A Marked Deck Ch. 03 - Hearts

Note: All characters are over 18, as stated in this or prior chapters

A Marked Deck: Chapter 3 - The Queen of Hearts

I met Alexander Sharp for the first time in the most ordinary of circumstances, while sat in Starbucks moodily sipping a cappuccino. The drink was nearly cold but I was in no hurry to finish it as I took time to consider my dilemma yet again. I expected my obviously grim mood would have been sufficient to ensure I was left alone but, surprisingly, my gloomy thoughts were interrupted by a male voice.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?" he said.

I looked up fully intending to say no, but what I saw stopped me. It wasn't that the man was unusually handsome, although he was. Rather it was something about the way he looked at me with his deep brown eyes which made me mutter vague assent before I went back to staring at my coffee. Despite that I still planned to ignore him but once he had placed his own drink on the table and sat down he spoke again.

"I couldn't help noticing that you look upset. I'm something of a specialist in assisting people with problems. Perhaps I could help you."

I looked up, surprised again. Who did this guy think he was, making personal remarks? I decided that a firm rejection would suffice and if he persisted after that I would leave. His eyes, soft and reassuring, looked back into mine and for some reason all I managed to say was, "Oh, umm, thanks, but surely you don't want to hear about me."

"I'd be honoured to," he said lightly, yet with apparently serious intent. "I'm Alexander Sharp. What's your name?"

Oh my god, this stranger was much too forward. He'd want my phone number next! It was definitely time to get up and go.

"Judy ... Judy Obasi," I said, not moving. He looked thoughtful, as if I had said something significant.

"Please call me Alexander. Hmm, Judy .... Interesting name; that fits," he said.

When he said 'interesting' I assumed he was referring to the contrast between my Nigerian surname and English first name and hastened to explain, although why I felt to need to do so to a complete stranger I couldn't guess.

"I have a Nigerian born father, although he's lived here since he was ten. He's a doctor - a GP in fact. My Mum is English and she chose my first name. I'm called after my Nan ..."

"You misunderstand me," he cut in. "I was thinking that 'Judy' is close to 'Judith' and that supports a theory of mine. Let's test it a little further. My guess is that your troubles are of the romantic relationship kind. Why don't you tell me why such a beautiful young woman as yourself would have that kind of problem?"

This was outrageous. How dare he ask me the most personal questions imaginable when I had known him for less than five minutes! I should ask him to leave me alone and if he didn't then I should go at once ... and yet, he was sitting there looking interested and attentive and I had been driving myself mad with these thoughts for days. It would do me good to tell someone. Perhaps he really could help. And I found myself feeling pleased he had called me beautiful. Normally, I would have regarded that as a huge red flag but for some odd reason from him it felt like a genuine compliment.

Hesitantly at first, then with increasing openness, I told him what was on my mind. The truth is I always seem to fall for the wrong men. Compared to some of my exes, my current boyfriend Tony had not been too bad to me at first. He was good looking, gentle, generous and loving, with only two flaws. One of those, although some would have disapproved, was of no importance to me, namely that he was just about old enough to be my father - 46 years to my 25 to be exact.

The other one was the problem and a big problem at that. He was married with two children and I was the 'other woman', the potential homewrecker, the mistress, the 'bit on the side'. In my defence, I should point out that when we met and started a relationship I had no idea Tony was married. That was probably naïve of me but he hadn't told me and I had no reason to suspect anything, other than his age I suppose.

By the time I found out the truth I was in love. Because that's me, that's what I always do; I fall madly deeply in love with the wrong men. I felt bad about it, but that didn't stop me wanting him, and he seemed happy to keep seeing me and - I'm being honest here - screwing me, because I wasn't going to say no to the man I loved.

I'm not completely dumb and I realised this couldn't go on as it was and so the question became whether Tony, who was always quick to tell me how much he loved and adored me, was going to leave his wife and children and set up home with me. Slowly the inevitable answer dawned on me that it was not just that he wouldn't, but that he had never had the slightest intention of doing so. I was just an amusing toy for him; a pretty girl who he had used for some fun sex.

