by Tonya Kappes
“Are you sure you are going to be fine, because if you aren’t.” My hand gripped the handle of my little case. “Oscar will be right across the street.”
“I’m fine.” Faith assured me with a sweet smile. “And I’m going to be fine.”
“Right across the street,” I gestured over my shoulder at the Whispering Falls police department.
Oscar shared the sheriff’s position with Colton Lance. Both wizards. On the days he didn’t work in Whispering Falls, he was a deputy with the Locust Grove Police Department.
“Right across the street,” Oscar said with laughter, mocking me.
“Oh, hush.” I smacked him playfully before kissing his cheek. “I’ve never let someone actually work, work for me as in all day a few days a week.”
“But I’m always your fill-in, so this is no different. Go.” She rushed me out the door and onto the small porch of the shop. “Go put your magic all over the world. Make us proud.”
“The world,” I sighed knowing this was a big step for our little village. I was actually going to go out into the mortal world and deliberately perform magic in lotions for people to actually feel less stressed. This was a big step. No wonder my stomach hurt.
“Are you okay?” Oscar asked and put his arm around me. That wonderful smell of his circled around my nose and lifted my spirits.
“I’m great.” I smiled to myself as I spoke. Excitement started to stir in my heart. “I’m really great.”
“You are going to be great.” The warmth of his smile echoed in his voice. He pulled me to him and embraced me. “I’m so proud of you. So let’s set a wedding date so I can call you Mrs. Oscar Park.”
“No pressure.” I looked up at him and stared into his big blue eyes. His lips slowly descended onto mine.
My first day of work at Head To Toe Works headquarters was going to be fine. Just fine.
Chapter Three
“Here we go.” I opened the door to the Green Machine, the loving name I had given my ’88 green Chevrolet El Camino. My cloak I had put on before I left the shop swung around me like a warm blanket.
Like always, Mr. Prince Charming jumped in and quickly found his spot on the dashboard on the passenger side. He curled up, letting the warmth of the early morning sunshine streaming down into the window warm his fur.
I looked to the left of the shop at Chandra watering her drowsy daisies and moonflowers in the window flower boxes of A Cleansing Spirit Spa. Then I looked into down at Glorybee where Petunia had Orin tucked in a pouch across her body as she feed Clyde, her pet macaw who sat perched up in the window on a display.
I looked right of the store. Arabella Paxton, owner of Magical Moments and the daughter of Gerald’s first marriage, was touching each of the flower arrangements outside of her shop. She was a flower spiritualist. She was able to tell a lot about a person or even their future when her customer would pick a flower. She was truly magical and lovely. Plus the best dressed shop owner in Whispering Falls. She always wore the latest fashions. Her long hair flowed down the back of her black tee that she paired with a pink crinoline knee length skirt. Adorable.
Arabella was also the granddaughter of one of the Marys. Mary Lynn to be exact.
The Marys are the Order of Elders in the witch community. Past Presidents of villages around the world. They rarely show up but when they did, you knew something bad was going on or something needed to be put in order. That was why our Village Council had called them in to take a look at the contract between me and Head To Toe Works.
“It’s your big day!” Arabella touched a funny looking plant I had never seen before. A mushroom sprouted at her touch.
“What is that?” My curiosity got the best of me.
“Shroomroot! Great for lots of things.” She waved her fingers. “Have a great day!” She stepped inside her shop.
“Are you leaving?” Isadora Solstice yelled from across the street. She stood on the front porch of Mystic Lights. She was the spitting image of Meryl Streep. She never wore anything other than a crisp shirt with an a-line skirt with her black pointy laced-up boots. Today she was dressed head-to-toe in black.
“I am.” I waved.
“You have Madame Torres with you?” She asked in her mothering way about my snarky crystal ball whom I fought with more than used as a familiar.
“I sure do.” I patted my messenger bag before taking it off over my head and dropping on the seat of the Green Machine.
