100% That Witch - Celia Kyle Page 0,44
with light. They had just opened, and Tiffany was helping make room for some new stock—specifically, spell jars for prosperity and health.
“I’m not sure about this.” Kiki sighed, shaking one of the jars to stir up the herbs inside. “I think most witches prefer to make their own. The energies are so much stronger if you grow, pick and dry the herbs yourself.”
“Yeah, but today’s modern consumer craves convenience,” Tiffany pointed out, carefully making room for the jars on the shelf.
“True. Convenience is the killer of handmade arts.”
“I don’t know about that,” Tiffany said with a smile, the memory of Nero’s handmade belongings fresh in her mind.
“Maybe we could offer the herbs for sale as well. Little pots of fresh ones, or bunches of dried ones,” Kiki said, clearly excited at the idea. “We could add little cards suggesting combinations to customize your own spell.”
“Ooh, that sounds great!”
“I wonder where we could source the herbs. I have some, but I’d have to double my garden space for an operation like this.”
Tiffany stepped back to get a better look at the display and liked it. “You should talk to Nero.”
“Professor Baines?” Kiki asked, looking puzzled. “I know he teaches horticultural studies, but how could he get me large quantities of all this stuff?”
“You should see his garden. It’s huge and really diverse. He made me this wonderful home-cooked vegan meal the other night, and everything but the martini came from his own plot.”
“So... you’ve seen this garden?” Kiki asked teasingly. “Can you tell me exactly what state it’s in, if it’s organic?”
“Okay, fine. I haven’t actually seen it, but the food was delicious. It’s got to be in good shape. And it’s not like he even eats what he grows so he probably has enough to spare.”
“Uh-huh,” Kiki nodded. “He made you a nice dinner?”
“Oh god, he made, like, three different dishes. Even made the bread completely from scratch. Did you know he knits?”
“He knits?” Kiki said with a laugh.
“And crochets. He often wears things he made himself.” Tiffany paused, staring blankly toward the back of the shop as if all the answers lay in the shadows. “He’s really… multitalented.” She finished the sentence lamely, so she wouldn’t say something completely embarrassing.
Like “hot,” “cute,” or “wonderful.”
“I thought he was just tutoring you. Why is he now making fancy dinners for you?”
Tiffany kept her back to Kiki and continued stacking jars, doing her best to hide the furious blush rising up her cheeks. “He’s a nice guy, and he wanted to cheer me up.”
Tiffany realized she had said too much. Now it looked like she was infatuated or something. Her cheeks burned, and she kept her face firmly pointed at the shelves. No one had ever arranged glass jars with so much precision and care.
“Hmm. Are you sure this isn’t just your rebound guy?” Kiki’s voice definitely held an air of suspicion now. She was a good friend, but a big part of that was her honesty. She wouldn’t let Tiffany lie to herself, let alone anyone else. For a moment, Tiffany floundered for an acceptable answer.
I wish he were my rebound guy! She had a big helping of remorse to work through over this, but it was much better to be honest with herself now rather than later.
If she wanted strong arms to catch her after falling out of love with someone else, she couldn’t imagine anyone better than Nero. But the likelier truth was that she was building castles in the sky that were doomed to fall, just like last time.
“Not possible. He’s everything a boyfriend should be, that’s for sure. If I was getting tangled in a rebound relationship, I think it could easily turn into a serious one. He’s got one flaw I can’t get past—he’s gay!”
She said the last word with an air of finality. Maybe if she could convince Kiki, she could convince herself.
“Doesn’t look gay to me,” Kiki said, moving toward the window at the front of the store.
“I’m surprised at you, Kiki. You know as well as anyone that you can’t tell just by outward appearances.”
“Yeah, I know.” Kiki threw her an amused smirk, raised her perfect eyebrows, and jerked her head toward the window.
Tiffany was drawn like a moth to a flame. Pressing her fingers against the cool glass, she peered in the direction Kiki pointed and her heart nearly stopped. Nero stood on the sidewalk across the street, and he wasn’t alone.
With tension rising in her gut, Tiffany watched as Nero snuggled