I couldn’t wait to see what she did this year to top it—my imagination salivated just thinking about the possibilities. Most of my brides wore Aurelia gowns, giving me ample opportunities to see the witch at work. No matter how many of her creations I saw, she still managed to blow me away every year at the famed fashion show.
The lights surrounding the raised stage flickered and then dropped to near pitch black, just long enough for the hum of anticipation to swell, before the runway exploded in a flash of hot pink and the first model appeared. The crowd went berserk as the willowy blonde started down the catwalk, a mermaid-style ivory gown swirling around her with every purposeful step. When she reached the end, she spun and the gathered part of the dress that flared out at her legs shimmered like it was made entirely of diamonds. I smiled to myself at the not-so-subtle nod to Aurelia’s design the year before.
A brunette with a fluffy princess gown came next, the elegant straps and bodice of her dress covered with tiny white butterflies that soared away when she reached the end of the runway. The crowd oohed and ahhed and applauded like mad as the butterflies swirled and then disappeared into the rafters.
The next dress looked as though it were comprised entirely of flowers, sort of a vertical garden in motion, complete with a complicated hat that draped flowers over the model’s face like a veil. I wasn’t crazy about it, but judging by the crowd’s reaction, I was alone in that opinion.
The show went on for another ten minutes, each dress more elaborate or outrageous than the last. At least for those of us in the industry, it was obvious that the whole show was more of a competition between designers than anything else. Most of the brides I worked with were open to having magical elements on their big day, but opted for less fussy dresses. I supposed it was similar to what I’d seen in the human world. The avant-garde designs weren’t something you’d see somebody wearing down the sidewalks of even the most fashion-forward cities.
A shift in the music signaled the show was winding down and I clutched Caleb’s arm, near breathless as I leaned forward. And then, there it was.
Aurelia’s gown was unmistakably hers—a one-shouldered gown with a sleek silhouette, all in pale pink. It was beautiful and effortless, and moved like ripples over a pond made of silk, made all the more striking against the model’s ebony skin. When she reached the end of the catwalk, she gave a quick, mischievous smile and then twirled. The movement set off a shower of glittering sparks and when she stopped, a full skirt appeared, layers of pearlescent pink falling into place like petals of a lotus flower.
The crowd was silent for a full heartbeat, mesmerized by the pure perfection, before a swell of rushed whispers gave way to a roar of excitement as the crush of photographers erupted in a light show of flashes. While the model was still posing, the rest of the models reappeared in a single-file line for their final walk. Aurelia’s model made a cutting twirl, sending the petal-like fabric of her now-full skirt flying, and then sashayed off stage with the other models, leaving another round of cheers in her wake.
When the last model disappeared into the backstage area, the music faded and then abruptly stopped as the lights were snuffed out.
“Whew!” I exclaimed, sagging back against my seat. “That was incredible!”
“It was something,” Caleb teased.
I smiled and nudged him in the ribs with my elbow, then let him pull me to my feet when the house lights winked back on over the empty runway.
“Come on,” I said, “you have to at least admit you’ve never seen anything like it before.”
He chuckled. “I’ll give you that one. I’ll even go as far to say as the butterfly thing was pretty cool.”
I smiled. “I’ll make a convert of you yet.”
Caleb clasped my hand as we waited for the rest of our row to empty. “What’s our next stop?”
“I want to stop and say hello to Aurelia and then we can leave,” I told him, glancing at my watch. “We don’t have much time if we’re going to make our reservations.”
“Lead the way!” he crowed triumphantly.
I consulted my copy of the event map, double checking that the organizers hadn’t moved the fashion designers to a different wing of the sprawling exhibit hall, and then set off, steering us through the crowd to reach Aurelia’s booth. As we neared, we ran into a throng of people creating a virtual gridlock, clogging the wide aisle way between vendor booths. I popped up onto my tiptoes, straining to see what the hold up was. When a pair of angry voices cut through the murmur of the crowd, I realized the throng wasn’t a traffic jam, but rather, an audience set to watch a fight.
