by C. G. Powell
SPELL CHECKED
by
C. G. Powell
Edits by
B.V. Gomez
* * * * *
PUBLISHED BY:
C. G. Powell
Spell Checked
Copyright 2011 by C. G. Powell
SPELL CHECKED
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 1
“Hurry-up Mae, before we miss our flight,” Gemma yelled across the room as she paced with her keys in her hand, waiting to bolt out the door of their apartment.
Throwing the last pair of shoes in her bag and zipping it closed, Maelin started thinking about the trip, the one she’d been trying to back out of for the past week. “Why did I ever agree to this?” she thought to herself briefly as she rolled her luggage across the living room to the front door. “Okay Gemma I’m ready to go,” she replied, less than enthusiastically, dragging her feet across the foyer as if it might, miraculously, make the whole trip go away. Not that going to Ireland for a Pub and Folk Music tour was such a horrible fate, but Gemma’s ulterior motives left Mae with a feeling of certain doom. Gemma was not one to leave well enough alone and had taken it upon herself to become Mae’s personal matchmaker.
“Stop dragging your feet, I know what you are up to and it won’t work this time. Now stop procrastinating, so we can get this party started,” Gemma said as she helped Mae with her bags. She looked at Mae and softened her tone. “Mae, I know he broke your heart, but it’s not the end of the world,” then added, “Now snap out of it girlfriend! We have a plane to catch.”
To Mae, it sure seemed like the end of the world. It was eight months since her last breakup and she still had no inclination to jump back into the dating market any time soon. In fact, solitude was starting to agree with her, in spite of Gemma’s constant intervention.
She slowly walked to the car and helped Gemma organize their bags in the trunk. Gemma just smiled, “Music, booze and Irish hunks. What could possibly be better?”
Mae let out a deep breath trying to let the past go. To some extent, Gemma was right. She could use a little entertainment to get her out of this self-imposed funk. “A few drinks and some music do sound appealing, but I can live without the whole men part,” making quotation marks with her fingers to emphasize “men.”
“Mae, don’t be such a kill joy so early in the trip,” Gemma retorted as she backed out of the driveway and headed to the airport.
With a sense of resignation Mae sighed, “I’ll try to have fun, I promise.” Oddly enough, as they got closer to the airport, something inside of her pushed any doubt about this trip to the back of her mind, leaving her with a sense of excitement. Lately, it seemed as if her conscience was starting to have a life of its own.
Soon they arrived at the long-term parking lot, stopping briefly at the entrance so Gemma could grab the parking ticket from the machine. She parked the car, noting its location on her phone, so she could find it when they got back. With their luggage in hand, they waited for the trolley that would take them to the departure terminal. Gemma took out a mirror, checking her hair and make-up. “How do I look?” she asked.
“You look perfect as always Gemma, like you’re expecting to run into Mr. Right at any moment,” Mae said with a laugh. Gemma always looked…-well put together; beautiful highlighted blond hair, blue eyes, high heels and the latest fashion. Just what one would expect from a woman who looked like a model and had the body to match.
“Don’t laugh! You never know when you might meet the man of your dreams and I like to be prepared,” she snapped, as she closed her mirror and put it back in her purse.
“I doubt any man has a chance when you have your sights on him,” Mae said, causing them both to laugh, as they climbed aboard the trolley that would take them to the terminal.
After what seemed like an hour going through check-in and security lines, they finally boarded the plane. Looking at the cramped seats in the back, Mae was glad to have an abundance of frequent flyer miles, so she could up-grade their tickets to first class. It was ironic, since all of those points were from the many trips taken to see the very man Mae was trying to forget.
Mae sat next to the window so she could look out at the horizon. It was the one thing that always seemed to ease her nervousness about flying. Gemma, on the other hand preferred, the aisle seat so she could chat with the people in the adjacent seats. It was not long before she was already scoping out the men as they boarded the aircraft.
