Tilly laughed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes as Ursula and the white-haired woman shared a secret smile. She remembered again the articles she had read about Ursula and who she guessed were these women sitting around the island with bread and wine.
"We're not a coven," the young woman leaned in, saying the words as if Jen had crazy ideas. "We
just-"
"Well, we occasionally hex people who deserve it and get drunk in the graveyard," the white-haired lady said with a twinkle in the corner of her smile.
The other women laughed and she smiled, looking around and not feeling an ounce of fear but more like she had been invited into a hearty joke. It could feel odd being dumped intothe middle of a group of people, like starting a book in the fifth chapter. But sitting nestled warm in the velvet chair, a fresh piece of bread melting butter into its nooks and crannies and looking around at these women, she felt the opposite. Like she might be revisiting an old favorite book knowing exactly what chapter five had in store.
"Crystal, you're going to scare her," the young woman said and Eloise logged the woman's name.
Crystal raised a delicate eyebrow. "Oh?" she looked directly at Eloise and she felt the woman's clear blue stare like a warm touch. "You're not a frightened creature, are you? You have a brave soul. You're plucky; I can feel it," she said with absolute certainty.
"Eloise is one of the bravest women I have ever known and it would take a hell of a lot to get her to turn and walk away," Ursula said. The words landed like little inked stamp marks. She imagined she could look down on the delicate skin of her wrist and see the words there as she remembered sitting on Ursula's cracked concrete patio years ago, words said and hovering between them like a last resort.
She knew those long-ago words would need to be revisited and the years in between. But not tonight.
She leaned over the island resting her forearms on the warm wood with her wine in one hand. "Okay, who is going to tell me about Ursula's sexy mountain man?"
Sounds of women oohing and ahhing filled the space; laughter and a red-cheeked Ursula throwing a pumpkin tea towel at a shimmying Jen who had an arm raised in the air as she laughed raucously.
"OH! Jenson Lancaster, our cursed bachelor who drove women to near-insanity. Our lovely Ursula came to town and broke the curse on the poor man, who became immediately smitten with her," Jen said.
"He did not," Ursula argued shaking her head with a small smile.
"Uh, yes he did," the young woman who Eloise still didn't know the name of said. "That man's eyes followed you like you were the rarest shooting star."
"That is not how I remember it. He was a complete ass."
"Ah, but you didn't see him see you the way we did, darling," Crystal added. "It was like watching a man taste bread fresh from the oven for the first time." She said it before taking a great bite out of the crusty bread, a wise and wolfish smile on her face.
Jen pointed. "Or a fresh doughnut." Everyone laughed.
"Why am I being compared to baked goods?" she asked with laughter.
Eloise looked at her friend, and smiled as pink blessed her apple cheeks. She thought of the man, the pathetic excuse for a man, who had once taken up Ursula's vision like he was some fantastic galactic show. She'd never seen what Ursula saw in him. He was haughty, intolerable and worse, the man rarely looked at Ursula.
If you want to know how much a man values the woman at his side, see how often his eyes seek her out. His only brushed her form by accident.
"He's quite yummy," Eloise added with a wide smile.
Ursula ducked her head, but the happiness radiated.
She wouldn't now, but she itched to sit across from her friend and ask,what happened? Did he do something egregious? When did you realize he treated you like an option?
Why didn't you call me?
"He is so yummy," the young woman gushed and Tilly made a humming sound as Jen laughed.
"Now, I may be a lesbian, but even I know that man is fine and he is good, so we here in Salem are glad the man found you.To gorgeous, powerful women breaking curses!" She raised her glass and the cheers to her toast were loud, and abundant.
"I'm Kelsea, by the way," the young woman whispered. Her long, blonde hair was lightly curled and she had a soft presence. She brought on the smell of lilacs and that gentle lapping of tired ocean waves. It was comforting and calm, maybe a little sad.
"Now, darling, tell us about you!" Crystal asked as Tilly helped Ursula ladle soup into bowls, passing them around. The smells of sumac and honeyed butternut squash tickled her nose.
"Yes, we must know all about you if you're going to join our coven," Jen said. The woman winked at Kelsea who laughed and flicked a crust of bread at her which was intercepted by the world's tallest dog.
"Well, I'm Eloise Snowdrop Willow, and yes, my mother was a hippie."
