Some Like It Wicked by Lauren Hawkeye Page A

had entered her sister’s tone, irritation on her behalf. Still, she knew that Lorelai didn’t understand, not fully. They were twins, they made no secret of their magical heritage and they were co-owners of Belladonna, but Lorelai didn’t have quite the same troubles with the locals as Aria did.
    Her sister was sweet of nature where Aria was fiery. Lorelai liked to please people, and Aria could not have cared less. Her sister even had the golden good looks of an angel, while Aria frequently changed her hair color and style. She also preferred torn denim, red lipstick and her ancient leather jacket to her twin’s floaty skirts and cardigans.
    In other words, she scared the hell out of most people and Lorelai didn’t. And Aria didn’t care, except when it came to sex and men.
    “There was a new guy working the espresso machine. Super tall, blond, just a bit of scruff. You know who I’m talking about?”
    Lorelai nodded enthusiastically, hitching herself up to sit beside her sister on the counter. “I do. Oh, I do.”
    “Yeah. So.” Aria drained her coffee and hesitated. This part stung. “He was into me. I know he was into me. He asked me what I was doing later. Then he asked my name.”
    “Uh-oh.” Lorelai bumped her shoulder against her sister’s, and Aria felt the warmth from the touch streak down her arm. It helped...a bit.
    “Yeah. I can see the wheels turning. Ding ding ding, he’s flirting with the scary Prescott twin. The witch .” Aria crunched the paper cup in her palm, wishing she was doing it on the idiot’s head. “And this is the worst part. He ran away.”
    “He what?” Lorelai turned and looked directly at Aria, disbelief painted over her face.
    “You heard me. He ran away. Scurried into the back without another word.” Normally Aria tried to laugh these situations off, but this one had been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
    She was hurt. Not because she wanted that guy, specifically, but because she wanted some damn companionship. If it came in the form of some hot, sweaty sex, then so much the better.
    She was lonely, damn it. And that was something that she wasn’t going to admit, even to Lorelai.
    She saw the sympathy registering on her sister’s face. She really didn’t want to hear it. Lorelai knew better than to give platitudes about how it would all get better, but she still tried to soothe her sister’s hurt.
    Aria wanted to hold on to her irritation, illogical as it was.
    “Anyway, I just came to bring you your tea, not to cry on your shoulder.” Swinging her legs, Aria lowered herself down off the counter. “If you leave the tins out to cool, I’ll set them out on the shelf in the morning.”
    “Aria...” Aria held a hand up, her emerald-green eyes sparking at her sister as Lorelai spoke.
    “Please, Lori. Not now.” Her sister knew her well enough not to take offense at her curt tone. “I’m going to head to Harry’s for a few drinks, I think, then head home. Alone, most likely, but at least I’ll have had some beer to soothe the pain.”
    Before Lorelai could protest any further, Aria waved her goodbyes and pushed out of the glass door of Belladonna. Yes, she’d head to Harry’s Bar and Grill, have a burger and some beer. And if she headed home alone afterward, she figured she’d rather keep her own company than be stuck with someone as spineless as the idiot from the coffee shop.
    * * *
    Lorelai watched Aria leave with a pang in her heart. She knew that Aria thought she didn’t understand, but she knew what her sister was feeling better than she’d like to admit.
    Lorelai had wanted to be a teacher—specifically, a kindergarten or elementary school teacher. But the way in which parents held their children tight when either she or Aria was around had told her early on that, unless she wanted to move somewhere else and hide her magic, she’d better settle for another career choice.
    And while she tended to scare men off less than her outgoing