by Shaw, J. D.
“Let me guess. He’s tall, tanned, and has a checking account that provides endless capital for parties.”
Stephanie nodded back. “His name is Johnny Guido or something stupid like that.” She pulled out her smart phone. “I found some pictures when I Googled him.”
“Is that his real name?”
Stephanie shrugged. “I doubt it.”
“Let’s take a look at this guy.” Vivienne scooted over to get a better view of Stephanie’s phone.
Stephanie tapped her screen and a moment later a picture of a tall, tanned, young man wearing expensive sunglasses with a mane of dark slicked back hair appeared. Dressed in a tux with the white dress shirt unbuttoned to reveal a waxed chest, he was embraced by two statuesque blondes who seemed to be in contest as to which could show the most cleavage. “That’s him at the Grammy awards.”
“Classy.” Vivienne rolled her eyes at the obnoxiously posed photo.
“Here’s the family home.” Stephanie pulled up another picture of a gaudy pink mansion on a pristine beach. It was oversized, gilded to the point that even made the great palace of Versailles look modest by comparison.
“Wow, I only thought flamingos came in that color.” Vivienne couldn’t imagine the obscene amount of money spent to create that eyesore.
“So, she’s modeling and he’s going to be there for her to show off.” Stephanie sighed as she put her phone away. “I guess he enjoys cavorting with the little people from time to time.”
“How did they meet?” Vivienne wondered.
“I think when she flew down to Florida over President’s Day weekend with a photographer she had met while working at Clara’s a few weeks back.” Stephanie recalled. “He paid for the trip and got her a job modeling in a fashion show down in South Beach. As luck would have it, Johnny Guido happened to be attending the fashion show as his family’s business provided the jewelry for the models to wear. You know it must be true love because she changed her relationship status on Social Butterfly to ‘it’s complicated’.”
“Oh, I hate that status option.” Vivienne rolled her eyes. “If your relationship is that hard to define, why even mention it?”
“Exactly.” Stephanie grinned. “She also has this annoying habit of posting pictures of herself with ten hashtags after it.”
“I don’t even know what those are for, but that still annoys the hell out of me.” Vivienne laughed.
Stephanie paused on one of Alexis’ posed photos on Social Butterfly. It was a still photo from one of her modeling jobs. “I just wish that I could look that glamorous for once.” She sighed. “Like Cinderella waiting to go to the castle ball.”
Vivienne snapped her fingers. “I need you to call Nouveau You Salon for me.”
“Sure.” Stephanie picked up the phone. “Did they order something?”
“No.” Vivienne continued. “We’re making two appointments to get some fairy dust sprinkled on us before tomorrow night’s ball.”
“Oh, I’d love to but my books for the spring semester ate up most of my rainy day fund.” Stephanie sighed. “But I’ll make one for you.”
“You don’t believe in your fairy godmother?” Vivienne put her hands on her hips and picked up a whisk. “Is my wand not impressive enough?”
“Oh, Vivienne.” Stephanie gushed. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes I do.” Vivienne waved the whisk at her. “All you have to do is believe.”
Stephanie blushed. “You are so kind to me.”
“And you are the best assistant I could ask for. So, let’s close up early tomorrow and have a girl’s afternoon at the salon before Kathy’s party.” Vivienne walked over and lightly tapped her on the head with the whisk. “We all need to believe in the power of magic.”
“I do now.” Stephanie replied as she dialed the salon. She excitedly asked about booking two appointments for Friday afternoon and then her enthusiasm faded. “Well, I understand. Thank you anyway.” She hung up the phone. “They’re all booked for tomorrow.”
“No way.” Vivienne shook her head.
“It was a nice thought, though.” Stephanie got up from the stool at the front counter. “I better start another batch of Irish soda bread.”
“I’m sorry, Stephanie.” Vivienne set the whisk down.
“I still believe in magic, though.” She gave a little smile and walked back into the stockroom to get supplies to make dough.
