Just outside the gym, I almost collided with Gracella and her Aunt Vandi.
"Thank heavens, you're here." I said to the older woman. "You have to do something about Nathan."
"I don't need anything done about me," Nathan protested. "Things are just fine."
"No—" I began and he interrupted by grasping my arm and pulling me to him for a quick kiss. I twisted in his grip, turning tear filled eyes to Aunt Vandi. "See what I mean?"
"Come on," Nathan said. "You like me. I know you do."
"Of course I like you," I replied. "You're my best friend."
"It's more than that." He gave me a little shake before placing a hand against my cheek.
My eyes rose to his and our gazes locked.
"You responded to my kisses," he said. "You enjoyed dancing with me. You like me like me. You don't just like me."
"Yes," I admitted. Tugging out of his hold, I felt my face twist in misery. "But you don't like me like me. You just like me. It's the brownie that likes me likes me."
"How can a brownie like you like you?" he joked. "A brownie is inanimate...except for those singing ones in the TV commercial."
"You know what I mean," I screamed in frustration. "The brownie made you like me like me when you don't really—"
"Before we's lost in 'like mes'," Aunt Vandi inserted. "I tell you nothin in dat potion I gave you 'cept cinnamon, mint and a few red pepper flakes."
We all fell silent at her words. A few shocked seconds passed before I fully realized the importance of what she'd said.
"Then Nathan wasn't drugged," I mumbled.
"Yeah," he said. "I already told you that eating that brownie only gave me the excuse I needed to act on feelings I've had since freshman year."
A happy bud of giddiness took root inside me. "So really, there was no magic at all involved."
"I won give powerful magic to the irresponsible hands of chil'en," Aunt Vandi said.
I couldn't really protest the irresponsible part. We had accidentally poisoned Nathan. Or we would have if the brownie had been truly tainted.
Aunt Vandi gave an enigmatic arch of her eyebrow and one side of her lips curved up. "But aint it nice you got zactly what you wished fo?"
I thought about it, and she was right. She'd said the love potion would get Ronny to take me to the dance and that I'd get love. Even though she hadn't given me an actual love potion, I couldn't help thinking the root doctor had done something magical. But anything she'd done had only nudged Nathan into admitting feelings he already had and had kind of made me do the same.
"You're right." I said. "I didn't get what I thought I wanted but I got what I really wanted. Thank you."
Aunt Vandi inclined her head. "You mose welcome, chile."
Nathan took my hand and dropped a kiss on my smiling lips.
"Come on, Istanbul. Let's go back and finish our date. There's a refreshment table to explore. Maybe they have my new favorite food: brownies."
"I think they're my new favorite too." Squeezing his hand, I went up on tiptoes and kissed him back.
# # #
Dedication
This story is dedicated to my wonderful friend Lois L. Thank you for your relentless support. You are always my cheerleader and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you.
More from Patricia Mason
If you enjoyed the humorous suspense of Potionate Love, please leave a review at Amazon.com. And please check out these books by Patricia Mason:
In Deep Shitake (humorous romantic suspense- Shitake Mystery Series #1) - when a sexy female private eye meets a handsome movie star, they are embroiled in mistaken identity, murder and mayhem. http://amzn.com/B007VDZ0JA
Shitake Happens - (Shitake Mystery Series #0.5) - Find out what Mo Tuttle was up to prior to meeting her hero in this hilarious prequel. http://amzn.com/B009PSQ8BI
A Very Shitake Christmas (Shitake Mystery Series #1.5) - Two factors conspire to ruin Mo's holiday: her boyfriend's obnoxious father and a mad bomber out for revenge. http://amzn.com/B009ZBPV22
Bio: Patricia Mason is the award-winning author of steamy romantic suspense and thriller fiction. She also writes young adult paranormal romance and urban fantasy under the pen name P.R. Mason. Pat escaped from the Midwest winters of her youth by moving, in 2001, to the strange and wonderful city of Savannah, Georgia. She now lives there, happily spending her days as the subject of her cat overlord's mind control experimentation. You can learn more about Pat and her work at her websites http://www.patriciamason.net and http://www.prmason.net
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