“Alright, I’ve been very patient. Spill, Fi!”
“Why, whatever are you talking about, sweet Stella?”
She laughed. “I know something happened and I also know you’re dying to tell me. So if you don’t spill now, I’ll quit asking and go to sleep. Then you won’t be able to tell me till tomorrow.”
“That’s not much of a threat, you know,” Fiona mumbled. But when Stella grabbed her pillow and laid down, she relented. “Fine, you witch, I’ll tell you.”
Stella sat up, eager to hear what happened. “Did you get to meet Max? Did you go to the soup kitchen? How did Edward feel about you dating Chad? And what did Diamond think of him?”
Fi laughed. “Calm down, silly. I’ll answer all your questions, but you have to give me a chance.” She grabbed one of Stella’s pillows and held it against her chest while she took a moment to think. “No, I didn’t get to meet Max. The day we went to the Sanctuary Cash had to shut down one of the enclosures. They wouldn’t tell me why or what was going on, but it seemed like both Cash and Chad were worried about a couple of the animals. And before you ask, no, it wasn’t Max.”
“Thank goodness. I don’t know what I would do if it was. Cash told me Max was fine so things wouldn’t have gone well for him if he’d lied to me.” She saw Fi’s eyes light up with questions, so she steered the conversation away from her and back to Fi. “What did you do for your mystery date?”
“We went to a charity event.”
Stella made a face. “That sounds boring.”
Fiona laughed. “Not at all. Chad introduced me to the nicest couple. They’ve been looking for someone to invest in their Dalmatian sanctuary.”
“What? I’ve never heard of a Dalmatian sanctuary.”
“I hadn’t either. But apparently, it’s a thing,” Fi informed her. “The husband was a Fire Chief for 30 years and the wife worked for a dog breeder. After he retired, there was an accident at the fire house where he’d worked. The station mascot, a Dalmatian named Fred, was injured. The vet said that he’d need special care for the rest of his life, or he’d have to be put down.”
“That’s awful but I’m guessing that things turned out okay for him.” Stella grabbed another tortilla chip and munched on it, while Fiona continued her story.
“They decided to take Fred into their home and let him live out his days in peace. But then they heard about another Dalmatian from another station that got burned pulling one of the firemen out of a burning building. He was in worse shape than Fred and would need 24-hour care for months, if he had any hope of recovering. They couldn’t take care of him themselves, but they weren’t willing to give up on him either. They decided to create a foundation that would provide care for dogs that had been in service, with a particular focus on Dalmatians.”
“That’s wonderful. I hope you gave them a hefty donation.”
“Actually, they were interested in someone to help them run the fundraisers and coordinate care for the dogs. They currently have 12—10 Dalmatians, a German Shepherd and a Bernese Mountain Dog. They’ve been looking for someone who knows how these things work, can get donations and plan fundraisers, and who isn’t afraid to pitch in when needed. They hired a woman they thought would be perfect, but it turns out, she’s afraid of dogs!”
“What? Why would she agree if she doesn’t like dogs?”
“Not doesn’t like,” Fiona corrected her. “Is afraid of. As in, she’s deathly afraid of dogs. I guess they went to check on her when she didn’t call them for a meeting and found her locked in her office closet, shaking like a leaf because Fred was sitting in her doorway.”
Stella looked at her, head cocked sideways. “That’s crazy.” Her friend nodded. “So, Chad took you to this fundraiser to talk you into running the foundation? That’s crazy, too. He knows you come from old money, right? Lots and lots of old money.”
Fiona nodded and grinned. “Of course. But I guess he realized that’s not enough for me. I want to contribute something; to be part of something. I don’t feel like I’ve earned the right to have the things I have, and I want to feel like I deserve it.”
Stella knew her friend had been feeling lost for a while but hadn’t realized how bad it was. “I’m sorry, Fi. I didn’t know you felt that way.”
“I didn’t know it either. Not until Chad introduced me to Fred and he stole my heart.”
