At least, it kept her from going on a rant for about two minutes. Before I was able to drag her completely away from the lingerie and up to the cash register, she spotted a display table of expensive thong underwear. My stomach just about dropped out of my butt when she grabbed a red lace thong and held it up in the air.
"Can you believe this?" she shrilled.
"Jenny, let's just check out. We've all had a stressful day. Let's go to our room. We can stop at the bar on our way and get that complimentary bottle of wine. I'm sure it's not too early to start drinking somewhere,” I said. "I mean, I think I'm ready now."
She didn't stop. She foisted the thong in my direction. It was stretched out over her fingers. I looked around to see if Elizabeth or one of her bridal shower guests were in the boutique. It looked as though there weren't many people in there, and for that I was grateful.
"Sixty dollars for this!" she said, but I snatched the underwear away from her and tried to fold them back up. Jenny wasn't done. "I can't believe they would charge sixty dollars for that little strip of fabric. I've had strings of dental floss that would cover more of my rear end."
"Yeah, Jenny, it's just designer. People like designer things. Come on, now. Let's get out of here. Please."
Her shoulders slumped and I watched all of the vinegar go out of her. "I'm sorry. You're right. It's just been a stressful day. Sorry again, boss."
"It's okay, honey,” I said. "I'm a little on edge too, and I know you can just get passionate about things."
We retreated to the register where I paid for the underwear and two sets of pajamas that we'd found on a clearance table. They weren't cheap, but they were a lot cheaper than they'd been at full price. Plus, they were really nice. I knew I was going to love them even after we went home.
The clerk behind the register kept staring at Jenny. It was as if she was afraid that Jenny would go off about the price of something else in the shop at any moment and she'd have to call security. Fortunately for all of us, Jenny kept quiet.
We stopped at the bar on the way to the elevator and picked up our complimentary bottle of wine. We lucked out and the bar stocked magical brews, so we got a bottle with relaxation charm instead of booze.
Once we got upstairs, it became apparent that we'd been put on the same floor as Elizabeth and her bridal shower guests. I didn't see Elizabeth, but I did see Skyla and some of the other bridal party members. One of the doors down the hall was open, and a woman called out for Elizabeth.
"Let's go inside the room,” Jenny said. "I need a break from all of this."
She slid her key card in the lock and pushed the door open. I followed her in, and my jaw just about hit the floor.
The room was something else. I'd never seen a hotel room with two king-size beds. When the lady at the counter had said a double, I thought she meant two double beds. Maybe two queens, but I had not been prepared for two massive beds. Both were massive mahogany four-posters too. The carpet under my feet felt like a cloud. It had been nice in the hallway, but walking into the room was like stepping off planet Earth. The room didn't smell like hotel room either. The air was full of the scent of fresh spring linens and a hint of... pralines. The praline aroma was because manor staff had placed two massive trays of their signature pralines on the dresser with a bouquet of fresh magnolias.
Two fuzzy spa bathrobes hung on the bathroom door. "Do you think we can have these?" Fern asked.
"I don't think they wash them and reuse them,” I said.
"But they're probably supposed to be a perk for paying guests,” she said.
"They brought the pralines in. I think if they didn't want us to have the robes, they would have taken them out,” I said.
Jenny let out a happy little squeal and clapped her hands together. She strode over to the bathroom door and plucked one of the robes off the hook. I couldn't help but chuckle as she threw it on over her clothes and tied the belt.
"This has been a day,” I said as I popped the cork on the wine bottle with the opener the bartender gave me.
"It has,” Jenny said.
"First we find out that the bridal shower is some sort of competition for Elizabeth's business, and then someone gets themselves killed at the shower. I wonder if Elizabeth was even able to pay attention to the cakes,” I said.
"I hope some of her guests told her how good your cake was before that lady got pushed out the window," Jenny answered.
"I feel really bad even worry about it," I relented. "Someone died today, and I'm still obsessing over one wedding."
"It's not just one wedding." Jenny sat down on one of the beds. "Elizabeth's wedding could make your career. It will be a full spread in all of the Southern living magazines. Not to mention the photos will be all over social media. You know how much people love pictures of the cake. It will get shared so many times. So, not only will you be getting paid for doing the wedding, but there will be so much free advertising. It's a huge deal. Dead body or no."
"Yeah, and if Elizabeth doesn't pick me, all of that fortune and glory will go to Garnet fluffing Guillory."
I walked over to the window and opened the curtains. We were near the top floor, and I could see out into the Gulf for miles.
"She's not going to get it,” Jenny said. "Even if her cake was good, it wasn't as good as yours. Her magic isn't as good as yours, and I hope that Elizabeth will be able to see what a nasty person she is. Garnet can put on a sweet facade, but she can't hide how awful she really is for long."
"What if it's all for nothing?" I said as I watched big, mean waves crash against the manor's shoreline. "The storm is getting fierce. What if the shop gets destroyed?"
"Don't start panicking about stuff like that now. Our little town has stood through worse storms than this," Jenny reassured me.
"I'm more worried about Gumbo." I felt panic like cold water in my gut as I thought about my cat familiar at home all alone. "He's there at the house alone."
