WITCH SHIfT
Chapter Ten

Mar

“All I am trying to get is something that supernaturals would drink and enjoy that won’t kill humans if they tried it.”

“Why,” Harper asked.

“One, to help the bars increase traffic,” I said hopefully. “Reason two, to have some small amount of merchandising and third, to kick JP’s ass on who can deliver the most."

“While I like the idea of showing up JP, is it a good idea? I mean humans drink our drink and if something happens?” She said smiling.

“Yeah true,” I said thinking. “What if we watered it down with some real clear clean water? Make their bodies really get a zing, from the water and not the booze.”

“You might be on to something there. If that works we could open a spa and do the whole cucumber slice thing.” She said giggling.

“Why not,” I said thinking. “If we could start the process of making this town even more of a tourist area, then why not. If we do, I want in on this.”

“You know, the only way to really be part of something is to be here.” She said looking at me.

“I know, and while Harv mentioned to me that I was jobless, maybe it’s a thought to pursue.” I said wondering if I was being directed here for a purpose. I mean I was really enjoying myself but I had to start thinking about my future. Right now I was virtually working for JB but nothing was set in concrete and the way I felt about him made it even more unstable. Shit, what was I going to do?

“I know that look,” Harper said getting up. “I think I can arrange a deal with the special beverage choice but you are the only one that can decide what you personally want out of life. I know I may have been down on JB from the start but that was jealousy on my part. He really is a good man. I don’t want you to think he isn’t and I don’t want to lose you as a friend for you misinterpreting my jealous into anything other than it was.”

Then she walked away from me. I knew she and JP apparently dated a brief time but she seemed more protective of me than him. While I was beginning to have feeling s for Harper and her beautiful soul, I was infatuated with JP. Harper was the friend I always wished I had, but JP, oh JP, damn it. Why did being an adult have to be so hard?

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I had all the contracts. I had the inventory arriving tomorrow when Harv was back to being himself, and I even had merchandise coming for some of the dwarven stuff. I was so rocking this again. I forgot what it was like to really take control of a project. Of course I still had all my other orders coming in and when Harv was out on days like this I did find myself being pulled in so many different directions.

I should hire someone to take some of the load off. I should but I won’t till I know if Mar is going to stay or not. I mean if she decides to leave when this is all over, I don’t know, it will have felt like I did all this for nothing. I love the fact that she has pushed me again and I love the fact that I find myself falling for someone.

The problem with falling for someone though is you put your heart out there, and if they don’t feel it back, well, you are destroyed. I didn’t want to be destroyed. I wanted Mar. I wanted the rough around the edges Mar who swears and jokes and causes trouble and isn’t afraid of anything even when she should be. I wanted my Mar.

Harv came trotting into my office and he looked whipped after having gone through his change last night. The nights were hardest because the damn witches made everything go slowly to cause him all kinds of pain. If I ever found those poor excuse for witches they would be sorry.

“Hey buddy,” I set a plate down for him. I grabbed a burger, well done, from the diner and had it there for him. “Let’s not do the whole I won’t eat when I am a dog thing because we both know you need to eat. If you hurry you can get it down before Mar gets here and I will help clean your muzzle off.”

He must have agreed because he didn’t bark or anything and he polished it off in five bites. I wiped him down and we had plenty of time before she got here to talk about the day.

“I have the package,” A familiar voice called and I went hurriedly to the door where Harper was standing with Mar and Mar was giving her a look that made me laugh.

“Thanks Harper,” I said and stood there just looking at Mar. She was still the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I knew I was falling but I didn’t want to get hurt. I needed to get my head around something else before it became so obvious I made everyone else uncomfortable.

“Ready for a shellacking,” I asked Mar.

She laughed. “Who uses the word shellacking anymore? I’m ready to kick your ass if that’s what you meant. Thanks Harper for walking with me,” she said giving her a hug and a shot of jealousy ran through me.

Harper saw me and she smiled an evil smile and then winked at me. Damn it. “Relax witch, you’re safe.” She said and I still didn’t totally believe her.

“The Spring water Vodka will be ready tomorrow. If it goes over we can supply a case a week. Anymore than that and I will have to make other arrangements.” Harper said to Mar but she did it so I would know. I was going to lose and she was confident in the fact enough that she was rubbing it in.

“I’ve already lost haven’t I?” I asked.

Both girls laughed and Harper walked out the door. “Yes, but your loss is the towns gain. Come on up to the offices and I will show you what we got.”

I followed her because what man in his right mind would not follow a beautiful woman? We were halfway up the stairs and without looking around she said “quit staring at my ass.”

“Shit, sorry,” I said.

She laughed. “I was joking, but now you are so busted.”

