Calculated Magic

by SJD Peterson

  A little magic can take you a long way

  Chapter Five

  THE last two mornings, Tikron had swung by the bakery on his way to Ry’s place. He hoped to catch a glimpse of Richard, but he hadn’t had any success. But if he was anything, he was persistent. Using the excuse of going out to pick up some subs for dinner, Tikron made a detour and headed to the bakery. He knew from the staff that Richard was a regular. Maybe he came in at the same time every day as well. Walking through the door, he scanned the area. There were only two patrons in the place, and neither was whom he was seeking. He checked his watch—a few minutes before six thirty. Perhaps he was a little early. Dammit, he should have thought to ask which nights Richard normally came in. Maybe he didn’t come in on Thursdays, or he didn’t have a set time. One way to find out. Tikron approached the barista he’d seen speaking with Richard the first night.

  “Hello, Miss”—he glanced down at her nametag—“Andrea. How are you this fine evening?”

  “Uh…. Ummm…. You….”

  Poor thing was about to piss herself. His size and scar intimidated most people. He hated scaring the young ones. She couldn’t be more than twenty, not that he was great at guessing ages. They all looked like babies to him. It was a good thing he was charming. Tikron turned up his impish smile. “Deep breath, sweetheart,” he said calmly.

  Andrea’s cheeks turned a bright shade of red, and she blew her blonde bangs out of her eyes. “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to be rude. I mean…. Can I get you anything?”

  Tikron glanced up at the board with all the different concoctions. He wasn’t much of a coffee drinker. “What do you suggest?”

  “Hot or iced?”

  “It’s a little chilly out tonight, so better make it hot. Oh, and sweet, maybe chocolatey.”

  “We have a white chocolate latte that’s really good,” Andrea suggested.

  “Sold.”

  While Andrea prepared his drink, Tikron turned to check the front of the bakery, watching for Richard to appear. He didn’t show.

  “Here you are. Anything else I can get for you?” Andrea asked. She sounded much more confident.

  Tikron turned around to find a drink sitting on the counter with a heap of whipped cream sprinkled with chocolate shavings. “Oh, this looks wonderful.” He swiped his finger through the cream and licked it. “Tastes wonderful too.”

  “Can I interest you in a pastry or muffin? Most say they are wonderful too.”

  “I’m sure they are. I’ll be sure to try them next time.” He pulled a twenty from his pocket and handed it to her.

  “That will be five sixty-nine.” Andrea rang up his coffee, then held out Tikron’s change.

  Tikron quickly glanced toward the door—still no Richard—then back to Andrea. “Keep it.” He picked up his coffee and ran his tongue through the whipped cream and chocolate shavings. He didn’t know about the coffee part, but the sweet part was really good.

  “Wow, thank you.”

  Tikron grabbed a wooden stick from a jar and used it to stir his coffee while he held Andrea’s gaze. “You know, there is one thing you could do for me.”

  “Sure.”

  “That guy you were talking to the other night.”

  “The one you kept staring at,” Andrea clarified.

  “Yes, that one. What’s his story?”

  Andrea cocked her head. “Why do you want to know?” She might have been intimidated when she’d first met Tikron, but she apparently was feistier than she appeared. Tikron instantly liked her.

  “I mean him no ill will, I assure you.”

  “Then why do you want to know?” she asked again, still sounding wary.

  Tikron glanced once again toward the door, then turned back to Andrea and, in a conspiratorial tone, said, “I find myself quite smitten by him.”

  Andrea’s face lit up and her eyes went wide. “I knew it! I tried to tell Richard you were checking him out. He didn’t believe me.”

  “I tried getting him to have a drink with me, but he shot me down. He wouldn’t even give me his phone number,” Tikron confessed.

  “Doesn’t surprise me. He’s not what I would call a people person. He’s been coming in here since I started last year. He sits at the same table, orders the same thing, and doesn’t talk to anyone. We’ve all tried to get to know him, but he just gives a strange look when you ask him anything personal or tell him anything about yourself. He’s not necessarily unfriendly, just… I don’t know, kind of an odd duck.”

