Tequila will kill ya
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An Althea Rose Short
Copyright © 2015 by Lovewrite Publishing
All Rights Reserved
Cover Design:
Alchemy Book Covers
Editor:
Elayne Morgan
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If you would like to do any of the above, please seek permission first by contacting the author at: [email protected]
“If life gives you limes – make margaritas.” – Jimmy Buffett
Chapter One
“Of course she goes away for Halloween, of all things,” Luna muttered, thinking about her business partner and best friend, Althea Rose. Luna and Althea co-owned the Luna Rose Potion & Tarot Shop in downtown Tequila Key, and Luna was more than a little annoyed with Althea.
“Not like it’s one of our busiest times of the year or anything,” Luna grumbled as she unpacked a new shipment of crystals. She had been surprised when Althea had agreed to go with her boyfriend Cash up to Miami for one of his nightclub’s Halloween bashes. Psychics were typically in high demand over this holiday, and Althea would have made bank on her readings.
Luna supposed she couldn’t necessarily blame Althea. Even though she was a little miffed, Luna knew that Althea needed to spend some time in Cash’s world too. It would be good for them.
“And because I need a break too, I’m going to close the shop this weekend,” Luna announced out loud, smiling down at her pretty display of crystals. Closing for Halloween weekend was a bold move for Luna, but business had been good this year and with the launch of her new online ordering system, she’d more than tripled her income. A weekend off was just what she needed. For the first time in years, she’d be able to really celebrate the holiday.
Luna stepped to a low reclaimed-wood table and wiped a smudge from the corner. She loved her shop – the beautiful lines of the whitewashed wood, her pretty displays of candles and elixirs with hand-crafted white and gold labels. The décor hit just the right note, a blend of magick and elegance.
White was the theme here, of course, as the color resonated strongly with Luna.
Being a white witch would do that to a person.
And Luna’s new Wiccan group had invited her to a very special – and extremely exclusive – celebration of All Hallows’ Eve. Luna had calculated the lost revenue and weighed it against the opportunity to take a break from the store to be with witches like herself and – well, the witches had won.
A gentle tinkle of bells made Luna’s head pop up, annoyance racing through her. She’d thought she’d locked the front door.
“Miss Elva!” Luna chimed, crossing the store to enclose Miss Elva’s stout frame in a warm hug. A woman who knew her own worth, today Miss Elva wore a sequined green caftan with matching turban, and carried a purse the size of Texas. With sun-kissed brown skin and eyes that saw everything, Miss Elva was the best voodoo priestess in Florida.
Though she’d say in all the states.
“Luna, I thought I’d catch you before you closed,” Miss Elva said, pausing to hold the door open for her pirate ghost, Rafe. Miss Elva had acquired Rafe a few weeks before, when Althea had botched the magickal ritual she’d been learning. The result had been Rafe, a lecherous pirate ghost, who’d gotten his rocks off on flirting with Luna and Althea until he’d set eyes on Miss Elva. Now he had eyes for no other, and Miss Elva had decided to keep him around.
Luna couldn’t really blame her. It was nice to have someone constantly complimenting you.
“Hey Rafe,” Luna said, pushing the door shut behind him and locking it.
“Witch,” Rafe acknowledged, and Luna smirked. Rafe had kept his distance with Luna once he’d learned she was a witch, because witches had been burned at the stake back in his day. Luna found the whole thing amusing.
“Where’s Thea?” Miss Elva demanded.
“She’s left for Miami with Cash, if you can believe that,” Luna said, moving around her counter to pull out the day’s receipts from her antique cash register.
“Hmpf. ’Bout time Althea went up there. She’s always mooning around, making Cash come down here to see her,” Miss Elva commented. Luna grinned in agreement and began tallying her receipts.
Silence fell over the shop as Miss Elva walked around, picking up this and that, taking her time while Luna finished her math for the day. Sliding the cash and receipts into a moneybag, Luna moved to the antique armoire that housed her safe.
“So does that mean you’re all alone for the holiday?” Miss Elva finally got around to what she’d come here for, and Luna smiled to herself. So, Miss Elva was lonely.
“I was going to meet up with this new Wiccan group that I’ve gotten friendly with. You’re welcome to come,” Luna said, turning to smile at Miss Elva.
The older woman sniffed, considering.
“Maybe. What are you doing tonight?”
“Probably stopping at Lucky’s for some food before going home,” Luna shrugged. Lucky’s Tiki Bar was owned by her best friend Beau, and was a regular stop on her way home from work.
“I’ll join you.”
And you don’t say no to Miss Elva, Luna thought.
Chapter Two
Tequila Key was one of the lesser-known Keys in Florida. Just a little speck on the map on the way to the party town of Key West – Tequila boasted a few restaurants, a couple of local shops, and a never-ending battle between the newly transplanted rich looking for a better deal on waterfront property, and the artists and creatives who had wandered their way down to Tequila over the years.
Luna lived in a newer condo development that straddled the line between the old and the new, was convenient to everything, and boasted floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the water. She thought briefly about stopping at home to change before going to Lucky’s, but with one glance at her pristine white linen pants and mint cropped silk sweater, Luna decided to stop at the bank first instead before meeting up with Miss Elva.
