The Empath Cycle: 2001 It Takes One - Book 2

Against her father's wishes who saw no reason for his daughter to go to school past the mandatory grade twelve since she was only going to find a job until she married a man and took care of his home and kids, she had registered to the nearby Jonquière cégep. When he categorically refused to pay for it, she had found odd jobs around town to pay for the registration and miscellaneous fees, buying used books and clothes, learning to live on a minimum of calories so she could afford to pay the rent of a small room in an friend's apartment after her father kicked her out of the house.

Had she had a clear career goal, she could have gone for a technical degree which would have allowed her to work right out of the three year course, but since it had been drilled into her from an early age that women were meant to be subservient to men, she had no idea what to look forward to, so she chose Social Sciences, a general curriculum. Unfortunately, the two year course was meant only to be preparatory to university which she never expected to be able to afford.

Still, the pleasure of learning new things and expanding her horizons was enough for her.

In her second semester, she took an introduction course in psychology. She chose the subject only because the art history class she wanted was already filled and it fit in her schedule. At first, she was indifferent to the matter except as a new subject, then she gradually got interested if only as a means to understand her dysfunctional family. By the end of the semester, she was totally hooked.

During the next two semesters, she took every single psychology course she could.

The only one she almost failed was Psychology of Sexuality. That had been a taboo subject all her life and she spent the whole session sitting in the back of the class without saying a word. She only passed by doing the minimum required papers and answering the exams by rote.

At nineteen, Lucia was the only virgin in her age group. She had become quite adept at deflecting male advances, partially out of shyness, but also out of the fear which had been instilled in her by the only male authority figure in her life.

When she graduated, she thought she had gone as far as she could and that she would have to settle in the role meant for her.

Fortunately Fate had other plans.

"Come on, honey, don't tell me you intend to work at minimum wage the rest of your life. It's not like I'm suggesting you go dance at a strip club. All I'm saying is that you can make decent money bartending. Heck, you could make as much as working in the mine like your father." Lucia's friend told her.

"I couldn't even do that. You know he's the foreman there and he'd blackball me because I had the gall to defy him and go to school." Lucia answered. "Who's going to hire me to tend bar. I have no experience."

"As it so happens," her friend countered, "they are looking for people to work at the various bars on the site of the Jonquière en Musique Festival."

"Again, no experience."

"Girl, if you don't even want to try, tell me right now, but if you want to give it a shot, you have an appointment with Pierre Magnan in... two hours." Her friend announced after looking theatrically at her watch.

"I... You... What..."

"Close your mouth, go take a shower and I'll lend you appropriate clothes."

"But I..."

"I told him all about you and he's waiting for you. If you want the job and can manage better than single word sentences, it's yours." She laughed as she pushed Lucia toward the bathroom.

Lucia was almost late for the job interview because she refused to get out of the house wearing her friend's Daisy Duke cut-off shorts and a crop top so tight she couldn't even wear a bra with it and so small, most of her mid-riff was exposed -- though she privately admitted she looked mighty fine in them.

"You're going to be selling booze at inflated prices mainly to tourists, baby. You want them to look at your boobs, not thinking about how you're robbing them blind."

"No way, no how am I going out dressed like a... like you."

"It's NOT being dressed like a hooker. It's only being dressed sexy. That would be advertising. This is marketing. Trust me, there's a difference."

Eventually, she conceded the point but insisted her friend go with her.

At first, the man looked her over unabashedly, nodded to himself, then went on to ask about her work experience and her availability during the dates of the festival. He was glad when she told him she had mostly worked with the public in the previous two years and laughed when she declared herself available 24/7.

"The site does close a couple of hours at night and the bars only open at noon, but I can give you as many hours as you can do. Since it's your first time behind a bar, I'll pair you with someone experienced for the afternoon shift when it's slower. If you do well, in a few days I'll put you on the replacement list. There are always those who call in sick or simply don't show up."

"See, o ye of little faith. You have the job, now all you have to do is show up and work."

"But I'm still only getting minimum wage. How is it any better than what I was doing before?"

"For one thing, you'll be getting non-taxable tips. And trust me, any man, drunk or not, will be looking at your ass and tits when he decides how much to tip. Show as much as you legally can and you'll be rolling in dough."

"That's the point. Won't they expect more than just looking? Even Pierre was undressing me with his eyes."

"No he wasn't. These guys are." Lucia's friend said pointing at the men sitting at the terrace they were passing. "He checked to see how you'd react at being ogled, then he was looking you in the eye when he spoke to you, wasn't he? As for the clients, it's part of the game and they know it. You won't be working in some sleazy bar, for Pete's sake. This is a music festival and there will be security people all over the place just in case someone gets too rowdy."

"I guess so." Lucia pouted. "Can I borrow a couple of your sexy outfits until I get paid?" She asked with a sly grin.

Lucia got lucky from the start. The woman she was paired with took an immediate liking to her and took her under her wing.

Isabelle was a woman in her mid-twenties and definitely the sexiest woman Lucia had ever met. She wasn't exceptionally beautiful. Her features were almost plain as far as Lucia could judge. Neither did she have a particularly beautiful body. What she had, though, was presence.