Vivienne wasn’t about to let their moment slip away so easily. “Well, it’s a good thing that my magic is real.” She whispered and set the whisk down on the counter in the work area.
She hurried over to the computer and moved the mouse pointer over to a folder on the desktop display named ‘Recipe Backup’. She double clicked on the icon and it prompted her for the password to unlock it. With a few clicks of the keys she accessed the folder contents which had several custom recipes stored for safe keeping and another file named ‘M1’. When she opened that file, the screen filled with spells she had transcribed into the computer from her magical grimoire. Beginning with the time reversal spell she had discovered back in the fall, she made sure to add each newly decoded magical incantation to the database as a backup, should the real thing ever go missing.
Her magical homework was often ignored in lieu of running her bakery, but over the past few months she had made an effort to devote at least three nights a week to magical studies. The fruits of such labor had yielded about two new spells a month, which currently gave her an arsenal of eleven magical effects that helped to make life easier. Nana Mary explained that these first spells were of the most basic variety and referred to them as ‘cantrips’ or spells of the minor power order. They allowed a novice witch to gain confidence with his or her casting ability, ingredient gathering, and pronunciation of the power words that breathed life into the magic.
“I know you’re in here somewhere.” Vivienne muttered quietly as she scrolled down the long document until she found what she was looking for. “Ah, there you are.” Her finger hovered on the screen where the cantrip ‘Hey, don’t forget about me!’ was underlined in bold text. The ingredients were simple and consisted of a slip of paper, a pen, and some activated yeast.
Vivienne gathered the simple items and placed them in front of the computer. She did as the cantrip described, writing what was desired on the paper, folding it into a five-pointed star, reciting the ancient power words, and finished by burying the folded star into a small bowl of yeast which she activated with warm water. As the concoction bubbled and foamed, she caught a glimpse of the magical energy erupt out of the bowl like a volcano. It reminded her of those electric plasma balls found in gift shops where you could place your hands on the glass and concentrate the energy into thick bolts. Her words directed the magical effect to the Nouveau You Salon appointment book, where two new openings were going to appear.
The cantrip danced through the exposed brick wall of the shop and would find its target within mere moments. All she had to do was wait.
“It’s probably a good thing they didn’t have an opening because I’d never be able to figure out what to do with my hair.” Stephanie emerged from the stockroom with her arms full of baking supplies. “I just get so mired down in all the details.”
Vivienne walked over the computer and closed the magical file on the desktop. “Isn’t that part of the fun?”
Stephanie set the items in her arms down on the counter and frowned at the little bowl of activated yeast. “What are you making?”
“Uh, I was just testing this batch of yeast to see that it was still good.” Vivienne lied.
“What’s that floating in there?” Stephanie peeked closer.
“Oh, just the packet it came in. I was practicing my origami skills and it slipped out of my hands and went in.” Vivienne gave her a little smile. “Does it look like a star?”
“Yes.” Stephanie nodded at the wet paper in the bowl. “Too bad you didn’t make a swan.”
Vivienne l
aughed. “I know, right?”
The telephone interrupted them. “Sweet Dreams Bakery?” Vivienne acted surprised. “Oh hello, Marie. How are you?”
Stephanie barely looked up as she began to organize her mise en place for Irish soda bread. She had canisters of her dry ingredients, measuring cups, and an assortment of whisks and spatulas all set up within easy reach of her workstation.
“Wonderful, I can’t wait to tell her. Sure, we’ll be there at three thirty.” Vivienne hung up the phone and whirled around to face Stephanie “Guess what?”
“No way.” Stephanie grinned. “They can fit us in?”
Vivienne nodded back eagerly. “They just had two cancellations.”
“Oh wow.” Stephanie gushed. “That’s so awesome.”
“I told you not to doubt your fairy godmother.” Vivienne gushed back.
“What a stroke of good luck.”
“We just need to be sure we get everything ready so we can close up early tomorrow afternoon.” Vivienne spoke just as the front door opened and Kathy stepped in.
“Hello ladies.” She called out happily. “What goodies are we baking today?”
