Page 38 of Bewitched & Bewildered
“Sure, sure.”
I swirl the bottled potion and waltz away, waiting for it to cool enough. The potion will work when it’s hot, but I’ve scalded my throat from impatience.
“Don’t be gone too long,” Laurel says. “I don’t know what to do if this place comes back to life!”
I offer her a soft smile. “You’ll do fine. Just take their orders and send them on their way.”
“What if they have questions?”
“Answer them. You’re a smart witch. I’m not worried.”
The only thing in the way of Laurel’s success is her confidence. The more time I spend with her, the more I trust her instincts as a witch.
“Right.” She nods. “I’ll just… answer them. That easy.”
It will be good for Laurel to have a bit of responsibility—and even though she’s acting like it’s an impossible hurdle, I believe in her.
The shop will be in one piece when I return.
I drink the potion and wait for it to come into effect. The changes are subtle—blonde hair, brown eyes, and a few facial changes. He won’t be able to recognize me, but it’s not enough of a transformation that the potion is painful.
Growing a few inches is another story—and yes, I’ve testedthatpotion. It’s not worth the height.
I wrinkle my nose as it shrinks and turns pointier. There’s a floor-length mirror in the shop for reasons like this. I look at my reflection. My mole is gone, my hair is platinum, and… I barely recognize myself.
It should fool Ozan without a problem.
“I’ll be back in fifteen minutes,” I tell Laurel.
Before she can question me further, I scramble out of the shop.
No one looks my way as I walk down the street, turning the corner to find Oz’s apothecary. Sure enough, it may not be as packed as ours was yesterday, but several people are inside.
My jaw clenches as I enter. I can’t meet his gaze looking like this—lucky for me, he doesn’t bother glancing in my direction.
What is he doing right? We should have advertised our opening better, extended the sale, or…
I don’t know. I busy myself looking at a stack of spell books and listening in on him with the other customer.
“I completed your spell last night,” he says. “Remember, I can’t guarantee results, but this should give you a leg up with the promotion.”
“Oh, bless you.” The customer is a stranger to me. She offers him a warm smile. “I’ll tell you how the talk with my boss goes.”
“Please do. I would love to hear about your results. Remember to leave a testimonial online.”
Gods. It sounds like heisdoing online marketing. Will he leave any corner unturned?
The woman pauses, looking Ozan up and down. “You know, I have a niece about your age?—”
I snort. I can see where this is going.
Finally, he glances in my direction.
I freeze, expecting him to say something or recognize me. It doesn’t happen, and a moment later, his attention moves back to the customer.
“I’m going to stop you there.” Ozan chuckles. “That’s very kind of you, but I’m not looking.”
He’s not looking. Why the hell is he sending me red roses?
