“No,” she replied, her voice falling just a touch. “I know good clothes when I see them. I’m just not the person to come up with the designs . . . you know?”
“I do,” I replied. “That’s the way I feel about cooking. I have great respect for chefs and I love to eat, but I can’t cook for crap.”
“I can’t cook either.” She chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong. If I could have, I would have been a designer, but every time I try, it just . . . I don’t know. It doesn’t go right. That’s how I met Edward. He owns a few stores in Miami. I tried my hand at designing for him. In the end, he just decided to invest in my stores, saying maybe it was best if I just collected things rather than make them.”
“It’s not for everyone,” Babbs replied.
There was pain in her voice, the kind that only comes through when something is missing, when a person hasn’t managed to find their place or after they’ve lost something. Something like hope, or a dream. It was sadness in its truest sense.
“That’s why I’m opening this store. I just want to share the things I find with the world. I’ve been to a lot of places and will go to a lot more. I want this store to be a representation of the things I find on my journeys. It sounds stupid, I know . . .”
“Stupid?” Babbs asked. “That sounds amazing, actually.”
“You can build shelving or display racks if you’d like. Just as long as you stay within your space, the design is really up to you.”
“Great,” I replied, looking around the empty store.
Getting Nicco to help me set this thing up wouldn’t be hard. I’d never seen him actually build anything, but he’d fixed a few small things around our apartment since we’d moved in. And with the sheer amount of strength in his warlock-werewolf hybrid body, getting moved in should go pretty smoothly.
“How about we meet up later tonight?” Hannah said. “Right here. We can go out for a celebratory dinner. Just us girls.”
“Sounds great!” I replied almost instantly. “Say . . . eight o’clock?”
“Sure thing.” Hannah headed for the door. “Take as long as you need to look around. I’ll catch up with you girls later.”
“I’ll just get some measurements really quickly before I leave. I think I can ask Nicco to build a really cool display that fits right in the center of this window.”
“Nicco?” Hannah asked.
“Her almost-boyfriend.” Babbs gave a coy smirk.
Leave it to Babbs to make the whole thing sound so much more complicated than it actually was. Nicco had a werewolf side. He imprinted on me. Now he’s in love with me, and I’m not completely sure where I stand with that. Pretty simple, right? Of course, I couldn’t tell Hannah any of that.
“It’s complicated,” I replied. “We live together, but we’re not in what you would call a relationship.”
“At least you have someone,” Hannah replied. “All I have is a string of failed relationships and a broken proposal.”
“That sucks,” Babbs said. “Maybe you’ll find your guy tonight! You never know!”
We headed home to get ready for the evening . . .
“How’d it go?” Nicco asked, stepping back into the apartment. His green shirt clung to his sinfully sculpted body, letting me know he’d been out jogging. “It’s ninety-four degrees in the Georgia humidity. How can you run in this?”
“It helps me think.” He peeled the sweat-covered shirt from his body and tossed it into the hamper.
“I was curious whether you could help me build a display for the store opening? I’m thinking shelving covered in a multi-colored disco ball tiles with really cool damask etching on the sides.”
“Sure.” He brushed past me on his way to the bathroom, and the scent of his wolf pheromones wafted through the air, sending chills down my arms. “No problem. That definitely sounds eye-catching.”
“There’s no way I can do it. I mean . . . I could just cast it, but I’d rather actually build it. Or at least help you build it. Though if we get stuck, a little magic might not be out of the question.”
“Sure.” He raised his eyebrows, giving me this heart-meltingly sweet smile. “You know, in all the time we’ve been . . . since leaving Enchanted Lake, we’ve never actually cast together.”
“What?” I asked, my voice more surprised than I expected. “Really? That can’t be right.”
“I assure you,” he replied.
The truth was, I’d probably have been the first one in line to date Nicco if the circumstances were just a little bit different. And even though he’d assured me over and over again that his feelings for me were real, I just couldn’t get it out of my mind. What if it was nothing more than Lycan magic keeping him with me? It was his imprinting that had first birthed his love for me, but was there anything else keeping those feelings alive?
If I were being honest with myself, I really didn’t believe that, but that doesn’t make it any easier to hide that small glimmer of a chance. Either that, or I was dodging what could have been a great relationship with a wonderful and unimaginably hot guy. Knowing my luck, it was probably the latter.
“Babbs and I are going to meet the store owner for dinner later tonight. I was thinking maybe you could stop by and take a look at the space beforehand? We’ll sketch a few things up later tonight.”
“Yeah. I’m supposed to meet up with a friend later too. I’ll stop by on my way out.” He turned the shower handle then looked at me. “I just need to get washed up first. Can’t really go walking into nice places smelling like a sweaty wolf, can I?”
“No,” I replied as a cloud of steam began to rise around him. “Wait,” I said as he started to get undressed.
“What?”
That look fell over his face, the one I’d seen so many times before. The one that let me know just how tried and true his feelings were, even if mine amounted to my own personal garbage-fire. It really sucks, you know, having this great guy love you, this great guy who wants nothing more than for you to love him back if you could only make sense of your feelings. Every time I tried to explain it, I only ended up complicating things more.
