Red Witch: Book Two of the Wizard Born Series (7 page)

“Do you think it’s working?”

Rita pulled out a fresh cigarette from a pack in her purse. “Bernadette should be rubbin’ all over him by now.” She accepted a light from the bartender, sucking in her cheeks as she inhaled, the end of the cigarette flaring red, then she turned back to Cassandra.

“It’s kinda workin’.” Rita shook her head slightly. “Not our best charm, that’s for sure. I’m not sure that one hair he gave us was really Bernadette’s.”

Cassandra took another drag from her cigarette, turning her head away as she blew the smoke out of one side of her mouth. “I
hope
it works. They would make a cute couple, don’t you think? I like their way their names sound together: Beau and Bernadette.” Her laugh was short, practically a grunt. “Bernadette and Beau. They might’ve ended up as an item even without our help.”

“Yeah, well don’t spread that around." She tapped her ashes into the ashtray. “Bad for business.”

Cassandra unfolded her long legs and stood, adjusting her black leather miniskirt as she said, “Keep an eye on my purse while I go to the little girls’ room.” She walked away toward the restroom with her cigarette dangling from one hand, knocking against a few barstools as she went. Rita watched her go for a moment before turning her attention back to the couple.

Come on, Bernadette
, she thought.
At least squeeze his thigh or something
. The skinny dark-haired woman in jeans and a halter top kept brushing up against Beau in between rounds of darts, but nothing more amorous than that.
She’s warming up to him. Maybe he’ll be happy with that.
She sighed deeply.
As long as he thinks the amulet is doing its job.
She squeezed her lips together
. If Isabelle had been with us when we made it, I wouldn’t have to worry.

She tapped a red-painted fingernail against the bar in time to the music and a couple started dancing by the jukebox against the wall.
Wouldn’t mind dancing right now
. She surveyed the room to see if any of her regular dance partners were there.

“So what do you think?” She heard from behind her. She turned to see Alphonse, the short, stout bartender, grinning, his gold tooth glinting in the neon light, pointing to his chest. He wore a white T-shirt with a picture of a large rust-colored screw in the center, and over it in large letters it said
Screw U.
Underneath in smaller print it said
The Rusty Screw, Thibodaux, Louisiana
.

“What do I think about the shirt?” Rita asked.

“Just got ’em in,” Alphonse said, still grinning. “Wanna but one? Only ten bucks.”

“Al, you know white’s not my color. Got any in black? Or maybe red?”

Alphonse frowned. “We’d have to pay an extra charge for the printing ’cause the ink would have to be white.”

“Print some black ones, they’ll sell.” She waved one hand at the room behind her. “Look around. Half the people in here are wearing black.”

Alphonse scanned the room. “Yeah, probably shoulda’ done black in the first place.”

“Tell you what: I’ll buy one of the white ones if you’ll help me sell some of my DUI powder tonight. I brought ten packets.”

“Deal.” He pointed a thumb toward the end of the bar. “Derek’s probably gonna need some. He’s getting pretty wasted, and he’s already got a DUI charge on his record.”

“And Deputy Fife might be lurking under the overpass again.”

“Rita, you know John Paul hates it when you call him that.” Alphonse set a mug under a beer tap and pulled the handle down; a golden brown liquid poured into the glass.

“John Paul is
such
a deputy do-right. He cramps my style.”

Alphonse nodded toward the restrooms as he poured. “Here comes your partner in crime.”

Rita turned to see Cassandra coming toward her, bumping against barstools again as she walked, a cigarette carelessly waving in one hand.

Cassandra plopped on her bar stool and said, “There was a line in the ladies’ room. I think Zoe was doing something naughty in there and holding up the show.” She chortled and took a drag from her cigarette.

A brown-haired woman approached them from the direction of the restrooms. She was shorter than Cassandra, but still tall for a woman, and broad in the hips.

“Looks like Geraldine’s comin’ this way,” Rita said. When the woman reached them, Rita said, “Hey, Sugar. Did that potion we made work for you?”

Geraldine gave a little shrug. “Worked okay.” She put her hand on Cassandra’s shoulder and leaned closer. “Cass, I couldn’t help noticing when you came out of the bathroom….” Her voice got lower. “You got a big spider vein on your left leg, right behind the knee. You probably can’t see it, so I thought you might want to know.”

