Stressed!

by Deborah Martin

  She hadn’t called and I really didn’t expect to hear from her until the afternoon. I told him as much. “Why don’t you go into your office to do your own work and leave me to mine. I’ll let you know if I hear something and you do the same, OK?”

  “You’re right. I’ve got some calls to make. Hey, I need to go to Chicago tomorrow for a couple of days. Can you make my travel arrangements?”

  There are days I wish we still had a travel agent. With the advent of the travel sites on the Internet, I’d decided it was easier to book everything myself when our old travel agent retired. That, and it allowed me to keep tabs on Ev. He’d been known to call Marty on his own and then disappear without telling me he was going to be two time zones away for four days. I sighed, said yes, took down the particulars of his trip and added that to my to-do list for the day. On second thought, I put the information on Sally’s desk with a note telling her which airlines to use, the fact that Ev always flew at least business class if not first, and hotels Ev liked to stay in with a pointer to the file in the database with all the credit card and reward programs numbers. She could learn to do all that.

  I’d just turned my attention back to the pile of bills to be paid when I heard a throat clearing in front of my desk. Since I’d not heard the door or smelled Ev, without looking up I said, “So what can I do for you, Happy?”

  “I understand you had a lovely weekend with the handsome Tony,” he said with an oily smoothness. “Will you two be setting a date soon? I’d like to ensure my calendar is clear to attend the wedding.”

  I could feel the blood rising. Violence is rarely a solution to any matter and Happy was probably immune to a kick in the balls (do demons have testicles?) but he was certainly putting me on the edge. I finally looked up from my paperwork and said through gritted teeth, “It was a nice Saturday but Sunday left a lot to be desired. Your doing, I suppose?”

  “I thought that only a day was entirely too little time for the two of you to sort yourselves out and wanted to provide an excuse for you to not return to your lives so soon. I must say, your colleagues are quite inventive. My friend who set up that spell has never had it broken before.”

  “As I’ve said before, I really don’t need you or anyone else to help my love life along. As to your question of a wedding date, don’t hold your breath. Yes, I like the man – when he is a man. The other half of him, I’m not so sure about and it’s a big half to contemplate. And in case you’ve got any other ideas, Tony and I knew each other long before you came along. If we do decide to have a long-term relationship, Ev should be getting the credit, not you.”

  “Ah, but I was the one that brought you back together. Do you not give me credit for that?”

  “I give you credit for being a royal pain in the ass and that’s the sum of it. Go away, Happy. I have work to do.” I lowered my head back to my work, hoping he’d take that as the dismissive gesture it was. I heard a sigh and then nothing. When I looked back up, he was gone.

  A couple of minutes later, I heard the outer door open. Tommy came into my office with my sandwich. “I smell something sulfur-ish. I take it that creep has already been here.”

  “Ev’s in the office but if you’re referring to the demon, yes, and that wall or whatever it is wasn’t his doing but someone he knows. This is getting worse by the day. If Mick could break the spell, can’t he figure out how to get rid of Happy?”

  “Mick said the spell was similar to but not quite what the Fae put up. He and Jerry slept all the way home last night and had to call in sick today because the spell modification took almost everything they had. That was just to cut a hole in it, which closed as soon as they let go. They couldn’t break the wall completely and for all I know, Mike’s cabin is buried to the roofline in snow by now.

  “As for the banishment, you know we’ve got a ritual and all we need is a name. The entire magical community is on it. You’ll just have to hang in there until someone comes up with it, I guess.”

  I heaved another sigh. “I know. I’m just irritated that things have gotten so far out of control. I never did properly thank you and your friends for yesterday and I really do appreciate it.”

  “Amy, I now consider you a close friend and as such, I’ll do whatever I can to help you and by extension, Tony. Who, by the way, seems to be a great guy even if he does howl at the moon on occasion. I don’t like bullies and this slimeball counts as one. Mick and Jerry don’t like anyone or anything interfering with humans. The magical community has enough of a PR problem as it is. That’s why we came up last night. ‘Dra and I couldn’t do anything but provide transportation and moral support. The other two did all the heavy lifting. But I’ll pass on your thanks.”

