But the proof of magic was all around him. He’d definitely been given a potion, and he’d been able to modify the effects using salt and the jet in his pocket. That didn’t make him magic, but it meant he was accepting possibilities he’d never have believed before.
After the fall he’d experienced what he thought could have been a magical healing touch from Lionel. No telling what sort of sprain or dislocation he might have suffered without the jolt he’d felt coming from Lionel. Now he wanted to talk to Jasper and find out how much he knew.
Creating that opportunity might be tricky, but he would give it his best shot. Thinking of Jasper made him wonder about the other man’s parents. Were they in on the magic secret?
He decided to go on a fishing expedition with Anica. After dumping a load of glass into the garbage pail, he turned back for another load. “I guess Jasper’s folks didn’t come down to help.”
“No.” Anica kept sweeping. “They both seem to be plagued with allergies, so between pollen blowing around and the dust we knew we’d stir up with this project, we convinced them to spend the day relaxing at the Art Institute of Chicago.”
“That sounds like a good plan. So you’d never met them before this?”
“Sure hadn’t.” Anica said it brightly, a little too brightly.
Griffin laughed. “I detect some reservations about your future in-laws.”
“Oh, they’re okay. Just not . . .”
Griffin filled in the blank with no problem. Not magic. But then, neither was Jasper, and she was obviously head over heels in love with him. “You mean they’re not like your folks?” he asked.
“Nobody could be like my folks. I knew Jasper’s parents were on the conservative side, but—” She paused to glance around. “I hope they’ll have a good time tonight.”
“I guess Lily’s going to do some magic tricks.”
Anica stopped sweeping to gaze at him. “Yes, she is. Lily’s very talented with magic.”
“So I hear.”
Anica leaned on the broom. “She’s very creative, too, much more so than I am. Lily has style coming out her ears.”
“I agree.” Griffin paused. “But mostly she wants to be like you.”
Anica blew out a breath. “I wish she’d stop thinking like that. Lily needs to be the best Lily she can be, which means wearing outrageous clothes, decorating with lots of color and expressing herself with an interesting job.” She gestured toward the bar. “Like this. I don’t think I ever appreciated before that she’s great at bartending. She has a gift.”
Griffin nodded. He hadn’t been so good at recognizing that, either, he realized. He’d been somewhat of a job snob, to be honest. Shame on him.
“Devon doesn’t give her enough leeway,” Anica said.
“She could create signature drinks for this bar, and she offered to do that when she first was hired, but he has zero imagination and thinks everyone just wants the same ol’, same ol’. Either that or he’s afraid she’ll get too good and someone else will hire her away from him.”
“Signature drinks sounds like a great idea. She does so well with the basics that she should try branching out.”
“Absolutely.” Anica started sweeping again.
Griffin put the dustpan back in position, but he couldn’t resist one last comment. “I’ll tell you this: Lily makes a hell of a Harvey Wallbanger.”
Anica glanced up and he could tell from her expression that she knew exactly what he was talking about. Like her father, she didn’t allow her gaze to flicker even a little. “I’ll bet she does.”
After that, as if by mutual agreement, they moved away from the subject of Lily and onto more neutral ground. They talked about their jobs, and Griffin could tell how much alike he and Anica were. She’d invested time and money in her coffee shop, Wicked Brew, with the same sense of dedication he’d brought to his law practice.
“There was a time not long ago when I thought I might lose the coffee shop,” Anica said. “It wasn’t a fun moment, knowing all I’d worked for was at risk because of an impulsive move on my part.” She swept the last of the broken glass into the dustpan. “But I can’t regret that impulse, because I ended up with Jasper.”
“Did I hear my name?” Jasper came over and wrapped his arm around Anica’s shoulders. “I hope you were telling Griffin what a prince I am.”
“I hadn’t gotten to that part yet.”
“Damn. I showed up too soon.” Jasper smiled at Griffin. “I have a confession to make. You remember that night several weeks ago, when Anica and I came over and crashed your table?”
