by Robin Roseau
"Yeah, we saw how you like her," Jaime said. "Since when do you think with your libido?"
"Maybe I'm following your example," I shot back, now annoyed. "Damn it, you're ruining my buzz."
"I have never dated dangerously," Jaime said. "And you know it."
"Of the three of us," I said, "I am the best judge of character by far." Reading auras, of course, made that easy. "She doesn't want to hurt me. All she wants is my hot little body."
The two of them exchanged another look.
"What?" I said. "Just because you both have bodies the entire world thinks are hot doesn't mean no one on the planet finds me attractive." Now I was offended.
"We didn't say a thing," Felicity said quickly. "You know if I were into girls, we'd have been married years ago."
That shut me up, and I looked down into my lap. We absolutely loved each other, and she was right. I'd have done anything for her, a fact that has been true since the day she sat down next to me at lunch all those years ago. I'd been very careful to avoid looking at her as a romantic interest, because that would have been disastrous. But yes, if she were into girls, I was sure we'd have become a devoted couple, and I absolutely could not have done better than her.
"Where would I be in this little triangle?" Jaime asked.
"We'd need a houseboy," Felicity said. "We wouldn't kick you out."
"Gee, thanks," he said.
"Someone has to kill the spiders," I added. "You don't think I'm going to do it, do you?"
It was Felicity's turn to snort. "For such a big hunk of man, he's worse about spiders than you are, Lyra."
"It's the eyes," Jaime said. "They're always watching you. It's worse than my mom, with an eye in the back of her head."
"But we're getting sidetracked," Felicity said. "Lyra, she's dangerous."
I looked up. "She's nice. She's sexy. She wants me. I want her. Would that be so horrible?"
At that point, my pocket buzzed. I fished my phone out. It was a text from an unrecognized number. "How's the grilling going?" It took me a moment to realize it was Raelyn.
I looked back up at my best friends. "Please don't make me stop seeing her."
"Lyra, we can't make you do anything," Felicity said. "But do you understand why we're concerned?"
"Do you remember what that bitch did to you six months ago?" Jaime added.
"I remember," I said. "I don't think you should call her a bitch. She didn't hurt me."
"She made you cry," Jaime said with a scowl. "She messed with you, and that means she messed with all of us."
"And if she hadn't, you guys wouldn't be all worked up today," I said. "We wouldn't recognize the potential danger."
"So you're going to ignore the lesson?" Jaime said. "What if she's just waiting for you to lower your guard?"
"I know for a fact that if Verity wished me ill, it wouldn't matter how high I kept my guard. I suspect it's no different with Raelyn."
"We want you to be careful," Felicity said. "Make sure nothing happens to you."
"Standard dating security precautions," Jaime added. "You don't go anywhere with her unless we know where you're going and when you'll be back."
"Voice," Felicity said. "Not text."
"Guys, Verity could make me tell you anything she wanted. If Raelyn intends me ill, all the precautions in the world aren't going to matter. And anything she can do to me, she can do to you, and you won't even see it coming."
"All the more reason to send her packing."
"If she intends to hurt me," I said, "that's not going to keep me safe."
"Maybe she's checking you out to see if you're as helpless as you are," Jaime said. "Maybe trained witches have defenses."
"I'm not a witch!"
The two didn't respond to that.
"She's nice," I repeated. "Please, can't you be happy for me."
"We'll be happy once we're convinced she'll stay nice," Felicity said. "For now, we're concerned, and you should be, too."
"I am," I said. "But I'd rather act as if she's what she seems. I'd rather act as if everything is going to turn out exactly the way we would want it to." Yes, I was taking a lesson from Raelyn.
"All right," Felicity said after a pause. "But if she casts some spell to turn you into her mindless slave, don't say we didn't warn you."
"I'm pretty sure if she makes me into a mindless slave, I won't say anything at all."
"Funny," she said. "Humor. Ha, ha. Just what we need."
