Page 1 of Wolves' Midlife Reunion
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“Excuse me!”
“How may I help you?” Tina Wright smiled pleasantly at the customer who’d just marched up to the cash register and demanded her attention. Or at least, she hoped she smiled pleasantly. The Crystal Cauldron was full to the brim with customers, and some just didn’t know how to wait in line. Tina left the cash register in Nia’s hands.
“Yeah, hi. I was wondering if you carry any of those light-up witch hats. You know, the ones with the LEDs on them? My friends and I all want to match!” The woman wore a black t-shirt with ‘Basic Witch’ emblazoned across the front and was munching on a bag of chocolate balls labeled Eye of Newt.
Tina held back her sigh. The Crystal Cauldron was a serious shop. She carried a wide range of supplies, and throughout the year, her fellow witches often came to her for their stones, palo santo, candles, and incense. It was tourist season, though, when everyone in America descended on Salem and decided they were witches.
“I’m sorry,” Tina said, still holding that smile. “I don’t have any of those here. You might want to try Ye Olde Broom Shoppe. I believe they carry them.”
“Jenny! Hey, Jen!” The woman leaned back and called across the shop to her friend, drawing the attention of several other customers. “We’ll have to go somewhere else!”
Tina cleared her throat. Did this woman have a clue how rude she was being? Did she not understand that most of the shops in Salem were run by small business owners, all looking to make a living? Still, she kept smiling. “Is there something else I can interest you in? We have some great books about beginning your journey into witchcraft, as well as some kits that include everything you need to get started.” She gestured toward the neatly wrapped packages on a nearby display rack.
Every Halloween season, Tina tried to come up with something new for The Crystal Cauldron. She was proud of her inventory, but she had to cater to a different crowd during the month of October. The beginner witch kits seemed like they would perfectly toe the line between those who were just there to have fun and those who genuinely wanted to explore their innate magical gifts.
“Hmmm…” The woman stuffed another handful of chocolate balls into her mouth as she picked up one of the kits and examined it. “Jenny! Jen! You want one of these?” She waved the kit over her head.
Jenny finally came over to see. “Yeah, that could be fun! We can go back home and show everyone all the spells we learned while we were here!”
Two kits were plopped down on the counter.
Tina rang them up quickly on the second register, which sat under a plastic cover for most of the year. “As that book will tell you, you need to be very careful when you’re first starting out on your magical journey. Your energy and intention have a bigimpact on what you’re doing.” She slipped the kits into a purple gift bag.
Basic Witch laughed, waving her hand dismissively. “Oh, I’m not worried about it. It’s not like it’s real, anyway. This is all just for fun. Thanks, though!” She grabbed the bag and headed out the door, undoubtedly on her way to Ye Olde Broom Shoppe for a light-up hat or some cheesy décor.
“Tina?”
Nia still had the cash register well in hand, so Tina turned to Colette. “What’s up?”
“Uh, I’m really sorry.” Colette held her phone in her hands and chewed her bottom lip. “I completely forgot that I’ve got band practice tonight. They changed the schedule around. I’ve got to head out, or I’m going to be late.”
“Oh.” The shop was packed with tourists. She needed at least three people to run the place when it was like this. “I’m really, really sorry,” Colette insisted. “I can message my band director and…”
“Absolutely not.” Tina shook her head firmly. “When you started here in high school, I told you I’d work around your school and band schedules. It’s even more important now that you’re on that scholarship. I don’t want you to lose that. Just make sure you go over your schedule for the next few weeks and make sure we’re on the same page, okay?”
Colette’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Thanks. And again, I’m really sorry.”
“We’ll hold the fort down.” Tina gave her a wink.
“How are we going to do dinner?” Nia asked, turning to Tina as she finished ringing up a large order of soaps, sage bundles, essential oils, and stones.
“Well…” This was always the problem with running a small business. The balance between having enough staff and being able to afford them was a delicate one. “We’ll order in. My treat.”
“Sweet!” Nia returned to the next customer, smiling brightly. “Hi, there. Did you find everything you needed today?”
The line was long at the counter, extending too close to the door. If new customers came in and saw that, they were likely to turn around and leave. Tina grabbed the next person and led her over to her register. Between the two of them, she managed to reduce the line to just a couple of people.
She was just about to go work the floor, restocking and straightening, when she noticed a customer eyeing the jewelry in the locked glass case adjacent to the cash register. She never wanted anyone to linger too long without being offered assistance. Many people would give up if they couldn’t just grab what they needed off the rack. “Is there anything you’d like to see?” She pulled the key off her wrist and unlocked the sliding back door of the case, opening it to let her customer know she was more than willing to help.
“Well, maybe.” His muscular arms were leaning on the glass as he looked down inside.
Though she could only see him from this odd angle, Tina noticed the way the display lights highlighted his cheekbones and the long, straight line of his nose. His dark hair was combed carefully back. The scent of his cologne, only reaching her now that she stood right there in front of him, was a tantalizing mix of pine and vetiver. Her wolf reacted with a start, furiously intrigued.
She clenched her hand in the folds of her skirt, telling her wolf to calm the hell down. The guy was probably handsome, but there was no need to go crazy over a customer. Granted, it’d been a while since she’d been on a date. Her work and her coven filled most of her time, and that was a much more satisfying way to live than chasing men on dating apps.
“I’d like to get a necklace for a special someone’s birthday. I’m just not sure which one. They’re all pretty. What do you think?” He lifted his head to look at her.
