Archive for the ‘Thoughts’ Category

When Eavesdropping Saves the Day

Posted: September 23, 2025 in Advice, Consulting, Experiences, Thoughts
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

I know that eavesdropping is rude, but for a mind reader who hears thoughts like they’re spoken out loud, it’s a whole different story. I have to work really hard to keep from hearing other people’s business, so the line between accidentally hearing someone’s thoughts and deliberately snooping has gotten a lot blurrier.

That’s why I work extra hard to keep from hearing my husband’s thoughts. He hates it when I pick things up that he’d rather I didn’t know, and I totally get it. This has been an ongoing source of contention between us, so I’ve been working extra hard to keep my shields up around him. Not only that, but Chris has been getting much better at blocking his thoughts as well. Normally, this would be a win-win situation, but not lately.

A week ago, Chris began acting strange, almost like he was auditioning for the role of “Husband With No Problems Whatsoever.” He was even extra-cheerful around me, and asking me all sorts of questions about my day, and hardly thinking about his. That was my first red flag. The second came when he started thinking about the most boring stuff imaginable. Tax codes, grocery lists, that jingle from the insurance commercial that gets stuck in your head for days… you know what I’m talking about. 

After that, I noticed him checking his phone and then immediately putting it face-down, then start to say something, but quickly change the subject. All of these things screamed “I’m fine” while meaning exactly the opposite.

If you know me, you know I’m not about to put up with that. But his mind was so closed, it was like running into a brick wall. A few days ago, it even got to the point where I tried the direct approach: “Chris, what’s wrong?” His answer? A practiced smile and, “Nothing.” Then a quick change of subject.

What’s a mind reader to do? Luckily, my answer came from an unexpected source. At Thrasher the next day, Uncle Joey broke the barrier. “How’s Chris feeling about the Brennan contracts?”

“What contracts?”

Uncle Joey’s eyebrows went up. “He didn’t tell you? I asked him to look into some contract issues for me. Nothing major, just some legal advice.”

“Uh… no, he didn’t.”

Uncle Joey leaned back in his chair, and I could hear his thoughts clearly. He had asked Chris to review contracts for a new restaurant venture, and was wondering why Chris hadn’t discussed this with me. Did than mean Chris didn’t trust me, or did it mean the situation was more serious than he’d thought. “Maybe you should ask Chris about it. I’d hate for there to be any… misunderstandings.”

That was his way of telling me to do what I do best, and listen to Chris’s thoughts so I could tell him what was going on. I shook my head. How did this happen? My boss was asking me to spy on my husband? Ugh! “Yeah… I’ll ask him.”

“Good.”

That night, I watched Chris push his spaghetti around on his plate while humming the theme from Jeopardy. Out loud.

“So…” I began. “Uncle Joey mentioned something about contracts today.”

Chris’s humming stopped. “What kind of contracts?”

“The Brennan ones?”

Chris set down his fork and rubbed his temples. “Right. Those.”

“Want to talk about it?”

He met my gaze. “Honey… this is one of those times that it’s better you don’t know.”

My eyes widened. “Because of Uncle Joey?”

“Yes. Don’t worry. I’m figuring it out, and it should all be resolved soon.”

“Sure, but what if he asks me about it?”

“Just tell him I’m working on it. Okay?”

I nodded, but this was killing me almost as much as it was killing him. How was I supposed to help my husband when he was keeping something from the mob boss for whom we both worked? I wanted to insist he tell me, but he’d gone back to singing that awful tune in his mind, so I knew he wasn’t about to relent.

I knew I had to do something. Uncle Joey would expect me to tell him what was going on and I’d have to tell him that Chris was blocking me out. It had the potential to make things even worse for Chris, which had to be why Chris wouldn’t tell me anything, right?

Luckily, right after dinner, I had to make a quick run to the grocery store because we were out of milk. I was coming out of the store, juggling bags and trying to fish my keys out of my purse, when I walked straight into someone coming around the corner. Groceries went flying, apologies were exchanged, and we both bent down to collect the scattered items.

“Shelby? Shelby Nichols?”

I looked up to see Tom Brennan. We’d only met once in Chris’s office, but I remembered him because he was well-dressed in that understated way that suggests money without flashing it around.

“Oh…hi! It’s Tom, right?”

“Yes. Sorry about this.” He finished picking up the last of my groceries, and handed them over.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“You know… this is perfect timing. I’ve been meaning to call your husband.” Tom was thinking about how relieved he was to run into me, because he’d been feeling terrible about the position he’d put Chris in.

Tom had hired Chris months ago to handle some routine contract work for his construction business. Standard stuff, nothing complicated. But recently, Uncle Joey had asked Chris to review contracts for a new restaurant venture, and Chris had discovered that Uncle Joey’s project would directly compete with Tom’s business in the same area.

But here’s the part that made me want to hug Tom Brennan right there in the parking lot: his company had just landed a huge development contract on the other side of town. He was actually relieved to be pulling out of the downtown market entirely, which meant Uncle Joey’s restaurant wouldn’t be competition at all. Tom had been meaning to call Chris and tell him about the change, but he’d been swamped with the new project.

“You know,” Tom said. “I really should give Chris a call. We just signed this amazing deal for a west-side development, and I keep meaning to update him on how it’s going to affect our downtown plans.”

“I’m sure he’d love to hear from you.” I tried not to sound as relieved as I felt and we parted ways.

When I got home, Chris was in his office staring at his computer. I rushed in to tell him the good news. “Guess who I just ran into? Tom Brennan.”

Chris’s head snapped up so fast I was surprised he didn’t get whiplash. “Tom Brennan?”

“Yeah. He mentioned something about a new project and how they’re moving the location to the west-side and leaving the downtown area.”

Chris’s brows rose. “He actually told you that?”

I shrugged. “Well… no, but that’s what he was thinking. He said he needed to call you about it. So… is that what you’re so worried about?”

Chris sighed and his shoulders sagged. “Yes.” The whole story came pouring out. Chris was stuck in an ethical nightmare. He couldn’t advise Uncle Joey on something that would hurt his other client, but he also couldn’t tell Uncle Joey about the conflict without violating Tom’s confidentiality. He’d been losing sleep trying to figure out how to handle the situation without betraying either client or getting himself disbarred.

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” I asked.

“Because you would have felt obligated to tell Manetto. It would have put you in a bind, and I didn’t want to saddle you with that.” Plus, he was thinking that Uncle Joey might have done something underhanded to make Tom’s company go away, which would have totally ruined Chris’s reputation and damaged his career.

“Oh… yeah. I see what you mean.” I shook my head. “Although… I can’t see Uncle Joey doing that to you, but I guess it’s a lucky turn of events that Tom’s company is changing direction.”

“Yeah… no kidding.”

The next day, Tom called Chris, just like he’d said he would. Turns out, his company was not only pulling out of the downtown market, they were actively looking for someone to take over their lease. Uncle Joey’s restaurant project went from being a conflict of interest to being the perfect solution for everyone involved.

Chris gave Uncle Joey the legal advice he needed, Tom got help transitioning out of a lease he no longer wanted, and I got my husband back to his normal stress level, which is to say the manageable amount that comes from being married to someone who works for the mob. Of course… we both do, so it’s no wonder that we have our problems.

Still, the real lesson here isn’t about contracts, ethics, or even accidental mind reading. It’s about communication, trust, and the fact that sometimes the solution is just one phone call away, and working together is always better than going it alone.

If we’d all just talked to each other from the beginning, we could have saved ourselves a lot of sleepless nights. But then again, if we’d done that, I never would have learned that Tom Brennan thinks my laugh is “delightfully infectious,” which was a nice ego boost even if I only learned it through thought-eavesdropping.

In conclusion… is eavesdropping a bad thing to do? Yes… for the most part, that would be true. But for me, it totally saved the day.

Until next time!

~Shelby

When Your Protective Instincts Backfire Spectacularly

Posted: July 18, 2025 in Experiences, Thoughts
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6

You know that feeling when you realize someone you care about is in danger, but the person trying to protect them is actually making things worse? Well, welcome to my Tuesday afternoon.

I was supposed to meet Uncle Joey at his office for a meeting, but when I got there, Ramos intercepted me in the parking garage. “Change of plans. Manetto wants to meet at Tony’s Deli instead. Something about needing to get out of the office. I figured you’d want a ride over there, so I told him I’d bring you on my bike. Sound good?”

I smiled. Ramos always knew how to make my day. “You know it.”