  “Does he come in every night?”

  “Mainly during the week. I’ve never seen him on the weekends. Hold on.” She turned to a teenage boy at the other end of the counter, who was flipping through a magazine and looking exceptionally bored. “Hey, Mike, you ever see Richard come in on the weekends?” Mike shook his head. Andrea turned her attention back to Tikron. “Mike would know. He’s still in high school and mainly works weekends. I think Richard only comes in Monday through Thursday.”

  Hmm, Tikron was curious what would keep Richard away from his obviously favorite place on the weekends. It was just another secret he’d have to discover. “Does he have a normal time he comes in?”

  “Yeah, six thirty like clockwork. I think he works days. You going to wait around and try to smooth talk him again?”

  “Maybe.”

  “You might want to work on your game,” Andrea suggested.

  “What do you mean?” Tikron looked down and realized he’d eaten all the whipped cream. He brought his cup to his lips and took a tentative sip. It was all right, but not as good the cream and chocolate shavings.

  “Like I said, he’s not much of a people person. We’ve all tried to talk to him and no go. You may not want to jump right to the date and phone number. And dude, no one says smitten.”

  Tikron chuckled. “I’ll try and remember that. So what kind of ‘game’ should I use?”

  Andrea gave him a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, I don’t know if anything is going to work on that guy, but I think if you’re going to have any success, you’re going to have to go slow. Maybe start with his work. I’m dying to find out if I won the pool.”

  “The pool?”

  “Yeah, we all have a pool going to see what he does for a living,” Andrea explained.

  “Why doesn’t someone just ask him?”

  “You’ll see. Here he comes.”

  Tikron instantly felt a little self-conscious, which was completely ridiculous. He had nothing to be worried about. “Does he come to the counter to order?” he asked without turning around.

  “No, you’re safe where you are, Mr. Slick.” Andrea giggled. “Hey, I have an idea. How about you take him his drinks and bran muffin? It will give you your opening.”

  Tikron peeked over his shoulder to get a glimpse of dark curly hair coming through the door as the bells jingled. Tikron’s pulse kicked up a notch. He hadn’t been this excited to see someone since…. His breath hitched, and he pushed the unwanted memories aside. They had no place here. If he dwelled on them, he’d give up. Sadly that was exactly what he’d done for over a century. Each time he’d met someone, the painful heartbreak he’d experienced had kept him from allowing anyone to get too close. Now that he had less than a month, he found he was a coward at heart. He didn’t want to die. Oh damn! Was he making something out of nothing when it came to Richard because of that cowardice? Was he simply grasping at straws?

  “Well?”

  Tikron gave himself an internal shake and swallowed down the panic that was bubbling up inside him. “I’m sorry, zoned for a moment.”

  “I do that all the time when I’m nervous.” Andrea smiled broadly, then blew her bangs out of her eyes again. “So you want to serve him?”

  Tikron wasn’t nervous, simply questioning everything at the moment. He wasn’t sure of his motives, but he wasn’t stupid enough to miss this chance to talk to Richard. “Yeah, that’s a great idea.”

  “I hope I don’t get fired for this.” T
he twinkle of mischief in Andrea’s eyes said it would be worth it.

  There would be absolutely no danger that she’d get fired. Tikron could easily rectify it. Persuasion was a beginner spell to cast. Too bad he couldn’t use it on Richard. It would make this whole thing so much easier. Then again, Tikron had always enjoyed a challenge. He could use a little enjoyment right about now.

  After a minute Andrea returned with a tray containing a glass of ice water, a mug of black coffee, and a muffin. She set it in front of Tikron. “He already knows the amount and will have it ready for you.”

  Tikron pulled another twenty out of his pocket and handed it to her, then set his latte on the tray before taking it. “No using words like smitten, and go slow. I got this.” He winked at Andrea, then turned and strolled over to Richard. Rather than just setting the tray on the table, Tikron took the chair across from Richard and set the tray between them. “Your coffee, water, and muffin, sir.”

