by CY Jones
Walking back, I stop in front of the same shoe store I peeked into yesterday. There's nothing like a little retail therapy to help a girl forget about her problems. I need a break, and with the way I am feeling, I wouldn’t be surprised if I leave with the whole store. Opening the door, I step inside and stand there gaping at everything.
When peering inside through the window yesterday, all I concentrated on were the shoes. I did not see the actual shop, and well this place definitely was a sight to see. Everything was white. The walls, the ceiling, all the fixtures, and even the floor was white, with you guessed it, a white fur rug centered in front of the window. The tables, the checkout counter, and even the shelves the shoes were lined up on were white. I mean who in the hell owns this place? A freaking angel? It was that unreal, but surprisingly I found it kinda cute in a ‘everything blends into each other’ sort of way. I would hate to be the person who has to clean this place everyday.
Giving me a wide smile, a girl with short blonde hair cut in a bob style and big blue eyes strolls right up to me and gives me her sales pitch. I give you one guess what color her uniform is. That’s right, white. They take the color scheme very seriously here.
“Halo. Welcome to The Perfect Fit. We’ve got a heavenly selection of shoes where every shoe feels like you’re walking on a cloud. My name is Holly, how may I help you?”
“I’m just looking for now, but I’m sure if I need help I’ll call you over,” I tell her, before walking down the aisle closest to me.
Like everything in here, most of the shoes are white. I mean, I get they have a gimmick going on, but maybe they’re taking it a little too far if they’re not broadening their merchandise. A little color never hurt anybody. At the end of the second aisle, a white pair of Jimmy Choo strappy heels catches my eye, and I pull them down. “Oh my jewels these are gorgeous,” I mutter to myself as I run my finger over the crushed white crystals on the bottom of the sole and heel, and they’re on sale. Sweet, even better. Setting the shoe down on the, you guessed it, white bench, I peak around the aisle and call the sales girl over. When we get back to the bench, a girl with long dark hair is holding my shoes in her grubby hands.
“Excuse me, but those are mine,” I tell the girl, and she looks up at me like she smells something bad.
“I don’t see your name on them, and they were just sitting here,” she says in a snobby voice to go with her ‘I’m better than thou’ attitude.
“Well, I sat them down to go find her,” I tell the rude bitch through clenched teeth as I point at Holly. I’m like two seconds away from opening up a can of whoop ass on ‘stick stuck up her butt barbie.’
“I can check and see if we have another pair in the back,” Holly says trying to be helpful and I glare back at her.
“You can find her another pair,” the bitch says, pointing at me before slipping my shoe on her crusty feet. I’m making that last part up. Her feet aren't crusty, but I wish they were.
“Hold up. I had the shoe first. Holly can go in the back and see if she can find another shoe for you,” I argue.
“Too late they’re already on my foot,” the bitch says smugly, and proceeds to take the shoe off her foot, and grabs the box it came in before walking to the counter.
Holly turns to me before giving me an apologetic smile, and hurries off to the back to get the match to the shoe since there was only one shoe in the box. The whole time I stare bitchy barbie down. When Holly returns from the stock room and tells me there isn’t another shoe in that style in the back, the bitch actually smiles at me smugly, and I lose my shit. I feel the tingle before the smell hits my nose, and before I know it, the most god awful smell fumigates the air from the front and quickly takes over the whole store. It smelled awful like like rotten eggs and corn chips.
“What is that smell?” ‘Stick up her butt barbie’ screeches as she tries to cover her nose with her shirt.
Not gonna lie, that’s a good idea. As soon as I cover my nose, an annoying alarm starts to blare killing my eardrums. The smell combined with the noise must have been bitchy barbie’s last straw, because seconds later she’s hightailing it out the door, leaving my precious shoes behind. As soon as the door closes behind her, the smell leaves and the alarm shuts off. Well that was easy. Good job Karma, I think to myself as I practically stroll up to the counter.
Being a witch, I like to think I’ve seen everything. I didn’t think anything else in this shop could surprise me, but when an honest to goodness angel swoops into the shop appearing out of nowhere and lands in front of me, I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I mean this is an angel people, and holy jewels, was she beautiful. Long dark hair framing a perfect blemish free face, grey eyes framed by long dark lashes, plump pink lips like Angelina Jolie that are totally real, and under her white sundress was one of those perfect model thin bodies that every female would be jealous of with slight curves, and more than B-cup breasts. The best thing were the equally drool worthy shoes on her feet in, you guessed it, white.
When I said this place must be owned by an angel I was joking. I never honestly thought it was true, but here she is in all her heavenly glory.
“What’s going on?” She questions in a tinkling voice.
“The stinky feet alarm was activated,” Holly answers, and the angel turns to me.
“Was it your feet that set off the alarm?” She asks.
“Rude much,” I reply, frowning. I guess Manners 101 isn’t taught in Heaven.
“I’m sorry. I’m just trying to understand what’s going on,” she says, staring down at my feet like they’re public enemy number one.
“I didn’t set off the alarm. It was the skank who just left here after she tried to take my shoes.”
“What’s a skank?” The angel asks innocently.
“Is she serious?” I ask, turning to Holly, who only shrugs.