“Oh my God, did you see that hottie that just walked in?” Gemma leaned closer to Mae and whispered.
Mae peeked up from the Sky Mall catalog and stared at the face of Mr. I’m-Handsome-and-I-Know-It. His chiseled features looked like something right off the cover of a romance novel. Piercing green eyes, red, slightly unkempt hair, and a tall, well-muscled body, the kind you would expect to see gracing some grand palace as a sculpted piece of art. He turned and looked their way just as Mae hurried to return her eyes to the catalog she was holding, hoping he did not see her face turn red. Gemma on the other hand, had already picked her target and a fine target she chose.
He walked down the aisle and stopped next to their seats. Leaning over Gemma, he lifted his carry-on to the storage compartment, giving Gemma a very up close and personal view of his mid-section… and then some. Looking at Gemma, he said in an Irish accent, “I hope you don’t mind” before closing the door to the overhead. “Hello ladies, I am Aidan Fitz Thomas. It looks like we’ll be sitting across from each other on this little jaunt,” as he took the aisle seat across from Gemma.
Gemma squeezed Mae’s hand, looked in her direction and squealed in a low whisper, “I think I’m in love.” Then she turned to him and said, “I’m Gemma Paxton and this is my friend, Maelin Fletcher.”
Leaning forward slightly, Mae gave him a quick smile and a small wave. The plane had not even left the ground and she was already the third wheel. Gemma had always been outgoing and could chat to anyone, while she, on the other hand, found it difficult to converse with the opposite sex. It was one of the reasons she had sworn off men.
“Where are you ladies headed?” He said with a grin that could shame a Cheshire cat.
“We’ll be in Dublin for a couple of days. After that, I’m not sure. I would have to look at the tour book. How about yourself? Where might you be going?” Gemma said with a small laugh, adjusting herself so that she was leaning closer, allowing him to see her ample cleavage.
“I live in Dublin.” He leaned back, buckling his seatbelt, as the pilot started making announcements on the PA.
Aidan and Gemma continued to chat for what seemed like an eternity. While Mae leaned her seat back, closed her eyes, and waited for their endless chatter to cease, she was slowly being lulled to sleep by the sound of the engines. Strangely, she could feel the electricity in the clouds building around her, wrapping her in comfort like a womb, as disembodied whispers hummed like an undecipherable song, beckoning a reply then fading to nothingness.
“Mae, wake up! We’re here. You slept the whole flight.” Gemma nudged at Mae’s shoulder, as the plane touched down. “Oh my God, look at your hair!” she laughed as she bent down, retrieving a mirror from her purse and handing it to Mae.
Mae looked at herself, hair standing on end, as if she had been too close to a Tesla coil. She grunted and attempted to flatten it down with her hands before pulling it back into a po
nytail. Turning back to face Gemma, Mae returned her compact and noticed Aidan’s quizzical stare. Choosing to ignore his disconcerting look, she hoisted her carry-on over her shoulder and made her way into the aisle, frantic for the cabin door to open. Her heart raced as she attempted to distance herself from his discomforting stare.
With a relieved sigh, the line finally started to deplane and they made their way to the gate. Mae pretended to check their itinerary while Gemma said goodbye to Aidan. She was trying to avoid him all together, but when she looked up, he looked directly at her, smiling and waving a farewell before turning on his heel and disappearing into the crowd.
~~~***~~~
Aidan was leaning against a large pillar, by the baggage claim, talking on his cell phone. “Beck, it’s Aidan. The plane just landed. I should be at your place in about 30 minutes.”
“Well, is she here?” questioned the voice on the line.
Aidan ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a deep breath while he made his way to the parking garage. “Don’t worry Beck, it’s her. I could feel Helen’s presence, but it was oddly faint. I placed a charm on her friend, Gemma, at the travel agency. She doesn’t know what compelled her to trade her tickets to Hawaii, for a Pub and Folk tour in Ireland.”
“Fantastic! I look forward to seeing her. It has been far too long.”