“I . . .” The truth was that I really didn’t know what I wanted to say. I only knew there was something between us, something that was getting harder and harder to deny. Sure, he slept on the couch outside my room because I asked him to. And even though he’d followed me into the mortal realm, the most action we’d had was a quick peck on the cheek. I still had trouble understanding my feelings when it came to our more than complicated relationship. “Maybe we can go out. Like . . . on a date again.”
“A date?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “It’s been a while since we’ve been out. And I can’t help but feel like I’m trying to avoid understanding this whole thing. Like I’ve decided not to decide . . .”
“Tomorrow.” He smiled, those all-too-cute dimples shimmering with a thin layer of steam. “It’ll be nice to get dressed up and pretend we’re fancy. Not that anyone will notice me standing next to you.”
“Oh, yeah.” I chuckled, my eyes scanning his physically perfect body before stopping on his handsome face. “I’m the attractive one here. Sure . . .”
“You have no idea how pretty you are,” he replied, his eyes meeting mine in the mirror as he stepped into the shower.
3
“I love how much more magical everything is now that the borders of Enchanted Lake aren’t so closed off,” Babbs mused as we made our way toward Buckhead Luxe. “And to think, it’s all because of you.”
“It’s not all because of me,” I replied.
Babbs was referring to the notoriety I’d gained a few months before after my fashion line took off. When I agreed to give that magazine interview, I would have never imagined it could lead to such things. Who knew that one witch following her dreams would pave the way for an entire generation of new witches to follow? I was still amazed.
“Okay . . . but it is.”
We made our way past In
ner Bean, the small café and coffee shop where Babbs and I had spent so many mornings sketching up dresses, pants, and tops before heading out to find the perfect fabric. It may have only been a short time ago when we launched our little label, but the smell of fresh coffee and pecan pie in the air as we passed still made me nostalgic for those early days of our friendship.
“I love that place,” I said.
“Inner Bean is the best.” Babbs shook her head. “Do you remember that knit coat we sketched up there? The one with the oversized collar and bell sleeves?”
“Yeah . . . what happened to that?”
“We sold it that rapper chick, remember? The one with the short, spiked hair.”
“Oh, yeah. I wonder what happened with her career.”
“Beats me,” Babbs replied.
Southern humidity blanketed the air around us like a thick fleece. Even though it was late and the moon was already high in the sky, I could feel a thin sheen of perspiration beginning to build on my arms. That’s the thing about the South in the mortal realm that I still wasn’t exactly used to. There were just such extreme temperatures here. It was really annoying at times. Though it did mean different outfits for different times of the year, and if there was one thing I was good at, it was dressing for the occasion.
“Where are we going with Hannah?” Babbs asked. “I could really go for some sushi right now.”
“Sushi sounds good. There’s that place over by Lennox Plaza. They have that great red snapper you love so much.”
“Yes,” Babbs replied. “Let’s do that.”
Since moving into the mortal realm, I’d basically fallen in love with sushi. I don’t know if it simply doesn’t exist in the witch realm or if I just never noticed. Either way, ever since Babbs took me out for an eel roll on our second night out, I was sold on the stuff. I know it’s raw, and I know a lot of people don’t love it, but you could say the same thing for polka dots, right?
Besides, until coming here, I hadn’t had much in the way of what you’d call girl time, or even just social time. I’m not saying everyone back in Enchanted Lake were anti-social. It just wasn’t the same as it was in the mortal realm. Conversations, meals, drinks . . . things like that were just generally focused around magic. I couldn’t remember ever having a dinner where at least someone didn’t talk about trying to find a new way to hex something.
Here with Babbs, we could spend hours talking about things like movies, music, and even world news . . . and none of it had to lead anywhere, really. As the Southerners say, we were just shooting the breeze. It took me a long time to get the meaning behind that statement, but once it finally clicked in my head, I couldn’t help but use it every now and then.
“Did you speak to Nicco about building the display shelving?” she asked.
“Yeah. Right after he got back,” I replied. “You were getting ready.”
Living with both Babbs and Nicco was actually a pretty great experience. I was a little worried at first that it might bother her, knowing a guy was sleeping on our couch, but she didn’t give it a second thought. Not that there was anything I could do about it. Nicco had imprinted on me. Getting him to leave my side for the day was tricky enough. Getting him to sleep in another place was, well . . . let’s just say it would be problematic.
I’d come to enjoy it, though, not that having a super-hot guy watching over them would be a problem for many girls. But Nicco was, in addition to many other things, a great cook. Which meant that the nights Babbs and I spent sprawled across the living room floor, drawing patterns and stitching clothes, Nicco would be in the kitchen, whipping up something he read about in a magazine.
It was a simple life, but it was one I’d come to treasure, and more than the lifestyle, I treasured the people in it. People like Nicco, Babbs, Abben, Halloway, and Kianna. Each was special and unique in their own way. Each held a special place in my heart.
