Sleaze on the Beach

by Sara Bourgeois

  Food in hand, actually two hands because all that food took two bags and a drink tray, Starla set out for Blossom’s shop. There were a couple of tourists milling around the store when Starla walked in. Blossom was behind the counter checking out a purchase for an older woman.

  The customer, dressed in a huge straw sun hat and dress covered with magenta tropical flowers, was trying to negotiate with Blossom over the price of a crystal dolphin statue.

  “It’s just that my son wanted me to come on this trip. The doctors gave me a few months to live, and he said that I should spend my savings taking the trip of my dreams. So, I did.” the woman said with a chuckle. Starla couldn’t figure out why that was funny until the woman continued. “So, I got on the cruise ship’s internet yesterday. Did you know they charge like twenty dollars for a fifteen-minute block of internet time? Anywhoo, I get on and check my email, and what do I see? An email from my oncologist. I’m in remission. I’m going to live.” The woman teared up a little, and Starla did to. “I have a grandbaby on the way, and the doctors were telling me I wouldn’t live to see her birth. And now I will!” The woman laughed again and slapped the counter in excitement. “Anyway, I can’t spend too much more money on this trip. See, I spent my savings thinking that I’d be meeting my maker sooner rather than later, but it looks like it’s going to be later. I saw this dolphin crystal and it spoke to me. My friend, Midge, over there,” The woman turned to another woman dressed in a linen shirt and green cargo shorts, “she said I should try to negotiate. I’ve never done anything so gauche in my life, but why not? I’m gonna live.” The woman looked a little nervous and embarrassed. “But, I suppose that I should just get one of the smaller dolphin statues rather than bothering you with my troubles.”

  Starla could feel that the woman was genuine, and she could tell by the look on Blossom’s face that her friend could see it too.

  “Actually, you’re going to have to save your negotiating for another shop,” Blossom said with a big smile. “This was one of the items I was about to mark down on clearance.” Blossom held up a price sticker gun. “So it was about to be marked down to half price anyway. I haven’t put the sticker on yet, but I suppose that it’s only fair that I sell it to you for the sale price.”

  “Thank you,” the woman said, and she did start to cry.

  Her friend, Midge, rushed up to hug her, and Blossom came around the corner and joined the fray. “Group hug,” she called out, and Starla went to them too.

  She wasn’t sure why, but it seemed like the thing to do. They all stood there for a few minutes, sniffling and hugging, until finally the hug broke apart. Blossom introduced Starla to the woman as her best friend with a proud smile plastered across her face. It made Starla’s heart feel all warm and fuzzy.

  Starla hung out in the shop and waited for the last couple of customers to clear out. When the last one was gone, Blossom came out to meet her in the middle of the shop where Starla stood, looking at tiny glass turtles.

  “Let me help you with that,” Blossom said.

  Starla had two bags of food in one hand and a drink tray with the frozen coffee concoctions in the other. “I hope these didn’t melt too much, but they seem okay.”

  “Yeah, the air conditioning keeps it pretty cool in here, and I have that tint stuff on the front window. If too much sun gets in, the shiny glass things will give you a migraine with their stabby light,” Blossom said. “Let’s go in the back room and eat.”

  “What if you get more customers?”

  “There’s a bell on the door.”

  The two witches went into the back and spread their breakfast out on a folding card table that the previous shop owner had set up for employees. After they’d eaten about half of the food, Blossom still hadn’t told Starla why she wanted her to come into the shop.

  Other than buying her breakfast, of course.

  “So, Blossom, you wanted me to come for breakfast, but was there anything else?” Starla asked.

  “Oh yeah. I did have a reason other than breakfast,” she admitted with a chuckle. “Thank you, by the way. I really appreciate this.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Anyway, the reason I wanted you to come here was to check out the store next door.”

  “The magnet store?” Starla asked.

  “It was a magnet store, but now it’s empty,” Blossom said. “I was thinking that you could rent the place to sell your candles. Or you could buy it and we could open a doorway between the two shops.”

  “Blossom, I don’t have enough money to buy a store,” Starla said.

  “Yeah, but I’m betting those Elders you’re always talking about are feeling guilty about stranding you on the island to start a magic colony that will never happen.”

  “Are you saying I should exploit the Elders’ guilt in order to get money to buy a shop. Blossom, they’re already supporting me until I can get on my feet.”

  “Yeah, but they wouldn’t have to be doing that if they hadn’t stranded you here.”

  “I like it here.”

  “That’s not the point,” Blossom said. “You gave up everything to come here and now you can’t even do what you were sent to do. You should be able to milk that. They’re Elders right? That sounds fancy. I bet they are loaded.”

  Starla had never really considered how much money the Elders had, but Blossom was probably right. They could probably afford to buy the shop for her, but could she be the kind of person who would even ask? And, how would she get ahold of them to even ask for the money? It could be a while. If ever…

  “When we’re done eating, we’ll go take a look if there aren’t any customers in the store.” Nothing was ever accomplished with a defeatist attitude. Besides, the connection between herself and the Elders, and Juniper, would have to open up again soon. Right?

