Neal put on music and began walking to his second job. He listened to the music on his iPod. The most expensive thing he owned. As he made his way to the subway, the corner of his eye caught sight of the older gypsy looking woman. She was offering psychic readings to those few passengers walking the platform at this late hour. He kept his head turned away from the woman and kept his eyes on the track. Neal having believed in magic has seen many palm readers, and psychics. They are all charlatans. He learned quickly to spot a con. The older woman seemed no different as she called out to passengers some things he himself could gleam/figure out. She was harmless though; he could listen to the music and not worry about keeping his guard up. No need to keep looking over his shoulder here.
As a second song began, he felt the tap on his shoulder. The old lady came to offer a reading. He bit down the curse words and politely declined. Neal informed her he had no money in an attempt to let her know she had no mark. She persisted stating a reading for spare change. Neal sighed and seeing as he had to wait a little longer for his sub, he handed her the change from his pocket. He figured he could use the laugh. He could snark at the reading of: "you are tired" or "you're lonely." Things he could see when he looked in the mirror. Things you could tell by just looking at him alone on the platform. He could roll his eyes as the charlatan went in for the kill that made all want to believe. The reading of your future has your hard paying off; you will have success or a family. Even tell you the amount of kids you will have. Things he knew were to make those getting the psychic con so happy and believe. It's what they want to hear. It prevents them from catching on to the con and it gives them hope. He had hope as a boy but this world made him become jaded and hard. Emma gave him hope and happiness again. Now he just goes through the motions and wishes to be left alone.
But he gave the lady some spare change so he watches as she looks at his hand so intently that he is trying not to smirk. Then she looked up startled and studies his face. He becomes unsettled and anxious until she speaks: "you are lonely". He lets out the breath he was holding and laughs. Yep, the usual spiel. The sarcastic comment he was about to make, was interrupted by the psychic's next words: "you still miss her just as much as you did when you left. I see a key chain." Neal wanted to keep his face a mask so the con could not see any of his tells but this was too much info. He is not amused anymore.
"Who are you? Who sent you?" Neal spits out. "No one sent me, just psychic. I see what you sacrificed. I can't see much more. But you should know its breaking soon, the curse will be broken and the man with the bike." The psychic pauses and tells Neal, it was too much temptation. The man with the bike kept the money. She never got it. The old lady tells him that she can see no more. Neal's face displayed so many emotions in that moment: shock, a little hope then most of all anger. He handed the psychic all the money he could spare and left the station with no thought to his train or night job.