“Well, Edward’s not going to be very happy about Chad stealing your heart,” she teased.
Fiona threw the pillow at Stella’s head and laughed. “No, silly. Fred stole my heart. Chad just opened up my eyes to a new possibility.”
“Speaking of Edward . . .”
“Alright, alright! Geez, you’re so impatient! You know that Edward’s taking care of Diamond for me, while I’m here.”
“I didn’t know that, but I assumed he was.”
Fiona glared at her and she laughed. “Okay, please continue with your story.”
“Well, I couldn’t tell him about the show, since we’re sworn to secrecy, so when he saw Chad leaving my apartment that first day, he wasn’t very happy.” She paused and took a sip of her champagne, a tiny smile twisting her lips. “Pamela only let me tell him it was for a show and that he had to keep his lips zipped about it.”
Stella grinned, imagining Pee Pee Pamela facing off with Edward the building owner/maintenance man.
“Anyhoo, they didn’t get on very well, so I had to step in. I asked Pamela to give me a couple of minutes alone with Edward and I pinky swore I wouldn’t reveal anything about the show. She relented and let us go into the bathroom by ourselves.”
“So, what did you tell him?” Stella asked, burning with curiosity.
“I didn’t tell him anything,” Fi said, smugly.
She looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate. Fi laughed. “Like I said, I didn’t tell him anything. I just kissed him full on the lips.”
“What?” she laughed. “Oh my. And what did he do?”
“He kissed me back, of course. Then he said, ‘I’ll trust you and I’ll take care of Diamond but we’re going to have a long talk when this is over.’”
Stella giggled. “I can’t believe you kissed him.”
“Neither can I. I just couldn’t think of another way to let him know I’m not interested in Chadwick.”
“Fiona, you kill me.” Stella grinned. “So how did Chad fare with Diamond?”
Fi shook her head and blew out her breath in exasperation. “I’ve never seen that dog take to anyone the way she took to him. It was like she fell instantly in love with him. I didn’t even exist for a full 10 minutes,” she laughed. “It was so strange. She was prancing around in a circle and at one point, she saw me, but she just kept turning. Then, like I was an afterthought, she ran over to me and licked my face.”
“What is it with that guy? I mean, Onyx was the same way. And you know how twitchy he is with everyone else.”
“He’s got some kind of gift with animals, that’s for sure.” Fi stood up and stretched. “It’s been a long day and you all gave me a lot to think about. I’m going to take a long, bubbly, bubble bath and get some rest.”
As her friend headed for the door Stella called out, “Just make sure it’s bubble bath you’re talking about. No more champagne bubbly for you!”
“Yes mom,” Fi replied, waving goodbye as she pulled the door closed behind her.
It had been a long day and Stella was tired, too. She laid back on her bed and tried to calm her racing mind. Thoughts of dead bodies, collapsed stages, dog whispering, and family secrets played out behind her closed eyelids. Then green eyes and a special smile appeared, and she hung onto that image until she fell fast asleep.
19
Allegra had left for her dates the night before and it was amazing how much more relaxed everyone was without all the drama. Stella was glad the woman was gone, but disappointed they couldn’t keep an eye on her. They had to figure out who her accomplice was before anyone else got hurt.
> “Good morning, ladies,” Martha called out to the women eating breakfast in the dining room. “Today we’re doing interviews for one of the major magazines. Each of you will be interviewed separately, then there will be a group interview about the whole experience, so far. Any questions? Good. I’ll let you know when the interview will begin.”
“I have a question,” Poppy called out, but the woman was already halfway down the hall and either didn’t hear her or pretended not to. “Well, that was kind of rude,” she grumbled.
Stella laughed. “You know Martha waits for no one, right? What’s your question? Maybe one of us can answer it.”
“I wanted to know if there will be pictures and we need to dress up or if we can stay in our comfy clothes.”
Fiona looked at her as if she was crazy. “Those are your comfy clothes?”
Poppy looked down at her sundress and sandals. “Well, yes.”
