Gloucester’s Witch Academy 1

by Jessica Baker

  When the food came, it seemed like a button was hit and the conversation became more casual.

  “So, Angela, are the rumors true?” Franklin asked as he wiggled his brows. He implied something more and Angela got the cue. She almost choked on her lobster.

  “How did you hear about that? It’s not even official yet?” She asked with her eyes wide.

  “Your proud kids may have mentioned it or maybe it is your proud husband? I can’t seem to remember who I may have been talking to about the new museum.”

  That grabbed my attention. I love museums. It is one of my father’s favorite places and I can remember have the fondest memories from our outings at the museum. And the new museum the state was funding has been the talk of the town.

  “You are designing a new museum?” I ask incredulously.

  “I will kill those kids! And I don’t know yet.” Angela answered with her face going all red with mortification. “There are lots of people being considered. They might probably go with a European or something.”

  “You are surely going to get it. They would be lucky to get you.”

  “Oh please, you’re just trying to be tight-lipped about it.” Franklin put in.

  “You know, she didn’t tell us she designed this restaurant till the day of the opening.” Lucy piped in as she looked in my direction trying to fill me in.

  “This restaurant.” I say with I had gesturing at the whole building, “is one exquisite work of art.”

  Angela put her hand to her chest. “Why, thank you so much, Jane.” She said with a smile and then winked at her husband. “Did you hear that, babe? Is she not so sweet?”

  “She is,” Tony answers and took his wife’s hand in his. “And she is right. Your gift is remarkable. And I do not doubt that you will get that museum contract.”

  “Thanks, babe.” They move and peck each other on the lips.

  Now, this is what I want. A love that endures even over the years. A partner that will support me in my goals. A marriage that will work and a soulmate to grow older with.

  “So, Jane. What do you do?” Well, they held out long enough. Even I want to commend Angela for waiting this long to quiz me about myself and what6 I was doing on their lunch table.

  “I work in a bar. As a bartender. At least I can figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. I did not finish college, so my options are limited.”

  Another kudos to Angela. She did not even ask why I did not finish college. “Well, that does not matter anymore. Most creatives making money these days do not have a degree, just acquire the required experience in your field. That’s if it is your passion or something.”

  “Honestly, I have no idea. I don’t even know what I want anymore.”

  “Well, what do you like?” Mike asks.

  “What comes easily to you? Something you could do all day?” Lucy threw in.

  I think about that for a moment. “I do like reading and cooking. That I could all day, tirelessly.”

  “Well, you could maybe consider culinary school. Or maybe get a job as an editor or review books.” Tony suggested.

  “Hmmm, that makes a lot of sense. Thank you.”

  The subject was soon changed to the strange disappearances around Boston. Everyone felt unsafe and they even shared some strategies they were taking to secure their families. The lunch was more enjoyable than I thought it would be. So, when Franklin signaled that it was time to leave, I couldn’t believe the time had gone so quickly. We all walked out together and waved as the others got into their cars.

  “Your friends are more fun than I expected,” I said as soon as we were settled in the car.

  “Yeah, they are. What were you expecting?”

  “I don’t know. They just seem super chill for older folks.”

  Franklin burst loud in belly rumbling laughter. Clearly, he understood what I meant.

  “They are older, not crazier. And you did handle yourself well. We make a pretty good team, don’t we?” He said as he took my hand across the car seat.

  I slowly free my hand. “This was a one-time thing, Franklin. I made that clear from the onset.”

  “I know. I just- okay we are here.” He says before opening his door leaving me surprised. I step to see we were in front of a mall.

  “What are we doing here?” I ask.

  “This is just me saying thank you for joining me this afternoon. At least you got my friends to back off my case for today.”

  “Look, you’ve done enough. I don’t need anything more.”

  “Let us just go inside. I will get you whatever you want.”

  “No, I’m good.”

  He takes a deep breath, probably trying to figure what to say next.

  “My wife is not dead.”

