by Jinty James
“Thanks.” A tight knot of tension eased inside her. “You’re the best.”
“So are you. And my brother seems to think so, too.” A mischievous look crossed Suzanne’s face as she looked out of the passenger window.
Luke crossed his front lawn and headed toward the car, a smile on his face. He wore pressed jeans and an indigo shirt.
Instantly, butterflies skyrocketed in her stomach.
“I think we should take your car, Luke.” Suzanne hopped out and spoke to her brother.
“Sure,” Luke said easily, his gaze fixed on Maddie.
“Hi,” Maddie said softly, getting out of the vehicle.
“Hi,” Luke replied. The two of them stood staring at each other across the roof of the car.
Suzanne cleared her throat. “I think we should get going now. We don’t want to be late,” she added in a louder voice, as if to snag their attention.
“Oh – yeah.” Luke seemed to focus on his sister’s words at last.
Maddie joined the two of them, Luke steering her to the passenger side of his SUV.
“I’ll sit in the back,” Suzanne offered with a grin.
“Good idea.” Luke smiled at his sister, opening the car doors for both girls.
“Thank you,” Maddie said softly as she climbed into the SUV. It was higher off the ground than her white compact car.
Suzanne closed her door, and Maddie did likewise, as Luke got in and started the engine.
Maddie’s hands trembled as she buckled her seatbelt. Right now, she didn’t know whether it was from the close proximity to Luke, even with Suzanne acting as chaperone, or the fact that in three hours she would be attempting to make the best mocha of her life. Or maybe both!
The drive to Seattle went smoothly. Although Maddie was conscious – way too conscious – of Luke’s presence beside her, his faint scent of lemony citrus, and the way he drove – safely but not like a little old lady – the trip turned out to be fun. They finally agreed on a pop rock station, turning down the volume to background music so they could easily talk to each other.
When they reached the outskirts of the city, Suzanne directed him to the hotel. Luke parked in the visitor garage, and Maddie took a deep breath as she unbuckled her seat belt. One hour to go.
“I have to register,” Maddie stated, glad that her voice sounded fairly normal.
“No worries,” Luke replied, giving her a smile.
They headed into the hotel, Maddie and Suzanne looking around for a notice indicating the location of the competition.
“There it is!” Suzanne pointed to a discreet sign telling them that the competition would be held next to the ballroom.
“I’m glad it’s not the ballroom.” Maddie gave Suzanne a heartfelt look. That would seem like bad luck – or even déjà vu – if the killer struck again.
Maddie and Suzanne looked at each other with wide eyes, as if they’d just had the same thought.
“What are you two thinking?” Luke asked.
“I don’t think you want to know,” Suzanne said.
“Maddie?” Luke turned to her, a questioning look on his face.
“Um ... what Suzanne said,” Maddie mumbled.
“The police haven’t caught the killer yet,” Suzanne told her brother.
“And the organizers think it’s a good idea to hold the competition here again?” He frowned.
“I’m sure there’ll be a police presence,” Suzanne told him.
“I hope so,” Maddie murmured.
They walked down the well-lit hallway to the ballroom. Maddie spied a couple of people further down, and gestured to Luke and Suzanne.
A table was set up outside the smaller conference room next to the ballroom, where Detective Rawson had interviewed them last week. A clerk sat there, surrounded by paperwork.
Maddie registered, pinning her badge with the number three to her peach top. She wondered if all the finalists’ badges indicated their ranking in the competition so far.
“Look.” Suzanne nudged her. “Police presence.” A police officer came out of the conference room and walked down the hallway.
Maddie gave her a relieved smile.
A few minutes later, the doors were opened by the registration clerk.
“I guess that means we can go in,” Maddie remarked.
“Come on!” Suzanne headed inside.
Maddie and Luke followed, sharing a smile at Suzanne’s eagerness.
The walls were painted vanilla and the carpet was a rosy beige hue. There were rows of black plastic chairs for the audience, just like last week in the ballroom, and eight espresso stations at the front of the room. To the left was a long table which Maddie assumed was for the judges – again, just like last week.
To her relief, there was not a vat of mocha – not yet, anyway.
As soon as they entered, more people trickled in.
“Look.” Suzanne nudged her. “There’s Diana.”
“And Ellie and Connor,” Maddie added, pleased to see that they walked in together. She wondered if they were officially an item or if one week was too soon.
She peeked at Luke. Were they officially an item? Nothing had been said yet – they hadn’t even kissed! Maddie filed the thought away to the back of her mind. Right now, she needed to focus on the competition.
“Brad,” she murmured to Suzanne as the man entered the room, a confident expression on his face. Just like last week, he wore a gray shirt with mid-blue buttons rimmed in gold and black trousers. His “lucky” shirt.
“Oh, Maddie!” Ellie hurried over to her, Connor following. “I’ve been offered a new job!”
“Really?” Maddie asked, wondering if it had been the same one she’d been offered by Diana. She noticed that Ellie wore her sister’s fairy earrings again.
“It sounds really exciting.” Ellie looked over at Diana. “Diana offered it to me yesterday but I haven’t made up my mind yet, though.”