  With that, he left to go back downstairs. I took a bite of my egg salad sandwich and went back to work.

  Sally came in promptly at one and without even putting her purse down, came into my office. Was I never going to get any peace?

  “Apart from the fiasco yesterday, how was it?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye and a grin on her face.

  “I take it John got the code red alert, too,” I said.

  “Yep. The call came in about eight o’clock last night. Of course, he already knew about your problem but this was his notice that he could spread the word to his contacts. By our count, there’s now more than a thousand people in the Upper Midwest alone researching. Someone somewhere will know something. So, the rest of the story?”

  I told her what I’d told Cassandra the previous evening. In other words, that we enjoyed each other’s company but no decisions on how much further the relationship would go. Although I knew she wanted all the juicy details, she wasn’t getting them. No one was. I don’t write or tell erotica.

  “I’ve added a new item to the list of your responsibilities,” I told Sally. “There’s a note on your desk about making Ev’s travel arrangements. I’m sure it’s something you can handle. All we’ll have to do is train him to ask you instead of me.”

  “Oh, I always made John’s travel arrangements when I was his secretary. He’s got some peculiarities in his wants and after one bad experience with a travel agent, he never let me call one again. I can tell you I spent hours on the phone with airlines and hotels. Now with the Internet, it’s a lot faster. No problems. I’ll get right on it.”

  Now could I get some work done? Paying the office bills isn’t as easy as just cutting the check. You try reconciling the company credit card statements when you have twenty-five cards on one account, generating several hundred charges each month and then multiply that by four. It takes awhile.

  I finally finished reconciling the statements shortly after four. By two, the stress of the day before and a short night had caught up with me. The last couple of hours had seemed like an eternity as I stared at figures. I decided the actual bill payment could slide one more day. I was more than ready for my nap and said as much to Sally as I walked out the door.

  “Ev’s all set,” she said just before I closed the door. “He’s leaving here at one tomorrow afternoon and won’t be back until after work on Thursday, so you won’t have to deal with him for more than a couple of hours. That ought to give you some time to get caught up around here.”

  I thanked her and closed the door before she said any more. I didn’t want to think about work or anything but sharing my pillow with Fudge for a couple of hours.

  When I finally woke, it was pitch dark. I was still groggy and had trouble focusing my eyes. Once I did, I saw that the clock read shortly after eight. I probably would have stayed asleep but my stomach reminded me that it was past dinner time. Not to mention that I now had three days’ worth of personal email and social media to start catching up on.

  I had just finished putting together some tuna sandwiches and chips for me and Fudge when the phone rang.

  “It’s Bella checking in. Are you OK?” I could hear the concern in her voice.

  “A couple of friends managed to get us out last night. Apart from be
ing tired, I’m fine. So what’s happening?”

  “You caused quite a stir, young lady,” she said. “Adamo was the first person I called after I hung up with you and he’s agreed to be the collection point for any information. He says he’s hearing from wizards and witches he hasn’t heard from in nearly a century. Our demon has apparently been more than a little busy. Adamo now has a list of over one hundred people who’ve had contact with Happy at one time or another, and it’s all been interference in their love lives. There are several who think they may know where to search or who to ask so things are looking up.

  “In the meantime, I can hear the exhaustion in your voice. Go back to bed. Either Adamo or I will call you when we know something definitive.”

  I ate my dinner, took one look at the computer and pulled a Scarlett O’Hara. “Tomorrow is another day” and everything that was waiting for me would still be there in the morning. Fudge got his scoop of kibble early and we both headed back to bed.

  Sleep, however, just wasn’t in the cards. At least not immediately. I’d just laid my head down when the phone rang again. This time it was Tony. I’d forgotten he’d said he’d call.