  “Yay! We’re going to have a shop together,” Blossom said and clapped her hands.

  “I didn’t say that,” Starla retorted. “Wait, never mind. How would we even get in to look around?”

  “I have the key.”

  “Of course you do,” Starla chuckled.

  “Hey. It’s not like I stole it. The real estate agent left it in case someone wanted to go in and look around.”

  “Has anyone come around to look at it?” Starla asked, suddenly worried that she might miss out on the opportunity that five minutes ago she hadn’t even been sure she wanted.

  “Yeah, but I told them I didn’t have a key.”

  Blossom locked the front door of the empty souvenir shop. She put a sign in the door that said “Back in ten minutes.”

  They went next door to the empty store and Blossom let them in with the key the real estate agent had given her. The empty shop looked almost identical to the interior of Blossom’s store.

  There was a counter toward the back, a large area for displays, and a huge window that looked out onto the sidewalk and cruise ship docks. Behind the counter was a door that led into the back break room and storage area.

  “Let’s go in the back for a minute,” Blossom said. “The old owner left some boxes and I want to see if there’s anything good in them.”

  “Isn’t that stealing?” Starla said.

  “I’m not going to take anything unless you buy the place,” Blossom said. “I just want to look.”

  “So you’re going to steal from me, then?” Starla asked with a snicker.

  “It sounds so sinister when you put it that way.”

  They went into the back room and Starla walked around the space while Blossom dug into the boxes. There was a small bathroom off to one side. Starla flicked on the light. It was clean, other than a thin layer of dust that had settled on the fixtures.

  “Yeah, that bathroom is much better than the one in my store,” Blossom called from behind Starla. “If we knock down the wall between the shops, I’m totally going to use your bathroom.”

  “The owner left all of these boxes, but there are no shelves. I’d have to get some.
I can’t line my candles up on the floor,” Starla observed.

  “Don’t worry about that,” Blossom responded. “I’ve got some extras in the storage area of my shop. It was too cluttered before, so I took some of the old ones down. I wanted a more open feel, ya know?”

  “I still don’t know how I would pay for this place,” Starla wondered. “I don’t think the Elders are going to just hand over the money to buy a store. They’ve already paid for so much for me. Plus, I can’t even reach them right now.”

  “Did they really pay for you?” Blossom asked. “You said they bought you a house on Clownfish Cay, but what about the money from your old house? Did you get to sell it?”

  “No, they gave it to Juniper and her husband.”

  “See, Starla. You shouldn’t let them off the hook just because they’re a Grand Counsel or whatever. They’re the ones that got you stuck here. And if it wasn’t for the shenanigans going on with the darkness, you could use magic to get this place.”

  “We’re not supposed to use our magic for personal gain anyway,” Starla chided.

  “Yeah, right. Do you think anybody even follows that rule?” Blossom asked.

  “I think I do. I mean, maybe that’s why the darkness is an issue now. Perhaps too many witches out there aren’t honoring the old ways.”

  “You sound like an old crone,” Blossom said with an obvious eye roll.

  “I’ll ask them for the money when I can. Maybe the owner will work out a lease to own or something. I have some money. It’s just not enough to buy the place outright.”

  “Good,” Blossom said. “Because I want this.”

  She stood up and showed Starla her find. In her hands was a large bronze cat statue. It reminded Starla of Bastet the Egyptian cat goddess.

  “Bastet,” Starla said.

  “I think so. It’s a good omen.”

  It wasn’t a good enough omen, but the statue might have saved their lives. When Starla turned around and walked back out onto the sales floor, there was something outside the window blocking part of the light.

  A man in a black hoody was standing with his gloved hands pressed against the glass. When he saw Starla, he began to knock on the window the same way he’d knocked on her doors the night before.

  But he didn’t try to come in. The door to the shop was unlocked because Starla and Blossom hadn’t bothered to lock it behind themselves. He could have come in easily, but he stayed outside the shop, knocking on the window.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  “What is that?” Blossom asked. She didn’t look up at first, but when she did, Blossom nearly dropped the statue on her foot. “Oh my goddess. Who is that?”

  “I don’t know.” Starla’s voice shook. “I think he’s stalking me.”

  Blossom handed the statue to Starla and rushed to the door of the shop. She threw the lock and took out her phone.

  “Kane, you have to get down to the shop next to mine. I was showing it to Starla, and a man is outside the window acting strange. Starla said he’s stalking her. I don’t know what to do.”

  Blossom listened for a moment and then said that yes, she understood. She hung up the phone and turned to Starla.

  “He said to go into the back and lock ourselves in the bathroom.”

  “I don’t want to turn my back on this guy,” Starla said.

  “I don’t either. What should we do? Should we use magic?”

  “No, we don’t use magic, but I’m not going to hide. He didn’t come in when the door was unlocked, so he must be trying to scare me. I’m not going to let him.”

  “I’m pretty scared, Starla.”

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  “I think the statue is keeping him out.” Starla could feel the energy radiating from the artifact. “Bastet offers protection from vermin, disease, and evil spirits.”

  “Which one do you think he is?”

