“So, since I hold my own kind of magic, I can see it better or quicker?”
“Or, it could be because you and I have our own kind of connection. The one where you want to take me out to eat at my favorite place, Claudio’s, and I let you.” She pressed a kiss to his lips, short and sweet, then grabbed him by the hand, dragging him out the door.
There was a connection between them all right, and it had less to do with dating her and more to do with them being soul mates.
13
Sept 21st - Monday
Colby leaned against the wall in the conference room, a big, dumb ass grin on his face. Holden would join him soon, make fun of him, and be promptly told to fuck off. They’d arranged to meet up and get a start on the pass over from night to day shift. He would also be telling his friend to back the fuck off of his girlfriend, and the bet was over. Better yet, there never had been a bet, and if he so much as said anything to Ella, Colby would break his fucking legs. Or some other suitable punishment.
Maybe he could introduce Holden to the witch who’d cursed him. Or Ella’s cousin.
That sounded like a plan. Ella would never know, and he could go about dating her, convincing her to be his and only his, to his heart’s desire. Which he was pretty fucking content to do at the moment.
As soon as the morning meeting was over and Holden understood he needed to find a new masseuse, Colby would find Ella and take her for coffee. And, if they ended up back in his office rolling around on the bed, that would be great too. He lived for her sweet kisses and light, possessive touches.
A muscular shoulder bumped into his. “You’re awfully zoned out, aren’t you?”
That was one way to put it. He looked over at Holden, who’d propped himself against the wall on his shoulder facing Colby. “Got a few things on my mind.”
“Oh? Does it have…” he trailed off as more people came in the room and walked by them. A couple of them cast glances in their direction. Holden did one of the half grin, nod greetings. When it was clear, he spoke again. “Does it have to do with one sweet, curvy witch I’m about the seal the deal with? You’re about to lose the bet. I’ve got a standing appointment with her every morning. Fuck, she’s got the softest hands; and her fingers, I swear I could come just from her touching me. It’s only a matter of time until she’s putty in my hands.”
Colby knew his friend was goading him. Ella had told him repeatedly that she had no interest in Holden. He reminded her of her younger brothers. Definitely not something a guy wants to hear. “You’re full of shit,” Colby whispered. More people filed into the room, filling up the space around them. “She thinks of you like a brother. And trust me, she’s not too keen on them.”
“Bullshit,” Holden said, not bothering to keep his voice down.
“Not bullshit. You lost already anyway. We spent Friday night together locked up in the office. Or, did you forget that she left you standing on the dance floor to go off with me? And we had a lunch date earlier in the week. You lost. I won. You have to cover my shifts for a week and do all of the paperwork.” Colby couldn’t help the smirk lifting his lips.
Claire did her best to hide behind Holden’s bulky body, as she listened to the two men talk. She’d known there was something going on between Holden and Colby when it came to Ella. No way either of those men would be chasing her without a good reason.
A bet. How…pedestrian.
But, boys will be boys, and she would never deny someone the chance to play a joke on someone else. Especially a goody two-shoes like Ella. The woman could do no wrong, and had won over the rest of the spa employees. They accepted her into their circle as though she’d always be there. Something they’d never done with Claire. They’d pretended, but they’d never accepted her.
She came in thinking she was special. Thinking she could fall into place and take over without paying her dues.
Claire had paid hers. Flirting with that repulsive dwarf Vasilis. Playing nice with all of the other women. Pretending to be their friend. Acting like a simpering fool.
Ella was about to have a reality check, and Claire was getting Colby back. He would be hers come hell or high water. And when she was done with him, she would be the one to break things off.
As quietly as she came into the room, she left. The men never noticed. She needed to strike while the iron was hot.
14
Sept 21st - Monday
Ella switched on the light to her room before taking a deep breath. Another week at Satyr. And another week of Claire acting like a diva. Claire decided that the staff needed to spend time in their treatment rooms getting them ready for clients. Decided for them all that they didn’t need to be at the morning meeting since they weren’t in charge. It was a manager’s job, and she would disseminate the information she felt they needed to know.
