by Rose Pressey
The way I saw it was I could panic, or realize this was the first day of the rest of my life and make the most of it. My mama didn’t raise a quitter. In sixth grade, I wanted to win the gold medal at the school’s annual field day. I was born with the athletic ability of a snail. Nevertheless, I set my sights on winning the race in my age group. Classmates told me there was no way I’d win, and they had a right to believe that. I wasn’t a weakling, but short legs meant a short stride, so running was the worst of the worst for me.
But when that beautiful spring day arrived, and the horn sounded for the race to begin, I worked my legs and lungs harder than I ever had. There was nothing going to stop me from wearing that fake gold medal around my neck. Something inside me came to life that day, a spark that wouldn’t be defeated and my short legs easily crossed the finish line a full second before the other girls. Some said it was a fluke, but I knew it wasn’t. Somewhere deep down, there was still that spark in me. Now if only I could ignite it, I’d be set. Ultimately, I may be defeated, but I’d give it my best shot before I waved the white flag.
Stepping away from the grill, I peeped out into the dining room. A few men slipped into a couple booths at the front of the café, waiting to place their orders. Did I dare attempt magic on my own? I had to do it eventually, right? No, it was too soon.
As if she read my mind, Mary Jane ambled over next to me. “When are you doing the magic?” She tucked a pencil behind her ear and slipped a thick order pad in her apron pocket. “You told her you’d do it the first day. Things will start getting wonky around here if you don’t.”
“I didn’t know you were my magical warden. Are you going to tattle on me if I don’t?” I avoided her stare, but the longer she glared, the more I couldn’t avoid her.
She placed a hand on her hip. “Yes, I will tattle.”
I let out a deep breath. “Okay, okay. I’ll do it at lunch. Lunchtime, I’ll do some magic.” I crossed my heart with my right index finger. “Promise.”
Chapter Five
I sprinkled a dash of spice across the pot, stirring them into the potatoes. Mashed potatoes made the best base, she’d said. We’ll see about that. Allowing grandma to take off for a sunny retirement village had been a mistake. I should have chased her down and forced her to stay. Thinking I could handle this was insane—the craziest thing I’d ever done by far. With a large spoon, I scooped out a hefty serving of potatoes and plopped them on the plate. I’d started with the general magic as grandma called it. The bottle of spice just had Health written on it, so I figured I’d take a chance on it. With mashed potatoes like these, customers would need a good dose of health.
“Order up!” I tapped the bell and set the plate on the ledge of the food window.
“The lunch crowd is growing bigger than Old Miss Baumgartner’s hairdo.” Mary Jane placed another ticket on the silver wheel and gave it a whirl.
“They sure do eat a lot in this town.” I wiped my hands on my apron.
“That’s a good thing. More eating equals more money.” Mary Jane left the window, slipped through the swinging door and into the kitchen area. “I think you need to take a look at one customer in particular.”
I wiped drizzled cheese off the counter with a towel. “If I don’t finish these orders, the customers will be coming back here looking for me. No need to go to them.”
“But this one is different. He’s so handsome.” She clutched her chest, mimicking a swoon. “He’s been in a couple times before. I can’t remember his name, but he’s so gorgeous, what difference does it make?”
My eyebrow quirked. “Well, maybe I should take a quick peek. It’s good for the owner to interact with customers, right?”
I made my way across the kitchen and hurried over to the little window on the door. “Which one am I looking at?”
“Do I have to point him out, really?” She gaped at me with astonishment on her face.
I peeked out the window again and followed her pointing index finger. “Hmm.”
“Hmm is right.” Mary Jane nudged me for a better view.
“He’s certainly eye candy, huh,” I said. “I bet he’s nothing but a ladies’ man. He’s got bad news written all over him like a neon sign.” I shook my head.
The hot air from our breath was steaming up the window. I reached up and wiped it with the dish towel I’d had draped over my shoulder.
“You can tell all that by one look?” She snorted.
