Then there was the fact that Aideen added, “Not only is recharging the Magical Spell that protects Dragoon Bootay part of her duties, but she is also the Protector of Assjacket, WV, and the legendary Shifter Wanker, which means…”
“Which means she has the Magical gift of healing Shifters and other Magical Beings, aka, she is a little powerhouse all on her own. Not to mention, she feels the pain in whatever body part she heals,” I finished. “Yeah, I read all the history books, took all the tests, got all the degrees, and even have a T-shirt or two to prove there actually was a time I left Dragoon Bootay. But there’s something about this Witch named Zelda I like.”
“Well, thank the Great Goddess,” Zelda snorted sarcastically. “I’m so glad you two are done whispering in your minds about me like I’m not even here. It’s just such a weight off my shoulders that you’re gonna let me pour a shit ton of Magic into the Spell created by the Goddess and the Universe to keep your little town a secret from...”
No, I didn’t answer even though I knew she was waiting. Mostly because I didn’t know who we were being protected from, and I wanted to see if she knew and would spill the beans. Also, I didn’t give a good hoot or nanny that she was the Witch next in line to be the Baba Yaga. She was on my turf, and she was being rude, and that was not cool. To say her snark and sass were getting thicker by the minute would have been an understatement, and it irritated me.
But…
And it was a rather important but…
Dang it all, there was just something about her that I liked.
Sure, she had an attitude bigger than the whole Great State of Texas and then some. Absolutely, there was not even the slightest doubt that she’d been in trouble –the kind that gets a Witch thrown in the Pokey. Of course, she’d been listening in on the mental conversation I was having with the Dragon Queen with whom I shared my soul and not only was that a no-no in the Magical world, but it was also just plain rude to eavesdrop, no matter where you were.
But…
Yep. There was that word again.
I couldn't shake the feeling that we were destined to be best friends. Then, before I could get a word in edgewise, she spoke –in a much less sassy, and dare I say a much more cordial tone, and I knew we were gonna be the best of friends.
“Is the scent of the best coffee in the world a byproduct of the Super Duper Califragi–Dragonlisicious–Expialidocious Spell, or is there someone here who actually knows how to make a good cup of joe?”
As you can imagine, her comment made my heart sing. I smiled with such gusto that my chubby cheeks were pushed up right into my eyes, and for just a second, I couldn’t see one damn thing, and I didn’t care.
It was kismet. It was fate. It was almost as good as homemade oatmeal cookies made with molasses and cinnamon, milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and raisins.
I had found a friend – a true friend with a love of coffee, and as would later come to light, a sweet tooth almost as long as mine, and a love for all things blinging and bougie. See? Fate does know what she’s doing –sometimes.
Now, where was I?
Oh yeah, I remember. Can I help it that my memory picks and chooses when it works and when it’s on an extended break? No. No, I cannot.
So, to get back to my story, and I mean the one I started telling, not all the side trips I’ve taken so far, Zelda and I were laughing at each other –as usual, only this time it was somehow better. For a split second, I wondered why, then I remembered that I had been working on a special, one-of-a-kind, Martha super surprise.
Instantly more excited than I already was which was truly saying something, I clapped my hands just one time, gave a little hop and turned toward the counter where all of my coffee accoutrements just happened to be all while Zelda looked more confused than the day I found out that my boys, two Irish Wolfhounds named Arthur and Otis respectively and a chocolate Shih Tzu named Chewbacca aka Chewy, could talk. (Yes, the little guy –who is actually too Alpha for his own good –looks just like a miniature version of the famous Star Wars character. But don’t you dare tell him I said anything about his size; he can be vicious, and I love my shoes.)
“I have a surprise for you,” I called over my shoulder.
“Well, thank the Great Goddess,” Zelda chuckled. “I thought you were cutting our visit short, and I was wondering what Spell I could use without getting a Magical smack to the back of the head to convince you to change your mind.”
Stopping at the end of the counter, I held onto the corner and snapped my head to the side. Looking that sweet Witch right in the eye, I slowly shook my head and said a single word that made her smile brighten and her shoulders shimmy. “Never.”
“Hot damn! That’s what I like to hear.”
Well, good,” I gave her a single nod and a wink and went to work. “Get on over here and take a seat. You're not gonna believe what I have come up with for you –and only you.”
“Oh, you didn’t have to…”
“Yes, I did have to make you a special coffee drink. I should have done it a long time ago.” Stopping in front of the Nuova Simonelli Aurelia II T3 Traditional Espresso Machine, I’d Magicked myself to Bridgewater Township, NJ, to purchase. No, not Italy. I know. I know. But it makes damned good coffee, and I would know because I have lived long enough to have tried a lot of javas.
Like I said, I paused in front of the espresso machine, a familiar and welcome place for me to be. With the grip of the portafilter, the scoop that holds the ground espresso beans, in one hand and the other on the pressure/temperature dial, I turned my head to the side and added, “Everyone I love has a special coffee. It’s time for yours. Now, sit right there and relax. You’re gonna love it.”
It took less than a minute for Zelda to ask, “So, what’s in this special coffee? Is it like Carol’s? Does it have a special name, too?
“Well, duh, of course, it does.” Pouring the first shot of espresso in the bedazzled and bejeweled mug I’d decorated with my very own hands, I continued, “You know how I like to make it specific to the person?”
“I do.”