After strapping on my helmet, I climbed on the back of his motorcycle and held on tight. I was pretty sure I knew where the deli was, but Ramos didn’t go in the right direction. Pretty soon, we were going further and further away, and I couldn’t figure out why. Had I misheard him?

Naturally, I listened in to his thoughts, hoping to find an explanation since we couldn’t exactly talk to each other. I drew a blank and knew he was blocking me out. Why would he do that?

Suddenly nervous, I lifted my visor, and shouted toward his ear. “What’s going on? The deli is the other way.”

He nodded and I picked up don’t worry, there’s something I have to do first.

I nodded and flipped my visor back down before settling in behind him. I didn’t pick up anything else – like an explanation – which he could have offered, so I tried to be patient. Soon enough, Ramos turned down another street that took us in the right direction and I relaxed.

After another ten minutes, we pulled into the parking lot of Tony’s Deli. I dismounted and pulled off my helmet. “What was that all about?”

“Nothing. Just thought you’d want a longer ride.”

I shook my head. “Ramos. You may be able to fool a lot of people, but you can’t fool me. What’s going on?”

He glanced around the parking lot before motioning toward the door. “Let’s talk inside.”

After stepping inside, I hoped to spot Uncle Joey, but he wasn’t there. Ramos led me to a corner table and we sat down. “Where’s Uncle Joey? Is he in some kind of trouble?”

Ramos closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Yes and no. If I tell you what’s going on, you can’t tell him.” He was thinking that he could handle the problem, and he didn’t want Uncle Joey to know.

“That sounds bad. Are you sure you don’t want his help?”

“Shelby…” he growled. “I’m sure. I was hoping you wouldn’t pick up on it either, but I should have known I couldn’t keep a secret from you.”

I sat back in the booth. That stung. Did he resent me? He seemed more upset than I’d seen him in a while. “Fine.  What’s going on? Maybe I can help.”

He shook his head. “I’m taking care of it, in fact, by this time tomorrow, everything should be back to normal.”

My brows drew together and suddenly, things clicked into place. “Does this have something to do with Uncle Joey’s schedule changes? I swear things have been off lately. He’s never where he’s supposed to be. Is that because of you?”

Ramos let out a breath. “Yes. I’ve had to change things up because of a problem from my past. I ended this guy’s lucrative career, and now he wants to end mine by taking out Manetto. He left me a note telling me all about it. How stupid is that? But it made me realize that Manetto has a schedule that he sticks to, which makes him an easy target. For the last few days, I’ve been changing things up until I could figure out a plan to take Martinez down.”

“But why not tell Uncle Joey?”

“Because it’s my problem, not his. Maybe I would have, but Maggie and Syd are coming in tonight to visit. He doesn’t have time for this, and I can take care of it on my own. I’ve got it covered.”

I wanted to argue with him by pointing out that all of these mysterious changes were making Uncle Joey second-guess himself, and making him feel older and more vulnerable than he actually was.

But I also understood Ramos’s position. He was trying to eliminate a threat without dragging Uncle Joey into a conflict that was ultimately about Ramos’s past. In his mind, he was being noble and taking responsibility. Still, now that I knew, how could I stand by and do nothing?

“So what’s the plan? Maybe I can help?”

“No. I can take care of it.”

“I’m sure you can, but now that I know, I’d like to help out. Besides, if you won’t let me tell Uncle Joey, then at least let me help you.”

His brows drew down. Had I just issued him a challenge? Would I tell Manetto if he didn’t let me help him?

I rolled my eyes. “It depends on the plan. Come on Ramos… you know I can help you. If something goes wrong, wouldn’t you like someone there to watch your back?”

His shoulders slumped. “Fine… but what about Maggie and Syd? Aren’t you supposed to go over there tonight?”

“No. The family dinner is tomorrow night. See? I’m available.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Fine.”

Ramos told me all about his plan to take out Martinez in the parking lot of The Comet Club. “Martinez thinks Manetto will be there tonight. He’s usually there on Tuesdays, but I told Manetto not to come since Maggie and Syd are here. See? It’s perfect.”

“Okay, but where is he right now?”

“Oh. He’s at Lugano’s waiting for us.”

“But why did you come here?”

“To see if someone was following me.”

I shook my head. It would have been nice to know all that in the first place. “Okay. We’d better go.”

“Sure. Just make sure you keep this to yourself.” He was thinking that sometimes I had a problem not blurting out the things I heard.

“I will.”

The rest of the day passed by pretty quick, and soon I was with Ramos in the parking lot of The Comet Club, waiting for Martinez to show up. I tried to calm my nerves by focusing on the familiar sounds of the city, but my mind kept drifting to Uncle Joey, who was hopefully having a nice, quiet dinner with Jackie, Maggie and Syd, completely unaware that we were about to confront a man who wanted him dead.

Martinez showed up around nine-thirty, just like Ramos had hoped, which meant at least part of the plan was going right. Average height, stocky build, the kind of guy who looked like he’d been in too many fights and won most of them. But as I focused on his thoughts, I knew we were in trouble.

He wasn’t alone.

As I reached over to grab Ramos’s arm, he jumped out of the shadows to confront Martinez. At that moment, a car came roaring across the parking lot.

“Ramos! Move!”

Ramos dove to the left, and the car missed him by inches. While he rolled away from the speeding vehicle, Martinez changed tactics and started walking toward me.

“You must be Manetto’s niece. If I can’t have him, you’ll do just as well.”

I whipped out my stun flashlight, and held it toward Martinez in a threatening stance. “Stay back!” I knew I was in a vulnerable spot, but Ramos was fighting the driver of the car, and couldn’t get to me before Martinez did.

Martinez burst out laughing. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

A voice cut through the chaos like a blade. “Try laughing at this.” Uncle Joey stepped out from behind a parked car, and Martinez went down like a sack of potatoes.

As Ramos finished dealing with the driver (who was now sorry he’d ever agreed to help Martinez), Uncle Joey walked over to us with the kind of calm that only comes from decades of experience.

“You know,” he began, “when someone specifically tells me not to go to my own club, it’s usually because something interesting is about to happen there.”

My eyes widened. “You figured it out.”

“Shelby, I’ve been in this business longer than you’ve been alive. When my schedule starts changing for mysterious reasons, and my second in command suddenly doesn’t want me anywhere near my own establishment, I tend to notice.” He glanced at Ramos. “Especially when my sister’s in town and I’m supposedly too distracted to handle a problem.”

Ramos cringed. “It’s my fault. Martinez was threatening me, and I wanted to take care of it myself.”

Uncle Joey shook his head. “I may be getting older, but I’m not dead yet.”

“I didn’t mean–”

“I know, I know.” Uncle Joey was a little offended, but deep down, he was trying not to laugh. “But I didn’t survive this long by not being observant.”

“We thought you’d be busy with Maggie and Syd tonight,” I said.

“And you thought I couldn’t deal with one threat while entertaining family?” Uncle Joey shook his head. “I appreciate the concern, I really do, but next time, maybe consider that the person you’re trying to protect might be better equipped to handle the situation than you think.”

As we stood there in the parking lot, with Martinez unconscious and his friend zip-tied in the back of a police car (don’t ask me how Uncle Joey made that call so fast), I realized something important.

Trying to shield Uncle Joey from a threat that he probably could have handled in two minutes was a mistake, and, in the end, he’d been the one to save the day. Of course, keeping this from him was Ramos’s idea, not mine, so I couldn’t feel too bad.

Uncle Joey wasn’t angry, exactly. Exasperated, maybe. A little insulted that we’d kept this from him. But mostly, he was amused by the whole situation.

“You know what the funny part is?” He asked, as we walked back toward the club. “Maggie’s been asking me all night if my life is really as exciting as she imagines. I was running out of interesting stories to tell her.”

“Well,” I said. “Now you have a new one.”

“Oh, I’m definitely telling her about this.” He chuckled. “I think she’ll get a kick out of it.”

He stopped and placed a hand on Ramos’s shoulder. “I appreciate that you wanted to take care of this yourself, but next time, keep me in the loop.” He put his other hand on my shoulder. “That goes for you, too. We work best as a team.”

So that’s my story.

Next time someone I care about is in danger, I’m going to remember this night. Sure, there are times when we need to take care of our problems on our own, but when it involves the people we love, it’s never a bad idea to ask for help.

Have you ever tried to help someone and just made things worse? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

XOXO ~Shelby

Wowza… What a Book!