Fiona laughed. “We have a very different definition of comfy, then.” She looked around at the averted faces. “What?”
“You’re always dressed to impress, Fi. Suits, heels, makeup just perfect. You don’t seem like the person to be judging Poppy.” Surprisingly, it was Raven who came to her friend’s defense.
Stella laughed out loud. “If you only knew! That is “rich witch” Fiona, not the real person.” The other two still looked confused and Fi seemed uncomfortable. “When she’s home alone with Diamond, she wears sweats and jeans. Loose jeans. Baggy jeans even. And flip flops.”
“No way!” Raven wasn’t buying it. “She’s always perfect. I don’t believe she even owns a sweatshirt.”
Stella picked up her phone and scrolled through her images. “Tada! She handed the phone to Raven whose eyes grew wide as she viewed the photo of her friend wearing mom jeans, ratty old sneakers and a gray sweatshirt that was about two sized too big.
Poppy looked too and started to laugh. “I would never have believed it,” she said.
“Alright, already. Put that away.” Fiona’s face was red with embarrassment. “I have a public image to uphold, you know. But when I’m home, I like to relax. What can I say?”
“Miss Spinney? You’re up first. Please follow me,” Martha’s voice interrupted the witches.
As Stella stood up, she asked Martha, “Do I need to get dressed up or put on makeup or anything?”
Martha blinked a couple of times, then snorted. “You do know what an interview is, don’t you? They’ll be asking questions, not posting your image on Instagram.” She walked off in a huff and Stella made a face behind her back before she scurried after her.
“Sorry, Stella,” Poppy called out after her.
“So, Miss Spinney, why would a wealthy woman like yourself agree to appear on a reality dating show?” The reporter’s smug tone irritated Stella and for a moment, she wished she could turn him into a toad. That would teach him to be a jerk!
“Well, Dick, I mean, Richard,” she chuckled as his face reddened, then she felt bad for being a jerk to him. “I’m sorry, that was a slip of the tongue. Can we start over?”
He nodded and started the recording over. “I’m here with Miss Stella Spinney, of the Spinney Hills Spinneys. She’s agreed to let us ask her questions about her stint here on Catch of a Lifetime. Miss Spinney, why did you decide to appear on this show?”
She cleared her throat and responded, her tone cool, poised and slightly amused. “Well, Richard, as you can imagine, being part of the Spinney clan makes it difficult to know if men like me for me or if they’re just interested in dating a Spinney. You’d be surprised how many times a man asked me out on a date only to show up with a portfolio or an invention or something else he wanted me to invest in. It makes it difficult to trust a man’s intentions.”
He smiled at her, nodding his head. “I can see how that would be tough, but you attend a lot of events, fundraisers and such. I’m sure you meet men who are in your financial league.”
“Well, yes, I do. But I’ve found that many of them are looking for a business relationship, rather than a love match.”
“A love match, you say. That’s what you’re hoping to find with Chadwick Crawford?”
Now it was Stella’s turn to be embarrassed. “Not exactly. I decided to come on the show to try something new, something different. I thought I might learn something about myself in the process. And even if Chad wasn’t the man for me, I’d figure out what kind of man would be right for me.”
Out of the corner of her eye Stella saw someone enter the room and stand against the wall. Her heart started racing and she felt her hands get damp. Even without looking, she knew it was Cash.
“So, have you? Figured out what kind of man would be right for you?” Richard’s question rolled around her brain while she tried to decide how to answer.
“Yes, I think I have. To a certain extent, anyway.”
“Care to share with our readers?” Richard knew he was making her uncomfortable, but he also knew he was onto something—and he wasn’t about to let go.
“Well, I want a man who’s intelligent. He has to be compassionate. I want a man who makes me laugh, surprises me and keeps me guessing. I want to know I can count on him and that I can trust him. He has to love me for me and let me love him for who he is.”
Richard sat back in his chair; a satisfied smile on his face. “Thank you, Miss Spinney. Our readers are going to love you. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me today.”