“Irish soda bread.” Vivienne greeted her from behind the counter. “Your king cakes are good to go now if you’d like them.”
“That’d be great, save me time rushing around tomorrow.” Kathy smiled. “I have an appointment with Marie at two thirty so I was going to close up early anyway.”
“We’re coming in at three.” Vivienne walked over to the rolling cart that held the boxed pickup orders and pulled the three boxes into her arms. “After all, we have to look our best too.”
“I can’t wait to see.” Kathy took the boxes. “On my account?”
Vivienne nodded. “You got it.”
“I’d love to stay and chat, but I’ve got an errand list a mile long for the party tomorrow.” Kathy spun around with the cake boxes in her arms and made her way to the door. “I’m sure the cakes are just gorgeous.”
“Good luck getting all your errands done.” Vivienne waved as Kathy hurried out the door to her car.
Stephanie began measuring the dry ingredients for the bread. “This party is going to be awesome.
CHAPTER SIX
True to her word, Kathy had put together a night of elegance at Trade Winds Clothier. She moved several of the racks of clothing off the sales floor to create an open reception area flanked by a buffet table of finger foods and Vivienne’s king cakes. She had hung several strands of purple, green, and gold lights from the ceiling and turned the overhead spots off to create a warm atmosphere. The crowning glory, naturally, was the display case of the Faux Real costume jewelry that had a single large spotlight overhead to create maximum dazzle. It looked very much like the crown jewels on display at a museum, right down to a set of velvet ropes encircling. The only difference was the sign that encouraged party guests to try out the various necklaces, earrings, brooches, and cocktail rings. Holding court, much like a queen, Kathy was poised and ready to fawn over customer jewelry choices. As she sauntered effortlessly through the groups of interested party attendees, she kept a firm grip on the clipboard that was loaded with pre-order forms. She had taken care to wear a smartly styled Bermuda blue scoopneck dress, which was the perfect frame for the simple mother-of-pearl necklace she was demonstrating for a summer beach party look. Her mission was relatively simple, at least in theory. She fully expected to have at least seventy-five percent of the invited guests to walk away with a confirmed pre-order in their hands before the night was through.
Vivienne felt very much like a princess for the evening. The salon had pulled her auburn hair into a dramatic upsweep, allowing some tendrils to cascade down the right side of her face. She had chosen a simple dress, in basic black, that hugged her curves in all the right places. Although it wasn’t what one would call a fancy occasion garment, it was her ‘go to’ whenever she needed something a little special to stand out and feel good. It was one of the few motherly advices that she readily followed from Nora. ‘Every woman should always have the little black dress in her closet.’ Her mother’s voice rang in her head. As usual, it was followed by a little barb. ‘But, dear, the absolute must have item in any woman’s closet is a wedding dress. You’re not getting any younger.’
Next to her, Stephanie looked stunning in a pink racerback dress that Kathy insisted she borrow from the store after seeing her salon visit results. Marie had gone all out to give her a natural glowing makeover, with soft neutral tones to showcase her youthfully flawless skin. The smile on her face said it all, she was positively radiant with joy. “Thanks again for today. I never really treated myself to something like that before.”
“You look just like a model.” Vivienne commented as she sipped some mock sangria. Due to the underage guests, Kathy preferred not to have any alcohol on the premises. She instead made her famous blend of orange, cranberry, and white grape juice blended with a diet lemon lime soda. Garnished with large pieces of fresh fruit, no one ever complained as the beverage was quite delicious and visually appealing.
“Thank you, you do too.” Stephanie replied as she plucked a turkey and cheddar deli spiral off a large platter. “Of course, everyone knows we’re not models because we’re hanging out where the food is and we’re actually eating it.”
Vivienne giggled softly. “I can’t help it.” She snagged a cranberry baked Brie bite off a nearby platter. “All that rushing around to close early today really built up my appetite.” She popped it in her mouth and savored the combination of tart and buttery goodness as she chewed.
