Chapter 6

Evan sat in his car and watched the shop’s window for several minutes. He observed the cautious Arianna move around inside. There was no other word to describe her. She was always cautious of every move she made, as if she were afraid something bad would happen. Intriguing was another word he would use to describe her. For she was intriguing, and it bit at him constantly to know her better. It had taken close to two years to get to gain her trust.

Each day he’d been sure to allot to chat with her while she minded the store. On almost every visit, he tried to invite her to dinner, or his house, a movie, anywhere to be allowed to spend more time with her when she wasn’t working. She always had a reason not to join him. She would smile sweet, appealing smiles for him; laugh with him and banter back and forth for endless amusement; but she always said no. That part bothered him for hours each time day.

He had also noted recently, once Teddy had brought it to his attention that he hadn’t really dated since he had moved here. The question that had riddled Evan was, did it have to do with commuting and having little time or was it the intriguing woman he was now watching?

Evan knew she held magic, but it was either exceptionally weak or she could shield the indicators as well as he could his own. This piece of knowledge only made him more interested in the woman carefully hidden inside. He shielded his own ability when in her presence, if he were finally able to get closer to her, magic would not be the cause or the reason.

Arianna had quite a few regular customers who would come and spend time in her fantastical little world inside her store Dreams, an appropriate name, he chuckled. He had his own dreams that related to the appealing owner. He wasn’t sure what precisely it was that drove him, needing to see her often. He’d never seen her auburn hair down from the too tight ponytail or her soft brown eyes without those tasteless glasses hiding them. He rubbed a hand over his jaw. He in fact had never really seen-seen her. She hid her body in the baggiest possible clothes, which only allowed him a glimpse of the shape beneath on the rare occasions when she turned a certain way.

He gave his phone a scowl when it rang. Checking the screen, he answered it. “Teddy,” he said with a smirk, knowing it was only a matter of time before someone told on him for leaving work early, again.

“Evan.”

“Am I grounded again?” He watched Arianna through the window as she frowned over a book.

“Not yet, but I just got a nice wide strip ripped off my hide for your vanishing act, again. What is more important then the shareholders meeting?”

Evan shrugged his shoulders and debated lying. “Just about anything.”

“Uh-huh.” Teddy paused and then growled. “Is there a tray with a vanilla latte sitting beside you?”

Evan looked at the tray. “Nope. But there is a vanilla chai latte beside me.”

“Same thing. Okay, explain to me one more time why you don’t just zap her with some sort of magic spell or whatever it is you can do and carry her back to your house, because I don’t get it.”

Evan rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I don’t want to use magic to get closer to her.”

“Well it seems to me it might be faster than wooing her with latte for…how many years now? Never mind, that’s not the point.”

Evan chuckled. “I can’t believe you just said wooing.”

“Screw you.” Teddy sighed loudly. “What the hell excuse am I to feed the irate man standing outside of my office?”

Evan grinned. “I had something very important that had to be delivered and I needed to take care of it personally. Tell the irate man I’ll see him at my party tomorrow and I’m sure he’ll be impressed with all that I’ve put into it.”

“Fine. Invite this woman, will you? Because I seriously need to see why she has your brain rewired.”

“I intend to. See you tomorrow.” He hung up the phone and sat there for a few minutes more. Maybe Teddy was right. She did have him rewired. He grinned. Well, the heart wants what it wants, right? He grasped the tray with the cups in them and opened the car door.

~

Arianna took a fast look at the clock. She really didn’t have to check it because she knew the time within a few minutes as soon as she spotted Evan Dermott unfolding his body from his car. Evan, she exhaled slowly. He was like her afternoon break. Every single day she was in her shop, he would bring her a vanilla chai latte and they would sit by the counter and talk. She didn’t question why a powerful man like him was interested in being with her. At least she hadn’t questioned it in a long time.

She smiled as she watched him cross the street with long, confident strides. His suit moved with him, clearly indicating that they were custom, made for him. She felt her cheeks flush slightly at the very thought of his body. From what his suits let her see, she was sure there was a very nice body underneath. He was always asking her to go places with him, and she was so tempted to say yes, but never did. Her heart wouldn’t take it if she arrived to go to dinner, or wherever, with him and he turned out like everyone else and didn’t remember her. She wasn’t taking that chance. She was happy with the time he spent inside her magical little store and had accepted a long time ago that he was way out of her league.

The wind ruffled his short, dark blond hair as he reached for the door. He paused, looked through the window, and winked at her. Her heart started fluttering as usual, and she knew it wouldn’t stop until after he’d gone.

“How is Dreams’ lovely proprietor today?” He smiled at her.

She smiled back. “Just fine, and how is the corporate monster today?”

He set the tray on the counter and shrugged out of his jacket. “Bored completely stiff. Meetings were long and rambling today. I skipped out on the last one, claiming I had an emergency and needed to drop something off.” He dropped the jacket over the back of the stool and motioned to the cups. “Delivery complete.”

She laughed as she pulled the tall cup containing her latte out of the cardboard tray. “It’s a good thing you’re the boss or you might be looking for another job.”

He shrugged and sat on the stool before picking up his own cup and taking the lid off. “The company runs all by itself. I don’t need to babysit it.”

She studied his eyes. She loved his eyes. On some days, they were close to blue in shade and others, near to green. “I still don’t understand why you choose to live here when you could have any place you want. Isn’t it a hassle getting to and from the office?”

He rubbed his jaw and then winked at her again. “The community here appealed to my senses. I spend all my days looking down on a steel, concrete, and glass world from my office. I wanted flat, quiet streets and kids playing in the yards…” he sipped his coffee, “and the speed I drive allows for me to get to and from the city very easily.”

She frowned. “You should upgrade to a whole car then if you like to drive fast.”