Posted: April 2, 2025 in Advice, Experiences, Thoughts
Tags: , , , ,
7

This past week I’ve spent a lot more time at Thrasher Development in my office than normal, but that’s because of Jackie’s book. Oh my gosh! I could hardly put it down, and thinking about Serenity being me, and Stone being Ramos was… what can I say? Guilt-inducing, heat-flaming, or dream-fulfilling… take your pick! This book is definitely staying in my office… in my bottom drawer… where no one but me can find it.

I thought I’d write a review for you without any spoilers, but just when I got started, guess who popped in. Yup… Ramos. I had the book on my desk beside me, and his lips twisted into a knowing grin. Ugh!

“Looks like you finished the book. What did you think?”

Why did my heart speed up? It was just a book! I let out a breath and twisted my lips. “It was pretty good. Serenity was awesome. I don’t know about Stone though… he seemed kind of…” I met Ramos’s gaze and he narrowed his eyes, thinking I’d better be careful what I said next. “Uh… full of himself… at first. But he grew on me, especially after that massage he gave Serenity.” Oh hell! Why did I go there? “I mean… it was really thoughtful after everything that had happened.”

His lips twisted. “Right.”

“Wait. Did you even read it? I mean… I don’t want to give anything away, so maybe we shouldn’t talk about it.”

“Babe… I read it, so we can talk about it all you want.”

“Oh.”

“In fact…” His voice deepened. “I liked that part too… along with what happened the next night. That was even better.”

“Really? Hmmm… yeah… I guess it was okay.” Knowing I needed to change the subject from that hot scene that was frozen into my brain, my mind raced. “But she got a few things wrong, you know?”

His brows dipped. “What are you talking about?”

I swallowed. “Jackie. In the book she has Stone driving a Triumph instead of a Harley. I wonder why she did that? Did it bother you?”

He shrugged, liking how uncomfortable I was. “No. I think Triumphs are great. In fact, I’m thinking of getting one.”

“Oh yeah? That might be fun… as long as there’s room for a rider on the back.”

His eyes widened. “I thought you read the book.”

“Um… yeah, that’s right. Of course there’s room.” I hated sounding like an idiot, so I tried to change the subject again. “It’s funny that Jackie told me she used her pen name so people wouldn’t know the book was based on me…” Ramos raised his brow, so I backtracked. “…and you… but then she dedicated the book to me. Can you believe it?”

He chuckled. “I know. That was pretty funny, especially when she said you were the inspiration for the book. She should have just dedicated it to me.”

My brows drew down. “Yeah… but I’m the main character, so it makes sense.”

“You?”

“I mean… Serenity.”

“Uh-huh.” He grinned. “But Stone got plenty of chapters, so it would have worked just fine. Besides, the title is The Hitman and the Psychic. The hitman comes first, so he’s more important.”

“Ha! He is not. Do you know how many times he would have died without her?”

His lips twisted and he stepped closer to lean over my desk. “You realize we’re arguing over fictional characters, right?”

I met his gaze and grinned. “Yeah, it’s pretty funny.” I let out a sigh. “But it felt as if I knew them, so it seemed kind of real to me, you know?”

He straightened. “All too well.” He stepped toward the door, and glanced over his shoulder. “Except for one thing. I’m much better looking than some fictional character.”

I wanted to tell him that wasn’t quite true, because every time I imagined Stone in my head, it was Ramos’s face that I saw. Instead, I shrugged and let out a sigh. “I guess… well… I’d better finish this review so I can put the book away and get back to work.”

He chuckled, thinking I was a terrible liar, and walked out the door.

I shook my head. What was Jackie thinking, writing a story about me and Ramos? I should have paid her not to do it. On the other hand, I’d enjoyed every minute of the book. And… I could read it again any time I wanted. So maybe it wasn’t too bad. Besides, I could handle Ramos… right? And it was kind of fun to tease him, even if he could give as good as he got.

Anyway… after he left, I finally finished my no-spoiler review, so here it is!

The Hitman and the Psychic is one of those books that is hard to put down. It was non-stop action and totally believable… even the psychic part made sense. The chemistry between the main characters was off the charts, and I really wanted them to get together. Thank goodness I wasn’t disappointed! If you like romance with non-stop action, laugh-out-loud humor, and characters you’ll love, don’t miss Jocelyn Drake’s newest book!

There you go! If you can’t tell, I loved the book. If you read it, let me know if you love it too!!

Until next time,

Shelby

I’m in a Book!

Posted: March 26, 2025 in Consulting, Experiences, Thoughts
Tags: , , , ,
6

Yesterday, I went into work at Thrasher Development to talk to Uncle Joey about one of his colleagues. This man had done Uncle Joey a big favor, and now Uncle Joey owed him. Since it was usually the other way around, it made me a little nervous, especially because it probably meant that I would be using my mind reading skills to make it happen.

I got to the office and found Jackie standing over a box with a big grin on her face. She glanced at me and her smile got even bigger. “Guess what’s in the box!! My newest book!!”

Good thing I didn’t say it before she did, since I’d already picked it up from her mind. “That’s great!”

She snagged a book from the box and held it up. “The Hitman and the Psychic!! Isn’t that the cutest cover?”

I nodded, taking in the illustrated cover of a woman with long blond hair, flying off the back of a motorcycle. She was barely hanging onto the guy as he sped along a blue road through the clouds. Wait… was that a frown on her face? And those pink clouds… they almost looked like an explosion. “Yeah. That’s really cute!”

“Isn’t it? And guess what? It’s the one I’ve been writing about you and Ramos!!”

I nodded, but my heart rate spiked. I knew she’d been writing a book based on us, but I couldn’t help worrying about how close it would actually get.

She noticed my alarm and went on to explain. “Don’t worry… it’s not exactly you and Ramos… I mean, the characters in the book are based on the two of you… but no one will know. And you’re not married in the book, so the sex is totally fine.” She was thinking she’d changed the names to Stone and Serenity, along with a few other details. Although, if anyone who knew us read it, they’d probably see the similarities. Still, it was different enough that I shouldn’t worry. “And I used my Jocelyn Drake pen name, so it’s all good.”

“Wow. That’s… great. So what’s her psychic ability?”

“She has psychometry, so it’s different from your premonitions. It means that when she touches an object or a person, she gets a reading, or a vision about them.”

“Oh… yeah. That’s way different.” At least Jackie didn’t know I could read minds, or she probably would have put that in there, and my secret would have been exposed to the whole world! What a disaster.

“And I have another surprise. I dedicated it to you!”

“You did? Let me see.”

She held the book open to the dedication page which read: “To Shelby Nichols. You are the inspiration for this book! I hope you love it!”

“Oh, wow!! That’s so sweet! Thank you! I can’t wait to read it.”

“It comes out in two weeks, but I wanted you to have the first copy. Let me just sign it, and it’s all yours!”

“Really? Thanks so much! I’m so excited to read it!” While she signed it, I couldn’t wait to find out how her two characters got together. Was Stone just as sexy and hot as Ramos? I wasn’t sure anyone could live up to him, but I was sure anxious to find out. Plus… I could hardly wait to read the steamy parts. I knew that made me a bad person, but what could I say?

After closing the book, she handed it to me. “There you go.”

“Thanks so much. I’m going to start it as soon as my meeting with Uncle Joey is over.”

“Oh yeah… you’d probably better get down to his office.” She smoothed her brows, so I wouldn’t see her concern, but she was hoping that paying Tony back wouldn’t be too dangerous. On the other hand, it might make a great plot for her next book.

I managed to keep from rolling my eyes. “Hey, did you give Ramos a copy?”

“Not yet. But as soon as the meeting’s over, I will. Do you think he’ll read it?”

“Is his character a bad-ass and sexy as hell?”

She grinned. “Yup.”

I shook my head. “Maybe you’d better not. He might get a big head.”

She snorted. “Right… like he doesn’t already have one.”

“That’s true. Well… I’d better get down there.” I hurried down the hall, making a pit stop in my office to drop off my book and purse. At least now I had something to look forward to.

The meeting wasn’t as bad as I’d thought. Plus, with Ramos helping me out, how could I complain? I didn’t have to meet with Tony for a few days, so I hurried back to my office to start reading the book.

After the first few pages, I was hooked. Still, I decided it was best to read it at the office instead of taking it home. The last thing I needed was for Savannah or Chris to get wind of it. I ended up staying an extra hour, and I only stopped because Ramos came barging into my office. I couldn’t hide that I was reading the book, and he folded his arms with a knowing smile.

