The Witch Weekly Part 5

I called it my disguise on the go. It was incredible how many professions I could impersonate with a clipboard, a clickety-clackety pen, and a set of dark sungla.s.ses. I tried my hardest never to lie outright about who I was or what I was doing, but when I put a clipboard in my hands and people made a.s.sumptions about me, sometimes I didnt bother to correct them.

Im calling both to check on you and to give you an update, Layla said. As your self-appointed Love Advisor, Ive set you up with a date tonight.

I groaned. Maybe Id be better off forgetting about writing for the paper and flipping burgers.

Thats not true, you love writing.

Yeah, but not at the expense of others lives. Apparently my entering the dating pool is dangerous.

Thats why youll like who I chose for your date tonight.

My stomach sank like a rock. What? Layla, you better spit it out right this instant, or Im going to come to the Witches Britches and pull your new undies out through your nose.

Number one, that is a very gross image, Layla said. Lingerie is meant to entice and enhance, not cause morbidly disgusting imagery.

Then tell me what youre doing to my dating life!

Im enhancing it.

Youre ruining me.

Im creating happiness in your life.

Happiness to me is"

"a pint of ice cream, yeah, yeah, Ive heard your speech before. Layla chuckled, but when I didnt chime in, she stopped. Let me put it this way. You dont know what you dont know, darlin. Im gonna open your eyes.

No. I dont need my eyes opened.

You do, hon. Maybe itll loosen you up a bit.

I am loose. Falling quiet, I waited for Layla to agree with me.

Instead, she gave a bark of laughter. I know how much you love a good mystery, so Im taking a page out of your own book, and keeping your dates name a secret.

What? No. You cant do that.

You need me to do that. This blog series is going to save your newspaper, I can feel it, but to save the paper, you need to actually go on the dates, or it wont work. Layla blew out a long breath. Which is why Ive set you up with Dreamy McDreamerson tonight.

Dreamy McDreamerson?

Believe me, youll approve.

What if I dont?

Well, we wont know unless you show up, now will we?

I nearly growled into the phone. If there was one thing I couldnt stand, it was not knowing a juicy piece of information. And Id call a mystery date a pretty juicy piece of information. Dang it, Layla. Youre supposed to be my friend. Youre not supposed to exploit my weaknesses.

Yes, I am. Thats what friends are for.

False.

Im not going to argue with you. However, if youd like more information, be sure to swing by the shop this afternoon.

Your shop?

No, the donut shop. Of course, my shop. I will give you additional details then. And yes, that is a bribe.

You are infuriating.

See you this afternoon!

Even as Layla clicked off the phone, I knew she had me. Good riddance to my curiosity; if I could just stop caring, then Id never have this issue, and Layla wouldnt be able to bait me into showing up for a blind date.

Then again, if I wasnt curious by nature, I might not have found success as a journalist. Un-curious journalists didnt make it very far. And now, I was very un-curious about the articles that I was writing, all nail polish and hairdryers and top-ten-diet foods.

Really, my only chance of keeping the job Id once loved was to go on this blind date, work hard to bring up our readers.h.i.+p numbers, and earn the freedom to write the articles I loved so much.

But in the meantime, Trish was waiting.

Chapter 10.

Hi, Trisha, Im here with the Construction Times, I said cheerily, having put the sungla.s.ses on my head, the clipboard in my arms, and a piece of notebook paper on top which I tapped with my clicky pencil. For some reason, the click always added a little bit of extra oomph to my believability factor. I hurriedly moved on before Trisha could ask too many questions. I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time?

Trishas eyebrows furrowed. Unlike her picture, shed lost the bright blue eyeshadow, though shed traded it in for a shade of violet that made it look like shed just walked away from a bar fight. What do you need my time for?

Looking down with my notepad, I made my face as confused as possible. You were Hanks former girlfriend, were you not?

At the mention of Hanks name, a wave of something resembling sadness crossed her face. Whats it to you?

I just wanted to say Im really sorry for your loss. I was hoping to write up an article for the construction community as a testament to his great work. Just a quick blurb to say thank you for his services. The only reason I came here today is because Ive never met Hank in person; Im just the scheduler for one of the construction companies.

Which one?

I mumbled a name that had construction somewhere in there, and hurriedly continued. I promise I will run the article by you before I print anything.

So youre a reporter?

Im just writing up this article, I said, not confirming or denying her question. And I apologize for bothering you so soon after Hanks death. If you want me to leave, Ill go right away. I was just in the neighborhood, and I figured who better to give a testament to Hanks personality than you?

We werent dating anymore, you know.

I hung my head. I dont know all of this history between you two, I was just told that he still talked about you a lot, so I a.s.sumed you were together. Im sorry if I a.s.sumed too much.

He talked about me a lot? Her eyebrows raised, and a ray of happiness shone from her eyes. Really?

I nodded, watching as her features softened, and a wave of an emotion that looked like hope shone across her face. He did. I went to a former clients house for a few words on Hanks personality, and he directed me to you; the client said that Hank couldnt stop talking about you while he worked.

Well, I suppose you can come in. She opened the door wider, and took a few steps into her home. Excuse the mess.

When most people said something along the lines of excuse the mess, it was more of a formality than anything else. However, judging by the mess in the entryway alone, Trisha truly meant it.

I followed her inside, glancing around at the tables, shelves, and counters filled with stuff. Lots of stuff. All sorts of stuff. All sizes, colors, and themes of stuff.

Just like the outside of her house, I got the impression that Trisha had tried to collect vintage or antique candles and picture frames and other knick-knacks that are meant to enhance a persons home and add character. Most of the time, people used one or two pieces as accents. Trisha, on the other hand, used all of them.

