Holiday Magic

by Nikki Jefford

  “Lee, there isn’t anything that can make that right. All we can do is move on.”

  “I did move on,” Lee said. “You know how I did that? By cutting her out of my life.”

  Lee steadied her hand to keep from crushing the Styrofoam cup in her fingers. She took one last sip before tossing the rest of the beverage into the nearest trash bin. Suddenly the mulled wine tasted too sicky sweet.

  Aside from the fact that Charlene had killed her—accident or not—what made it especially unforgivable was her attitude about it when Lee was brought back from the dead. No trace of remorse. Not even a thimble.

  What the hell kind of holiday was this?

  First Gray expected Lee to make peace with Adrian, now Charlene? It would take a Christmas miracle for that to happen.

  ***

  “You can’t hide in this room all night,” Raj said.

  Lee hugged her arms around her narrow waist. She sat on top of the guest bed, her back against the wall.

  “I suppose I should count myself lucky she has to spend Christmas with her fake family tomorrow,” Lee said. “This just isn’t how I pictured our European holiday together. When I’m around her I’m filled with bitterness. I don’t want to feel that way, but I can’t control it.” Lee shook her head. “I can’t control anything anymore.”

  Raj frowned. “I’m sorry. I had no idea they would invite her over.” He straightened his shoulders. “Hey, why don’t we sneak out for dinner, just you and me? There’s got to be at least one restaurant open on Christmas Eve and if not… we shack up together in here.”

  “No,” Lee said, shaking her head. “You’re right. I’m not going to hide from my own twin.” She loosened her arms and swung her legs off the bed.

  Raj coughed into his hand. “About that. You two definitely look nothing alike anymore.”

  “All the better,” Lee said, lifting her chin. She had to admit, she was curious to see Charlene in her new boy body. While drifting around Paris in search of a body, she’d come across some poor shmuck in the hospital about to die. John Luc. His body lived on with Charlene Perez at the controls.

  Lee pulled the fuzzy sweater over her head and tossed it onto the bed. Raj suddenly became very quiet. She leaned over her suitcase in her bra, digging around until she found her pink party dress. If she had to hang out with Charlene, she was doing it in style. From the corner of her eye, she caught Raj staring transfixed. Taking clothes on and off by hand still had its advantages. Lee smiled to herself.

  Once changed, she turned and said, “Let’s get this party started.”

  ***

  Facing Charlene wasn’t what Lee had expected. Not only did she look like a man and speak like a man, but she did so with a French accent. Raj lingered several feet away. Lee had told him she wanted to face her man-sister for the first time on her own.

  “Graylee the second,” Charlene called out when Lee walked into the living room. “Live in the flesh.”

  “Hello, Charlene,” Lee said evenly. She joined her twin reluctantly in front of the Christmas tree.

  “It’s John Luc now,” Charlene said running a hand down her perfectly sculpted torso. “Pseudonym—you’re familiar with those, aren’t you Stacey?” Charlene looked Lee up and down. “I see you’ve developed some better fashion sense to go along with the new bod. Men appreciate that sort of thing.”

  “You would know,” Lee said.

  Raj stepped over and whispered quickly beside her ear. “I need to speak with Adrian real quick. I’ll just be in the other room.” He reached down and squeezed her hand before heading toward the small group in the kitchen.

  Before Lee could wonder what he was up to, Charlene cut in.

  “Raj McKenna obviously likes what he sees. You’re still together?”

  “One year and eight months,” Lee said, lifting her head.

  Charlene made a sound of disgust deep in the back of her throat. “Hot new bod and that’s the best you can do? You should live it up. You could score. Big time.”

  Lee’s lips curled back in outrage.

  Don’t let her get under your skin, she reminded herself quickly. The best way to handle her twin was to react with composure.

  Lee played with a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I already scored the best prize of all.” Lee dropped her hand and placed it on her hip. “Besides, getting a guy is easy. It’s the keeping him part that’s the real challenge. But you already know all about that, don’t you, Charlene?”

  Charlene’s glower looked especially menacing on the face of John Luc. Her eyebrows slanted into dark streaks over her eyes. Her jaw tightened.

