Bewitching Fire

by Sheritta Bitikofer

  “Then what skills are you developing that I don’t know about?”

  Her friend looked thoughtful for a while as she tapped the edges of her converse shoes together. “Well, I have been working on my stealth in the new video game Shane got. Don’t tell him though. He doesn’t know I’ve been playing it on the PS4 after he goes to bed.”

  Krystal gasped. “Shame on you,” she jokingly rebuked. “Playing your roommate’s game without his permission.”

  Valerie raked back her hair. “I’m sure he doesn’t care, but he’d have a fit if he knew I was at a higher level than him on his own game.”

  Alexa cleared her throat. “May I continue?”

  “Yes, do please continued with these fascinating predictions,” Krystal teased.

  The blonde stuck out her tongue at her and scrolled through the app. “For Aries… you are likely to be full of energy today, expanding to fill whatever platform you are given. Rather than demanding the attention of others or insisting on getting your own way, use your power to inspire others. Rather than rebelling for the sake of it, fight for a cause you believe in. You don't need to be forceful or dominating for others to be inspired by your actions.”

  Valerie pointed at her. “See! No dominating today! That counts for Devin, too.”

  “Yeah, let him dominate you a bit,” Alexa joined.

  “Make sure he brings handcuffs on that boat!”

  Alexa rolled her eyes in feigned pleasure. “I’m sure there will be tons of places he can chain you to.”

  The two girls broke into riotous laughter, but Krystal only smirked. She quickly stood up and snatched Alexa’s phone away. The girl jumped to get it back, but Krystal held it well out of reach. One advantage to being taller than her friend, she could mess with her so easily.

  “Let’s see what it says about Cancer,” she mused, reading the phone at arm’s length. After a while, Alexa admitted defeat. “The moon is very active today, connecting with every single planet at some point in the day, so you may find your moods ebbing and flowing even more than usual. Go with the flow of your feelings and don't worry if others get frustrated at your apparent moodiness, they are not as sensitive as you and experience the world differently.”

  “Oh, a warning to us all!” Valerie exclaimed.

  Alexa made one last leap to claim what was hers and Krystal finally lowered the phone, so she could steal it back. “Warning to me too,” she added. “At least now I’ll know to keep my own emotions in check.”

  Krystal laughed and straightened out her V-neck blouse. “What emotions? You have moderate peppy, more peppy, and extra peppy.”

  Alexa shrugged. “I have my moments too, you know.”

  “We never see them,” said Valerie as she took another long sip from her mug.

  “Then I’m doing a good job, aren’t I?” she replied as she thumbed through the app, reading the other horoscopes aloud.

  Krystal wasn’t listening, though. Her mind was trailing back to what the app said about being aggressive, demanding, and dominating. She had been accused of being those things frequently, but always passed it off that she was simply driven and competitive at times, especially when it came to her business.

  Lately though, her mind had been consumed with lesser things that had nothing to do with her business. Knowing Devin and nearly obsessing over him had trumped a lot of things in her life. Instead of watching marketing podcasts or researching how to make her business better, she caught herself cooking in the evening with her mind brimming with lovely thoughts about Devin and the good times that were ahead. Her stomach was doing backflips whenever she thought about their date that evening. But that couldn’t compare to the absolute bliss she felt when she knew she’d get to kiss those perfect lips again and feel his hands caress her one more time.

  Just thinking about it now made her knees weak.

  And as she predicted, what her horoscope couldn’t exactly say, Perfect Books and Brews didn’t go into a financial rut, because she didn’t stay late to sort receipts or come up with final profit stats for the day. The espresso machines didn’t burst into flames, because she didn’t clean it that extra time when it didn’t really need it. The tables didn’t fall apart when she neglected to wipe them down one last time before leaving. The books didn’t tumble off the shelves when she let a few get out of order.

