15. Always Tested

Chapter 15

Always Tested

M ax raced Hugo up Alice’s stairs—a race Hugo did not know he was running. Max squeezed between Hugo and the wall, shoving him to the side.

“Max!” he shouted. “Stop being so impatient.”

She was now in the lead and poised to win the race. With a few more gallops, she arrived at the top of the stairs. Victory was hers. Max turned toward Hugo and basked in her victory. Her tail smacked against the wall as she patiently waited for him to finish their unknown race.

There was a knock at Alice’s bedroom door. Max whirled around. Her ears perked back, and her nose snarled.

Another knock.

She let out an ear-piercing bark that echoed throughout the hallway.

Another knock.

She hunched low and backed toward the stairs. Her hind feet were on the edge of the step. She barked twice more. Two more knocks replied back .

Hugo climbed to the top of the stairs and scratched her backside. She sprang into action and leapt toward the door. She let out a flurry of barks. The knocks replied in kind from the other side.

“Max, will you stop!” Hugo shouted as he covered his ears. “You’re going to blow out my ears one day.”

He grabbed her collar and pulled her away from the door. Hugo knocked three times. Three knocks replied. He opened the door.

Galahad greeted them on the other side. Max, surprised by this unfamiliar object floating in the sky, let out another series of ear-piercing barks. She hunched low in a ready state of fight-or-flight. Her tail was between her legs. She bared her teeth and drew back her ears.

Galahad bounced with excitement at a new friend. It moved closer to introduce itself. Max did not reciprocate the friendship. With each bark, she moved further and further away from the floating hickory stick. She slipped behind Hugo and peered from behind his legs.

“Are you afraid of Galahad, Max?” Hugo asked. “First, the vacuum and now a broomstick. I think you’re afraid of cleaning objects.”

Galahad nudged forth. Max flailed her paws on the hardwood surface as she tried to escape the horror of yet another cleaning object trying to get her.

Hugo entered the bedroom and whistled. “Both of you. In!”

They did as they were told, and Hugo shut the door.

Max ran and dove under the bed to hide from the floating object. Galahad followed by sticking its handle under as well. Max whimpered.

“Be good, you two,” he commanded as he entered the bathroom.

His hand combed through the darkness to find the light switch before resting on the plastic knob. With a flick of his fingers, he fought back against the darkness of the bathroom.

The aroma of linen, rosemary, and lavender washed over him. Unlit candles, with their trail of melted wax like gnarled fingers, were scattered throughout the room. Each towel was folded neatly and in its proper place. A far contrast to the mildew smell of his somewhat decently cleaned bathroom. He made a mental note to clean out the bathroom trash can when he got a chance. He strolled to the toilet and lifted the seat.

“Now I see what she sees in you,” a familiar voice echoed, causing Hugo to pause. “Don’t stop on my account.”

“Are you offering to help?”

“If only I could.”

Hugo turned around, perplexed. The room was empty. “Alice?”

“She’s still downstairs, lover boy,” the voice responded.

“Is this some kind of trick?”

“Well, sort of…” her voice trailed off.

Hugo crept toward the mirror, each step soft and surefooted on the tile bathroom floor. He peered into the mirror and saw not his reflection, but Alice’s, staring back at him. Her reflection winked and blew him a kiss.

“Are you spying on me now?” Hugo asked with a sly smile.

“Not exactly. I’m her inner thoughts. Her feelings. Her… personal therapy session. I’m her reflection.”

“Like her literal reflection?”

“Yep. I know all. I see all. I feel all ! Like that little soiree the two of you had the other night.” She leaned closer as if to whisper a secret. “Do you want to know what she really thought?” Alice’s reflection winked at Hugo.

“That, um, feels rather, um…” His words failed him in that moment. The tantalizing thought of knowing Alice’s innermost personal thoughts and feelings was an opportunity too good to pass up. Still… He paused and gathered himself. “That feels like an invasion of her privacy.”

“Good,” Alice’s reflection stated as she leaned away from the mirror. “ You passed the test.”

“So, I’m being tested now?”

“You’re always tested, Hugo Dodds.” She crossed her arms with a stern look. “Never fail one of hers.”

“Good to know.”

Three distinct knocks rattled up the staircase walls and into the bedroom. Max emerged from her hiding spot and started barking once more. Galahad flew out and into the bathroom, excited at the prospect of yet another new visitor. Three more knocks in rapid succession. There was a delay before they rattled the door again. Galahad knocked three times on the bedroom door as if to answer the call back to the known visitor.

“You better go answer the door, lover boy.”

The knocks rattled the walls once again. Hugo headed back through the bedroom, failing to complete his initial purpose for coming upstairs. Max waited impatiently at the door. Galahad bounced around, ready to greet the visitor. Hugo cracked open the door.

“You stay,” he commanded Galahad. It slumped low in disappointment. “Look. I’d let you downstairs if I could. It’s not up to me, but I’ll talk to her.” Galahad perked back up.

Hugo and Max entered the hallway, closing the door behind them.

“I’ll get it,” Hugo said as he descended the stairs.

Max followed close behind. She tried to squeeze past Hugo, but he was prepared for her this time. He descended to the base of the steps.

“It’s probably Ez,” Alice shouted up through the open basement door. “She’s great. You’ll love her.”