“A skank is a shitty person,” I explain, giving her the condensed version.
“So it was the skank's fault the alarms went off?” The angel questions. You could tell by the look on her face she was really having trouble understanding, or I would think this clueless farce was just an act.
“Hers and karma,” I reply.
“Karma,” she frowns. “So there was a skank and someone named Karma here?”
“Karma is like justice. When someone does something awful, Karma will make you pay for it,” Holly explains, but the angel still doesn’t seem like she’s getting it.
“Ok, well since she left the shoes behind, I’ll buy them,” I tell Holly, and she smiles up at me excited. She must get paid on commission.
“You don’t need to pay. I would like for you to have them,” the angel says, surprising me.
“What?” I cry.
“The shoes. You should keep them for your trouble.”
Well shit. Now I feel bad. The alarm going off was kinda my fault even though it was bitchy barbie's behavior that caused it, but I could tell by the look on the pretty angel’s face that she was not going to take no for an answer, so I accept the gift and let Holly hand me the shoes after she bags them.
“My name is Amethyst, by the way. I just moved back to town. Would you like to hang out sometime? I don’t have many friends, but you seem really cool,” I tell her. Usually I’m not this friendly, but there's something about the angel that makes me feel like we could bond. Plus, how cool would it be to say that an angel is my BFF?
“Sure, I’m Ruby. What do you mean by hang out? Where do we hang? I’m mostly a flying kinda girl.”
Laughing, I look at the pretty angel named Ruby and say, “me and you are going to be the best of friends.”
Waving goodbye, I leave Ruby and Holly to it as I stroll home. Besides that bitch trying to steal my shoes, the shoe store was quite entertaining, especially Ruby. I can tell she knows nothing about living in the human world which makes me wonder how long she’s been here. I think I’ll have lots of fun corrupting her. Plus, having a friend to hang out wit
h will be nice too. I didn’t have many in NOLA. Mostly because Abraxious would end up sleeping with them. Hard to keep a friendship going when your so called friend sleeps with your boyfriend. I was in such a good mood, I should have known someone, a couple of someones in my case would ruin it, but that is just what happens when I see my grandmother and aunt waiting outside my store.
“Hello grandmother, hello auntie. To what do I owe this honor?” I say snidely.
“Don’t be cheeky girl. We came by to see why you haven’t visited us yet,” my grandmother replies frowning. Even at seventy, grandma was a force to be reckoned with. Her long grey hair was pinned neatly in a bun without a stray hair in sight, her eyes a brilliant green, and her fair skin barely had a wrinkle in it despite her age. Witches, just like most supernaturals, aged slowly.
“I just got here yesterday, I haven’t exactly had the time to pay anyone a visit,” I answer dryly.
“Yet, you had the time to have breakfast with that wolf,” my aunt pipes in.
What the hell? That literally just happened. This town seriously needs something to do besides being a bunch of Chatty Cathys. I also don’t like the way she said that wolf, like she tasted something awful. I may not have accepted Aiden, but it doesn’t mean I want others speaking unkindly about him.
“Well girl, are you going to let us in, or are we expected to stay out on the doorstep?” Grandma questions. I can hear the contempt in her voice. As much as I rather not have them tainting my space, I know they will not leave until I let them in, so pulling up my big girl panties, I unlock the door and step aside so they can come in.
“It looks very nice in here,” my aunt says begrudgingly, like it’s pulling teeth to get her to say anything nice.
“Yes it is,” grams agree. “I take it with your unexpected return, you plan on reopening the store?” Grandmother asks as she gazes around. I can see a gleam in her eyes, and I don’t like it one bit.
“I am, why?” I ask. We might as well get to the point of their little visit. I doubt it’s to catch up with me and what I’ve been up to the last three years. I never changed my number, and the whole time I was in New Orleans I never received a call, text, email, anything. They probably were as happy as I was about me leaving.
“You’ve already done the hard part in getting this place cleaned up. There's plenty of witches in the coven you can hire as sales people. I have a list of suitable suppliers you can use. It won’t be long until we’ll have this place up and running, and making money for the coven again.”
“Wait! Hold up,” I say stopping her. Is this the reason why they came? Did they actually think they were going to run all over me and take over my store? The old Amethyst who would normally roll over and play dead is long gone. It’s time to introduce them to the new, I’m not taking their shit Amethyst.
“What is it dear? I don’t think I said anything too complicated,” grandmother sneers, looking up at me like I’m a village idiot.
“I heard what you said, and I believe you’re mistaken, so let me clear things up for you. This,” I say, waving my hand around the store, “belongs to me. I do not plan on turning it into some goody two shoes witch supply store. It will be a store based on my magic abilities, selling curses and hexes, and other Dark Arts Wiccan supplies. I will find my own suppliers catering to those needs only, and since it’s my money invested in this place, I will not be sharing it with a coven that wants nothing to do with me. Now, if someone from the coven wants to apply to work here I won’t stop them, but I’m pretty doubtful they’ll want to work in a hex store.”
“You can’t be serious,” Grandmother screeches.
“Oh, I assure you I am,” I tell her, not willing to back down. The old cunt can smell fear, and she will pounce on it.