At that point I should have hated him, cursed his name and broken our relationship off. That was the least he deserved. Only you can't help who you love - or at least I never can. Hence my dilemma and my misery; I knew what I should do and that even if I didn't there was no future with Tony, but it seemed an impossible agony to do it.

For almost twenty minutes I had poured my heart out to Alexander Sharp and told him everything of my shame and my pain and throughout he said nothing, but listened attentively and looked sympathetic. When I was finally done with my story, accompanied I will admit with more than a dash of self-justification and pity, I expected him to offer me some advice or at least condolences at my misfortune. I feared he might be condemnatory - after all, I had continued the affair after I knew Tony was a married man. But he didn't do any of those things and instead completely surprised me.

"Thanks for confiding in me, Judy," he said. "I think I may be able to help you, but there is one last check I should make." He put a hand in his jacket pocket and drew out a pack of cards. "I'm a professional magician, among other things, and I specialise in card tricks, but this is a particularly special deck." He showed the cards to me and then spread them face down on the table. "Pick any card."

Bewildered as to what this was about and what it had to do with my problem, I nevertheless played along and took a card. It was the Queen of Hearts.

"Thought so," he said, sounding pleased. "Keep the card, it's yours. I can help you. What I need you to do is come and see my show tomorrow night. This is one of my business cards and I'll write the venue name and the time on the back. Don't worry about tickets or paying; I'll sort that out and ensure you're admitted. At that show your problem will end and in a way that will leave you feeling happy - happier than you've ever been before. Now go about your day and stop worrying. Everything is going to be fine."

I got up and left. I wasn't sure why, because I had loads of questions, but it seemed the right thing to do. I had an odd feeling that it was because Alexander Sharp had told me to. And equally strangely, I found I wasn't worrying about Tony any more.

*****

Later, away from Alexander Sharp's influence, I found although Tony was gone from my mind, I was instead worried about whether I should go to this magic show. The obvious answer was no. People don't just offer to solve a total stranger's problems for them. Sharp had to be some kind of fraud or weirdo and I had enough issues already without getting mixed up with him. And yet there was something about him that was attractive, and it wasn't just his good looks and confident manner.

In the end I convinced myself that there couldn't be any harm in going - it was a public place after all - and it would be a free night's entertainment. So the following evening along I went, just as he had told me to. And just as Sharp had promised, I was expected. When I gave my name at the door, I was shown inside at once and even taken to a specific table inside to await the opening of the show.

Somewhat to my surprise, I wasn't alone. There were two young women already waiting there and they greeted me like an old friend, even though I had never met either of them before. One was a red-head, with creamy pale skin and a few freckles. The other was a cute brunette, her hair in a pixie-cut. Both were in their early twenties and more than usually attractive. In that at least, I didn't feel over-awed. I know that I'm good looking, my mix of African and European heritage having happily blended into a pretty face, coffee coloured complexion and a mass of brown curly hair of which I am especially proud.

The two girls were wearing different but similar clothes - each in a figure hugging dress than ended well above the knee, the redhead's being green and the brunette's blue - and each wore a necklace with some sort of charm on it. I felt a little dowdy in comparison, having selected a trouser suit to wear.

"Hi there! My name's Ellie and this is Rachel," the redhead said, indicating her friend. "You must be Judy. Alexander told us you would be here."

"I see," I said, although I didn't. "Are you friends of his?"

"You could say that," said the one called Rachel, in a tone that suggested there was more to it. "So you're the Queen of Hearts then."

"Queen of Hearts? Oh, you mean that playing card he gave me. I suppose he told you about that. Funnily enough, I brought it with me." I fished in my handbag and found the card, putting it on the table. "Silly thing really ..."

"No it's not," said Rachel. "Ellie and I understand. Look." Each of the women had a clutch bag and in unison they delved for a moment and produced a card similar to mine.

"I'm the Queen of Clubs," said Ellie, putting the card down.

"Queen of Diamonds," added Rachel, showing her card.

Ok, so this was getting weird. "What's that mean?" I asked, bewildered.

"Rachel's the expert," said Ellie, grinning, "But don't confuse the girl with too much detail, Rach."

