by Fiona Roarke
“Yes. Can you describe the two witches?”
Max told her about the two older women who’d accosted him and his subsequent adventures at the Black and Orange Ball. “The shorter woman is named Matilda. I’m not sure about the other one.”
Ruby giggled.
“What’s so funny?”
“Matilda and her friend Helen are legendary in this town. I believe my aunt Vilma mentioned seeing them earlier tonight at the ball.”
“Does that mean you know where they are?”
“Yes.”
“And you’ll contact them and find out what they did to me and how long it will last?”
“Yes. I will.”
A loud, discordant sound startled him enough to release Ruby. He followed her glare to the phone on her desk.
“What’s that sound?”
“The alarm on my phone. I set it because I have to go to work early tomorrow and I didn’t want to stay at the party too long.” She did something to silence the alarm, then pointed to the package. “I’ll send that to Arkansas first thing in the morning, where they will forward it on. Then I’ll go visit Matilda and Helen and discover what they remember about the party and putting a spell on you.”
“Good.”
“You’d better head out without me. I have a few things to do here, then I’ll see myself home. Okay?”
Max was disappointed, but nodded. “When can I see you again?”
Ruby considered. “Are you free for lunch?”
“I can be.”
“Excellent. Hopefully I’ll have some information from Helen and Matilda by then.”
“It’s a date.” He put an arm around her neck, pulled her in close and gave her a quick kiss good night. He exited her place of business and returned home.
Chapter Ten
<^> <^> <^>
Max was moving slowly early the next morning, but made it to work on time. He’d put some extra effort into his attire, choosing his favorite red shirt and a jacket, since he had an official date with Ruby for lunch. He couldn’t wait to see her again.
Max’s first client was a sweet older woman who was expecting her first grandchild and wanted Max to tell her if it was a girl or a boy. He could read human minds very easily, but he couldn’t predict the future.
To fudge it, he told her it was unclear. In her mind he saw the baby wasn’t due for seven and a half months. He told her it was way too soon for the sex of the child to be clear and reminded her of the baby’s due date.
“How did you know that?” she said with a gasp.
Max tapped his head with two fingers. “Because I’m psychic and I can read your mind. Isn’t that why you’re here?”
She giggled, seemingly delighted with his answer, and promised to return at a later date. In her mind, she planned to return in a few months and get him to tell her whether she should crochet a blue baby blanket or a pink one. Max decided to worry about what to say when she came back.
Astrid stepped into his small psychic reading space to tell him he had a visitor.
“Who is it?”
“Some guy.”
“A guy?” That was odd. The majority of the regular clients he read were women. Okay, all of them.
“Says he’s a friend.” I don’t have any friends. Well, I have Ruby. Max controlled a smile as his mind went to what her lips felt like under his. “What’s his name?”
“Howard.”
Max narrowed his eyes. “First or last name?”
“Don’t know. He gave just the one name.” Astrid crossed her arms. She looked like she was about to get maternal. “Do you know him?”
“Nope. Never heard of him. What does he look like?”
She shrugged. “Sort of small-framed and short, but thick around his middle with bright red hair and dark eyes. Honestly, he’s sort of unremarkable if you ask me save for the color of his hair. I think he might be a sorcerer of some kind.”
“Why?”
“I can’t read him at all. Maybe he’s a male witch.”
“Or an Alpha?” He thought about Uncle Milo and what the man might look like, but figured he’d be tall and rugged like an Alpha, not short or small-framed with a potbelly.
She shrugged again. “I don’t think so. I don’t recognize him. I’m certain I’d remember a short, redheaded Alpha living in Nocturne Falls. If he wants a reading, you’ll have to be vague.”
“I hate to be vague. Seems like I should make an effort for the client.”
“I know, but the thing is, Max, when clients come in they sign a waiver with the understanding this psychic reading business is for entertainment value only and not meant for legal purposes or to force anyone to change their life in any significant way.”
He nodded. “Right. Entertainment value only.”
“Find out what the client wants to know and do your best to entertain if you can’t see anything in their head. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Want me to get rid of him? I mean, you know that you don’t have to accept a client if you don’t want to.” Astrid was famous for the mama bear approach to protecting her psychics. If he asked her, Astrid would throw the guy out on his ear and threaten him within an inch of his life if he even thought about returning.
“No. That’s okay. Send him back. If nothing else, I can put a choke hold on him if he’s as small framed as you say, belly or not.”
Astrid laughed. “But only as a last resort, right?”
“Right.”
Howard was ushered in with Astrid’s usual spiel and fanfare, with lots of enthusiasm and a wish for the client to find out what they sought and enjoy the reading. Max stood to meet his client. They shook hands and Max gestured to the chairs. They both sat at the black cloth-covered round table. Max had a crystal ball on the table, set to one side. Many folks liked the idea of him looking into it to discover information from Beyond. Whatever.
“Howard,” Max said, studying the little man. He felt like he should know him. “What can I help you with today?”
Max wasn’t as good at remembering names as he was at recalling faces. He was certain he had never seen this man before. Even so, he felt an odd sense of familiarity.
