TRANSCENDENCE - CHAPTER 2

By A. PENMAN

The next morning at breakfast, out of the blue, June asked a question that shook me to my foundation.

“Steve. Who is Lady Bianca?”

How could this be? How could she possibly know? I mean, it was just last night that I met her. I damn near choked on my coffee. June noted my reaction. I calmed myself as best I could before responding.

“Sit down June. I’d like to talk to you about something.” The look on her face was one of pending doom. I knew I had made the wrong choice of words.

“No, no no. Nothing like that. I’m not wanting out, or wanting to see someone else for sex or any other reason. My love...OUR love is still strong. PLEASE sit down June, so that I can explain all this to you.”

She sat down at the kitchen table with me, somewhat reluctantly.

“First of all, how did you find out about Lady Bianca?”

“I was hanging up your jacket when, lo and behold, this card fell out.” She slid the card to me across the table. I quickly scanned it.

Now that made no sense at all. If one is holding a jacket upright, like one normally would, and there was a card in one of the pockets, it would be physically impossible for a card to fall out. It just doesn’t happen like that. Even in the unlikely event that June went through my pockets, she would not have found a card from Lady Bianca because I didn’t take her business card. And I didn’t keep Andy’s.

So the question is how in the hell did a card get into my pocket? My jacket was never out of my sight, so I know that she didn’t slip one into my pocket. Something weird was happening.

“Who IS Lady Bianca, Steve?” June’s voice was now more assertive.

“First of all June, let me start by confessing a small white lie.”

“I’m listening.”

“When you called last night I was with Andy. But we were sitting in Lady Bianca’s living room, chatting with her.”

“What for?” She asked. Her patience was running out.

“Andy took me to see her. According to him, she’s someone who can help us. The caveat is that we both have to be very open minded and willing to trust her and her methods.”

“Oh really?” June was very skeptical.

“Andy claims that she saved his marriage.”

“You told Andy about this...this problem?” Now she was pissed off. But I trudged onward.

“Actually no, I didn’t tell him. He knew!”

“Oh that’s right. I forget how sensitive guys can be.” June’s voice now dripped sarcasm.

“June?” I paused, to let her know that I was getting upset over how she was reacting. She backed off a bit.

“Please, Steve. Continue.”

“He sensed that something was wrong with us because he and Stacy went through the same thing we’re going through. He claims that Lady Bianca helped them by helping Stacy with her...difficulty.” I said, being careful to choose the right words.

“And just how did Lady Bianca do this?”

“I don’t know. That’s the part we would find out if we decide to seek her help.”

“We? Don’t you mean me? Oh Steve, how could you?” She was damn near in tears. In a dramatic gesture, I took her hands in mine and looked her squarely in the eyes.

“The answer to that one is simple. Because I desperately love my wife and I want her back, in all ways.” I thought I put that very nicely. So did June.

“This is crazy, Steve. What is she, some kind of psychic healer?”

“Ehh...honey...” I hesitated. “She claims she’s a sexual healer.” I prepared myself for a barrage of verbal throwing knives. It never came. All she did was take in a deep sigh.

“OK. Let’s do it...I’ll do it.” My endlessly astounding wife replied.

“Are you sure?”

“Will you be there with me?” She asked.

“I believe I will.”

“Then yes, I’m sure. I’d like to fix this too. I, too, want our loving life back.”

“You never cease to amaze me, June. Have I expressed to you the minimum daily number of ‘I LOVE YOUS?’” She smiled at me.

“No. You’re short by at least a dozen.”

“I’ll catch up.” I squeezed her hands and smiled.

“So...This Friday at 7 PM.”

“How did you know?”

“It was on the card.” She said, handing it to me. I looked.

“First of all, I have no idea how this card got into my pocket. Secondly, there’s nothing on this card other than her name.” June took back the card and re-checked.

“It was on there when I found the card. Friday the 15th at 7 PM. I swear! And now, it’s not on there!!!”

Lady Bianca was now officially messing with my head.

“Oh Steve. This woman is freaky. I have GOT to meet her.”

I smiled, though I was a bit taken aback by all this, and the fact that June actually agreed to it. Still, something inside me could not wait for the meeting of these two elegant women.

To be continued