* * * *
It took forever for Friday to come. Raelyn and I texted a few times, but she didn't call me, and I decided I was happy to let her keep the lead. As aggressive as she'd been, I was a little surprised by the lack of phone calls. But mentally, I shrugged and took it in stride.
Historically, it was hit or miss whether I was the more aggressive in my past relationships. But, said simply, I liked being pursued. I wasn't a passive observer in my love life, but I enjoyed being chased. It was good for my ego. Perhaps I would have dated more regularly if I'd taken the bull by the horns, so to speak, and at times, I had, but it felt nicer to let her pursue me.
And so, while Raelyn's confidence was a little off-putting, it wasn't that off-putting, and I was more than happy to let myself be wooed.
By Friday, I was a little nervous, or perhaps more than a little. I'd liked her, and I wanted her to like me. I wanted her to continue to pursue me. But I didn't want to be too easy to catch.
But I was also nervous because, well, she was a witch. Jaime and Felicity weren't wrong. She was dangerous, or at least, potentially dangerous. Before meeting Verity, perhaps I wouldn't have been put off if someone had said, "I'm a witch." Witches are people too, right? But Verity had gone out of her way to make sure I knew she could be dangerous, and by extension, other witches I might meet.
Well, I wasn't dangerous, but I wasn't a witch. Was I?
Ah, denial. He's not just an actor.
I dressed in autumn colors. I wore a loose-fitting, mauve peasant dress with a cabbage rose pattern. I added a blue brocade vest over it, tightly belting everything. Tights and Dansko clogs completed the outfit. I was a minimalist when it came to jewelry. I rarely wore bracelets; I always found them distracting when I was working. I wore a simple cameo pendant. In my ears was a pair of silver teardrop earrings.
I looked in the mirror and decided I looked good, or as good as I ever look.
The day dragged. I received an early-afternoon text from Raelyn. "Do you eat in the shop or after closing?"
"F or J will give me a break before they go," I texted back. "And I'll eat something small afterwards." I added a second text. "I'm sorry if that ruined your plans."
Her reply was simple. "Clarified. Looking forward to seeing you."
I was too, but I didn't want to be over-eager. I didn't reply.
By late afternoon, I was restless. Jaime and Felicity took turns getting ready for their own evenings, the other helping me in the shop. They both noticed I was nervous. Felicity cornered me about it.
"What's the deal? You can send her packing, Lyra."
"I don't want to send her packing, Felicity. She..."
Felicity put her hand on my arm. "I know, honey."
"But what if-"
"I know," she said again.
I looked her straight in the eye. "Do you think this is why my past relationships never went anywhere? Somehow I was waiting for another witch?"
"I don't know. Honey, you just met. You don't really know a thing about her. Please be careful. Don't give your heart away this fast. Remember, you were pretty worked up over Verity, too."
I turned away. "Verity wasn't looking for the same thing," I said.
"I think she was," Felicity replied. "But I think she played her cards differently than Raelyn has so far. But I'm not at all convinced Raelyn isn't here for the same reason Verity was. She's playing her cards in a different order, but I'm not convinced she isn't holding the exact same hand."
I turned back to her.
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"Honey," Felicity added, "Maybe Raelyn is being completely honest with you. She wants a romantic relationship, and that's all. Or maybe just a tumble or two. There's nothing wrong with that. But if she's holding the same cards Verity was, then I'll point something out. At least Verity was honest about it."
And that was perhaps the crux of the matter.
"Where are you and Dyson going tonight?"
"A geek party," she said. "All they're going to talk about is computers." She made a face, but then grinned. "I'm going to get a lot of attention."
"You are such an attention whore," I said, returning her grin. The thing is, she wasn't. Oh, she was fine with receiving it, far more gracious than I was. But I'd never seen her go out of her way to look for it.
"I know. I can't help it." She smiled again. "Dyson told me he likes showing me off. You can imagine what that attitude does for my ego."
