Magic Flirts! 5 Romantic Short Stories Page 6

  The blond guy looked confused. “So, it would be a threesome with me and her friend? That’s cool.”

  Phil shook his head. “Never mind.”

  “Let’s just go. We can’t do this together. Make a list of all the guys you know and I’ll do the same,” Julie said.

  “Maybe we should go to the coffee shop so I can get to know her better?” Phil asked. “Figure out who might be a good match?”

  Julie felt a twinge of jealousy rush through her. What if he did like Philomena? What if Madge had been right that he was her perfect guy? Then you truly didn’t belong with him, she decided. “All right, it’s not far from here.”

  They walked out into the cool night and she looked up at him. “Thanks for believing me. A lot of guys would have run off by now.”

  He kissed her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re one in a million, Julie.”

  She hugged him and in his embrace felt happier than she could ever remember being.

  Phil drove them to the coffee shop, and Julie led the way inside. She went up to the counter. “Hey, Philomena, look who I ran into.”

  Philomena’s eyes lit up. “You were at the wedding, but we didn’t have a chance to chat.” She toyed with a lock of her long, black hair.

  “Right. You were pretty busy after grabbing the bouquet,” he said.

  “So, you noticed that?” Philomena said.

  “You really jumped right in there,” Phil said.

  “I’m a go-getter.” Philomena smiled and slowly looked him over. “What can I get you? I’m off in an hour.”

  “Oh, I’m not…I don’t know….”

  Julie stepped forward. Let him go on one date with her and keep Madge happy, she thought “Phil’s a bit shy. Why don’t we start with a chai latte for me and…I don’t know what you like to drink, Phil.”

  “Coffee, black is fine.”

  “Oh, nice and simple. I like that. Be right back,” Philomena said.

  “What are you doing?” Phil whispered.

  Julie shrugged. “Go out with her once. Maybe Madge will leave me alone then.”

  “I don’t want to go out with her,” Phil said. “Besides, we promised to find someone for her.”

  “But what if we can’t? At least we can say you gave it a shot. Please? For me?”

  He scrunched his eyebrows together. “My new girlfriend wants me to go on a date with another woman.”

  “What can I say? I’ll always keep things interesting.”

  “Fine.”

  Philomena came back with their drinks. “There’s a great bar down the street if you’d like to grab a drink later. I could meet you there at ten,” Philomena offered.

  Phil paused for a moment. “Sure, that sounds good.”

  “Super! I’ll see you later.” Philomena looked at Julie and mouthed, “Thank you!”

  Julie shrugged, like no big deal. Because it wasn’t. She was totally confident Phil wasn’t interested. Well, maybe not totally, but mostly. Mainly.

  Phil and Julie left the shop and climbed into his car. “That was weird,” he said.

  “Weirder than seeing me talk to a ghost?” she asked.

  “No. That wins.”

  She squeezed his hand. “Call me later and tell me how it goes, okay?”

  “I will. Let me drive you home.”

  Phil drove her home and they shared a lovely kiss before he left for his date. Julie’s skin tingled as she walked in the door. Grandma was sitting on the couch.

  “Are you fixing things with Phil and Philomena?” Grandma asked.

  “As a matter of fact, he’s meeting her at a bar for a drink right now.”

  “And you don’t mind?”

  “If it’s meant to be, he’ll come back to me. And then we’ll find someone else for her.”

  “There’s the spirit.”

  Julie looked around the room. “There’s another ghost here?”

  Grandma sighed. “I meant that’s a good outlook.”

  “And Madge will be happy, right?”

  “She’ll be happy when Philomena’s married and Madge can move on to another project.”

  “We’ll see. I’m beat. Don’t you have a gentleman’s club to haunt?”

  “I do. Truth be told, I go there to see the men. It’s the other gals who get a kick out of scaring them away.”

  “If you’re scoping out men, you should get yourself to the gym,” Julie said.

  “It’s a little late for me to start exercising.”

  “I meant for some superb man watching.”

  “Some silver-haired foxes there, too?” she inquired.

  “Lots of them.”

  Grandma waggled her eyebrows. “Thanks for the tip.” Then she disappeared.

