High Energy, Joy, Dara [books to read this summer .txt] 📗

room.

Zanita snapped her eyes open and glared at Tyber.

He grinned back at her, a mischievous dimple popping into his cheek. "So sorry.

Something got caught in my throat, baby."

He was just so-o contrite. As if he were sincerely apologizing to her! And

calling her baby in front of the whole audience! She pierced him with a killing

violet death glare.

His low chuckle just reached her on the dais.

She would kill him.

Later, when they were alone. When there weren't any witnesses to the crime.

"That's quite all right, Dr. Evans; we've finished the exercise anyway. I think

everyone understands the concept. You may go back to your seat, dear."

When Zanita stood up, she got a healthy round of applause. In fact, on her way

back to her seat, one man gave her the thumb's-up, saying, "Yeah!" as she walked

by him. She had never been so embarrassed in her life.

When she took her seat, Tyber leaned over her, saying, "I have a much better

exercise for you."

She murdered him with her look.

"For when you feel better, Curls."

"As far as I know, Massachusetts still does not have the death penalty," she

gritted out. "It makes one contemplate the possibilities. If I were you, I

wouldn't push it."

"I wish you'd make up your mind, Zanita. Push it—don't push it…" He let the tone

of his voice imply that a man's work was never done.

She would ignore him again. It was the only thing to do with him when he got

like this. Horrible, teasing wretch! God, her throat hurt.

The rest of the seminar went by at a snail's pace for Zanita, feeling as poorly

as she did. LaLeche mostly jammered on, doing several "laying on of the hands,"

as he called it, to members of the audience. She was thankful he hadn't chosen

her for that part of the demonstration. She didn't think she could bear those

slimy hands on her.

This time they didn't receive any handouts. Instead, when the talk ended,

LaLeche approached several of the participants individually while they were

enjoying his largesse of free coffee and refreshments.

He hadn't approached them yet, but Tyber didn't seem particularly concerned. He

drank his coffee, patiently waiting for LaLeche to make the rounds.

"Would you like a bite of my cruller?" he innocently offered Zanita.

"I will not talk to you while you are in this mood."

She spun away from him, engaging an elderly woman in conversation, and therefore

missed his low snicker when he realized how she had interpreted his remark.

LaLeche circled his way around the room, closing in their direction. All that

was missing was a dorsal fin, Zanita thought.

"So, Dr. Evans, what did you think of what you saw here tonight?"

Tyber slowly sipped his drink. "I was impressed." By your showmanship.

"Why, thank you. Coming from you, that is a compliment. I must say, it was nice

to have a colleague in the audience—someone who completely understands the

physical aspect of the universe."

"I can see where it would be." Since you don't know jack about magnetic fields.

"Although I was quite surprised to see you had an interest in such things."

LaLeche scrutinized Tyber's face carefully, obviously looking for signs of a

hidden agenda.

"If you know anything about me"—and Tyber would have bet that since their first

meeting, LaLeche had made it his business to know a lot about him—"you know I am

the type of person who lets his curiosity lead him down various paths. Some of

them not very conventional."

"I have heard that about you. Although your particular style hasn't seemed to

hurt you in your own community; to the contrary, it seems to have enhanced your

reputation. But then, they say you are so very brilliant."

"I wouldn't believe everything you hear," Zanita piped in.

"Zanita! Thank you so much for your help." LaLeche placed his hand companionably

on her shoulder, causing her to shudder slightly. "You have a natural talent,

you know."

Tyber's stare went from LaLeche's hand on her shoulder to his smarmy face. "And

what natural talent would that be?" His dry tone was easily interpreted. LaLeche

quickly disengaged himself.

"For healing, of course. Have you two heard about my retreat up in Vermont? No?

Oh, I'll have to tell you about it— it's a small place, very rural, you know, no

annoyances or interruptions from the outside world. I run a weekend empowerment

session once a month."

"What do you do up there?" Tyber was trying to ignore the signal Zanita was

giving his toe with the heel of her boot.

"I find that such an atmosphere is conducive to finding and illuminating the

chakras. Through meditation and other techniques, we balance our light bodies to

release the astral body."

"All that, huh?"

Zanita ground her heel into his foot.

"And more! Often, in such surroundings of nurturing healing, entire sets of

inhibitions are thrown away, allowing the participant to recapture his or her

lost sexuality."

"What does that mean?" Tyber almost narrowed his eyes.

"It's a remarkable feeling of freedom! You and Zanita would enjoy it

tremendously! In fact, I'm having the next workshop a week from today. Do you

think you might be interested?"

Tyber was about to refuse; Zanita could sense it. LaLeche had crossed the line.

Before he could respond, she jumped in to say, "We'd love it!" She ignored

Tyber's arm, which had come around her waist, flattening her to him in a

punishing grip—

"Wonderful! Here are the directions." He reached into his jacket pocket,

retrieving a computer printout which he handed to Tyber. "We start around

sundown. And remember—it's very rustic."

"Ah, I have a friend who owns an inn near there," Tyber quickly said. "I

promised him that if I was ever up that way, I'd stay there. Is that going to be

a problem?"

"No, of course not. Although some of the more intimate exchanges occur in the

late evenings—it just seems to happen that way. You might miss out on those."

"You know how it is, Xavier. He's a professional acquaintance of mine. I thought

I'd do some networking at the same time." Tyber spoke to him as if they were

already old buddies.

"Absolutely! Don't worry about it! So, I'll see both of you next weekend? Good."

Tyber waited until they were in the truck driving back before he opened up his

guns.

"Do you have any idea what you've gotten us into?"

"Of course I do! It's exactly what we wanted