Moondust by J.L. Weil Page B

tapped a nail against her mug and I could see she had something on her mind beneath her excitement. “Are you sure you are okay with closing up by yourself? I can always have Chad change the reservation to later, or better yet, you could come with us?”
    I had to stifle a groan. As appealing as Bella Donna’s was, being a third wheel on my aunt’s date was pathetic. “I will be fine. Promise.” I crossed my heart with my finger. “You deserve a night off. Bring me a doggie bag?”
    She smiled warmly. “Always.”
    Finishing our cof fee, I grabbed a granola bar as Aunt Clara snatched the keys. Normally we drove separately, but today we rode together. Chad was picking her up from Mystic Floral for their romantic excursion. I tried to contain the need to gag.
    As expected , the shop was a madhouse. I didn’t get two seconds to myself since the doors opened, but it was good for business, or so I kept telling myself. I forced a bright smile for the next customer. My face muscles were in agony and there was a good chance that I would have a permanent creepy smile like the Joker by the time this puking pink holiday was over.
    We had just made it through the lunch -hour rush when Aunt Clara’s cellphone vibrated. Her face lit up as she glanced at the number flashing on her phone: Chad. She always got that goofy look when he called.
    I rolled my eyes and started to restock the cases for the next rush. The entire shop smelled of roses and bab y’s breath. Beats coming home reeking of greasy burgers and salty fries, I guess. In the background I heard her bubbly whispers, and it was a reassuring sound that let me know she was happy.
    I , on the other hand, was a bundle of turmoil ever since the other night, when I had come to the realization that no matter what kind of connection Lukas and I might have, it was Gavin I was in love with. That wouldn’t change. Now I just had to find the words to tell that to Lukas. I didn’t want to hurt him. I didn’t want to hurt either of them, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that that was exactly what I was going to end up doing: hurting people close to me.
    Shooing Aunt Clara out the door with a dewy-eye d Chad, I took a quick look around the shop and saw that I had a moment just to myself. I knew it wouldn’t last, so I closed my eyes and tried to clear my head. I felt the gentle hum of magic swirling inside me for just a moment before the door chimed and I kissed my solitude goodbye.
    I huffed, watching the gazillion th guy scramble last-minute to get his wife or girlfriend a gift. If the bells dinged one more time before we closed, I was going to rip them from the above threshold and toss them out the door.
    Shifting my weigh t restlessly, I watched the hands on the clock. When at last nine o’clock struck, I already had the drawer counted, the shelves cleaned, and the flowers stocked. I was out the door. With the keys jingling in my hand, I turned the lock and set the security system to “active.”
    As I walked around the building to the back parking lot, s omething cold and prickly opened up inside me. I peeked over my shoulder, unable to shake the chill on my spine.
    Someone was watching me ; I was sure of it.
    B efore I had a chance to process that I was in danger, it was already upon me. Out of the shadows, a figure immerged. Cloaked in black, with a hood shielding his face, the man stood between my car and me. Panic skyrocketed in my chest. The vibrations in the air were undeniable. He was a witch, and by the ominous sneer on his mouth, the only part of his face I could really see, he wasn’t here to buy flowers; He was here to kill me.
    For the love of God.
    I knew that my life was in danger, but it didn’t really hit me until I was staring it in the face. The mystery witch faced me and a shudder rolled through me. I took a step backward, away from the parking lot. If I could just get back into the shop…
    A really stupid plan. He would catch me before I had the chance