  “What?! You implied- “

  “I know but she is dead to me. We got married ten years ago and she pretended to love me. I believed her but she was only interested in my money. I told I wanted children and she deceived me by pretending to try all those years all the while she was cheating and was on birth control. I found out three years ago and divorced ago. She fought to get half of my wealth, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to be rid of her.”

  “I am sorry that happened to you, but you are rich and attractive, I am sure you can find someone that would love you and want a family with you.”

  “But I want you, Jane. You are special and sweet. You don’t care about my money- “

  “Ermm… hello? Have you forgotten why agreed to come out with you in the first place?”

  He ignored my interruption and just continued. “I can take care of you. Pay off your debt. Help you launch your career in cooking or whatever you want. You don’t even have to work if you don’t want to. Just say yes, Jane. I need you in my life. Please.”

  If he was twenty years younger and I haven’t met my Mark, I may have even considered his offer. He seemed like a lovable and solid person. But I just couldn’t.

  “I am sorry, Franklin. I can’t say yes to your offer. But I am sure you will find the right woman for you. It's just not me. You can’t buy me with things.” I point at the mall. “My mind is made up.”

  “Why don’t you sleep on it? Maybe give me an answer tomorrow?”

  “No. My mind is made up.” I repeat. He must have heard the finality in my voice because he sighed sadly and slumped his shoulders.

  “My offer still stands. In case- “

  “Nothing will change it.”

  “Okay then.”

  His driver brought the car around and we got in. We rode in silence all the way home. His driver stopped the car right where they picked me up earlier.

  “Thank you for coming out with me today, Jane. I appreciate it.”

  “Do take care of yourself, Franklin,” I say as I squeezed his hand. “Bye.”

  I stepped out of the car and said I final goodbye to Franklin in my head. This was the end of the road for our adventure together. It was fun though.

  Chapter 10

  I went up to my apartment that afternoon with a convoluted feeling. It’s not that the life Franklin was offering is not alluring. I mean, a life where I could pursue my dreams while being the pampered wife of an older wealthy man; but I just could not do that. That is not the way I want to live my life. I don’t want to give up on my fairytale love story because of comfort and security. I want to experience it all. A life of convenience is not for me. Sorry, Franklin. Even if Mark is not my one, I still cannot give up having my happy-ever-after.

  I dropped my bag and keys in the living room and slumped on the couch. I kicked the shoes off my feet while digging into my purse for my phone. I want to check for any message from Mark. And I was quite disappointed when I did not find any. He should have left a text or a cute meme that would have made me laugh. He was probably busy. He did mention that he had a study session later this evening. Maybe he went early. I decide to text anyway. Since I would have to start preparing for my shift soon. I text to remind him
of our date tomorrow and since I have the whole day off, we could do something else after the movie. That would be fun. I smile cheekily as I remembered our first date. I so cannot wait to see what he plans for tomorrow. I send the text and relax a bit before going to prepare for my shift.

  He did not text back until I left for work. That night, I enter the bar and observed that Becky was running late. She never does that. I spot Chris and wave as I walk towards him.

  “Hi, Chris.”

  “What’s up, Jane? He nodded with a smile.

  “Have you seen Becky?” I asked as I looked around.

  “She has not come in yet.” He answered.” Oh, there she is now.”

  Becky walked into the bar with obviously tired eyes.

  “Becky, what is wrong? You look tuckered out.”

  She just gave me a tired smile. “I know. I did not get enough sleep. I am taking this course online and lost track of time.”

  “Oh.”

  “Do I really look terrible though?” She asked, clearly bothered about her looks.

  Chris winked at her. “No way. You always look amazing.”

  Becky blushed but quickly hid it. “Thanks, Chris. We have to go change now.” She could not have rush out of there quickly enough.

  “He likes you,” I say to her as I help her apply some makeup to cover her tired eyes.

  “What? Who?” She asked acting ignorant like she has no idea what I mean.