Griffin remembered it well. “You said we’d met at the gym, but I couldn’t place you.”
“That’s because I made up that story. I was on a reconnaissance mission for Lily, to find out more about you. You know, doing my good deed for the future sis-in-law.”
Anica poked him in the side. “You didn’t even know she’d be your sister-in-law at that point.”
“Yeah, I did.” Jasper beamed at her. “In my heart of hearts.” He turned his attention back to Griffin. “That’s been bugging me, knowing I fibbed a little bit, but it looks like it worked out okay.”
“It’s worked out.” Griffin wasn’t quite ready to put the okay label on it. But he was now convinced Jasper knew nothing about the potion. He was being too open and friendly to be concealing that kind of information.
Griffin had been hatching a plan while he worked with Anica, and with Jasper standing right there, it could be put in motion. “Listen, now that Anica and I have this glass under control, I was thinking we probably need some signage out front, to direct people to the right place. That freestanding blackboard they usually put out announcing drink specials would work, but I could use a hand getting it out there.”
“Absolutely. Great idea. Just so you’re not expecting me to do the lettering. I suck at that.”
“Let’s just get it out there and then worry about the lettering.” Griffin wanted to jump on his idea right away, before something came up to interrupt what he thought was a brilliant plan. Without the jet in his pocket to subdue his obsession with Lily, he might never have thought of it. He owed Kevin a drink, probably several drinks.
“I’ll get the blackboard,” Griffin said, “if you’ll hold the door and then come on out and help me decide the best place to put it.”
“I like a man with a plan.” Jasper walked ahead of him and positioned himself by the door.
Griffin hoisted the blackboard, which was more bulky than heavy, and carried it out the door Jasper opened for him. In seconds they were both on the sidewalk with the heavy bar door closed behind them.
The sun was bright and almost directly overhead. Griffin squinted a little as he looked at Jasper. “Now I have a confession to make. I didn’t ask for help with the blackboard because I was focused on the need for signage.”
Jasper leaned against the brick building, arms folded. “I didn’t think you did.”
“The Revere family is . . . unusual.”
“Yep.”
“This isn’t easy to admit, but I’m not sure how to deal with . . . a woman like Lily.” He waited, wondering if he’d have to be more specific. He’d rather not get into details in case for some weird reason Jasper was still in the dark.
“Then you’re aware that she has special abilities.”
Griffin’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Yes. But she doesn’t know I know. Or rather, I think she knows I know, but she’s not willing to admit to me that she knows that I know.” He peered at Jasper. “Does that make any sense, because listening to myself, it makes no sense whatsoever.”
Jasper laughed. “And you’re a lawyer who’s used to that kind of wording. But yeah, I get it. Lily’s not ready to reveal her magical status, because then the two of you have to talk about it, and she doesn’t want to rock the boat right now, with her folks in town and the party tonight.”
“Exactly. Plus there’s . . . there’s something else, but I’d
rather not go into that.”
Jasper held up both hands. “Hey, I have several things I’m not prepared to go into involving Anica. This is a complicated world you’ve stumbled into, buddy. I remember how lost I felt. Still feel lost sometimes. Incidentally, my folks know nothing, and that’s how I want it. They would freak.”
Griffin nodded. “So I gathered. That whole allergy ploy sounded bogus.”
“Oh, they have allergies, all right. Thank God. It was the perfect excuse not to have them come down here today. The less time they spend in the Bubbling Cauldron, the better. Anyway, this isn’t about me.”
“In a way it is. I want to know how you’ve handled being with Anica, when she’s a . . .”
“She’s a witch, Griffin,” Jasper said quietly. “And so is Lily. Simone is, too, and Lionel’s a wizard. For all four of them it’s an essential part of their being, and you have to be okay with that or you’d do well to bow out now.”