“I’ll talk to you when you get back.” She turned and headed into her shop that was a cover for her gift of reading crystal balls and seeing into the future.
In fact, Isadora, Izzy for short, was responsible for bringing Oscar and me to Whispering Falls. Both of Oscar’s parents were part of the witch world and, long story short, Oscar grew up across the street from me in Locust Grove and Izzy knew exactly where to find us. She was the lucky one who informed us of our witch heritage causing me to pass out a few times over the course of the first week. Now I was old hat at it and embraced every single moment of my life.
By working with Tiffany Rossen at Head To Toe Works, I was going to be able to help the entire world with a stress free life by bringing a product using my purpose in life. At least I hoped I was going to.
I took one quick glance around Whispering Falls and put one foot in the car.
“Wait! Stop!” The exhausted voice of Eloise Sandlewood, Oscar’s aunt, came from the distance near Glorybee. Her short red hair was a dot in the distance. Her arms flailed above her head. Smoke flowing behind her.
As she ran closer, I could hear the swish of her teal summer cloak shift as she hurried. Incense in her hand created more and more smoke.
I got back out of the car and she stood in front of me running the wand of smoke up and down my body.
“Be the light, light worker, a light within, inspiration, awakening, soul, white witch, witch, magick, heal the world, help others, oneness, book of shadows, meditation, love, peace, safety is your grace,” she chanted a few times.
I closed my eyes and let the spell she was casting fill my nose and soak into my soul. Eloise was an incense spiritualist and I felt the closest to her since she was Darla’s best friend and knew me before I knew me.
Every morning, before dawn, Eloise walks down the street with her incense cleansing Whispering Falls before the day even begins.
“I’m so glad I caught you before you left.” Her soft voice made me open my eyes. She had the loveliest pale face with the most mesmerizing emerald green eyes.
“Thank you.” My heart leapt. I was one lucky little witch who had a lot of people who loved her. “I’m so glad I saw you too.”
Over her shoulder, Oscar stood in the window of the police station. He blew me a kiss.
“I don’t have to turn around to know who you are staring at.” She reached in her cloak and pulled out a smudge stick. “You must smudge the headquarters before you start work.” Her brows drew together in an agonizing expression. “Do you understand, June?”
“Yes.” I gratefully took the smudge. “I packed everything but a smudge stick.”
Which was kind of strange since I was the one who performed all the smudge ceremonies in Whispering Falls.
“Now you have everything.” She patted me. “My little protection cleanse will help you get through today and keep your feet planted,” she said in an odd yet gentle tone that meant business.
I pulled her into my arms and gave her a warm embrace.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“And start thinking about this wedding to my nephew.” She pulled away and held me at arms length. “I love you like a daughter, June Heal.” She took a step back. “Why don’t you come by for dinner tonight after work?”
“I think that sounds great.” I knew I would have a lot to tell her and Oscar so killing two birds with one stone was perfect.
Eloise left as fast as she came. With her words of encouragement and her cleansing spell deep within me, I got into the
Green Machine and started her up, not bothering Mr. Prince Charming a bit as he happily purred.
“I never thought we’d be back in Locust Grove making cures,” I said to Mr. Prince Charming when we passed the old wooden sign heading out of Whispering Falls. It read Come back to Whispering Falls, A Charming Village, soon!
“We will be back tonight.” I smiled, never happier to be part of both worlds that I adored so much.
Chapter Four
Head To Toe Works headquarters was a big spread-out campus on the far west side of Whispering Falls. Not just anyone could drive up the compound drive and get in; there was a large security stand in the middle. One side was for the coming and the other side was for the going.
“Good morning.” The man in the security guard uniform stepped out in front of the Green Machine with his arms extended out in front of him, palms out facing me. “Please put your car in park.”
I did what he asked. His head looked side-to-side and down my vehicle. He waved to another man who was inside the block building situated in the middle of the road. The man emerged from the building with a long stick and big round mirror on the end. He stuck the mirror under my car and walked around the entire perimeter.