  Maybe Lee was stooping to Charlene’s level—if such a thing were possible—by getting in a jab. But it was her and Blake’s breakup that had set off the whole unfortunate chain of events.

  Charlene’s fingers, which had balled into a fist, slowly uncurled. Her shoulders relaxed and a smug smile replaced the scowl.

  Charlene might look like a man, but Lee knew her twin and she could tell whenever Charlene had decided to match Lee’s cool with her own.

  “Well, that is unfortunate because I could have hooked you up with the hottest hotties in all of Paris. Rich, too. You could’ve been drinking champagne and eating caviar every night.”

  Lee scrunched up her nose. “I hate caviar.”

  “But, nooooo. You and your double are practically married—committed to boys from back home. No sense of adventure.” It was Charlene’s turn to wrinkle her nose. “You two really are just alike.”

  “Unlike Gray and me, we never shared the same tastes. Nothing new there.”

  Charlene lowered her chin. “I guess things don’t change, no matter how much time passes.”

  “Lots has changed,” Lee reminded her twin.

  Charlene lifted a muscular arm and touched her man chest. “Well, that’s true. I’m loaded now, in case you hadn’t heard.”

  Good for you, Lee thought with annoyance. Fat lot of good karma did to scoundrels like Adrian and Charlene.

  Charlene looked her over with a grimace. “Fate’s been kind to us all. Though I do hate seeing you this way.”

  “You mean you hate facing the girl you killed?”

  “Did not. You’re the one who shoved Stacey out of her body.”

  “After you shoved me out of yours.”

  “Yeah, my body,” Charlene said looking over her shoulder into the kitchen where Gray stood talking with a dark-haired woman wearing a short, black cocktail dress. “Which, as you can see, you shoved me back out of.” Charlene turned back to Lee. “Look, we’ve all done the switch-a-roo. I already had this conversation with your double. The important thing is we made it out alive. I think we all just need to move on.”

  Lee was about to answer when the woman from the kitchen came over and handed Charlene a drink. She sidled up next to her. As far as height and weight went, this woman had even Lee beat. The chick could wear a bracelet as a belt.

  Charlene slung an arm around the woman. “This is Veronique.”

  “Salut,” the woman said before stepping forward, lips puckering in the direction of Lee’s cheek.

  Lee inched back as the woman air kissed her.

  “Don’t mind Lee,” Charlene said. “This is her first time in France.”

  “Ah, oui?” Veronique perked up. “Beinvenue.”

  “It means welcome,” Gray said, joining the party.

  “Thanks,” Lee said. “How long have you and John Luc been together?”

  She wasn’t even sure the woman understood or spoke English. She had her answer soon enough.

  “Three weeks this Sunday,” Veronique answered, turning to beam at Charlene.

  Watching a woman fawn over Lee’s formerly boy crazy sister was beyond wacky. She glanced at Gray who whispered, “You get used to it.”

  “I was at a fête with friends when I first saw John Luc,” Veronique said.

  She continued with the story, which Lee stopped listening to. She had no d
esire to hear about Charlene living it up as John Luc. Raj had promised not to leave her alone with Charlene for long, but he and Adrian were still hidden away somewhere. What were those two up to?

  As though hearing her silent call, Raj emerged a few seconds later and joined their group. Adrian was right behind him. He snuck up behind Gray, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. Gray squealed.

  Raj rubbed his thumb across the back of Lee’s hand. She wanted to enjoy it, but this wasn’t exactly the feel good crowd. Charlene had turned to Veronique and started French kissing her as though trying to one up Adrian.

  “You okay, Lee?” Raj asked, frowning slightly.

  “Yeah, really enjoying the yuletide cheer,” she answered.

  Charlene broke away from Veronique. “Where’s the music?” she asked. “Feliz Navidad and all that holiday jazz?”

  “Oh,” Gray said, lifting her head off Adrian’s chest. “Well, the Grinch here hates Christmas music, but I suppose he can suffer for one night.”

  “Thanks a lot,” Adrian said as Gray broke away from him.

  “Where are you going?” Charlene asked.

