Chapter 31
BLAIRE
More people wait for me outside of Charmed Cauldron.
It’s nine in the morning. I hope this isn’t a sign of how my entire day will be.
They’re huddled, and I have to walk through them to get into the shop.
I say good morning with a smile because no one is going to catch me with resting witch face this early in the morning.
Two of them across the street are professionals.
I can tell because they have very nice cameras with long lenses.
They watch me, saying nothing. Everyone is holding one of the seasonal orange Roasted Bean coffee cups.
Happy to know my alleged love life is at least stimulating the Pine Haven economy.
“Blaire! Blaire,” a younger woman says, running up to me, holding her phone. “Can I get a picture with the love witch?”
“The love witch?” I ask.
“Yeah. Haven’t you heard?”
“No,” I tell her.
I don’t know what else to do, so I smile and pose with her.
“Is it true you’ve bewitched him to propose?” another woman asks.
That’s a new one for me this morning. “Absolutely not.”
A girl who cannot be more than twenty says my name and puts her arm around me like we’re old friends. “Can you help me find love?”
A man in a Broncos jacket wants to know if I can help him find his dream woman.
Somebody’s phone is eight inches from my face, recording me as I try to put my keys in the door to unlock it. I push it away from me. The sidewalks are packed with people trying to get my attention.
I step inside, leaving the lights off, and tuck my hand into my coat pocket. I close my fingers around the piece of black tourmaline and let out a solid breath. It’s supposed to help me deflect other people’s energy. It’s not working.
I move to the back, wanting to hide, and nearly run into Winter, who’s carrying a till under her arm.
She screams.
I scream too. “I didn’t know you were here already!”
I immediately look over my shoulder at the eyeballs watching us through the window. We laugh it off.
“You’re very popular this morning,” she says, still smiling.
“Yeah, yeah,” I say, shrugging off my coat and placing it on the hook behind the counter because it’s toasty in here.
Her eyes slide up and down my body. “I’m loving the outfit today. It’s giving Salem witch trials.”
“That’s exactly what I was shooting for actually.”
I’m wearing a black velvet dress with long sleeves and about forty little buttons up the front.
My pointed-toe boots lace up past my ankles, with heels that say I mean business.
This morning, I couldn’t help but put on my black-and-white striped leggings, which bring the entire outfit together.
The red lipstick I put on before I left the house makes me look put together. In reality, I’m a hot-ass mess.
“Goddess,” Winter says.
“Oh, stop flattering me.” I wave her off.
“Can’t help it. You’re literally glowing.” She shuts the drawer with her hip. “Mmm. I wonder why.”
“Hush,” I say.
Instantly, my brain starts replaying what happened this morning in the shower.
I wish I could turn back the clock and go back there. Honestly, I feel that way about all the moments we’ve been together. It’s never dull.
“You know it’s okay to like him,” she says. “Not a damn person on this planet would fault you.”
“I do like him,” I say. It’s the first time I’ve admitted it out loud to anyone.
Winter stops counting the money in the drawer. “Have you shared that with him?”
“I’m sure he knows.”
“Blaire Wardwell.”
“Actions speak louder than words ever could.”
I glance out the window as more people arrive. The line is now wrapped around the block. I turn my back on them in case there are any of those celebrity lip readers out there.
“It’s a fling, Winter. Nothing else.”
“Is that his rule or yours?” she asks.
“Mine,” I say. “One I will keep.”
She gives me her signature look.
“Oh, no, no, no. Please don’t start analyzing me,” I say.
“We’re waaaaaay past that.” She smiles, but it’s not her sweet one. It’s the evil one. She and Autumn have the same mannerisms. “I want to share with you something that I’ve shared with my past clients.”
“Please. Go ahead,” I say, curious.
“Couples were my specialty in California.”
“I don’t think I knew that.”
“Most people don’t. Relationship guidance was my absolute favorite.” She continues the conversation while she works. “People sat down and told me their dirty little secrets and let me analyze them. Most were married or engaged or going through a separation. Love is complicated.”
“I agree,” I say, fascinated.
“Stipulations and rules on relationships don’t work, Blaire. You can’t just snap your fingers and turn a feeling on or off, unless you’re a psycho.” She raises a brow. “And I don’t think you are.”
“Thanks. I appreciate the advice, but things have to end. He has a life in New York. I have my life here. I don’t do long distance or date men who travel for work. It’s my boundary,” I explain. “It’s possible to have sex and let that be it.”
“Yeah, it absolutely is. But after seeing you two together, I can tell it’s more than just sex.”
