Chick with a Charm (31 page)

He looked at Daisy, who stood there wagging her tail and giving him that goofy grin of hers. “Well, I’ll be damned. You, too.”

Daisy whined and wagged her tail faster.

“It’s to Lily’s credit that she hasn’t tried to make you into a movie star,” Griffin said softly. “You could earn her a bundle. But she doesn’t want a bundle of money, does she? She just wants a dog.” Griffin stroked Daisy’s silky head. “Okay, let’s go get you that treat.”

Tucking the stone in his pocket, he walked into the living room, where Lily sat on the couch, strapping on another pair of sexy sandals, black this time, to go with her short black dress. Her cell phone was pressed between her shoulder and her ear while she talked to her sister.

He continued into the kitchen, and after opening a few cupboards, found an open box of large, bone-shaped biscuits. He gave one to Daisy, who carried it over to a corner and plopped down to enjoy it.

With one last glance at the dog, who looked so normal lying there munching on her treat, Griffin walked back into the living room. Lily didn’t sound very happy as she talked with Anica. He’d already heard a couple of magical swear words.

Then she sighed. “No, I don’t blame Jasper. Thanks for letting me know. At least I’m—” She glanced up, saw him standing there, and didn’t finish the sentence. “Anyway, gotta go. Yes, I know it’s getting late. We’ll catch a cab over there.” She closed her phone and tossed it on the couch next to her.

“Everything okay?” He could tell it wasn’t because she fumbled with the strap of her sandal, and Lily was usually well coordinated.

“Just fine.” She fumbled some more. “Blasted thing.”

“Let me.” No wonder she couldn’t do it. Her hands were shaking as if she’d had six cups of coffee. Sitting next to her on the couch, he leaned down and neatly buckled the strap. “There you go.” He glanced up and met her gaze.

“Thanks.” Anxiety lurked in her eyes. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then seemed to change her mind. Her lips, covered in a deep red lip gloss, settled into a firm line of what looked like resignation.

“The cab should be down there,” he said.

“You called one?”

He nodded. “I keep a cab company on speed dial, so as long as I have my phone, which I do today, I’m set. I called after I got out of the shower.” It was efficiency, not magic, but she seemed grateful.

“I appreciate your doing that.” She sighed again and picked up her cell phone, tucking it into the small black purse beside her on the couch. “And for giving Daisy a biscuit. I can hear her crunching away in there. She likes you a lot, Griffin.”

“The feeling’s mutual.” He thought again of how Daisy would react if he and Lily eventually split up. Then he remembered that Daisy had repaired the stone that was helping counteract Lily’s spell. Maybe the dog was on his side.

He and Lily didn’t talk on the way to the Bubbling Cauldron. He was busy with his thoughts, and obviously she was busy with hers. She spent most of the cab ride staring out the window.

When the cab pulled up in front of the bar, the door was propped open and music and laughter poured into the street. Griffin chuckled to himself. Nobody would need signage to figure out where the party was.

His date, however, didn’t look to be in a partying mood. She insisted on paying for the cab, and when he thanked her, she seemed to have trouble dredging up a smile.

“Is there anything I can do?” he asked as they started toward the open door.

She paused and faced him. “No, but it’s nice of you to offer.” Then she hooked her purse over her shoulder and reached out to cup his face in both hands. “Thank you for . . . everything.” Then she kissed him quickly, turned and hurried inside.

He groaned softly, wishing things could be the way they appeared to her parents—that he and Lily were headed for a serious commitment. But total honesty demanded that he admit the truth: If Lily hadn’t given him the potion, they would never have come to know each other in any sense. And once he’d broken the spell she’d cast, they might become strangers again.

Following her into the bar, he had to pause and let his eyes adjust. The mirrored ball revolved slowly, and although the effect could have been cheesy, it wasn’t. The Bubbling Cauldron sparkled as if it had been touched by magic, which, of course, it had.

Jasper stood just inside the door, where he’d apparently stationed himself as a greeter. He shook hands with Griffin and leaned close. “Just so you’re aware, when the sisters talked today, it was about you.”

“Me?” Griffin was completely taken aback. “Why?”

