Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
“Celia, hello!” Hubert said, coming right up to the counter. He was about a head shorter than me but extremely stocky with a powerful build.
“Hi Hubert,” I said warily. “Er, how can I help you?”
Hubert looked around as though someone might be watching. Leaning across the counter he murmured,
“Do you have any more of them pear tarts left to sell?”
I was surprised.
“Er, I’m afraid not.” I shook my head.
“I told you she’d be all sold out!” Zelda exclaimed. “That kind of sex magic don’t last long—especially when you’re selling it cheap!”
“Are you talking about the, er, effects the pear tarts had on some people?” I asked cautiously.
“’Course I am!” Zelda exclaimed. “Those tarts got Hubie all excited for me for the first time in nigh on two years! See, he has trouble getting his pecker hard but after eating those tarts—”
“Shut up, woman!” Hubert snapped. “She don’t need to know nothing about my problem! Besides, the only reason I can’t get hard is you. You never try to make yourself sexy for me and you wear your beard so short it’s hardly there at all!”
“I can’t help it I can’t grow a beard as long as other women,” Zelda protested, putting one hand to her closely-clipped reddish gold beard. She had tried to make it pretty—the part growing on her chin was braided and there was a pink bow at the end of it.
“So the two of you aren’t upset about how the pear tarts made you react?” I asked, just to be sure.
“No, we’re just sorry you don’t got no more of ‘em,” Zelda said sadly. “Are you sure you’re not hiding just one more in the back?”
“I’m sorry.” I held out my hands. “We sold out yesterday.”
“We do have some fresh cinnamon rolls though,” Sarah added helpfully.
“Do they got the lust spell on ‘em?” Hubert asked, looking hopeful.
“I’m afraid not.” I shook my head.
“Aw, too bad.” He sighed deeply. “Well, give us some cinnamon rolls then. Two oughta do it.”
“Regular or Creature sized?” I asked because I make a lot of extra-large pastries for the Creatures with big appetites in town.
“Better make ‘em Creature sized,” Hubert said. “But if you ever do make any more of them lust tarts, let us know—we want some!”
“We sure do,” Zelda agreed eagerly.
“I’ll, uh, keep that in mind,” I said, nodding. “What happened with the pear tarts was kind of an accident. I don’t know if I could duplicate it again.”
In fact, I was pretty sure I couldn’t. Only having Malik near me, keeping me hot and bothered, had allowed my magic to leak into the baked goods. I couldn’t see myself feeling that way when I was just baking on my own or baking with Sarah.
“That’s too bad. You could make a mint if you sold those on the regular,” Zelda told me as she and Hubert accepted the extra-large white paper bag containing two hubcap-sized cinnamon rolls. “I know I’d certainly pay for ‘em. Why, Hubie’s pecker got so hard—”
“Hush, woman!” Hubert snapped. “I told you, stop talking about my pecker!”
The two of them walked out of the store, still arguing. The moment the door closed behind them, I turned to Sarah, whose eyes were dancing with suppressed amusement.
“Well, that was weird,” I said.
“Not just weird—hilarious!” She burst into peals of laughter. “Oh my God, I just can’t with those two! Who knew you were selling some kind of magical Viagra in those tarts?”
“I certainly didn’t know,” I pointed out, laughing as well. “Of course, I didn’t even know I’d put a lust spell on the tarts. Not that it was a spell, exactly…”
“What was it anyway? I mean, how did it happen?” Sarah asked curiously. All morning she’d been keeping quite while we worked, clearly trying to respect my feelings. But now that we had laughed together, she felt free to ask.
I didn’t mind—I needed someone to talk to and Sarah is a great listener. I explained about how I had inherited a Demon—Malik—from my Great Aunt and everything that had happened afterwards.
“Wow!” Her eyes were wide by the time I finished. “So your emotions leaked into your baking because of your new Incubus boyfriend?”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I protested. “He’s not anything now—he left because I yelled at him over the tarts.” I sighed, feeling sad all over again. “I wish I hadn’t been so hasty.”
“You were upset,” Sarah pointed out. “Besides, all relationships have problems. I’m sure he’d come back if you called for him. Or maybe summoned him? I don’t know how to go about getting a Demon to come to you,” she added apologetically.
“I don’t either but it doesn’t matter. He’s never going to want to see me again,” I said dolefully. “Right now, he’s probably back in Hell’s Waiting Room waiting for his next assignment. Or maybe he’s already on his next assignment, making some other witch feel horny and desirable.”