A Taste of Magic (16 page)

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 take 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.

“Fuck. You win.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his checkbook and a pen. Scribbling fast, he wrote out another check and handed it to Alice. “There, it’s all there. Go cash it now. I’ll wait.”

Alice glanced at me for confirmation and I nodded again. She took the check, looked at the dollar figure, and smiled. “The bank isn’t open now, Troy. It will have to wait until Monday. I hope the money is there.”

“It is. I swear.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Is the spell off now? My stomach doesn’t hurt so much.”

Alice sighed. Pointing at the door again, she said, “Just leave.”

I followed him and, when he opened the door, I whispered, “If the money isn’t there on Monday, you won’t feel good for long.”

His eyes popped open, but he didn’t say a word.

I gotta say, I’d never seen a man move so fast in my life. And I felt damn pleased that for once my spell worked exactly how I’d wanted. Maybe I was learning something.

At the same time, apprehension gnawed at me. I rubbed my arms to calm the goose bumps. At first, I’d mostly considered the magic a game. Something to play at and have a bit of fun with. Something to help me get over Marc and find a new path in life. But now, between Maddie and Troy, I truly realized the magnitude of the gift. Miranda must have been one scary lady, and it seemed I was following in her footsteps.

I wasn’t sure I liked that idea.

“What do you think, Maddie? Hair up or down?” We were in my bedroom, and I was fussing with my hair, getting ready for my date with Kevin. Maddie sat on my bed, mostly staring off into space.

When she’d arrived, she’d almost seemed like herself. I’d just about convinced myself that she’d actually been ill, like a cold, and that it hadn’t been my magic after all. But now, I realized that was just wishful thinking.

Her glazed eyes centered on me. “Either will do. What ever you want.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Hmm? Nothing. I’m just tired.”

Frowning, I twisted my hair and clipped it. Using my fingers, I scrunched my bangs and pulled a few wisps toward the side of my face. Stepping back, I took in my full appearance.

After reading up on Blue Man Group online, I got the idea it was a casual, fun performance that could get really messy, depending on where you were sitting. With that in mind, I was wearing black jeans and a dark green sweater.

I thought I looked pretty good. Plus, the workouts were actually making a difference. My thighs felt tighter, and the denim hugged my legs perfectly.

Possibly, my mother was right on target with her gift. Of course, no way was I admitting that to her. Another glance at Maddie and my heart sank. “Come on, tell me why you’re so out of it.”

“I already did. I’m tired. I was on the phone late with Spencer last night.”

“Oh! That’s great! How’d it go?”

Pulling her knees to her chest, she sighed. “I don’t know. Fine, I guess. We’re going out next weekend.”

“So why don’t you sound happy about it?”

“I’m miserable, Liz. But what’s worse, I can’t put my finger on why.”

“Not feeling any better at all?” Damn, I really wished I’d stopped Nate from eating Maddie’s cake. I blamed it on his green eyes. Tomorrow, I promised myself, I’d fix it.

“If anything, it’s worse. Before, I kind of liked how I wasn’t so fanatical about every last detail of my appearance. But now, I don’t care at all. And what’s worse, I can’t seem to make myself care. Nothing matters anymore.”

I sat down on the bed next to her. I didn’t know what to say.
I did this
. After seeing Troy, I had no doubts that Maddie’s misery was because of me. My higher self wanted to admit it to her. My lower self wanted to run and hide. Regardless, I knew enough to stay quiet. Telling her at this point was a very bad idea.

“How about I cancel my date with Kevin? I’ll whip us up some brownies or something and we can watch a movie. Have a girls’ night.” This shouldn’t wait until the next day. Seriously—I needed to make it better. If my sister hadn’t called me to come over earlier, I’d have already taken care of Maddie. But no way could I let Alice deal with Troy on her own.

Maddie shook her head. “My parents will be here soon, so I can’t. You may as well go out and have fun.” Her eyes gleamed, and just for a second she looked like her old self. “Besides, you look spectacular. Don’t waste it on me.”

“I can still cancel. You can come down when your parents leave.”

Another shake. “Not tonight. They’re staying over so I can drive them to the airport early in the morning. They’re going to Hawaii for some insurance convention for my dad.”

Well. Shoot. It would have to be tomorrow, then. “Let’s hook up in the afternoon. I can tell you about my date, and you can feast on something decadent. What do you want me to make? Anything your heart desires.”

She laughed, thank God. “Well, Brad Pitt, but if you can’t serve him up, how about that mocha brownie thing you made once? With the mousse center?”

“Ask and ye shall receive,” I replied.

“If I’m going to splurge, it may as well be on something luscious.” She tucked her hair behind one ear. “I’m gonna run upstairs and clean up a smidge before my parents show. I’ll see you tomorrow. What time?”

“Come on down after lunch, around one or two. And Maddie? Try not to worry too much. Everything will settle.” It needed to, because my glamorous friend was long gone, and the girl that remained wasn’t quite Maddie. More like a hollowed out carbon copy.

“I’ve never felt like this before. But yeah, you’re probably right. It will blow over.” She pointed at me. “But you—you have a great time tonight. Promise?”

After I closed the door behind Maddie, I made sure I had all the ingredients for the mocha brownies. I’d get up early and bake them first thing. Hopefully, that would be the end of that. I didn’t think I’d be casting any other spells for Maddie again.

Another once-over in the mirror proved I was as ready as I could possibly get. Marc flitted into my mind, and I tried to shove him away, but I couldn’t. It was as if he’d stepped solidly into my apartment with the goal to ruin my evening. Resolutely, I focused on Kevin, and slowly Marc—and the sour taste in my mouth—dissipated. When the phone rang, I gave myself a mental shake.