They’d all given into Claire’s high-and-mighty demand, mostly because none of them felt like bothering with a challenge about authority. Bianca and a couple of the other seasoned employees were secretly cooking up something to take care of the woman. She repeatedly told Ella not to worry about it, and things would be better soon.
It didn’t matter how Claire acted though. Out of sight, out of mind. Besides, Ella had had the best weekend ever with a hot Djinn, and she wouldn’t let Claire and her snippy, bitchy remarks get to her. The woman could take a flying leap, with some help if need be, as far as Ella was concerned.
Crap, now she needed to cleanse the room of all of the Claire-induced bad juju floating in the air.
Heading to the cabinet where she’d stashed the sage, she pulled a bundle up and set it on fire with a flick of her wrist. She blew it out and smoke unfurled. Twisting and turning toward the ceiling. Ella closed her eyes, finding her center. With slow methodical waves of the sage, she walked clockwise around the outer edges of the room chanting.
* * *
Incense pure and refined,
Purge and cleanse this room of mine.
Bring to those who walk through my door,
Peace, balance, and so much more.
* * *
After her third pass, she snuffed out the sage and placed in it a bowl back in the cabinet, ready for future use. Already the room felt better. There was a lightness to the air. A fresh quality that breathed of life and calming clarity.
She wasn’t at all surprised when her door opened suddenly. Holden was on her list of clients, and it had to be about the time he came in. “Give me a second, Holden, and I’ll get you taken care of,” Ella said as she kneeled down, her head practically stuck in a lower cabinet. She’d been looking for more towels and was sure she’d seen them in there.
“Oh, honey. How sad to think you could take care of a man like that.” Claire’s voice was like nails on a chalkboard. The grating sound had Ella gritting her teeth.
She stood smoothly. Gently closing the cabinet door. “Claire, back from the meeting so soon?” Her gaze flicked to the clock up on the wall. “It seems a bit early.”
“Don’t you worry about the meeting. I just wanted to come back and see how it felt.”
Ella was confused by the woman’s words. She canted her head, and her brows furrowed. There was something off about Claire, and not just her attitude. “How what felt?”
Claire sneered and stepped further into the room. A golden ripple rushed over her skin. Almost too quick to catch. She ran her hand down the massage table, stopping opposite of Ella. “To be the butt of a joke. A bet between two men. From what I understand, whoever tapped you first was the winner.”
Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. Heart skipping a beat. The words couldn’t be true. “Excuse me?”
Claire’s skin rippled with the golden glow again. “Well, you didn’t actually think both of those men were interested in you, did you? I mean, it must have been so overwhelmingly flattering for a woman like you,” she eyed Ella with disdain, “to have two very attractive men pursue you. But you had to know it wasn’t real.”
“I don
’t know what you’re talking about.” But Ella had a sinking feeling she did. Colby let his interest be known from the moment he’d met her, if she remembered correctly. White Lightning and a fuzzy head didn’t help with her memory of that night. Holden, well he had been up to something, she knew that; but he’d started coming around right on the heels of her working there.
Claire looked at her, a sad moue on her face. “Oh, but you do. Holden would never go for a girl like you. You’re too plain. Too timid. Too…fat. And Colby. Well, he has me, doesn’t he? I’m his type,” she hissed. “He chased after me for months before I would give him the time of day. He likes his women tall, blonde, and skinny.” She ran her hands down her sides as she talked.
Ella knew that wasn’t true. He’d loved every inch of her curvy body Friday night. He touched her every chance he got. Kissed her. Stared at her like she was his salvation. He didn’t let go of her once when they’d gone out Sunday, shooting daggers at other men who even glanced in her direction.