I lifted an eyebrow. “I shouldn’t look anyway because I’m done with men. Completely and utterly finished. They’re nothing but trouble. After I broke things off with Ray, I said no more.”
“Oh, stop. How could a man that good-looking be trouble?” Mary Jane clucked her tongue. “The only trouble I’d have with him is forcing myself to leave his bed.”
“Mary Jane!” I chuckled.
She wiggled her eyebrows, then moved back out into the dining area. I slipped out the door for a better view. My stomach took a dive as he crossed the café floor. He slid into a booth on the right side of the room, never noticing four eyes staring at him.
Another man was with him, but I couldn’t take my gaze off the hunk long enough to tell you what the other guy looked like. But I sure knew what Mr. Tall, Blond and Handsome looked like. He wore jeans and a red T-shirt. Short mussed hair and a strong jaw. Light green eyes, maybe? A closer inspection was in order to answer that question. Yes, I needed to see him up close and personal.
I hurried away from the door where I’d been hiding and grabbed a menu. But before I made it to his table, Mary Jane had approached with a huge smile spread across her face and handed him a lunch menu. She was the one who had suggested I take a look at him, now she was ruining my chances.
The gorgeous customer smiled and laughed while he engaged in conversation with the other man.
“I want to make sure the horse goes to a good home,” Eye Candy told the other man.
I inched away and shoved the menu back in the rack before anyone caught me staring like the fool I was. But my gaze remained fixed on my new customer. Who was this man and what was he doing in Mystic Hollow? Did he live here? I’d never seen anyone who looked like him around here before.
I needed answers. But I couldn’t exactly go up to him and play a game of twenty questions. There was still a little bit of introverted teenager left in me; the better looking the guy, the more the shyness made an unwelcome visit. Mary Jane loved being nosy, maybe she could question him for me. She prided herself on her gossiping abilities. I think she was the reigning gossip champ for the entire tri-county area. I didn’t have the nerve to do it myself. She said he’d been in before, so why hadn’t she discovered the scoop then? Her crown may have to be revoked.
Mary Jane ambled back over with that same sly grin.
I raised an eyebrow. “Did you take his order yet?”
“No. I was too busy staring at him.” She gave me a doe-eyed look.
“Well, don’t you think you’d better get his order? I need to finish the eggs for table one. Now scoot before he leaves, and you can’t stare at him while he eats.” I placed my hands on her shoulders and turned her body in the direction of his table.
“Yeah, cause I’m the only one who was lookin’.” She laughed and marched toward his table again.
I took one last glance and shook off the tingling feeling in my stomach. No more time for gawking. There was work to be done. Magic to be made. If only the spells worked for me, but grandma said not to be selfish and use them for myself. But if I could...
Chapter Six
Mary Jane tapped the bell to get my attention. “Okay, I have the order for Mr. Gorgeous and the order for table four.” She stared at me for a beat. “I think table four needs your help. If you know what I mean.” She winked.
“Table four?” I frowned.
She gestured with her thumb toward the table. “Oscar Harrisburg. His girlfriend just dumped him for his best friend. Or should I say ex-best friend?”
&nb
sp; “That’s terrible.”
She nodded while tucking her pencil back behind her ear.
“Poor, poor Oscar.” I shook my head. “Which one is he?” I walked closer to Mary Jane.
“See the young man with the plaid shirt and overalls?” She gestured with a tilt of her head.
“Half the room has overalls on.” I quirked an eyebrow.
“Short blond hair and round face. Right over there.” She pointed with her index finger.
“Oh, okay, yes, I see him. He looks so sweet and innocent with those rosy cheeks.”
“He’s been heartbroken ever since that Sue Ellen Martin dumped him. I wish he’d just move on, but I guess that’s easier said than done. She was no good for him, anyway. But he seems convinced she’s the only woman he’ll ever want in his life. She started running with Luke Taylor the same day she broke it off with him. She told everyone what a loser Oscar is. Now you tell me, does he look like he deserves something like that?”