“I’ve been telling her she can do it,” Connor said, looking encouragingly at Ellie. “The pay is better than what she’s making now.”
“And I love the idea of coming up with new speciality drinks.” Ellie smiled, then her face fell. “But I don’t know about training the other baristas.”
Maddie thought Ellie seemed a little less shy than last Saturday, and wondered if it was her new friendship with Connor that had made a difference.
“Wouldn’t it be cool if Diana offered both of you jobs?” Suzanne mused. “Connor could handle the training and you could concentrate on roasting and creating new drinks and all the things you like doing.”
“How do you know the job includes roasting the beans?” Ellie furrowed her brow.
“Diana offered me the job on Wednesday.” Maddie decided she should be honest.
“And Maddie turned it down,” Suzanne added.
Luke nodded. Maddie had told him about it on their Wednesday night date.
“Really?” Ellie looked disappointed – and perplexed.
“I realized it wasn’t what I wanted,” Maddie replied. “And I think the commute to Seattle every day would have killed me.”
Connor nodded as if in understanding.
“But I’m sure it’s a great job,” Maddie added.
“It sounds like it,” Connor said. He wrapped an arm around Ellie’s shoulder. “But it’s up to Ellie to decide if it’s right for her.”
Maddie smiled at the couple, thinking Suzanne had been right – they did seem well suited, even though on the surface they might appear a bit of a mis-match.
Maddie remembered what Brad had said to them on Thursday, when they’d bumped into him at the burger place.
“Diana has everything ready to go with her flagship store, doesn’t she?” she asked.
“Yes.” Ellie nodded. “She even showed me the space – it’s only a few blocks from where I’m working now.”
“And she should be ready to open next month,” Connor added.
“That’s great.” M
addie smiled. That information was totally different to what Brad had told them.
“Have you thought some more about my offer, Ellie?” Diana joined their little group.
“Hi, Diana,” Ellie said shyly. “Um ... I’m still thinking about it.”
“Hello, Maddie and Suzanne.” Diana smiled at them.
“Hi,” they chorused, returning her smile.
Maddie belatedly realized she hadn’t introduced Luke.
Suzanne must have had the same thought because she said, “This is my brother Luke.”
Maddie looked at her gratefully. How would she have introduced him? Her longtime crush? – too embarrassing! The guy she’d been dating for a few weeks? Suzanne’s brother? But if she only said that, what would have Luke thought? Or maybe she could have just said, “This is Luke.” She nodded to herself. She’d have to remember that for next time – until she knew for sure that they were officially an item.
A woman in her sixties walked into the room, dressed in a green paisley designer suit. Her gray hair was worn in a soft bob, and she looked professional but approachable.
“Who’s that?” Suzanne whispered.
The rest of them shrugged in an “I don’t know” manner, but they all watched as the newcomer made her way to the judge’s table.
The two male judges from last week appeared in the doorway, scanning the room.
“Hello, everyone!” The portly male judge called out. “Competitors, please find a station. Members of the audience, please find a seat. We will start shortly.”
Maddie noticed the two judges greeting the sixty-something woman at the judge’s table. Was she the new judge?
She risked a glance at Diana. Did she know the female judge? Were they both members of the business club?
But Maddie couldn’t discern a hint of recognition on Diana’s face as she gazed at the newcomer.
Maddie waved goodbye to Suzanne and Luke, following the others to the espresso stations. The rest of the competitors had already chosen a station, and she found herself next to Brad and Diana. Not quite déjà vu. She suddenly realized that she hadn’t spotted Fred Beldon in the room, or his vat of mocha – thank goodness. She wondered if he was going to make an appearance today given what had happened last weekend.
The two male judges checked each contestant off their list, making sure their number badge was consistent with the rest of their details.
“You will have five minutes to make three mochas,” the portly male judge announced. “Get your beans ready, please.”
Maddie had already placed her beans and chocolate powder on her workspace, and noticed Brad and Diana Swift had as well.
“Your time starts now.” A bell tinkled.
Maddie closed her eyes, trying to focus on the task in hand. She heard burring and grinding from her neighbors, but tuned it out, instead concentrating on what she needed to do.
An image popped into her head of the three judges, including the new female judge, complimenting her on her mocha. She frowned. She knew she hadn’t been thinking about that – she’d been busy grinding her beans, focusing on getting the grind just right.
Had it been Trixie?
Warmth flooded her at the idea that her familiar had been thinking of her at a crucial time. She didn’t want to let herself down – or Trixie. Or Suzanne – or Luke.
Maddie set to work with renewed vigor, determined to make the best mocha ever.
When the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the round, Maddie stepped back, looking at the three mochas she’d just finished making, thick with foam. Satisfaction stole through her. She just hoped they tasted as good as they looked.
“Step back from your stations, please.” The portly male judge clapped his hands.
Maddie noticed that Brad had continued to pour his third mocha after the buzzer went off. He stepped back from the machine, a smug look on his face.
“They’ve never tasted anything like mine,” he told Maddie.
His mochas looked good, Maddie had to admit. The foam looked decent, and the cocoa color, as well as the chocolatey coffee aroma, encouraged her to try one right away. But even if his mochas were the best in the room, would he earn enough points to become the overall winner considering he was currently in eighth place?