“I made plans for us to meet up with them at the bar in the Grand Canal Hotel.” Aidan pause for a second, trying to decide if he should tell Beck about his gut feeling. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but something isn’t right this time.” Placing his luggage in the trunk of his Tesla Roadster, Aidan made himself comfortable in the front seat. He sat there a moment, staring out the windshield, not starting his car. He could practically see the wheels turning in his friend’s mind and knew that the gravity of his words had not been missed. The heavy silence over the phone finally shattered with Beck’s alarmed voice.
“What do you mean, not right? What the hell is going on?”
Not wanting to discuss it over the phone much less explain his intuition, he decided to cut the call short. “I’ll explain everything when I get there.” Aidan hung up the phone, throwing it on the passenger seat as he started the engine. He made his way through the sporadic traffic that filled the streets between the airport and Beck’s apartment. During the car ride, he considered how to tell his best friend that something was keeping Helen from surfacing and he was attracted to his friend’s soul mate and current host, Maelin. Not looking forward to the well-deserved tongue lashing, he deliberated several options although none of them gave him a feeling of ending happily. He was having a hard time understanding the feelings himself. Maelin was not much to look at, with mundane and easily forgettable features: dull, brown hair that fell straight over her shoulders, no makeup and clothes that were unflattering as well as unoriginal.
Gemma, on the other hand, was more his type. She was the personification of what a woman should be; dazzling, blue eyes that exuded confidence and fashionable clothes molded her curvy frame. Gemma -had him drooling like Pavlov’s dog. Her copious breasts had played peek-a-boo with him the entire flight, a sight he would not forget anytime soon.
It wasn’t until the end of the flight that he became all too aware of the mousey little Maelin. When he caught sight of her hair, obviously mussed and sticking up in every imaginable direction, he felt a jolt of electricity burst straight to his heart. He could feel the energy flowing through her, pulsating at an erratic tempo and surging straight into him. There had been an instant connection and Gemma, just as suddenly, faded into the background.
~~~***~~~
“What do you mean we have a date?” Mae raised her voice as panic set in. “I didn’t come all the way to Ireland to be set up on a blind date, with Fabio’s less than desirable friend.” She started pacing the room like a caged animal. “You didn’t even wait for us to get off the plane before you set me-up on a blind date,” Mae said in a voice that became shriller than necessary to emphasize her point.
“I have a date with Aidan and he thought it might be nice to double. He said you would like his friend Beckett; he sounded like a nice guy.” Gemma sat on the bed next to where Mae had begun unpacking her bag, attempting to ignore her friend. “Would you deny your best friend a romantic adventure in a foreign country for only a few hours with two very handsome men?” Gemma batted her eyes, attempting to look pitiful, but managed to look ridiculous instead.
“I swear Gemma, you will be the death of me.” Mae tried to sound irritated, but the snort that followed her outburst gave it away. Rolling her eyes, she finished unpacking and glared at her best friend. She shook her head and let out the world’s biggest sigh. It was no use. Even she wasn’t immune to infectious spontaneity.
Gemma squealed, “Does that mean yes? If so, I have my work cut out for me. Hair, makeup, clothes, shoes.”
Interrupting her, Mae laughed and said “Gemma, you look perfect.”
She looked at Mae and did her best model pose, then stated the obvious. “Of course I do. I was talking about you.”
Mae bolted off the bed and backed into a small table. “Oh no, you don’t! I am not your personal Barbie doll.” She knew from the get-go this was an argument she wouldn’t win. Two hours later, Mae didn’t even recognize herself in the mirror. Gemma arranged her hair in a flattering updo that had stray pieces falling haphazardly around her face. The results were dramatic, yet very pleasant. Charcoal grey outlined her eyes, making them seem larger, while enhancing their color to a rich blue-green like the waters of the Caribbean.
