The Love Potion Groom

by Taylor Hart

  “I do.” He cracked a grin. “Was Nana Amish too? Did you leave that out?”

  She laughed but shook her head. “Stop.”

  He laughed harder. “Kidding. Sheesh.” He squeezed her hand. “I really respect you. And I will respect what you value.”

  The fierce way he said it, made her nervous. “And …”

  “You could get fired.” He filled in for her.

  “Yes.” She nodded and smiled. “So, tomorrow I’m going to tell Doctor Schneider after the morning yoga meditation class that he needs to find someone else to teach here.”

  B.C. jolted back. “What?”

  She smiled. “Because I kinda want to kiss you again and I can’t live with myself if I think I’ll have to break Doctor Schneider’s trust all the time.”

  B.C. exhaled. “So we’re telling him.”

  She was surprised by this. “I’ll tell him.”

  He pulled her back in and kissed her again, going slower this time, making it last this time. When he pulled back his eyes were targeted in on hers. “We’re in this together, Moonwater.”

  This made her smile and melt and…again feel horrible. “Will you get in trouble?” She hadn’t thought about that before.

  B.C. shrugged. “Doc didn’t seem too upset when I told him I kissed you.”

  “What?” She pulled back. “You told him?”

  A Cheshire cat look filled his face. “Sorry.”

  Her mind raced and she couldn’t believe it. Dr. Schneider already knew that they’d kissed? Taking a chance, she pulled him back to her lips.

  Fireworks exploded and she held on, taking the plunge and not caring about the consequences. She grabbed him tighter, pulling him closer, loving the need she felt inside of him that matched her own.

  He deepened the kiss and she was lost. Completely lost.

  It’d never been this way with Spence. It had been good, but she never believed this kind of passion existed.

  Of course Nana and Papa had been together forever. Very happy before he passed a few years ago. Had they had this?

  She couldn’t believe she was thinking these things.

  She pulled back abruptly.

  He kept her close, laughing. “No,” he whimpered.

  She pushed back farther. “I can’t. I have to get home and work on potions. For real.” She went to the edge and pulled herself out of the hot spring, shivering immediately.

  He was there, getting out, dripping. “You can’t leave like that.” Lamely, he held his shirt out for her. “They’re having that stupid Three’s Company marathon in the lobby. Tina, Gary, Zoe—they’re all there. Probably the staff, too.” He wagged a finger at her. “And can I just say the way Clark looks at you freaks me out a bit. Like a serial killer type.”

  She let out a sigh, agreeing. “Yeah, he’s a bit different.”

  He grunted as she started back to the exit.

  Dang, she had to go through the front door of the clinic before she left. It was the rules. She took his shirt, using it to dry off, thinking about the bag she had in her car with another unitard. She thought fast. "Do you think you could go get the unitard out of my Bug and bring it back here? The car’s unlocked.”

  It would be much less obvious for him to change into different shorts in his room real quick then get it. No one would think about what he was doing. He was a rogue anyway.

  “On it.” He took off, and she watched him zoom away.

  She held his shirt to her and felt like a complete idiot. What was she doing? Then she touched her lips, where his had been.

  That had been the most wonderful make-out session of her life.

  Chapter 9

  Stealthily, B.C. opened her car and extracted the black bag she was talking about, then shut it and ran quickly back to where she was waiting. He’d been fast, going into the facility, changing, and then going to the front desk and telling Clark he wanted to go for a run. They’d gotten used to all his runs, so he’d check him out quickly. Easy, peasy, lemon squeasy.

  Had he really just thought that? He smiled at himself, feeling better, lighter than he’d felt in years.

  He thought of getting to know Yoga Master Moonwater and couldn’t stop the grin.

  Darn, he’d waited to kiss her for a long time. Well, kiss her again. That was…ahhh…not like anything he’d ever experienced. The trueness, the passion, it was everything he’d pretended in movies, but not really felt.

  Drug free, he thought.

  He didn’t like to think of her getting fired or of Dr. Schneider being upset. Dang it.

  He ran back to where he hoped she would be, feeling like he’d just done a very important military op.

  "Thanks.” Gratefully, she took the bag and plunked it on the ground, then unzipped it and pulled out another unitard.

  What could he say? He didn’t mind that she wore these all the time for her job. Then he felt a bit guilty. She wasn’t an object. Man, he felt so different about this woman than he had in a long, long time. Ever. About any other woman.

  She stood and then hesitated, giving him a little wave. “Uh, I have to change.”

  Jolted, he turned and walked up the path. “Right." Right? Was he an idiot? She’d made it clear she hadn’t ever slept with a guy.

  It amused him, while he waited, to think about her, her goodness, innocence. It was crazy that he found that so attractive about her.

  He unexpectedly had all these ideas of what he wanted to do with her when he got out of here. He could take her to Paris. Exactly where she said she wanted to go. Yes, he'd shot one of his CIA movies there, but hadn’t really done any sightseeing. Just ran around the whole town like a crazy man. Visions of them walking leisurely around the Louvre, looking at expensive art, filled his mind. Would she want to look at expensive art?