The brunette looked serious, as if addressing some profound question. "It's about what your problem is," she said. "For Ellie it was work, for me money. As Queen of Hearts your issue is likely something to do with a personal relationship, probably a romantic one."

"He told you that?" I said, horrified that I had been gossiped about.

"No, not a word," Rachel replied. "It's obvious - if you understand the symbolism."

"Take no notice of her," said Ellie. "It'll all make sense in time. Look, I'll get you a drink and then just sit with us and watch the show. It starts in ten minutes. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure. I always do."

These two girls were more than a little odd, but they seemed friendly enough, so I settled down at the table and waited for the show to start.

When it did, I found Ellie was right; I did enjoy it. Alexander Sharp was a very good entertainer. I liked his patter more than the actual tricks. He definitely had wit and charm. However, there was no sign at all of how or why he thought he could help with my personal issues. Also my companions continued to be a strange. The whole time Sharp was performing, whether on stage or wandering among the tables chatting to the audience, Ellie and Rachel spent their time watching him adoringly, like a couple of soppy puppies waiting for a treat. It was bizarre.

When the first part of his act was over and the audience started to scatter for fresh drinks, Alexander Sharp headed for our table. Ellie and Rachel responded with delight but, after a brief acknowledgement, Sharp ignored them and instead spoke to me, explaining that the second part of his act involved hypnosis.

"I have something planned that you really need to see," he told me, "but I want to apologise in advance, because you'll find it emotionally painful. I assure you it is necessary to helping you. Come and see me immediately after the show and I promise to put things right. You'll be whole and happier than you've ever been."

Somehow when he said this, gazing sincerely into my eyes, I believed him. I decided that come what may I would stay and see this through, although I had no idea what Sharp had in mind.

"Are you going to hypnotise Judy as part of the show, Mas ... umm, Alexander?" Ellie asked.

"There's no need. She's been kind enough to tell me her story already and it's too personal to reveal before an audience like this. I have something different in mind."

And with that cryptic comment, he got up and left to return to his dressing room.

*****

When I found out what he meant it was quite a shock. His hypnosis show had proceeded amusingly and harmlessly enough, although it was not to my mind as entertaining as his magic act. People went up on stage, were hypnotised and persuaded to do mildly embarrassing things and then released, no harm done.

He was clearly approaching the end when he asked one more person to come up on stage. It was a man sat with a gaggle of other guys. From the raucous way they reacted to their friend being selected I guessed they had been drinking heavily. Sharp's selected 'victim' seemed reluctant, but the illusionist went down off the stage and persuaded him to come up and join him. I had noticed that Alexander Sharp seemed to be a very persuasive man; when he asked people to do things, they generally did them.

The shock came when the man climbed the couple of steps onto the stage and into the light and I could see him properly. It was Tony, my lover. He must have been here the whole time but I hadn't seen him, nor, presumably, did he know I was present even now. The table he and his friends - work colleagues on a night out I guessed - were at was the other side of the room from where I was, and the club interior, other than the stage, was dimly lit, so perhaps it was not that surprising we had missed each other.

I felt strangely detached seeing him here. I knew that looking from the lit stage out into the relative darkness of the rest of the club it was unlikely he would spot me, and I was beginning to guess what Sharp was planning. I feared that I was about to hear things said that would be deeply painful. The sensible thing would be to walk out. But Alexander had told me to stay and, more than that, I wanted to hear the truth myself.

Sharp sat Tony down and went through the motions of hypnotising him, just as we had seen previously. The early exchanges were also similar to what had gone before and had the audience - but not me - chuckling. Tony may or may not have been under Alexander's influence, but he was certainly drunk and he was showing off. Tony had always had a lot of self-confidence - or ego, depending how you looked at it - and seemed to be enjoying saying outrageous things in response to the mesmerist's promptings.

Then, as I had guessed he would, Alexander Sharp arrived at matters that touched directly on me. What came next was hard to listen to.

"Tony, before you go, let me ask one last thing. Have you ever done something really naughty? I don't know ... something like being unfaithful to your wife?" Sharp seemed to look into my boyfriend's eyes with particular intensity as he asked this.

