A Taste of Magic

by Tracy Madison

  “That’s cool. Maybe another time.”

  “Definitely another time.” Yay! He wanted to go out with me!

  “I get off work tomorrow at six. How about dinner?”

  Wow, he moved fast. “Oh. I have plans tomorrow night, too.” What kind of luck was that? Every weekend I sat at home with nothing to do but watch Buffy and play with latch-hook rugs, but the one weekend I was booked Nate asked me out. Not once, but twice.

  “Oh, well, okay then.” Shrugging, he said to Sam, “Let me go change and we’ll get going.”

  “’Kay, I still want to see the Bruce Willis movie instead of Disney.”

  “Not happening. Get over it.”

  Sam frowned but went into the living room, picked up the remote, and crashed on the couch.

  Nate’s eyes returned to me. “We need to take off. Thanks for the cake. It’s terrific.”

  “No problem. You guys have fun tonight.” At the door, I turned back, only to find he’d followed me. “I’ll see you later.”

  Bending over slightly, his lips touched mine in a quick kiss. “Enjoy yourself tonight.” I felt his eyes on me as I walked to my apartment.

  This totally stunk. Two possible nights out with Nate, and I had to say no.

  I really hoped he’d ask me again. And what the hell was I going to do about Maddie now?

  “The movie rocked, don’t you think?” Jon asked as we pulled into my parking lot.

  “It had a lot of action,” I replied. Not that I really knew. I’d barely been able to pay attention. There was too much going on for me to lose myself in a movie. Jon didn’t need to know that, though.

  “How do you think I’d look if I shaved my head?” “Nothing like Bruce Willis.”

  “Yeah. That’s what I figured. Mind if I come in?”

  “Of course not. I’d planned on it.” I wanted him to eat the cake I’d made, and I wanted to talk to him about Marc. We needed to come up with a plan to keep my ex from throwing his weight around in our business. In case my spell didn’t take hold.

  In the hallway, I’d just unlocked my door when Nate exited his apartment. And, as always, I was happy to see him. When he reached us, I said, “Hi, Nate. This is Jon, the friend I told you about earlier.”

  After the introductions were complete, I asked, “Did Sam end up liking the Disney movie?”

  Nate smiled, but his eyes were on Jon. “If you ask him, he’ll say no. But he seemed pretty into it. Heck, even I liked it.”

  A cop who liked Disney. How cool was that? “Where are you off to?” I knew he wasn’t going to work, as he wasn’t in uniform.

  “My sister got an early flight in. Just going to get her from the airport and run her to pick up Sam from my parents’ house.” He glanced at his watch. “In fact, if I don’t leave now, I’ll be late. Nice meeting you, Jon.”

  Jon nodded, and Nate took off. Once we were in my apartment, Jon whistled. “Where have you been hiding him? Methinks you have some ‘splaining to do, Lucy.’”

  “He’s my neighbor. Your Desi Arnaz imitation is horrible.” I hung our coats up in the closet. “I have coffee and cake. You want some?”

  “Yes on the coffee, but I had too much popcorn at the movies for cake. Maybe later. But I want to know more about your neighbor. You’re not telling me something, Lizzie,” he said with a grin.

  “There’s nothing to say.” Well, nothing substantial, anyway. I didn’t know what was happening between me and Nate, and until I did, I was keeping my mouth shut.

  “Pretty sure there’s more to it than that, but I’ll let it go. He didn’t look happy to see me, that’s for sure.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “He was giving me the eye.”

  Laughing, I said, “He’s not into guys, Jon. No matter how cute you are.”

  “Dork. Not that kind of eye. The green eye of jealousy.”

  “Nah, I told him we were friends. There’s nothing for him to be jealous of.”

  “Maybe you did, but it didn’t sink in. Your Nate was definitely distressed to see you with me.” Jon tucked his thumbs into his jean pockets. “And what do you mean there’s nothing to be jealous of?”

  “Well, let’s see. We’re business partners. We’re best friends. And we’ve never been anything else. So there’s nothing for Nate to be envious about.”

  “Maybe we could change that.”