  Richard jerked back in his chair as if he’d been hit. His glasses fell to the tip of his nose, and his hazel eyes grew to the size of small saucers. He glanced back and forth between the tray and Tikron several times before speaking. “You…. You….” He cleared his throat and tried again. “You work here?”

  “Technically, no. I just wanted an excuse to come and talk to you.”

  “Is that even legal?”

  “Legal?” Tikron repeated.

  “Yes. Posing as an employee of this establishment for personal gain.”

  Tikron flashed him what he knew was a disarming smile. Only it didn’t seem to soften Richard’s uptight expression. “Are you going to call the cops on me for flirting, Richard?”

  Richard continued to stare at Tikron for a brief moment before looking away and picking up his coffee. “I suppose not if you’ll leave me alone and allow me to drink my coffee in peace.”

  “Now what would be the fun in that? Besides, I went through all this trouble to make sure you had your daily intake of bran and caffeine. That should earn me at least a moment of your time.”

  “And what would be the point?” Richard countered.

  “Well, we could start with it’s a nice thing to do.”

  “I’m rarely nice.”

  Tikron picked up his latte and took a gulp. “Why is that?” he asked, then took another drink. Richard never took his gaze from Tikron, watching every move he made with a detached expression. After a few seconds without saying anything, Tikron nudged him. “Well?”

  “I don’t like idle chitchat.”

  “Yet speaking with a purpose is okay?”

  “Of course.”

  “Awesome.” Tikron sat back in his chair, taking his cup with him. “I’m Tikron Amorith, thirtyish, Libra, single, and independently wealthy. Now your turn.”

  Richard blinked.

  Tikron grinned while sipping his coffee and waited for Richard to catch on. The silence stretched out. Tikron looked over his shoulder toward Andrea, who was staring at him with her hand over her mouth, but that couldn’t hide the smile radiating in her eyes. Tikron brought his cup to his lips and spoke the words to an incantation that would create a bubble around the bakery, which allowed him to suspend time. The spell couldn’t actually stop time but rather would freeze those within his bubble, and he could only hold it for a moment, but a minute was all he’d need.

  With the occupants of the bakery frozen, Tikron went to his feet and approached Andrea. He released her from the spell, and she jerked back. “Whoa, how’d you do that? You were over….” She looked toward Richard, her eyes growing as she scanned the room.

  Tikron pointed to his eyes. “Right here, sweetheart.”

  “What the hell is going on?”

  “Just a little suspension of time. Don’t worry about it. You won’t remember it. I just have a question for you.”

  “Are you nuts! Of course I’ll remember it. You moved across the room without me seeing you and, and, and….” She pointed to Richard, then Mike. “What the hell did you do to them?”

  “Focus, Andrea. What do you know about Richard?”

  “Other than the fact he’s catatonic?” she squeaked.

  “Yes, other than that. I can’t get him to talk to me. It’s like he’s completely immune to my charming ways.”

  “Umm, you ever think maybe he’s not interested in you?”

  Tikron considered her words but dismissed them quickly. He’d noticed the subtle way Richard’s gaze had swept across Tikron’s body with appreciation. The telltale signs of arousal. Richard was definitely attracted to him; that much Tikron was sure of. He prided himself on being able to read people, being a good judge of character. Hell, he’d had years and years and years to work on the skill.

  “C’mon, Andrea. Help a guy out here, please. Richard isn’t shooting me down. He’d have to actually talk to me in order to do that.”

  “Sorry, I can’t help you. I know nothing about him other than he comes in during the week at six thirty, then promptly leaves at eight. Now, dude, you want to explain the Twilight Zone stuff, because I’m really freaking out.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry.” Tikron gently took Andrea’s wrist and, with his index finger, made the symbol of the Teekulla to wipe her memory, then popsicled her too. He turned and leaned back against the counter, considering Richard. “Oh, you are a mystery, my sexy little geek.” Somehow he had to figure out how to get Richard to open up to him.

