Love Potion Number 10

by Conner, Jennifer

  He watched her for a long moment before he finally agreed. “Five minutes,” Royce said gruffly. “Let’s go into the copy room. It’s private in there.”

  They waked into the small room lined with metal shelving and storage boxes, and he shut the door behind them.

  “What were you talking about when you said that I had a ‘great time’ with Felix last night?” Everett asked and leaned back on the copier.

  “He stopped by with the cookies and told me all about the ‘white hot night’ he’d had.”

  “A white hot…what?” She put her hand up palm out. “Wait a damn minute. He may have had a ‘white hot night’ but it wasn’t with me.”

  A puzzled look knit Royce’s brows.

  She continued, “I wasn’t with Felix in any way, shape, or form last night. I was with Lynne. Lynne should have stayed home yesterday, but had too much work to do. After we were off, I insisted that I take her to the doctor to get a flu vaccine and then went home where I spent the rest of the evening cleaning her bathroom. I cleaned it so she could puke into a clean toilet. Romantic ‘white hot nightʼ for me. I can’t believe Felix said that he and I had sex.”

  Royce played back the conversation and then groaned. “He’d come in the day before and said that he’d asked you out.”

  “Did you tell him about us?”

  “No. Of course not. I told him to stay away from you and that was when he put the pieces together for himself. He thanked me and said that I’d ‘warmed you up’ for him.”

  Everett felt her eyes narrow. “He said that? What a jerk!”

  “Yes…When he said you’d baked him another bunch of cookies, I figured that you still wanted him and took him up on his offer.”

  “I went back to Madame Anaosov to get a second potion. A potion that would counteract the first potion. I don’t know if I believe in it or not. But I know I don’t want Felix.” She covered her eyes and felt like crying. “What have I done? What a mess.”

  “There wasn’t a love potion in the second batch of cookies?”

  “No, it was an anti-love potion. After I spent the night with you, I didn’t want it to be the last. When Felix came in and was all over me, I thought the potion had really worked. But, I didn’t want anything to do with him, I wanted you. Now, you’re telling me, Felix gave you all of cookies?”

  “He gave me both batches, but I didn’t eat them.”

  “Which ones. The first batch or the second batch?” Her gaze narrowed as she tried to piece together the puzzle.

  “Neither. The first tin I gave to Chase. The second—” Royce picked up the black garbage can next to the printer and showed her the contents. Her cookies lay in the bottom of the plastic bag, “Are in here.”

  “You didn’t eat either batch?”

  He smiled, took a step closer and laid his hand on her cheek. “No. But, I have to clarify something so there won’t be a misunderstanding again. It’s not because of your baking or because I didn’t want to eat them. It’s because I have a terrible allergy to walnuts. Both batches of cookies were chocolate chip with walnuts. If I’d eaten even one of them, I would have gone into anaphylactic shock and would have had to epi-pen myself.”

  “Is that true?”

  “I could see the nuts in the cookies, so I didn’t even take a bite. I’ve always told you the truth. It was all the rest that was a misunderstanding.” He pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to her ear. “I told you, I don’t need a love potion to fall for you.”

  The air in the small room shifted. He took her mouth in a kiss so hot it made her toes curl in her pumps. He let his mouth linger on hers until she felt dazed and out of breath.

  “I’m sorry…I’m sorry for everything,” she said.

  “Hush… no more misunderstandings. If we have something we want to say, let’s just say it. The truth is always the best way to start a relationship.”

  She looked up into his handsome face as he kissed the tip of her nose. “Is this what we’re in? A relationship?”

  “If I have a say, yes. I’m not a one-night stand kind of a guy. I think that we could have something great here. So I’d say it’s the start of a relationship. I’m good with that. What do you say?”

  This time, she was the one who wound her hands behind his neck and pulled him to her. She kissed him with all the emotions that fueled her veins since the first night they’d been together. He let out a small sigh.

  “I wish we weren’t in the copy room. Because, damn…Are you off at five? Can I come over?”

  “I think that’s a great plan.”

  He looked down at his watch. “Damn,” he said again. “I really do need to go. I’m late for the meet and greet upstairs.”

  She frowned. “You’re still leaving your job?”

  “I’m not leaving the company, I’m only changing positions. I had an interview and I took the job upstairs because the company policy reads that there is no dating between coworkers in the same department. It doesn’t say anything about the same company. I checked.” He grinned. “Maybe Felix should read the policy handbook sometime.”

  “So, you were already planning that we would get together?”