  “You know who… Chris”

  “What-no-no, of course not. He was just being nice. I am so sure he did not even spare me a thought. We just work together that’s all.”

  “Okay, fine. But you do know he stares at you when no one is looking. And from what I see, he is a great guy. So maybe just…” I shrug and smile. “give him a chance, will you?”

  Becky blushed and I know she is considering it. “Anyway, how is Mark?”

  “He seems okay, the last time we texted. We haven’t been in touch since yesterday.”

  “But seriously, what were you thinking telling Jennifer, of all people, about him?”

  “I know. She was going on about me throwing myself at men at the bar and I just said it to get her off my back.” I sigh. “We have just been on just one date. It’s not like he is my boyfriend or anything.” I clarified.

  “But you like him,” Becky said as she wiggled her brows at me. The sight was so adorable I couldn’t help but burst out in laughter.

  “Yes. Yes, I do like him and we had an awesome first date, remember? But he hasn’t returned my texts since this morning.”

  “He is a med student, right?” I nodded my affirmation. “Then, he is probably nose deep in books and stuff. You are just getting to know each other, don’t get worked up yet.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, of course.”

  “Now let’s get out there before Rick comes to break down this door. The shift is about to start.”

  We finish dressing up and join them at the bar which is already filling up with customers. I walk over to my section to find some older women already positioned on their seats. I stand while the sisters bickered about what drink they want to have. It took all of my patience not to snap at them to make up their goddamn minds and stop wasting my time. I served them but they managed to leave me a miserable excuse for a tip. During my shift, I texted Mark again to be sure he was alright. He still did not respond and then I start to get worried. I got through the rest of my shift with a fake smile plastered on my face. Franklin did not come in-thank God. I don’t know what I would have said to him anyway. His offer was tempting. Too tempting, if I am being honest with myself. The mental stress of knowing I don’t even have a solid plan to pay off my debt makes his offer so attractive. But even the appeal of never having to worry about money is not enough to think about how disappointed my dad would be if he was alive to see me settle for a life of convenience.

  My shift was surprisingly smooth. Maybe because Sam and Jennifer are absent. I think they must have found a way to shuffle their shifts around mine such that we are hardly ever on shifts together anymore. Which is great, by the way. Especially with Jennifer’s very weird outburst yesterday. I am so not ready to have that conversation with her.

  Rick came out of his office later that night. After making small talk with the guys at the bar, he headed in my direction.

  “Hi, Red.”

  “Hello, Rick”

  “You are holding up great?”

  I smile and nodded. “Yes, I am. Trust me, even I am surprised.”

  “I had no doubt you would deliver.”

  “Thanks, Rick.” I beam proudly at his confidence in me.

  “Anyway, I’ve got a special job to throw your way. You up for it?”

  “Yes.”

  “There is going to a party at the VIP tonight. An old friend of mine just finalized his divorce today. He wants to celebrate so he will be here soon with a couple of friends to drink and reminisce about his 10-year marriage. He is going to need a generous server. Can I count on you?”

  I understood exactly what he meant. “Sure, I’ve got you, Rick.”

  “Great. Because here they come.”

  He waved over a couple of middle-aged men who looked like they were way past their bedtime. Rick introduced me to the guys and, Austin, the main man celebrating his divorce. He looked miserable to me. But who knew why they have divorce party these days? But it gradually became one of the best nights of my bartending career. It was really fun. They kept ordering the most expensively weird drinks. Even his friends were adorable. All of them taking shots of how terrible their wives are. I think they were just trying to make him feel better because he looked like he was still in love with his wife who was having an affair with their pool boy. There is surely going to be a divorce party to remember for sure. They tipped generously and it was not until Rick ordered them a ride before they stopped drinking. Anyway, they were hilarious and they made my night fun which helped me take my mind off Mark not texting me back.

