Read Online The Problem With Black Magic by Karen Mead - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Karen Mead
Ads: Link
non-threatening. “That’s right. Sorry we kept your daughter out so late, it won’t happen again.”
Jon at least seemed pacified by Sam’s apology. “That’s alright, we’re her parents, we can’t help but worry.”
Annette shot dagger eyes at her husband, then back at Sam. “Excuse me, young man- -“ she began, and Cassie inhaled sharply, sensing what was coming next. “--but Cassie works at that shop fifteen to twenty hours per week, for shopping money. She’s not going to be serving coffee for a living, and I don’t think it’s fair to expect a high school student to put in these kinds of hours for what your place pays,” she finished bitterly.
Sam kept up his warm smile with some apparent effort. “Well, I’m not a manager, ma’am, but I’ll be sure to pass that along to Dwight.”
“If you’re not a manager, than aren’t you a little old to be working there? What are you, a drop-out?”
“Mom!” shouted Cassie, knowing everyone could see how red her face was even in the dark. She’d expected her mother to be rude, but this was beyond the pale.
“That’s enough, Annette,” said Jon, quietly, putting a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Look, he was kind enough to walk Cassie home, and we’ll tell the manager she’s not allowed to stay after midnight anymore, alright? Problem solved.”
“Oh yes, it was so KIND of him,” spat Annette, making the word sound like a curse. “Listen, ‘Sam’, you can see Cassie at work, but beyond that, you will have nothing to do with her. Is that clear?” she said, pointing at him with a pink-lacquered fingernail.
“Mom, it’s not like that…” Cassie said desperately, wondering why she bothered even as she said it.
“Cassie, I let you work at that dive so you can have some independence, not so you can get involved with uneducated men twice your age.”
“Mrs. Tremblay,” said Sam, no longer bothering with his perfunctory smile. “I understand your concern. If you would just give me five minutes to finish a discussion I was having with your daughter, I’ll leave and you won’t see me around here again.”
“Cassie, inside the house now,” said Annette icily.
Cassie stamped her foot, knowing it was childish, but her mother tended to bring it out of her. “Mom, this is ridiculous! He just wants to finish answering a question about work for me, okay? You can even watch through the front window, we’ll just be talking.”
“Come on honey, let them finish their conversation. No need to be unreasonable,” said Jon, using the same calming tone Cassie had heard him use with her mother a million times.
Annette sighed. “Fine. Five minutes, then you’re out of here, buster,” she said, turning on her heel. Jon gave a little embarrassed shrug for his wife’s behavior, nodded at Sam and went back in the house. They could see Annette settle on the couch in the living room so she could watch them talking through the front window.
Cassie let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “Sorry about that,” she said quietly, not caring if Annette could read her lips.
Sam turned so his lips were hidden from Annette’s view. If he was mad about anything her mother had said, he didn’t show it. “You shouldn’t have told her she could watch us.”
“She would have anyway.”
“Unfortunately, I need a drop of your blood for the spell, and I don’t think I can get it with her watching. Can you come back outside after they’ve gone to sleep?”
“If Mom catches me, she’ll make me quit DG,” said Cassie. And Annette would catch her; there was no way she would let her guard down now, when her only daughter might be absconded with any minute.
Sam gritted his teeth, thinking. “Then rip out a few strands of your hair and hand them to me. Try not to be too obvious about it.”
Cassie did so, trying not to imagine what Annette’s face must have looked like behind her. “Do you need anything else?” she asked.
“No,
Jon at least seemed pacified by Sam’s apology. “That’s alright, we’re her parents, we can’t help but worry.”
Annette shot dagger eyes at her husband, then back at Sam. “Excuse me, young man- -“ she began, and Cassie inhaled sharply, sensing what was coming next. “--but Cassie works at that shop fifteen to twenty hours per week, for shopping money. She’s not going to be serving coffee for a living, and I don’t think it’s fair to expect a high school student to put in these kinds of hours for what your place pays,” she finished bitterly.
Sam kept up his warm smile with some apparent effort. “Well, I’m not a manager, ma’am, but I’ll be sure to pass that along to Dwight.”
“If you’re not a manager, than aren’t you a little old to be working there? What are you, a drop-out?”
“Mom!” shouted Cassie, knowing everyone could see how red her face was even in the dark. She’d expected her mother to be rude, but this was beyond the pale.
“That’s enough, Annette,” said Jon, quietly, putting a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Look, he was kind enough to walk Cassie home, and we’ll tell the manager she’s not allowed to stay after midnight anymore, alright? Problem solved.”
“Oh yes, it was so KIND of him,” spat Annette, making the word sound like a curse. “Listen, ‘Sam’, you can see Cassie at work, but beyond that, you will have nothing to do with her. Is that clear?” she said, pointing at him with a pink-lacquered fingernail.
“Mom, it’s not like that…” Cassie said desperately, wondering why she bothered even as she said it.
“Cassie, I let you work at that dive so you can have some independence, not so you can get involved with uneducated men twice your age.”
“Mrs. Tremblay,” said Sam, no longer bothering with his perfunctory smile. “I understand your concern. If you would just give me five minutes to finish a discussion I was having with your daughter, I’ll leave and you won’t see me around here again.”
“Cassie, inside the house now,” said Annette icily.
Cassie stamped her foot, knowing it was childish, but her mother tended to bring it out of her. “Mom, this is ridiculous! He just wants to finish answering a question about work for me, okay? You can even watch through the front window, we’ll just be talking.”
“Come on honey, let them finish their conversation. No need to be unreasonable,” said Jon, using the same calming tone Cassie had heard him use with her mother a million times.
Annette sighed. “Fine. Five minutes, then you’re out of here, buster,” she said, turning on her heel. Jon gave a little embarrassed shrug for his wife’s behavior, nodded at Sam and went back in the house. They could see Annette settle on the couch in the living room so she could watch them talking through the front window.
Cassie let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “Sorry about that,” she said quietly, not caring if Annette could read her lips.
Sam turned so his lips were hidden from Annette’s view. If he was mad about anything her mother had said, he didn’t show it. “You shouldn’t have told her she could watch us.”
“She would have anyway.”
“Unfortunately, I need a drop of your blood for the spell, and I don’t think I can get it with her watching. Can you come back outside after they’ve gone to sleep?”
“If Mom catches me, she’ll make me quit DG,” said Cassie. And Annette would catch her; there was no way she would let her guard down now, when her only daughter might be absconded with any minute.
Sam gritted his teeth, thinking. “Then rip out a few strands of your hair and hand them to me. Try not to be too obvious about it.”
Cassie did so, trying not to imagine what Annette’s face must have looked like behind her. “Do you need anything else?” she asked.
“No,
Similar Books