The other man motioned for me to get out of the car.
“You stay and be good,” I said to Mr. Prince Charming who was now sitting ram-rod straight on the dash with his eyes following the man with the mirror. “It’s a formality,” I said as if I knew what was going on or even if Mr. Prince Charming truly understood me, but it didn’t stop me from talking to him.
My eyes slid from him to the glow in my bag. Madame Torres was trying to tell me something. It was going to have to wait.
“Hi!” I bounced out of the El Camino. I stuck my hand out. “I’m June Heal and it’s my first day.”
His dark, hawkish face seemed never to have known a smile.
I smiled bigger. Any bigger and my cheeks would have popped right off my face.
He took his thick finger and scrolled down his clipboard.
Awkwardly, I cleared my throat. He was taking longer than he needed to. I popped up on my toes and glanced over the top of his clipboard. He drew it to him and looked at me. His eyes squinted in suspicion.
“Nothing under the car, boss.” The man with the mirror went back into the building.
“Nope. Just me.” I bounced on the balls of my feet with my hands clasped in front.
Mewwl.
“And him,” I whispered and looked down at my fingers. I didn’t want to look at Mr. Prince Charming. I could feel he was doing something he shouldn’t be.
“Sorry. You aren’t on here. Leave.” There was no detection of thawing in his voice.
“But Tiffany and Burt are. . .” About that time a tall figure came toward me from the other side of the gate.
“June!” Tiffany called from the shadows of the tree line. She stepped out into the sun. She had on a pink jogging suit and a matching pink headband. There were ankle weights velcroed around each ankle, a small dumbbell in each hand. She pumped her arms up and down over her head with each step. The sunlight made her hair have glimpses of gold, adding a shimmer around her.
My intuition told me the stress potion I had made her was working and her appearance was showing that it was.
“Ronald! Ronald!” Tiffany waved the dumbbell in the air. “Let her in!”
“Ma’am, she’s not on the list,” Ronald held the clipboard in the air. “And Mr. Rossen said—”
“I don’t care what Mr. Rossen said. I’m the boss here.” She jutted the weight toward us as her pace picked up, inching closer and closer. “I said! You hear me! I said!”
“What is your name?” Roland’s voice changed in tone to somewhat more of a pleasant nature of having to be nice.
“June Heal as in H-E-A-L, not heel like the foot.” Every time someone asked for my name, it never failed; they would spell it as in the foot heel. This way it was up front and no miscommunication.
His brows pulled into an affronted frown.
“Shoowee,” Tiffany stopped and handed Ronald the weights. He juggled them with the clipboard until he had everything in a football grasp. “Did you see those trees? Do you see how the sun is not coming through and the making all sorts of shadows?” She didn’t wait for Ronald to respond. “I thought I told you that you had to cut those back. No shadows. Full sun.”
“But Mr. Rossen,” Ronald stammered.
“Mr. Rossen again?” She planted her hands on her thin hips. Raising fine, arched eyebrows, she protested, “This is my company and you take orders from me. I’m so sick and tired of him thinking he is in charge of my company. He thinks he is going to get this company, but it will only be over my dead body. You got that, Ronald?”
She didn’t bother getting an answer from Ronald before she turned to me. She tucked her arm into mine, elbow-to-elbow, and leaned over. She whispered, “I’m so happy to have you here. We’ve had a bit of an issue since we talked, but you don’t need to worry with that.”
She jerked me toward the car and was talking a mile a minute without me getting a word in. Before I knew it, we were at the passenger side of the Green Machine. Her nose snarled when she noticed Mr. Prince Charming was sitting on the hood of the car with his tail dangling down over the passenger door window.
“June.” She pulled me closer as if she knew Mr. Prince Charming could hear her. “Um. . .” she glanced over my shoulder, and then back at me. “We don’t allow animals in the factory.” She snugged me closer. “I mean imagine the bad publicity we would get if someone was rubbing on your fabulous stress lotion and a cat hair was in it.”
