"I bet it's kind of hard. Being called a Lost Souls witch," Kyra said, the kindness in her voice was gentle and smelled like warming honey. It made Eloise want to drag a chair from the club in here and sit and talk with her for a while.
"Actually, no. I mean, by the wrong people anything you are to them can feel ostracizing when it doesn't need to. But for the most part, I love living in that house with my best friend and being around amazing women." She leaned forward, dropping her voice. "And we don't actually practice magic. Though I would not say no," she chuckled earning a laugh from Kyra. "Are you from here?"
"I'm not. Danvers. But I come here all the time and for what it's worth, I wouldn't listen to anyone casting stones. Even if you do practice magic."
That warm honey smell was accompanied by the smell of blooming peonies, soft and velvety, rubbing against her mind in the most comforting and delicious way.
"Oh, if we had a reason to do magic, believe me I would jump in."
"So you didn't turn that Sandman boy pink?" Kyra asked with a giggle, lifting a ruby manicured hand to push her hair off of her shoulder.
"Ohmygosh no! I wish. He deserved it. Little twerp." She slapped a hand over her mouth realizing the words she had allowed out. "I wasn't supposed to say that," she whispered. "That was meant to be kept inside the privacy of our house and between us and Bess." Why was she sharing so much with this stranger?
Kyra laughed shaking her head. "Don't you worry. Secret is safe," she said zipping her lips with her index and thumb.
"Bess will kill me if it gets out that I'm talking about wishing to hex her ex twerp boyfriend. She's already being targeted enough."
"Oh, that's sad. She one of the witches?"
Eloise waved a hand in the air and the smell of warm honey crystalized, the smell pungently sweet. And the soft smell of opening peonies drooped into a fragrance of sun-blanched stems that hadn't tasted water in days. She shook her head and stepped back, feeling off.
"Are you alright?" Kyra's voice sounded warped.
Everything did.
And then everything came back sharp and clear. The woman was looking at her concerned, a hand raised, ready to steady her.
"I'm alright. Sorry," she said shaking her head.
"Do you need me to call someone?"
"No, thank you, though. I think I'll just head back out to my friends. Oh, do you want to meet them?"
Kyra shook her head. "No, I'm alright. Need to get back to mine, actually. They're probably about to send in reinforcements after me."
"Good friends are good that way."
"Yeah," she said, a slip in her brightness with a hint of melancholy that made Eloise tilt her head. "Well, it was nice meeting you. I'll see you around."
Eloise left the bathroom feeling disoriented just the slightest, like when you stand after sitting cross-legged for so long that stepping feels heavier and requires more concentration.
"Hey-oh! You were gone for a minute there. Line long?" Jen asked.
Tilly was sitting in the seat Eloise had abandoned and was smiling at the bartender who kept flicking his eyes up to where she sat. In her short time in Salem she'd not seen Tilly give anyone a second glance and by the looks of Jen watching the bartender and their friend silently flirt, it was a rare occurrence.
"You should get his number," Jen said into Tilly's ear, causing her to jump in her seat.
She looked at them both wide-eyed and had the lights afforded it, they would have seen a blush on her cheeks.
"No, I want to hear about Eloise's bathroom adventure."
"You want to hear about me going to the bathroom instead of giving handsome-pants bartender your number?"
"She swore off men since-"
Tilly cut her off with a look and then pointed to Eloise with a stern, "Bathroom escapade. Now."
Eloise slid a shocked look to a resigned Jen before she gave in. "I met my own redhead."
