Under His Spell

She held up her empty hands. There was something to be said for a woman who didn’t bother with a purse, J.J. thought. It showed a certain independence of spirit. He grinned at Ziffer. “Catch up with me when you’ve got a pen and I’m all over it,” he said, “but right now I need to talk to Lainie for a minute.” He caught her arm, ignoring her suitor’s crestfallen look, and began leading her away.

“That happened to be someone I’ve known since junior high.” She pulled loose from him.

“You’ve known me since way before junior high.”

“I know, and I never have figured out what I did to deserve it. So what, exactly, did you need to talk with me about?”

“Something important,” he told her, trying to figure out just why he’d been compelled to get her to himself.

She crossed her arms. “Oh, really?”

“They did a nice job with the lodge, huh?”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’m waiting.”

“So, uh, what are you doing with yourself these days? Still working at the witch museum?”

“Yeah. So?” She tapped her fingers, but he noticed she was in no hurry to go back.

“Just wondering. Still living in Salem?”

“It’s as good as anywhere else.”

“What ever happened to New York and Europe and all that? Or do you just like small towns?”

Her chin came up at that. “Salem’s not a small town,” she retorted, ignoring his snort. “And I’ll move on when I’m ready.”

“I guess that means you never did take that trip to Vienna and Prague you were talking about.”

“I will at some point. Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Look, Gabe and Hadley are starting to open their gifts,”J.J. said hastily, stepping back to lean against a nearby wall.

With a glower, Lainie subsided to lean next to him.

J.J. watched Hadley exclaim over a set of dish towels. “Now there’s an exciting gift.”

“It is if you’ve got dishes to dry,” she said.

“I suppose orange and yellow stripes will be easy to find in the dark.”

Lainie shook her head as Hadley tore open another package. “Okay, a magenta and gold lava lamp. Now that one’s worse.”

“Not necessarily. I think it’s got style.”

She looked at him as though he’d sprouted another head.

“Style? You want look at those two people out there and tell me that’s their definition of style?”

J.J. glanced over at Gabe and Hadley and pursed his lips. “Maybe.”

“Oh, wait, don’t tell me. That was your gift.”

“Nope, but it’s not a bad choice.”

She just snorted.

“Well, what did you get them, anyway? Since you’ve got such great taste,” he added.

She opened her mouth and stopped. “None of your business.”

“It’s not a state secret. Yours is in the on-deck circle anyway, unless I miss my guess. Come on, Lainie, spill it.” When she only stared at him mutinously, he tilted his head. “Okay, then I’ll guess. I’m thinking you didn’t get them anything they registered for. ‘That’s for people with no imagination,’” he mimicked, doing his best imitation of her.

Lainie looked at him, startled.

“Nope, I’m thinking you didn’t even go to a store for house stuff. I’m guessing you either went for the Trump factor and got them a statue of Venus or something at an art gallery or got something off-the-wall like a set of wrenches or an extension cord. Am I right?”

She set her mouth and glared.

“Let’s make a little bet. If I’m wrong—”

“You leave me alone the rest of the night.”

“I leave you alone the rest of the night.” His eyes gleamed in enjoyment. “If I’m right, you dance with me later.”

“Does the phrase ‘a cold day in hell’ mean anything to you?”

He just crossed his arms and leaned against the wall with an easy smile. “This is the north country. Gets cold early around here. Look.” He pointed. “You’re up.”

Gabe set the red-and-silver-striped box on the table in front of Hadley. She peered at the tag. “Oh, this one’s from Lainie.”

Lainie gave her a halfhearted wave from across the room as Hadley began tearing off the paper eagerly. She opened the box inside…

And pulled out an extension cord.

“Yes!” J.J. crowed and pumped his fist. “Now who’s got who down?”

“It’s not an extension cord,” Lainie protested.

“What’s that orange snaky thing she’s holding there, witch lady? That would be an extension cord. Score one to the gentleman in blue.”

“The present isn’t an extension cord,” Lainie repeated as Hadley dug into the box. “It’s a—”

“Mosquito zapper?” J.J. fell against the wall laughing. “Oh, Lainie, Lainie, Lainie, you are priceless.”

Her cheeks tinted. “What? They have a lot of mosquitoes here.”

“I’m sure they do,” he said, wiping his eyes.