“I can’t fathom that you have the nerve to compare your cheap and tawdry knock offs to mine!” I cringed as I recognized Aurelia’s furious voice at once.
“Oh, pah-leeze,” another woman said. “You’ve been nipping at my heels since design school!”
“Excuse me,” I said, gently prodding at the couple in front of me.
They didn’t move.
“You stole my design, and as if that’s not bad enough, you put it in the show!” the other woman snorted. “Unbelievable!”
“You’re jealous, Kara, you always have been and this little stunt to embarrass me isn’t going to work,” Aurelia huffed. “If you’re so sure I took your design, then please, produce the original sketch and prove it.”
“I don’t have to prove anything,” the other woman spat.
Aurelia laughed. That’s when the sparks started flying.
Literally.
“Excuse me!” I repeated with more emphasis, shoving a little harder to get the couple’s attention. The woman looked over her shoulder and gave me a cold look but when Caleb raised his SPA badge, she moved.
“SPA, clear the way,” he barked.
As people shuffled out of our way, I caught a glimpse of Aurelia, wand raised, a blast of magic flying from its tip. The blast sailed past the other designer, who ducked behind one of the mannequins in what I assumed was her own booth. A hole appeared in the mannequin’s chest and the crowd yelped and scrambled back, realizing the seriousness of the fight.
This wasn’t a cat fight; these witches were out for blood.
Caleb shouted, alarm straining his voice, and the lingering lookey-lous dispersed.
“Ladies! Enough!” he bellowed. “Wands down. Now!”
Aurelia and the other designer, Kara Kirk, shrank back into their respective booths and after a nasty glare, they both dropped their wands to the ground.
“That’s nice, thank you, ladies,” Caleb said, stepping between them. “Now, it’s my day off, but if any more spells go flying, I’m going to have to call in for backup and miss my dinner reservations, which isn’t going to convince me to lift a finger to help either of you when you go before the Haven Council.”
I rushed to Aurelia’s side. Her eyes lit up when she saw me. “Anastasia?”
“Are you all right?” I asked her, giving her a quick once-over. Despite her fashion prowess, I rarely saw her in anything flashy or elegant. Whenever I visited her studio with a client, she usually wore black leggings and some kind of earth-tone tunic or sweater dress and plain ballet flats. Her long brown hair hung just past her shoulders and always looked as though she’d had a fresh trim, the ends crisp in a single length. Today she wore a dark green wrap-dress and black flats, her only adornment a pair of small golden hoop earrings.
“I’m fine,” she replied, her voice terse as she continued glaring across the aisle. A snarl pricked at her upper lip and I turned to see Kara speaking with Caleb, gesturing wildly. “I can’t believe I let her get to me.”
The anger faded and Aurelia looked up at me. “I told the organizers I wanted to be on the other side of the convention center from her, but they insisted that all fashion designers were to be in the same block of booths.” She scoffed and crossed her arms. “They’re going to get an earful come Monday.”
“I’m so sorry,” I told her. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. As long as that agent doesn’t arrest us both.”
I glanced at Caleb and smiled. “I think I can convince him to take it easy on you.”
She barked a dry laugh. “I certainly won’t object to you putting those sharp negotiating skills of yours to use on my behalf.”
“Well,” I paused to clear my throat, “actually, that’s my boyfriend. But he is a real agent!” I hurried to add.
Aurelia’s almond-shaped eyes went wide. “Boyfriend?”
My cheeks warmed as I nodded.
Aurelia clapped her hands once and shook her head, her smile spreading. “I didn’t know you were seeing someone, let alone an SPA agent!”
“It’s new … ish.”
Only a few trusted friends knew about Caleb. Besides my assistant, CeeCee, no one else at the firm even knew I was seeing someone. Caleb had sent flowers to my office on a few occasions, but I’d managed to shrug them off as being gifts from thankful clients to keep rumors from spreading.
“Job well done,” Aurelia purred, nudging me with her elbow. “You’ll let me know when we can start sketching up a dress for you. With your figure, we could make magic!”
