We might not continue wearing them after our first market, but I wanted to start out with the best chance for success I could.
The sun had set about an hour ago, though the sky was still filled with streaks of pink and purple. Summer temps in this area were hot, but the humidity wasn’t as bad as it was closer to the coastal areas.
Think of Houston as a swamp, and this area more like a summer picnic at a lake. Night time is when Joy Springs really shone. Temperatures and humidity dropped even lower, and it was comfortable to walk outside without breaking into a sweat. I’d spent time in Houston during the summer, and I’d rather be waterboarded than do that again.
The Night Market was hidden from prying eyes by mysterious magic no one could quite decipher. A few days before the market was held, each shop chosen to attend would receive a postcard with a magical QR code you had to scan for entrance. To avoid forgeries, you also had to submit a single drop of blood for every attendee that would be matched with the QR code. The market had never been infiltrated by anyone who wasn’t invited. I was safer here than I’d ever been in my shop.
Even with the lights, the stars were still visible above. Magic hummed in the air, every flavor of power skimming over my bare shoulders. I sensed shifters and sirens, plant mages, dryads, and others. Marnie and Twila were here somewhere, hopefully with a new coffee blend.
Ash was first out of the van. He let out a happy sigh, stretched, and allowed his arms to form multi-knobbed branches. The sight made me grin. The dryad rarely shifted in the shop. He wore a day-to-day glamour because of all the human tourists, so it was nice to see him feel comfortable enough to shift at will.
Moira was next. She carried a water boiler by the handle so she could serve hot tea blends. We should have power at the booth to keep the water at proper temp, but she’d have to constantly refill it. We’d see how that went. A larger water boiler might be on the list soon.
Tess didn’t bother stepping out of the vehicle. She reverted to her half wisp form and floated out, stopping beside Moira. Her pale eyes were wide as she watched all the vendors setting up.
“Alright,” I said when we were all at the back of the van. “Looks like we have one power strip for mundane appliances and fae lights to string up around the tent if we want them.”
“We want them!” Moira said.
“Then I’ll let you set them up with Tess. Let’s get unloaded, starting with the things we think will sell the fastest.”
We’d backed right up to our booth, so unloading wasn’t a huge hassle, and we could grab things as we sold out.
True to their word, the organizers had put us toward the front. We were sandwiched between an earth witch selling herb and incense blends and a wand maker. After polite greetings on all sides, we got to work beautifying the booth.
An hour later, and half an hour before the market opened, we stood before the booth, critiquing how it looked.
“I like it,” Ash said, “though it’s a little too girly for my taste.”
Tess’s breathy laugh surprised us all. “Did you forget who you worked with?” she asked.
Ash stared at her with an open mouth. His cheeks went pink, and he looked away before clearing his throat. “No. I could never forget.”
Dude had it so bad.
I pressed my lips together and looked away. Moira was a little more shameless and wiggled her eyebrows at Ash, who snorted and waved her off.
Tess, bless her banshee heart, noticed nothing. If Ash wanted her to know he liked her, he might have to be extremely blunt with her. As in showing up with flowers, escorting her out the door, and saying something like, “Tess, this is the first step of a seduction. Do you know what a seduction is?” And if the poor girl said no, he’d have to present a bullet point presentation, complete with phonetically spelled definitions.
And if she still didn’t get it, Ash might have to resort to grabbing Tess and laying one on her, à la Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara.
Until then, I didn’t mind watching this adorable, awkward one-sided courtship.
“Maybe less pink,” Moira said, steering us back to the issue at hand.
I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes, trying to see it through my team’s eyes and not mine. Pink was one of my favorite colors, but with the white tablecloth and the other mix of blush flowers, the display had a bit of a wedding vibe.
“How about magenta?” I said, tapping my finger against my chin.
“Yes,” Moira agreed. “Deep hot pink and maybe add some deep blues or purples in. Did we bring another tablecloth?”
I bent to rummage through one of the tubs. “Black and green.”
“What color green?” Ash asked.
“Forest.”
“Do the green,” Moira said. “If we have a black table runner, we can add that too.”