  Gray paused on her way toward the kitchen. “To cue up one of the online Christmas radio stations on my lap top.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Charlene said. “I’ll have it playing in a sec.” She snapped her fingers and Jingle Bell Rock blared throughout the apartment.

  Veronique clapped her hands. “What else can you do, John Luc?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know,” Charlene answered huskily.

  “Um,” Gray said with a frown. “So Veronique knows what you are?”

  “John Luc is a powerful wizard,” Veronique said. “He confided in me this morning. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

  Lee noticed she wasn’t the only one staring at her with an open mouth. Raj and Adrian glared at Charlene.

  Veronique glanced around and when no one offered comment, shrugged and announced she was using the toilet.

  Once she walked away, Gray smacked Charlene on the shoulder. “You can’t go around telling all your girlfriends about us.”

  “Gray’s right,” Adrian said. “What happens when the two of you break up or she catches you with another woman? Why would she feel any need to keep your secret?”

  Charlene rolled her eyes. “Relax, already. This isn’t the first time I’ve told her. I’ll perform a memory wipe on her later. Works like a charm every time.”

  “You can’t do that!” Lee cried. A burning anger seared through her veins. “You can’t mess with peoples’ minds that way.”

  “Of course I can,” Charlene said. “I’m a witch.”

  “You don’t deserve to be,” Lee said.

  Charlene looked Lee up and down her man-lips pursed. “You’re just jealous because now you’re normal. I feel sorry for you, Lee, but don’t take your frustration out on me.”

  Lee had personal experience with memory loss. Adrian had wiped a small chunk of Lee’s mind back in Washington. She still had no idea what had happened during that time. It was the worst kind of violation.

  Now Charlene was doing the same thing.

  Lee’s rage felt like it would scorch her from the inside out. Coming to Paris had been a huge mistake.

  She turned on her heel and stormed away from the group, past the kitchen, down the hall and out the front door in a flurry of pink chiffon.

  She’d rather spend the holiday alone on the street than in such wicked company.

  ***

  Lee stormed down the dark sidewalk. She was still too angry to feel the cold, but she would soon. In the heat of the moment, she’d left behind her jacket. It wasn’t as though she could snap into it from the street as Charlene had so graciously reminded everyone.

  Lee’s breath puffed out in vaporous clouds. Goosebumps jumped across her arms and legs.

  What exactly was her plan? To run around Paris in a pink dress all night?

  Storming out felt good in the moment, but there was nowhere to go. Lee paced the sidewalk. She’d give herself a few minutes to calm down then resign herself to going back up to the party.

  “Lee!”

  Raj’s voice broke through the cold night. It had never filled her with such relief—such warmth and love—as it did now. He’d come after her. She wasn’t alone.

  When Lee turned she saw that he held her jacket in her hands. He jogged up to her with it.

  Who needed magic when she had a guy like this?

  Raj held the coat up as Lee slipped her arms inside. Once zipped up, she took a deep breath.

  “Sorry, I lost it back there.”

  “I don’t blame you,” Raj said. “Your sister was rotten when she was a woman and she’s no better as a man. No offense.”

  Lee smiled and shook her head. Raj had never cared for Charlene. It was a nice reminder knowing he was and always would be on Lee’s side.

  Tears swarmed Lee’s eyes. She blinked rapidly. “Some holiday, huh?”

  Raj crossed his arms over his chest. He’d been trying to get close to her all day, but Lee kept pushing him away. Here he was spending his holiday with her and her messed up family rather than his mom and little sister and Lee couldn’t even remember the last time she’d hugged him. It made her want to cry.

  “What’s going on, Lee?” Raj asked. “This isn’t really about Adrian and Charlene, is it?”

  Lee choked back a sob. “They abuse magic, yet I’m the one who lost her powers.”

  “You’re right,” Raj said. “It’s not fair, but the fact that you did that for Gray makes me love you even more.”

  Lee sniffed. “It does?”

  “Any witch can perform magic, but making the kind of sacrifice that you did takes true strength of character. You’re one in a million Lee, and I couldn’t love anyone else.”