“You always make magic,” I pointed out, not bothering to protest the offer. Aurelia was the type who wouldn’t take no for an answer. Besides, it couldn’t hurt to have one of the haven’s top designers hell-bent on making me a custom gown if and when the time came.
Caleb sidled over and gave Aurelia an apprising glance as if expecting her to hurl another spell at any moment. “We’re all right over here,” I told him, placing an assuring hand on his forearm. “No more drama.”
Aurelia gave a begrudging nod. “Thank you for stepping in. I got … carried away.”
Caleb gave her a stern look. “It might be appropriate to pay to replace the damaged mannequin,” he said, before quietly adding, “There’s a sentence I never thought I’d say,” under his breath.
Aurelia flapped a hand. “Yes, yes. Whatever will shut that hag up.”
Caleb cleared his throat but Aurelia wasn’t paying attention. Her expression lightened and a mischievous quirk plucked at the corners of her mouth. “I hear congratulations are in order. I’ve just heard you’ve managed to steal the heart of my favorite wedding planner.”
My eyes widened and a nervous laugh escaped my lips.
“I’m doing my best,” Caleb said good-naturedly, the heightened tension all but dissolved from his broad shoulders.
“Well, as you can imagine, I have quite the waiting list, but you say the word and I’ll bump Anastasia right to the front of the line and make her a gown that will knock you speechless!”
Caleb chuckled. “I don’t doubt it.”
My hand gripped Caleb’s arm a little tighter and I feigned a glance at my watch. “Oh, look at the time, we have reservations to make!”
Aurelia was still laughing as we scurried for the nearest exit.
Chapter Two
Aurelia and Kara Kirk’s public battle was the toast of the office on the following Monday. I feigned ignorance of the entire thing and kept my office door closed most of the day. If anyone in the office got wind that I’d had front row seats to the whole altercation, my office would turn into a gossip hotspot and I’d get nothing done.
As it was, my phone was ringing off the hook with a smattering of minor emergencies and inquiries for a rare, double-wedding weekend I had coming up. I rarely booked two weddings in one weekend, but as the newest full-fledged wedding planner in the department, I had a lot to prove if I wanted to keep my place on the roster. The more ambitious—read: crazy—the better.
“Knock, knock,” my close friend and trusted ally, Charlotte Carlisle, aka CeeCee, said, peeking inside my office. “I brought you lunch.”
Confused, I glanced at my watch and let out a sigh. “Stars. I didn’t realize it was so late.”
CeeCee laughed softly and came inside, shutting the door behind her. “Yeah, I figured. Either that, or you’re on some weird cleanse I didn’t know about.”
I barked a laugh. “Hardly. I stuffed myself silly this weekend. Caleb is good for my heart, not as good for my waistline.”
CeeCee giggled and placed a takeout bag on the corner of my desk. A savory blend of scents wafted toward me. “Soup and sandwich from Junebug.”
“You’re a goddess,” I told her, eagerly digging into the sack.
She plopped down on one of the wingback chairs opposite me and crossed one long leg over the other. “I don’t think I’m in the running for deity, but I think I might have a shot at assistant of the month.”
I laughed and opened the lid on the bowl of soup. “Month? Stars, I’d say decade. If I could convince Hyacinth to give you a raise, I would, but I think we both know I’m still the gum on the bottom of her Manolos at this point.”
CeeCee pulled a sympathetic face but didn’t try to argue my statement. Hyacinth Greary was many things; unfortunately, reasonable was not among them.
“I should probably fess up and admit I did have slightly ulterior motives in bringing you lunch,” CeeCee said, a catlike grin on her delicate face. “Word around the watercolor is you had a plus one at the wedding convention on Saturday. A tall, dark, and handsome plus one.”
I blushed and CeeCee laughed. “That took guts, lady! Six months in and you’re taking him to a wedding show?”
“It wasn’t like that,” I argued, playfully rolling my eyes. “I didn’t drag him into every jewelry tent to make a fuss over the sparkliest engagement rings. And, on top of that, I didn’t even ask him to go with me. When I told him I was booked all weekend, he asked what I was doing, and volunteered to go with me.”