  Before I could make sense of his statement, he walked over and put his hands on my shoulders. “Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about you. About us. We’ve always been close, we never fight, and whenever we’re together, we have a lot of fun. I think it’s time to see if we can be more than just friends.” With that, he tipped my chin up with his hand, lowered his head, and kissed me like he never had before. Not a simple kiss. Not a friendly kiss. A tongue in my mouth, halfway down my throat, kiss.

  Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your point of view, my body didn’t respond. It was nice, but it wasn’t right. Not quite like kissing my brother, but more like, “No, this just isn’t how it should feel.”

  As soon as that thought hit my brain, I disengaged myself from his arms. Fast. I wiped my hand over my lips. Jon just stood there, frozen.

  “What are you doing?” I asked. I mean, don’t get me wrong, over the years, I’d definitely fantasized about Jon. It was kind of hard not to. He was sexy, sweet, and always made me laugh. But those were just fantasies. They were never meant to come true.

  He shook his head, as if trying to clear a haze I couldn’t see. “I don’t know. You were standing there, and suddenly, I just wanted to kiss you.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry. Lately, I’ve been feeling things that don’t make any sense. Maybe I’m going through my mid-life crisis early.”

  And if I’d had any doubts before, I didn’t any longer. Side effect number two was a reality. Thank God I’d baked that cake for him. “You don’t have to apologize, but let’s not go down that road again. You and Andy are terrific together. You don’t want to harm that, do you?”

  I figured if I got him talking about Andy, what ever he was feeling would disappear—at least for now. And then, later, I could get a few bites of cake into him. Once again, I had to hope that my magic would fix this. I was beginning to wish I’d never baked those damn brownies.

  “Maybe I should leave,” Jon said, moving toward the door.

  “No! Don’t be silly. Go have a seat in the living room and find something on TV to watch. I’ll make some coffee.” When he hesitated, I said, “Jon, I want you to stay.”

  He smiled and, thankfully, it reached his eyes. “Okay. Thanks, Lizzie.”

  After I made the coffee, I joined him in the living room. I’d brought the cake and a couple of plates with me. One way or another, he was going to eat some before he left.

  A few hours later, I was yawning, but Jon wasn’t. At some point in that time frame, the cake had mostly disappeared— thank God. Now I had to hope it would work. We hadn’t gotten around to talking about Marc, but I figured that would have to wait. I was more concerned about what ever the problems were between Jon and Andy.

  In thinking about Jon’s kiss, I realized that he’d seemed as uncomfortable as I was. And, when I thought about was happening with Maddie, the same truth existed there. It was like the magic worked, but because it wasn’t right for them, they weren’t able to be happy. This concept both relieved me and worried me.

  Also, because of Jon’s apparent unease, I wondered if the magic would have even worked for him if things were solid for him and Andy. So, with that thought in mind, I flipped the television off. “We should talk,” I said.

  Red blossomed on his cheeks. “I’m sorry about earlier. Really.”

  I shook my head. “No, not about that. I want to know what’s going on with you and Andy.”

  “Ah, what brings that up?” Jon’s gaze didn’t meet mine but instead floated somewhere on the wall behind me.

  “Give me a break, Jon. It’s
kind of obvious you’ve been miserable. You were completely there for me, so I’d like to return the favor.”

  “You’re a sweetie, but it’s not really a big deal. Andy’s fine. I’m the one not sure about what I want.”

  “You’ve always known what you’ve wanted. When you met Andy, you told me he was exactly what you’d been looking for. What happened to that?”

  Jon shrugged. “Like I said, it’s me. That mid-life crisis thing.” “Is Andy really on a business trip?”

  “Hell, is this conversation really necessary?”

  A-ha. I’d stumbled onto something. “Yeah, it is. Spill it, where’s he at?”

  “He moved out temporarily. Said I needed to get my head straightened on what I really wanted.”

  “It’s that bad?”

  “I didn’t think so, but obviously Andy does. So now I’m supposed to decide the rest of my life in the next week.”

  “Andy gave you a deadline?” That didn’t sound like the Andy I knew and loved.