A little make-up, centered her face around her best features: her perfectly almond-shaped hazel eyes. A push-up bra gave her a cleavage which would draw men's eyes irresistibly regardless of her smallish breasts and a short tight red jersey stitch dress contained her soft body in a sexy package.

When she had arrived, she was wearing what Lucia had heard referred to as a Mother Nature white cotton dress. She wasn't wearing make-up and had her dirty blonde hair down to mid-back.

Once changed for work, with her make-up on and her hair in a tight French braid, she was a totally different woman. What really set her apart was her attitude. Gone was the nice mellow woman. This was a predator on the prowl. Where there had been a natural grace, there was now an almost feline suppleness of movement.

She laughed at Sylvie's unbelieving stare. "If you think this is outrageous, you should see the get-up for evening work in the high-class dance clubs in Montreal."

It turned out that Isabelle was an economics university student who made a living tending bar. During the summer break, she traveled from festival to festival, working the afternoon shifts to cover her expenses and partying in the evening.

Isabelle tisked when she saw Lucia's outfit. "These are obviously not your own clothes, are they? I didn't think so. It's all right to have your ass cheeks showing, but not bulging like this. I suppose the friend who lent these to you is a couple of sizes smaller than you are. And this top would work so much better for you if it was your size so you could wear a bra. I this heat, when things pick up, you're going to sweat right through it and it'll be wet t-shirt time. Don't cry. I can't help you with the shorts, but I have a sleeveless V-neck t-shirt that should fit you. Wear the tank as a camisole for now. It'll be all right if we tie the bottom in a knot."

"Thank you. I'll try to find something better for tomorrow." Lucia said in a tremulous voice.

Isabelle took pity on her. "In the morning, I'll take you shopping. I know a great little boutique in town where we'll find the right stuff for you. Not to disparage your friend, but trust me, you don't have to look like a slut to be sexy."

As she applied just enough eyeliner and lipstick to enhance Lucia's features, she explained the difference between day and evening make-up.

"Now, since Pierre told me to show you the ropes, I want you to sit over there for the first hour and we'll talk between clients, then I'll take a break and you can try your hand at it."

As it turned out, Lucia was a natural at bartending. Coached and encouraged by Isabelle, once she overcame her natural shyness, she began to enjoy the interaction with the customers. Even more so when she learned the difference between flirting and being friendly which helped her no end with the female clients.

By the end of the shift, as trade picked up, people went equally to Lucia as to Isabelle for service. Isabelle even noticed that their's was pulling drinkers away from the other bar at their site even if they had to wait longer there.

At the end of the second day, when Pierre came around to see how the newbie was doing, Isabelle gave her a ringing endorsement. She assured him Lucia was ready for the busier evening shift.

Over the course of the festival, Lucia gained enough self-confidence to start asking questions about life in the big city and her chances at landing a job tending bar there. When she told her why she wanted to make the move, Isabelle thought about it for a moment then asked Lucia. "Is anything holding you back in this town? Professional commitments? A boyfriend? A girlfriend?"

Blushing, Lucia assured her she had no ties in Saguenay.

"All right, girl. Here's the plan. This festival ends in a couple of days, but I'm on my way to another which begins next Friday. If you want, you can travel with me to that gig. All I have to do is call ahead and book us as a team. We will be a month and a half on the road, then it's back to the old grindstone for me. I have a spare room I can offer you at a reasonable rate. You're too late for the fall session, but you can register for single courses when we get back in town. With the experience you will have acquired this summer, I'm confident you can find work soon enough. It won't be at the best bars since you'll only have served beer, but you can always take a course in mixology and gain experience in the quieter hotel bars until you're ready to go to work for real money. If you feel ready, you could register for the winter session or wait until September of next year. What do you think?"

It took all of two seconds before she wrapped her arms around Isabelle's neck and rained kisses all over her face as she yelped excitedly. Isabelle gave her a moment to savor the good news, then took Lucia by the shoulders. "As much as I appreciate the gesture, girl, you should regain a modicum of decorum or people will get the wrong idea about us."

Beet red from the tip of her ears down her cleavage, Lucia pulled away. "I'm sooooo sorry, Isa. I didn't think. I was so happy. I never dared to dream this would be possible. You're the best!

"I know, girl! I hear that all the time."

The matter of fact statement did nothing to attenuate Lucia's blush, even softened by a mischievous grin. Though she was discreet, by that time Lucia had become aware of Isabelle's healthy sexual appetite.

Lucia was angry at having arrived late even if she wasn't the last one. Five minutes was definitely not enough time to race from the second to the fourth floor and from one end of the building to the other.

'Critical Thinking: Biases and Illusions' promised to be an interesting course. More so if she could find a way to make it on time. It was the only semi-conflict in her schedule, but she hated being late as a general rule.

She considered her options while listening to the Professor explain the session's curriculum, going in some detail about what would be expected of them. As many teachers did, he ended with the ritual phrase 'if you think the content of the course is too difficult or the work load as outlined too heavy, you still have a few days to quit my course without penalty'.