And who was she dressing up for anyway? It wasn’t as if there had been any interesting dating prospects recently – not since the one hot date she’d had in months had turned into a murder investigation. Luna sighed as she pushed her fine, straight blonde hair back from a heart-shaped face, and walked to her VW convertible Bug.
All white, of course.
Luna moved the seat cover aside and slid into the Bug, putting the top down so the breeze could push through her hair. It wasn’t always top-down weather in the Keys, what with the heat and the humidity, but this late in the season it was one of those rare perfect fall nights, with no tropical storms in the forecast. As she cruised through town to the bank, Luna wondered briefly when her Friday nights had turned into the same old thing.
Luna caught the drive-thru line at the bank just as they were closing, but Jan, her regular teller, saw her and waved her through.
“Thanks, Jan. Doing anything special this weekend?”
Jan pressed the button to talk into her microphone, her voice booming into Luna’s car.
“Taking the girls trick-or-treating. Ellie wants to be a zombie witch, can you believe it?”
“Sounds like fun. I’m sure she’ll get lots of treats for that costume. Thanks for staying open for me,” Luna said with a smile, placing the deposit bag into the chute and tapping her nails on the wheel as the canister whooshed into the bank.
&
nbsp; “My pleasure. As for me,” Jan continued, “I think I might try out that new margarita truck on the way home. Word is they have the best margaritas in town.”
“A margarita truck? That’s a new one,” Luna shook her head and waved goodbye, tucking the deposit slip into her purse. Every month or so, a new food truck breezed through Tequila Key on its way to Key West, hoping to score some extra cash on the trip down. So far Luna had seen everything from Mexican food to sushi, though she’d been a little weirded out by the thought of eating raw fish from a food truck.
“And now a drink truck,” Luna mused as she slowed to check out the line of people staggering from the truck.
A screaming lime green, the truck had sugar skulls painted all over it, interspersed with margarita glasses. Bright yellow letters proclaimed the truck to be ‘Margarita Loco’ with the tagline ‘margaritas you’ll die for.’
“I suppose that’s persuasive,” Luna murmured as she cruised slowly past. A man, his skin the color of white marble, solemnly served a drink to a young woman at the front of the line. He glanced up to meet Luna’s eyes and Luna could have sworn she saw a warning in his expression. She blinked, and the moment was gone as the man pasted a smile on his face for his next customer.
Luna hit the accelerator and moved on – her loyalty was to Beau’s margaritas, after all. But she couldn’t help thinking about the man’s odd expression as she drove to meet Miss Elva.
You’d think selling margaritas would be a cheerful operation.
Chapter Three
Lucky’s Tiki bar sat at one end of the strip – if you could even call it that – that comprised Tequila Key’s little downtown. Space was at a premium here and Lucky’s commanded the best spot on the strip, slightly elevated on a hill, with an uninterrupted view of the beach. Luna’s best friend Beau had transformed a once dingy restaurant into the local hot spot; even the rich set of Tequila Key deigned to eat there.
Luna walked in to see Miss Elva slapping the bar with a booming laugh, while a few customers side-eyed her. It wasn’t that uncommon a sight – Miss Elva made an impression anywhere she went. Luna slid onto a stool next to her and immediately leaned over to kiss Beau’s cheeks.
Bright-eyed with closely trimmed blond hair, Beau dressed well enough to show he cared about his appearance, but not enough to throw him over into “screamingly gay” territory.
Which he was – gay, that is, just not screamingly so.
“I was just telling Beau here that pretty soon he’s going to be a married man if he keeps spending all his time mooning after that man of his,” Miss Elva said, laughing at Beau as he blushed while he pulled out a glass for Luna’s drink.
“Mood tonight?” Beau asked, steadfastly ignoring Miss Elva.
“Um, I think I’ll go with a margarita. Seeing as how there’s a margarita truck in town now to give you some competition. I have to be loyal, you know,” Luna said, and Beau raised an eyebrow at her.
“There’s a margarita truck?” Beau asked.
“Yes indeed. I saw it on the way from the bank. Super long line, too,” Luna said.
“Don’t you worry ’bout that now, Beau,” Miss Elva said easily. “You know people in this town all love to try something different. They’ll be back here to get your margaritas soon enough.”
Beau shrugged, but Luna could tell he was bothered.
“It’s just that… well, we’re known for having the best margaritas in town,” Beau said, clearly frustrated as he poured some lime juice into a shaker. Luna bit her lip as she watched him shake her drink, concern for him washing through her. Beau had been a little on edge lately, what with opening a second restaurant while starting to date someone new.
“I wouldn’t worry about this. Seriously,” Luna said. “Why would people go to a margarita truck? Where are they going to go afterwards? Walk down the sidewalk carrying a margarita? What’s the point when you can come enjoy such a nice view as you have here – plus your hand-cut tortilla chips…” Relief rushed through her when Beau finally smiled and slid her drink across the polished wood bar.
“Yeah, who wants to walk and drink? Child, you won’t see Miss Elva doing that foolishness,” Miss Elva said, rocking back in her seat.