"And his chances of getting laid?"
She laughed. "That, too."
"Tie him up lately?"
She blushed. "None of your business."
"Did he like it?"
"No comment."
"Do you let him tie you up?"
"Hell, no. Now knock it off, unless you want me to start teasing back."
I thought about pushing her buttons a little longer. The laughter was good for both of us, after all. But I had no doubts of her ability and willingness to tease me mercilessly, and I didn't think I'd respond well if she did.
"I love you, Felicity," I said instead.
"Oh, honey," she replied. She pulled me into a hug and whispered into my ear. "I love you, too. You look nice. Don't spill your dinner."
* * * *
I had the shop to myself for about an hour, excepting for the occasional customer. I was starting to wonder when Raelyn would arrive, and then the answer presented itself. It was shortly after six-thirty when the bell over the door tinkled, and in she walked.
She looked amazing, and we found ourselves staring at each other.
I was handling a customer, so I couldn't immediately rush to her. That probably was a good thing, actually, as I am sure I would have made a fool of myself.
My customer was the stereotypical little old lady. She had to be eighty if she were a day, short and small, very small. I imagine she was a beauty in her day. Her eyes were bright, and she had a quick smile. She wasn't what I would call a regular of the store, but she came in from time to time. She had a thing for lesfic, "the racier the better", she'd once told me.
"Do you know what a Little Free Library is?" she asked me.
"Do you mean those tiny libraries in a box you find in some people's yards?"
"Those are the ones," she said. She grinned. "I keep one at my lake cabin. When I finish the books I read, I put them in the library."
"That's really sweet," I said.
"My son-in-law made it for me," she continued. "He's a good boy." I imagined her son-in-law was at least in his forties, so calling him a good boy amused me. "My neighbor is a complete homophobe. But I've seen her taking the books from my library and I even caught her reading one out on her deck."
"I imagine that was a shock to her."
"Oh, she doesn't know I know. What are binoculars for if not spying on your neighbors?"
We laughed together.
"So you have to help me find something really racy for her this time. There are only a few more weeks before the old hag flies away to her winter roost."
She and I talked about the latest books I'd read, and I helped her pick out a small stack, carrying them to the counter for her. I rang her up. Before I could hand her the sack of books, she clasped my hands. "You're such a sweet girl. Why don't you have a girlfriend?"
My eyes flicked to Raelyn. Mrs. Graves followed my eyes.
"Oh, she's lovely."
"We just met this week," I replied. "We'll see."
"And I'm keeping you from her," Mrs. Graves said. She rubbed my hands for a moment before releasing them. "Thank you, Lyra. You're a good girl."
That felt good. I was a good girl. The thought amused me. And so I picked up her bag of books and carried it around the counter to her, then took her arm and helped her to the front door. "Will you be okay getting to your car?"
"Oh, you sweet thing," she said. "I'll be fine. There are a lot of miles left in this old body."
I had no doubt.
I held the door for her and waved as she walked away.
When I turned around, Raelyn was watching me. We smiled at each other as I walked to her, standing in our section with cookbooks. When I drew near, she took my hands before pulling me into her arms. Before I could react, her lips were on mine.
I can't say I fought back very hard.
The kiss left me breathless, and I clung to her for a moment before she released me. We stared at each other.
She did, indeed, look lovely. She was wearing her own dress. It was British racing green, ending mid-thigh, and, like my outfit, tightly belted. She had brown tights and tall, brown boots.
She looked amazing, and I took her all in. And, I admit, it was heady to have her admire me the same way I was admiring her. We smiled at each other.
"The old lady seems nice," she said.
"That's Mrs. Graves," I replied. "She's a pistol."
Raelyn glanced around the store before looking back at me. "You love it here, don't you?"
"I do," I said. "When I was a little girl, I dreamed of working in a dusty old bookstore. It didn't occur to me I could own one."