Griffin decided not to reveal that he didn’t have that option at the moment. “I’m . . . very attached to Lily.” That much was true. “But obviously I’m feeling out of my depth. I’d appreciate any words of advice.”
“I have two suggestions. One is to enjoy the hell out of the magical aspect, because, as I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, these two women are hot.”
Griffin heaved a sigh. “Yeah.”
“But there are bound to be issues regarding the magic. Turns out you’re in luck, because Dorcas and Ambrose Lowell are coming to this party.”
“And they are?”
“A matchmaking witch and wizard.”
Griffin’s gut clenched. “I’m really not sure that’s the sort of thing I—”
“Hold on. Yes, they’re matchmakers, but they’re also experts in the field of magic, and they helped Anica and me work through a very difficult situation. I don’t know where we would have been without them. They’re completely discreet, and they know a hell of a lot. I’d lay it all out for them, if I were you.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to a witch and wizard for advice.”
Jasper smiled. “I know the whole idea of magic takes some getting used to. Believe me, I understand what you’re going through. I’ll introduce you to Dorcas and Ambrose. If they can’t straighten out your problems, then nobody can.”
“Thanks.” Griffin offered his hand, which Jasper took in a firm grip. “We’d better get back in there. I’m sure Lily knows why I dragged you out here.”
“You’re allowed to have some backup,” Jasper said.
“After all, she has Anica.” Clapping Griffin on the shoulder, he followed him back inside the bar.
Once they were inside, Griffin glanced around for Lily. She was up on the ladder, stringing paper streamers. She looked over at him, her gaze knowing. She understood what he was up to.
He was going to break the spell. She had to know he would try everything. Dorcas and Ambrose, if they were as powerful as Jasper had said, should be able to tell him how to do it. What would happen after that was anybody’s guess, but Lily looked worried—very worried. He was sorry about that, but as he’d told her last night, she couldn’t be in charge forever.
He was so caught up in Lily and her reaction to his trip outside with Jasper that at first he missed the most amazing thing in the room. Hanging from the ceiling, in perfect condition, was a large, multifaceted, mirrored ball.
Chapter 24
After the decorating was finished, Lily’s parents took everybody out for lunch. Her mom and dad seemed in their element, obviously delighted with Jasper, their future son-in-law, and Griffin, who seemed very interested in Lily. They made it clear they would welcome Griffin into the family with the same enthusiasm they’d shown Jasper.
But Lily knew Griffin was testing the bars of his cage and gathering information that would help him escape. She couldn’t blame him for talking to Jasper. In his shoes, she would have done the same thing.
After lunch, while everyone stood out on the sidewalk prior to heading home to get ready for the party, Lily took Anica aside. “I don’t know if you saw, but when we were at the bar Griffin managed to get Jasper alone for a conversation.” She kept her voice low.
“Actually, I do know. It was pretty clever the way he did it, too. He’s a smart man, Lily.”
“I know. He’s figured out that I gave him some sort of potion and that’s why he’s so tied to me.”
Anica nodded. “I thought so. He made a pointed reference to the great Harvey Wallbanger you mix, and I decided that must have been the delivery system.”
“It was, and with a little help from his friends Miles and Kevin, he’s trying to break the spell.”
“Oh yeah?” Anica’s eyebrows lifted. “How’s he doing that?”
“Salt around the bed for starters, and now he’s carrying a piece of jet around in his pocket.”
Anica looked impressed. “Not bad.”
“I can’t blame him for trying, but I’d like to stay one step ahead of him, so that I won’t end up in some embarrassing situation, especially in front of Mom and Dad. If you can subtly find out what Jasper told him, I’d be eternally grateful.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Thanks, An. I’ve been driving myself crazy wondering what they talked about. You don’t suppose Jasper would tell him the cat story, do you?”
“Absolutely not.” Anica glanced over at her fiancé, who was joking around with their father while their mother talked quietly with Griffin. “Jasper doesn’t want that story going anywhere. I suspect you and I may be the only two people who will ever know about his days as a cat.”
