She didn’t just do okay today. She did phenomenal. Excitement fizzes in my veins. This is going to be interesting.
Aw, shit. I spent the whole afternoon talking about magic—and I fucking loved it.
12
Romy
I did okay. Fine, Trace said.
That’s not good enough. I have to be perfect. I can hear my mother urging me to work harder. Study more. Go for the A+. Except, if she knew I was working on magic, she’d be horrified. No. She wouldn’t even believe it.
Trace is obviously smart. Knowledgeable. He’s good at explaining things. But I’m totally out of my depth. I can’t stop asking smart-ass questions to cover up how dumb I feel.
I stop on the sidewalk in front of the Charming Chalice. It’s tiny, with a black-and-white-striped awning and black door flanked by white mullioned windows with pretty displays. Two ficus trees in black pots sit in front of the windows, with colorful petunias spilling out. The name of the shop is in gold letters on the glass of the door.
I pull the door to enter. I’m met with the scent of lavender, roses, jasmine, and patchouli. I stand on the worn maple floor and survey the interior—attractive tables laden with various products, built-in white shelves along one wall, also displaying wares, and the other long wall exhibits various art pieces. The shop is narrow but long, and groups of customers talk among themselves, soft new-agey music drifting above the chatter.
“Romy!” Felise looks up from behind the counter. “You came!”
She rushes over to hug me. I’m going to have to get used to this. “I did. I love your shop.”
“Thanks! I’m excited to show you around. Magan’s looking after some customers.” She jerks her head, and I see Magan’s auburn tresses at the back of the store.
“I brought you girls coffees from Rooster Roasters.” I’m holding the cardboard tray.
“Oh, nice! Thank you!”
I set it on the counter. I remembered they both like lattes, while I have my coffee with a splash of milk. I pick up my cup and take a sip, and Felise does the same.
“Let’s start up front,” Felise says. “Here are all our incenses.”
“Is that what I smelled when I walked in?”
“Yes. We use our signature blend here in the shop. It’s called Amazing Goddess. It helps you access your higher self.”
I nod, keeping a straight face. This all seems a little woo-woo to me, and after my session with Trace yesterday, I’m not really sure if I have it in me to learn about all this bizarre stuff.
She tells me about some of the other incenses, then herbs, essential oils, and soaps. “This soap is for the full moon,” she explains. “It prepares your body for the intense energy of Purnima.” That catches my interest because of my love for the moon.
She shows me the art prints on the wall.
“I was thinking of this one when we were at your place the other day.” She stops and points to a framed print on the wall. It’s all shades of pink in a somewhat abstract design but with flowers, leaves, a pair of hands, the sun and the moon, and it says magic in making. “It seems appropriate for you, and also it would look great in your gray condo. Brighten it up a bit.”
“I love it.”
“It’s yours.”
“I’ll pay for it.”
“No! It’s a gift. From Magan and me.”
“Yes.” Magan joins us. “Hi, Romy.”
“Hi!” I hug her too. “Thank you both. I know just where to put it.”
I point out the coffee I brought for Magan. She fetches it, then takes me on the rest of the tour while Felise rings up some purchases at the counter. We look at all the different types of crystals and their properties—abundance, stability, peace, support, and more.
“They’re so pretty.” I finger a bracelet of rose quartz.
“Aren’t they? And useful.”
Felise rejoins us. “We applied for a license to dispense cannabis,” she says. “But the government is being really slow and stupid about it. So who knows if we’ll ever get it.”
I blink. “That’s too bad.”
“I’m sure that would greatly help our cash flow,” Magan says.
“No doubt.”
Lastly, they show me a line of pretty skincare products that don’t seem to have any witchy purpose besides moisturizing and preventing wrinkles. They all smell divine, and I pick up a tube of hand cream to purchase.
“It’s your scent,” Felise says. “Vanilla.”
I tilt my head. “How do you know I like vanilla?” I expect some kind of metaphysical answer.
“You smell like vanilla.”
“Oh. Yes, I do use vanilla-scented products.”
“You’ll love this one. Also, we have some really nice vanilla candles.”
I insist on paying for the hand cream, some of the moon soap, and a candle while Magan wraps up my new print.
“So what do you think?” She hands it to me. “You’ve seen our website. Do you think you can come up with something better?”
“I do. Are you open to all new branding?”
“Of course!”
“Okay!” I’m kind of excited by this new project. “I’ll get to work on it right away.”
“How did yesterday go? With Trace?” Felise lifts her eyebrows.
“Oh.” I sigh. “It was awful.”
“What? Why?” Both girls stare at me.
“I felt like such an idiot.”
“Well, you have to start somewhere,” Felise says tentatively.
“I know, but I’m not used to feeling stupid. At my job, I’m the one everyone comes to with questions.”
“Give yourself time.” Magan slides an arm around my shoulders and squeezes. “We’re all still learning.”
“Trace did some kind of testing and said I did ‘okay.’” I do air quotes. “I don’t want to do okay. I have to be good at what I do.” I purse my lips. “He gave me homework, and I keep looking at those old books and… honestly, I feel like giving up.”
“Oh no.” Felise’s eyebrows pull together. “Don’t do that.”
“It just seems…” I tilt my head back.
“Say it.”
I meet their eyes, biting my lip. “I still can’t quite believe this is real. Yet Trace was so serious. And he knows so much.”
“It is real,” Magan replies solemnly.
“Trace doesn’t know everything,” Felise says. “Nobody does. But yes, Trace is very smart. Was he… short with you?”
“No, he was fine. I don’t think he appreciated some of my dumb questions, but he didn’t laugh at me or mock me.”
“He wouldn’t do that,” Magan says confidently. “But…” She stops. “He hasn’t been very involved with the coven for a while now, and I don’t think he uses his magic much.”
“Oh. Really?” My forehead pinches, the corners of my eyes tightening. “Why is that?”
They trade glances. Despite Felise’s chattiness, I can see she’s reluctant to share personal details about Trace. I have to admire her loyalty and protectiveness of him.