A Witch's Guide to a Good Brew

by Jose Rodriguez-Copeland

  “We sure hope so. Nevertheless, your time outside of the witch colony will come to an end in one month’s time.”

  This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not when I was enjoying my time here. There was still so much to do. So many places to see. So much to share.

  “Pardon me,” I said, lips quivering. “Would it be possible for me to stay here longer? I promise to control my powers more.”

  “That will not be possible. Keep in mind, Tessa, that we came to this decision solely on your inability to remain stable in the face of strong emotional readings. Like it or not, you need proper training that you can only receive in the witch colony.”

  “When will I be allowed back out?” I said.

  “What did you say?”

  “I said,” raising my voice, “when will I be allowed to leave the witch colony?”

  “You will not, young witch. You will never leave the witch colony again.”

  She hung up.

  It felt as if my heart would leap out of my mouth. The freedom that I tasted will be gone for good in a matter of weeks. I couldn’t believe it. No, I refused to believe it.

  What would Raul say when he found out? It’s not secret that he likes me. Hearing this news will hurt him just as much as it hurt me. He deserved to know as soon as possible.

  I spent the rest of the workday in an unshakable melancholy. When it came time to head home, I did so with my eyes pointed at the ground. I got to the door of the apartment I shared with Raul. It took significant effort just to open the door and face him.

  He was there. I tried to blurt out the terrifying news I was told a few hours ago, but a lump in my throat prevented me from doing so.

  “Today was a busy day,” I said as I threw my hat on the dining table.

  “Nice to see you survived it,” said Raul.

  My gaze flew past him, to a portrait hung by the wall. It featured a woman and her young son.

  “What’s that? Is that your mother?”

  “Yeah,” he said.

  I caught Raul staring at me. He had a habit of staring, but this time the exercise lasted longer than usual. That was when it hit me. A sense of deep understanding had sprouted within him. From the context, I guessed it had something to do with his mother.

  Oh, Raul. I wish I could tell you everything. I wish I could jump into your arms and tell you that everything will be alright. For now, though, all I can do is delay reality as much as possible.

  “What happened?” I said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, your mom was so pretty. Guess you missed out on the gene lottery, Raul.”

  “You’re so mean, and after I give you a house and a job. And food too! I haven’t taken it off your paycheck, but I just might start, you know?”

  “No!” I said, putting my arms around his waist. “I need the money to buy more dresses!”

  “I won’t,” he said. “Tessa?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you want to go on a date with me?”

  Chapter 9

  “Excuse me?” said Tessa. Her head was tilted, as if I had asked her a difficult question. Not that I blame her. It came out of nowhere.

  “Let’s go on a date,” I said. “You and me.”

  “When?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “What’ll we be doing?”

  I hadn’t thought that far. I couldn’t tell her that, however. This was me taking a big, confident step forward. No way in hell could I keep up the illusion if I didn’t know as basic a detail as what the date would be about.

  “Does it matter?” I said, lowering the tone of my voice. “I just want to get the chance to know you better.”

  “B-but we live together,” she said, pointing to the corner of the apartment that housed the bed and sofa. Considering we work and live in the same tiny space, Tessa and I probably spend more time in close quarters than many other couples do.

  “That’s true, but this would be like a step above that,” I said. This was unexpected territory. In my head, she would’ve said something along the lines of ‘Sure, why not’ and that would give me a solid day to plan the actual contents of the date. Her apprehension made me feel like asking might’ve been a mistake.

  Tessa didn’t immediately respond. She turned her back to me and put her hand on the table. I guess it wasn’t as easy as yes or no.

  “We can do anything you’d like,” I added. “How about the movie theater? You said you wanted to go ever since I first took you to the mall. It’ll be fun.”

  No response.

  “Listen, Tessa. I understand that this might be a bad idea, considering our current situation. If it doesn’t go well, we can go back to being friends, just like how we started. If it does go well, then who knows what’ll happen. It’s just a first date. We’re not deciding the fate of the world or anything like that.”

  Tessa turned around, her face beaming with a wide smile.

  “I accept,” she said. “But you can’t just spring big news like this on a girl after she had such a long day at work, you know.”

  “I… huh?”

  She said yes. Tessa said yes. My heart raced.

  “Raul,” she said, waving her hand an inch away from my face.

  “Y-yeah?”

  “You still haven’t said what we’ll be doing.”

  “The movies,” I blurted out.

  She tilted her head. I needed to sweeten the deal.

  “And ice cream…”

  Tessa’s head remained fixed in the same spot. More?

  “And shopping…”

  Still no movement. There’s only so many hours in the day, Tessa!

  “And dinner at a fancy restaurant.”

  “There you go,” she said, patting me on the back. “You know, if you asked me this a month ago I would’ve been good with just a movie. Now that I know what dating outside the witch colony looks like, however, I’m far more ambitious.”

  After we went to bed, she called out to me.

  “Hey, Raul,” she said. “You up?”

  “Now I am,” I said.

  “I didn’t mean to wake you up. Just wanted to let you know that I’m excited for tomorrow.”

