Chapter 12 #2
“I’m so glad to see you. I asked if we could meet, but they said I’d have to meet with the hotel director because you weren’t here. I don’t like that woman. She gives me the creeps. I just need a moment with you to ease my fears.” Mrs. Edwards grabbed Mia’s arm like she was afraid of falling.
“Let me get to my office and I’ll come right back out for you. This is my friend and coworker, Christina Adams,” Mia said. “Christina, will you keep Mrs. Edwards company while I find an empty meeting room?”
“I’d love to. Mrs. Edwards, your husband doesn’t work for Idaho Power, does he?” When the woman told her yes, Christina led her over to an empty couch. “I thought I recognized you. My father does legal work for the board.”
Leave it to Christina to know everyone. Mia hurried to her office to drop off her tote bag and find a room. She booted up her computer just as Blake stepped inside.
“I’m glad you’re finally here. I was wondering if you still worked here.” Blake leaned against the door. “Your wedding people have arrived and the mother is freaking out.”
“I just talked to Mrs. Edwards and we’re going to go over the plans. I’m sure she’ll relax in a few. I’m sending her and the groom’s mother to the spa to relax and get to know each other better.”
“Oh. That’s a nice touch. I just wanted to make sure you were here.” Blake started to leave.
“Blake? I know what happened at the staff meeting. Can you tell me why you spelled me and drugged the rest of your staff before I report you to the coven’s ethics committee and put in my resignation?”
“I didn’t drug the staff.” Blake blinked, then sighed.
“Please don’t quit. I can’t lose you. I’m sorry.
I won’t do it again, but I heard you had some issues with a succubus recently and I had to know if he was back.
You know he freaks me out. I can’t go through that again.
I thought if I could find out what you knew, I’d feel safer. ”
“I don’t know where you’re hearing these rumors. I haven’t had issues with a succubus, yours or any other one, recently. Someone is spelling visions for me. It’s not you, is it?” Mia stared at her, trying to decide if she was being truthful.
“No. Even if I wanted to, I don’t have that kind of juice. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.” She turned again to leave the office.
“Blake, if you do anything like that again, I will report you. And quit.” Mia met her boss’s gaze. “I’m serious.”
Blake held up her hand. “I hear you. I promise.”
Mia scheduled the meeting in an empty room and called the kitchen to order coffee, juice, and pastries. “Put it on my marketing account with a note saying ‘Edwards Wedding.’”
“Yes, ma’am.” The person on the phone gave her a delivery time and then Mia headed out to gather her nervous mother of the bride to assure her that the wedding was going to be magical.
The one thing about having weddings in Magic Springs, even for normal humans, was that the staff could pull off miracles in food and décor.
Christina was making Mrs. Edwards laugh as Mia returned to the lobby. Mia wondered if Christina had ever thought about opening her own event planning agency. She had the contacts in the area from her parents and she had the demeanor that put people at ease.
“We have a room. Christina, do you want to join us?” Mia offered because she knew her friend didn’t have much to do except watch out for Mia this week.
“Sure, I’d love to. I’ve got to figure out what I want for my upcoming wedding too, and how to navigate my mother.
I love her, but she wants a larger, more regal wedding than either I or my fiancé wants.
It’s a fine line, right, Belinda?” Christina had her arm linked with Mrs. Edwards’s.
She’d done it again. With Christina’s help, this meeting might be more agreeable than Mia had expected.
Christina took the last croissant and followed Mia back into her office. “Don’t look at me; I didn’t have a big breakfast.”
“I made you an omelet after I made Mark’s.” Mia held up her hands. “Your body, your rules. Thanks for the help with Mrs. Edwards. I thought she was going to demand changes, but all she wanted was some hand-holding.”
“She just wants the day to be perfect for her little girl.” Christina sighed.
“I wish my mom had the same determination to make sure I was happy. Now she’s pushing me to get my wedding dress so we can make sure that with the right support wear, no one knows.
And she’s moved up the wedding date. She’s going to call me when she gets ahold of the event coordinator at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Boise.
She hopes they’ll have a slot, but she’s not optimistic.
I didn’t want to remind her that she was the one who pushed it out so far because of Dad’s business meetings. ”
“As soon as you have a day for the wedding here, let me know and I’ll put it on the Lodge’s calendar. How’s Levi doing with the whole baby thing?” Mia booted up her computer and started reading her emails. Most went into the trash.
“Surprisingly good. Somehow, I get the idea that he knew, or at least expected this. I thought he’d be all, ‘I man, you woman.’ But instead, he’s talking about going back to school and getting a real degree so he can work in an office rather than as a first responder. I’m a little scared.”
“Of Levi settling down? You should be. Although I think Abigail is more surprised than you are. She’s always treated him like the baby and didn’t give him a lot of responsibility until he had to take over the family magic line.
Then she wanted him to act like a grownup.
I think he needed a reason to make those decisions. ”
“Like the babies.” Christina closed her eyes.
“Yes and no. I think you are the reason. He loves you, and the babies are an added blessing.” Mia focused on work as Christina took a book out of her tote and started reading. A knock on the door at noon made her look up.
“Lunch delivery,” the girl said as she pushed in a cart with salads, sandwiches, a tureen of soup, and two entrées. “Where can I set this up?”
“We didn’t order lunch.” Mia stood and took the order sheet. It had come from Blake. Was the lunch her way of apologizing? Or was she just trying to look good to Christina? “I’d say the email from your company must have hit Blake’s inbox.”
“Whatever caused it, I’m starving.” Christina cleared her book and papers off the small table. “You can set it here. Mia, do you have sparkling water in your fridge?”
As they settled and started eating, Christina paused between mouthfuls. “Did you and Blake talk yet? Because if not, maybe you should wait until after I stop being your bodyguard. James’s food is amazing.”
“We already talked. She’s still freaked out about a succubus finding her. I’ve talked to her personal demon, and I don’t think he’s going to be bothering her anymore, but I guess even witches can have PTSD.” Mia focused on her salad.
Christina didn’t say anything for a few minutes. “She had a bad experience, huh?”
Mia didn’t want to tell Blake’s story because it wasn’t hers to tell, but sometimes knowing that another person had their own battles helped people understand them.
“Yes, she had it bad. It doesn’t excuse all the stuff she’s done, but it does help explain her behavior.
I told her that she had one more chance and if I caught her messing with me again, I’d be gone.
And I’d report her. Like Levi said, there’s a rule against attacking other witches. ”
“I know I don’t have a lot of knowledge about the coven system, but someone broke that rule both with your testing and with killing Suzanne Parker.”