Claire twitched, pulling Ella from her thoughts. It was so out of the norm that she couldn’t help but stare at the other woman. And that’s when she saw it. The golden ripple down her body. Slower this time, but coming in quicker waves. Like there wasn’t enough magic flowing through Claire. Ella missed what happened to Claire’s face, but she saw the ripple work its way down her bare arms. The skin turned ashen and wrinkled. Spots dotted over what was before smooth, clear skin.
“You’re wearing a glamour.” Ella was beyond surprised. About as surprised as Claire appeared. The woman’s mouth dropped open on a gasp. Her gaze dropped to her hands, which hadn’t changed back to their faux appearance. “For the love of Hecate, that’s why you steal from your clients.” The rumors all made sense now.
Before Claire could refute the accusation, the door swung open. Vasilis and Bianca stormed into the room. The dwarf’s face was blood red. His cheeks puffed out in rage. His hair puffed up on his head like Mr. Hufflington’s did when he was enraged.
“I’ve finally got ya, missy,” he hissed. His tiny beaded eyes narrowed, and spittle formed at the edges of his mouth.
While Claire’s focus was on Vasilis’ rants, Bianca zoomed up behind her and covered her with pixie dust. Black ribbons of it snaked around the witch, binding her.
“Get in here,” Vasilis raged. Two burly men entered the shrinking room. “Take her. I never want to see her face again.”
Claire’s mouth opened on protest, but nothing came out. Her eyes bugged out in panic. Fingers twitched where they were pressed against her sides. The men each grabbed an arm and lifted her, carrying her out of the room.
Vasilis turned to Bianca. “Good job, lassie.” He nodded at Ella and stormed out of the room with the same ferocity as he’d arrived.
Bianca fluttered over and sat on the table. “Told you I had something up my sleeve. I’m just sorry it had to happen to you.” She shrugged apologetically.
“Yeah. I’m glad I could help?” It was more of a questioning response, because she really hadn’t done anything. Except get in Claire’s crosshairs.
Bianca giggled and wings fluttered like a hummingbird’s. “You know that other stuff she said…”
“Go on,” Ella encouraged. She didn’t know what all they had heard before bursting in.
Bianca nibbled on her lip. “I would go confront Colby. In my experience, Holden is an instigator. If there was a bet, it was probably his idea.”
“Ah, but that didn’t mean Colby had to take part,” she insisted.
“You’ve met him, right?”
Ella merely nodded.
“He’s a guy. I think it’s some male pride ego thing.” Bianca shook her head in disgust. “That is why I don’t date men…often. So not worth the trouble half the time.”
Ella couldn’t help but laugh. Bianca giggled along with her. It took them a couple of minutes before they settled down.
Bianca hopped off the table and hugged Ella. When she stepped back, she held Ella at arm’s length. “I’ll cover for you. Go find out. I think Colby really does like you, and the bet wasn’t even on his mind when he was with you. There’s a connection between you two. Any fool can see that.”
Ella nodded. She thought so too, but he wouldn’t be getting off that easy. “What about Holden? He should be here soon for his morning face massage.”
“Don’t worry. I have something in store for him too. Thinks he can mess with one of my friends.”
Ella lunged and squeezed Bianca impulsively. A puff of pixie dust shot up into the air. Bianca blushed and shooed Ella away. It was time to settle things once and for all with a certain Djinn who held her heart.
15
Sept 21st - Monday
Colby swiped his hand over the panel, impatient for the door to slide open and see what the hell was going on.
Tuari approached him at the end of the staff meeting to inform him he was needed back in the bar office. His plans for tracking down Ella, who hadn’t shown up at the meeting, were derailed. There were whispered words of something happening at the spa that prevented them from showing.
He had a moment’s panic when he’d heard. His first thought going straight to Ella, to wanting to have her by his side and never let her out of his sight. Whatever happened had to have involved Claire and Ella. He knew it in his gut and by the way unease crawled up his spine and his stomach rolled with nausea.
