to tune out.
    â€˜I’ll forget their foxy scent, their sharp stubble against my neck, their calloused hands, the way they frowned or rolled their eyes when I explained how I make a living. They’ll be like jigsaw pieces being put back in the box. Their faces will melt into one distinct male form, their chests and backs and legs and dicks will all shrink or expand to become one standard-size chunk of masculinity. I’ll forget the details—the scars, the tattoos, the kinks, the annoying laughs, the bad breath and petty obsessions. I’ll struggle to recall their accents, the size of their feet, the colour of their eyes. All traces of their individuality will be slowly erased until all that remains is a single man, my Benji. His burns, his muscly forearms, his cynicism, his loaded silences, all folded into a concrete force as powerful and real as the pleasure he brings me every night. He is wondrous, this man, a marvel, a thing of great beauty, and he is all mine.’
    â€˜He’s right here, you know.’
    She climbed down from her flying unicorn then and waved a hand under her chin. She was close to tears. Sometimes, she almost scares me with this shit.
    â€˜God. Sorry, was that a bit much?’
    â€˜Just a tad. That was some reading.’
    â€˜Incredible. I know.’
    She calmed down and studied the menu. I considered reminding her of what she said about people reading what they want to hear into the cards, but thought better of it. I should have known it was all leading somewhere. She closed the menu and hit me with her latest proposal.
    â€˜You know that course I’ve been wanting to do in Melbourne?’
    â€˜Remind me.’
    â€˜The kinesiology one, at the College of Natural Medicine.’
    â€˜Which is what again?’
    She tutted. ‘It’s diagnosing long-term physical problems by assessing if the chakras are out of balance. It’s amazing stuff. You remember that neck pain I was having? A kinesiologist told me it was because of unresolved issues with my mum. She was so on the money.’
    I rolled my eyes. ‘Sounds scientific.’
    â€˜Don’t be so cynical all the time. You should try it. Honestly, it might help you with your issues.’
    â€˜You know what would help me with my issues? A cold beer. What do you want to