“No, well, no, not at all. Poor Oscar,” I repeated.
She grinned and tilted her head toward the grill. “He wants the cheeseburger lunch special. Maybe you could give him a little extra cheese.”
“You’re not very subtle, Mary Jane. Why don’t you just go tell him I’m mixing up a special elixir for him?” I placed my hands on my hips.
“I never said I was subtle. Fix him up a little something special, okay?” She gave a pleading look.
This magic thing wasn’t going to be easy.
“I haven’t gotten the hang of it yet.” I picked at the edge of my apron while avoiding her stare.
“You haven’t even tried yet. How do you know you don’t have the hang of it?”
“I’m afraid I'll mess it up.” I shook my head.
“How do you think you’ll learn if you don’t try? How bad could you possibly mess things up? It’s only magic.”
“Only magic? Only magic, she says.” I glanced around as if I spoke to a crowded room. “What if I turn him into a bat or something?”
She snorted. “Don’t be silly. Look at the poor guy. Give him a chance at happiness.”
I sighed. “Well, I guess if I mess things up he’ll never know it was me that did it anyway, huh?”
“Exactly. He’s already miserable. How much worse could it be?”
I snorted. “Probably a lot. But I’ll do it anyway.”
“So you think you can do something to make him feel better?” She bit her bottom lip.
The knot in the pit of my stomach twisted tighter.
“Sure,” I squeaked, then let out an audible gulp. I pulled the big book from the shelf and placed it on the counter next to me. “What’s his order again?” I grabbed the two tickets. “Cheeseburgers and fries for table two and four. Okay, I can handle this. I can do this.” I let out a deep breath and wiggled my hands to get myself psyched up.
I drudged back to the grill and threw on a few hamburger patties, then grabbed a couple plates, setting them on the counter. Looking at Mary Jane again, I let out a big sigh.
“You can do it,” she encouraged. “Give those Five Guys a run for their money.”
Mary Jane hovered over me, her breath loud in my ear.
“You’re making me nervous.” I swatted at her with the spatula.
“Sorry,” she said, backing up a few steps.
I fidgeted from one foot to the other. “Okay, I can do this.”
“Will you quit saying that and do it already?”
After flipping the front cover open, I scanned the index. Thank goodness everything was in alphabetical order, or I’d have been searching all day. The directory had everything from charmed cheeses and enchanted eggs to spiritual soups, along with spells for everything in the love department from finding a mate, mending heartbreak, to general flirting.
When I discovered the spell for patching up a broken heart, I knew I had the right one, plus it allowed for personalization. Turning my attention back to the grill, I tossed the burgers over, then turned to the page listed. The spell required mixing the potion myself, since this was a specific spell and not a general love spell. I retrieved my special fried potatoes from the fryer and placed some on one side of the plate, then added a dash of rosemary and sprinkled the love potion on top. The words came to me as if I’d always known just what to say. It was as natural as smiling, laughing, or crying.
As I continued adding the spices, I said the words aloud:
“Let love find him and may his lost love want him in return.” I sprinkled more spices over the burger.
Just like something from the movies, it sizzled on the grill, steam flying upward in a mini-tornado-like cylinder, whirling and churning like mad. It bubbled and sparked, growing faster as I murmured the words. The sound of magic in progress rippled through the kitchen, bouncing off the walls, floor, and the door. Above the island, pots and pans hanging from the ceiling rack swayed back and forth. As quickly as it started, the bubbling waned, settling to a simmer, then coming to a stop.
“She’ll be jealous, and it serves her right,” I added to the spell. “So mote it be.”
“Wow, you mean business. That was some spell work. And you said you didn’t know what you’re doing.” She squeezed me. “Your grandmother would be proud.”
“Was it too much?” I frowned. “I just figured a little jealousy wouldn’t hurt her after the way she’s treated him.”
“I bet he gets a date in no time, and he’ll have to fight the women off with a stick.”