The three judges strolled around the stations, tasting each mocha and making notes on their clipboard.
Maddie watched them taste Brad’s mocha, approval flitting across their faces as they talked to each other in hushed tones, and jotted notes on their clipboards.
Maddie was next.
The female judge nodded to her, and took a sip of mocha. She took another – and another, then smiled at Maddie.
“Excellent.”
“Thank you,” Maddie murmured, excited butterflies zooming around in her stomach. Would the two male judges have the same opinion?
The portly judge tasted her mocha, smiling at her. He wrote something down on his clipboard, then addressed her.
“Where do you work—” he peered at her number badge and then at the clipboard – “Ms. Goodwell?”
“I run a coffee truck in Estherville with my friend.” When he looked like he didn’t know where Estherville was, she elaborated, “One hundred miles away.”
“The people of Estherville are very lucky.” He nodded to her, then went on to sample Diana’s entry.
Maddie grinned, unable to help herself. Even if she didn’t win, it was wonderful to have her barista skills acknowledged by the judges.
The second male judge beamed at her after he tasted her mocha, wrote something on his clipboard, then tested Diana’s offering.
“Yours look pretty good,” Brad told Maddie, still looking smug. “Let me know if you change your mind about auditioning for me.”
“Um ... thanks.” She didn’t wish to be rude.
“They loved my mochas,” he continued. “Once I win the nationals I’ll be able to write my own ticket. That means I’ll be able to start up my new business importing and roasting beans and selling them to all the coffee houses in the city.”
“That sounds impressive,” Maddie replied. Was winning the nationals such a career boost?
“I’ll have no problems getting investors,” he continued. “And I’ll still have my own coffee shop – I might even expand there as well. This competition is just the start.”
Maddie felt totally unambitious compared to him, and also Diana. The judges had moved on to Ellie, who fidgeted as they tasted her mochas.
Was it so bad to enjoy being a small-town barista with her own coffee truck and having fun working with Suzanne and Trixie? Maddie didn’t think so – right now, she knew deep down inside that the path she was on was the right one for her.
Besides, she had Wytchcraft for the Chosen to focus on as well if the book’s prediction was correct, and she was now coming into her full powers as a witch, however slowly.
She hadn’t even had a chance to try casting the How to Move an Object spell.
The portly male judge clapped his hands to attract everyone’s attention.
“We will now tabulate the scores.” He smiled at the competitors. “We’ll try to be as quick as possible, but we must be accurate. In half an hour or so, we’ll announce the winner. Until then, feel free to leave your station. After the announcement, the scores will be posted outside.”
Déjà vu.
Except this time, they weren’t in the ballroom where the murder had taken place, they were in the smaller room next door.
The other competitors threaded their way toward the audience. Maddie followed.
“How did you do?” Connor asked as he fell into step beside her, Ellie on his other side.
“I’m not sure,” Maddie said cautiously. She didn’t want to boast – what if she wasn’t good enough to win? “I think they liked my mochas, though.”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “They said they enjoyed mine, but they also said that to Ellie.”
“Yes.” Ellie touched one of her fairy
earrings, as if for extra luck.
“You were awesome, Maddie!” Suzanne rushed up to her, Luke following.
“Thanks.” She smiled at her friend’s enthusiasm, her gaze meeting Luke’s.
“Definitely.” He cleared his throat, a warm expression in his green eyes.
“Here’s my card.” Brad came up to their group, pressing a business card into Maddie’s hand. “If you ever decide to audition for me ...” He winked, then strode over to another competitor, clearly pleased with his performance.
“Yuck.” Suzanne made a face. “As if you’d want to do that.”
“I know,” Maddie murmured.
“He’s a good barista,” Connor said, “but he does have a tendency to rub people the wrong way.”
All four of them looked at him.
“When you’ve been working in the business for a while in Seattle, you tend to run into the same people,” he told them.
Ellie nodded, and Maddie remembered how Fred Beldon, the mocha sponsor, was one of the ethereal girl’s customers – or one of her boss’s customers.
“I guess,” Maddie said thoughtfully.
“What should we do now?” Suzanne checked her watch. “Do we have time to go to the hotel coffee shop before they announce the winner?”
After the stress of competing, the last thing Maddie wanted was to drink coffee. Maybe she’d order a soothing cup of tea – something she rarely drank unless she was in the mood.
“It looks like they’ve made their decision already.” Luke motioned in the direction of the judge’s table.
The three judges were in a huddle, looking at a clipboard and nodding to each other. Then the female judge stood.
“May I have everyone’s attention?” She clapped her hands for effect. “We are now ready to announce the winner.”
“Am I late?” Fred Beldon bustled into the room, the door swinging behind him. He hurried over to the judge’s table, looking at them expectantly.
The portly male judge stood to greet him. “No, you’re not late. In fact, you have perfect timing.” The expression on his face suggested otherwise, though.
Did that mean he didn’t approve of Fred Beldon’s mocha beverage – MochLava – either?
“As the sponsor of this competition, I think it’s only fitting that I award the prizes,” Fred stated.