You have a lovely home, I said, not bothering to add that I felt as if Id walked into a thrift shop that hadnt been organized since the 1990s. Lots of beautiful pieces.

Thanks, I collect them.

Collect what? I wanted to ask. Clutter? This place was sending my OCD on the fritz. Thankfully, I bit my tongue and focused on moving a stack of multicolored paperclips from the couch where she gestured for me to sit.

Since the clips were scattered across the cus.h.i.+ons, I had no hope of gathering them all up and putting them into a bowl organized by color, size, and other properties like I wanted, so instead I just pushed them into one central location and built a small teepee of clips.

I appreciate you taking the time to chat with me for a few minutes, I said, once we were both sitting down in the living room. I know this must be a hard time for you.

Trisha pulled a throw blanket onto her lap and fiddled with the edges. I didnt want to let you in at first because I thought you were one of them reporters or curious folks peepin in to pry at Hanks private business. He wouldnt have liked that.

I fell silent. Trisha seemed to be genuinely saddened by the loss of her ex, and it didnt help my guilt to know that I was a reporter, and I was peeping into Hanks private life. The only thing keeping me from leaving right this very moment was to remember that Hank deserved someone looking into his death, and Jo deserved someone keeping her out of jail.

But an article in the Construction Times"is that where you said youre from?"he wouldve really liked that. A small, sunny smile peeked out from behind bright pink lip gloss, a color that completely clashed with her choice in eyeshadow. Hank was a good man. A private person though.

Private in what sense? He kept secrets?

She shook her head. No, not secrets. He was just hm, how do I put this gently?

Give it a shot, Im sure Ill understand.

Hank was a simple man. She nodded. I dont mean that in a bad way, in fact, I mean it in a compliment. He knew exactly who he was, exactly what he wanted, and exactly where he was headed in life.

I like simple. I offered up my own smile back, meaning it. Im quite simple myself.

He just kept his head down and did good work. Thats all Hank cared about, the work.

Is that why the two of you broke up? I raised my hands as soon as the sentence came out of my mouth. Im really sorry, that was my personal curiosity speaking, so you can go ahead and ignore that. My extensive apologies. I wont include anything about your relations.h.i.+p in the article.

You can, she said slowly. Its no secret.

Whats no secret?

Hank and I had been on and off for a long, long time.

How long is long?

Ten years.

My eyebrows shot up almost to my hairline. Hank had lied to me! When I had told him Id been out of the game for a while, hed said the same thing. Unless maybe he had meant that hed just gotten out of a relations.h.i.+p?

I shook my head, focusing on the task at hand. Wow, Im really sorry, this must be a hard time for you. Not that it wouldnt have been otherwise, but ten years"just wow. Thats a long time to be with someone.

Yeah, but we werent together that whole time, like I said. Trisha blinked, a slight mistiness in her eyes. We fought a lot, that wasnt a secret.

I forgot all about taking notes and leaned forward, truly interested in what Trisha had to say. Tell me"what keeps a couple together for ten years on and off? I blushed. Again, this isnt for the article. Im just interested, since I cant seem to find any luck in love.

Thats the answer, she said. Its just love. I loved that man, and he loved me back.

I frowned. Like I said, I am not a relations.h.i.+p expert. But if you both loved each other, then what was keeping you apart?

His job! She threw up her hands in frustration, then she pushed over a stack of books on the end table to retrieve a tissue thatd been hidden under a tiny stuffed teddy bear. She honked her nose loudly before continuing. I loved him and he loved me, but he loved his job more than me.

How do you know?

He loved construction. Loved working with his hands, building new things, working with clients"all of it.

I dont understand isnt that a good thing? Most people never find a career theyre half as pa.s.sionate about as it sounds like Hank was about construction.

It is until he starts undercharging for everything! She gestured around her house. Look at me. Im a woman with certain standards.

Standards of clutter? I nodded. I can see that.

I like to keep things cla.s.sy. I like nice decorations and the finer things in life.

I focused on the stack of Tic-tac boxes stacked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa on the armchair of the couch. Absolutely.

Hank loved his job so much that if a project interested him, hed practically pay the client. He lowballed bids so much for jobs he wanted that it wasnt worth the gas money to drive over there! She shook her head. I wasnt asking him to make me a millionaire. I just asked him to consider either figuring out a way to charge more, or finding a job for a bigger company that could afford to pay him an honest wage.

I glanced down at my notes, feeling mighty conflicted. On one hand, I understood Trishas desires. Her idea of the finer things in life was a bit questionable, but I understood the need to make a living and pay rent and eat food.

However, I could see Hanks side of things, too. He owned a small, tidy house from what I could tell based on the photos of the outside. He enjoyed his job and made enough money to pay his bills and keep his stomach from growling. Really, what more did a person need?

If Hank was fulfilled at his job, that counted for a lot in terms of his overall happiness levels. I knew from experience. When Id first been hired on as an intern by The Witch Weekly, Id been paid peanuts, but Id never been happier. I didnt need things or job perks.

As long as I could keep a roof over my head, I lived for the thrill of chasing a story. Without my job, I wouldve been miserable. From the sounds of things, Hank felt much the same way about building decks and fixing pipes.

I can see how that could cause problems, I murmured. So that kept you guys on and off for ten years?

She nodded. At first, it didnt bother me so much. We dated for five years straight because I thought hed change with time.

I see Except he never did. We broke up after five years and stayed away for some time, but then we got back together for another year. She dabbed at her eyes with another tissue. After that, we started spending more time broken up than together. The last time we broke up was a few months ago, and he told me it was the last time.

Had he ever said that before?