Page 11 of Two’s A Charm

THIS SPELLS TROUBLE

Bonnie

Bonnie wiped down the bar for approximately the thousandth time that morning.

Was it dirty? No. Were they even open for business yet?

Also no. Bonnie was procrastinating in the hope that her million unfinished tasks somehow took the hint and resolved themselves without her intervention.

It wasn’t out of the question. She’d been in enough group projects to know that eventually someone got the work done.

And when it happened, Bonnie would be the first to volunteer to do the presentation part – she always got top marks for her presentations.

The morning wasn’t going to plan. She’d finally shaken the hangover, but she wasn’t able to shake the fact that Theo was apparently impervious to her charms. Was he a warlock or something?

Had he bathed in some sort of attraction-repelling enchantment?

Bonnie wasn’t entirely sure that such a thing existed, but if you could repel coyotes with bear pee (as Bobby and his little brother Kevvie, both avid campers, vowed) presumably either science or magic could make it happen.

The thing was, she wasn’t even that attracted to him.

He was handsome, sure, and she appreciated a guy with smart footwear and a bank account robust enough that he wouldn’t come begging for gas money or funds for an urgent tattoo cover-up, something that had been a frequent theme among the good-looking bad boys Bonnie tended to gravitate towards.

But she didn’t feel the spark she assumed she would have based on his on-paper stats.

Could sparks be cultivated? They’d have to be, because when Bonnie had set her eyes on a prize, she was not one for going home empty-handed. Or empty-bedded, for that matter.

The bar’s smart doorbell chimed, breaking through the sultry tones of her Lana Del Rey playlist. She squinted at the grainy video that showed up on her phone. A delivery guy, but hauling an enormous cart of something white.

What on earth?

Bobby, who had a truck, handled most of the deliveries, but every now and then an actual uniformed guy showed up to drop off something big. Meaning expensive, Bonnie thought with a sigh.

She stalked outside to help him in through the patio gate.

‘Hi,’ puffed the delivery guy, whose uniform was covered in sweat patches in spite of the mild weather.

A blue evil eye pendant peeked out from behind his shirt.

‘I’m Tristan. I’m taking over the account from Ned.

He’s retiring – said Madame Destinée’s latest column gave him the final push he needed.

He’s a Virgo,’ added Tristan, as though this explained everything.

‘Like my sister,’ said Bonnie, reminding herself to check Effie’s horoscope when she got back inside.

‘The librarian, right? I just dropped a bunch of books off there.’

‘If she gave you a withering look over her glasses and told you to switch off the lights behind you, that was her.’ Bonnie folded her arms, regarding the delivery van, which was parked in the square, hazards flashing. ‘So, what have you got for me?’

Tristan slid open the van door, revealing more milk than the dairy aisle of the supermarket.

Bonnie recoiled. ‘Do I look like I need all that? This is a bar, not an elementary school. I make like two White Russians a day.’

Tristan shrugged. ‘You could be on the GOMAD diet.’

‘The what now?’

‘A gallon of milk a day. It’s a bodybuilding thing.’

‘A lifestyle that bar patrons are famously into.’ Bonnie smirked, then flexed a tanned bicep. ‘Besides, who could possibly improve on this?’

‘Love the confidence. I have an eight-year-old daughter and we’re big on body positivity,’ Tristan confided. He flashed his phone lock screen, showing off a cute little girl with freckles and a unicorn headband. ‘That’s her there. Here’s the order, by the way. Placed by one Bonnie Chalmers.’

Bonnie checked the order, which he’d pulled up on his phone, then groaned.

She must have typed an extra zero when making it – she’d been doing it while on hold with the people who serviced the bar equipment and simultaneously texting Flora from A Pocket Full of Posies about the care and keeping of the wisteria that overhung the patio frame.

This was like that viral moment where instead of a bag of rice, a whole semi-trailer truck had pulled up in front of someone’s house.

Where on earth was she going to fit all that milk? Worse, how on earth was she going to use it? Milk was hardly a bestseller. Maybe she could sponsor a Girl Scout gathering outside of regular opening hours.

‘Is it too late to change the order?’ she asked, batting her eyelashes for good measure.

‘I wish, but I can’t send back perishables. Do you want some help bringing it all in?’

Bonnie sighed in resignation. ‘Sure, that’d be great.’

Bottle by bottle, Tristan started unloading the milk crates. But not onto a dolly or a cart. Onto the brick wall around the patio. Bonnie blinked. Wouldn’t it make more sense to wheel the dolly into the bar and then unload it?

When she said as much, Tristan shook his head. ‘But the cracks,’ he said.