“No!” Cassandra leaned down and tried to look at the back side of her leg. “Rita, is that true?”

“Haven’t looked lately. Stand up and let’s see.” Cassandra stood and turned. “Yep.” Rita reached over and touched the spot with one finger. “Right there.” Cassandra sat quickly and scowled.

“Sorry to be the one to tell, you Cass,” Geraldine said. She patted Cassandra’s shoulder. “I gotta run, girls.” She walked off.

Cassandra looked at Rita with her mouth partly open, eyes narrowed.

“Sorry, Cass. Guess you’re getting old.”

“I’m only forty-three.”

“You’re forty-nine.”

“Well, you should talk.” She pointed at Rita’s red hair. “Your gray roots are showin’ big time.”

“You lie!” Rita’s hand involuntarily shot to her scalp. “I just died it last week.”

Cassandra shook her head grimly.

“How come I didn’t notice?”

Cassandra picked up her cigarette from the ashtray on the bar and took a drag. “Because we still haven’t replaced that burnt-out light bulb in our bathroom. Can’t see squat in there with only one light.”

Rita ground her teeth for a moment before saying, “We need to stop on the way home and get a new light bulb.”

“Rita.” Cassandra jabbed one finger at her. “We need to get a new witch, and soon.”

“I’ll get started on it this week.”

* * *

Jamie stood next to his car in the morning sunlight, watching Fred cross the street toward him, their gazes locked as she neared. There was no other movement in the known world except for her. No cars drove by. No birds flew. No leaves swayed in the breeze. There was only Fred, coming closer with each graceful step.

I love the way she walks
, he thought. When she reached him, she gave him a quick kiss and looked at him with a whimsical smile. Then she brushed one hand through his curly blond hair and said, “Hey.”

“Hey,” he replied, and they continued to look into each other’s eyes. “You know what that reminds me of? That time I had mono. Remember? I was lying on the couch with my head in your lap?”

“Of course I remember,” she said.

“I was having terrible dreams and I woke up and you were there, rubbing my head and smiling at me. Then you said ‘Hey’, just like that.”

“And you said ‘Hey’ back.”

“And then I fell asleep again, but I stopped having bad dreams.” He shook his head. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.”

“You’d better not. I know I —”

“Hey Lovebirds.” They both turned to see Rollie jogging up the driveway with his bulky backpack hanging from one hand. “Let’s hit the road, or we’re gonna be late.”

Fred patted Jamie’s face and they got in the car.

Rollie clicked his seat belt and said, “You guys gonna be ready for the show comin’ up?”

Jamie shrugged and put the car in reverse. “I’m just doing my same old stuff. Nothing special.”

“I’ve been working on a new routine.” Fred pulled the visor down and checked her makeup in the mirror. “I’ve been practicing at the dance studio.”

“Jamie, why are you even bothering to go if you’re not trying to win,” Rollie said.

“I think it’ll be kinda fun…bigger stage, lights and all. And I want to support you guys. It takes all three of us to make the Crew.”

“We can’t be beat,” Rollie said. “Everybody smell our feet.”

Fred lifted one foot, wearing an open-toed ankle strap sandal, and set it on the dashboard. “I don’t think you want to smell my feet. I just painted my toenails.”

* * *

I must be dreaming
, Jamie realized. He was lying on the couch, head in Fred’s lap, like when he had mono, only he felt fine. He and Fred were talking about love.

“Fred, how much do you love me?”

She stroked his head. “Let’s see…if I told you every day, it would take me from now until one day after the end of time to finish telling you all the ways that I love you.” She ran one finger under his lip. “How about you?”

“Well….” He scrunched his mouth in thought. “If I tried to put all of my love for you in my heart at once, it would burst. There’s just too much.”

“Good answer.” She patted his head. “No go back and have the best dreams ever.”

“I already am having the best dream ever.”

* * *

The next morning, Jamie walked out of his front door right as Fred arrived, setting her book bag on top of the Buick. “I dreamed about you last night,” she said.

“Huh,” Jamie said. “I dreamed about you, too. It was nice. We were on the couch like when I had mono.”

Fred wrinkled her brow as she put her arms around his waist. “That’s funny. That was my dream, too.”

“I guess we were both thinking about it when we went to bed, after we talked about it yesterday.”