Tony laughed. "Of course, who hasn't? I've done it loads, with different women. It's not hard to find dumb bimbos who fall for the most stupid chat-up lines. Tell 'em you're in love and you're inside their knickers in no time!"

Tony's mates were snorting with laughter at this, but much of the rest of the audience was uneasy. They had come to be entertained not to listen to some bloke demonstrate what a prick he was. I sat in grim silence, feeling cold inside.

Tony entirely failed to read the room and ploughed on. "Take my current little slut, Judy she's called. True she's a hot bit of skirt and a good fuck but dumb as a brick. She actually thinks I'm going to leave my wife for her. Jesus, what a moron!"

Alexander Sharp, knowing he had accomplished his purpose and aware that the mood had turned in the audience, drew the show swiftly to a close.

"Thanks for your honesty, Tony. Watch my hands, yes like that - I release you from my control. You can go back to your table now. Ladies and gentlemen - Tony."

There were cheers from his drunken friends and a smattering of applause from elsewhere, but also a lot of silence, which my - now former - lover didn't seem to notice. Shortly afterward, Sharp ended the show and left the stage, presumably for his dressing room. I sat at our table feeling dead inside, the love I had nurtured burned away by seeing the lies Tony had told me for what they were. I didn't cry, nor did I get angry, I just felt numb.

"Come with us Judy." I looked up to see that both Ellie, who had spoken, and Rachel had got up. "Alexander told us to bring you to his dressing room after the show."

"What for?" I asked. I felt apathetic, not really wanting to do anything at the moment.

"He'll heal you," said Rachel, with complete conviction in her voice.

I let them lead me away. I didn't really care what happened.

*****

When we reached Alexander's dressing room, Ellie knocked on the door and he opened it.

"Judy, I'm sorry you had to hear that," he said to me. "Come inside and we'll see how I can help." As I moved past him, I heard him say to the other two girls, "Ellie, I'll need the house tonight. Go and stay with Rachel this evening and I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Yes Master," Ellie said.

"We understand Master. You need to be alone with the Queen of Hearts tonight," added Rachel.

They left and Alexander Sharp closed the door, waving me toward the only chair in the room. "I live with Ellie, you see," he said. "I moved in with her a week ago."

"Can I ask ... it sounded like they both called you 'Master'," I said uneasily.

"Yes. You could call it a sort of game we play. We all enjoy it."

"Look, honestly ... are they your girlfriends? Both of them?"

Alexander Sharp smiled in a manner suggestive of hidden mysteries. "It's a little more complex than that. But, yes, we three are lovers."

"I think I'd better leave," I said. I was starting to worry that I had escaped one bastard seducer only to end up with another. I wasn't worried that Sharp might attack me - there was no hint of coercion in the adoration Ellie and Rachel had shown him - but I had no wish to get involved with another 'Tony' type the same night as shedding the last one.

Alexander looked at me, his deep brown eyes gazing into mine and spoke, almost gently. "Please stay, I need to talk to you about what happened with your former boyfriend. You've been hurt and I can help you. Let's both sit and we'll just talk, nothing more."

I found myself wavering. After all he had a point. I think perhaps I always knew that Tony would never leave his family for me and that our relationship was built on lies, but hearing him say it and his disdain for me was another thing entirely.

I sat down. I needed to hear why Alexander Sharp had done what he had done. I thought he would talk about Tony, but instead he perched on the dressing room table, looked down to where I sat and spoke about me.

"Judy, you are Queen of Hearts and that means you were born to love - to give and receive affection, unconditionally. That's not a bad thing; it fact it is wonderful one, provided you love people who deserve you. Your problem is that you have not found the right ones. Tony was not worthy of you, as he amply demonstrated when I freed him to speak the truth."

"Born to love," I echoed, somewhat bitterly. "All that seems to lead to is my getting hurt. I think it's time I took a rest from all that and put myself first."

"It wouldn't work. You would be unhappy because you would be at war with your own nature. Judy, you need to love, like you need to breathe or eat. It's part of who and what you are. And that's why what happens next will be different with you than it was with Ellie and Rachel."