Rise of the Wadjet Witch - By Juliet C. Obodo Page 0,25

twenties liked sassy, quick-witted girls who wore glasses and miniskirts. At least, that was what she gathered from the television shows she’d started watching. After all, her nights were no longer spent collecting data for her research.

She walked the short distance to Jill’s building—not apartment, but building. Her parents bought it for her. If their baby was going to leave their big, warm home in Texas, she would have a big, warm home in New York. She unlocked the door with her key; they used to live together until Jill and Wesley became serious. Memphis kindly offered to move out and they, to her chagrin, kindly accepted. She walked into the wide foyer and into uniformed human traffic.

The caterers were still setting up. It looked like a Broadway production, with Baron, Jill’s party planner, orchestrating it from the center of the living room. He greeted her with two air kisses and informed her that her majesty was upstairs getting ready. She was micromanaging as usual, waiting until the very last minute to get dressed. Ah, such a Type A Leo. Memphis shook her head as she ascended the stairs. She had been heavily researching horoscopes and the zodiac in preparation for her new gig. It led her to some very interesting discoveries about herself and her friends.

Jill was sitting at her vanity when Memphis entered her suite. With her rouged lips and hair in pin curls, she resembled an old Hollywood starlet preparing for her first day on the movie set.

“Hello doll face,” Jill greeted her.

“Hi-yah.” Memphis set her bag on the marble coffee table in the middle of the room. She grabbed her corset and pencil skirt before stepping behind the dressing screen to change. When she finished dressing, she met Jill in front of the mirror. Jill was in a white corset and satin shorts. She wore a top hat, and her silver mask glittered in her right hand. Memphis opted for black and gold. They were like yin and yang; Jill was her sister from another mister. Maybe from the same mister—hey, you never know.

“Memphis, your eyes look amazing. Are you wearing contact lenses?”

“What? Oh, no. I mean, yes. Thanks,” Memphis stammered. She was hoping that no one would notice the strange change in her eye color. Her hazel eyes were turning bright blue. Her vision wasn’t affected; in fact she no longer needed her glasses to watch television or anything else. Nonetheless, she would soon have to schedule an appointment with the eye doctor.

“We look so hot!” Jill exclaimed interrupting her mental dialogue. “I wish Wesley and Jonathan were here to see us now. Wait a minute—no, I don’t. I totally take that back. Let’s go party!” She pulled Memphis toward the door.

They came down the stairs in time to meet the first guests. They all wore masks, but it wasn’t as if Memphis would know who they were anyway. Jill was the social butterfly; her wings would flutter and people would follow. The party quickly filled up and strangers in masks filled every corner of Jill’s large space. Drinks flowed, pushing people to the dance floor.

Memphis pushed past the grinding bodies to get to the bathroom. There wasn’t a line, so she was able to slip in and check her hair and makeup. She looked great, but no one had approached her. She took part in a few conversions with groups that eventually paired off, leaving her to awkwardly stand alone until she could attach herself to another selection of partygoers. All she needed was one guy to have a conversion with her; he didn’t have to propose. Whatever, it was their loss. Most men wouldn’t know a good woman if one ran right into them. She opened the door and stepped right into the arms of a purple masked guy.

She should have known this would happen. With the way things were going, she would be able to speak a man into existence. Ever since they discovered she was astrogirl88, she hadn’t received any more e-mails from herself. Her subconscious may have finally met her ego.

He smelled like cedar and something else—something familiar. She couldn’t place it. “Whoa,” he said catching her shoulders. “Running from the toilet?”

He looked behind her into the empty bathroom and then back at her with one thick eyebrow raised in question. His blue eyes twinkled behind his mask, and his full lips were forming the most disarming smile. Memphis simply stared at him until he waved a hand in front