Black Beans & Vice by J. B. Stanley Read Free Book Online Page B

He brandished his right arm as though it held a
sword.
    "Excuse me, Fitz the Fierce," a middle-aged man carrying a
thumb drive interrupted. "Could you help me with the computer?
I keep on tryin' to open a file and the danged thing won't let me"
    Smiling, Scott jutted his arm forward again. "Lead the way, sir.
No stubborn Word doc or paltry PDF can withstand the lightningquick fingers of Fritz the Fierce!"

    Between the chocolate-glazed Krispy Kreme and Scott's playacting, James discovered that his bad mood had been wiped away
like the powdered sugar from his employee's shirt.

    James opened the blue front door of A Better State of Mind's office
at half past five that afternoon. He was too nervous to read the selection of magazines stacked on the end table, so he merely sat on
the sofa and stared at the bowl of purple crocuses on the credenza
near the door.
    Skye appeared a few minutes later, carrying a CD in her hand.
"Hello, Mr. Henry. Would you like to settle up before your session
begins?"
    "Sure" James pulled out his wallet and handed Skye a credit
card. "Is my friend Bennett in there now?"
    "No. He switched appointments with Ms. Perez. She and Harmony have just finished, actually. I just need to label your friend's
nighttime CD and then it'll be your turn." She smiled in encouragement.
    "I guess you hear many interesting things working this job,"
James remarked as Skye ran his credit card.
    She swiveled abruptly in her chair, her eyes stormy. "I don't listen in on Harmony's sessions, Mr. Henry! They are strictly confidential!"
    "Of course! I didn't mean to imply..." he trailed off, feeling
moronic. He was relieved to hear the sound of Lindy's voice. She
called out "thank you," from farther down the hall and when she
entered the reception room, she seemed calm and slightly groggy.
"How was it?" he whispered anxiously to her.

    "Great" Lindy's voice was soft and relaxed. "I feel like I had
a long nap, but I heard every word Harmony said." She touched
James on the arm. "You're gonna be just fine."
    Lindy collected her CD from Skye, and James noticed that his
friend continued to speak using a slow, sleepy voice, as though her
tongue could not move any faster.
    James would have liked to ask Lindy more questions but Harmony glided down the hall. Smiling, she greeted him and asked
him to follow her. After giving Lindy a nervous wave, he walked
down the hall and into a dimly lit room. As his eyes adjusted, he
noticed that a large indigo sofa and a beige recliner took up most
of the space. Several small lamps sat on side tables covered with
butter yellow cloths. Watercolors of lush gardens hung in a set of
three above the sofa, and a pair of midnight blue curtains covered
the room's large picture window.
    Expecting he'd be lying on the sofa, James was just about to
stretch out when Harmony gestured toward the recliner. "Clients
are usually most comfortable in the recliner."
    As soon as James sat down, he began to relax. He pushed against
the chair back and the footrest gently popped up. Harmony reached
into a nearby cabinet and removed a cotton throw. She handed it
to James. "I keep it a little chilly in here. If you're under a blanket, it
helps your body believe that it's rest time."
    The blanket smelled of lavender and laundry detergent. James
spread it over his legs and wriggled farther into the chair's yielding cushion. Harmony switched on her CD player and the sounds
of instruments and wind chimes piped through the speakers. It
wasn't exactly music, as there wasn't a clear melody, but the noises
were very tranquil. James recognized the sounds of flutes, running water, and occasionally, the chirping of birds and the gentle clanging of a small metal gong. The overall effect was the feeling of being at repose in some isolated Japanese garden.

    "Let's begin by taking several deep breaths." Harmony said.
"Breathe in through the nose and out the mouth. One. That's
good. Two. Annnnd, three."