  “I’m excited too,” I said from the comfort of my sofa. Tessa had rocked my world, and tomorrow I had the opportunity to understand her even more. I was thrilled.

  “This will be my first date,” she said. “So make it count, OK?”

  “You got it.”

  “...”

  “...”

  “Is this your first date too, Raul?”

  “It’s not,” I said. “Full disclosure, I’ve dated four girls before.”

  “That’s so many!” she said. She sat upright on her bed. “Are you some sort of player!?”

  “I’m not,” I said. “Go to bed, Tessa.”

  I worked the register for most of the day yesterday. Customers floated in and out of the store, made their orders, and went home. It was just like any other day. But if that was the case, then why was I smiling so damn much?

  “Hey there, lover boy,” said Elise. During one customer arrival lull, she pressed herself against me.

  “Hey there, Elise…”

  “Tessa’s been blabbing about your date all morning,” she said. “About how you’re going to take her on the best date ever. But, knowing you, you probably said a bunch of stuff that would make her feel good without thinking it through. Am I right?”

  “You’re right,” I said, stone-faced.

  “What was that?”

  “I don’t have a reservation yet,” I said. “The three places I want to go are all booked for tonight.”

  “I’m sure you’ll find a way, loverboy. Come to think of it, I’ve worked for you for a long time and you never asked me out on a date. Why’s that?”

  Elise sucked in her lip. She usually minds her own business, but I guess even she can’t resist the allure of gossip.

  “Because then you would’ve quit and I woul
d have to handle Twisted Cauldron alone. Didn’t want to hedge my bets,” I said.

  “Good answer. Besides, you aren’t my type,” she said. “You’re too uptight.”

  “Thanks for sharing,” I said, grating my teeth.

  “I can open up the shop tomorrow, if you’d like. I know you two might be interested in sleeping in, if you catch my drift.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” I said, plainly. Elise was making all these assumptions when I haven’t even decided what kind of pants I would wear for the date.

  I waved to Mr. Johnson as he walked through the door, then went to serve some orders. Don and Julie sat at their favorite table, sharing a newspaper between them.

  “Good morning,” I said. “Here’s your order, with an extra chocolate croissant, on the house.”

  “You’re too kind, dear,” said Julie, her white face smiling back.

  “Glad we caught you in a good mood,” said Don. “Let us know when you have a date so we can get more free pastries.”

  “You know? How?”

  Don pointed his finger at Tessa. She was a few tables away, having an animated conversation with a customer. The witch’s smiling face beamed, practically bathing the entire café in its light. I was excited about it, too. Butterflies had fluttered in my stomach ever since I asked her out last night. Felt even better than the days leading up to my first date in high school.

  “She’s really excited about it, isn’t she?” I said aloud.

  “It’s hard not to smile when you see her so happy,” said Julie.

  “Listen boy,” said Don, gesturing me to get closer. “You better not screw this up. If you do, Tessa will be a mess and it’s just a few short hops from that to bankruptcy. Treat her well, alright? We’d hate to come here tomorrow just to see her all sad.”

  “Don’t worry Don. I’ll be as respectful as always,” I said.

  “Have fun. I know she’s rocked your world, but don’t be too forward about that.”

  “Thanks, Don.”

  “Women hate it when you say stuff about how you can’t live without them.”

  “Thanks, Don…”

  “And when you order dinner, don’t be a cheapass and order the least expensive thing on the menu. Order something expensive so that she won’t feel bad for doing the same.”

  “Alright Don, thanks,” I said, finally detaching myself from their table.

  Mr. Johnson sat at the bar alone. Cupped in his hands was a cappuccino. Its savory smell was soothing and almost made me forget about my previous conversation.

  “Nice seeing you here more often,” I said.

  “Found myself liking this mid-morning break to your café. Helps me brainstorm. We have a big merger coming up, so I need to be firing on all cylinders,” he said.

  “Glad to hear it.”

  “Elise told me about your date tonight…”

  “Not you too,” I said, groaning.

  “It’s cool, man. I’m sure you’re plenty nervous as in, but I’m here to tell you: don’t be. You’ve been hanging out with Tessa for, what, a few months? Think of this as an extension of that. If you go into it thinking this is all-or-nothing, of course you’ll get all scared and make a fool of yourself.”

  “So you’re saying I should treat it as any regular Friday night?” I said.

  “Exactly,” he said. “What are your plans?”

  “I was going to take her to the Wellspring Center,” I said, scratching my nose. “That’s about all I have planned.”

  “You’re killin’ me here, Raul. Anything more specific?”

  “Shopping, movie, dinner, ice cream,” I said.

  “There we go!” he said, clapping his hands together. “Where’s dinner?”

  “I haven’t been able to get a reservation,” I said.

  “You’re joking.”

  “Tried Monroe Grill, Tin Kitchen, and Armaggio’s,” I said.

  “Monroe Grill? I think I can help you there,” he said. Mr. Johnson gulped the last of his drink and left it atop its porcelain coaster. He then stepped away from the counter and pulled out his phone. Finding myself with nothing to do, I washed the cup.

  “Got it,” he said, knocking on the wooden bar behind me. I turned to see his million-dollar smile.