I smiled. I continued to stare at her ass all the way up the stairs but It must have been ok because I would have swore she swiveled it a bit more for me.

We got to the room and began laying everything out and while I was arranging everything she bent down and hugged Harv. She won. There was no point in pretending otherwise. I was bested and I didn’t care. She was good at this and she deserved the accolades that came with it.

“You are amazing,” I said looking over all she had done and the plans she was laying out for merchandise and franchising to other supernatural communities. I didn’t know if I wanted all that but it was here if I did. I knew one thing “I couldn’t do this without you.”

“You probably could, it just wouldn’t have been so awesome,” she said twirling in a little circle.

“Are you showboating Miss Oliver.” I asked laughing.

“Yes Mr. Worth I am.” She said doing it again.

Damn she was amazing. I couldn’t lose her. I wouldn’t lose her. “I guess what I should have said was I don’t want to do this without you.”

She stopped dancing and looked at me. Harv humped in dog speak and walked out the room. She just looked at me and I didn’t know what she was going to say but I was scared.

“JP, I like working with you, and if it was anyone else I would probably stay working here since I am currently out of work, but it’s you.” She said and my heart fell.

“Oh, I see. I understand. I uh thought we had something together. I read it wrong. I’m sorry.” I spewed out sneaking backward toward the door to leave.

“You’re a dumbass you know that,” she said as I reached the doorway. I couldn’t get out quick enough. My world was falling down around me. “I can’t work with you because I am attracted to you.”

I stopped. I stopped and stood there. Did I hear her right? I wanted to turn around but my fear had me locked into the door case afraid to move.

“I can stare at your ass all day but I would prefer you turn around so we can talk about this,” she said in only the Mar way she could.

I turned. “I’m attracted to you. I’m more than attracted to you and I can’t work like that. I can’t work with someone who distracts me as bad as you do. If that were the only problem I would look for work here in town and see where this thing could go between us, but it isn’t. I have no magic,” she raised a hand before I could protest.

“I will not have you fight and lose your family over me. JP in my mind you are hot. I won’t say what thoughts I’ve had of you, but you can imagine, but I don’t want to be a fling, and I won’t ruin your family over us.”

“Don’t I get a say in that,” I asked getting mad.

“I’m afraid not.” She said with such certainty that I knew it was hopeless.

I needed something to change and I needed it to happen before this whole mess was cleared up and she left me. I wasn’t losing her, and I was going to fight for it.

“Well, we still have to finish what we started here and we have to make sure before you leave it is safe to do so. I say we concentrate on that and maybe something will work out.”

“Oh JP I wish it would. I just can’t let this go for too long before my heart will break so bad I will die from it. I do agree we have to finish what we started here though, so let’s get to it.” She said and It seemed like she was giving up. That was fine. I would fight for the both of us.

Mar

“So that’s the plan boys, and while each of you thinks the other is getting away with something I guarantee you that you are both are actually going to make out better than you were before.” I said to Al and Lincoln as we went over the different approaches we thought up.

“Actually,” Lincoln said looking everything over “I think it looks good. I don’t even mind that Al gets most of the merchandise deals because most my clients are supers. I’m not going to complain.”

“Well holy shit,” I said out loud and Lincoln and JP both laughed at me.

AL was still studying the different agreements and contracts. He was worse than a contract lawyer with the way he went over the standard forms. “Everything comes from here? I can’t get anything direct from the supplier.”

“No, we made the deals, and you are welcome to make your own deals with other people, but we have the license for a distributorship for anything alcohol. The merchandise, while coming through us, you can set your own prices and we won’t sell to anyone but you. If however you decide to have anything made with the intent of cutting us from the line, remember we have the first right for sales on all the product names I came up with. In other words I will sell it through the novelty shops and you won’t make a cent.” I said smiling. I could be a bitch when I wanted to be.

He just looked at me and finally he smiled. “I wish you were a dwarf. I would marry you. The contracts are fine. Let’s get this done so we can all get back to work.”

We all laughed. Both men signed and we said that we would arrange delivery tomorrow when Harv was back at full strength and could see to shipping. Both men nodded because they understood and left.

I just sat there happy for a whole three seconds before Harv trotted back in and I remembered I still had to figure something out about that.

“I’d say we should celebrate but we have a lot to do. We need to get everything in inventory and get some codes made for the taxes. We have to also include merchandise in the inventory and we have to arrange for transport. I know they are a block away but it will be a lot of kegs and cases and growlers as we go. Let’s get busy people,” JP said jumping up from the big workroom table to do just that.

He seemed really easily distracted from celebrating. He told me how he wanted me and then he rushed to get away from me. He was up to something. He was right though. We had a lot to do tomorrow and since we didn’t have Harv the rest of the day I headed for my office. We would get this done.

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