  “Wishful thinking, I guess. It was also a promotion, and now I’ll have an office with a door that locks. I’ll be the same pay grade in the company as Felix. And, I also won’t have to put up with his BS every day.” His expression turned heartfelt. “You really are beautiful.” From him, the words sounded sincere. “If I come over tonight, are you sure that it’s okay? I’ll bring takeout…or we can go somewhere for dinner.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Everett kissed him sweetly. “You can come over tonight, tomorrow, next week and next month. It’s all good with me.”

  Chapter Eight

  Everett linked her arm through Royce’s as they strolled down the street.

  “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” he asked.

  “Nope. It’s a surprise.”

  She opened the door to the small business and stepped inside. “Thanks for seeing us tonight.”

  The old woman motioned for them to sit. “Now…” She paused. “This is the man you want?”

  Everett laughed. “Yes. I think this was the right one all along. Royce, this is Madame Anaosov. She’s the one who made the love potion. She made me promise that I would bring you by so she could meet you.”

  “Everett tells me that you didn’t eat either batch of cookies with my potion in them.”The old woman shrugged. “Too bad. It’s one of my best concoctions.”

  “I didn’t eat the cookies, but I gave the first batch to a coworker and now they’re a couple.”

  “I knew it would work.” She slapped her hands on the table. She wiggled her gray wiry eyebrows at Everett. “I can see why you like this one, he is very cute.”

  She nodded. “He is. He’s perfect.”

  “Let me see your hand.” Before Royce could protest, she snatched his hand and ran a finger along the palm. “You have a strong love line too. Fine, you can go now. I just needed to make sure that you would be a good match.”

  “How much do I owe you?” Everett asked.

  “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but, no charge. I love being right! When I said that you would find love by Valentine’s Day, I was right.” She stuck a bony finger into the air to emphasize her words.

  Back at her apartment, Everett opened the door. Before she’d barely had time to turn on the light, Royce spun her around and kissed her deeply. He pulled a box out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

  When Everett popped it open, there was a small gold heart inside. He took it out and hooked it around her neck. He followed the chain down and over the heart with his fingers.

  “I know we’ve only known each other
for a few weeks, but I think I’ve fallen in love with you.” He took her hand, pulled her against his chest, and kissed her again.

  She was so happy and excited by his words, she thought she’d burst.

  “I love you too, Royce.” She took his hand until he sat on the couch. “Here’s a box for you.”

  He opened it, peered inside and then smiled broadly. “Cookies.”

  “They’re snickerdoodles. No walnuts and no love potion.”

  Royce took out one of the cookies and bit into it. “I told you I love cookies as long as there are no nuts.”

  “The rest of your gift…I’m wearing.” She undid the buttons down the front of her dress until she was exposed.” Everett grinned. “It’s Valentine lingerie with little pink musical notes on it. I thought we needed to try a few new songs… on each other.”

  He dropped the box on the coffee table and grabbed her, pinning her beneath him on the couch. “Best Valentine gift ever,” he whispered, as he kissed a heated path down her neck, over her breast and then across her flat stomach. Royce’s kiss was so sweet and intoxicating, she knew that she could stay in his arms forever.

  “I never believed Madame Anaosov that I would find someone to love by Valentine’s Day. But, sometimes, you just need to believe.” She pulled Royce down for another kiss.

  About the Author Jennifer Conner

  Jennifer Conner is a best-selling Northwest author who has fifty short stories,books, and audiobooks.She writes in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, and Erotica.

  She has hit Amazon’s top fifty authors ranking and her books have been #1 in sales.

  Her novel Shot in the Dark was a finalist in the Emerald City Opener, Cleveland, and Toronto RWA contests.

  Jennifer is an Associate Publisher for the indie e-book publisher, Books to Go Now who resides in the Seattle area. They pride themselves in helping new authors get their foot in the door with well-edited manuscripts, professional covers, and platforms uploads.

  She live in a hundred year old house that she grew up in. Her semi-small town holds an interesting mix of resident hillbillies, yuppies and Navy Seals. And of course Seattle, only a few miles away, is the birthplace of Starbucks so coffee is always on the check list. She blows glass beads with a blow torch, (which relieves a lot of stress and people don’t bother you) and is a huge fan of musicals.

  After reading this story please leave a review. The authors really appreciate your input. Thanks!

  Books to Go Now at www.bookstogonow.com prides ourselves with representing great stories at low prices.

  We want to take you into the digital age offering a market that will allow you to grow along with us in our journey through the new frontier of digital publishing.

  Some of our favorite award-winning authors have now joined us. We welcome readers and writers into our community.

  We want to make sure that as a reader you are supplied with never-ending great stories. As a company, Books to Go Now, wants its readers and writers supplied with positive experience and encouragement so they will return again and again.

  We want to hear from you. Our readers and writers are the cornerstone of our company. If there is something you would like to say or a genre that you would like to see, please email us at

  bookstogonow @ gmail.com