“I’m sure your mother is rolling in her grave over the way you turned out. Now you want to disgrace her life’s work,” grandmother spits out hatefully.
“I’m sure my mother is proud of me. Being a curse worker is not disgraceful. She fell in love with one and you took him away from her. You and your single minded coven are the reason why my mother is dead. If she’s rolling in her grave, then it’s over the way you’re treating me, her only child, your blood.”
“Come on, Abitha, we don’t need to sit here and listen to this,” grandmother says as she pushes my aunt away. “Mark my words girl. You will pay for your disrespect,” she adds as she reaches the door.
Maybe it was her words, or maybe I was sick and tired of being put down because of who I am, but before the old bat could leave, I turn on her and growl, “careful grandmother. You need to remember who out of the three of us, has the ability to hex the other.” I watch in pure satisfaction as her face pales as my words hit home, and she pulls on my aunt's arm harder, practically dragging her away.
Well, at least now I don’t have to worry about them coming back. Her threat, I may want to take seriously, but really, how much trouble can a bunch of good witches cause? There are laws they have to follow, so I couldn’t see them doing anything to me besides bad mouthing me. Oh well. That’s a problem for later. Right now, I have a lot I need to do. I need to box up the things I won’t be selling in the store, mostly all the good spells, I need to take inventory of everything I have, and see about hiring someone to get it digitalized for me, I need to hit the tech store up and get a new computer, because apparently mom was working old school with pen and paper, and one of those old fashioned metal filing cabinets. With that thought, I realize I need to get WIFI set up in here also, oh and put out a hiring ad.
With all I have to do, I find myself working well into the evening when my stomach starts to growl. Checking the time, I see it’s already after six. Holy jewels, where has the time gone? Looking around, I’m glad to see I’ve made some sort of progress. Everything I’m not using has been boxed up and moved in the storage room in the back, next to the small office. Using my connections from NOLA, I was able to locate suppliers with the type of merchandise I would sell in my store and have shipments coming in as soon as next week. Now all I need to do is work on going to town to buy a computer, hire someone to help me in the store, and set up the WIFI, but first I need food before my stomach turns on my organs and starts eating me from the inside out.
Right when I’m about to leave, the doorbell rings alerting me someone is at the door. When I open it, a teenage boy is standing there holding a big brown paper bag.
“I have an order here for Amethyst,” he says in a bored tone as he inconspicuously checks the place out.
“I didn’t order anything,” I tell him frowning.
“Someone else ordered for you, oh and he said to give you this,” the kid replies, pulling a single red rose from behind his back.
“Ok,” I say slowly, taking the bag and rose from the kid, and he gives me a small smile before turning away.
Taking my haul upstairs, I set the bag down on the small table in my kitchen and check the rose out for anything unusual. It appears to be just a regular rose, but you could never be too careful with a town full of family members who want to kill you. Well, maybe I’m exaggerating a little. The coven only makes up about ten percent of the town, but still that’s a lot of witches to keep an eye out for, and I’m doubtful dear old grams will sit still for long.
It seems the rose is just a regular rose. I feel nothing nefarious coming off it, quite the opposite actually. I can feel the love like a warm summer day, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out who it came from. Aiden apparently has upped his game by sending me food and flowers. I can’t say that his effort isn’t affecting me and chipping away at my stone heart. He’s taken care of two of the three basic needs of women. Food, flowers, and orgasms. I’m more than sure he’ll be glad to take care of that last one if I let him. I wonder how he knew I was getting ready for dinner, or maybe he already pre-planned it. I would hate to find out he’s keeping tabs on me now that he has a bunch of free time on his hands since he’s not here, fixing this place up. Maybe he
’ll want a job here. What am I saying? That would be awkward since I don’t plan on returning his feelings.
Opening the bag, I pull out my haul and my stomach grumbles as the scent of Chinese food hits my nose. All my favorites are in here, and once again, I wonder how he knows me so well. Sweet and sour shrimp, orange chicken, pork fried rice, fried chicken, fries, and crab rangoon. Not able to stop myself, I inhale the food, putting a good chunk of the greasy deliciousness away. When I’m finished, I place the leftovers in the fridge, wash my hands, and curl up in the sitting room with one of the books on the shelves. Before I know it, I’m drifting off to sleep and I practically stumble my way to bed. Just like last night, I’m out like a light as soon as my head hits the pillow.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Nolan
It took us a whole freaking day to figure out where Sabrina disappeared off to once she left us at the bus port, and I’m putting it nicely when I say my brother and I are pissed the hell off. After the tongue lashing we got from our sire about failing to bring Amethyst in, my brother is moodier than ever. Most of the time he’s a cranky bastard, but now he’s amped up the asshole factor by ten. He’s still stewing over his powers failing to control her, not like I didn’t take a hit to my ego as well, I just know how to not act like a turd about it. After contacting a hacker acquaintance of ours, we found out Amethyst Violet Lighthorn was born and raised in a small town called Silver Springs here in New York. We’re taking a chance, but I’m sure that’s where the little witch ran off to, so now we’re in a cab, pulling up to the small town itself.