I wasn’t sure how she did it, but she snorted, eye rolled, and curled her nose at the same time.
“Oh,” I pulled my arm from out of hers and stepped back. “I had no idea that was the case so I guess my time here is done.”
Growl. Mr. Prince Charming stood on all fours and arched his back. His mouth slightly open and showing his premolars.
“Mr. Prince Charming!” I scolded him and he settled down. “Thank you so much for the opportunity. Only I do not go anywhere where my fair. . .Mr. Prince Charming is not welcome.”
“Could you imagine the returns we’d get though?” She tried to get me to see her side; which was never going to work.
“Did you find any cat hair in your stress cream I made for you?” I asked and picked up Mr. Prince Charming off the hood, cradling him in my arms and scratching him behind his ears. “He was right there as I was making it.”
“Well, no, but. . .” She bit the edges of her lip as though she were trying to come up with a good solution. “Oh, damn.” She flung her hand at me but looked at Mr. Prince Charming. “Fine. But if I get one complaint.”
“You won’t,” I assured her.
“Fine.” She opened the passenger door and got in and rolled down the window. “Well?” She rested her elbow in the windowsill. “Are you going to come to work or not?”
“I guess I am.” I rushed around the front of the Green Machine with Mr. Prince Charming in my arms and gave a quick smile to Ronald before I got in the driver’s side and shut the door. I put the car in drive and with both hands on the wheel I pushed on the gas, driving through the now open security gate.
Chapter Five
“Everything is laid out exactly how the contract states.” Tiffany tapped her brow with a hot pink handkerchief she pulled out of the jacket of her sweat suit. She wiped, talked and walked without missing a beat.
She opened the door to the company and gestured me to go ahead of her. I stepped into a world of pink and black patent leather. It took everything I had not to turn around and run. Not because my intuition told me, but this was not the type of girl I was. Not a girly girl surrounded by pink.
Rowl. Mr. Prince Charming stood between the getaway door and me as if he knew I was seriously considering running back to Whispering Falls with my tail tucked.
“What’s wrong with him?” Tiffany
’s nose curled. It wasn’t a happy curl. “I can’t have him acting like that and scaring the employees.”
Before I could protest, a squeal came from behind the sleek black leather counter with brass studs haphazardly placed all over the front of it.
“A cat!” The dark-skinned woman rushed over and grabbed Mr. Prince Charming before he could run for cover. “Little bitty itty baby.” She smothered him in kisses.
She stood about my height, five foot eight, and wore her hair in a loose afro. She had on a black shirt, black slacks, and black non-slip soled shoes. The hot pink logo matched the Head To Toe Works logo perfectly.
“Put that down.” Tiffany protested. “You will get hair all over you and bring it into the facility.” Tiffany shook her head and her finger at me. “I told you this was not a good idea.”
Tiffany walked over to the counter and grabbed a Head To Toe Works black shopping bag. I followed her over there and took Mr. Prince Charming from the woman.
“It will be fine.” I ran my hand over him to make sure he was okay. “I’m June and this is my cat, Mr. Prince Charming.”
“Nice to meet you.” With Mr. Prince Charming nestled in my arms, she gave him another good scratch behind the ear, sending him into a purring fit. She looked down at her shirt and held her arms out to her side. “See, no hair.”
“He doesn’t really shed.” I had never really thought about it, but he didn’t. After all of these years, you think I’d noticed.
“Here.” Tiffany held the bag out to me. “When you work your two days a week, you will need to wear the uniform like everyone else.”
“Really?” I had never worn a uniform for a job and wasn’t sure how this was going to work out. How did she know my size? I took the black pants out and held them up while the woman and Tiffany whispered between them.
“It’s not right.” The woman’s voice was hard. “The bottles aren’t nearly as cute and the plastic ones do not hold all the product.”