I roll my eyes.
“Do you talk about real things? Life? Your thoughts? Or is it just surface-level fucking, and that’s it?”
“I can’t have this conversation right now,” I whisper, feeling my cheeks heat.
“Exactly what I thought,” she says. “I know you’re the woo queen, but don’t be delusional with your heart. That’s how it gets broken.”
“Thanks.” I want to change the subject as fast as possible. “Do you miss practicing?” The question is out before I can stop it.
I’ve known Winter as long as I’ve known Autumn, and I don’t think I’ve ever discussed her past with her.
She’s quiet for a second. “I miss helping people on a deep level, but everything else? Pass.”
“Really?”
“Had I not been pressured, I would have become a relationship counselor or a matchmaker. My mother pushed for med school before I ever asked myself if that was what I wanted. There are photos of me in a white lab coat, playing doctor at four years old. I was brainwashed, and that, combined with my need to make my parents proud, became my financial downfall. Waking up and leaving California and my boyfriend behind was the best thing I ever did. My only regrets are my student loans.” She swallows hard.
“I have close to a million dollars in debt.”
My eyes widen, and I have to brace myself on the counter. “Winter.”
“I know,” she says. “I was able to get my loans deferred until January. Once I have a few months of income here, I’m going to apply for an income-based pay schedule. I need a miracle.”
I move toward her and grab her hand, closing my eyes. I set an intention, putting good vibes and prosperity into the universe for her. “It’s going to happen.”
“I love you, Blaire. But I don’t know if you can really help me with this problem, and that’s okay. You’re a fixer—I get it.” She’s kind when she says it.
“Whether you believe any of this or not, I just set the best intentions for you. Come January, you won’t have to worry about a single thing. I promise.”
She laughs, but I’m not joking.
“It’s done,” I tell her, booping her nose.
She shakes her head. “You know, actually, you might be a psycho.”
“Shut the hell up,” I say.
“Oh, before I forget, here’s your updated schedule.”
She offers me my leather-bound appointment book. I flip it open to this week, then turn each page, seeing every time is filled through the end of the year.
“Uh …”
“I know,” she says, grinning. “You’re popular.”
She busts out singing a song from Wicked.
I shake my head. “This is overwhelming.”
“Blaire Wardwell is the witch of the season. Might be the witch of the century.”
“Please don’t wish that upon me,” I mutter.
“Pop-uuu-lar,” she sings, tidying up the loose pens on the counter.
My phone rings, and it’s from a local number that I don’t recognize. I answer.
“Blaire Wardwell?” a deep voice says.
“Speaking.”
“This is Brandon with Antique Restoration, the contractor who’s supposed to replace your roof. Pine Haven Historical Society said they’d prefer for all work to be done after Halloween since the house is a centerpiece of the town. I just wanted to check and make sure that works for you.”
“Oh, sure. How long do you think it will take?” I ask.
“Two days. My guys work fast,” he says. “I want to get it done before it starts snowing though. Let’s plan for November sixth. I’ll call you first to confirm and for you to make your payment.”
I smile. “Sure. Thanks. How much is it again?”
Papers rustle in the background. “Came to forty-eight thousand dollars with the peaks and custom shingles. I’ll just need a wire transfer or a check.”
“Perfect. Thank you again!”
The call ends.
A part of me relaxes as I took care of something my aunt had put off for years. I think about everything that’s happened since I moved to Pine Haven. Deep inside, I know she’d be so damn proud of me, and that thought keeps me going. My parents are thrilled, especially my dad.
At a quarter to ten, the buzzer at the back door goes off.
“Shit. Delivery.” Winter is already moving that way. “If the supplier shorted us again, I’m going to have you hex him.”
She’s through the beaded curtain when somebody knocks on the front glass. A girl stands out there with her hands cupped around her face, squinting into a dark shop. It’s one of the new girls we hired. I recognize her from her interview.
I rush to the door. The crowd has doubled since nine, and there is barely a path for the public to pass by. I unlock and open the door, pulling her inside.
“Blaire! Blaire!” several people shout.
She’s twenty-two, she loves tarot, and she dresses like a goth. She’s perfect.
“Blaire.”
“Ivy. Hi! It’s so nice to see you again. I’m sorry for not being here last week.”
“Thank you! It’s no problem. Josie filled me in.”
I groan. “I don’t want to know what that means.”
Before she can respond, my other employee squishes past the people and stares at us through the glass.
“Martha!” Ivy says, moving toward the front to let her in.