Sedona Law 6 by Dave Daren (best non fiction books of all time .TXT) 📗

control freak. I couldn’t even let Phoenix’s team pick their own music.

“Oh, God, no,” he insisted. “I’m not smart enough to write that. I might write a theme song, but most of it will probably be instrumental. I’ve got a couple of rough tracks on my computer.”

“I’m sure it will be great,” I said.

“Yeah,” Vicki said. “We’re so excited about the new project. What’s the final title? Last I heard, it was still in flux.”

“I think we’re going with A Study in Red,” Leila said. “It’s a play on a Sherlock Holmes title. You know, in Harmony’s case, one of the key pieces is that the investigators mistake a shade of red paint for blood.”

“Right,” Vicki nodded. “In real life, it was AJ who uncovered their mistake.”

“Really?” Leila smiled. “I did not know that.”

“She wouldn’t have told you that detail,” Vicki said. “She’s a quick one.”

“I like her,” Leila said. “We have so much fun together. She’s such a goofball.”

I made a face. Goofball wasn’t a word I would have used to describe our paralegal. What a different life AJ had outside our office.

“Alright, people,” Julianna stood in the middle of the room and clapped her hands. “Let’s get game night started.”

I noticed then there were about fifteen people crammed in the tiny living room, a couple of them I knew. Someone walked around and passed out beers. I took one and took a long chug.

“I don’t think we should start out with a game,” Gabriel said.

“Honey,” Julianna said. “I know what we talked about. But, right now is just not the time.”

“I think it is right,” he argued and the group pinponged attention back and forth between the couple. “We’ll just start out with a reading, and then, you can play the Apples game thing.”

“Gabe,” Julianna rolled her eyes. “This is supposed to be fun.”

“It is fun,” he said. “What’s more fun than being enlightened?”

Julianna sighed audibly and threw up her arms in surrender and left the room.

Gabriel smiled and stood in the middle of the silent room. He reached into a box near the couch, and retrieved a green paperback book.

“As you all know,” he looked around, “I’ve written a book based on an ‘experience’ I had.”

Everyone in the room nodded and made noises of agreement. Apparently they knew what this ‘experience’ was. Vicki and I didn’t. I glanced over at Leila and Jagger to see if I could detect any clues. They sat wrapped in each other’s arms staring longingly in each other’s eyes. Gabriel could have been talking about taking a dump for all they knew.

“It changed me,” Gabriel continued.

The room was packed and Vicki and I were still standing so I discreetly slipped to the floor, and Vicki followed me. I mimicked Leila and Jagger and stared longingly into her eyes. Vicki knew exactly what I was doing and stifled laughter.

“This experience,” Gabriel continued with the paced delivery of a televangelist, “changed me in a very real way. It helped me change from the man I thought I was, to become the man I always wanted to be. It changed our relationship.”

Gabriel gestured toward Julianna who leaned against a doorway and delivered a tight-lipped smile, and I thought I saw an eye roll.

“It changed our sex life,” Gabriel went on. “We now have a sex life I only dreamed of having.”

I glanced at Julianna who looked like she might vomit.

“Come on baby,” he turned to her. “Tell them. We have the most rewarding sex life that a person can possibly have. I mean, I can last--”

“Okay, honey,” she interrupted. “These people came to play Pictionary.”

“And we’ll get to Pictionary,” he nodded around the room. “Don’t worry. But, you’ll want to hear this first.”

Gabriel slid to a sitting position on the floor, and held up the paperback.

“I wrote this book,” he said. “Explaining the experience. It’s called ‘The Way.’ So, tonight, I want to read a passage out loud. I want you to close your eyes as we read. Honey, you could light the incense?”

Julianna wordlessly lit a candle under a ceramic incense burner. Within seconds, the aroma of chemlab citrus filled the room.

I briefly made eye contact with Vicki who had the same ‘what the fuck?’ look in her eyes that I probably had.

“Just let it bring you in,” Gabriel waved his palms as if to facilitate the scent. “Let’s turn down the lights, too.”

Julianna sighed and hit the dimmer on the living room. Now, we were sitting in a scented semi-dark room with fifteen people. He clicked on a remote, and transcendental music came on. I turned to Vicki in the semi-darkness, and she was red faced trying to hold back laughter.

Gabriel crossed his legs, and he began to meditate.

“Meditate with me if you feel inclined,” Gabriel instructed.

A couple of people followed him, but most just looked like they’d rather play Pictionary.

Gabriel closed his eyes and began chanting, “Yes, yes, yes.”

I checked my phone and wondered how long I could handle staying here. Gabriel came out of his meditation.

“Okay,” he said. “After the reading, I would like to try to recreate my experience for anyone that wants.”

I turned to Vicki and smirked, and she started to laugh silently again.

“So, if you would all be so kind as to listen,” he said. “I would love to share this with passage with you.”

He flipped on a booklight, and I wrapped my arm around Vicki, and we listened out of pure amusement.

“It was the autumn of the fox when I first met Rashe, the angel,” he began.

I cleared my throat. An angel? I didn’t know what I expected, but I didn’t expect an angel. Maybe I should have.

“Rashe was a being of light, but he dressed like a homeless man,”