  Julie flipped through a magazine while she waited for Phil’s call, but she couldn’t concentrate. She tried watching a favorite show, but nothing seemed funny. Finally, he called. “How’d it go?” she asked even before saying hello.

  “She’s into me.”

  “Well, duh.”

  “She asked me out tomorrow. I told her I already have plans.”

  “Good.”

  “Then she asked me out Saturday. And next weekend. I didn’t have the heart to tell her so soon I’m not interested. I told her I’d get back to her.”

  Julie gritted her teeth, thinking. “We’ve got to find her someone else. But who could measure up to you?”

  “Aww, that’s sweet.” He was quiet for a moment. “I know someone very similar to me. Someone who always likes to take what’s mine.”

  Julie sucked in a breath. “Your brother! Perfect. You can set them up.”

  “That won’t work. He needs to think I’m with her so he’ll want to steal her.”

  “She likes taking things that aren’t hers, too. So, maybe introduce your brother to me, and if she thinks he’s mine, she’ll be interested in him.”

  “What?”

  Julie sighed. “The four of us will meet out. You, me, and your brother will get there first. Introduce me to your brother. Then, when Philomena sees me with him, she’ll want to steal him away. Meantime, he’ll be into her since he’ll think she’s your date. Got it?”

  “It’s worth a shot. Seems like they’re made for each other.”

  ***

  They agreed to meet at the bar Saturday night. Phil and his brother Frank were there when Julie walked in. “Frank, this is Julie.”

  Frank stuck out his big hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “You too,” Julie said, shaking it.

  “Let me get a few drinks.” Phil left her alone with Frank.

  “You’re with my brother?” Frank asked.

  “No, he’s just a friend. He’s into this girl Philomena who’s coming later. But I’m certainly glad to meet you.” She fluttered her lashes at him, wondering if that came off as ridiculous.

  Apparently not, because Frank moved closer. “Good thing, because his girlfriends usually fall for me.”

  Julie held back the string of nasty words that popped in her head. “You have magic powers or something?” she asked in a fake flirty voice.

  “Maybe I do,” he said with a chuckle, sliding an arm around her waist.

  Phil returned with their drinks, but Julie couldn’t look him in the eye, not when she was snuggled up next to Frank. Then she spotted Philomena and her curly black hair walking through the door. “Look, there’s Philomena!”

  Philomena hurried over and linked her arm through Phil’s. But she was busy checking out Frank.

  “This is my older brother, Frank,” Phil told her.

  Frank moved away from Julie to shake Philomena’s hand.

  Philomena dropped Phil’s arm. “Nice to meet you. I didn’t know Phil had an older brother.”

  “An older, single brother.”

  “Can I get you a drink?” Phil asked Philomena.

  “Sure, a white wine would be great.”

  As Phil left to get the drink, Julie said, “I’ve gotta da
sh to the ladies room.”

  “Let’s give them some time alone,” Julie whispered as she passed Phil.

  “Exactly what I was thinking,” Phil whispered back.

  Phil and Julie hid in the corner of the bar, while Frank and Philomena talked.

  Philomena flipped her hair and laughed at something Frank said, while Frank set his hand on her arm.

  “It’s working!” Julie whispered. They waited another few minutes, got Philomena’s wine, and returned.

  “Thanks,” Philomena said, taking the drink from Phil but never taking her eyes off Frank. “Your brother is hilarious.”

  “Yep, he’s something else,” Phil said.

  “And he sails! We’re going tomorrow,” she said.

  Julie bit back a smile. She’d done her duty. She’d found Philomena a man.

  Then her skin tingled. And the lights flickered in the bar. Julie closed her eyes shut, but she could still hear the nagging voice of Madge. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked Julie.

  People nearby looked around nervously, as if they could sense something was amiss. Phil’s eyes went wide.

  “I’m going to step outside for a minute,” Julie said, heading for the door and hoping Madge would follow.

  She did, and so did Phil.

  Julie pinched the bridge of her nose. “Madge, I introduced Phil and Philomena, but she lost interest as soon as she met his brother. They’re a good match.”

  “Yes, they are,” Phil said, looking around as if to guess where Madge was.