  Slowly, Krystal began to realize that her little extra measures, the things she did because she thought that if she didn’t do them, everything would go to hell in a handbasket, didn’t matter one bit when it came to the efficiency of the store. She could put things off for a day or two. She didn’t have to scrub as hard or inspect everything with a magnifying glass – which she had been tempted to do sometimes.

  The world was still spinning, and she could feel the tension ease from her shoulders. Krystal could breathe, and Devin was filling her lungs for her.

  The brass bell over the front door jingled, throwing Krystal out of her thoughts. She turned and watched as a flood of people streamed into the coffee shop in a mass of smiles, laughs, and chattering voices.

  The three girls put away their mugs and phones, and stepped into action to do what they did best. Brewing and charming coffees. Though, after the first few customers who came in to rave about Father Frank’s sermon, it was clear that the single tick mark on the chalkboard might be lonely that afternoon. These people didn’t have any problems, now that their religious shepherd had fed them with the spiritual encouragement they needed.

  To Krystal, that was just fine. The people weren’t there for charms or uplifting of any kind. Just coffee, and she could provide that in abundance without magic.

  “I wish you could have been there, Krystal,” Mrs. Thompson told her as she and her husband ordered their usual lattes. “Father Frank’s message was so… so… I can’t even begin to describe it.” “It was eloquent and so poignant,” Mr. Thompson added.

  That was the kind of endearments she heard for the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon. Those who heard Father Frank were so stirred that they just couldn’t stop talking about it. The coffee shop buzzed with conversations about the sermon for hours, as couples and groups of clustered people pushed tables together, so they could all talk and discuss the points of his religious argument, things Krystal wasn’t remotely curious about. Everyone else was fired up, though.

  Three-forty-five came and though no new customers were coming in, some had stayed for hours to socialize in the shop. She turned to her friends behind the counter and Krystal could tell they were already beat. After the hard work with the festival booth the day before, and the after-church rush, they were both probably eager to head home.

  In any other situation, Krystal would have told them to go ahead and take off early and she would take over the task of closing up once the last of their customer’s left. However, in less than an hour, Devin would be showing up on her doorstep and she wasn’t even ready to go on their little open water excursion. She fought the urge to be terrified about going out on a boat, reminding herself that as long as she was spending time with Devin, it was well worth it all.

  Valerie looked up and must have seen the torn, dejected look in her friend’s eye, because she adamantly shook her head. “Nope,” she declared. “I’m not doing it. I already covered for you once and I’ve got a videogame calling my name.”

  This caught Alexa’s attention and she lifted her gaze from her phone. “What?”

  Krystal glanced over her shoulder to the group of customers still gabbing it up. Realization dawned in Alexa’s eyes and she let out a long, tired breath. “I guess I can stay. Mr. Fish can wait a little longer for his dinner.”

  Mr. Fish was Alexa’s dark blue and black betta fish. Living in the apartment space over Miss Macy’s Antique Shop came with restrictions. One of which was that she couldn’t own any pets that had a potential to make a mess on the carpet. So, dogs and cats were out of the question. Fish, however, were perfectly acceptable.

  K
rystal came forward and hugged her. “Thank you!” she cried and then stooped down to retrieve her purse from under the counter, so she could rush out the door. If she hurried, she could make it home in time to pack that extra change of clothes and feed Artemis, if Sierra hadn’t fed him twice already.

  Devin stepped onto Krystal’s front porch at exactly four-thirty, just as they agreed. With the tiny packet of assorted vegetable and flower seeds in hand, he rang the doorbell and waited. Inside, he could hear the swift trampling of light feet upon wood flooring and the harried, hushed words of two girls arguing on who should answer the door.

  His thumb stroked over the ribbon that bound his modest offering together and waited, his heart pounding faster than it should have. Just like on their first date, he was nervous. This time, he wasn’t so much nervous for the fact that Krystal would be standing in front of him at any moment. This time, he was excited. This would be the second time they were completely alone. No waiters, no customers, nobody in Goldcrest Cove would be there to watch over them. Out on that boat, it would be just them.