  Lee dabbed at her eyes. “Okay, don’t go all sappy on me, McKenna.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Raj threaded his fingers through hers.

  “Do we have to go back?”

  Raj thought a moment. “Nah.”

  “As much as it sucks spending Christmas at Adrian’s I think a hotel would be even more depressing,” Lee said.

  “Who said anything about a hotel,” Raj said.

  Lee raised a brow. “What did you have in mind?”

  Raj grinned mischievously. “How many spots in Paris do you think we can kiss in front of before the night is out? Mistletoe or not, I want to kiss you beneath the Eiffel Tower.”

  Lee smiled slowly. “Kiss-mass in Paris. Very well, McKenna, you’ve got yourself a date.”

  “I’ll send Gray a quick text telling her not to wait up.” Raj winked.

  “Good idea,” Lee said. She was mad, but she didn’t want them to worry, least of all Gray, especially not on Christmas.

  Raj let go of her hand to dig out his phone. As promised, he was quick to type out a message before turning it off and shoving it inside his pocket.

  “Now where were we?” he asked. “Oh, right, off to make out beneath the Eiffel Tower. That’s what they built it for, you know?”

  Lee chuckled. “Did not.”

  “Didn’t they?”

  “Well, whatever the reason, you better French me when we get there because I’m going to need more than this coat to keep me warm.”

  Raj smirked. “You’re asking for it now, Lee.”

  “There’s only one thing missing.”

  Raj inclined his head.

  “It doesn’t feel like Christmas without snow.”

  “I can fix that,” Raj said.

  “So fix it.”

  He smiled slowly. “Your wish is my command.”

  Raj snapped his fingers. Lee looked up. A flurry of soft white snowflakes descended over Paris. She grinned up at the sky as they landed on her eyelashes.

  Lee may have given up her powers, but she didn’t have to live a life without magic. Not when she was with one of the sweetest warlocks to walk the eart
h.

  Peace, love and joy.

  Raj McKenna made every day of her life magical.

  ***

  By the time they made it back to the apartment, Lee was half frozen, but it was worth it.

  She’d seen the Eiffel Tower from afar, but standing below it as multicolored lights shimmered up the steel tower had been magical in a purely whimsical sense.

  They made out in front of Notre Dame—where Lee finally did get to see gargoyles—and they kissed pressed against the stone railing along the Seine too many times to count.

  By the end of the night, she realized if Gray could move on with her life, Lee could, too. Besides, Paris wasn’t such a bad place to settle down. Raj had shown her that.

  They returned to the apartment with a few hours left to sleep before daybreak.

  Lee woke before Raj and was careful to get out of bed without disturbing him. She clutched the gifts she’d brought from the States to her chest, and snuck out of the guest room, closing the door gently behind her.

  As she padded toward the tree, a male voice startled her from the kitchen.

  “Merry Christmas,” Adrian said.

  Lee nearly dropped the presents. She turned slowly until she faced him. Adrian stood beside the counter in a black robe. It was open, revealing a solid, sculpted six-pack. Lee’s gaze traveled down his stomach and rested on the band of his red boxers.

  Lee swallowed. “Merry Christmas,” she said. “What are you doing up so early?”

  He nodded his head. “Baking cinnamon rolls.”

  A tray of sugared dough balls on the counter caught Lee’s eye. She pressed her lips together to prevent herself from gushing about how much she loved anything baked with sugar. Adrian already knew that.

  Adrian folded his arms over his chest. “I’m glad you’re up first.”

  “Why’s that?” Lee asked, at a loss for what he thought he could possibly say to her.

  Adrian tightened the belt around his robe. “I know you don’t like me, and I know you think I don’t deserve Gray, but I love her and I will continue to love her and treat her right for the remainder of my life.”

  Lee considered his words. They sounded all fine and well, but she still couldn’t bring herself to trust him. “I want to give you the benefit of the doubt, I really do, but I can’t. Not when you performed a memory wipe on me. I tried to regain those memories with the help of friends, but we couldn’t. What did you to do me that was so horrible you had to erase it from my mind?” Lee’s fingers balled into fists.