A Touch of Magic

The kettle behind me hisses, pulling my attention away from sorting and refilling apothecary jars. I pour the hot water over my special autumnal tea blend just as the bell above the door chimes to my cozy shop. The autumn breeze blows in loose leaves that cover the ground outside.

"Welcome in. How can I help you?" I ask.

"Morning." A man dressed in jeans and an unbuttoned flannel with a t-shirt underneath rubs his neck and looks over his shoulder nervously, like he isn't sure if he's in the right place.

"Is there something I can help you find?" I ask.

"Yeah, um... I'm not really sure how to ask this." He pauses and looks over his shoulder again nervously.

"Are you okay? Is someone looking for you?" I ask, worried he could be in danger.

"Oh no. It's nothing like that. I'm just nervous about being here," he says and rubs the back of his neck again, and I can't help but think it's cute.

"Why?" I chuckle. "It's just an apothecary." I smile to encourage him to ask what he's looking for. When he smiles back, I'm struck by how handsome he is. I find myself leaning forward to look closer at his bright, honey-colored eyes, which remind me of warm honey cakes at Summer Solstice. They're sweet and inviting.

"Well, I've been having trouble sleeping, and a friend recommended I come to you." I have a sneaking suspicion who his friend is, but I let him continue. "I've tried all the over-the-counter stuff, and it makes me feel groggy in the morning, or they don't work."

"Is there a reason you're having trouble sleeping?" I ask.

"I've been stressed from work. I have a huge project that's due next month, and I've been working overtime to get it done. I guess stress and anxiety are keeping me up." He places his hand on the counter, and I notice he's been picking or chewing at his nails—a common anxiety habit.

"Okay, so what friend told you to come to me?" I ask, wanting to make sure this man is trustworthy. I only offer certain services to those whom I can trust, and depending on who told him to come to me, will determine if I can help him or not.

"Um... Melinda." He looks around again, this time not as nervously, and takes in what's around him. My shop is filled to the brim with shelves of herbs, roots, and barks. Plus a wall of tinctures, salves, and teas takes up a sizeable section, not to mention the array of plants that hang over the edges and in the windows, soaking up the warm morning sun.

"Ahh. Melinda. Of course she would," I chuckle. Melinda has been coming to me since I opened my apothecary, and it didn't take long before she started asking very specific questions about what else I can do.

"Yeah, she said you guys go way back." He gives me a hopeful smile, and my intuition doesn't throw up any red flags, stopping me from asking my next question.

"Can I trust you to keep a secret?" I ask, and his eyes go wide from my seemingly random question.

"If it helps me sleep. I will keep any secret, as long as it doesn't involve murder or something crazy," he chuckles nervously.

I laugh. "No, no, it's nothing like that," I say before I lean a little closer, and he follows suit, our faces a few inches from each other. "I can do magic."

He chuckles in disbelief, pulling away until I point at my cup of tea being stirred on its own. His eyes go wide, and he looks back at me, stunned.

"Melinda said your herbal remedies worked magic. I didn't think she meant literally." He watches the spoon spin round and round in amazement before he cracks another grin.

"She's been a long-time customer and friend, so if she recommended you to me, she thinks I can help you." I turn my back to him and move around the counter to the wall of herbs in their large glass containers.

"You can?" His voice lifts in excitement and relief.

"Yes." I grab lemon balm, chamomile, valerian, and lavender off the shelves, grab two of the large jars, and bring them to the counter. The man grabs the other two before placing them on the counter in front of me.

"I never did get your name," I say as I bring a scale over to measure out the herbs by weight.

"Emmett." He reaches over the counter to shake my hand. When I place my hand in his, warmth spreads up my arm like a soothing caress. It's like drinking tea when you have a sore throat. It's so comforting.

"Cassandra." I pause, not taking my hand from his as our eyes lock. "Emmett, have you ever been told you have a gift?" I ask.

He slips his hand from mine to tuck a chocolate brown piece of hair behind his ear as a bashful smile pulls at his lips. "Yeah, my mom always said I have a way of making people feel warm and safe."

"Hmm. Interesting," I say as I continue to measure the herbs.

"Why do you ask?" He looks at me with sparkling curiosity in his eyes.

"Well, you have the magic touch," I say softly. He laughs at that. "I'm serious. Your handshake was warm and comforting, like a sweater on a cold winter's day."

His eyes beam at me as a smile pulls at his lips again, and his smile is dazzling. He looks so handsome like that.

"I've never been told that before." A warm charge fills the air around us, and I can feel my cheeks heat under his gaze. He's adorable. I've been so busy running my shop that I haven't dated, but he has sparked my interest.

I work on his mixture of herbs, and I can feel his eyes on me the whole time. After several more minutes, I had finished his mixture, and I placed it in a small glass jar. I turn to him, holding the jar in my hand. Before I close the lid, I whisper my spell, and the herbs glow brighter as my yellow magic pours from my hands into the tea blend. They settle back to their original color, seemingly no different than before, and his eyes watch me in amazement.

I close the lid, placing the jar in a small paper bag with a tea strainer. I hand it to him, and we walk over to the register.

"One scoop a night, 30 minutes before bed. Let it steep for 5 minutes, and that should help you sleep. Do not take any more than that or you may sleep for a few days," I chuckle.

"One scoop before bed. Sounds easy enough." He smiles and pulls his wallet from his back pocket.

"That will be $20."

"That's it? Even for the..." he pauses and leans in to whisper. "Magic?" I smile and giggle.

"Well, normally I would charge more for that service, but I'll take your number as payment," I say flirtatiously, my cheeks heating again. "If you're single, of course."

"I'm 100% single." He smiles again, and my stomach flutters. "Do you have your phone?" he asks, and I quickly scramble to grab it from the other counter next to my tea that has now gone cold.

I open a new contact and input his name, then hand it over to him to enter his number. Once he's finished, he hands it back to me, and my stomach does a little excited somersault. I definitely didn't wake up this morning thinking I would get the number from a cute guy today, but I'm happy it happened.

"Have a nice day," I say and wave. "Remember to keep my secret, though."

"Cross my heart," he says as he does the motion over his chest. He gives me one last smile that sends my heart beating into overtime as he pushes the door open and walks out.

I hold my phone to my chest before looking down at the new contact. I open a new message and send him a text.

Cassandra: Sleep well 😉

Emmett: I will, thanks to you 😊

I have a sneaking suspicion this will be the start of something great.