“You busy?”

“Yes. Go away.”

He shrugged. “Okay. I guess I’ll go without you.”

I sat up straight. “Go where?”

“Got an errand to run. It’s a beautiful day, so I’m taking the bike. See ya.”

“No! Wait. I’ll come. I mean… I need a break, so this is perfect timing.”

His eyes narrowed. “You sure?”

“Oh, stop it. Of course I’m sure.”

“That’s Jackie’s book, isn’t it. The one about us?”

“Uh… yeah. But you shouldn’t read it.”

His brows rose. “Oh yeah? Why not?”

I shrugged. “It’s a romance novel. You wouldn’t like it. Let’s go.”

He shook his head, thinking that he already had his copy, and he couldn’t wait to dive in. Especially if it made me this nervous. “Nice try.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not nervous. It’s a great story. And… what can I say? It’s kind of cool. Serenity’s a bad-ass. I wish I was more like her.”

“Hey… you’re a bad-ass too. What about the guy?”

I sent him a smile. “He’s… well… you’ll just have to read it and find out.”

We got back an hour later, and I didn’t have time to read any more, so I’m planning on getting into the office early tomorrow. I’m loving it so far. These characters are a hoot. I’ll be sure and let you know what I think about the book in my next blog post!! Maybe you’ll want to read it, too!

Until then,

Shelby

High-Class Grifter

Posted: December 12, 2024 in Consulting, Experiences, Thoughts
Tags: , , , ,
13

As most of you know, I work for a mob-boss. Because of that, there are some days that can get quite exciting. Uncle Joey is dependent on my mind-reading skills to help him in his business dealings, so I get to meet all kinds of people. Most of them are just trying to make a buck, and hoping to get Uncle Joey’s backing. I kind of feel sorry for them, since working with a mob boss isn’t ever the best way to go. There are always strings attached and once you’re caught, there’s no escape.

Of course, Uncle Joey isn’t quite like most mob bosses because he has a heart, at least where I’m concerned. But that isn’t true for everyone. One thing I learned at the beginning of our relationship is that Uncle Joey doesn’t like people who run or grovel. I tried running once, but Ramos showed me the error of my ways, and now look at me. I’m still here helping Uncle Joey however I can. On the other hand, I’ve grown quite fond of Uncle Joey as well as Ramos, so what can I say?

Back to my point. Yesterday, I accompanied Uncle Joey and Ramos to a special meeting. It was held in an exclusive club, quite high-class, and full of important people. I found out that once you pay your fifty-thousand dollar fee, you can use the facilities as a special meeting place. It’s exclusive enough that even a mob boss can meet with a politician and no one would even blink an eye.

Usually, Uncle Joey keeps me out of that side of his business, mostly because I have connections to the police and do consulting work for them. That’s why I was somewhat concerned about being in this setting with Uncle Joey in his official capacity as a mob boss, but I shouldn’t have worried. Like he told me, what happens in the club, stays in the club. But since I can read minds, I picked up that he really wanted me there because something wasn’t right and he wanted me to get to the bottom of it.

That made me smile. There’s just something about the challenge of figuring out the truth behind what people say that motivates me. I’m like a dog on the scent, and it’s a challenge I’m totally ready to take on. What can I say? Finding the lies, and confronting them about it, gives me a thrill.

We entered the club and were immediately escorted upstairs to a private room. The man we were meeting was already there and stood to greet us. He had a deep golden tan, with brown eyes and hair that had been streaked by the sun. “Hey mate. It’s nice to finally meet you.” He held out his hand to Uncle Joey. “Hudson Kramer at your service.” He spoke with an Australian accent, and immediately reminded me of Crocodile Dundee.

“You as well.” Uncle Joey gave him a firm handshake before turning to me. “This is my niece, Shelby Nichols, and my second, Alejandro Ramos.”

“It’s a pleasure.” After shaking our hands, he motioned to the chairs at the round table. “Shall we get started?”

We took our places and Hudson handed Uncle Joey a folder. “Thank you for meeting with me. That folder contains all the information you need about me and my company. As you know, I’m looking for investors in my mine. I’ve had a turn of amazing luck in finding a substantial deposit of black opals in the Lightening Ridge of Northern Australia. I have full claims and rights to this mine, which I own outright. So far, the opals we’ve excavated are some of the purest ever seen. I brought a few to show you.”

He turned on an LED desk lamp, with the light directed onto the table. Opening his suit coat, he unfastened the buckle of a small, black pack that circled his waist. He pulled it off and set it on the table. The hard case had a combination code which he entered before flipping it open. A smaller case sat inside and he opened it to pluck out a black velvet square of material which he laid flat on the table in front of us. Next, he took out a plastic bag and dumped four black opals of various sizes onto the black velvet fabric.

“This is a sample of what we have discovered.” He placed them in a row, and moved the light to shine on the gems. “Black opals are the most valuable form of opal – due to their dark body tone and the resulting vibrant play of color. A top of the range gem quality black opal can fetch prices up to $15,000 per carat. However, just because an opal is black doesn’t make it valuable. There are many factors including brightness and pattern which determine the overall value of opal as you can see here.”

He pointed out the differences in the opals and gave us the value of each one. The largest one he showed us was worth over fifty grand, a staggering amount. “All of these came out of my mine, and I’m sure there are more, but as I said, the cost of the mine has depleted my resources, and I’m looking for an investor such as yourself to continue operations.”

He went on to talk about the terms of the investment, and I had a hard time discerning if he was lying or earnest in his proposal. “The main reason I decided to approach you was because of your recent investment in the lost Taft Mine. I have a much better proposition to offer you, since our mine is not lost, and we have already struck gold, as it were.”

“Very impressive,” Uncle Joey said, picking up the largest stone to examine it more closely before setting it back on the fabric. “Your terms are quite high, but I might be willing to negotiate based on a percentage of the profits. How do you feel about that?”

Hudson’s pulse jumped, and he was thinking that now was his chance to sweeten the deal. “I am agreeable to that. If we could set up a steady stream of capital into the mine, I’m sure the outcome would more than triple your investment. How does an initial amount of ten million sound to you?”

Uncle Joey’s brows rose, that was higher than he’d expected, and it gave him pause. He had checked Hudson out, and believed he had the rights to the mine he spoke of, but the high price seemed extreme compared to the risk. “You’d have to find a lot of opals for me to make a profit.”

Hudson realized his mistake and cursed in his mind, thinking he should have stuck with the five million he’d been planning on. But the way I’d admired the stones made him go higher. He was glad I was there since it was easy to see that I liked them. If he played to my vanity, my influence alone could get Manetto on board.

“What do you think, Shelby?” Hudson asked. “Do you like the stones?”

“Oh yes. They’re absolutely breathtaking.”

He nodded. “It’s the black that brings out the colors.”

“Yes, I can see that.”

Hudson glanced at Uncle Joey. “You’re right about making a profit.” He pursed his lips. “Would you be interested in co-ownership? That way we would split the profits fifty-fifty.”

Uncle Joey nodded. “After my initial investment was re-paid, I would consider a fifty-fifty split.”

Hudson kept his face devoid of emotion, but inside he was jumping up and down. He might pull this off after all. If Manetto signed on for ten million, he could use up to three for the mine and pocket the rest. The mine would never pay out that much, but Manetto had to know it was a risk, and could hardly complain.

Hudson let out a breath, feigning indecision, like it was hard to give up half of the mine. “I can have the papers drawn up for you to look at and you can give me a decision tomorrow? Will that work?”

Uncle Joey glanced my way, and I smiled. “I love the opals. They’re so colorful.”

Uncle Joey nodded. “So what do you think about this one?” He picked up one of the smaller opals. “It would look great in a necklace.”

“It sure would.” I turned to Hudson. “But here’s the thing. Your proposal sounds good, but I think investing in your mine would be a losing proposition. You’ve done a good job with the presentation, but you went too far in your asking price. Naturally, Uncle Joey checked you out before the meeting, so we know you own the mine, but you haven’t had a lot of success with finding the opals you’re pushing.”

I shook my head. “Hudson, you’re playing a dangerous game. Cheating a mob boss out of his money is unwise. Just because you live in Australia doesn’t mean you’d be exempt from retaliation. You might think you could pocket the bulk of the money, but believe me, you’d be paying back every cent with interest for the rest of your life. Is that what you really want?”

