Mathilda, SuperWitch (Mathilda's Book of Shadows #1)(99)
Anyway.
Su was working with the help of a computer chiphead, IT geek to create a trail of years of fake e-mails, fake telephone bills and a bunch of faked photos which would link Josie and Windspear in order to lay testimony for the fiancée visa that we needed for Josie to move to The States.
(Okay, we were breaking the law but if she worked, she’d pay tax. And she was gonna save the world one day. I mean, give us a break!)
I found out that the magic-stripping magic was so rarely performed that even Mavis, Gran and Mom had exhausted their ideas of where I should search.
I was also in my Tower Room researching ways to sever the mind-meld with Ash.
The mind-meld was more magic that was hard to reverse, especially since I had to cloak my thoughts every once in awhile so Ash wouldn’t cotton onto the fact I was trying to cut ties with him.
Lastly, I was also in my Tower Room avoiding Aidan.
Because it was his birthday.
Although I was prepared, I didn’t think I could handle another birthday. The last one went great (Ash’s) and I was already heartbroken enough. I didn’t need more reason to be heartbroken.
It was late; I’d fallen asleep on the lounge upside down, my feet over the back and my head at the foot.
My notes and reference books on mind-melds and magic-stripping were in disarray around me.
And my mobile rang.
I jumped, twisted and slid off the lounge into the piles of paper and dangerously delicate tomes o’ magic lore.
And I saw before me a pair of legs encased in mushroom-colored corduroy.
I followed the legs up and saw a nicely veined, long-fingered, masculine hand holding out my mobile that said on the front display, “Gabriel Calling”.
Ack!
I grabbed the phone, scrambled to my feet, smiled innocently (I hoped) at the gorgeous head on top of the corduroy and fisherman’s sweatered body of Aidan while flipping open the phone and saying a bright, “Hello!”
“You’re not alone,” Gabriel responded.
Aidan crossed his arms on his chest.
“How’d you know that?” I asked.
“You sound bright and cheery, you’re never bright and cheery,” Gabriel replied.
Cheeky.
“I’m always bright and cheery!”
I cannot believe he said that.
Of course I was bright and cheery.
I was the Queen of Bright and Cheery.
“I’ll call back later.” And then he disconnected.
“Who’s Gabriel?” Aidan asked the minute I flipped my phone shut.
Ack!
“Um…”
Ack!
* * * * *
Now, I had been a very, very busy girl since my night on the cliff face but I couldn’t avoid Ash and Aidan altogether since we were all on a mission to fight evil (supposedly) and I was expected to be enamored with both of them.
But I’d used my single-minded desire to battle the Traditionalists, not to mention to have as many pairs of shoes and handbags and nice furniture for my Tower Room (thus working extra hard at The Dozen to earn money) as my excuse to steer clear of the Double-Crossing Duo.
I could tell my avoiding them was wearing thin.
Or as Danny Glover would say in Lethal Weapon, “Anorexic.”
What to do?
Stall.
* * * * *
“Wait here! Don’t move. I’ll be back in two seconds!”
And I ran from the room.
I kinda wished I could run from The Gables, from the town, from the country but that wasn’t in the cards.
Yet.
Instead, I ran to the kitchen and back.
When I arrived, I presented a somewhat-less-tolerant-looking (ack!) Aidan with a bright orange cookie tin wrapped in a hot pink organdie ribbon.
“Happy Birthday!” I shouted, maybe a little too loudly. “Those are oatmeal cookies, just like you like but I changed them. I noticed you like cranberry juice and, later, I saw you dig into Lucy’s almond Danish so I experimented and finally put in some dried cranberries…” Yes, I was babbling. “And a bit of ground almond in the mix and added white chocolate for good measure and came up with those… Aidan’s Cranberry Almond Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks! Voila!”
Once I’d done a lame little hand flourish with my “voila!” one of his arms snaked out, rounded my waist and he pulled me into a tight hug, burying his face in my hair at the side of my neck.
“Jesus, Matty,” he muttered by my ear, relief in his voice.
I felt my throat close as shivers ran down my spine.
Bastard!
Bastard!
Bastard!
“What’s the matter, Aidan?” I asked.
I knew exactly what was the matter but I wasn’t going to let on.
His arm gave me a squeeze and his lips gave my neck a brush and more shivers ran down my spine.
Then he whispered in my ear, “Nothing, darling.”
Darling.
I loved that.
Bastard.
“Okay,” I whispered back before I pulled away and ran to one of the cabinets. “That isn’t all,” I said, tearing through cabinets to find what I’d made in a fit of tears and fury but still, it had to be done.
The game had to be played.
I found it, walked back to Aidan and handed him a booklet made of thin strips of hot pink paper held fast at one end by a bright orange, organdie bow.