  The heavy front door swung open, but it wasn’t Krystal standing there to greet him. This must be her sister. She gave him a friendly smile and her dark eyes roved over him from head to foot. Feeling like he was under inspection, he squared his shoulders.

  “You must be Krystal’s sister,” he said and offered out his hand that had been shaken at least a hundred times that day already.

  “And you must be Devin,” she said, taking his hand in hers. She gave just as firm a handshake as Krystal did and he guessed it must have been a family trait. “My name’s Sierra.”

  “Nice to finally meet you.”

  It wasn’t quite like meeting the parents, but close. If Sierra felt the same way about Krystal, like Devin did about his little sister, he knew he was in for a string of probing questions and every word he said would be under intense scrutiny while he was there.

  “Come in,” she quickly said, waving him on. “Krystal’s still getting ready. The coffee shop was pretty busy just before she left.”

  He stepped inside and looked around the foyer and staircase up ahead that led to the second floor. Somehow, he had expected a sort of Addams Family interior with a towering stuffed grizzly bear and suits of armor everywhere. The outside of the house was aesthetically pleasing enough, but he always wondered how these antique homes were decorated on the inside.

  Krystal’s home was tastefully designed with just the right vintage touch of artificial potted plants, antique furniture, and family portraits that hung on the walls. The trim and detailed accents harkened back to an age when master craftsmen were easy to come by.

  Apart from the stunning architecture and fascinating accents to the décor, there was a certain energy about the house that he recognized. It felt just the way the sanctuary in the church did earlier that day. A spiritual essence seemed to pervade the air and seep into his blood. It was calming, tranquil, just the way he felt when he was around Krystal. Whatever it was about her and the house, he definitely didn’t fight it like he had during Mass. He didn’t feel like he could be free to experience that kind of liberating peace, but here, he knew that he could.

  The tiny baying of a cat met his ears and he searched for the source.

  Padding from one of the rooms to the right of the foyer, a beautiful, long-haired Siamese cat looked up at him with such striking blue eyes. They stared at one another for a moment as its long, bushy tail swished from one side to the other, silently judging him just the way Sierra must have.

  “That’s Artemis,” Sierra said. “He’s not big on being petted, just as a warning.”

  Devin remembered seeing that cat on Krystal’s phone. He nodded in acknowledgement to the sophisticated, almost regal-looking cat. “I’ll be sure to keep my distance then, won’t I?”

  The cat, as if satisfied with his greeting, turned and sauntered back into what appeared to be something like a living room. He heard the tiny jingle of Artemis’ collar and tag as it deftly pounced up onto the couch cushion.

  “Krystal told me you’re the new cop in town, right?”

  Devin nodded to Sierra. “I am. Aaron Wright is my partner.”

  She smiled and nodded as she moved toward the left of the foyer and into the kitchen. “Oh, Aaron’s a pretty cool guy. I went to high school with him. Quite a character, as you probably know already. Do you want anything to drink while you wait?”

  “No thanks,” he said just as he heard the soft tap of footsteps coming from upstairs. He didn’t move from his spot as Krystal came into view and hurried down the steps.

  “I’m so sorry,” she groaned. “I didn’t think getting changed would take me so long.”

  Devin smiled a toothy grin when he saw what she had changed into. Her hunter green tank top paired well with the off-white skirt embroidered with cream flowers and leaves that weaved all across the surface. In her hand was a matching sweater and a small tote bag that must have contained that extra change of clothes he requested her to pack.

  “It’s totally fine,” he assured. “Worth the wait.”

  Krystal finally looked up to him and brushed back a bit of a stray bang that was in her eyes. She smiled at his sly compliment and there was a definite shift in the air around them. That calm remained, but it was joined by the urgent need that came whenever he let himself daydream about Krystal. It was that same, fiery yearning that came when he allowed the thought of her to devour his very being. He had never let a woman affect him like that before.