Stella nodded and stood up, shaking his hand. She turned towards the door, but Cash was gone. She’d just bared her soul in front of him and he’d run away. She tried to push her disappointment down, but her heart was heavy as she walked up the stairs to her room.
20
“Well, that’s interesting,” Fiona muttered under her breath. Martha had just instructed two of her aides to gather all of Allegra’s belongings and pack them up. Now she and Cash were having a conversation that seemed more than a little tense.
Stella agreed. “It is indeed. It looks like Allegra won’t be coming back after all.”
“Mmhmm.”
Martha shrugged and turned away from Cash. He watched her walk away, a scowl on his face, then he suddenly looked up, meeting Stella’s gaze.
She watched his eyes light up and his lips curve into a smile, and her heart lifted again. He started walking towards her and she resisted the urge to pat her hair and check her lipstick.
“Hi ladies.”
“Hello, Cash,” Fiona purred, earning a dirty look from Stella. “How are you today?”
“Actually, running a reality show is turning out to be much more difficult than running an animal sanctuary.”
“Can I have your attention, please?” Martha’s voice rang out from the dining room. “I need everyone in here, pronto.”
Cash caught Stella’s hand as she started to follow Fiona. “Hey, I’m sorry I haven’t found time to talk with you. As I said, this is a lot harder than I expected.”
“It’s okay,” Stella told him. She was flustered by the warmth of his fingers touching hers and the way it was making her insides do flip flops.
“I really want to spend time with you, and talk with you,” he insisted. “I want to be sure you know that.”
She grinned at him as she squeezed his hand. “I know that. Now I have to go. Martha doesn’t like it when we’re late.”
His eyes lit up at her words and he squeezed her hand back. “Okay. See you soon.” He didn’t seem to want to let go of her, so she pulled her hand from his, then met his eyes and held his gaze. The woman in her was delighted to see his pupils dilate and she turned to leave while she still could.
“Alright, now that Miss Poky is finally here, I have an announcement. One of the contestants has been disqualified.” She paused while Stephanie, Poppy and Susan gasped.
“What does that mean for the rest of us?” Raven asked.
“That means we’re moving up our timetable. Stephanie, you have one hour to pack and get ready to
go. The rest of you, we’ll be reshooting some of the group photos, so get some rest tonight. Tomorrow you’ll need to be at your perkiest.”
The sound of groans filled the room as Martha bustled away. Stephanie looked excited, but flustered, as she headed up the stairs to her room.
“Hey, Stella. Have you heard anything from the police? About the body?” Raven asked.
“No, actually. I was going to ask Martha, but she’s got her hands full right now.”
“You could always ask Cash,” Fiona smirked.
“I could, but then I’d have to kill you.”
Raven looked from one witch to the other and shook her head. “You two are weird,” she muttered.
“I really do think you should ask Cash. The sooner we get the info, the better. If they’re moving up the timetable, we have even less time in the manor.”
Stella sighed. “You’re right. I’ll see if I can get a moment of his time.”
Her friend started to say something, then apparently thought better of it, because she pursed her lips and walked away, a grin on her face.
Stella could hear Martha’s voice coming from down the hall, so she followed the sound. She found her standing in front of the alcove—Stella and Cash’s alcove. “Martha, I was wondering if you’d heard anything about the bones found in the garden.”
Martha made a face. “I really wish you girls hadn’t been messing about out there. That’s just one more thing for me to deal with.”
“Well, I’m sorry for giving you more work, Martha. Is there anything I can help you with?” Stella was surprised by the words coming out of her mouth, but not as surprised as the woman with the headset.
“Thank you, Stella,” she said, slowly. “Actually, I think Cash heard something. Could you take this letter to him? I meant to give it to him earlier, but I forgot. You can find him in the office.”
She handed her the letter and took off, talking to someone on her headset as she hurried away.
A Get Witch Quick Scheme (Bewitching the Rich Guy Book 1) Page 8