Bonnie didn’t follow. ‘In the milk bottles?’

‘In the pavement.’ He nodded at the flagstones that formed a tidy path between the patio and the bar, the gaps between them filled with soft green moss. ‘It’s just...a superstition of mine. Step on a crack, break your mother’s back?’

Bonnie wondered whether she was being pranked.

‘My mother’s pretty frail, and I really don’t want to risk it. I’ll be quick, I promise.’

Maybe Tristan’s mom should be drinking the milk. It was good for bones, after all.

‘Are you sure you’re suited to this line of work?’

‘I’ve wanted to be a delivery guy my whole life,’ said Tristan cheerfully. ‘I was a UPS guy for Halloween three years in a row. And FedEx the three after that.’

‘All right, then.’ Bonnie sighed. ‘Here. You load them onto the dolly, and I’ll haul the dolly to the door. Deal?’

She was part-way through the hauling when Bobby showed up.

‘Career change, Bon?’ he asked curiously.

‘It’s complicated,’ she panted. Then she paused. ‘You don’t happen to need an enormous amount of milk, do you?’

Bobby shrugged easily. ‘Always. The bakery goes through it like you wouldn’t believe. You’d think we were rearing a shop full of kittens over there.’

Oh, thank goddess. A solution. ‘If you take this delivery off my hands, I’ll be grateful to you for ever.’

‘Sure. We’ll do a special on tres leches cake this week – the college kids go wild for it. What do I owe you?’

Bonnie thought about charging him – she really could use the money, given that she’d just spent several hundred bucks she didn’t have on dairy products, and the next payment on her Cadillac was due the following week.

But just at that moment, Theo was strolling by, a pile of documents under his arm.

Here was her chance to work the whole jealousy plan that her entourage had recommended as the perfect method for sending Theo rushing into her arms. Yes, it was cheesy, but it had worked before.

Most notably when she’d been dating one of the Chen twins, but had her eye on the other. Ah, the messy days of teenage Bonnie.

Donning her sunniest smile and doing the eye-crinkle thing she knew was irresistible, she lightly touched Bobby’s arm. ‘Put that away. You’re doing me such a huge favour already.’

Bobby stared down at his arm, his dark eyes dancing. Bonnie was slightly worried he might get a tattoo on the spot she’d touched to make the occasion linger for ever. ‘Sure, Bon. Wow. I’ll definitely bring over some treats for you. Not that we could ever match your mom’s brownies, but we’ll try.’

‘Great!’ she said warmly. Then, in the most casual voice she could muster: ‘Oh, hi, Theo!’

Theo pulled up, leaning over the patio wall. He greeted them both cheerily. ‘Thanks for the party last night, Bonnie. You know how to make a guy feel welcome.’

Bonnie preened. ‘I live to please.’

‘How’s town life treating you, man?’ asked Bobby, cradling a milk crate.

‘I’m just out seeing the sights. I’m actually on my way back from the library. I guess I’m on the same schedule as the delivery guy.’ He waved to Tristan, who was typing something into his phone. ‘We just unloaded a bunch of books together. Coffee’s next on my list.’

He ducked to one side, letting Bobby past with the first of many milk crates.

‘Coffee, huh?’ Here was her chance to lure him inside. ‘I have an espresso machine in here, you know.’

Theo blinked. ‘Oh. But you’re not open ’til noon, right?’

‘I can make an exception.’

‘Coming through.’ Bobby squeezed through the gate again to grab another crate.

‘Need some help? It’ll be my resistance training for the day.’ Theo grabbed one of the crates and followed Bobby over to his truck. ‘Besides, I’ve always wanted to try GOMAD.’

Bonnie couldn’t believe it. First Theo had ditched her for Effie, and now for Bobby ? Everything was topsy-turvy. Had someone cast a bizarre spell on the town? Or maybe Mercury was doing its retrograde thing.

‘Look at you, all helpful,’ she said flirtatiously. ‘Well, when you work up a thirst, you know where to come.’

‘Thanks, Bon!’ said Bobby, with a grin that suggested he thought that he was the subject of the invitation. ‘All right, Theo, put your back into it.’

Well, it was slightly unexpected, but Bonnie had the bar to herself. At least she could count on Bobby to talk her up to Theo.

Fortunately, her pre-opening tasks kept her busy right up until the time she switched over the sign on the door, and soon Theo had slipped from her mind altogether.

For you, Mom , she thought as she opened the doors, as she did every time. Because this bar thing wasn’t just for Bonnie. From the paintings on the stairwell walls to the brownies in the dessert case, this whole place was a tribute to Mom’s memory.