  He hadn’t expected to get stiff this soon, but at least he wore comfortable jeans. If he didn’t settle down, he might take this date too far, too soon. He still respected Krystal and wanted to take this nice and easy. No reason to ruin it all on the second date.

  Sierra came back with a glass of water in her hands. “Ready to go?” she asked them. “I’ve got someplace to be too, so don’t worry about me being here when you get back.”

  He would have been considered blind if he didn’t see that wink. At least he wasn’t the only one thinking about what would happen after they came back to shore.

  Krystal passed her sister a look before joining Devin at the door. “I’m ready,” she told him. Then, her eyes fell to the tiny parcel in his hand.

  Devin felt awkward presenting her with another gift, but by the way her eyes lit up, he knew he had done right.

  “Oh, how sweet!” she exclaimed and gently took the seed packets from his hand to admire them. “Sierra, he got us seeds.”

  Not technically for both of them, but since it was for the garden they shared, Devin accepted it.

  Her elder sister came over and looked at each of the labels as Krystal tore off the ribbon and flipped through them. “And he got the good brand.” Sierra threw him a covert thumbs up. At least he had won her over. Would Krystal’s parents be just as easy?

  She passed off the packets to her sister and stood on her tip toes to plant a sweet kiss on Devin’s cheek. “Thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome.” He wanted to say that he would buy her the hardware store’s entire stock of every kind of seed they had, just so she would give him more kisses. He knew saying something like that in front of Sierra might have upset the balance out of his favor.

  “You two go on and have fun.”

  With Sierra’s blessing, they left the house and walked out to Devin’s black Dodge Charger sitting at the curb.

  “What are we going to do when it gets dark?” Krystal asked as he opened the passenger side door for her. The days were getting shorter now and the sun would completely set in about an hour or so, but he planned for them to be out on the water to watch it. Maybe there was an advantage to waiting for her to get off work so late in the afternoon.

  “The boat has some lights.” And when he said “some”, he really meant one lantern fixed at the helm. When he slid into the driver’s seat, he continued, “The boat isn’t exactly what I had bargained for. I thought we were going to get something
a little bigger, but the harbormaster could only set me up with a bow rider. Maybe in the future, we can get a fishing boat like I wanted.” Krystal tossed her bag onto the floorboard at her feet and that reminded him. “Also, you probably won’t need that change of clothes like I suggested.”

  “Huh?” Krystal questioned as he pulled away onto Pinkerton Drive and made a quick U-turn to head toward the harbor. The radio began to play some rock music that he promptly turned down. He didn’t know what she liked to listen to, but he didn’t want to offend her, just in case she wasn’t one for heavy metal or punk music.

  “Like I said, I wanted a bigger boat, but he didn’t come through. There’s no place for you to change if you wanted to.”

  She nodded in understanding, but there was a note of hesitance in what she said next. “Well, I guess that’s good then. Why would I need a change of clothes anyway?”

  Devin shrugged. “In case you got too wet from the spray that came off the bow or fell in.” Beside him, Krystal shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but said nothing.

  “You all right?” he asked as he made a right turn onto Lavender Lane.

  “I have a confession to make,” she began, her face twisted in a grimace. “I’m a little nervous… Okay, I’m a lot nervous. I haven’t been out on a boat in a really long time.”

  He smirked. “Nothing to be nervous about. It has a few life jackets and I’m an excellent swimmer, in case you do take a spill.”

  Krystal didn’t seem convinced, but he was sure that once they got out onto the water, they would be fine. If she really had a problem with going out on a boat, then she would have said so when he first offered it. At least, he hoped that she would have. So far, she had been fairly honest with him, so she had no reason to lie to him about this, right?

  Even as they neared the harbor, Devin hoped that her anxiety wouldn’t get in the way of her having a good time. He so wanted to give her a good time. After all the hard work she put into the booth at the festival and the effort she puts into the coffee shop every day, she needed a break from reality just as much as he did. He hoped that he could be her fantasy just as much as she was for him.