Recognition slowly began to overcome his confusion. I'd never changed my voice. "Katie?" I'd kept my first name but changed my last to Petersen because I already had enough subterfuge, getting my name wrong wasn't a chance I wanted totake.
I nodded and pointed to my face. "My magic seems to be a little...wonky." I gave him a wobblysmile.
"Katie?" A voice I knew and didn't like all that much came to the side of me. I shut my eyes for a second, muttered a curse word, and turned, plastering on a fakesmile.
"Marie!Hey!"
Marie was a redheaded werebear who only came into towns when she had book club or needed groceries. She was on the taller side and had a figure like a burly truck driver, but her face was gorgeous. Put all together she looked like she could both tear your ass to pieces but also make you cookies and give you warm milk before she tucked you in. She glanced curiously at my office door. "Getting a wish?" she asked cheerfully. "I've never seen you herebefore."
"Uh, long story," I said. I brushed past both of them, cringing at my rudeness, and hurried to the exit. I don't know how this day could get worse, but I knew it probably would based upon the luck I washaving.
Twenty minutes later,after an emergency call to Parker, I was sitting in front of Sam's Bakery where Melody worked. Parker pulled in seconds after me and we walked into the shop together. The smell of yeast, cinnamon and chocolate hit me and I sighed. I loved this place, but this place and my hips didn't love each other nearly as much. But today my life was falling apart so I strode right up to the counter and placed an order for a cinnamon twist and a Bavarian cream donut. One of Melody's brows shot close to the ceiling as she rang itup.
"Everything okay?" she inquired as she told me the total, with a healthy discount, ofcourse.
I shook my head. "See if Sam will give you ten and come sit down with us." Parker placed an order for a cinnamon roll with extra glaze and a bottle of milk. I led her over to a secluded booth, slid in and immediately wentboneless.
Parker didn't wait for me to speak. She dug into her food with wild abandon, and only after she'd taken the first bite did she ask me what wasup.
I shook my head. "Let's wait for Melody." Parker's gaze sharpened and something I didn't like flickered across her features. It seemed almost like Parker had a feeling about what I was going to say. But that couldn't be possible, couldit?
I bit into my cinnamon twist and groaned as it practically melted in my mouth. So. Good. Sam was a wizard with food. Even though he looked like he'd gotten a dishonorable discharge from the military and possibly spent some time in prison, Sam was one of the most kind-hearted people I'd ever met. Both arms were sleeved out with tats and I'd never seen him wear a collared shirt. Work attire meant ripped jeans and usually a t-shirt with a wildly inappropriate saying. Church attire meant he'd still wear the shirt, but he'd give you the respect of clean, presentable jeans. No one knew Sam's history or what went on inside his head, but everyone liked him so no one pried too much. I saw Melody talking to him and Sam waving her away. A few seconds later, Melody was sliding into the bench alongsideParker.
"Spill," Melodydemanded.
I chewed and swallowed and told them exactly who had come to visit me today. By the end of my story, Melody was chewing on the side of her lip and Parker looked like she'd swallowed something bitter. Both of them had exchanged more than one guilty glance aswell.
I stared at both of them. "Okay. You two are obviously hidingsomething."
"We just -" Parkerstarted.
"You see -" Melody said at the sametime.
I rubbed a hand over my face and sighed. "Melody, youfirst."
Her cheeks colored as she opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. She stayed silent for a moment. "So...we thought it would be a good idea if we umm looked for a man foryou."
One of my eyebrows rose. "And why isthat?"
"Because your love life is appalling," Piper chimedin.
Melody punched Parker in the arm. "Because we want you to behappy."
"Keep going." Anger was slowly beginning to simmer withinme.
"So we made this video of you and about how you only wanted to find a good guy to spend your time with. We sort of talked about your bad luck withweddings-"
"Oh my god, Melody!" Crimson heat bloomed all over my face. "You sent in a video?" I looked at both of them like they were insane. Because they were. Insane. Completely. I shook my head. "How in the world did you even filmme?"
Parker looked down at herlap.
"Parker?"
She sighed. "Remember that open bar party last year at Rizzo'shouse?"
I clapped both hands over my mouth. "You. Did.Not."
I still hadn't lived down Rizzo's party. I'd had a little too much to drink and had gotten up to singTainted Loveon the karaoke machine. With a lampshade on my head and pink punch spilled down the front of my white tanktop.