"Your store isn't at all dusty."
"No, but you know what I mean." I gestured. "We modeled this after dusty old bookstores. Without the dust."
"Without the dust," Raelyn agreed. "How do you manage that?"
"We made a vow when we opened," I said. "We each thoroughly clean one bookcase a day. We go shelf by shelf, every book coming down and getting cleaned, then the shelf itself before putting the books back."
"That's fine for these," she said indicating the shelves low enough I could see over. "But what about those?" We had two and a half walls whose shelves went to the ceiling.
"Jaime is very gallant," I explained. "He handles everything that requires using the ladder. If it's above my eyes, he does it."
Raelyn looked around. "I can see how you love it. You're good with the customers."
"People can be frustrated when they can't find what they're looking for," I said, "but most people who come to a bookstore, especially ours, are here because they love books. Being here automatically puts them into a good mood, and then they're a joy to work with."
Raelyn took my hand, and we began roaming through the store together. "What would you be doing if I weren't here?" There weren't any other customers in the store at the moment.
"Friday nights can be weird. It can be absolutely dead in here, or insanely busy."
"Do you have work when it's dead? Am I going to distract you from something you should be doing? Maybe I could help."
"There's nothing pressing," I said. "Barring customers, you have my undivided attention."
She smiled at me. "I like the sound of that, Lyra." She stepped in front of me and stopped, blocking my path. She reached up a hand and lifted a wisp of my hair, tucking it behind my ear and caressing my cheek when she did so. I found myself closing my eyes, and she cupped my cheek.
"I'm not playing very hard to get," I said.
"Was that your plan?"
"I didn't have a plan." I opened my eyes. "Well, letting you chase me sounded like fun."
She laughed. "You'd like that, would you?"
"I just might," I replied. I leaned into her hand. "But I like this, too."
She grew still, but then she said in a low voice, "You've just given me permission for a great deal, Lyra. You just told me not to take 'no' for an answer."
"Please don't try to worm your way into my bed tonight."
"All right," she said. "Although the counter doesn't look that comfortable. Still, I've neve
r done someone in a bookstore."
"Raelyn!" I pulled away from her. "You're naughty."
In response, she grinned then reached out for my hand. "Tell me about the store. Show me everything."
And so I did, for the next several minutes. We wandered the shelves. I explained why we sold what we sold, and why we didn't carry a lot of what the general public might expect. "They're just going to go to Barnes and Noble for those books, anyway. People come here when they want something you can't find in the more mainstream shops. And we can carry local authors that aren't big enough for the chains."
"Indie authors?"
"Some, if they're in print."
We talked a few more minutes, Raelyn not leaving my side. She frequently found excuses to touch me, intimate touches, but all quite proper at the same time.
Already I could feel myself falling for her. The attention was quite heady. I think she knew it, too, but she didn't act arrogant, just self-assured.
But then the bell tinkled, and we both turned to see who walked in.
* * * *
It grew busy. Then it grew really busy. Raelyn busied herself with a book, plopping down in one of our sitting areas for a while. But periodically she got up and made a point of walking behind me, and every time she did, she touched me in passing. It was quite distracting, but no way was I going to ask her to stop.
It became one of those Friday nights where we really need two or even all three of us. Raelyn left me alone for a while, but then she was at my side, smiling at customers and bagging books. When we got the briefest of lulls, she said, "Show me how to work the register."
"You don't have to-"
"I want to, Lyra," she said.
It was a pretty basic register, and on the next customer, I showed her how to ring the order and run a credit card. I watched her do the next two, and she was a natural with the customers. She made sure they'd found everything they needed and even did a little suggestive selling. After that, I kept an eye on her, but I was able to be of more direct assistance to the customers.
It pleased me to see her working in my store, to see her working for me. That thought amused me a great deal, actually. And with her tied to the cash register, it meant I was the one passing behind her, leaving touches on her body.