Page 16 of Love, Magic and Misfortune
“I know, you told me already.” She shook her head, smiling as she stepped into the kitchen. The room was at the back of Laurent House, awash with overcast light and overlooking the decaying garden and orchard through a neat row of square windows positioned over the sink. The cabinets were antique white: distinctly characteristic of a charming country home. Although this room was less dusty than the others Violet had seen, it would still benefit from a deep clean.
Jasper placed the grocery bag on the island in the center of the kitchen, then diligently removed its contents. Violet paused, taking the moment in. She was in the same room with Jasper. She’d known nothing about him for almost two decades, but suddenly here he was, standing before her. It didn’t seem real.
The permanent hole in Violet’s chest still ached with the loss of Gloria Marie. But this unexpected turn—being reunited with her childhood friend after so long—stirred an entirely new feeling inside her. Something warm and gentle that helped to distract her from the hollow loneliness.
As he dug through the reusable bag, she smiled. “Your grocery list makes me feel a little like I’m shopping for a squirrel.”
His hands froze. When his large eyes flickered up to meet hers, she drew back at the startled expression there. He didn’t say anything, but slowly removed a jar of almond butter from the bag and set it on the counter.
Violet stepped forward. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything malicious by that. Mostly I meant you eat very healthy, which is a good thing.” She pulled two pouches out of her purse. “I brought these, too. Gram has a lot of dried chamomile in her pantry for tea, and peppermint, too—”
“I can’t have peppermint.” Jasper snapped his head up. “At all. I—I’m very allergic.”
“Okay, sorry…” Violet placed the small bags back inside her purse, then sighed. “I’m off to a terrible start here, aren’t I?”
“No, no you aren’t.” He shook his head. Walking toward the fridge, he opened it to transfer the items. “I’m… just being uptight. Would you mind starting the tea?”
“Sure.” Violet turned and stepped toward the gas stove, glad to have an assigned task. Maybe it would help keep her mouth under control? The kettle was already there and filled with water. She turned the dial,tick-tick-tickuntil the blue-yellow flame puffed out with intense heat. She lowered the flame just a little.
“The chamomile tea bags you brought… Gloria always made two separate batches.”
“Ah, the planter that shares the mint versus the isolated pot,” Violet realized. “I don’t know her pantry and herb system yet, so let’s just use yours, if you have any left? I’ll be sure to dry a new batch myself, next time.”
“I do. And thank you, that’s very kind. The tea is in the white container on your left. How was your work thing yesterday? The event with the T-shirts.”
“It went perfectly fine. A complete success.”
“So, a lot of fuss for no reason?” Jasper said, tearing his requested bag of pumpkin seeds open as he stood at the island.
“That’s my job, really. I have three key responsibilities—one, fielding my bosses’ crazy requests. Two, talking them down when they freak out and three, being showered in accolades when everything turns out great.”
“Exhausting but rewarding?” he asked, munching a mouthful of seeds.
“Much more so the former.”
“So why subject yourself to it?”
Violet shrugged. “Money.”
“Mm, the great motivator.”
“What about you, Jas? How do you sustain your lifestyle? How is it you can hand me a bank card and tell me to do whatever I want?”
He chuckled with a warm, airy sound while digging his hand into the bag for another round of seeds. “I didn’t say ‘do whatever you want.’ I said buy yourself groceries and gas.”
“That’s sweet of you, but you don’t need to pay for my groceries. I did buy myself a nice bottle of wine though.”
“You could have gotten more… if you wanted.”
Violet lifted her chin. “How do you know I won’t? Maybe later I’ll hit up Tiffany’s and buy those earrings I’ve always wanted. A new candy-apple-red Mercedes.”
He laughed again and it was such a nice sound. It seemed to fill the chilly, shadowy space. “You wouldn’t have gotten that far. If anything, you would probably be in jail for fraud. Is that what the twenty-five-year-old version of Violet Ainsworth likes? Expensive cars and fine jewelry? Should I have Jeeves prepare the caviar?”
“No.” She turned toward the stove behind her at the whistle of the teakettle, then threw a feisty look over her shoulder. “Butyoudon’t know that.”
He shifted his stance, lifting his bag of seeds toward her. “True… You want some?”
“No thanks. Cups?”