Hudson had grown pale, and his eyes rounded with shock. “This is a legitimate enterprise. I’m not trying to swindle anyone out of anything.” He glanced at Uncle Joey. “Believe me, I respect your reputation. If this isn’t something you’re interested in, then just say so. I approached you first, but I have others who would be grateful for the chance to get in on the mine.”

He began to gather the opals, putting them back into his case and zipping it up. Before he put the case around his waist, Uncle Joey stood. “Hudson… Let me give you a word of advice. Never cross a mob-boss. Now… If you know what’s good for you, you’ll go back to Australia and we’ll forget all about this incident. Otherwise, I will spread the word about this grift you’re playing, and it won’t go so well for you.”

Hudson flushed. How had it gone so badly? “My business is legitimate, but I’ll take your advice into consideration.”

Uncle Joey held up the opal he still had in his hand. “I’m keeping this for my niece. What’s it worth to you?”

He was thinking five grand, even though it was only worth two. I turned to Uncle Joey. “He probably wants five grand, but it’s only worth two.”

Uncle Joey smiled. “I’ll give you one, and we’ll call it even since you wasted my time.” He glanced at Ramos, who pulled out a wad of hundred dollar bills and counted out ten of them. Ramos stepped over to Hudson, and stuffed them into the breast pocket of Hudson’s jacket.

I wanted to say, Keep the change, you filthy animal, but kept my mouth shut and just smiled instead. Hudson bolted to his feet, and hurried out the door, thinking that all his hard work had just gone to hell, and he’d messed up. But how? What had given him away? I lost track of his thoughts and shook my head.

“Did he learn his lesson?” Uncle Joey asked.

I shrugged. “Beats me.”

Uncle Joey nodded, and held the opal out to me. “This is for you. Consider it an early Christmas present.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Take it to Dale, at Brinkman’s Jewelry and have him set it for you. Black gold would look amazing.”

I couldn’t hold back my smile. “Thanks Uncle Joey. I will.”

We left, and never heard of Hudson Kramer again, so I guess he took Uncle Joey’s advice.

On another note, now you can see why I don’t mind working for Uncle Joey. I’m picking up my necklace tomorrow, and I can’t wait to wear it. I’ll see if I can post a photo next time.

Until then…

XOXO

Shelby

Grilled for Lunch?

Posted: September 30, 2024 in Advice, Experiences, Thoughts
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
10

The other day, Jackie, Uncle Joey’s wife and administrative assistant, invited me to lunch. We’d never gone to lunch before, but with Uncle Joey standing there with his brows raised, I couldn’t turn her down. Not that I would have since we’d become friends. But, since I can read minds, I knew she had ulterior motives, and I wasn’t too happy about it.

Jackie started a new venture writing romance novels about the mafia. To support her, Uncle Joey even bought a small book publishing company and named it Manetto Books. Jackie had great success with her first book, so now she’s onto the next. That’s exciting and all, but this time she’s writing a character in the book based on me, and today she’s planning on picking my brain to help with her plot. I won’t lie, it is flattering, and, as long as no one knows she’s using my real-life stories, I guess it’s okay, although some of them are embarrassing. Because of that, I think you can understand my reluctance to share too much.

At least she waited until we’d given the server our orders before she started grilling me. “So Shelby, you know I’m basing a new character on you in the book I’m writing. I’m having a blast, but I need to know just a little more about your work with the police. Do they actually pay you for your help?”

“Yes, they do.”

“What’s the going rate?”

“I don’t get a lot. It’s a little under forty dollars an hour.”

She gasped. “Is that all?” She shook her head. “Shelby…you should get more than that. I mean…you solve most of their cases.”

I squirmed. “Yeah…you’re probably right. I think they’re putting more in the budget for next year.”

“I should hope so.” She pursed her lips. “You work mostly with just one detective, right? And you call him Dimples?”

“Yes. His name is Drew Harris, but… you’re not going to put his real name in the book, are you?”

“No, of course not. I already have a good name for my detective.”

“What is it?”

“Detective Scardino…but everyone calls him Dino for short.”

“Cool. I like it.”

She grinned. “Yeah. In my book your name is Serenity and I’ve actually added quite a bit to her psychic powers.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…along with having premonitions, she also has psychometry.”

“What’s that?”

“It means that when she touches something, she gets a vision about the object, or who touched it last…it’s kind of like premonitions, but touching things can bring the vision on. I mean…you get visions, right?”

“Uh…yeah. Sometimes I envision things.” I hope she didn’t catch that I was making this up.

She nodded. “I think it’s pretty cool. And adding psychometry makes it more interesting. Not that what you do isn’t…but this just adds a nice touch to her psychic abilities.” She grinned, thinking her use of the word ‘touch’ was pretty punny.

“Ah…touch…I see what you did there.” I smiled, grateful she didn’t know that I could read minds, since that would totally ruin everything. “So…Serenity…works for the police and the mob?”

“Well…I’m getting around to that. She doesn’t work for the police yet…but I think she will. That’s why I wanted to talk to you.”

I nodded. “Makes sense to me.”

“Yeah. So can you tell me about some of your cases?”

“Sure.” I mentioned a few of them, mostly telling her about the easy cases that didn’t involve someone trying to kill me. I did tell her about my latest case involving the bones I’d discovered, but I had to leave out the part where I heard ghostly whispers since she didn’t know I ‘heard’ things like that. It wasn’t quite as intriguing, but she liked it, even though she didn’t want to use the case in the book she was writing now.

“Thanks Shelby. That’s great information.” She took a drink of her water, wanting to hear more about the funny side of things. “You know…talking about the bones…I know all about the skunk. That was hilarious.” Her brows crinkled. “Ramos also mentioned a lizard but didn’t elaborate about that story, so I’m really curious. Can you tell me what that was all about?”

I raised my brows. “Uh…actually, I’d rather not.”

“Oh come on…it can’t be that bad.”

“Yes it can.”

Her lips drew down, but she decided not to push it, thinking she could probably get it out of Ramos. “All right. But someday, you’ll have to tell me.”

“Sure. So how’s Miguel doing in New York?”

Jackie loved talking about Miguel and filled me in on his latest news. We spoke for a while longer about the New York Manettos and Maggie and Syd’s adjustment to married life. Before we knew it, it was time to get back to work, and I breathed a sigh of relief that I’d made it through without revealing too much.

On the elevator ride up to Thrasher, Jackie gave me a sideways glance. “I am taking some liberties with Serenity’s character. In my book she’s not married and she and the hitman, Stone, are…well…quite attracted to each other. Since my book is a romance…they’re the romance part of the book. I hope that doesn’t make you uncomfortable, since he’s based on Ramos. But just remember…it’s not real, and I think my readers will love it.”

“Well…I guess it’s important to keep your readers happy.”

“It certainly is.”

“In that case, I can’t wait to read it myself.”

Her chest swelled with happiness, and she thanked me again. The elevator doors opened, and we went our separate ways; her to her writing, and me to Uncle Joey’s office to meet with an employee whom Uncle Joey thought could be stealing from him.

I welcomed the distraction, but I had to admit, I could hardly wait to read Jackie’s newest book. I looked forward to the romance and all the kissing between Stone and Serenity. It was an easy way to indulge in my deepest fantasies without having to feel guilty, right? Well…I may be kidding myself, but as a great writer once said…to read a good book is like living a thousand lives without leaving the comfort of your own home…so that’s what I’m planning to do. I’ll let you know when it comes out, just in case you want to read it too.

Until next time!

~Shelby

Date Night

Posted: June 14, 2024 in Advice, Consulting, Experiences, Thoughts
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
12

From the title, you probably think this is going to be about a date I had that went horribly wrong. You wouldn’t be too far off, but it wasn’t my date. As most of you know, my son, Josh, just turned sixteen and he’s in high school now. Needless to say, the last school dance of the year wasn’t long ago, and Josh got asked by a girl I didn’t know.

As most of you are thinking, yes… I checked her out, and found that she was a senior and quite popular. She was also gorgeous. So why did she ask Josh to go to the dance? I could only guess, but of course, Josh agreed to go, and he thought it was because he was hot and had his own car.

Anyway… to make a long story short, the night of the dance came and she picked him up in a limo. She even came to the door to get him, which was perfect, since I planned on finding out exactly what she was thinking about their date.