"It has been brought to my attention," he continued, "that one of the mandatory 'Introduction to Psychology' groups is scheduled in an inopportune distance from this room and, upon further research, that none of you have another class following this one. So, in the spirit of fairness and to avoid injury to the six of you who arrived late and out of breath today, this class will begin five minutes later than regularly scheduled and end five minutes later."

He grinned at the collective groan and the few sigh of relief before going on. "So. Some of you will wish to thank my TA, miss Xavier after class." He turned to young woman sitting at a small table on the opposite end of the dais from the door. "Please take a bow, dear. This will probably be the last of the session." The woman got up and bowed to the students before curtsying deeply to him. When she got up, they were both grinning at each other. "Now this is the proper respect due to a man of my many scholarly accomplishments, though, in her case, I am well aware that she's only being polite to an old man."

He allowed the soft laughter to die down before moving on. "As for those who wish to complain, I will ask 'who ever gave you the idea that this was a democracy?'"

The next ninety minutes reaffirmed in Lucia's mind the rightness of her career choice.

Interesting though it was, the subject could have been dry if not for the man's passion and talent as a teacher. His dry wit and obvious vast knowledge had most of them captivated to the last minute.

As he finished one point and was getting ready to go on to the next, a soft throat clearing by his Assistant brought him up short.

Looking at his watch, he laughed. "I will now yield the floor to the lovely miss Xavier as I bid you adieu for now since I don't want to be scolded, yet again, by my wife for being late for supper. To those who will be here for the next class, 'I will see you then'. To the many whose eyes I could see glazing over, 'good luck in your future endeavours'."

To the thunderous applause of the majority of students, he picked up the books and papers spread on his desk and walked out of the room with a last flourish of the hand in the air.

By the time he was gone, the TA was standing in his place.

"Regardless of how the old coot calls me, my name is Claude. Here is the list of books you will need for this course. Some of them are mandatory reading material, some are only suggested. Of those, I have noted the ones which are strongly recommend. I have also noted the material you are expected to have read before the next class and my personal suggestions....which you are entirely free to ignore." The woman's evil grin clearly showed the fate those who disregarded her advice could expect. "There is also my office number and the hours during which I will be available to answer your questions."

Without further ado, she dropped the sheaf of papers on the corner of the desk and returned to her table where she collected her own papers and books.

In a clatter, most of the students rushed out of the room. Only a few stayed sitting at their desks making last minute notes or collecting their thoughts after the deluge of information to which they had just been subjected.

Lucia, for her part, was looking at the woman for no reason she could fathom. There was nothing exceptional about her. Her dark hair was cut short in what looked like a practical manner rather than an aesthetic one. From what she could see from her place almost at the back of the class, her features were plain, if pleasing. Aside from her height and lankiness, she couldn't make out the shape under the well-worn jeans and varsity sweatshirt. A pair of colorful hi-tops completed the casual image.

'So what is pulling my attention to her?' She mused.

Lucia had learned early on in her friendship with Isabelle to look past appearances. In so doing, she had found friendship, kindness, complicity, humor, and many other qualities often disregarded by those obnubilated by superficiality and good looks.

'So what does my subconscious see that my eyes don't?' She wondered.

She was no closer to an answer by the time the woman walked out of the room.

One good thing Lucia had learned from her lean years in College, was thriftiness. As a result, she had saved enough money while she lived with Isabelle so she could afford to move into the student dorm.

She didn't have to, but she knew she needed a quieter living environment if she wanted to succeed.

She certainly didn't begrudge Isabelle her active sex life, but ear plugs didn't completely mask the sounds of passion and, even though she had learned to sleep through them for the most part, she knew she would have only a limited number of hours in which to make do for lost sleep.

Also, she would have better access to the library and would drastically cut down on commuting. That last alone justified the extra expense.

Lucia grinned as she opened her textbook and began to read the last of the 'personal suggestions' of the mysterious TA. It had taken her until that afternoon to find a copy of the last book. She had first tried the Student Exchange for a used copy, then gone to the coop for a new one. When none was available at either place, she called around the city. In vain. Desperate, she posted a note on the department's student bulletin board.

Resigned to suffer whatever dire fate would befall her for her delinquency, she had resorted to randomly ask second year students if she could borrow a copy so she could photocopy it regardless of the expense, when she happened on a woman who told her she had one, but couldn't lend it to her because she was trying to reach a student who had asked for it on the bulletin board.

As she began read the material, Lucia reflected on the vagaries of fate. Sometime later, she realized she had been re-reading the same paragraph over and over again. She wasn't as perturbed as the first time the TA's image had imposed itself on her mind's eye to the exclusion of the reality in front of her, causing Lucia to walk straight into a fellow student.

The next time, she found she had ordered lunch at the cafeteria and eaten it without realizing it, only coming out of her daydream when a fellow student snapped his fingers in front of her face. In the following days, she would occasionally snap her head around as she walked down the halls, certain something had caught her attention without ever finding out what it was.