Page 18 of Magic and Muffins

I snorted as Anchor shook his head at her.

“Let’s go,” I said, grabbing my purse before she could bring up the reward she expected for her model behavior.

“Are we taking your fancy wheels?” she asked.

“You mean the company vehicle that Cross bought?”

“Yes,yourfancy wheels.” She grinned.

I rolled my eyes at her sassiness, and we headed downstairs to the company vehicle.

Anchor followed us but stopped at the door, blocking our path outside. “I need both of you together.”

“Of course we’ll be together,” Vena said.

He shook his head. “No. I need you joined at the hip. No going down different aisles or like how you shop at the market and leapfrog to different stalls. I need eyes on both of you at the same time.”

I nodded in agreement.

“Vena, I’m looking at you,” he said.

“I’ll stick to Ev like troll boogers. Let’s go!”

Once we got in the bright red SUV, we agreed to go to a store that wasn’t too far away and should have most of what we needed. The gourmet kitchen store had fun decorations that would enhance Bites and Delights.

I smiled at the name. Now that we had one picked out, the business felt more real. I couldn’t wait until I flipped the open sign on the door. Or should it be a lit sign? Maybe something more sophisticated, like carved wood?

As soon as I parked and exited the SUV, Vena was at my side. She even wrapped her arm around my shoulders and steered me into the brightly lit store. Something about a well-lit kitchen store made me want to skip into it with a large basket.

I immediately wanted to veer to the cookware to admire the shiny beauties, but I didn’t want to get distracted or waste time. Instead, I went to the other side, where I saw porcelain cakes and donuts, tiny menu chalkboards, and wooden signs with painted sayings.

“This place is making me hungry,” Vena said.

“I’ll feed you when we get home.”

Vena didn’t stray from my side even once as I picked out things. Thankfully, Anchor had the foresight to grab a cart and follow behind us. He looked like a large, muscular bodyguard strolling through the aisles with a dainty cart.

“Why do they have a butt plug here?” Vena asked.

I glanced at what she was holding. “It’s a handheld lime juicer.”

She eyed it with a little too much interest. “I need it.”

“Put the innocent juicer down.”

She waggled the juicer at Anchor. “Attempt number 795?”

He flushed slightly. “Put it down.”

Vena snorted and put it back.

Her phone played a sinister sound, and I gave her a questioning look.

“It’s an alert.”

“Obviously. But what for? Are you still following that one guy who made you mad three years ago?”

“Harvey Dently will get what’s coming to him, and I’m going to be ready with a haughty laugh.”

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