  “Hi Doll. So, fill me in on last night and today.”

  I yawned. Long and loud. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it. While I’d love to talk to you for hours on end, I’m afraid I’m going to just fall asleep on you tonight. Can we talk tomorrow night?”

  “And I’m the one that drove through the night to Chicago,” he teased. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll call you about the same time tomorrow. Get some sleep. I love you.”

  I mumbled something back at him, hit the ‘end’ button and lay down once again. Fudge assumed his normal position at my back and the next thing I knew, the alarm was going off. It was indeed another day.

  Chapter 18

  The next few weeks were routine. Work went smoothly. I spoke with Tony three or four times a week. Flowers arrived on my desk every Monday. But we were both busy and there were no more weekend escapes.

  In the evenings, I did my writing. I approved the galleys for book number five, Things that Go Bite in the Night. It would hit the shelves sometime in March of the following year. I polished off the manuscript of number six, Hexy Lexy and sent that one off to the editor. I was under contract for four more but starting the next one could wait until after the holidays.

  Cassandra, Tommy and I shared a table at the pub for Thanksgiving dinner. (Tony was in Salem with his parents, doing the family thing.) Cork put on a wonderful buffet spread. It was great to have a tasty meal and then have someone else clean up the mess. Cassandra and Tommy were gearing up for the holiday party season and despite my efforts to get them to stop talking shop for a few hours, they dragged me into their planning. They solicited my opinion on various recipes they’d used in the deli.

  “You’re the best taste-tester we’ve got,” they both told me. “We like our own cooking but it’s always helpful to have an outside opinion when we decide to tweak something.”

  I’ll admit that it was a perk, being a taste-tester for them. I generally got free munchies all the time as they tested new appetizer recipes and dinner at least once a week when they were working on a main course. Mind you, nothing was really fancy but their stew or soup with homemade bread, or a new pasta salad was better than anything I could put together myself.

  Sitting around the pub, we’d just gotten to dessert: apple pie that was good but not nearly as scrumptious as Cassandra’s. I was about to take a drink of my coffee when Cassandra told me to put my cup down. I paused a moment, watched her give Tommy a sidelong glance, and then did as I was told.

  “We’ve got something to tell you,” she said, and elbowed Tommy.

  He looked a little embarrassed, cleared his throat and said, “I’ve asked ‘Dra to marry me and she’s said yes.”

  Now I know why I was supposed to put my cup down. I threw my hands up in the air and whooped. Most of the restaurant patrons turned their heads to look at me. I didn’t care. I got up from my chair, ran around the table and hugged them both together.

  “That is awesome! I’m so happy for both of you. Have you set a date or anything?” I looked over at the bar. “Hey, Cork. We need a bottle of champagne over here.” I went back to my chair and now that the major noise had subsided, the other diners went back to their meals.

  “No date yet. Not too long in the future, though,” Cassandra told me. “Tommy is officially moving into my place next weekend, although most of his stuff is already there and he rarely goes back to his apartment anymore. Then we need to tell the parents and we’ll probably do that at the Solstice when everyone is together. But I wanted you to be the first to know and also to ask you if you’d stand witness for me.”

  I almost started crying. I’d never been in anyone else’s wedding before. “But you’ve got so many friends you’ve known a lot longer than me and most of those are witches. Why would you want mundane little me as a witness when I don’t know a damned thing about weddings for witches and wizards?”

  “Because you’re my BFF, mundane or not, silly,” she said as she came over to my side of the table and hugged me. “Your part is just about the same as it would be in the mundane world. You know, helping me pick out my dress and all that. Don’t worry, you’ll do just fine.”

  About that time, Cork appeared at the table with a bottle of champagne and four glasses. “Whatever you’re celebrating, I’m in. So, what are we drinking to?” Tommy told him and after the bottle popped its top, Cork poured four glasses. He picked up one and lifting it, said in his gruff voice loud enough for the entire pub to hear, “To Tommy and Cassandra. They’ve decided to tie the knot!”