  Tikron pushed off the counter and went back to the table. He had the sudden urge to lean in and sniff Richard’s hair as he passed, but he resisted because that would be super creepy. He flopped down in the chair across from Richard and studied him—like really studied him—but he couldn’t put his finger on what the hell it was about the guy. He should be home helping Ry look for something to combat the curse. Instead he was sitting here bordering on obsessing over a guy who obviously wanted nothing to do with him. Maybe subconsciously he didn’t care about the damn curse. At the moment it sure felt like he was giving up. He shrugged, grabbed his coffee, and snapped his fingers.

  “AWESOME.” Tikron sat back in his chair, taking his cup with him. “I’m Tikron Amorith, thirtyish, Libra, single, and independently wealthy. Now your turn.”

  Richard blinked at him. Wow, this guy is arrogant. Libra and independently wealthy. Seriously? He briefly wondered if that cheesy line actually worked on someone—perhaps the lonely and desperate. Richard was neither of those things. The corner of Tikron’s lip curled into a cocky grin as if he actually thought Richard was going to play along. Well, you’re not that damn irresistible, Tikron Amorith. “Thanks for sharing. Now do you mind?” He picked up his coffee and raised it to Tikron. “Have a nice evening.”

  “Hey!” Tikron protested. “You said you didn’t mind speaking if it was for a purpose.”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I just shared something about myself. Now it’s your turn.”

  “No, thank you. I don’t see the purpose of this conversation.”

  “It’s easy, Richard. We’re getting to know each other.”

  Good Lord, what the hell was he going to have to do to get this guy to go away? He’d tried ignoring him, been rude and to the point, yet here Tikron stayed with a silly grin and an expectant expression. More than likely Richard was going to have to get a bit more aggressive, and as much as he hated confrontation, it was becoming quite apparent it was the only thing Tikron could understand. Or…. Richard picked up his muffin and rolled it into his napkin. He tucked it into his messenger bag and retrieved his wallet. He opened it, but Tikron laid his hand on Richard’s forearm. “I’ve already paid for it.”

  “That’s not necessary,” Richard insisted. He tried once again to take bills from his wallet, but Tikron halted him.

  “Please let me do something nice. You owe me nothing, just pay if forward.”

  Richard considered Tikron for a moment. There was no sense arguing. It would only delay his retreat. He returned his wallet to his bag. “Very well.�
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  “Thank you. Can I ask you one question?”

  “You may ask,” Richard said noncommittally. He didn’t look up from his coffee.

  “What do you do for a living?”

  “I’m a statistical mathematician,” Richard blurted before he’d even thought about it. Damn.

  “Wow! That’s very cool. So you’re all about numbers, huh?”

  “Yes.”

  “So you put a lot of stock in logic?”

  “Very much so.” And it didn’t look as if he’d have the opportunity to use that knowledge on anything meaningful tonight. He picked up his spoon and added two ice cubes to his coffee. He wasn’t making the same mistake as last time. Considering how Tikron’s simple presence flustered him, he was doing much better.

  “I’m more of a spontaneous kind of guy. I think there is something magical in following the wind to wherever it may take you.”

  “I don’t believe in magic.”

  A strange sound from across the table had Richard looking up. Tikron was sitting ramrod straight, a look of utter shock on his face. “How can you not believe in magic?”

  “Because I don’t,” Richard said curtly.

  “Oh, we’re going to have to change that attitude of yours.”

  Richard downed his coffee and stood. “You let me know how that works out for you.” He grabbed his bag, spun on his heel, and hurried to the door without a backward glance. He held his breath until he was outside and the door closed behind him. He was surprised Mr. Arrogant didn’t follow him, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the month. Hopefully it meant that Tikron Amorith, thirtysomething, single, Libra, and independently wealthy had given up on his silly notion to get to know Richard.

  However, something told him he hadn’t heard the last of the cocky man.

  Richard wasn’t sure if that irritated him or excited him.