Jasper gestured with both hands. “It’s that complicated family interaction thing. Lily got Anica to find out what I told you outside this morning. I don’t keep secrets from Anica, so now Lily knows that you’re planning to talk to the Lowells tonight. She’s not happy about it.”

“Duly noted.” Griffin’s felt his jaw tighten. “But whether she likes it or not, I’m going to talk to them. If you’ll point them out, then I’ll—”

“Hold on.” Jasper glanced out the door. “The Lowells are over talking to my folks, so I’ll introduce you to all of them at once. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble figuring out which couple is which.”

As Jasper led the way toward a far corner of the room, Griffin could see what he meant. One couple there looked as if they’d dressed for church, or maybe a business meeting. The man, an older version of Jasper, wore a neatly pressed pinstripe suit. Jasper’s mom, whose brown hair was short and poufy, wore a little black suit with a conservative hem. The scarf tucked into her collar was a swirled pattern of gray, black and white.

The Lowells, on the other hand, seemed to have stepped out of the pages of a glossy urban magazine. Dorcas Lowell’s purple dress hugged her curves, and her necklace, made of purple stones that Griffin now recognized as amethyst, could have come from Tiffany. Her brunette bob was streaked with highlights that caught the light from the rotating mirrored ball.

Ambrose Lowell wore an open-necked white shirt that looked like silk, a navy blazer that also might be raw silk, and slacks with a European flair. He was graying at the temples, which made him seem even more sophisticated.

After getting to know the Revere family, Griffin no longer had a stereotypical picture of witches and wizards wearing pointy hats. Even so, he was impressed with the Lowells. And that was important, because he was counting on them to give him critical advice, advice that would change the course of his life.

Jasper introduced his mother and father, Janet and Fred, first, and mentioned that Griffin was a lawyer. Jasper’s parents fell on that information as if stranded on a desert island with nothing fit to drink. Jasper moved on to the Lowells, who smiled and shook hands.

But Janet and Fred Danes were hungry to meet people with normal jobs, and they monopolized Griffin, much to his frustration. Meanwhile Jasper had to get back to his other guests. With a shrug of sympathy he left Griffin to sort it out.

As Fred Danes launched into a diatribe about the quality of the hotel service in Chicago, Dorcas touched Griffin’s arm and leaned in. “We’ll talk later,” she said.

Then the Lowells were gone, abandoning Griffin to Jasper’s parents, who apparently had a laundry list of complaints about their treatment in the Windy City. To his dismay, Griffin finally concluded that they were contemplating legal action against their hotel and were hoping Griffin would handle that for them.

“I’m in family law,” Griffin said. “So I don’t usually—”

“Griffin’s a brilliant lawyer.” Lily came up and linked her arm through his. “But lawyers, just like doctors, specialize these days.”

“Damn nuisance, all this specializing.” Fred swallowed the last of his drink. “In my day, we—”

“Hold that thought, Mr. Danes,” Lily said. “I promised Griffin a dance, and I’ve requested that the DJ play our song. Let’s plan to continue this discussion later.” Depositing her drink on the nearest table, she led Griffin to the dance floor and stepped into his arms as the DJ played a slow song Griffin didn’t recognize.

“I didn’t know we had a song.” He drew her in close. “But thank you for rescuing me.”

“You’re welcome.” She snuggled against him. “We don’t have a song. I couldn’t tell you what this one is, either. I just made all that up to get you away from them. Poor Anica.”

“Yeah. Good thing they don’t live nearby. You know, I kind of like this song.” And it was a love song, Griffin realized. Of course it would be, because this was an engagement party, which was all about love.

He nestled his cheek against hers. “God, you smell good. What is that? I keep meaning to ask you, because it’s very nice.” They moved well together, as if they’d been dancing this way for years.

“I make it myself.”

“Of course you do.” Heaven was holding Lily in his arms. He could cuddle like this forever.

“Griffin?”

“Hm?”

“What would it take for you to stay away from Dorcas and Ambrose Lowell for the rest of the evening?”

His mellow haze dissipated and he drew back to look into her eyes. “Why?”

“I’d . . . rather you didn’t talk to them.”

