Chapter 4 Alexander
FOUR
ALEXANDER
Valentine’s Day is finally here! I went back and forth about the holiday plan, some days excited and impatient to get started, the next day skeptical, ready to put a payment in the mail and blow the whole thing off.
It’s not like it’s going to do anything.
Magic potions? Things like that don’t happen in the real world.
I can’t believe it will be anything more than a self-fulfilling prophecy or a placebo effect.
But thinking about it, maybe that’s exactly what I need.
A fresh outlook and a hopeful attitude might be enough to set me on the right track.
When Max and I push through the door, Emerik stares at Max, looking like he’s seen a ghost. I know some people aren’t comfortable around dogs, so I say, “Sorry. I can take him outside if you like.”
He shakes himself and says, “No, not at all. Who’s your furry friend?”
“Emerik, meet my best buddy Max.”
Emerik steps around the counter and kneels down to Max’s level, offering a hand.
“You’re a handsome fellow,” he says, giving him a scritch. “Let me see, I think I have some cookies around here for cute pups.”
“We’re off to get a coffee after we’re finished here,” I say, happy to see Max showering some love on Emerik in return. “Then, we’re going to the park.”
“Great idea,” he says, offering the cookie.
Max is only too happy to accept it, tail pounding the floor, and now Emerik has a friend for life.
“That sounds like the perfect plan to attract your meet-cute. Do you mind if I tag along? I’ll stay out of the way, but I’d like to make sure the potion is having its intended effect. ”
“Not a problem,” I say. “And Max thanks you for the cookie.”
“My pleasure. Many of our customers have familiars, so I always keep some goodies handy. Give me a second and I’ll grab the potion.”
He disappears through a door in the back, and I look at Max, saying, “Familiar, eh? I like that. You have brought a lot of magic into my life.”
“Here we go,” Emerik says, holding out an ornate bottle with a crystal stopper, filled with pale pink liquid. It sure looks like a magic potion—fancy and exotic. Maybe that’s part of the magic. “Start with only a small sip, then take more later in the day if you’re not getting results.”
As I’m reaching for the bottle, the door opens, ringing the bell, and Max goes immediately on alert.
A couple comes in, a tall Black man and an older woman with a black cat draped around her neck, and Max lunges, pulling at his leash and knocking me off balance.
I crash into Emerik and he fumbles the bottle, but I dive forward and make a mad grab, catching it before it shatters.
I end up sprawled on the floor, potion in hand.
Not my most elegant move, but it’s no worry.
I’m not trying to impress anyone yet…that can wait until I’ve taken my first dose.
Emerik offers me his hand, and again there’s a spark as our fingers touch, and a quick flash of another image.
Like before, he’s on the beach at sunset, but I’m much closer to him this time.
All I see is his face, softly lit with a rosy glow, and my hand on his cheek.
It’s gone in a moment and I’m back in the shop.
He hefts me off the floor…but he’s staring at me again, eyes wide like he’s seen a ghost. When I stand up, he’s right there in front of me, holding my hand.
It would be so easy to make the vision come true, to reach over and cup his cheek, to let myself kiss him.
He looks very kissable, and it’s easy to see, there in his gaze, he would probably kiss me back.
I lean toward him just the smallest amount…
but a yank on Max’s leash pops me out of these self-indulgent fancies.
I have other issues to deal with immediately.
“Max! Sit!” I say, shortening his leash. He’s a good boy, so he does as told, but his eyes stay locked on the prize. I say to the woman with the cat, “I’m so sorry. I should have left him at home.”
“Nonsense,” she says. “My Poe has a lot of experience with our canine friends. I’m Hazel. Drake and I work with Emerik, and we helped craft that potion.”
“Are you all a coven?” I ask. Very nosy, of course, but it’s interesting. It’s not often you get to chat with three witches.
“Yes, we are,” the fellow, Drake, says. “Thank you for asking.”
“We’ve been practicing together for years,” Emerik says.
“I’m happy to see that the potion is a success,” Drake says. “That was a great catch. Such a romantic moment.”
“Actually,” Emerik says, catching his eye, “Alexander hasn’t taken the potion yet.”
“My mistake!” Drake laughs. “We wish you much success with it, and we’ll get out of your hair. Nice to meet you and your adorable companion, Alexander.”
They disappear into the back room, and Emerik says, “Are you ready?”
“No time like the present,” I say. I give the stopper a sharp twist, breaking the red wax seal, and before I chicken out, I take a glug.
Not bad! Potions are supposed to be nasty, but it has a minty licorice flavor.
I’m tempted to take another, but I err on the side of caution.
As Emerik suggested, one sip is probably enough for now.
Emerik is watching expectantly, but all I can say is, “Nothing yet, but it tastes great.”
“Thanks. The flavors don’t add anything to the spell, but they make the whole thing more palatable.”
“Thanks for that,” I say, then Max yanks me madly toward the door. This is not at all like him, so I let him drag me out, shouting over my shoulder, “And we’re off!”