Page 4 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Midlife

“Oh,” Ethyl blurted as she looked accusingly at Ric. “I thought you said you shared these with the office staff.”

“Are you kidding me?” Lenny let out an obnoxious snort. “He hordes them all to himself.”

My jaw dropped. “All two dozen cinnamon rolls?”

Sure, my pastries were low carb-ish, but there was such thing as too much of a good thing. How could one man possibly eat two dozen cinnamon rolls in a day? And what the heck was he doing to burn off the calories?

“I share,” Ric spat, and for a moment I thought his dark eyes had shifted to gold feline slits. “Just not with you.” He stormed out of the bakery in a huff.

I gaped at his round and delectable, retreating behind. Surely, he couldn’t have been a shifter. He wasn’t in the registry and failure to report could result in imprisonment or worse.

“That’s a lie.” A burst of grating laughter erupted from Lenny’s throat as he helped himself to a handful of free sample mini muffins. “I’m the only other employee at the mortuary except for the weekend undertaker.”

Mortuary? Cinnamon Latte was an undertaker?

“Sir,” Ethyl scolded, “one sample per customer.”

Lenny ignored her as he shoved another handful in his mouth.

“Hey!” he screamed when Ethyl jumped on a stool and leaned over the counter, snatching the sample platter from his hands.

“So, do you see anything you like?” I forced a smile while fingering my wand, wishing so badly I could zap him back when he leaned against the pastry case, smearing his fingerprints all over the glass.

“I’m not sure.” He scratched his balding head, causing an avalanche of dandruff to fall down his back. “Six dollars for acinnamon roll! I can get a whole pack of frozen rolls for cheaper than that.”

I scowled down at the skin flurries as they floated to the floor. Gross.

“These are not frozen.” My smile was so forced, I feared my lips would snap. “They’re homemade with the best ingredients.”

Gluten and dairy free plus somewhat low carb and low calorie, thanks to a secret spell my mom had taught me years ago, a spell I’d take to my grave before Gus the troll ever found out and shut me down.

“Boy, oh boy!” He let out a low whistle while shaking his head. “No wonder Mr. Romero won’t give me a raise. He must spend all his profits in here.”

Ethyl angrily grumbled and scrubbed the counters.

I jumped when Des parroted Lenny’s whistle. So hewaslistening? I needed to get Lenny the hell out of my bakery before my son picked up any more of the annoying man’s habits.

Magic tickled my fingers while I fumbled the lipstick wand in my pocket. How badly I wanted to turn this unpleasant little man into a toad. I was certain he’d been some sort of log-dwelling, fly-snatching, scum-sucking amphibian in his past life, and his former personality had followed him into this one. “We give him a bulk discount.”

He grabbed a platter of blueberry scones and shoved another fistful of free samples into his mouth, spitting out crumbs while he spoke. “I should get in on that discount, too, since I’m his employee.”

I shared a disgusted look with Ethyl.

“Sir, those are samples,” Ethyl scolded, stomping around the counter and wagging her lipstick wand at his face while snatching the tray from his hand. “You’re not supposed to eat the entire thing.”

My heart thudded a raging river in my ears until Ethyl lowered her lipstick. Thank goodness modern-day wands had enchantments that disguised them. I couldn’t imagine how Lenny would react if he saw an eighteen-inch elderberry stick, burnished with dragon fire to a glistening onyx pointed at his chest.

“Fine.” He slapped crumbs from his hands. “I’m full now, anyway.” He stomped out of the bakery, but not before staining the glass door with stubby fingerprints.

Ethyl stared after him, back rigid. “What a little prick. He gets a curse of flatulence next time he comes in here.”

I would gladly curse Lenny myself, but I had bigger problems at the moment. “Ethyl, what was in that orange cinnamon roll?”

My assistant slowly turned to me, feigned shock on her face. “Huh?”

I swore under my breath. “Ethyl, we haven’t gone over love spells yet.”

“I don’t need you to go over every spell with me.” Ethyl waved away my concern with a flick of her lipstick. “It was a basic love potion.”

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