“If you say so.” I shrugged.
She grabbed the plates and headed for the dining area. As I watched through the tiny window in the door, the knot in my stomach churned as if I’d eaten one of my burnt muffins. Mary Jane stopped next to my gorgeous customer’s table and began chatting with another patron. She always had been a talker. She may be a good waitress, but when she got to talking...
Mary Jane yakked away and the more I watched the hot food, the more I was sure it had turned cold. What good would cold food do? Oscar wouldn’t eat it or he’d possibly want to leave after taking one bite before getting any of the magic into his system.
But with one little movement, cold food was the least of my worries.
Chapter Seven
To my horror, Mary Jane set the plate with the magic-laced food down on his table. Not Oscar’s table, but the magnificent-looking man we’d been ogling from the kitchen since Mary Jane had not so subtly pointed him out.
He looked up and thanked her. She waved off his comment and continued talking with the other customer, not even realizing she’d set the plate in front of the wrong person. A person who now thought he was getting his meal, the food he’d ordered, not someone else’s spell-spiked cheeseburger.
What could I do? I frantically waved toward Mary Jane, but she didn’t as much as bat an eyelash in my direction. I’d kill her for this. With sweat forming on my brow and my heart thumping, I had to do something before it was too late. The handsome customer grabbed the burger and moved it toward his mouth. It was now or never. I couldn’t let him take someone else’s spell. What consequences would the wrong magic bring? I didn’t want to find out.
I peeked out from around the swinging door. The hamburger moved to his lips, then he took a bite from the sandwich. One big chunk was already missing and ketchup oozed from the side.
The pathway leading to his booth seemed as if it stretched on forever. In spite of the dread in the pit of my stomach, I finally made my feet move forward. It was as if I was on a conveyor belt, walking and walking, but making no progress. Each step seemed to carry me further away.
Finally, I lunged from behind the counter, making a dash for his booth. It was as if everything played frame by frame. Glasses no longer clanked and conversations stopped as all eyes no doubt focused on me—the lunatic owner flying across the café floor.
As my eyes met his confused and alarmed stare, I reached for his burger. My hand made contact with the bun and I swatted, making the bun and meat f
ly from his hands, before they landed in the middle of the hardwood floor.
My arms flung out as I stumbled and grabbed the air, trying to save myself. The moment seemed as if it moved in slow motion, frozen in time. Gasps echoed around me—probably Mary Jane and the nosy women at table six. The surroundings appeared fuzzy, as if my eyes couldn’t focus, yet I made out every detail around me. My arms and legs felt as if they were weighted down with cement.
I put out my hands to stop myself from falling. He reached down to grab me, but missed. My lips parted to gasp in air and a high-pitched yelp escaped my mouth. My face met with the floor as I fell at the edge of the booth, my mouth practically coming to rest on his work boot. The smell of Lysol from the freshly mopped floor made my stomach turn, as if I weren’t already sick enough. My cheeks burned as if I’d been caught making out in the backseat of my parents’ car.
I grunted and turned my head to the side only to see his green eyes peering down at me. Okay, I’d wanted a closer inspection of him, but I hadn’t wanted to make an ass of myself in the process. The heat from his gaze ran through my body.
Silence filled the space except for a stifled snicker from the other side of the room. I shot an evil glare in the direction of the young dark-haired girl. She darted behind her menu. I stared around the room at the frowning expectant faces. The old ladies gave me a disapproving shake of their heads.
He didn’t ask what the heck I was doing, or call for the men with the white jackets...at least not yet. Instead, he leaned over me with his mouth agape and stared for a beat. Finally, he grabbed my arm as I shuffled up from the floor, brushing off my pants to allow time for my face to return to a shade lighter than fire-engine red.
My mind raced a million miles a minute, trying to conjure up a logical explanation as to why I had knocked the food from his hand like a deranged freak. I had none. Not one logical thought. I might as well just tell him I was crazy, it sounded much better than the truth.