  “Hey.”

  He jumped. Man, he was jumpy around this woman. This was crazy.

  She let out a soft, giggle and he liked it. “Sorry.”

  He found himself smiling and reaching for her hand, tugging her in, kissing her.

  She pulled back, after a few seconds he noted with delight. “We shouldn’t…”

  “We’re passed this.” He didn’t want to hear a boring lecture, so he reached for lips again.

  “Only if you tell me what you were thinking that made you jump just now.”

  “What?” His heart stopped. Could he tell her that?

  “I mean it.” She crossed her arms. "Tell me the truth, what were you thinking?”

  He sighed, thinking his old self, the one before meeting her or coming here would never tell the truth because that felt so vulnerable. He wanted to be vulnerable, he decided. “That I can’t wait to take you to Paris and go to the Louvre with you to look at all the boring art. If you like art. Do you like art?”

  He saw her bite her lip, and her eyes misted and he was encouraged.

  Now he add libbed because he wanted to make her smile, “And then I was just thinking how it would be kinda fun to see if we could get someone to rob us in Paris because everyone has a story about getting robbed in Paris and we could look all fancy and they could think they would get away with it and then I would hunt them down and you would think I’m a hero.”

  She let out a laugh. “Yes, the typecast thing.”

  He grinned. “Nah, I just think I might like being your hero.”

  The moment got intense and she stared at him with those gorgeous, green eyes. She sputtered out a laugh. “You want to be my hero?”

  He shrugged and then let out a sigh. “I think maybe for the rest of my life.”

  He didn’t know if she was as surprised as he was when she closed the gap between them, leaned in and kissed him.

  After they’d pretty much made out for another half hour, she finally told him she had to go. He reluctantly agreed. He carried her bag through the facility for her. Good thing St. George was so dry and she’d dried off. Her hair was dry and back in that bun and no one even suspected anything, except the normal of
what they always suspected…he had a crush on her. He did, so there.

  The odd thing was, when he’d handed over the bag and took off down the hall, he didn’t feel victorious in a way that was hahaha, I got the girl. He just felt happy. Happier than he’d felt in a long, long time.

  He went back to his room and did some pushups, because that’s what he did. He also sat down to write some of his feelings in a journal Dr. Schneider had given to him that he’d never used. It evolved to him scribbling doodles, something he hadn’t done forever. He found himself working on a beautiful, lithe, yoga master pixie blonde with great eyebrows and natural eyelashes, which was stupid and obvious if he thought about. Then he evolved to a lizard man, who looked a lot like him. The things to do in rehab.

  After getting ready for bed he stared out at the moonlit desert and thought about her. The feel of her. The smell of her. Everything about her felt…so perfect.

  Three weeks into rehab and the only thing that made him want to be better was her.

  Not just because he was in rehab and needed to get a handle on his life, but for the first time ever he thought about having a life with someone. Not a Hollywood life. Definitely not his mother’s life.

  A life with her. On the ranch. He thought of what it would be like to hang out with Kevin and figure out ranch stuff.

  What would it be like to smell her potions? To watch her work. He could imagine the look she would get when she was concentrating. She had that look during all the classes when she was focused.

  He couldn’t get the image of being with her on the ranch out of his mind. She could be making concoctions and he could be drawing or whatever else he might be doing. He didn’t know, but something. Kevin could be coming in with the ranch guys and talking about the price of…what he did not know.

  Despite all the gaps in his fantasy, it sounded like the best thing he could possibly imagine.

  Chapter 10

  Every part of Kira was pretty sure she was going to get fired.

  When she finished the morning yoga/meditation class, she braced herself to tell Dr. Schneider. The funny thing was that B.C. waited after class and walked her down and then insisted he was doing it with her.

  She felt like a teenager going in to confess something awful to her parents.

  Dr. Schneider watched both of them sit on the couch in front of his desk and he leaned back, his arms over his chest, waiting.

  She started. “I’m sorry, Dr. Schneider, but I have to put in my resignation.”

  B.C.’s hand was instantly over hers and he shook his head at her, turning to the doctor. “What she meant to say was we have to tell that the lines have blurred between patient and instructor and she would still like to keep her job here.” B.C. flashed a humble smile. “It’s really my fault, punish me.”

  It hit the center of her chest, B.C. really meant it. Maybe it was silly that this was just…this job. B.C. was willing to face whatever consequences with her. She blinked, feeling all emotional. Which was absurd cause it was just this silly job, that she actually really liked and didn’t feel silly to her. In the perspective of how much B.C. made or had to lose, what if they wanted him to start over or what if he had to go to real jail.

  Ack! She hadn’t even thought of that until just now.

  Doctor Schneider looked at both of them for a minute and Kira thought it would be the worst thing ever.

  Then he stood and walked over to the window, staring out. “B.C. did you notice you haven’t used that bag in a while.”

  This had not been what Kira expected.

  B.C. followed the doctor’s gaze to the punching bag. “Guess I haven’t.”

  Doctor Schneider turned back to them. “I don’t like that you two are seeing each other. But, I would be lying to you if I didn’t tell you I didn’t suspect it.” He sighed.