Luckily for her, there was nothing nefarious about her intentions, or it might have turned out differently. She’d asked him to go with her because she’d just broken up with her boyfriend and she wasn’t about to miss the last dance of her high school experience. She also thought Josh was really cute, and she wanted to have a fun time with him and her friends. Then I heard that the other girls in the group had asked younger boys, so Josh wasn’t the only one. I picked up that they’d done it to show the senior boys that they weren’t the only fish in the sea, which I had to admire.

Relieved that it wasn’t anything serious, I told him goodbye and hurried out the door myself. Uncle Joey had requested my presence at a dinner he’d scheduled with an out-of-town guest, and I didn’t want to be late. Inspired by the kids, I’d even dressed up a bit, wearing the red dress I’d picked up in New York a few months ago.

At the restaurant, Uncle Joey greeted me warmly with a kiss on the cheek, and introduced me to his guest, Gabe Dunn. He was close to my age, and lavished me with attention after finding out I was Uncle Joey’s niece. Naturally, I knew he was just kissing up, so I didn’t let it go to my head, although I did enjoy being called ‘beautiful,’ and ‘lovely.’

We were shown to a table by a window, and I sat between the two men, which left an empty chair across from me. Before I could ask who else was joining us, Ramos strode to our table. He wore a black dress shirt and jacket combo, and every woman in the place couldn’t take their eyes off him. He pulled out the chair with his back to the window, and sat down with a smile, knowing he was the center of attention, and loving it.

While we looked over our menus, I picked up that Gabe was nervous about this meeting because he owed Uncle Joey a large sum of money, and he didn’t have it. In fact, he was so desperate, that he was willing to gamble his life for it.

Unsure how he planned to do that, I listened real close, but got distracted by a big group of kids coming into the restaurant. There were four couples. The girls wore prom dresses that barely covered their cleavage, and were accompanied by boys in their best suits and ties. Spotting Josh among them, I gasped. Holy hell! Of all the joints in all the city, he had to come to this one?

Luckily, he hadn’t seen me yet, and I hoped he wouldn’t. Still, Uncle Joey narrowed his eyes and glanced my way with a raised brow, asking in his mind if that was Josh… and what was he doing there? Ramos and Gabe had noticed the group as well, and both of them smiled at the sight. Then Ramos’s brows rose and he glanced at me, asking if I knew Josh would be here.

I shook my head and shrugged, trying to ignore the group, and hoping that Josh didn’t notice us. We ordered our food, and Uncle Joey asked Gabe if he’d had a pleasant visit. While they spoke, Josh’s date happened to glance in my direction and her eyes bulged. She elbowed Josh and pointed me out, thinking that I was one of those moms, and maybe Josh wasn’t so cool after all.

Josh spotted me and his face turned red. What the hell was I doing there? Was I keeping track of him and his date? This was terrible. Then he noticed Uncle joey at my side and Ramos sitting across from me, and it all made sense. He relaxed, and a little smile crept over his lips. He sent me a chin-lift and leaned over to his date, explaining that I was with my boss, and that I worked as a private investigator.

Hearing that, his date’s eyes widened and her attitude changed from disgust to admiration. After ordering their dinner, she asked Josh dozens of questions about me and some of the cases I’d worked on. Josh had a great time telling her about my latest escapade with the police in solving a cold case.

Whew… grateful I’d dodged a bullet with that one, I turned back to the conversation at my table. Our entrees arrived and I enjoyed the first few bites of my rib-eye steak and baked potato. After that, I picked up Gabe’s thoughts of desperation, and that he’d have to go through with his plans to kill Uncle Joey. I nearly choked on my last bite and had to take several large gulps of water to wash it down.

“Are you all right?” Uncle Joey asked, patting my back.

I cleared my throat a few times before I could answer. “Sorry… yes. I’m fine now.”

“Good.” He glanced at Gabe and continued their conversation.

Ramos’s brows rose. He hadn’t missed my reaction, and knew something was going on. I smiled at him and nodded. I waited until Gabe took a bite of food, and turned to him. “So Gabe… I understand you’re feeling a little desperate about the money you owe my uncle.”

His eyes widened and he dropped his fork on the ground. “Shit. Uh… excuse me.” He leaned down to pick it up, and set it next to his plate. Turning his mega-watt smile on me, he raised his brows. “Not at all. Whatever gave you that idea?” As soon as he said it, he wished he hadn’t.

“Well… sometimes desperate people do desperate things, so I’m just warning you that killing someone is not always the best solution.”

I glanced at Uncle Joey, who raised his brows and sent Gabe a piercing stare. “You planning a little something to happen to me?”

Gabe swore in his mind and swallowed. “Of course not. I would never do something that stupid.” He glanced down at his hands. “To be honest, I am trying to work out a solution to solve my cash flow so I can pay you back.” He was thinking that he may have thought about killing Uncle Joey, but he’d never do anything like that in a million years.

He narrowed his eyes at me, wondering how I’d known… or maybe it was just something that happened often enough that it was a pretty good guess.

“So, is paying me going to be a problem?” Uncle Joey’s lips turned down and he was thinking that it was just as he’d thought, and Gabe didn’t have the money after all. It was so discouraging. Why did these people guarantee him a nice payout if they didn’t plan to follow through? Were they not scared of him enough? Had he lost his tough-guy image?

I wanted to tell him that he hadn’t lost anything… mostly because so many people wanted him dead, but that wasn’t something I could blurt out over dinner.

Ramos met my gaze, thinking that I’d better figure out a solution, or Uncle Joey would have to do something drastic… like have him break both of Gabe’s legs… just to save face.

My eyes widened and I glanced at Gabe. “Listen Gabe… you don’t want to end up with a couple of broken legs, do you?”

Gabe’s eyes bulged, and he shook his head. “Of course not.” He met Uncle Joey’s gaze. “I’m sure I can get the money together. I just need another day or two. Is that acceptable? I can have it by day after tomorrow?”

Uncle Joey leaned forward. “Let’s finish our meal first. While we do that, you can come up with an offer I can’t refuse. How does that sound?”

Hesitant, Gabe finally nodded. “Sure. I appreciate it. Thank you.” He licked his lips before picking up his dirty fork and began carving up his prime rib. Thoughts of stabbing Uncle Joey with the knife filled his mind, but he pushed them back, thinking that he’d have to figure out a better way to do it. In the meantime, he figured he could sweeten the deal by adding half a million in cryptocurrency. He’d been keeping his crypto for a rainy day, and even though it was all on paper, he hoped Uncle Joey would fall for it.

I wanted to roll my eyes, but I just took another bite of my steak and let Gabe make the offer to Uncle Joey. Gabe thought it was the perfect solution and his enthusiasm kept him talking a lot longer than he needed to. He nearly got all the way to the end of his spiel before he noticed Uncle Joey’s frowny face.

“Uh… excuse me.” Gabe set his napkin on the table. “I need to visit the restroom. I’ll be right back.”

As soon as he left, I turned to Uncle Joey. “I think he might take off. Do you want Ramos to follow him?”

Uncle Joey sighed. “Not tonight. Let’s finish our dinner and we’ll deal with him… later.”

I nodded. “I know it’s discouraging, but don’t lose hope. He might still come through.”

Gabe never did come back. As we finished our meal, I entertained Uncle Joey and Ramos with some of the thoughts I’d picked up from Josh’s table. Most of the girls’ thoughts were about how much they wanted to eat their food, but couldn’t because their dresses would be too tight. Some of the boys felt awkward. They wanted to look cool and make their dates laugh. But all-in-all the group was having a good time… and so did we.

The group finished up, ready to head to the dance. Since our entertainment was leaving, we decided to head out as well. Before we stood to leave, Josh surprised me by bringing his date over to our table. He introduced her to all of us, and both Uncle Joey and Ramos stood to meet her.

She seemed a little star-struck at the attention, especially when the full force of Ramos’s intensely dark gaze met hers. He also spoke to Josh like they were old friends, and it impressed her even more. Needless to say, Josh rose several notches in her esteem, and he didn’t mind that at all.

We said our goodbyes and they all hurried out to their limo. I picked up some nostalgia from Uncle Joey about his high school days, and wishing he’d enjoyed them more. Ramos didn’t have the same feelings since he’d spent most of that time involved in a gang. But it did remind him of his girlfriend back then, and how things could have been different if she hadn’t died.

Yikes. “So what’s the plan for Gabe?”

Ramos smirked. “I’ll pay him a visit later tonight.” He raised a brow. “Hopefully I won’t have to break his legs.” He was mostly teasing. “Did you pick up anything from him that I need to be aware of?”

