Page 16 of The Nowhere Witch

Zark had finally started moving. He dashed in front of me. “Go wait behind the bar. I’ll handle this.”

I nodded, doing as I was told.

Zark went over, trying to smooth the customer’s feathers as I tried to take in the rest of the customers’ reactions. They looked more amused than anything else. Still, I was going to be fired for sure. The only job I could get and I hadn’t lasted an hour. It would be all over Xest by tonight.He’dknow. He’d probably make a special visit to see me and tell me I should go back to Salem. I was sure he’dknownthis was how it would turn out all along.

I stood as far back from the crowd as possible. Maybe they’d forget I was here.

The second Zark walked behind the bar, I said, “I’m so sorry. I really am. I didn’t mean for that to happen. I don’t know what I did wrong, but I’ll do it again, as many times as needed to until I get it right.”

He threw up his hands. “No, no, don’t do that.”

“Then I’m fired?” I looked at the floor, waiting to hear the words. “Of course I’m fired. I blew up your customer’s beard. How could Inotbe fired?”Don’t cry, you big ninny. Do not cry. You’re not a crier, remember?

“Now, I wouldn’t go as far as firing you.”

“You wouldn’t?” My head popped right up and my spine straightened like I was a jack-in-the-box.

Zark looked at the crowd, none of whom had left, not even burned-beard guy.

“It wasn’t a good showing, but I don’t want to be hasty, either. Maybe you do some of the manual stuff and leave the magic to me for now, until you get settled in. It’s probably only nerves. There can be magical flare-ups due to nerves.” He waved a hand toward the bottles. “But, you know, maybe don’t touch too much, and don’t do anything magical at all. I mean nothing at all. Don’t utter a magical word or have a magical thought, all right?”

The nice Zark was still there, just like all his customers.

“I won’t do a thing. Absolutely nothing.”

He nodded. “That’s good.”

“You’re going to stay back here with me?” He was hiring me to tend his bar and he couldn’t leave? How long would things last like this? “I could maybe just call you if there’s a magical drink.”

“It’s your first day. I don’t want to overtax you.”

He was afraid to leave me back here alone, even as he took a step away from me, just in case.

“But if I don’t learn, what about next time I work, or the time after that?” There was no way he wouldn’t end up firing me.

A couple of people were examining the burned beard, smiling and nodding. Even burned-beard guy was nodding, as if this was somehow good.

“We’ll figure something out,” Zark said, looking out at the crowd as well.

This place was strange. Maybe this could last?

* * *

I’d just fallen asleep when the door swung open, slamming into the wall and jolting me awake. I scanned the entry for a herd of something bigger than grouslies heading over to eat me.

Instead, there was Zab, bouncing around. “I found you a place!”

“You did?” Even my sleep-deprived brain registered how fast he’d managed that. From what I’d known, he did like to entertain the ladies a lot. A homeless friend on your couch was definitely a deterrent to sexy times.

“Yes. Come on. I’ve got the keys.” He was nearly vibrating, like he’d been plugged in.

“You’ve got the keys? They just gave them to you?” I shoved the hair out of my face.

“Of course. I already gave them payment. They have to. That’s the way it works.”

That cleared all the sleep cobwebs from my brain like a shop vac on a miniature dollhouse. I sprang up from the couch, grabbing clean clothes from the bag I was living out of.

“You told them I’d take it already? You paid for it?” How much had I made yesterday? This place better be really cheap.

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