  Kira was nervous.

  B.C. held her hand tighter. “I like her, doc, I’m not gonna lie. I’m making plans to see her after.”

  The doctor nodded and turned to Kira. “Do you want to quit?”

  She hadn’t anticipated this outcome. “No.”

  The doctor nodded. “First, B.C. you have to know that when I have patients come here, my plan for them is that I don’t want to see them again.”

  B.C. nodded. “Uh, I don’t really want to come back, either.”

  The doctor sighed. “You know sobriety doesn’t come from focusing on someone else. Sobriety comes from deciding you want to be sober yourself first.”

  “I do.” B.C. nodded.

  The doctor scowled. “I don’t like this.” He looked between them. “I understand that I can’t stop this, obviously.” He shook his head and looked like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Kira imagined it felt that way. “It’s not smart to start a relationship while you’re getting clean. It’s not smart to change for anybody else.”

  B.C. let go of her hand and stood. “I want to be clean for me. I want that. But, I’m not gonna lie, doc, I’ve fallen pretty hard for her.”

  The doctor stood and scowled at them both. “Things like this never work.”

  All of them were quiet for a few moments.

  The doctor turned to face the window, then turned back. “I wish you wouldn’t have a relationship. But I know that you already do.” He sighed and mumbled to himself something about stopping this when he heard about the kiss. He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I guess all I can ask is please. Have some discretion.” He turned away from them and went back to his desk. “Please go, I have an appointment.”

  Kira couldn’t believe it. She got up and felt wooden, stiff. Didn’t know what to do.

  B.C. moved in step with her to the door. “Thanks doc.” He said as they walked out.

  For the next week, she worked at the facility and saw him in every yoga, Pilates, meditation, and art class. After the late class, it was a new routine. They waited for everyone to leave and talked for a bit, and he pretended to ask all these questions on relaxation and she would find herself, down the path, going with him in the little cave that led to the hot spring and water fall.

  They would talk and talk and talk.

  It surprised her because he would ask all these questions about Nana and the ranch and God. What she knew, what she believed. Of course they would kiss. Every day she couldn’t believe she was falling more and more in love…with a movie star.

  The Monday of B.C.’s last week, she thought about what she would do when the week was over. How different it would be.

  Dr. Schneider was already talking about how a new crop would be coming in at the beginning of next week and how it would change the dynamics of her classes.

  Sadness washed over her. He would be gone. He would be going back. He would get that huge role in the next blockbuster.

  She would be here.

  B.C. didn’t really talk about them being apart. It was like it made him sad when she did, so she didn’t. They were revolving in this little world of joy.

  Truly, that’s what it felt like. Just beauty and relaxation.

  He’d said a few things, like wanting to see the ranch, but she didn’t know what would happen.

  Heck, she didn’t even know if she was going back to Julliard yet. Her counselor had been trying to call her since yesterday and she’d ignored the calls. Dr. Schneider had told a couple of other facilities about the oils and more orders were coming in for her to fill. Kevin had told her to just say yes to Julliard and they would work it out.

  B.C. didn’t show up for the morning class, which was odd. It wasn’t a big deal, the rest of the group was there and it was a very productive session, but she had a couple of hours before her next art class and she found herself wandering the halls looking for him.

  Then she went to the grounds and began taking all the paths, she even went to the hot springs waterfall but couldn’t find him.

  She was actually getting worried. She went back to the facility, back up the hallways and there he was. St
anding right outside his room. Leaning against the door, holding a long box, like he’d been waiting for her the whole time.

  Her heart lightened. “Hey.” She said all breathily.

  “Hey.” He straightened. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  She smiled. “I’ve been looking for you.” Was it so weird she was looking for a patient at this place?

  He nodded. “I had a really great session with Dr. Schneider today that ran long and I think you’ll be interested that I’ve decided something.”

  “What?”

  “Well…I actually told Dr. Schneider about your Nana and the walk with God thing.”

  She felt nervous. “Okay.”

  He grinned. “When I get back to L.A. I’m going to see a private therapist Dr. Schneider recommended.”

  Her heart raced.

  “And the therapist is also a pastor. I…want to know God again. I want to have something more than willpower. No, I need something stronger than my willpower. My own willpower has failed me too many times.” After a moment of solemnity, he flashed her a smile. “And I wanted to thank you for helping me realize that.”

  She smiled.

  He pushed the package forward. “I hope it’s okay. I got this for you.”

  Kira was hesitant. He knew she didn’t like to receive gifts.

  He sensed her nervousness. “What you’ve done for me is a big deal, Moonwater, so swallow your pride and prepare yourself to receive it.”

  She smiled at him, hating he could do this to her.

  As she opened the box, there was white tissue paper concealing the gift.

  She had to put it on the floor, but as she bent over, he swooped it away and moved inside his room. “You’re not putting this on the ground.”

  Tentatively, she followed him, nervous about going into his room.

  He put the box on the bed and waited.

  As she approached him, she couldn’t help but smell him. Mint mouthwash, then some expensive cologne. Not a love potion of hers, but a different one of his own kind she thought.