He felt the heat of the stone in his pocket. “I’m sure that’s true. Jasper mentioned it, in fact. But, Lily, I will talk to them.”

She took it with the fatalistic bravery of a soldier facing the firing squad, and for that he had to give her credit. “All right,” she said. “I guess that’s how it has to be.”

“Yes, it is.” And he pulled her close again and danced the rest of the song. After all, she had said it was theirs.

At the end of the dance, Lily’s mom claimed Griffin for the next one. Lily surrendered the dance, just as she would be forced to surrender the magical field to Dorcas and Ambrose sometime tonight. Once Griffin enlisted their help, her spell would go down in flames.

At this point she was into damage control. If Griffin broke the spell, she hoped he wouldn’t become enraged. She couldn’t blame him if he did, though. Once released he might feel like a wounded animal set free from a trap.

She hoped his anger wouldn’t cause him to spill the whole sordid story to her parents. But if he did, she’d have to accept the consequences. Her dad would probably withdraw his offer to make her coexecutor of their wills.

Anica should handle all of that, anyway. Just because Lily could inventory the contents of the storeroom with one hand tied behind her back didn’t mean she was up to this coexecutor nonsense. She should never have become so excited about the prospect in the first place.

Daisy would miss Griffin terribly. Lily felt sorry about that. She focused on Daisy’s misery, because that allowed her to block any thoughts of her own. She didn’t want to think about that. Not tonight.

Anica came over and stood beside her, both of them watching Griffin dance with their mother. “He hasn’t had a moment alone with the Lowells yet,” Anica said. “I’ve been keeping track.”

“Thanks, but you’re not supposed to be worrying about me.” Lily wrapped an arm around her sister.

“You’re supposed to be enjoying your engagement party.”

“I am.” Anica glanced over at her sister. “Thank you for being willing to go along with it. This is way better than Donatello’s.”

“If you think that, you’ve had too much wine.”

“No, I mean it. This is perfect. How soon are you going to do your magic act?”

Lily noticed the Lowells moving in Griffin’s direction.

“Now. Right this very minute. Get on the PA system and announce it for me, will you? Say I’ve played Vegas with this act.”

Anica grinned. “Well, you could have.”

“Damn straight I could have. Build me up, Butter-cup.”

“You got it.”

Moments later, before the Lowells had managed to connect with Griffin, Anica took over the microphone and announced Lily’s act. While Anica broadcast Lily’s talents to the guests, embellishing the facts like crazy, Lily scampered back to the storeroom and retrieved the wand she’d stored there last night after she’d arrived at work. She’d also hidden a black cape in an empty box that used to hold Jose Cuervo Gold.

Her wand tucked in her cleavage, she tied the cape as she came down the narrow hallway toward the main room. Once the cape was tied, she pulled out the wand and held it at the ready. This was her favorite wand, purple with sparkles and stars on it. She wondered what Griffin would think when he saw her in full witch mode.

Although she hadn’t acknowledged it until now, she wanted him to be blown away. He might be chafing against the spell she’d put on him, but she wanted him to be fascinated with the woman who could create such a spell. She wanted him to consider how dull his existence would be if he went back to a life without magic.

To that end, she strode into the middle of the room, lifted her wand and created the illusion of sparkling rain falling on the guests. The DJ had been forewarned to cue up his most dramatic music, and he came through.

All the nonmagical people in the bar gasped in surprise. Her parents, Lily noticed, looked proud. Now
that
was very cool.

She captured Griffin’s gaze and was gratified to see that he was watching as if mesmerized. Excellent, because this show was all for him. Arching an eyebrow, she pointed her wand at the floor and sent undulating beams of light into the circle of friends and family surrounding her.

She didn’t dare look at Jasper’s parents, for fear she’d giggle. No doubt they were in a state of shock. Later they would find a way to explain it all. From meeting them, she knew that they’d rationalize everything they’d seen.

Lily couldn’t tell for sure how Griffin was reacting. He seemed riveted but not necessarily awed. She wanted awe. Pointing her wand straight up in the air she created a swirling, multicolored mist that surrounded her.

When the mist cleared, her black dress had been replaced with a garment of silver threads that caught the light from the revolving ball and flashed it throughout the room.