  “She’s to your left, Phil,” Julie said.

  “I don’t know what this Frank is like! I’ve been following Phil,” Madge said.

  “It’s Phil’s brother. Next best thing. Give them a chance. It’s not going to work out between Phil and Philomena. You can haunt me all you want and ransack my apartment, but I’m not giving him up.”

  Phil reached for her hand. “There’s nothing you can do to break us apart.”

  “Let your granddaughter live her life,” Julie said. “She’s still young. She might not be ready to settle down yet. Watch her life unfold—don’t try to change it.”

  Madge looked down, saying nothing. “Then I’m useless in the afterlife.”

  “Nonsense. There’s lots to do. Find some new haunts. I sent Grandma to the gym. She loves checking out the men there.”

  “What?” Phil asked.

  “Lots of cute guys at the Y. In fact, Phil works out there. Why do you think he has such a fine butt?”

  “Thanks, honey,” he said.

  Madge sighed. “I suppose I did what I could for Philomena.”

  “You can’t force love, Madge.”

  “All right. I’ll leave you in peace.”

  Julie grinned. “Thank you. And thank you for helping me find Phil.”

  Madge sighed. “Guess I’ll see you at your wedding.” She disappeared, and Julie turned to Phil, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a long kiss on his lips. “Ready to leave?”

  “Let’s go check on those Frank and Philomena first.”

  They went inside and spotted Philomena sitting on Frank’s lap in a corner booth.

  “Let’s not break the spell they seem to be under,” Julie said. She stared into Phil’s eyes and her heart thumped with an overwhelming feeling of love. She felt linked with this man; like their hearts were locked together. She knew she’d always be with him. She took a deep breath. “Wanna go back to my place?”

  “Got another big mess to clean up?” he asked.

  She raised an eyebrow. “Maybe when we’re done.”

  He blinked at her, obviously grasping the meaning of her suggestion, then grabbed her hand and they raced out of the bar.

  ***

  The next morning, they shared eggs and toast on her tiny balcony. “What do you want to do today?” he asked.

  “Nothing. I want to do nothing all day with you.” Then her skin tingled and she groaned.

  “What? I can do nothing. Or something. Whatever you want,” Phil said.

  Her grandmother appeared, leaning against the railing.

  “My grandmother is here,” Julie moaned.

  Phil covered his bare chest with the newspaper they were sharing. “She wasn’t here last night was she?”

  “No. What’s up, Grandma?”

  “Now that this mess with Madge is all cleared up, I have another friend who needs help.”

  Julie held up a hand. “Grandma, I don’t want to play matchmaker anymore.”

  “But people need help finding love.”

  “You have to trust in love finding the right people. It did for me and Phil. And that’s what I want to focus on now—my own love life, not someone else’s.”

  Grandma crossed her arms. “But I’ve promised your help to so many ghosts.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m done. Don’t you care about my happiness?”

  “I do.” She sighed. “What am I going to do with myself now?”

  Julie shrugged. “Sit back and relax. See how things unfold for your loved ones instead of butting in. Or maybe it’s time to move on.”

  Grandma slapped her hand against her heart. “You don’t want me around?”

  “I want you to be happy, too. And I’m not so sure you can be happy in this in-between world where you really can’t live. I have to imagine whatever’s waiting in the next world is pretty great. Grandpa’s got to be there. Go find your own love, Grandma.”

  “But what if my family needs me?”

  “You raised your kids pretty well. We’ll all be fine.”

  Grandma was quiet for a bit. “Do you think there will be a wedding soon? I wouldn’t want to miss that.”

  “Do I think there will be a wedding soon?” Julie repeated.

  Phil looked at her. “You mean our wedding?”

  “That’s what she means,” Julie said.

  He grinned at her. “I think we’ll be having one soon.”

  “Then I’ll wait,” Grandma said. “Now, what to do about your sister, Jacey?”

  “You’re on your own with that, Grandma,” Julie said. “I’m busy.” She leaned over and kissed Phil while Grandma disappeared in a huff.

  “She’s gone,” Julie told him.

  “Good,” he said, reaching for her hand. “Let’s go back to bed.”