CeeCee waved a hand. “Oh, I know! I’m just teasing you.”
“It was a little strange,” I admitted. “And I think we got asked when our big day was at least a dozen times.”
“Oh?” CeeCee’s eyes widened. “And what did Caleb say to that?”
I shrugged one shoulder and then stirred the cup of tomato soup. “You know how he is, cool as a cucumber, through and through.”
“Sounds like a keeper,” CeeCee said, wiggling her manicured brows. “What’s it been? Six months?”
“Just about,” I replied. “But I’m not putting any rush on it. We’re still getting to know each other, really. I mean, we’re lucky if we get one date a week at this point. We’re both really busy with work and our schedules clash like crazy.”
“Mhmm.” CeeCee grinned. “But, come on, you’ve thought about it.”
A fresh wave of heat singed my cheeks and I stuffed the sandwich into my mouth to keep from answering. Before CeeCee could pepper me for more details, my office door flung open and Hyacinth appeared—without knocking—wearing a sharp scowl. “Anastasia, what are you doing eating? It’s nearly three o’clock.”
I choked on the bite of food and sputtered, trying to clear it in order to defend myself, but she barreled on before I had a chance.
“It’s not important,” she said, dismissing me with a wave of her freshly-manicured hand. “There’s been a mix up with the Taylor wedding. I need you to go to Aurelia’s tonight and pick up the right dress and make sure that Aurelia understands that while we value her partnership as our premier designer, we cannot accept these kinds of missteps in the future.”
I frowned and darted a glance at CeeCee. She looked just as baffled by the left field request.
“Um, the Taylor wedding? That’s not even my account,” I sputtered, hurrying to wipe my fingers off using the paper napkin in my lap.
Hyacinth heaved a long-suffering sigh. “Did I imply that I thought it was?”
“I—well … no, but…”
Hyacinth blinked, her head tilting to the left, and I snapped my mouth shut. I hated when she gave me that look.
“I could go get the dress,” CeeCee said, glancing at me. “I know Anastasia is really swamped this week, with the double-wedding weekend coming up.”
&n
bsp; Hyacinth shot CeeCee a glower and then made a show of pushing her thin-framed glasses up her nose. “Aurelia is already expecting Anastasia. Six o’clock. Sharp.” Hyacinth swirled away and left the office, not bothering to close the door behind her.
“If fairy tales were real, she’d definitely be the kind of witch who baked lost children into pies,” CeeCee muttered.
I snorted. “Perhaps, although I can’t imagine Hyacinth in a woodsy setting.”
CeeCee pantomimed a show of horror, clasping at her silver pendant necklace. “You’re right, of course! After all, one might get a grass stain!”
We dissolved into silly giggles. Sometimes you just had to laugh off the insanity. It was good for the soul. Or at least, a lower calorie relief than a bottle of wine or box of truffles.
Aurelia’s shop was on the other side of the haven and usually required a quick ride on a Shimmer Bus, but as this was a quasi-emergency, I took the liberty of checking out one of A Touch of Magic’s fleet of company branded SUVs. The Seattle Haven was small, especially in comparison to Seattle proper, or the human side, as it was more commonly known, and the haven powers that be decided that it was more efficient to have its residents use public transportation over having their own cars.
Cars were affordable enough that most supernatural families in the haven could afford them, but parking was a whole other story. If the only place you could afford to park your car was your own driveway, there wasn’t much point in having one. The haven council jacked up the price of parking haven-wide and made it so most supernaturals didn’t bother buying cars. I’d never owned my own vehicle and had only recently learned to drive so I could take the company car to events outside the haven or in case of emergency.
It felt good to drive, to be in control. Not to mention, the air was a lot cleaner than among the random assortment of supernaturals that could be found on any random Shimmer Bus. With regard to personal hygiene, supernaturals were no different than humans and you could very well wind up sitting next to a werewolf who smelled like they hadn’t bathed since the last time Hailey’s comet made an appearance.
Witchy Weddings: A Magic Witch Mystery Series: The complete Touch of Magic series Page 19