Page 38 of The Blue Moon Café & 24-Hour Occult Emporium

“Are you okay?” Dahlia asked, barely keeping a laugh at bay.

“Yup!” Talula said hoarsely, trying not to die from embarrassment. “You should write.”

“Very true,” Dahlia said, turning decidedly toward her computer. She turned back to Talula. “I don’t know how to start.”

“How about this…” Talula reached for the cocoa supplies. “I’ll double the cocoa content if you write for thirty minutes, no interruptions.”

“A cocoa incentive program? Yes.” Dahlia pulled out her laptop. “Tell me when the timer starts.”

Talula opened her phone’s timer app. “Go!”

Dahlia’s fingers flew over the keys, a wrinkle of concentration forming between her brows. When she was fully immersed, Talula dashed through the Employees Only door. There, she leaned against the wall and took deep breaths. That was definitely flirting, right? Dahlia had basically brought up sex. But then, they were friends. Friends talked about sex all the time! It was fine, it was cool. And then, of course Talula had had a lust-induced asthma attack. Which was not fine. Or cool.

Talula laid a hand against her warm cheek and had to laugh at herself. Yes. She was attracted to Dahlia. Yes, the more time she spent with Dahlia, the more she wanted to be more than friends with her. Yes, she had no idea how Dahlia actually felt. However, as her mother and Simon had reminded her, romance couldn’t be a priority right now. There were hunters circling the vulnerable people in her magical community. And Talula wasn’t even doing the bare minimum to help.

So, she and Dahlia would continue to be friends. Just friends, no matter how badly Talula wanted to know if Dahlia wanted to spend late-night time naked with Talula. Friendship was what Talula could handle. The rest would have to take a back seat for the Magical Destiny.

But as Talula tightened her apron and pushed through the Employees Only door, a quiet part of her mind whispered, Coward.

10

That Saturday flaunted a perfect October morning, the sun bright, the sky clear, the air chilled by a hint of autumn wind. Errant leaves crunched satisfyingly under Talula’s bike wheels as she rode to the market. She’d left a grumpy Simon at home, agreeing to meet at the café after her market trip. She was glad she did. The brisk bike ride helped Talula unwind and forget about her continued magical shortcomings, gigantic crush, and worry for her mother’s hunt for the hunters. By the time Talula arrived at Navarro’s Organics, it was like she didn’t even have a Magical Destiny to live up to at all.

To her delight, Emilio was back at the market, arranging produce while Anna ran the cash box. But Anna’s concerned glance worried Talula.

“Just one quick sec,” Anna told her customers with a pink-cheeked smile. She grabbed Talula’s hand and squeezed it. “Sweetie, can you wait here until I’ve helped these people?”

Confused, Talula nodded. At that, Anna left Talula and went back to helping her other customers.

Emilio stepped closer to Talula, arms crossed. Despite his five-foot-two-inch stature, the produce man cut an imposing figure.

“I hear your surgery went well,” Talula said. “Congratulations!”

Emilio’s steely exterior cracked with a small smile. “Thanks.”

“Anna told me about your jam aspirations. I’m sure you’ll top the other jam makers here soon.”

Emilio’s brown eyes twinkled. “I like to stay abreast of new culinary experiments.”

“Anyone who doesn’t love your jam would be a total boob.”

“Too on the nose, Talula.” Emilio shook his head, but he was grinning. “Or should I say, on the nipple?”

“Please don’t encourage him,” Anna groaned. She turned to Talula. “Before I tell you what I need to tell you, there’s something I want you to know.”

“Okay?” Talula swallowed nervously.

Anna continued, “Even though we’ve had a very warm and respectful vendor-client relationship these last few years, we think of you as our friend.”

Talula flushed, pleased. “You guys—”

Anna cut her off. “Which is why I want to be the one to tell you what’s happening today. There’s a petition going around.”

“Petition?” Talula repeated, searching Anna’s and Emilio’s worried faces for clarity.

“To cancel the Blue Moon’s Samhain festival,” Emilio said gently.

Time slowed for Talula as her brain absorbed the words. Cancel the Samhain festival? Her Samhain festival? This could be a disaster. For decades, her fellow magical beings came to Pine Hollow to use the Volta to visit loved ones without fear of discovery or persecution. It was a vital service the Blue Moon provided. But without the smoke screen of the Samhain festival…