“My goddesses,pleasetell me that I am the first one to see this,” a voice cried out from the back door.
Essie stood there, eyes wide and delighted, hoping to finally be the first to know a piece of gossip.
22
SUMMER
The one great thing about Bar was that there were always empty seats in the summer when the college was out of session.The place had gotten a new air-conditioning system with the renovation, keeping the interior nice and icy cool while I informed Dom of the correct understanding of the Salem witch trials.
I had no idea how we had gotten on the topic, but now, I was more than pleased by the soft intrigue Dom held as he watched me ramble on about it among four other topics we strayed to and from.
“They claimed that maybe it was magic or maybe it was mass hysteria,” I informed as I chomped on another crispy French fry, covered with cheese sauce and jalapeños.
“What do you think it was?”
I paused, pursing my lips in deep thought. “A good combination of both probably. And a hefty dose of misogyny.”
“And those who survived? You really think there are Puritan witches still roaming around?” Dom joked.
“Nah. Hopefully, they’ve evolved into self-sufficient activists by now, who have more to worry about than elitism in the form of predestination.”
Dom laughed.
“They kept going forward. They kept living,” I said before smirking, still chewing the last few fries I had stuffed into my mouth all at once. “And then, apparently, they ended up in Barnett.”
He chuckled once more, leaning forward, as if I were talking quietly, just for him. “You’re kidding.”
“Absolutely not. That’s my version of the story anyway and that’s all that matters.” I wagged my eyebrows. “How else would I be here?”
Dom leaned forward another inch until our lips just almost touched, but not quite. “So, that’s what happened?”
“I’d like to think so. Then, those witches or non-witches went on to live their lives and inspire people to look a little more closely at the world and go to school and become better than all the people who had accused and looked down upon them. Though I don’t even know when the school started here.”
“In 1903.”
“Since when did you become such a nerd?” I asked teasingly. “It really doesn’t fit with the whole …”
“The whole what?” Dom asked, though by the smirk on his face, he knew exactly what I was talking about.
I waved at him up and down, glancing towards the other Bar patrons as I did.
A few women in the back booth hosting their monthly book club followed my hand with their eyes, taking in every inch of Dom like he was fresh meat. How could they not? Even I couldn’t help but look from the top of his wavy black hair to his wide shoulders and arms that bracketed me in my seat.
I bit my lip as my eyes widened suggestively.
“And your theory doesn’t take into account that the entirety of Salem is now devoted to the whole witch thing to attract visitors,” said Dom, pulling me back onto topic.
“So, you’re telling me, you suddenly believe in witchcraft now? Wow, who knew I was so convincing?”
He scrunched his nose. “I’m telling you that most of the time, when it comes to this sort of stuff—”
“Magic.”
“Sure. It’s marketing,” said Dom.
I shrugged. “You’re right.”
“Am I?” He seemed impressed that I conceded so quickly.
