Later, I learned the pattern to complete it and got very good at them. I had larger ones, ones that were different shaped. There was a collection at my house now. The pattern was soothing, and something about it kept my focus in long meetings, or even just while sitting on the couch watching something. The little plastic clicking sound was satisfying, and though solving one was fairly straightforward, it still felt as if I’d accomplished something by the time it was all back in line.
“Whatever. I’ll go,” I said.
“You’ll go and you’ll make nice. You’ll show up on time, talk to who you should, go home alone.”
I was sure one of these days my eyes would stick to the back of my head.
“Please take this seriously,” he pleaded. “I don’t want there to be any issues. Especially with the family holiday coming up.”
Of course that was what he gave a shit about. Sam had always been the mediator in the family, and now with Rachel, he wanted everyone to be perfect all the time. I couldn’t understand why it mattered. If she gave a shit about him, what his family was doing shouldn’t matter. It must have been nice to have that kind of companionship, though I had no interest in seeking it out.
I’d dated a bit in the past, but never kept anything serious.
“Fine, fine,” I said. “I’ll be a good boy.”
“That’s what I like to hear. I need to run, but tell me all about it later.”
He hopped up and was out the door. I continued the final few turns of the cube, glaring out the window. I supposed I could behave for one night. I was an adult. I just preferred to have a little fun, and I didn’t see what was wrong with that.
Another soft knock from my assistant. “Yes?” I called.
He peaked his head in. “Mr. Jeffers is on the phone. You haven’t shown up for your ten o’clock.”
I checked my clock. Ten fifteen.
“Fuck, thanks,” I said.
I clicked the final side in place, finished the cube, and logged in.
Juniper
“You look so hot!”Casey exclaimed as I did a spin in front of the mirror.
I had to admit, I did look nice. I’d dipped into my funds a bit to splurge on this white, long sleeve, a-line dress. Sure it was rayon instead of real silk, but it clung to my body and looked the part, which was all I needed it to do.
I put my hair in a tight updo at the nape of my neck. A few curls hung loose in front, framing my face and highlighting my cheeks. I wore simple makeup, with a bit of winged eyeliner and a bold lip that matched my red hair.
“I do feel like I look pretty,” I said at last.
“And that gorgeous face is gonna get us millions,” she said, flopping down on my bed.
I laughed at her. Casey and I had been best friends since college. It was a classic freshman dorm roommate’s turned forever friends, and I loved her to death. And we’d been roommates ever since, deciding to move in together after college.
Though I was jealous she got to stay home and hang out in her sweats after this, while I had to go shmooze a bunch of richies and pray they would find our app interesting.
I had always been organized. Everything had a place, every project a timeline, every meeting had a time. It had always been my motto, despite growing up in a house full of people who could never adhere to a schedule, and were late to every event.
During college, I knew it would all be too much to manage, too many things to remember on my own, so I cast a spell that would add things to my calendar on their own. A professor would let us know about an upcoming test? Or a paper due, or a group meeting? It would instantly be uploaded.
Though I wasn’t ashamed of being a witch, it wasn’t something I talked about so openly. Most people were okay with it, but some held a prejudice. One I’d faced before and tried to avoid.
In reality, I mostly used it to make every day things just a little easier. And that was the start of it. Proving that exact point, I spoke the ancient words I’d learned to cast spells and hovered my phone over towards me.
“That will never not be cool,” Casey said. “If I could do that, I would never leave my room.”
“It’s probably for the best you can’t then,” I laughed.
Even though I tended to keep it quiet, Casey had found out quickly. We lived together, and like a muscle, magic needed to be used or stretched, or else it would build up, bogging me down and eventually making me ill. Or spilling out at random, which would be even worse.