“Hello, friend,” Howard said and folded his hands on the table. “I wondered if you remembered me.”
Max leaned forward in his seat and studied him. “I’m sorry. No. Have we met before?”
Howard shrugged. “It was in passing. We didn’t speak to each other. I just remembered you because you were so tall. Also, I liked your huntsman outfit with the cool broad-axe. You were standing with Astrid and her husband, Bubba.”
“At the Black and Orange Ball?” Max flashed back to the crowded party and searched his memory for a hint of where he might have seen this guy. His face did not look at all familiar, just his manner, perhaps. Something.
“Yes. That’s right.”
Max lifted one shoulder. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember you. Were you dressed in a costume?”
Howard nodded, but didn’t say anything. He reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a small dark blue bottle. It looked like a tiny aerosol can of spray paint.
“What’s that?” Max asked.
“Something brand-new,” Howard said. “Something I need to test.” He pushed the button on the top of the bottle with his forefinger, like he was about to freshen the smell in the room with a floral scent. A wide mist came out, spraying Max right in the face before he could move or dodge it. Space potatoes!
Max closed his eyes to keep from getting any of the mist in his eyes. He waved his hand in front of his face to disperse the vapor and hoped the man hadn’t just sprayed blue paint in his face or his favorite red shirt and jacket.
“What are you doing?” he asked, wishing he’d given Astrid the go-ahead to kick Howard—who was not his friend—out on his butt.
When the vapor dissipated, Max blinked his eyes open, testing to ensure no mist remained in the air or decorated his clothing. “What wa
s that?” he asked angrily, ready to throw this dude out of his cubicle and let Astrid deal with him. Max blinked again. Howard was gone.
Max closed his eyes and opened them again as if that would help bring the strange little man back. But he was gone. Max stood up and wobbled on his feet. His whole body was sluggish and a little stiff, as if he’d sat way too long. Odd.
Before he could whisk the curtain open, he heard Astrid’s voice right outside his room.
“Max?” she called. “Are you back from lunch and ready for your next client?”
“Next client?” He looked around, puzzled. He wanted to know what had happened to his last client. “Wait a minute. Back from lunch?”
Astrid parted the black velvet curtains, stepped into the cubicle and stared at him. “What’s wrong?”
“That guy just sprayed something in my face and then he must have run out of here.”
“What guy?”
“Howard.”
Astrid’s face changed into one of a concerned mama bear. “Max, what’s wrong with you? Howard left half an hour ago. He told me you asked him to tell me you were taking a half hour lunch.”
Max’s stomach growled, ensuring everyone within hearing range understood he’d missed an important meal.
“Half an hour? No. That can’t be right. He was only here a moment ago.” Max pulled his phone out of his pocket and realized forty-five minutes had gone by without him noticing. Crazy.
“I promise, Max. He’s been gone for thirty minutes. He told me how happy he was that he’d come here to talk to you and that you’d done a marvelous job. He promised to bring loads of business our way because he was so delighted with you and his reading.”
“But…” Max was worried now. He’d lost so much time. “How long was he in my room?”
“Ten or fifteen minutes.” Astrid had a seriously worried look on her face. It was an expression he was all-too familiar with. The one that made him nervous. Like maybe they’d think he was crazy and fire him, sending him back to Alpha-Prime in further shame.
Max’s stomach roared again, sounding like a mortally wounded sand-claw beast caught in a trap in the outer rim.
“Maybe we should call the doctor in Alienn and have a phone consultation.” She pulled up her phone, ready to set up Vis-a-Med, an App from Alienn, Arkansas that connected them for emergency medical issues.
“No.” He put his hand on her phone to stop her from insta-connecting with an Alpha medic. “That’s sweet of you, Astrid, but I’m fine.” Except that I was drugged by a strange little man who wanted to know if I recognized him and then stole time from me.
“But if you’ve been unconscious for over forty-five minutes, that’s serious.” Astrid put a hand on his arm.
“I don’t feel bad at all. Just super hungry. I don’t have anything to tell a doctor.” Please don’t make me do this, Astrid.
Perhaps the look of terror on his face made her see things his way. Whatever. It worked. She slipped her phone back into her pocket. “Okay, but if you have any more symptoms you will tell me. Yes?”
“Yes.”
“And when you get back from lunch, we will both have a candid discussion with Bubba. He’s going to want to hear all the nitty gritty details of this incident.”
“Yes, of course. I promise. As soon as I get back from lunch.” His stomach made a truly tragic sounding howl, seemingly from the depths of the hunger abyss.
“Go get something to eat, for heaven’s sake. But hurry back, okay?”
Max glanced once more at his phone, noting that he only had ten minutes to meet Ruby for lunch.
“I have a date.”
“Really? I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”
“It’s kind of new.” From last night, after two drunk women put a spell on me.
“Okay. We’re in good shape today, staffing wise. Don’t hurry back, but as soon as you return, go to Bubba’s office. I’ll give him the Reader’s Digest version for now.”
“Right. Bubba’s office when I get back. Got it.” He didn’t know what a Reader’s Digest was, but trusted Astrid knew best.