  The whole bar broke out in applause as we clinked glasses and drank them down. Cork looked sternly at the groom-to-be. “Tommy, I’ve known Cassandra since she was a little girl. I served her first beer when her grandfather brought her in at age thirteen. You’d best be taking very good care of her.”

  “Oh, I plan on it. If she’ll let me. You know how independent-minded she can be, though,” Tommy answered with a grin.

  “Oh, aye. That one can be a tad stubborn. But I know you’re a good lad and if anyone can handle her, you can. Congratulations, you two. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work.”

  Cork went back behind the bar and we turned back to the table.

  “So how do witches and wizards get married?” I asked.

  “First, we’ll go down to the courthouse and make it legal with a judge,” Cassandra told me. “Then a day or so later, we’ll have a handfasting somewhere; those are generally held outdoors. An elder presides, just like you’d have a priest or minister. The words are sort of similar, too, but no religion is involved and these words are magically binding. Once you say ‘I do’ in a magical wedding, you really do. You can’t cheat on your spouse without dire consequences. Then, just like a mundane wedding, we party.”

  “So, what do I do?” I asked.

  “Like I said, just about everything you’d do at a mundane wedding. You help me with all the preparations, sign all the legal papers at the courthouse, affirm your approval of us at the handfasting, and dance the first dance with Tommy’s witness – our version of a best man. It’s nothing more onerous than a mundane wedding and honestly, a lot more fun.”

  I turned to Tommy. “Do you know who’s going to be your best man, um, witness? Is it anyone I know?”

  “No, you haven’t met him yet. Hopefully, it’ll be my brother, Jamie. He lives in London and only gets back here once or twice a year. I’ll call him after we’ve told Dad. He can’t keep a secret and I don’t want him spilling the beans when he makes his weekly call home.”

  I spent the rest of the four day weekend on cloud nine for Cassandra. After all the hell I’d been through the last few months, it was nice to be happy for a change – even if it was for someone else. When Tony called Sunday night, I told him.

  “That’s wonderful news, Doll. They make a g
ood couple,” was all he said. I shouldn’t have been as disappointed in his reaction as I was. Guys just don’t get into weddings as much as girls do but nonetheless, I was hoping he’d share my excitement just a little.

  Before I knew it, the holiday party season was upon us. I didn’t see a lot of Cassandra and Tommy as they were buried in the deli, serving customers in between putting together all sorts of party platters. I had my fair share of parties to attend, as well. It was the one time of year that I couldn’t beg off any invitations. Everyone expected you at their holiday party and wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. I was used to it by this time and my dry cleaner was always happy between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

  The weekend before December 21st saw me at Cassandra’s house (oops, and Tommy’s), putting up all sorts of decorations. Tommy hung lights from the eaves while Cassandra and I decorated a Scots Pine nearly twice as tall as me. It brushed the ceiling of the living room because they’d bought a ball-and-burlap tree, intending on planting it in the back yard in the spring to commemorate their first Solstice together.

  All the decorations had been stored in a box in the attic and some were quite old. Cassandra picked up one little bauble that looked like a little elf sitting in a rocking chair. “This was handmade by my great-grandfather for my grandmother. Because she was so small, he called her his Little Elf and gave her this for her first Solstice gift. I haven’t had a tree up since she died.”

  “Then it belongs front and center on the tree,” I said. She sniffed a little and hung it at what would be my eye level. “Sorry. I can’t believe how many memories all these decorations are bringing back.”

  “Hey, it’s no problem. If your Solstice is anything like Christmas, at least the ones in my family, it’s all about family and sharing and caring and all that. It’s right that you put these decorations up and remember family and good times.”

  “It’s more than that, really, but yes, family is a big part of it. You’ll see on the night. It’s a pretty powerful ceremony. Mom does a really good job leading it.”