“I know, I just… miss her,” Cece said.
“Me too,” Charissa said. “The shop isn’t the same without her.”
“Speaking of the shop… have you hired a temp for Elora’s job?”
“I have,” Charissa confirmed.
“Okay.” Cece wasn’t surprised, but she could hear the disappointment in her voice. There’d been a tiny part of her that hoped Charissa hadn’t filled it yet. Working at the potions shop would give her some income and stave off homelessness for at least a couple of months.
“Sorry, Cece,” Charissa said. “I assume you haven’t found a new job yet?”
“No,” Cece said. “But it’s only been a few days. I’m sure I’ll find something.”
Charissa studied her for a minute before saying, “You want to eventually move into making potions for money, right? I’m sure Elora mentioned that to me.”
“I would like to,” Cece said.
“I could hire you to make some potions.”
“I appreciate the thought, but my magic isn’t nearly strong enough to create potions for your customers,” Cece said.
It would be if she fucked Briggs, but, unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. She studied Briggs’s thick thighs and perfect ass as Agatha gestured wildly to the bottle of liquid she now held, and he nodded.
“Cece, focus,” Charissa laughed.
“Sorry.” She dragged her gaze from Briggs. “Thank you for considering me for potions, but -”
“I have a backlog of customers looking for folk magic potions,” Charissa said.
“You do?”
Charissa nodded. “Yes. They always end up at the bottom of my list because I prefer to work on the more complex ones. I could hire you as a contractor to make the potions. You can build a reputation with my customers, and we can slowly transition them to working directly with you. If you hustle hard, I bet you could turn it into a full-time job within the year. And as your magic grows, you can start trying more complex potions.”
“You’d do that for me?” Cece asked.
Charissa smiled at her. “Of course, I would. I would have approached you about this earlier, but Elora was clear about how much you loved your job at the greenhouse.”
“I do - did - love it, but making potions for a living would be just as fulfilling,” Cece said.
“Then let’s make this happen,” Charissa said. “I can give you a list of potions I need. How does eighty per potion, plus a ten percent discount on supplies, sound?”
Cece blinked at her. “That sounds amazing, but also maybe too much?”
“Not at all,” Charissa said. “The going rate for folk magic potions has steadily risen over the last few years. Mostly because of a rash of apprentice witches who charge low but make shitty potions.”
“Then let’s do this,” Cece said.
“Perfect!” Charissa checked her watch. “Can you give me ten minutes to get the list together?”
“Of course. I have a few supplies I need to pick up for the potions I’m making for Monroe,” Cece said.
“Great, meet me at the counter in ten minutes,” Charissa said.
She walked away, and Cece glanced at Briggs, whose attention was still being held hostage by Agatha. Grinning, Cece headed toward the aisle farthest from the door. It had candles, crystals and stones, and spell kits, and she was getting low on candles. She’d need at least another dozen now that she was making potions for both Charissa and Monroe.
She could hear the murmur of other customers in the adjacent aisles, but a quick peek down the candle aisle confirmed it was empty. There was only one way in and out of the aisle, and with another peek behind her, Cece walked down the aisle to the candles. She picked out a few tapered candles before reaching for her favourite pillar candles.
She piled them in one arm, bracing them against her body as she reached for a few more. She really should have grabbed a basket. She muttered a curse when a candle rolled off her arm and onto the floor. It rolled down the aisle, and Cece chased after it, pulling up short when the candle came to a stop against the toe of a black dress shoe.