I shook my head. “Just be on your guard. He was thinking about killing Uncle Joey, but then a lot of people do, so I don’t know if he’d really try it, but…” I shrugged. “You never know.”

Uncle Joey raised a brow. “They do?”

“Only the ones who owe you money… so you should take that as a compliment, right?”

He huffed. “If you say so.”

“Oh… and don’t worry that you’ve lost your touch. These guys are all intimidated and scared by you, so it’s all good.”

His lips twisted. “Thanks Shelby. I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

Who knew those kinds of compliments would ever be a good thing? I smiled at him and we said our goodbyes before going our separate ways; Uncle Joey and Ramos to plan how to handle Gabe, and me to my car and home.

In the end, Josh had a great time and even thought having me for a mom wasn’t so bad. Go me! Uncle Joey ended up getting his money from Gabe, and Ramos assured me he didn’t break any legs in the process.

It turned out that the evening was a huge success after all, which doesn’t always happen when I’m involved. In fact, it was so fun, that I’m wondering if I can manage to be at the same restaurant as my kids and their dates all the time… hehehe.

Mafia Romance

Posted: April 5, 2024 in Consulting, Experiences, Thoughts
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
7

As most of you know, I work for a mob-boss because he knows my secret that I can read minds, and he finds it beneficial to his business dealings to know if anyone’s lying to him.

Recently, his wife, Jackie began writing mafia romance novels (I know, right?). To further her career, Uncle Joey purchased a small publishing company and renamed it “Manetto Books.” So far, her first book is doing great in the mafia-romance genre, and she is nearly finished writing the second one in the series.

With all that going on, most of her work in the office is answering phones and writing books. Somehow, Uncle Joey doesn’t seem to mind. Of course, since they’re married, she doesn’t have to worry about getting fired.

Usually when Uncle Joey asks for my help, it’s to help him with a client, or a business associate, but not today. After I arrived, Jackie invited me into Uncle Joey’s office where he was talking with a suave-looking guy in his thirties. As I entered, they both turned to greet me, and Uncle Joey introduced me to him.

“Shelby, this is Tommy DeVine, he’s an agent who’s interested in the movie rights to Jackie’s books.”

My eyes widened. “Oh wow! That’s great.”

“Hello Shelby.” Tommy held out his hand for me to shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

Uncle Joey nodded. “Shelby’s my niece, so I like to involve her in these types of decisions.”

“Of course,”

“So tell us about your offer.” Uncle Joey was thinking that I needed to listen closely to make sure this wasn’t a scam.

Tommy sent a smile Jackie’s way. “My agency liked Jackie’s book so well, we thought it would make a great TV series, so we wanted to represent her if the rights were available.”

Uncle Joey cocked his head. “I can’t argue with you there. She’s a great writer. Yes, the rights are available. What did you have in mind?”

“That’s great.” He glanced at Jackie again. “I understand you’re continuing the series?”

“Yes. I’m almost done with the second book.”

“Great. That’s what we were hoping for. We would have a contract written up that would include all future books, and I can have it to you in the next couple of days.”

“I see.” Uncle Joey’s brows drew together. “And how soon would you have a producer for the TV series?”

“We’d like to start pitching it as soon as all the legal matters are taken care of.” He was thinking that it could take a while, because pitching it to all his contacts might not get the results he wanted, but getting the rights would bring him one step closer.

My brows rose. “But we wouldn’t be giving you the TV rights. You’d just represent Jackie’s books, correct?”

“That’s right… I’d just be her agent and I’d start working on it right away.”

I nodded, but picked up that he was pretty booked for the next little while, but he’d get to it as soon as he could. He’d recently overheard a competitor talking about Jackie’s book, and knew if he wanted to get to her first, he had to act fast. He hadn’t even read the book yet, which he’d always done in the past, but he didn’t want the opportunity to slip by. He could always read the book after that. If it wasn’t any good, he wouldn’t waste his time pitching it. So – he didn’t have much to lose, and everything to gain.

I glanced at Uncle Joey. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to look at his offer.”

Uncle Joey nodded, thinking that I’d picked up something, so he’d go along with it for now. “Sure. We’d like to see it, then we’ll decide what to do.”

“Great. I’ll get to work on it and have it sent over right away.”

We all said our goodbyes, and he left. Jackie was so thrilled, she could hardly think straight. I didn’t see any reason to burst her bubble, since it could still work out. After she went back to her desk, Uncle Joey turned to me.

“So what did you find out?”

I told him all the particulars and he nodded, thinking it was about what he’d expected. “Thanks Shelby. I am surprised he hasn’t read it, but I guess it makes sense.”

“Yeah. So what are you going to do?”

“We’ll see what his offer is. I’ll most likely turn it down, which is what I had in mind anyway. I mean… I know people in the entertainment industry, so I’m not about to go with this guy anyway. I just wanted Jackie to have a thrill, you know?”

“Oh. Right. But aren’t you worried she’ll be disappointed?”

“No… she’ll understand. She’ll want the best agent to represent her anyway, so it’s all good.” He was thinking that he wasn’t sure he wanted her books turned into a TV series. It was a little too personal, so he wanted to take it slow. Plus, if it ever did make it to the big screen, finding someone to play him would be hard… there just weren’t that many actors with the chops to do him justice.

He glanced my way and winked.

I chuckled. “You have a point.”

“But… of course, I won’t completely rule it out.” He rubbed his hands together, thinking he could make a lot of money on a TV deal, and, with the right wording in the contract, it wouldn’t come back to haunt him.

“Sounds good. Let me know what happens.”

“I will.”

I left soon after that, stopping at Jackie’s desk to share in her excitement before heading home. I knew that, depending on how much money he could make, Uncle Joey would definitely consider it.

Just thinking about it triggered my imagination. What actor could play Uncle Joey? And then there was Ramos. Who would play him? Was there even an actor alive that could do him justice? Not that I could think of. Still, I could hardly wait to get home and do a google search of hot Latino actors who could do the job.

Anyways… Now I kind of hope it happens, because how fun would it be to see Uncle Joey and Ramos on the big screen? Plus… since I knew Jackie had already written a character based on me in the second book, I could be part of it as well. Whoa! Who could play me?

I guess that’s all for today. I’ll keep you posted about the deal, but if you have any good ideas for actors, I’d be curious to know who they are!

Until next time!

~Shelby

Dog-gone It!

Posted: January 26, 2024 in Advice, Experiences, Thoughts
Tags: , , , , ,
25

Not too long ago, my family got a dog. He was left at an animal shelter. At first glance, we just knew he was meant to be ours. He’s a German Shepard and his name is Coco. I could say that we chose him, but the truth is, he’s the one who chose us. It also didn’t hurt that, because of my mind-reading ability, I could understand some of what Coco’s barks and mannerisms meant, which led to a special bond.

To make a long story short, we also discovered that Coco had been trained as a search-and-rescue dog. With this exciting news, my son, Josh, has been training to become a certified search-and-rescue handler. He’s had some experience, since he brought Coco to the mountains to search for me a few months ago. In fact, I might not be here without Coco’s excellent nose, and I’ll be forever grateful to him for that!

Nearly ready for his first official search-and-rescue assignment, Josh invited me to watch his training session with a couple of other trainers and their dogs. I jumped at the chance to see them in action. The training session had been set up in a large nature park, with a real person who was “lost” and the three participating dogs took turns finding him.

At the end of the session, the dogs were given treats, and let off their long leads so they could relax. I joined Josh and Coco in the training area, giving both of them praise for a job well done. A few of the other dogs joined us, and I began talking to them. Before I knew it, they’d all congregated around me, and picking up what their barks meant was a hoot.

Of course, Coco was the most vocal. This my mom… she plays… takes on walks… we explore together... she smells good…

Hearing that, Benji sniffed me. I don’t know… my mom smells better… she gives good ear rubs.

I knelt beside Benji. “Do you like your ears rubbed right here?” I proceeded to rub his ears and moved my hand to just the right spot. That right spot… yes… keep rubbing...don’t stop…ahhhh.

I finished up and stood. Benjy turned to Coco. Your mom good at that…

Coco: Yes… my mom best… cuddles good… always know when I want to play… she good listener.

Coco’s friend Scout twisted his head and studied me. But she have little ears… how she listen…

Coco: I find her when she lost…I best boy…I always find her…No one else can find her…but I find her…

Scout: I find human too… lots of times… A rustle came from the trees. What that?

Their ears perked up, and all the dogs froze, staring into the grove of trees.

