Chapter Ten #2
His eyes narrowed. ‘Or you could know it wasn’t me because I told you it wasn’t me.’
Blair really, really wanted to snap at him. What else should she have thought when she found her missing sign in front of his bakery? She needed him to drink that latte. ‘You’re right. I promise, no more accusations. Drink your latte, and we’ll talk.’
He finally took a small sip, and his eyes immediately widened. ‘This is amazing. You really make the syrups yourself?’
Blair nodded, feeling that familiar warmth at the compliment. ‘All my drinks are completely homemade. No store-bought syrups at all.’
He took another sip, and Blair could practically see the tension ease in his shoulders.
Blair wasn’t sure if it was the regular effect of her pumpkin spice syrup, or if it was because of the extra magic she’d added.
‘Okay, I’m impressed,’ he said. ‘Any chance you’d be willing to share your recipes? ’
Blair huffed a laugh. ‘As if I’m going to give my competition my secret recipes.’ Even if she did, his drinks couldn’t match hers, not when she used magic to make the syrups. And also customized every customer’s drink to their exact tastes.
Which reminded her, it was time to figure out if her special pumpkin spice syrup was working. ‘You’ve been back in town for a few weeks now, right? What do you think of Moonbeam Hollow?’
He frowned. ‘Um, I told you? It’s exactly the same.’
Blair laughed awkwardly. ‘Right? Like why doesn’t anything change around here?! But why did you pick here over any other town in Ontario? Was there a specific reason? Because of the festival, or—’
Blair was interrupted when there was another knock at the café door. Who could that be at this hour? Blair got up to answer it, surprised to see her sister Belinda and seven other women with her, all carrying the same book.
Blair’s shoulders slumped when she remembered. ‘Crap. It’s Thursday. It’s book club night.’
‘Did you forget?’ Belinda looked over Blair’s shoulder. ‘Oh amazing, Luke’s here!’
‘Yeah, we’re having a chat. C’mon in.’ Blair moved out of the way so the women could get past her.
Luke smiled, standing. ‘Nice to see you again, Belinda.’
Belinda beamed at Luke. She looked lovely in a long white skirt and light blue T-shirt, her long hair in a ponytail.
The other women had all lined up at the counter for drinks, so Blair had no choice but to leave Belinda and Luke alone to brew tea and make lattes for the book club members.
Blair wasn’t worried – Belinda probably wouldn’t say something inappropriate to Luke.
It would be much worse to leave him alone with Bianca, as her youngest sister would definitely tell Luke how much Blair freaked out when she first saw him.
Or she’d tell him something about Blair not having a serious relationship since him.
But then Blair remembered that he was under the effect of an untested potion.
Or rather a potion that had only been tested once and had proved to be quite potent that one time.
This was fine. She’d diluted it, and it didn’t seem to have kicked in before her sister got here.
Once the book club all had their drinks, Blair could keep talking to Luke alone while the potion did its magic.
But when Luke joined Belinda and the women who already had their beverages on the sofas, Blair started to worry. As soon as the last drink was made, an apple cinnamon latte for Melody, Blair rushed to the back of the café, surprised to see Luke holding a copy of the book.
‘What are you doing?’ Blair asked. Luke had a goofy grin on his face. Was that because of the magic latte? ‘They’re here for a book club,’ Blair said. ‘We can keep talking over there.’
Belinda looked confused. ‘Um, Luke’s here for the book club.’ She was standing, taking money for a book from one of the other women. ‘I told him about it on Monday when I recommended the book to him.’
‘It’s such a great book!’ Luke said. ‘I’ve wanted to get into reading more, and what a fantastic way to make new friends!
’ He was still grinning like a fool. Ugh – the potion was working.
‘Your sister’s a delight, Blair. She recommended so many books!
’ He beamed at all the other women. ‘Everyone in Moonbeam Hollow is so welcoming. It’s so cool to buddy-read with so many amazing people!
You should sit, Belinda. You’ve probably been on your feet in the bookstore all day. ’
Blair blinked. She’d created a monster. A sympathetic, agreeable and happy monster who wanted to read fantasy books with new friends, but a monster just the same.
‘It will be so great to have a man’s perspective on a romance,’ Aarushi said. She was wearing a sweatshirt with the Moonbeam Hollow Fall Harvest Festival logo on it, her perfect black bobbed hair shining under the café lights.
‘I don’t see why a man’s perspective would make a difference,’ Melody said. ‘This book was written for the female gaze.’ Melody was clearly recovered from drinking the same potion yesterday. ‘Don’t you agree, Luke?’
Luke nodded enthusiastically like an obedient smiling puppy.
‘Are you joining us, Blair?’ Belinda asked, finally sitting. ‘I know you didn’t read the book – we’re not going to avoid spoilers.’
‘Yes!’ Luke said. ‘Join us, Blair! We’ve cleared the air. We’re friends now, right?’
Blair exhaled. ‘Oh. Yeah, I’ll join, and it’s okay, I don’t mind spoilers.’ She hadn’t even cracked the spine on her copy of the book yet, but she could not leave Luke alone with these women in the state he was in now.
But when Belinda had told Blair about the book, she said it was about a princess who went undercover as a servant girl and falls in love with the prince of a rival kingdom.
Belinda had failed to also mention that the book was spicy.
Very spicy. Blair was simply not mentally equipped to discuss whether sex against a tree was practical considering the possibility of bark burn with her ex-boyfriend, her old rival and the person who might be the key to stopping the destruction of her town festival.
‘I see no issue with it!’ Luke said. ‘If they’re into it, then more power to them. It’s a deserted forest; it’s not like they’ll be caught. They should do what makes them happy! Everyone should do what brings them joy!’
Most of the women agreed with Luke, delighted with their enthusiastic member.
‘But isn’t the servant/master dynamic a little problematic?’ Melody asked.
‘She’s not really a servant, though,’ Belinda said. ‘And the prince knows who she is by the tree scene.’
‘Exactly!’ Luke said with so much exuberance that Blair wondered why Belinda hadn’t suspected he was under the effect of magic. ‘It’s so great they found each other! Fate! It’s wonderful!’
‘And it’s so hot,’ Aarushi added.
‘Yes!’ Luke said. ‘I love outdoor sex!’
Oh God, this was such a bad idea.
‘It’s unrealistic,’ Melody added. ‘It’s supposed to be her first time, and she’s against a tree. And she screams his name! I mean, what woman orgasms on their first time?’
Luke looked at Blair, an even wider, almost proud smile on his face. ‘I know someone! Blair—’
Blair quickly cut him off. ‘Belinda, you said this story is loosely set in ancient Polynesia; is it based on a known myth?’
Belinda seemed to get Blair’s hint that the topic of discussion needed to change immediately and steered the book club toward a discussion of the cultural specificity in the story.
Luke was still enthusiastically agreeing with whatever anyone said.
Blair needed to toss out the rest of that ‘special’ pumpkin spice syrup.
Agreeableness was obviously too potent a trait to play with.
Also, she’d learned nothing tonight, other than the fact that Luke Caldwell apparently enjoyed outdoor sex now.
Which, honestly, was knowledge Blair preferred she didn’t have.
But . . . something did seem to have shifted today, thanks to her potion. Blair and Luke Caldwell were apparently friends now.