Max left the shop and headed toward Howler’s to meet Ruby. It was one of his favorite places to eat in town. They never looked at him funny when he ordered two big double burgers with everything, a generous family-sized order of fries and ate it all without even having to burp to make room for it all. If anything, they gave him admiring looks that made him feel proud of the accomplishment.
“The usual?” a familiar voice asked once he was seated. Bridget owned the place. Max wanted to say yes, but he should wait for Ruby.
“Actually, I have a date. She should be along any minute now. But could I get a family-sized appetizer sampler platter while I wait?”
“Sure thing. You can pick three of your favorite items and we’ll double the regular order for the family version, or one regular order of all six selections.”
Max said, “One order of all six. Then I’ll have my usual lunch and whatever my date wants when she gets here. Okay?”
“Sure thing.” She made notes on her order pad. “So I have large nachos supreme with beef, a full rack of BBQ spare ribs, tower of onion rings, basket of hot wings, tray of mozzarella sticks and a batch of southwest chicken rolls.”
His stomach growled loud enough for the table next to him to hear. “And I’ll put a rush on that,” Bridget said with a grin. She hurried toward the kitchen behind the bar just as Ruby walked in the front door. She spotted him and crossed to his table.
“Hi,” she said, but didn’t look happy.
“What’s wrong?”
Ruby sat down across from him and took a sip of his water. “Nothing really.”
“Did you go talk to the women who put the spell on me?”
She nodded, but her eyes rolled. “They are both pistols.”
“What does that mean?”
“Unfortunately, while they don’t dispute putting a spell on you, they had been drinking and don’t remember exactly the spells they used. They want more time to think about it…and probably get over their hangovers.”
Max pushed out a sigh. “Does that mean I’m stuck like this?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe. Maybe not.”
Right then. Max’s stomach made such a tormented noise, the guy at the next table offered him some hot wings from his recently delivered basket.
<^><^><^>
Ruby had never heard a stomach growl with such anguish. “How long has it been since you ate?”
“Breakfast,” Max said, gratefully wolfing down the single chicken wing donated by the guy at the next table after thanking him profusely.
“Huh.”
Max shrugged. “What can I say? I have a healthy appetite.”
“No worries. I’ve heard that about some folk who come from Alienn, Arkansas.”
He didn’t smile. “Something odd happened at work today. It might have additionally enhanced my hunger.” He looked very uncomfortable about whatever it was.
“Odd? Tell me what happened.”
Max told her about the strange little man named Howard who had asked a single question regarding their acquaintance and then sprayed something in his face that made him lose time.
“You’re right, that’s pretty odd. Weird even. How much time did you lose?”
“Forty-five minutes or so.”
“Wow. So not just a couple of minutes. Maybe you need to see a doctor.”
“That’s what Astrid said, but I don’t think that’s any stranger than what Matilda and the other woman did. Because I still love you and want to marry you and you know I’m telling the truth at all times. Am I stuck with that forever, as well?”
“Not exactly. They said I need to bring you with me next time I visit and they’ll do their best to remember whatever spell they used and try to remove it.”
“Well, that’s just…typical, isn’t it?”
His stomach made another tortured plea for food. The chicken wing hadn’t he
ld him for long.
Max looked so forlorn, Ruby almost reached out to stroke his arm in comfort, but Bridget approached the table carrying his appetizer order. It looked like enough food to make a horde of starving mercenaries fat and happy. He dug in to eat instead of talking.
Ruby watched him scarf down a bit of each of the six appetizers offered in about six seconds and then a second taste in the next six seconds.
“If I dare reach for a chicken roll, will I pull back a stump?”
Max paused, chewing the onion ring in his mouth, lifted a southwest chicken roll and handed it to her, then continued to mow through most of the rest of the food on the platter in no time.
He’d left her a palm-sized serving of nachos, two onion rings, a mozzarella stick, one spare rib and a scrawny hot wing. “Do you know what you want to order for lunch,” Max asked as he waved Bridget over to their table.
“A double cheeseburger with everything and a large order of fries,” she said, crunching on the end of her chicken roll, waiting for him to criticize her healthy appetite.
“Cheese? I never thought of having cheese before.”
“You should try it. It’s really good.”
Bridget arrived and he ordered three double cheeseburgers, a large order of fries and a family-sized order of fries, as well as her large one.
Ruby smiled. “Thanks for not making fun of me.”
His brows narrowed. “Why would I?”
“I’ve seen a few folks surprised by how much I can eat, that’s all. One dude stared at me, watching every bite until I was done, like I was going to balloon into a big hulk or something.”
“Well, I think those folks—and especially that dude—should mind their own business. I’ve been stared at before and I don’t like it at all. That’s why I’ll never go back to…” He paused and looked around the restaurant. “Well, you know where.”
“Really. Never? Not even to visit your parents?”
“Nope. They had all sorts of chances to talk to me before I left. If they wish to converse, they can come here to Nocturne Falls.”
“Not even pen pals?” She smiled.
He smiled back. “What’s a pen pal?”
“It’s sort of an old-fashioned correspondence thing where people send hand-written letters to each other.”