  Cupid School Dropout

  A knock came from Val’s dorm room door, and Sir’s receptionist peered inside. “Val, Sir would like to see you,” the woman told him, blushing. “I think he’s got your final assignment ready.” She blew him a kiss and darted from the room.

  Valentino jumped from his top bunk and ran a hand through his hair. He’d been waiting for weeks to learn the details of his final exam. Only half of Cupid’s recruits passed it, and he was going to make sure he was one of them—no matter what it took.

  He hurried down to Sir’s office and rapped on the open door. “You called for me?” Val was surprised to see Cupid wasn’t alone. The ghost of an elderly woman hovered near his desk.

  “Yes, come in, take a seat,” the tiny, curly-haired cherub said from behind his desk. For a baby-sized being, he had a deep, tremulous voice.

  Val sat down, smoothing his hands over his thighs. He started jiggling his right leg, something he’d done when he was still alive. He’d been surprised how many old habits literally died hard. “You have my assignment, Sir?”

  Cupid steepled his fingers together. “I have an interesting case for you. This is Beatrice Lawson, and she’s looking for our help. Says her granddaughter doesn’t believe in love.”

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with that girl,” Beatrice said. “And I can’t rest until she’s happy.”

  Cupid slid a picture across his desk.

  Val picked it up and studied the woman’s face. She had wavy brown hair with a hint of auburn and big blue eyes. Fair skin and lush pink lips. It was hard to imagine she hadn’t been able to find love. “What happened? Tough breakup?” Val asked.

 
“You’ll have to figure that out yourself. Part of the test,” Cupid said.

  “No problem.” Val could handle it. He had to if he wanted to attain immortality, giving him the opportunity to visit earth and help people find love. That meant time to surf again, time to enjoy all the earthly pleasures he was missing out on. Well, everything except for one—true, everlasting love. As one of Cupid’s agents, he wasn’t permitted to enjoy the experience himself. Romancing someone was allowed as part of the job, and that was fun. Surf, sun, beer and good food were a decent consolation, too.

  “Val,” Sir continued, “you have to help Jacey find love. As part of your final exam, you may only aim your bow when you know you’ve found the right match. When you see them both surrounded by the true-blue love hue—in matching shades—you know you’ve succeeded. If you do, you become one of my agents for eternity. If you fail, you will have to leave Cupid school and move on.”

  Val nodded. Contrary to popular belief, Cupid and his crew didn’t randomly shoot arrows at people. They worked hard to find the best matches, then sealed the deal with an invisible arrow to the couple’s hearts. They weren’t the only matchmakers out there; there were witches who cast love spells as well. And Cupid welcomed the help. His agents couldn’t be everywhere.

  “You’ll be set up with living arrangements and a back story on earth. She’s at the beach right now, and you’ll start there. You have two months.”

  “Thank you, Sir.”

  “If she finds loves with you, that’s fine, too. At least she’ll experience it, believe in it. Of course, you’ll have to wash her memory before you return. But Val, be certain you don’t fall for her. There’s no happy ending there.”

  “No worries.” Val had never been in love either. He’d had plenty of women, for sure, but never love. Didn’t bother him so much. He hadn’t been looking for it. Didn’t regret he’d never had it. He wasn’t a starry-eyed romantic like some of Cupid’s agents. He was only pursuing this gig for the benefits, because he wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Earth.

  “Please do your best. Her sister just got engaged, and I think that’s made things even worse for her,” Beatrice said.

  “I’ll find her love, don’t you worry,” Val said.

  ***

  Val dug his toes in the sand as he stood on the beach. It felt so good to be on Earth. He wanted to throw his head back and shout to the sky. Instead, he grabbed his surfboard and walked along the water, looking for a lonely brunette. This spot on Cape Cod wasn’t the best place in the world to catch waves, but carrying his board made him feel like he was alive, like he was back in Australia again, working on his dream career in advertising, dating a new girl each week…until a shark had killed him. No, not a Great White. A stupid toy some kid had left on the landing of his apartment complex. Val had tripped on it, fallen down the damn stairs, broken his neck, and died. Sometimes he laughed because of the irony. But standing on the beach now, realizing how much he missed being alive, was devastating.