“This stuff is heavy!” Babbs said, slinging the bag a little farther over her shoulder.
We’d brought a few things with us. Nothing special, just some pants, a couple of crop tops, and a skirt or two. I wasn’t sure what exactly we were going to place in our space, but I knew I needed to see it set up a few different ways before I could make the decision.
“I know,” I said. “It seems to get even heavier after it’s stitched.”
“Right?” She turned to me. “I don’t get it. Thread doesn’t weigh that much. Stupid physics!”
“What’s the Latin word for feather?” Babbs asked.
“Pluma,” I replied as she snapped her fingers. “Wh—Babbs!”
“That’s right, girl.” She smiled wide. “Welcome to magic.”
“I can’t believe you tricked me into casting. So rude,” I said as the garment bags suddenly became as light as feather, lying softly across our backs.
“I’m in heels,” she said. “Something had to give.”
A few minutes later, we found ourselves standing just outside the door of Eighth and Stone, the small store owned by Hannah. We’d arrived a few minutes earlier than promised and decided to just take a seat on a small bench near the door.
“Why did she name the store that?” Babbs asked, looking up at the golden sign.
“I don’t know, actually,” I replied. “I don’t think the sign was even hanging up when we left. They must have worked on this place for a while this evening too.”
“It’s really starting to come together,” she said.
Marble flooring stretched out in every direction around us. Fountains of every shape, size, and color flowed with water, each one symbolizing a different astrological sign. It was really cool in an oddball kind of way, even reminding me of the Trevy Fountain. Not that I’d ever been to Italy, but I’d learned about it in school. As it turns out, not many people are aware of just how much magic flows through that thing on a daily basis. If they did, I’m sure it would be more guarded.
“Where is she?” Babbs asked, looking at the screen of her phone. “She was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago.”
“Maybe we should see if the door is unlocked,” I replied. “At the very least, we can get these clothes in there.”
“You didn’t check to see if it was unlocked?”
“No,” I said. “I just assumed it was locked.”
“Like it even matters. We’re witches. This is a simple door lock.” Babbs wrapped her hand around the handle. “Doesn’t matter anyway. It’s unlocked.”
“Cool.” I grabbed my garment bags, which nearly floated away as I lifted them over my head, forgetting the spell was still active. “Novis!” I snapped, returning the bags to their normal weight.
Babbs flipped on the light, filling the room in a bright white glow. At first glance, everything seemed to be perfectly normal, but as in most cases, you shouldn’t rule out that all-important second look.
“Look!” Babbs yelled, pointing to the small fountain in the center of the store.
“What?” I turned to see Hannah’s body floating face-up in the water. “Oh, no! Pull her out! Is she breathing?”
“I don’t think so.” Babbs laid her down on the purple carpet and began checking for a pulse. “I don’t hear a heartbeat or feel anything on her wrists.”
I was far from an expert on dead bodies or the human condition, but I knew what lifeless looked like, and this was it. “We need to call the police,” I said.
“The police?” Babbs repeated. “They already think—”
“Babbs, we have to.”
I pulled my phone from my pocket and began dialing. Calling the authorities was the last thing I wanted to do, believe me, but we had no choice. We’d found her lifeless, floating in a pool of water. There was no way anyone could think my best friend and I could have anything to do with this, right?
“I’d like to report a body . . .” My voice shook just a little.
“Where is the body?” The operator asked.
“Buckhead Luxe,” I replied. “In a store calle
d Eighth and Stone.”
“Do you know the victim?”
“Yes,” I replied. “Her name is Hannah Alden.”
“Is she breathing?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Do you see any visible wounds?”
“No.”
“Is there anyone else there?”
“Just my friend,” I replied. “She came with me. We found her floating in the water.”
“I’ve dispatched officers and medics to your location. Please remain there until help arrives.”
“Thank you,” I said, sliding the phone back into my pocket.
“Look,” Babbs said. “There’s the skirt we gave her earlier.”
“Maybe she was going to wear it tonight.”
“It looked good on her,” Babbs replied. “I wonder what happened. I don’t see any sign of a struggle or anything. There’s no blood, no wounds, nothing. It’s like she just . . . died.”
“It’s odd,” I replied, hearing sirens ring out in the distance. “The police will be here soon. You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.”
“And leave you alone with a dead body?” Babbs scoffed. “I don’t think so. Besides, you already told the operator I was here. If I left now, it would look even more suspicious.”
“Oh . . . right. I hadn’t thought about that.”
“Hey.” She stepped closer. “Don’t worry. It’ll be okay. I mean, I know it’s bad for her and everything, but we’ll be okay. We’ll get through, just like we always do. Got it?”
“Got it.” I gave a half-smile.
“Though something tells me we won’t make it out for sushi later.”
“I get that feeling too . . .”
4
“My name is Riley Shannon,” the red-haired detective said. “Are you the one who called the body in?”
“Yes,” I replied. “My name is Ginni Black. This is my friend, Babbs McGhee.”
“Nice to meet you.” Babbs extended her hand.
Magic & Mini Skirts Page 2