"Gumbo will be fine too,” Jenny said. "Even if we get a little flooding, he'll go upstairs. That cat has survived far worse than this storm too."
She was right, but I was still scared for him. The urge to do magic and try to make the storm go around us was strong, but I fought it. Technically, unless I knew Gumbo was in imminent danger, using a spell to reroute the storm would have been selfish. Magic for selfish reasons was against everything my coven stood for, plus it would have meant inflicting the danger on others. Gumbo could protect himself, and there was no way that sassy old cat was scared. Gumbo would have laughed at me moping around worrying about him, and then he'd have laughed at the storm.
I looked outside again. "These waves are growing by feet every minute,” I said.
Jenny joined me at the window. "I think you're probably exaggerating."
"I'm not. I could have sworn they were around three feet a couple of minutes ago, and now they look at least six,” I said. "I can't believe the local weather station might have finally made an accurate prediction."
"Maybe you should start listening to them," Jenny suggested.
"Not a chance. This was just dumb luck."
"And horrible timing. I hate to suggest it, but perhaps we should turn on the weather channel and watch,” Jenny said.
"We can watch out the window. We don't need to see it on television. It's here."
"Yeah, but we can get more accurate data from the scientists."
"Fine,” I said. "We'll turn it on. It's just as good a thing to watch as anything else."
Jenny flipped on the television and found the weather news channel. She watched it intently, but I couldn't get the woman who'd fallen out of my head. She had to have loved ones that expected her to come home after work. While the rest of us were delayed by the storm, she'd never go home again.
I shook those thoughts from my head. It was too depressing. There was nothing I could do for the woman and making myself a sad mess over it wasn't going to help anyone. So instead, my brain decided that anxiety was th
e way to go. I sipped the wine to counteract the intrusive thoughts about my cake. Well, they were more about whether Elizabeth thought my cake was better than Garnet's. I'd done my very best work in regards to both flavor profile and magic charms.
"Okay, I'm bored,” Jenny said.
"You've been watching the weather for like five minutes,” I said. "You said you wanted to watch everything. I thought you wanted accurate data."
"I'm done with data. I'm bored and I want to do something."
"I suppose we could go walk around for a while. There's got to be something to do in this place,” I said.
"Yes, let's do that,” Jenny said.
She jumped off the bed, took off her robe and slipped on her shoes.
"Where should we look first?" I asked.
"There are a few floors. We should just wander around until something interesting presents itself."
"Okay."
That something interesting turned up on the third floor in the area where the soda and snack machines were located on the other floors. On the third floor was a door to an enclosed area. The symbol for witchcraft was painted on the door in gold paint that only witches could see.
"I think that's an invitation,” Jenny said as she reached for the door handle.
"Wait,” I said. "We don't know if we can go in there."
"There's no sign that says ‘employees only’," Jenny said, and she turned the handle. "See, it's unlocked. I think it's for guests."
"We're not paying guests,” I said.
"I don't think that matters. At least, it doesn't matter to me,” Jenny said with a shrug.
"Fine, okay. Just a quick peek."
Jenny found a light switch on the wall. She flipped it on as we both slipped inside the room. We were the only ones in there, and there hadn't been anyone in the hallway either.
"Oh, wow,” I said.
The room was full of shelves. They lined the walls and there were several in the center as well.
“Look at all this stuff,” Jenny said. “This is amazing. Do you think it’s all for guests to use for free?”
The shelves were stocked with just about any ingredient you could want for a spell minus the really dark stuff. There were rows and rows of herb jars, crystals, and an entire section of candles of every color.
“Don’t touch anything,” I said.
“Why not? I’m just looking at stuff,” Jenny retorted.
“Because you look with your eyes not with your hands,” I said. “This stuff, if it’s for guests, is for paying guests. We’re here because the owner doesn’t want to put people out in a storm. We’re not, like, full guests. We’re charity guests.”
“We’re not charity guests,” Jenny said, and I could hear her on the other side of the shelves picking things up.
“Just be careful,” I said.
“I learned my lesson this morning.”
I had my doubts, but I didn’t want to be mean. Instead of answering, I just kept perusing the shelves.
When I got to one stocked with spell books, a grimoire of hexes caught my attention. White witches didn’t usually use any form of hexation, so I felt a little naughty thumbing through the pages. I wondered who’d left the book there in the manor’s magic room. Surely it wasn’t put there by the staff. A gray witch, who was probably annoyed by all of the white witchery, had most likely left it as an act of defiance. I had to admire their spirit and commitment to upholding the balance themselves.
I was reading a spell on putting a hex in a cookie recipe when I heard glass break. The glass breaking was followed by the sound of Jenny gasping.
“What did you do?” I asked.
“No! No! No!” Jenny yelled.
"Jenny, what's wrong?" I asked as I rushed around the shelves.
Before her on the floor were the pink shards of a broken bottle. Hovering above those shards was a golden mist. As I watched, the mist shifted and swirled until it formed the outline of a woman.
“Jenny, step back,” I said.
The scent of honeysuckle filled the room. It was beautiful and sweet, but I knew it could also mean death. While the apparition looked angelic and smelled beautiful, it could have all been a trap.