“I wonder what they’re looking at.” Josh said.

“It’s a rabbit. They all want to go after it, but they’re holding back because of their training.” I bent down and petted them. “Good dogs. Way to go. You’re all so good. Well done.” I ruffled their fur and continued to praise them. They loved it.

Scout barked. Your mom real good.

Coco: She best… smell good too. Treat?

Luckily I had a treat bag in my purse, so I pulled it out and gave all the dogs a treat for being so good.

Josh knew I understood Coco better than most, but now the other handlers were wondering how I did it. One of them was thinking I must be a dog whisperer. It was like I knew what they wanted just by looking at them… it was uncanny. He was ready to come over and talk to me, but just then, Lance Hobbs, the man in charge of the event, thanked everyone for participating, and told us we could go.

The dogs obediently followed their handlers, and we were soon on our way home. As Coco rested in the back seat, I listened to Josh tell me all about the search. “I think Coco was the fastest one in the field today. He was great. I’m sure glad he’s part of the family.”

“Me too, Josh… me too.”

Cold Snap

Posted: December 1, 2023 in Advice, Experiences, Thoughts
Tags: , , , , , ,
20

I don’t know about the weather where you live, but we just went through a cold snap. Luckily, we had most of the leaves picked up off the lawn, and the deck swing tucked away. I always hated taking the swing down, but with winter coming on, it couldn’t be helped.

At least I’d managed to get in one last amazing ride on the back of a motorcycle first. I’d talked Ramos into taking me to a cemetery to visit the grave of a young man whose cold case I’d just solved. I won’t bother you with the details, but it was definitely gratifying to give his family some closure, and made all that I’d gone through worth it.

After finishing up with my errand, I hurried back to Ramos and his motorcycle, ready to head back to work. That’s when Ramos suggested a slight detour before going back. He wouldn’t tell me where we were going, but, in all honesty, I would have happily gone on a ride anywhere. We both knew it was one of the last beautiful, fall days we had, and it would be a travesty not to enjoy it.

Still, I never expected where we ended up. Who knew places like that even existed? We headed toward the hills, but further south than normal. A short time later, Ramos turned into a residential neighborhood and meandered through the streets until we were just below a wooded area where a narrow road branched off and headed deeper into the hills.

The winding road took us to the top of a hill where the air was warm and the sun bright. The road leveled out before dropping down into a small ravine, bringing a drop in the temperature that cooled my chin and neck. Taking in the road ahead, it didn’t look like it went anywhere specific, and there wasn’t a car or home in sight. It reminded me of the poem about the road not taken. This one definitely qualified, and, in the space of a few short minutes, it was like we’d passed from one reality into a completely different one.

Coming out of the ravine, we climbed to the top of another hill before the road took us back down again. After the third time it happened, it hit me that this was the whole point of the ride. With all the ups and downs as well as taking several curves, it was like riding a roller-coaster. Climbing steadily, we reached the top of the next hill, and my stomach tightened. This was the steepest one yet, ending in another ravine way down below us.

Ramos slowed before plunging down the hill to the bottom, and my heart rose into my throat and butterflies filled my chest. I clung tightly to Ramos like my life depended on it. Holy hell! With my heart racing, we finally reached the bottom and I could breathe again. I wasn’t sure I could handle another hill like that, and I let out a sigh of relief when the road ahead climbed slowly upward until we were back out of the gulch.

We continued in that direction, heading into a narrow canyon, and Ramos slowed to pull off onto a small look-out point. As he turned off the bike, the sound of rushing water reached my ears. He helped me off the bike, and I pulled off my helmet, hoping my legs wouldn’t give out. “That was some ride.”

Ramos removed his helmet and his lips twisted. “I thought you might like it.”

It was exhilarating, but it kind of scared me too. “Yeah… it was really something. I mean… my legs are still shaking.”

“Oh.” He seemed surprised. “In that case there’s one more thing you need to see. It will make it all worth it.”

I followed him down a dirt path toward several large boulders. As we took the path around them, a ravine opened up, with a river down at the bottom. Leafless trees lined either side of the river, and I followed Ramos to a rocky ridge overlooking a gorge. “Have a seat.” He motioned to one of the large rocks and pointed downstream. “Now look over there.”

He pointed to the other side of the ravine where a small waterfall spewed over the ridge in a graceful arc. The sun caught the water at a perfect angle, making a rainbow out of the mist. It took my breath away.

“Whoa.” I couldn’t take my eyes off the constant motion of falling water, combined with the sparkle of colored light from the rainbow. “It’s amazing.”

We sat in silence for several long minutes, drinking in the beauty until a cold breeze sent a shiver down my spine.

“Time to go.” Ramos rose to his feet. He was thinking that this little jaunt had taken a good part of the afternoon, but it was totally worth it.

“You’re right about that. Uh… do we have to go back the same way we came?”

His brows rose. “You didn’t like that?” He thought I enjoyed holding on to him so tightly.

“Well… yeah… but that last hill was a doozy.”

He snorted. “Don’t worry. It’s not the same going back. In fact, going up that steep hill is a lot different than coming down.” He glanced sideways at me. “Since I usually do this ride solo, it might be a little tricky making it up with you on the back.” At my widened eyes, he shrugged. “But don’t worry. I’m sure we can make it.”

I shook my head. “You are such a tease.”

His grin widened. He was thinking that he definitely enjoyed teasing me, but it was going to be a challenge getting up that hill. He’d probably have to gun it to get to the top. Still… it would so cool to catch some air before coming down on the other side. “Just hold on real tight, okay?”

My heart stuttered. “Are you serious?”

“No… I’m totally kidding. There’s nothing to worry about.”

I listened real hard, but he’d closed off his thoughts, so I had to take him at his word. I made sure my helmet was on real tight, and my jacket zipped and buttoned. Still, I couldn’t help the nervous tension that skittered through my stomach as we mounted the bike and headed back.

We moved along at a steady pace and I tried to stay calm. I kept my gaze on the road ahead and did my best to enjoy the solitude of the ride. Then I made the mistake of glancing up at the monstrous hill. I caught Ramos’s excitement and his determined focus to keep a steady increase of speed and getting in the right gear to make it to the top without slowing.

Starting up the steep hill, I held my breath and squeezed Ramos so tight that I could feel his stomach muscles clench. He leaned forward and I molded to his back. As we increased our speed and raced up the road, my butt slid to the back of the seat, and I tightened my leg muscles to push against the pegs with my feet, holding on for dear life.

Before I could blink my eyes open to see how much further we had to go, we soared up over the top. My stomach flip-flopped as we briefly left the pavement to land safely on the other side. Ramos let out a whoop, and I let out the breath I’d been holding.

As we continued down the road, Ramos relaxed into his seat, and I managed to scoot closer so I wasn’t hanging off the back of the motorcycle. The next few hills and valleys weren’t so steep, but still sent a thrill through my chest. I may have even let out a whoop or two of my own. As we reached the residential neighborhood, he patted my hands, and I finally loosened my steely grip. We took the rest of the ride back at a nice, leisurely pace.

By the time we pulled into Thrasher, I was calm and collected. Still, once I dismounted, I had to keep a hold of Ramos’s arm to make sure my legs didn’t give out. After he slid my helmet, jacket, and gloves into his trunk, I picked up his worry that maybe he’d pushed me a little too much. Had I been scared?

“Oh no. It was great. I loved it.”

He wasn’t convinced. “You sure?”

“Of course. It was really fun… most of the time… I mean.. I guess I was a little scared. That hill was crazy.”

“Yeah. We caught some air on that one.” He was thinking that was his favorite part of the ride. Well… that, and hearing me scream.

“What? I didn’t scream.”

He huffed and shook his head. “Yes you did. And you held on so tight, I might even have bruises on my ribs.”

I smacked him, but he just laughed. I couldn’t help it, and laughed right along with him. “Since it’s so late I’m going to take off, but thanks for the ride. It was amazing.”

He nodded, glad he’d been able to show me one of his favorite spots. “It’s supposed to turn cold tomorrow, so I’m glad we could go.”

“Yeah, me too. Hey… let’s go again in the spring. I’ll bet that waterfall is huge then.”

“You know… I’ve never seen it in the spring, but I’ll bet you’re right.”

We said our goodbyes and I hurried to my car.

Now you know why this cold snap doesn’t bother me as much as it normally would. All I have to do is remember that roller-coaster ride and all the thrills… and maybe a little screaming… and I’m good to go… especially since I know there will be more to come.

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