  During a break, Becky pulled me aside to tell me that Chris had just asked her out on a date… and she agreed. She was so excited and happy that I even offered to cover her shift tomorrow so that she could go on a date with him. But she declined and said they were just going to have brunch at the food court. Chris must have been paying attention because that was one of Becky’s favorite thing to do since she slept in most mornings. Her joy was contagious. She really liked him. She told me she had just summoned up the courage to start a conversation with him that was beside the usual work banter. They flirted and had the most interesting conversation before Chris had asked her out. At least someone was having a great night. I take out my phone again to check. Still no text from Mark.

  Even if he was studying and busy, he could have just shot me a text to let me know that he is alive or something. This time, I was more worried than pissed. Where could he be? Was his phone stolen? Was his battery dead and couldn’t find a charger? Or did he fall inside a ditch somewhere? Who knows with the craziness happening in Boston? I just really hope he is okay and gets in touch with me in the morning. I can’t believe how much I worry about him.

  I ended my shift, said goodbye to Becky and Chris. I even popped by Rick’s office for a bit and then headed out to take the bus home. I dragged my tired legs and body down my block and into my apartment building. I took the elevator up to my floor and then went into my apartment. I opened the door, went in and locked it behind me. I dropped my purse and keys on the kitchen counter and made straight for my bedroom to dive right into the bed where I slept like a log till the next morning.

  I wake up the next morning groggy and take my time getting up from the bed. I reach for my phone from the bedside table to check my notifications. Still nothing from Mark. Now, this is getting serious. I should probably call again to be sure he is fine. Or maybe I shouldn’t. What if he doesn’t want to be bothered? I mean, we just met and I don’t want him to think I am a clingy crazy type of person. Plus, I do have all of the day off,
I could go down to the library later and check if he is there. We were supposed to meet for movies today anyway. Maybe he might still get in touch. Stop worrying, Jane. He probably dozed off somewhere in the middle of medical journals.

  I manage to stand up from the bed to go into the bathroom. I pee in the toilet before taking my time to brush my teeth. I should call Becky later just to get the low down of her date with Chris. I get the right to be nosey since I was the one who brought them together in the first place. My mind wandered to Franklin. I just really hope he is fine. He had seemed so crushed when I looked back at him sitting in the car when he dropped me off yesterday. But I couldn’t call. That would send the wrong message. And give him false hope. Which would not be fair to him for sure. He deserved better and I hope he does find better. One thing I have been skeptical about is whether I should tell Mark about it, even if it did not mean anything, I still don’t want there to be secrets to be between us. If we are going to be the type of couple that grows old together, we have to set the right foundation. And that means no lies. I will tell him about Franklin. But not the money part. He might be hurt that I refused to take money from him but could take from a total stranger. Or maybe I should just skip the whole story altogether and keep my mouth shut since I did not technically cheat. Yep. Just keep your mouth shut, Jane.

  I finish brushing my teeth. I walk into the kitchen to make some coffee then changed my mind and put on a kettle to make tea. This seems like a tea kind of day. I open the fridge to pull out some eggs and sausages, slices of bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, black pudding, and bread. Let's have some good old English breakfast. I soon got busy frying and cooking that I forgot about anything else. It is been so long I put so much effort into making a whole breakfast spread like this. It’s a bunch of calorie overload but these fry-ups give me joy. I even decided to bake the bacon in the oven. Now that is the kind of breakfast I have in mind. I need to indulge and get my mind off worrying about Mark. I finish preparing the fries and serve them on a plate. I poured for myself a cup of tea and took my breakfast platter into the living room and placed it on the center table. I went on to grab the remote and switched on the television. I flicked through different channels showing some flimsy daytime television programs until I finally settled on the news channel. The anchorman, a sharp-looking man in his forties seemed like he had a permanent frown on his face. I don’t blame him. If I were the one reporting the type of stories he had been reporting lately, even I would have caved and bawled all over the television screen. I increased the volume and went to sit on the sofa. I reached out and carried the plate on my lap, took a sip of tea from my cup and replaced it on the table. I focused on the screen while taking bites from the plate in front of me.