But he wouldn’t be able to find out until he dealt with whatever waited for him. Fuck, he prayed it didn’t take long.
Stepping through the door, the sight that greeted him stopped him in his tracks. The door damn near closed on him as it slid shut. It was also probably why he didn’t feel the magic slip over him as he walked inside the room.
“Ella,” he exclaimed, reeling back. To say he was surprised to see her sitting in his chair, one eyebrow arched high, and lips pinched, would be an understatement. She looked unhappy. Very, very unhappy.
He took the few steps to get to her and reached out to haul her to him. She dodged him. Pushing back in the chair before standing.
“Sit,” she commanded, pointing to the chair.
He wanted to stay standing, to keep on an equal level. There was a force pressing on him to obey. He plunked down into the chair and spun to face her, as she paced back and forth. “What’s wrong, babe?”
“Don’t you babe, me.” Her eyebrow inched higher. Lips pursing tighter. It was a look that told him he was in deep shit. One his mother used when he was a boy. Little Djinns had a bit of mischief coursing through them when their powers manifested. He’d given his mother a run for her money. So much so that she used magic on him.
He racked his brain going over the last couple of days. There wasn’t anything he could think of that he’d done wrong. Didn’t say anything to set her off. He had no idea what he’d done wrong. Except…he groaned and squeezed his eyes shut.
“The bet,” she confirmed, reading his mind. He didn’t know how the fuck she’d done that, but she was right.
“How…”
She sliced her hand through the air, cutting off his words. It was almost as if she were stuffing them back in his mouth. “I had quite the morning with an off-her-rocker bitch. She had all sorts of interesting things to say about you. Seems there was a bet with Holden. Who could get me in the sack first?” Her eyebrow inched even higher. He was sure it would get lost in her hairline at any moment.
“Colby,” she snapped.
“No,” he paused. The silver in her eyes flashed bright. Something he’d seen a witch do only once before. Ah fuck. He hoped like hell he wasn’t about to be cursed again. “It was who could get you to go out with him first,” he mumbled. Better to stick to the truth than try to cover his ass. Not like he could say anything different. There was a force pressing against his skin. Pressing him to admit his sins and tell only the truth. It was foreign and had the feel of magic. He narrowed his eyes and studied Ella for a second. A silver hue glowed softly around her.
“Did you put a spell on the room?”
Her lips thinned. “And if I did?”
“I would understand. I heard something happened at the spa.”
“Geez, that was fast,” she mumbled under her breath.
“Rumors have a way of finding people. It had to do with Claire, didn’t it?”
Ella pursed her lips. Her nostrils flared at the mention of the other woman’s name. “The bet.”
“I was going to tell you about it,” he sighed in resignation. It all needed to come out one way or another.
“Oh.” Power snapped from her fingers, arcing from one hand to the other. “And when were you going to do that?”
He opened his mouth, words on the tip of his tongue, but Ella wasn’t allowing it. She glared at him, and he snapped his mouth shut. How the fuck was he supposed to explain himself if she didn’t let him?
“I know,” she snapped her fingers, the sound cracking loud through the room. “You were going to tell me now, since, you know, we’ve slept together. You’re the big winner. No reason for you to keep chasing after me and pretending to like me. Is that right?” Colby caught the tiny bit of hurt bleeding through her question. Hope bloomed in his chest, no matter how horribly timed it might be. To him it meant she cared. That she was invested in him.
Colby jumped out of the chair. He briefly thought about not touching her, but that was a ridiculous notion. Grabbing her gently by the upper arms, he rubbed his thumbs over her soft skin. Felt the tension and power vibrating through her, and wished like hell that they weren’t going through this rough patch. She frowned down at one of his hands, but didn’t tell him to let go. Thank fuck for that. “No, absolutely wrong. The bet was never on my mind. Not really. I’ve wanted you from the start, before Holden came up with the dumb idea.”
Colby: September Page 8