“We should do that more often.” She smiled impishly.

Jamie looked across the street. “Here comes Rollie. We need to get going.”

* * *

Fred was walking down the hall when Melanie caught up with her near the front of the school.

She matched Fred’s stride and said, “Mind if I walk with you?”

“No, ’course not.” Fred had decided that Melanie wasn’t so bad after all. “How’s Michael?”

“Good.” Melanie smiled. “We’re having our two-year anniversary next week.”

“Congratulations. That’s amazing.” They passed the cafeteria and walked on; throngs of kids streamed by, some in groups, some alone.

“I know you and Jamie have been together for only a month or so, but it doesn’t seem like it. Seems like you’ve always been a couple.”

“We’ve been friends since kindergarten, and we met before we were born.” Melanie gave her a puzzled look and Fred continued. “Our Moms met at Lamaze class, and they said we were both kicking like crazy, so they touched bellies. We’ve been —”

“Yo’, ladies,” came a voice from behind them.

Melanie glanced over her shoulder and turned back with a scowl.

“Who’s that?” Fred asked.

“Logan Perkins,” she said in a low voice. “He just moved here from Florida, and he thinks he’s God’s gift to women.”

A tall boy caught up with them, walking beside Melanie. He had a cocky smile and spiked hair with frosted tips. “I’m new here and thought I should introduce myself,” he said. “I’m Logan.” He held out his hand but neither girl took it.

“That’s nice,” Melanie said without looking at him.

“And you are?”

“Busy.” They continued to walk and Fred had to suppress a smile.

“Somebody told me your name,” he said. “It’s Michelle or something.”

“It’s
Melanie
.”

“Oh, well, hey Melanie. Nice to meet you.” He walked faster to try to get in front of them, but Fred and Melanie picked up their pace. “Tell me, Melanie, do you have a boyfriend.”

Without turning her head, Melanie said tersely, “Yes, his name is Michael, and he’s on the football team.”

He laughed. “I don’t know if I’d admit that, if I were you. They’re not a very good team.” When she didn’t respond he said, “Well, how ’bout you, Red? What’s your name?”

Melanie turned on him and stopped him dead in his tracks with a vicious poke of her finger in his chest. “Her name is Fred, and she’s Jamie Sikes’s girlfriend! Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re trying to get to class.”

She turned away, and she and Fred walked on, leaving Logan standing in the hall, looking dumbfounded. Melanie glanced at Fred and winked. Fred put her hand over her mouth and laughed.

* * *

That night, Jamie dreamed he was lying on the couch with Fred again.
I like this dream,
he thought.
It’s so real. I can smell Fred. She always smells nice
.

She was describing what had happened in the hall with Melanie and Logan that morning. He laughed as he pictured Melanie attacking the boy with her finger and setting him straight.

“I’ve decided I like her,” Fred said. “She’s actually a nice person.”

“She hasn’t tried to kiss me lately,” Jamie said.

“She won’t do that again. She’s too nice. I think we’re going to be friends.”

“That’s good.” He reached up and caught his fingers in her red curls, smiling as he did. “You can’t have too many friends.”

“No.” She stroked his head. “And you and I have a lot of friends, Jamie. Try to remember that.”

* * *

When Jamie met Fred at his car the next morning, they both tried to talk at the same time. Jamie gestured and said, “You first.”

“I dreamed we were on the couch again.”

“Me too! Were we talking about Melanie and some jerky guy named Logan.”

“Yes!” She clapped her hands. “Isn’t that amazing?”

“What’s amazing?” Rollie asked as he walked up, backpack slung over his shoulder.

Jamie opened the driver’s door. “We’ve been having the same dream.”

Rollie slid into the back seat. “Sounds spooky,” he said without a trace of surprise in his voice.

“It’s great,” Fred said as she sat in the passenger seat and closed the door. “I remember thinking about Jamie in my dream, and the next thing I know, we’re on his family room couch, talking.”

“And Melanie poked that guy in the chest, right?” Jamie said as he started the car.

“Yes. How did you do that, Jamie?”

“Do what?”

“Make that dream and have both of us in it?”

Jamie shook his head and backed the car out of the driveway. “I didn’t do it. I definitely don’t have that power. That’s not something a sorcerer could do.”

“Then somebody else must’ve sent it to us somehow.”