"Why have you done this?" the spirit asked.
"It was an accident," Jenny squeaked out.
"Normally, I'm a reasonable gal." The spirit coalesced into the visage of an elegant woman dressed in an evening gown and heels. Her feet, which had been previously floating above the broken bottle pieces, touched the floor, and she began to walk in a circle around Jenny. It was like watching a shark circle its prey. "I don't mind being pulled off my shelf and summoned to help the occasional witch with her work, but now you've destroyed my home."
"I'm sorry,” I said. "There are a ton of supplies in this room. Let me look around for another bottle for you."
"I don't want one of these other bottles," she roared. "So pedestrian. Not one of them is anything special! My bottle was special."
"Um..,” I said, trying to think.
Suddenly, the ghost turned back into the golden mist form and I watched in horror as she... invaded Jenny. The mist shot into Jenny's nose and mouth as she let out a strangled gasping sound.
"Jenny, are you all right?" I asked.
"Your friend is fine," the ghost’s voice came out of Jenny's mouth. "I don't usually like to occupy humans. So squishy and gross, but I'll keep her if you don't get me a new home. And not one of these horrid bottles in this closet. I need a bottle fit for a lady like me."
"Where am I going to get a bottle for you? You don't want any in the closet, and we can't leave the manor. There's a tropical storm moving in and the road is washed out."
"Surely someone in this hotel has a bottle fit for me,” she said.
"You want me to knock on every door and ask people for a pink glass bottle?"
"Do you want your friend back?" the ghost hissed from inside Jenny.
"Wait, I know,” I said as the solution dawned on me. "Down in the shop, there were perfumes. The Sakura by Christian Dior caught my eye. It's a pink bottle. I think it's the perfume that's pink, but maybe..."
"That would be lovely," the ghost responded. "I would accept that."
"Okay, I'll be right back,” I said. "Please don't go anywhere."
"I can't make any promises, so you'd better hurry."
I rushed out of the room and to the elevator. It felt like an eternity for it to arrive, and I cursed myself for not taking the stairs.
On the first floor, I darted out of the elevator and practically sprinted down the hall to the boutique. The ghost had said she didn't like being inside a human, but I still worried she'd try to take Jenny's body for a spin.
"Welcome," the girl behind the counter said as I walked in, then she realized it was me and started looking around nervously for Jenny.
Don't worry, shop girl, she's upstairs possessed by a ghost. She won't be coming down to grouse loudly about underwear this time, I thought.
"Hello. I want to buy a bottle of the Christian Dior Sakura I saw earlier," I blurted out. "I just have to have it. I tried to talk myself out of it, but I had to come back." I tried to recover.
"Splendid," she responded. "Would you like to smell a sample of it first? I have some behind the counter. It is a bit pricey."
I hadn't thought about how much the perfume would cost. Christian Dior was a fancy brand, I knew that much, but I didn't know how fancy. The bottle was a simple enough design, but that could have been deceptive.
And it was.
"No, I have to have it,” I said and tried to pretend I was the type of person who could just buy expensive perfume on a whim.
The bakery did well, but I wasn't sure I was at Christian Dior for funsies level yet. Still, I had to get Jenny back.
"Very well. I'll get you a bottle from the back and meet you at the register."
"Thank you,” I said and made my way to the main counter.
Please don't be a thousand dolla
rs. Please don't be a thousand dollars. Please don't be a thousand dollars, I chanted in my head while I waited for her return.
The shop girl returned to the register and I watched as she put the perfume box in a fancy bag and topped it off with sparkly tissue paper. I was holding my breath the whole time waiting for her to tell me the price. I bit my bottom lip as she punched something into the cash register.
"That will be $237.00 with tax,” she said with a smile.
Wow. I mean, at least it wasn't a thousand dollars, but I hadn't planned on dropping almost $250 on perfume I'd never wear. My bank account was going to hate me, but it was for Jenny. I was sure she'd find a way to pay me back someday.
"Great,” I said with a huge smile like I wasn't dying inside over the price.
I dug my debit card back out of my purse and handed it over to her. For a moment, I didn't quite let go, and the clerk had to sort of yank it away from my fingertips. I giggled when she gave me a stern look.
"It's a wonderful fragrance,” she said as she swiped the card. "I think you'll love it."
"Oh, it's a gift for a friend," I responded.
"You said you had to have it when you came in,” she said as she handed my card back to me.
"Yes. I have to have it for a gift. It's perfect for her. Just what she's always wanted."
The shop clerk gave me a smile and passed the receipt and pen over for me to sign. I scribbled my signature on the little slip and passed it back to her.
"Thank you so much. Please let me know if you need anything else,” she said.
"You're welcome."
I grabbed the bag and headed out the boutique door. That time, instead of waiting for the elevator, I went straight for the stairwell. Taking the steps two at a time got me upstairs much faster than the elevator, but it also reminded me that I needed to work out more.
Relief washed over me when I went into the witch closet and found Jenny still inside. She was eating mint leaves and grimacing, but at least it wasn't the belladonna in the basket right next to the wintergreen.
Cauldrons & Cake Page 3