  “You got us a reservation at Monroe Grill? How’d you manage that?”

  “Me and the owner go way back. I gotta head out now but be sure to give Tessa some fond memories. Alright, man?”

  “Thank you so much,” I said.

  “Don’t mention it.”

  Mr. Johnson took his suit jacket over his shoulder and waved off, his figure disappearing out the door.

  That was a huge relief. I could take care of the rest on my own. Don’t worry, Mr. Johnson. I’ll be sure to give Tessa the best first date a witch could ask for.

  The walk back after work was strangely silent. I tried to break the ice, but Tessa fidgeted her fingers and spent most of the walk deep in thought.

  “Everything OK?” I said, unlocking the front door.

  “Y-yeah,” she said. “Just thinking about what I should wear.”

  “The whole way over here? It took you that long to decide?”

  “I see you didn’t put much thought into it,” she said, giving me the shoulder. “I’ll be changing in the bathroom.”

  It was time to make my move. I quickly changed into my button-up and sleek black slacks, not even bothering to close the windows. Put a light jacket on for good measure. I needed to be quick if I wanted to pull this off. I raced back to the same street the Twisted Cauldron was on. The streetlamps were lit, their lights reflecting off the closed shops around. The flower shop next to our café had its door open.

  “Hello Maria,” I said.

  “Hello dear,” she said. Her veiny fingers were wrapped around a large arrangement of colorful flowers. “Your orders’ just about ready.”

  Out came a young woman holding a bouquet of roses. She was the splitting image of Maria if Maria were 30 years younger.

  “You’re looking handsome,” said Maria’s daughter.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “Are you going out with that new girl?” said Maria.

  “The one with the funny hat?”

  “Shush Alejandra,” said Maria, wagging her finger at her daughter. “We don’t judge people by the size of their hats.”

  “Thanks to both of you, but I really have to go,” I said. I swiped my credit card and flung out the door. I modulated my speed to minimize sweating, but I could still feel the droplets accumulating over my temple.

  I arrived at the front door of my own apartment, gasping for breath. It took a second for me to regain my composure. Back straight. Chest out. You’re ready, Raul. I knocked.

  “Who is it?” called Tessa from the other side.

  “Who else?” I said.

  She opened the door and gasped.

  “Are those for me?” she said.

  “They are,” I said. “Happy first date.”

  As soon as I heard myself say that, I cringed. Tessa was still fixated on the flowers. I held them out. The flowers rose from my hands and into the open space in front of Tessa. She put her nose to them and smiled.

  “It smells really good,” she said. “I can’t believe you went through all this trouble.”

  “You’re worth it.”

  She potted the roses, giving me a chance to admire her outfit. Tessa wore a tight blouse, tucked into the skirt that I bought her many weeks ago. She had on flawless dark eyeliner and red lipstick.

  “You look beautiful,” I said. I wanted to record this moment and keep it in my head forever. The vision of Tessa blushing at my comment. Of her pristine smile, so genuine that it erased all the doubt in my heart.

  There was a short pause where neither of us said anything. We stood there, cheeks blushed, staring at the ground.

  “You ready?” I said.

  “Where to? Sample place as last time?”

  “There’s
another place called the Wellspring Center. It has a ton more exciting stuff.”

  “How many shopping centers do you need?” she said. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that she lived in the country with the highest amount of retail space per capita.

  We stepped outside, where the ride-share vehicle I asked for minutes before had just arrived.

  “Raul, why is the car just standing there? No one’s getting in or out,” she said.

  “We’re getting in,” I said. “I ordered it.”

  “You what? Why do we need a car?”

  “It’s too far away to walk,” I said. “And I ordered it from my phone.”

  I opened the door of the black sedan, letting Tessa in first. Then I went around and got in.

  “I still can’t believe your phone ordered a car,” she said. The car got out of the urban area we were in and onto the highway. It raced down at dozens of miles an hour.

  “We should use a car more often,” said Tessa.

  “Plenty of people use cars to get around,” I said.

  “Then why don’t you have one? Is it because you’re cheap?”

  “I… uh… Yes.”

  “Figures,” said Tessa, shaking her head.

  “Hey! You have no idea how expensive it is to own a car in the city,” I said, but it fell on deaf ears. Tessa had her eyes glued to the window.

  “How did you arrive in the city in the first place?” I said. It was a question that had popped into my head once every few days, but I never found the right moment to ask.

  “Joe drove me,” she said.

  “He what?” I said.

  “He dropped me off in front of Twisted Cauldron.”

  “So you’re saying that Uncle Joe drove you all the way from Maryland and he didn’t even bother to step out and say hello? That means that when I called him he was probably still in the car!”

  Man, Uncle Joe was a real ass sometimes. To not even say hi to your nephew when he’s a few feet away. That’s cold.

  “We’re here,” said the driver. Tessa and I stepped out into a large roundabout. Greeting us was a large round fountain with statues of turtles spread across it.

  “They’re so cute!” she said, jogging over. One of the bronze turtles was jutting out of the water just enough to touch it. Tessa put her hand over its head and pet it.