“And your former neighbor Julie, the one who’s convinced her calling is to become a witch.”
“Right, Julie. She won’t tell, either. I’m her connection to the world of magic, and she’s not going to screw that up by broadcasting my secrets.”
Lily lowered her voice. “Okay, you can tell me. Your future in-laws are awful, aren’t they?”
Anica glanced over at her fiancé again. “I wouldn’t say that. . . . At least not to anyone but you.” She grinned.
“Yeah, they’re awful.”
“I had a feeling they were when you made sure they didn’t come down to help decorate.”
Anica groaned and covered her face with both hands. “That would have been a nightmare. They’re convinced the big city is full of germs waiting to give them some terminal disease, and muggers intent on stealing their money.”
“Lovely.”
“I know. I’ve never seen two people more afraid to live their lives. Mom and Dad go off to primitive villages in Peru where they can run into all sorts of unexpected dangerous situations, while these people are afraid to leave their sanitized and heavily patrolled gated community.”
Lily put an arm around her sister. “I’m sorry, An. Are you sure you want me to do magic tonight? I don’t want them to run screaming out of the Bubbling Cauldron.”
“Oh, I do.” Anica’s smile became uncharacteristically devilish. “I would pay to see that.”
“Except that wouldn’t sit well with your sweetie pie, now, would it?”
“I suppose not.” Anica sighed. “And I doubt they’ll run screaming out of the building because you perform a few illusions. As we’ve said, they’ll think it’s a trick.”
“Then we’ll continue as planned, but if you find out anything about that conversation between Jasper and Griffin, call me on my cell. I don’t want to be caught with my pants down.”
Anica began to laugh.
“Bad choice of words,” Lily mumbled.
“Oh, no.” Anica wiped at her eyes. “I think it was the perfect choice of words.”
Lily had reason to think of that word choice once she and Griffin arrived back at her apartment. He’d held her hand during the entire bus ride home, and once they’d closed the apartment door and properly greeted Daisy, he drew her into his arms.
He gazed at her with frank appreciation in his hazel eyes.
“I told Anica you wanted to be more like her.”
“Now, there’s a news flash.” She wound her arms around his neck, loving the feel of him, the scent of him. “She knows.”
“And she thinks that’s crazy.” He massaged the small of her back slowly, seductively. “She told me you’re far more creative than she is and she admires your sense of style.”
His touch created predictable results—she wanted him, even if having sex would counter the work of the stone in his pocket. But his words had an even greater effect on her than his touch. They filled a place in her heart she hadn’t realized was so empty.
“That’s nice to hear,” she said.
“I guess Devon shot down your idea of creating signature drinks for the bar.” His hands slid lower, cupping her and bringing her into alignment with his growing erection.
“Uh-huh.”
“You should suggest it again.” He pulled her tight against him and heat shot through her. “You have loyal customers now, and you have more power than you think. If you threaten to walk, he’ll let you create those drinks.”
“Could be.”
“I want you to make one called The Lily.” He ground his hips gently against hers.
“Is that so?” In no time she was wet and ready for him.
He leaned down and ran his tongue over her lower lip. “It should be one of those flaming drinks, the kind made with a-hundred-and-fifty-proof rum and topped with cinnamon.”
Her heart pounded with anticipation. “Sounds potent.”
“With a name like that, it needs to be.” He kissed her with easy deliberation and left her breathing hard. “I’m going to make love to you, Lily.”
She had no doubt. As he led her into the bedroom and carefully undressed her, she sensed a difference in his touch, a difference in his eyes. She dared to hope that the emotions driving him came from somewhere deeper than the elixir could reach.
They came together as lovers who knew each other very well, as if they’d spent years learning the exact way to kiss, to stroke, to please. The beauty of it brought tears to her eyes, and at the moment when he entered her, the tears slid unchecked down her cheeks.
Chick with a Charm: A Babes on Brooms Novel Page 23
