he clearly doesn’t possess one,” Serafina tells Hal, who laughs.
Hal looks at me and says, “She’s got you there, Dr. Ben.”
“I disagree,” I tell him. “People in my field are absolutely open-minded. We just aren’t open to nonsense.”
Serafina tilts her head and looks at me for a second. “I think you were lying when you said you are a Gemini. You’ve got the bite of a Cancer.”
“Oh, for…” I roll my eyes, not even caring how rude I’m being on television. “People’s personalities are a combination of genetics and environment. Period. There is absolutely no basis for what you’re saying. None. That’s like believing all blondes are dumb and all redheads have bad tempers. It’s simply not true.”
“Are you a Cancer?” she persists.
“You know perfectly well that I’m a Gemini.” Then for good measure, I add, “There is no empirical evidence for anything you believe.”
“May I see your driver’s license?” she asks, not willing to let it go.
“I don’t have to prove to you when I was born.”
“So closed-minded,” Serafina says, shaking her head. “Sad, really.” Then she tells Lacey and Hal, “I bet he won’t even sign up for the trial run of my dating app.”
“And I suppose you’re on it,” I scoff.
“I sure am,” she says. “In fact, I have my first date coming up this week. It’s with a Gemini.” She says the last bit while glaring at me.
I take off my glasses and rub the bridge of my nose. “Good luck with that,” I tell her somewhat insincerely. Okay, totally insincerely.
“Astrology is real, Ben. It’s steeped in thousands of years of exploration — which is far longer than the study of astronomy. It helps people all over the world to grow and learn and understand themselves.”
“Desperate people may think they derive some benefit from it, but it’s all hocus pocus, smoke and mirrors.” Then, because I don’t know when to leave well enough alone, I add, “It’s like believing in some bearded God in a white robe. Just because you want to think he exists doesn’t mean he’s out there. If you can’t see it, taste it, touch it, or hear it, you must question the validity of what you’re studying.”
Serafina leans toward me, her eyes wild with delight. “Are you saying you don’t believe there are an untold number of stars and planets in the universe beyond the ones we can see?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. That’s totally different.”
“Is it?” she asks. “You can’t see, taste, touch, or hear them.”
“Ooh! She got you again, Dr. Ben!” Lacey says.
“No, she didn’t. Thanks to the Hubble telescope, we’ve been able to run a simulation based on the ingredients that make up the universe. Using the scientifically proven data for the conditions that reflect our reality and the laws of physics, we are able to calculate that there are at least two trillion galaxies in the universe. You don’t have to observe all of them with your five senses to know they’re real.”
“Before Dr. Ben continues to blow our minds with his science, we need to take a commercial break,” Hal says. “We’ll be back soon with both of our experts. Stay tuned because there are sure to be more fireworks to come!”
Fifteen
Serafina
“Pisces do well to decorate with more subtle tones. Sea-foam green, lavender, peach, silvery blues. All of these are reminiscent of the fish’s watery home.” I’m on fire with this “Decorate for Your Star Sign” segment. So far, Ben has said nothing since the commercial break, which works for me.
“Do me,” Lacey gushes. “I’m a Taurus and I’ve got to tell you, I have not been vibing with my décor at all.”
“Taurus is an earth sign,” I tell her. “You should focus on creams, browns, and whites as a base, while accenting with the colors of the sunset.”
“Wow, it’s like you really know me,” Lacy gushes. “My decorator said I should go with bold colors to showcase my personality, but I’m just not comfortable with them.”
“You don’t want your personality to be challenged in your home environment. You need a place to rest and regroup.”
“Good God,” Ben mutters none too quietly.
“You’re not buying this, are you Ben?” Hal asks, as though the pot needs more stirring.
“Of course I’m not buying it. As long as you decorate with things you like, your home will be fine.”
“Do you spend a lot of time at home, Dr. Williams?” I ask him.
“I work a lot, so I spend the majority of my time at my office. I sleep at home.”
“And how is