Gemma insisted on Mae wearing her black, tulle corset dress and the material clung like a second skin, leaving her self-conscious with its provocativeness. Feeling-insecure, she didn’t know if she had the nerve to leave the hotel room. Last, but certainly not least, the whole ensemble was finished with a pair of strappy four-inch heels that made walking dangerous. Still, they made her legs look a mile long, so she decided to brave it. After the initial shock wore off, she reveled at her beautiful, almost sinful image staring back at her.
Gemma stood behind her, looking over Mae’s shoulder, admiring her work. “So, what do you think?”
“Well, Gemma, I must say, you are a miracle worker. But I’m not feeling the red lipstick; it makes me look like a Goth hooker,” she laughed, taking one last look in the mirror.
“The red lipstick stays: Today you will channel your inner Goth hooker.” Gemma put her middle fingers and thumbs together as if to meditate, and started teasing her. “Ohmmm where are the Johns? Ohmmm where are the Johns?” both of them suddenly laughing at the thought.
Mae was laughing so hard she had to blot the tears from her eyes before they made her mascara run. “Let’s get this over with,” she sighed, her excitement replacing any lack of confidence she may have had earlier.
~~~***~~~
Aidan opened the door to the bar and searched the room for Maelin and Gemma. Beckett cautiously remain one step behind him.
“Do you see them?” Beck asked. The eagerness in his voice was difficult to miss.
Aidan finally spotted Gemma at a table next to the bar. At first glance, Aidan did not notice that the beauty sitting next to Gemma was the same Maelin he saw on the plane just a few hours earlier. He gestured across the room to the table where the ladies sat. “They are right over there, by the bar.” They were making their way across the room, when Beck grabbed the sleeve of Aidan’s coat, halting his steps. Aidan turned to face his friend, one eyebrow raised in question. “Why are you stopping?”
Beck’s face had paled, panic swimming in his eyes. “Something is very wrong. She should have been completely aware of my presence by now. Yet, she just sits there. I know in my heart that she is my Helen.”
Noticing Gemma had turned around and spotted them, Aidan grabbed Beckett’s arm and walked him to the table. “Good evening, ladies. Gemma, Maelin, this is my friend, Beckett.”
Beckett chimed in before Aidan could even
finish the introduction, “I go by Beck.”
Laying down the menu, Mae looked up trying to absorb everything in view. When she looked at the man standing next to Aidan, her breath left her. Staring back at her was the most magnificent specimen of a man she had ever laid her eyes on: slightly curly blonde hair, strong masculine jawline and a straight Romanesque nose. His pale, ice blue eyes riveted on hers causing her to forget to breathe. Everything about him had her insides tingling. But his demeanor was cold and imposing like a person that was used to giving orders, not taking them. Mae stood up and offered Beck, her hand. His larger one engulfed hers, the roughness of his palm triggering an all-over body shiver, as he brought their clasped hands up to his lips, placing the softest of kisses on her skin. She pulled back quickly, with a certain uneasiness that left her feeling cautious.
“You’ve arrived just in time, we were about to order drinks.” Wondering if he had heard the slight tremor in her voice, Mae’s knees wobbled a bit as she returned to her seat.
Beck moved to occupy the seat to her left, while Aidan took the seat on the other side of Gemma to Mae’s right. As they sat, Aidan’s hand brushed accidentally against hers. Quickly moving her hand, she looked at him in shock from the thousand little prickles of electricity that just ran through her hand as they touched. His face turned red and he immediately composed himself, as if nothing happened. Mae sat back in her chair and tried to relax, as Gemma ordered a Margarita. She gave out a small laugh, “Gemma, only you would come to Ireland and order a tropical drink. I’ll have a shot of Bushmills,” Mae said with confidence to the waitress, before looking at Beck, then at Aidan and changed her order. “Make it a double.” She was already plotting her exit…Have a few drinks, fake being drunk and high-tail it back to the room. That way Gemma could finish her date and she could avoid what she knew would be a long and uncomfortable evening.