Read Online Seeing Magic (The Queen of the Night Series Book 1) by Laura Emmons - Free Book Online
Authors: Laura Emmons
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the walls, shelving held clusters of books, DVDs, CDs, videos and artfully displayed curios. At the far end of the space from where I stood, which would have been the front of the store, large windows looked onto Washington Street. Up against the windows sat a small raised platform stage for poetry readings, concerts or similar performances. A few bistro tables loitered around the stage. Interspersed between the tables were club chairs with side tables and reading lamps. In the open area a Victorian pouf had books scattered on it and a large pedestal table loomed next to the pouf. In the center of the table a stained glass Tiffany-style lamp illuminated more stacks of books and CDs.
A number of people milled about the bookstore. A couple of them stood around the pedestal table, skimming the books. A few sat at the bistro tables or in the club chairs. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Following Evan, I wheeled an arc around the people at the pedestal table and headed for the wall opposite the stairs. Centered between the bookcases and the stage area was another sales counter. A plump, grandmotherly looking woman stood behind it. She had short curly black hair, liberally sprinkled with gray. When she looked up, Evan gave her a wave and we headed toward her.
She broke out into a huge grin at the sight of him. Her eyes didn’t acknowledge me at all. She gave Evan a saucy wink and a flirtatious little hug.
I wondered why all the women we met treated Evan like a male stripper. I’d thought it inappropriate that the middle-aged woman at the herbal remedies counter hit on him. I wasn’t sure about West Virginia, but in my state the way this grandmother acted toward seventeen-year old Evan might be considered illegal. Obviously he was attractive, but in Santa Monica attractive men were everywhere. Women didn’t completely throw themselves at them. Besides, I’d seen other good-looking guys in the shop and on the streets of Berkeley Springs.
Eventually, I wanted to find out why these women behaved as they did. Since Evan was speaking, I tabled the question. He introduced us while hugging her back and it irritated me. Afterward he backed a couple of steps away and put his hand on the back of my wheelchair. I felt a little better.
“Hiya Cassie, meet Maggie. She’s Fiona’s grand-niece. Fiona would like her to work with you for a couple of days to learn about this part of the store.”
Cassie adopted a pout and said, “Oh Evan, and here I’d hoped you were just coming to see me.”
For a second my hackles rose, but then she surprised me.
She turned to me and with a warm smile said, “Welcome, Maggie. I’ve been waiting for you to join me in the book shop. I’ve heard so much about you. I’m looking forward to working with you the next couple of days. Why don’t you come back behind the counter and I’ll show you how we’ve got things set up.”
***
And that’s how it went. For the next several days I had a routine. I’d wake up in the morning, get my healing treatment from Fiona and have breakfast. Evan would pick me up and drive me to the store where I would make my way up the stairs to work with Cassie in the book shop. At first, I worked mostly behind the counter, because of the wheelchair. After work, Evan would drive me home where I would have dinner, another healing treatment, the evening blessings and the chance to read a little before bedtime.
Every night I woke up, drenched in sweat, with a silent scream lodged in my throat as I dreamed of my mother, in a hospital bed suffering great pain. In my dream, they injected her with poison causing every nerve in her body to burn as if on fire. She vomited endlessly. She only stopped throwing up when she fell asleep from exhaustion. I wanted to talk to someone…anyone, about these recurring nightmares, but Fiona just ignored my questions. Corey texted me a few times to quit worrying. Mom had not returned my calls.
I coped by filling every free moment
A number of people milled about the bookstore. A couple of them stood around the pedestal table, skimming the books. A few sat at the bistro tables or in the club chairs. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Following Evan, I wheeled an arc around the people at the pedestal table and headed for the wall opposite the stairs. Centered between the bookcases and the stage area was another sales counter. A plump, grandmotherly looking woman stood behind it. She had short curly black hair, liberally sprinkled with gray. When she looked up, Evan gave her a wave and we headed toward her.
She broke out into a huge grin at the sight of him. Her eyes didn’t acknowledge me at all. She gave Evan a saucy wink and a flirtatious little hug.
I wondered why all the women we met treated Evan like a male stripper. I’d thought it inappropriate that the middle-aged woman at the herbal remedies counter hit on him. I wasn’t sure about West Virginia, but in my state the way this grandmother acted toward seventeen-year old Evan might be considered illegal. Obviously he was attractive, but in Santa Monica attractive men were everywhere. Women didn’t completely throw themselves at them. Besides, I’d seen other good-looking guys in the shop and on the streets of Berkeley Springs.
Eventually, I wanted to find out why these women behaved as they did. Since Evan was speaking, I tabled the question. He introduced us while hugging her back and it irritated me. Afterward he backed a couple of steps away and put his hand on the back of my wheelchair. I felt a little better.
“Hiya Cassie, meet Maggie. She’s Fiona’s grand-niece. Fiona would like her to work with you for a couple of days to learn about this part of the store.”
Cassie adopted a pout and said, “Oh Evan, and here I’d hoped you were just coming to see me.”
For a second my hackles rose, but then she surprised me.
She turned to me and with a warm smile said, “Welcome, Maggie. I’ve been waiting for you to join me in the book shop. I’ve heard so much about you. I’m looking forward to working with you the next couple of days. Why don’t you come back behind the counter and I’ll show you how we’ve got things set up.”
***
And that’s how it went. For the next several days I had a routine. I’d wake up in the morning, get my healing treatment from Fiona and have breakfast. Evan would pick me up and drive me to the store where I would make my way up the stairs to work with Cassie in the book shop. At first, I worked mostly behind the counter, because of the wheelchair. After work, Evan would drive me home where I would have dinner, another healing treatment, the evening blessings and the chance to read a little before bedtime.
Every night I woke up, drenched in sweat, with a silent scream lodged in my throat as I dreamed of my mother, in a hospital bed suffering great pain. In my dream, they injected her with poison causing every nerve in her body to burn as if on fire. She vomited endlessly. She only stopped throwing up when she fell asleep from exhaustion. I wanted to talk to someone…anyone, about these recurring nightmares, but Fiona just ignored my questions. Corey texted me a few times to quit worrying. Mom had not returned my calls.
I coped by filling every free moment
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