Page 77 of Obsession

I’m awakened by a delicious smell. Sitting up, I find the source—on my nightstand is a café au lait and a bag of hot beignets from New Orleans. A note from Damion written in dragon’s blood ink reads:

I still owe you a NOLA trip. Waiting for you to call due what’s yours.

Next to it is a large heart-shaped rhodonite, the stone of love and compassion. My phone chimes and I grab it from the nightstand.

Damion: Go out to dinner with me tomorrow night. No strings. Just dinner.

Me: But wait, aren’t there always strings?

Damion: True, but you get to decide whether to get tangled up in them with me. I promise I’ll be a good boy and wait until you’re ready.

Damion once warned me there are always strings. And I didn’t listen to him then. The question is, should I listen to him now? I grab my cards and give them a shuffle. “Upright means yes, I should go to dinner. Reversed means no, I shouldn’t go.” I cut the deck and pull one card. Devil upright. “Again Universe, you don’t have to get all cute.”

Me: I’ll see you tomorrow evening.

Later in the day, Julia drops by the shop. “Wow, someone is pulling out all the stops,” she comments, admiring my roses on the counter. “So he’s still in the doghouse?"

“I don’t know.” I sigh. “He broke my heart. I know he didn’t mean to do the breaking, but it’s still broken just the same.”

“Vivian says Chris is spending more time around here.” Here we go. Vivian and her big mouth. “So is something going on there?” Julia presses.

“I’m working with Chris on a case. Well, that’s an overstatement. Let me rephrase—Chris has a case in which I have an overlapping interest.”

“I mean is something going on there.”

“Not you too,” I groan. “There is no something.” I mean, the kiss was something. Something I’m still choosing not to think about.

“Vivian’s right—Damion got a pass, and you should get one too,” Julia weighs in.

“How would a revenge fuck help matters?” I grumble.

“Oh honey, you’ve clearly never had a good revenge fuck.” She grabs a box of red candles and I ring her up. “At a minimum, Damion needs a good dose of humiliation. You need to teach him that wetting his cock anywhere else isn’t going to fly. Work him up to the brink and send him packing. Then call him back and repeat the process until he’s on his knees begging.”

“You are diabolical,” I say, and she shrugs.

“Hey girls, whatcha talking about?” Grandma joins us.

“Nothing!”

“Orgasm control,” Julia says at the same time.

“Good plan.” Grandma solemnly nods. “Blue balls would do Damion a world of good.”

“Please do not mention his balls again. Ever.”

“Calm down, prude,” she sighs. “Julia, how’s Sonia working out in the sub department?”

My tarot client enters the shop and I excuse myself, not needing to hear the details of Julia’s sex life. As I lead the woman to the back, she requests a love reading. The Lover reversed is the first card turned over. Dang, I know the feeling.

Later that evening, I continue my perusal of Mama’s book of shadows, B.B. snuggling up beside me. I begin decoding the next spell written in witch alphabet.

Mind Control

Perform during a full moon or a half moon. Cast a circle and place an object of the person you’re wanting to control. A picture or other personal item will work. Light a candle for each cardinal direction and chant:

These thoughts i embed in your mind.

From the source you will be blind.

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