He turned and looked out the window at his favorite toy parked across the street. “That is a whole car. A whole lotta fun car.” He flashed a big grin.

She shook her head, refusing to dwell on him driving too fast in such a small car. “I’ll take your word for it.”

He leaned on the counter and studied her face. “I’ll take you for a ride and you can see that I am a very safe, aware driver.”

She shook her head quickly. “I have to run the store.”

“After it closes?”

“I can’t.” She sighed. “I have a ton of things to do tonight.” She smiled. “But someday when I find the nerve, I might.”

He nodded. “Just let me know when.”

Arianna looked up when the bells tingled. A group of women wandered in. “Excuse me,” she said quietly as she stood up.

~

Evan sat there and watched her handle the customers. No, she didn’t handle them as most people in the retail field did. She enveloped them in her sweet charm and took them on a tour filled with fantasies and delights through the small store. What he didn’t understand was why so many people who came in treated her with distance. He had been here enough to recognize several people who came to her shop quite regularly, yet they gave her automated smiles, like one would to a stranger. This annoyed him.

He watched her laugh at something one of the women said. He couldn’t see her eyes but knew the fascinating black rings would surround the soft amber shade. He fought the desire every time he was here to reach over and pull the dark-framed glasses off her face and look right into those eyes, but she’d always pulled away when he’d gotten too close, so he bided his time to try something like that.

When he first started coming to Dreams, or more accurately coming to see Arianna, the thought of pushing suggestions to customers to buy things had played through his mind. Not in a commanding sort of way, more of a gentle push into their thoughts, but after watching her with customers of all ages, he’d found no help was needed—her little shop was more than successful.

Wandering around the displays while she rang up the women’s purchases, Evan caught site of a new figurine. It was of a witch, and not the black hat and besom kind. She stood wrapped in black flowing material with her arms lifted upward and her head thrown back. He leaned closer to study it closely. It could almost be Arianna, he decided, auburn hair fell down her back, wisps gently surrounded her face, just as he pictured it would look if she’d free it from its confines. He looked over at her for a moment and watched her brush the blunt straight bangs away from the rim of her glasses. Picking it up the delicate figure, he headed for the counter.

She bid the women a good day, and then an eyebrow rose as she looked at him. “A little out of your usual preference, isn’t it?”

She was referring to the castles and dragons he had a fondness for. He set it on the counter and grinned at her. “She calls to me, so I must take her home.” He pulled out his wallet, not even knowing how much the sexy glass witch was worth.

Arianna shrugged and pulled out a gift box from under the counter. “I’m sure she’s thrilled to be going home with you.” She beamed at him.

He clenched his jaw and tried not to think it, but it didn’t work. He wanted the real version to come home with him. “Which reminds me…” He glanced at the price tag and pulled the appropriate bills from his wallet. “I’ve brought more than latte today.”

Taking the bills from him, she gave him a curious look. “Oh?”

He pulled a small envelope from his shirt pocket and held it out to her. “Yes, an invitation.”

She handed him the change and took the offered envelope. “An invitation?” She opened it and read it before looking back at him. “You’re having a Halloween party?”

He nodded and began to wrap the figure in the paper she had set out. “I was goaded into it by staff members, having the quiet-town atmosphere and big house is apparently the perfect spooky setting.” He flashed a brief smile. “But now, I’m looking forward to it.” He set the wrapped witch inside the box and closed it before leaning over the counter closer to her. “Say you’ll come.”

She bit her lip and looked back down at the invitation. “I don’t…”

“No, don’t is a bad word. Try, I’d be delighted, or I’d love to.” He smirked at her. “The shop isn’t open tomorrow, so you have plenty of time to shop for a costume.”

“Evan, I….” She stopped and searched his face.

“Come on, Arianna,” he whispered. “Save me from a night of boring business associates.” He winked at her. “It’s masks only, so no one will even know who you are. The masks stay on until the witching hour, so if you want to slip out before then, you’ll remain unknown.”

“The witching hour?” She gave him a wide-eyed look.

“Midnight.” He shrugged.

“Ah.” She bit her lip and looked at him. “I wait all year to hand out candy…”

“Come after that. The little ones are done well before nine. Any children out after that are only looking to get into something.” He reached over and, touching her hand, tried not to grasp it. “Save me, Arianna. An hour, what’s an hour? Say you’ll come for an hour.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “My costume will give you a good chuckle.”

Arianna sighed. “I’m not promising, but if I’m not too tired after the kids…”

“Perfect!” He squeezed her hand lightly before releasing it. Sitting back on the stool, he gave her a curious look. “So, what do you think you’ll dress as? I’ll watch for you.”

She shook her head. “If I tell you, I may as well not wear a mask.”

He waved a hand around. “Fine, throw my words at me.” He laughed. “You know where I live, right? Big house at the end of…”

“Everyone knows where Evan Dermott lives.” She sat down and picked up her cup.

“It’s rumored that it once belonged to witches you know.” He watched her reaction closely. “Sisters, one passed away and the other just vanished.”

“I’m aware of the town stories.” She sipped her drink.

He grinned. “I love small-town tales.”

“You have too much free time.” She leaned and placed her cup in the recycling bin behind her stool.

He chuckled and handed her his cup. “I have more than enough to do, trust me.” He stood up and reached for his jacket. “I will see you tomorrow at the party.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “I’ll try.”

He strolled to the door and stood there with his hand on the handle. “Try really hard, lovely Arianna.” He opened the door and moved quickly to his car. His heart was thumping away just like he was a boy that gotten his first date.

~

Arianna watched him pull away and then took her glasses off. As they clunked on the counter, she slapped her hands to cover her face. What had she done? She couldn’t go to his party and then be forgotten about the very next day!