Page 20 of Charmed, I'm Sure

Matilda squeals and claps her hands again. She even added in a “good boy” like I’ve made a fire with my two hands and she wants to give me a head pat.

“Perfect, now we are on to something. You hug her, you own the moment, she falls a lit bit in love with you—”

“She hexes you into a newt. I laugh,” Milo interjects.

“—and you’re on your way to happily ever after.”

I slide down onto the bar stool, trying to picture it. Hugging Bellamy. I’ve not even made it to touching her, and nowMatilda wants me to wrap my arms around her. I want to feel her delicate body pressed against mine, feel her relax. Maybe she even…smiles.

Milo is sighing.

My heart is racing.

I can practically picture it. We are at the Samhain festival, and she’s talking with some kids as they show her all the items they found on their scavenger hunt. I come up behind her, wrap my arms around her, and she giggles softly as she molds against my body. I’m buzzing with excitement on experiencing the differences between their festival and our own back home in Jasper. I can imagine there will be some similarities, but with magic actively used here, I bet there’s going to be big differences.

Samhain is a beautiful time of the year as we celebrate our loved ones who have passed beyond the veil. It’s always been said that on the eve of November 1st the veil between the living and the dead would be at its thinnest, allowing families to see their lost loves once again.

“Please, for the love of all things cheesy and yummy, stop broadcasting your feelings and fantasies. You know she can sense it, right? Like she might not know what it means, she is still getting all the messages.” Milo groans.

“It’s fine. She won’t know what is happening. So let me live in my montage for a little longer.”

“You’re delusional.”

Matilda is leaning on her elbow, watching me as I live in my fantasy.

“No, I’m optimistic,” I say out loud. “This is going to work.”

Milo makes a sound somewhere between a howl and a groan. Matilda is beaming from ear to ear as she gives an excited squeal. Grabbing my paper, I hop off the barstool ready to grab life by the horns or broomsticks. You know, whichever analogy works for you.

She floats towards the front door. “Let me know how it goes,” she says with a wink. “And if you need me to officiate the wedding, I do themed weddings for an extra fee.”

I take a deep breath, grab my jacket, and look in themirror.

“It’s just a hug,” I tell myself. “Humans hug. Witches hug. Hugs are a good thing. We’ve got this. She will see what it feels like to have her mate wrapped around her.”

“Hugs are going to be the last you do,” Milo grumbles.

“Semantics,” I repeat, heading out the door to find Bellamy.

Chapter Eight

Keep Your Paws to Yourself

Bellamy

“Oh, Bellamy. How lovely to see you out and about so early on a weekday.” Clarissa beams with all that false customer service charisma.

We both know she isn’t excited to see me or that she really thinks it’s lovely. It’s not even early for me. Just because I don’t open my shop at 8 A.M. doesn’t mean I’m sleeping in. Goddess forbid a woman want to wake with the sun and not an alarm. If I had it my way, I wouldn’t be out of the house before the late afternoon, but alas, most of this town is heading home for the day during my ideal time.

“Clarissa, let’s cut the fluff and just get down to the order. I’m thinking I’ll have a Blood Moon Brew, heavy on the blood.”

Her eyes widen and her hands shake as she considers what to say. I know Hex and Harken doesn’t have a Blood Moon Brew or blood. But, I find that since everyone thinks I’m an evil witch that I might as well play along.

“I…uh…we don’t.”

“I’m fucking with you, Clar. I’ll take my normal Hot Apple Cinnamon Machiatto.”

“Oh, thank the Goddess. You really had me worried there for a moment.”