“Miss Elva doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to do,” Rafe said loyally, hovering around Miss Elva’s head. Luna cast him a quick glance but kept her mouth shut.
Only Luna, Althea, and Miss Elva could see Rafe. It was better that Luna got used to not talking to Rafe in public; otherwise she’d look like a crazy person.
And this town already thought she was a little out there, what with running a potions shop and all. Though Luna had never openly admitted to being a witch, she’d never denied it either.
“We should do a taste test and compare,” Beau said.
“Really, Beau? I can’t imagine that a margarita from a truck is going to taste better than your hand-mixed specialties here,” Luna pointed out, taking a sip of her margarita and releasing a little sigh of pleasure. The salt on the rim provided the perfect contrast to the bite of the lime, and the Blanco tequila he’d used was perfect.
“I’m going to send Jason to get one,” Beau said, walking away to poke his head into the kitchen.
Luna shook her head and looked at Miss Elva.
“I can’t believe he’s feeling threatened by some drink truck. This shouldn’t bother him at all,” Luna said.
“Ah, you know men, always got to be number one,” Miss Luna said, taking a swig of her beer.
Beau came back to the bar as his assistant chef left the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel tucked into the waist of his pants. He stopped briefly at the register, and then left with a wad of cash folded in one hand.
“Really, Beau? What’s the point?” Luna shook her head at him.
“It’ll be fun. We’ll have a taste test.”
“You might,” Luna said with a shudder of her delicate shoulders. “But I am fine tasting my organic, hand-made margarita right here. You won’t see me drinking anything from a truck.”
“We’ll try it in the name of science,” Beau said decisively, before moving away to help a woman on the other side of the bar.
“I wish he would ease off a bit. He’s not the same easygoing Beau,” Luna grumbled to Miss Elva.
“Child, that man has a lot on his shoulders right now. Opening a new restaurant is tough. As is starting a new relationship. Let him be,” Miss Elva said.
“Yeah, witch, back off,” Rafe said.
“Rafe! There’s a dog!” Luna said, and she and Miss Elva chuckled as Rafe zipped across the room in fear. For some reason, the pirate ghost hated dogs, and Luna liked to play that joke on him whenever she could.
“One of these days that’s going to backfire on you,” Miss Elva said.
“Well, for now it’s still funny,” Luna, said, taking another sip of her perfect margarita and letting out a little sigh of contentment. “First weekend off in I don’t know how long.”
“You need to relax more, girl,” Miss Elva said, taking another swig of her beer and waving at Rafe to come back. Two women across the bar looked at her and then behind them, confused about what she was waving at.
“You know they can’t see Rafe,” Luna said as the pirate ghost floated back over to Miss Elva’s side, shooting death glares at Luna all the while.
“I’m not worried about what anyone thinks of me,” Miss Elva pointed out.
“Don’t I know it,” Luna said with a wry look at Miss Elva. She watched as Jason came back with a Styrofoam to-go cup and set it on the bar. Beau waved his thanks and Jason ducked back into the kitchen.
“Evening, ladies,” a booming voice said over their shoulders, and Luna started. She turned to see the local sheriff standing at the bar.
“Chief Thomas, how are you?” Luna asked, smiling up at him. As local cops went, Chief Thomas had thus far proven to be a good one. He’d saved Althea and Luna from some serious shit on more than one occasion.
/> “Looks like it’s going to be a busy weekend. Halloween always brings out the crazies,” Chief Thomas said and then stiffened, realizing he might have offended Luna and Miss Elva. His boyish cheeks flushed pink and he ran a hand through his hair. “I… I…”
“I know what you mean,” Luna said, taking pity on him. “Those moms get a little nutsy competing in the children’s Halloween costume events, don’t they?” She smiled a bit as Chief Thomas ducked his head and nodded gratefully.
“Chief Thomas, your food will be up shortly. I sent Jason off about ten minutes ago to get me a margarita from that new margarita truck.”
“You’re lucky he got one. I shut that truck down right after he ordered his,” Chief Thomas observed, pulling his wallet out to pay.
“Why?” Miss Elva asked.
“Operating without a license. Plus they weren’t checking IDs. You can’t just serve alcohol to anyone who comes up and asks,” Chief Thomas said, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Well, no need to worry about any competition now,” Luna said, then jumped again when Beau swore loudly.
“Sorry, ladies. That has to be the nastiest tasting margarita I’ve ever had,” Beau said, then took another swig and shuddered again. He held the cup out to Luna.
“Here, try it for comparison.”
What was it about people always wanting you to try something that tasted bad?
Luna shook her head at Beau. “After that glowing recommendation? I think I’ll pass.”
“Miss Elva?” Beau offered.
“Child, you know I’m a beer woman,” Miss Elva said as she waved the drink away.
“Too many people… emergency room… line…” A blast of a voice made Luna all but jump out of her chair. She turned to Chief Thomas, a hand over her pounding heart.
“Sorry, I keep it on louder when I’m in the car,” Chief Thomas said, reaching for his walkie-talkie and turning the volume down before listening for a moment. Then his head shot up.
Tequila Will Kill Ya: (The Althea Rose Series Book 2.5) Page 1