  “I’m not sure. I can’t see his face. I can never quite see his face.”

  “It’s the hoodie. Who wears a hoodie in this heat?”

  “Vermin, disease, or evil spirits?” Starla offered.

  “Hey.” They heard Kane call from somewhere off in the distance. “Stop,” he yelled as the hooded man turned away from the window and took off.

  A few moments later, Kane ran past the window in pursuit of the man. Starla knew in her heart that he wouldn’t catch him, though. She had no idea why she believed that, but it was the truth.

  As she suspected, a few minutes later, Kane reappeared. Blossom and Starla had locked up the empty shop and gone back over to Blossom’s store. They waited there by the entrance for Kane. No tourists had come by, and that was good because the two witches had the door locked.

  Blossom unlocked and opened it when Kane appeared. She didn’t feel the need to lock it again as he followed them into the back room. His presence made her feel safe enough to reopen for the time being.

  “Was it the same guy?” Kane asked.

  “I don’t know,” Starla said. “I think so. I’ve never actually seen his face, but he acted the same way.”

  She told him about the tapping on the glass, but it was hard for her to discuss. It would have been less frightening if he’d just attacked her and she fought him off. All the watching and messing with her head was working.

  “You have to close the shop for now,” Kane said to Blossom. “I don’t want either of you here. It’s too easy for someone to get to you when there aren’t a ton of tourists around.”

  “Kane, I can’t do that. There’s another cruise ship coming in later. I need to keep the store open.”

  “No,” he said. “You don’t. You need to stay alive. I don’t know what game this guy is playing, but it can’t be good.”

  “What if I have Damek come sit with me?”

  “Fine. Call him,” Kane said.

  Blossom disappeared into the back room and came back with a smile on her face. “He said he’d be happy to spend the afternoon with me. He’ll be here in five minutes.”

  “That’s good,” Kane said and turned to Starla. “What about you?”

  “I’m going to the library,” she said. “Don’t worry about me. There will be tons of people there.”

  “You think there are going to be tons of people at the library?”

  “Yeah, why not?”

  Both Blossom and Kane chuckled. Blossom spoke first. “Honey, this is a beautiful tropical island. Maybe back in the Midwest people went to the library a lot, but not here. There’s a beach, and taco stands.”

  “I take it you two have spent a lot of time there?” Starla snarked.

  Both of them shrugged. “Well, no, but—” Kane started.

  “See, you don’t know. Haven’t either of you ever heard of beach reading?”

  “I’ll take you there once Damek gets here to keep an eye on my sister,” Kane said. “If it’s not just you and the librarian, you can stay. Otherwise, we’ll have to think of something else.”

  “Uh,” Starla said. “I didn’t ask for your permission to go to the library, sweetheart.”

  “I know,” Kane said. “I just want you to be safe. What are you doing at the library?”

  “Well, if you must know, I need to do some research on paranormal events on the island.”

  “You think that the guy stalking you might have something to do with the darkness?” Kane guessed.

  “I hope not. I hope he’s just a creeper, but you never know. I can’t just sit around hoping the answer will come. The guy we talked to about the dead guy said he did tours. I wish I could ask him again, but I doubt he’d be very helpful. So I want to go to the library and see what they’ve got.”

  “Fine,” Kane said. “At least you won’t be home alone.”

  Once Damek showed up to stay with Blossom, Kane and Starla set out for the library. They ended up taking his car instead of walking as the library was on the other side of the island in the older part of town.

  “I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here,”
Kane said through a grimace.

  “Kane, sweetie, you have to leave me here. You have a job to do. You’d never forgive yourself if something happened and you weren’t available because you were babysitting me. Blossom said there was another cruise ship coming in. Doesn’t that mean you need to be around for tourists who get drunk and out of line?”

  “You’re right, but I still don’t like it,” he grumbled.

  “I can take care of me, and I’ll call you if I need you. I promise.” Starla didn’t necessarily believe she could take care of herself against the man menacing her, but she knew she had to try to be brave. She would not let him get the better of her.

  Kane watched her walk through the library doors before he pulled away. He’d made her promise not to walk home alone, and he’d almost walked her in. Starla had put a stop to that.

  “It’s not the first day of kindergarten,” she said with a laugh that hid well how nervous she felt.

  Chapter Seven

  The library was small and smelled of old books. Starla was surprised that Kane had left her because there actually was almost no one there. If she’d let him come in with her, he probably would have dragged her out kicking and screaming. Fortunately, it hadn’t come to that.

  A librarian gave her a friendly wave from behind a counter in the back of the room. A couple of older people sat on comfortable looking chairs, reading books by the window.

  Starla made her way to the librarian’s desk. The older woman lit up as she watched Starla approach. She guessed that the library didn’t get many visitors that required assistance.

  “Good afternoon, dear,” the woman said. “I’m Nan the librarian. Haha, that rhymes. I haven’t said it in so long that I forgot it rhymes. Anyway, what can I help you with today.”

  “Well, I’m here to do research. I was wondering if the library had an archive of the island’s old newspapers. Wait, does the island have a newspaper?”