  “He wants to adopt a child or hire a surrogate, and I’m not ready for that. So yeah, basically, he’s ready to be a dad, and if I’m not, he’s moving on.” Jon’s voice was a little too cavalier; his hurt hid there, underneath.

  I doubted Andy had expressed it that simply, but I let this slide. Besides, it wasn’t a stretch for me to realize how important having a child was. When you wanted one, you wanted one, there were no two ways about it. “What are you going to do?”

  Jon shrugged again. “I don’t know. I keep hoping it will come to me, what ever the answer is.”

  “Where’s he staying?”

  “With his sister. She has a million kids. Maybe the craziness of it will show Andy our lives aren’t meant for a child. At least not right now.”

  Or it might reinforce his want. I bit my lip. Probably better to keep that thought to myself. The last thing Jon needed was something else to dwell on. “What can I do?”

  “Nothing, but I do appreciate your asking.”

  “That’s what friends are for,” I replied.

  He grinned and sang a few lines from the Dionne song. I joined in, and suddenly, everything felt normal again. Maybe, just maybe, my spell had already taken effect?

  But then he leaned forward and grasped my hand. “Part of me wonders how it would be for us. If we tried.”

  “You and I both know it would never work. Give it a few days. You’ll see I’m right. Besides, I really believe you and Andy are forever. You’re just going through a rough patch.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not. But I need to get going. I might be late tomorrow,” he said as he stood.

  “I’ll hold down the fort until you get there.” Quick hugs, a normal kiss good night, and I was alone again.

  The day, the night, and everything in between processed as I brushed my teeth and readied myself for bed. Weird, weird, and weirder. That seemed to be the tagline of my life. At least recently.

  Oh, joy.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Thanks for coming over, Lizzie. I don’t think I can handle seeing him alone,” Alice said as she paced her living room. My sister was normally pale, as both of us were blessed with skin a tad warmer than a bottle of Wite-Out, but today, there was literally no color in her face. And the dark purple blouse she wore didn’t help her washed out complexion.

  “What did Troy say when he called?”Clasping her hands together, she stopped in front of me. “Just that he needed to see me and to please not say no.”

  “Well, maybe this is a good thing.” Could the spell be causing this? I didn’t know. It sure seemed to be manifesting quickly. “I’m glad you phoned. Sit down, Alice, you look like you’re going to fall over.”

  Sighing, she scooted into a chair and clasped and unclasped her hands repeatedly. “I don’t know if I want to see him.”

  “Nah, it’s good you said yes. Closure is important.” Points to Tiffany for that. She’d nailed that one, even if I hated admitting it.

  Alice snorted. “Yeah, right. Have you had closure with Marc yet?”

  “Not completely, but I did go see him yesterday.”

  “Really? What brought that on?”

  Glad to give her something else to focus on, I related the story of running into Marc at Dominick’s Grocery and then visiting him at his office. I didn’t mention the loan—or the magic.

  “I don’t understand why you apologized to him. You had every right to run out like that.”

  “Because I don’t want him to think he gets to me that way. It gives him too much strength.” Close enough to the truth, at least as far as I was concerned.

  “That makes sense. So, this is kind of the same thing, right? By agreeing Troy could come over, I’m showing I’m not afraid of him.”

  “Exactly. Plus, he can’t pull anything stupid because I’m here with you.”

  A sharp knock snagged Alice’s attention. “Shit,” she whispered. “He’s here.”

  “Calm down. I’ll get it.”

  The man on the other side of the door didn’t live up to my expectations. Instead of looking like the slimy dirtball he was, Troy Bellamy was average height, average build, average everything. If I’d met him under different circumstances, I’d think he looked like a nice guy. Note to self: work on instincts.

  Though, he didn’t appear to be comfortable. His brown hair was plastered to his head, and his skin had a glossy sheen to it, as if he’d been sweating—a lot—and his cheeks were a smidgen too red.

  His dark eyes skittered over my shoulder. “I’m looking for Alice.”

  “She’s here. I’m her sister. Come in.”