“Mine too.” Stephanie smiled as one of the regular customers from the bakery complimented her appearance. “Maybe I could even attract someone like Johnny Guido if I made a habit of it?”
Vivienne looked across the crowded room where Johnny Guido and a burly man were standing apart from everyone else. He was dressed in an expensive-looking tuxedo with the front shirt unbuttoned down to reveal his hairless pectorals. Much like the photograph, his dark hair was slicked back and he kept on a pair of aviator-style sunglasses that shielded his eyes from everyone. He was flanked by a rather large man with buzzed hair who kept a close watch on the room. He wore a dark suit which accented his large upper body frame, dark tinted sunglasses, and never cracked even a hint of a smile. “What’s with the bodyguard?” Vivienne asked.
Stephanie shrugged. “I’m guessing he needs him in case any of his current girlfriends should appear at the same function.”
“Girlfriends plural?” Vivienne raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t think any girlfriend has exclusive rights to him.” Stephanie sipped some of her mock sangria. “Least of all, Alexis.”
They both looked across the room where Alexis was modeling some of the jewelry line. She was dressed in a scarlet red cami dress that left very little to the imagination when it came to her bust size. As she pranced around the room, stopping to display some of the pieces of the collection, Johnny Guido motioned to the bodyguard and whispered something into his ear. The man nodded and exited the store.
“Well, what do you think of the party?” Kathy seemed relieved to finally greet some personal friends to her party.
“I’d say you’re going to make a lot of money.” Vivienne raised her glass. “Here’s to profits.”
Kathy beamed with pride. “From your lips to God’s ears.”
“It’s all so beautiful Miss Saunders.” Stephanie added. “I can’t believe how affordable everything is going to be. Even with my budget, I can buy some nice pieces for my wardrobe.”
“That’s the idea.” Kathy replied. “That treating yourself to something nice shouldn’t require a small loan.”
“So diamonds aren’t a girl’s best friend anymore?” Vivienne teased.
“Oh, they still are.” Kathy corrected her. “But until a man comes along to bring them to the party, you can still enjoy the festivities.”
Harriet Nettles waved to Vivienne and waltzed over
with a piece of king cake in her hand. “It must be my lucky day, I found a gold baby in my piece.”
“You’ve just won a twenty-five percent off coupon from Sweet Dreams Bakery.” Kathy smiled back. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” Harriet beamed as he handed the little plastic trinket to Kathy. “Say, this reminds me about that necklace Vivienne turned in the other night at the library.”
“Did someone claim it?” Vivienne asked.
“Yes, a man came in and asked if anyone found a necklace.” Harriet replied. “He said it was a family heirloom.”
“That cheap looking thing?” Kathy rolled her eyes. “You should have told him about tonight, I could have hooked him up with something much nicer to replace it with.”
“Who was the man?” Vivienne wondered.
“The poor man who helped me with the microphone and ended up getting hurt.” Harriet recalled. “Isn’t that something?”
“I’d say he used up all his bad and good luck at the same time.” Kathy gently elbowed Vivienne.
“Well, I’m glad we didn’t throw the necklace away like someone suggested.” Vivienne gently poked Kathy back.
“Oh, poo.” Kathy frowned. “That ratty thing couldn’t have been worth more than a few dollars.”
“Family heirlooms don’t always have a price tag on them.” Vivienne reminded her.
“Mine do.” Kathy quipped.
There was swirl of cold wind as the front door opened with the return of the bodyguard. He carried in his arms a few bottles of something that looked like champagne. There was a gasp from the crowd as the big man set the bottles down by the punchbowl of mock sangria.
“Compliments of Johnny Guido to all of Cayuga Cove’s loveliest ladies.” Johnny spoke up from the crowd. “Please enjoy.” He lowered his sunglasses a tad and winked as several of the women clapped in appreciation.
“I thought this was a dry event?” Vivienne asked Kathy.
“It is.” Kathy fumed. “Excuse me a moment.” She hurried over to where Johnny was posing for pictures with some of the guests.