  He crossed in front of me and moved through the dining room. I followed him but stayed to the side, where I could see everything. I wanted to be there for Alice, but in a subtle way.

  Alice stood and crossed her arms. Pride made me smile. So much better to stand up rather than let him tower over her.

  “Hi, Troy. I was surprised to hear from you.”

  “Yeah, well. Look, this isn’t easy. I want to pay you back,” he blurted. “The money you gave me, I’m feeling sick about it.”

  “Money is the least of what you owe me,” Alice said lightly.

  “The thing is, I can’t get it to you all at once.” He grabbed a crumpled envelope from his pocket. “This is a third of it. It’s a check, but I swear it’s good.”

  Alice hesitated. “Is this going to take away from your kids?”

  That’s my sister. More worried about children she didn’t know than she was for herself.

  Troy ran his hand over his stomach and winced. “I can’t stay. I need to go lie down or something. I just wanted to give this to you.”

  Alice still didn’t reach for the envelope. “I don’t want money if your kids need it.”

  “They don’t. They’re set. I promise.”

  “Your promises don’t hold a lot of weight with me,” Alice said. I wanted to cheer, but I kept silent.

  Troy scowled. He looked as if he was going to say something, but instead, he bent over and groaned in pain. “Could I have some water?”

  Okay, this piqued my interest. I hadn’t expected to see visual proof of my magic. Not like this, anyway.

  My sister looked at me, her eyes asking me to bring the water, and I nodded. I’d done this to the guy. The least I could do was get him a glass of water.

  “Liz will get it. You should sit down.”

  I returned with the water and handed it to Troy.

  After gulping some down, he said, “I’ve been feeling like crap since last night. I can’t get this out of my head.”

  “Your wife was really pissed off. I don’t want to take that check unless I know she’s all set.”

  “What the hell, Alice? I’m paying you back. What do you want, a fucking note from my mother?”

  Alice stepped back as if she’d been slapped. “You’re so hostile. What did I do to you? I loved you and you stole from me. I should be the hostile one.”

  “Just ta
ke the money. I’ll pay you some each week until the balance is paid in full.”

  Alice finally accepted the envelope. “Fine. I don’t want to see you again. Mail it to me or drop it off at A Taste of Magic for my sister. She’ll get it to me.” She switched her focus to me. “Is that okay?”

  “That’s fine.” I pulled a business card from my purse.

  “Here,” I said, giving it to Troy. “Just put my name on the envelope.”

  His eyes darted from me to my sister and back. “I don’t know what’s going on, but my mother was a witch. One of you did this, so yeah, I’ll pay back the money, but take the damn spell off.”

  Alice gave a shaky laugh. “You’re crazy. Maybe you’re just developing a conscience.”

  Troy groaned again and wiped his brow. “Don’t play stupid. I grew up around this stuff. You’re mad, I get that. You want to punish me. That’s understandable. But now that I know what you can do, I won’t screw with you again.”

  My jaw dropped, and tiny pinpricks sped along my skin. I never expected anyone to figure out what I was doing. I couldn’t decide if it was cool or not.

  “Please. Take it off. I can’t live like this. I’m in nonstop pain.”

  Alice frowned. “Maybe you should go to the hospital, Troy. You’re talking nuts, and if you’re really hurting, there’s a medical reason for it.”

  Eyes wild, he stood and dropped the glass. Water splattered on the floor. “My mother did this to me when I was a teenager. The exact same damn thing, so I know better. Take the spell off, Alice. I’m begging you.”

  Alice paled even more, if that was possible. “You should go.” She pointed to the door. “I want you to leave now.”

  “You’re not lying, are you? You don’t know anything about this.” He advanced a step toward me, and then his face crumpled in pain again. “That means it’s you. Take it off.”

  “You heard my sister. You should leave.” I shuddered at the venom in his eyes, and yeah, I did feel bad. But the spell would go away on its own, once he repaid Alice. I figured he’d get the money together faster that way.

  At any rate, I couldn’t take it off unless I baked him something else. I doubted he’d eat anything from a stranger again. If he’d pinned it to the cake, of course.