Hugo grabbed the ornate, diamond shaped doorknob. Max tried to worm her way around to see who was knocking at the door.

“Get back,” Hugo commanded Max.

She didn’t listen. She fought her way through, anxiously awaiting the door to open. Hugo positioned his body between her and the wall .

“Back!”

He opened the door. The crisp, cold late-November air rushed inside. Standing on the porch was an older woman in a fashionably warm coat. Short of stature, but standing tall with personality. Her hair made up into a beehive style.

“You wouldn’t believe the night I had,” her voice trailed as she was greeted not by Alice, but by an unknown man. “You’re not Alice.”

She took a step back and checked she didn’t approach the wrong purple house.

“Nope. I’m not Alice,” he replied. “Hugo Dodds. I take it you’re Ez. Alice has told me so much about you.”

He extended out to shake her hand. His body blocked Max from trying to peek out the door. Her tail wagged and beat against the wall.

She lingered on the hand in front of her before glaring up at Hugo. Esmerelda raised a discerning eyebrow and shook his hand. “Charmed,” she said. “Aren’t you going to invite an old woman in from the cold?”

Hugo backed away from the door. “Ah, yes. Please come on in.”

Esmeralda Honeydew entered the purple house, and Hugo closed the door. She removed her coat.

“I can take that for you,” Hugo offered.

“Thank you,” she replied as she handed it over.

He placed it on the coat rack, next to Alice’s tailcoat. Max sat next to her, pressing her head against Esmerelda’s body. Max’s tail wagged, knocking the shoes on the floor back and forth.

“Hello.” She patted Max on the head. She rubbed the underside of Max’s chin; her tail wagged faster and faster to display her excitement.

“Max, leave her alone,” Hugo commanded. She didn’t listen.

“He’s fine,” Esmerelda replied. “He just wants scratches.”

“Her name is Maxine, but we…” His voice trailed off. “I call her Max for short. ”

“Well, she’s a good girl, aren’t you?” Esmerelda scratched behind Max’s ears.

“I’ll be right up,” Alice shouted from the basement.

Three distinct knocks came from upstairs.

Esmerelda focused her attention up the stairs and shouted, “I hear you, good buddy!”

The knocks stopped.

Alice ran up the stairs and greeted her friend. “Ez! I hope you didn’t have any trouble on the way over.”

“Nothing I couldn’t handle, kiddo,” she replied as she gave Alice a hug. She backed away and pointed at Hugo with her thumb.

“Oh, that’s Hugo,” Alice said. “Hugo, this is Esmerelda Honeydew.”

“We met,” she replied. “Maybe we can go somewhere and talk business?”

“Oh, sure,” Alice answered. “I have everything ready downstairs.”

“Well, let’s go take a look.” Esmerelda stepped through the basement doorway.

Alice followed, closing the door shut behind her.

“I don’t think she likes me, Max,” Hugo said, looking down at her. Her tail swept back and forth at the excitement. “No, she definitely likes you.”

The basement was well lit. Empty grape boxes were strewn about the floor. The door leading to the wine cellar was open. The candle wall sconces held back the darkness. Esmerelda closed the door as they entered the cold, damp cellar.

Alice strode over to the wine rack with a spring in her step. The bottles were neatly organized based on their magical properties. They lay ready for packaging and transportation to The Coven Club. Alice stood next to the rack with her head held high and a smile on her face. She arched her back and puffed out her chest. Alice was proud of her work.

“Okay, so we have bottles of Luck… obviously,” Alice said as she recited the wine labels. “We also have Courage, Insight, Happiness, Fertility—be careful who you give that to—Protection, Air Walk, and my personal favorite, Contortion.”

Esmerelda examined the wine racks. She surveyed each bottle, reading the labels. “This is all of them?”

“Yep. All 576 bottles are ready for boxing. Forty-eight crates of wine in total delivered as promised,” Alice replied.

Esmerelda shook her head. “Impressive. Impressive indeed. Especially given the circumstances.”

“Hugo helped me. We did this together.”

Esmerelda turned around and scolded Alice with a narrow-eyed glare, as if she were in trouble. Any sense of pride faded from Alice’s face.

“Did he?”

“He is a very good and capable assistant,” Alice replied.

Esmerelda continued her examination of the bottles. She pulled one out of the rack. A bottle marked “Insight” in black calligraphy lettering set against a faux weathered label. She snapped her fingers. The cork flew out with an audible pop before it landed on the ground. She smelled the wine. She took a sip and sloshed the liquid around in her mouth before drinking it.

“Pretty good,” she said.

“This whole batch has been excellent so far.”

Esmerelda snapped her fingers once more. The cork returned to her hand. She popped it back into place. With a tap, the cork descended back into the bottle’s neck.

“You did good, kiddo. You did good.”

“Thank you. That means a lot,” Alice replied. “And thank you for everything you’ve done.”

“Any time, kiddo. Any time,” Esmerelda said. “But I want you to do something for me. ”

“Sure. Anything.”

“Leave him.”

“Leave him?” Alice questioned. “I can’t leave him. He lives next door.”

“You shouldn’t have shown him any of this in the first place. Now he knows you’re a witch. We have ways of dealing with him if you want us to,” she offered.

“What?” A shocked expression fell over Alice’s face. “I don’t want him taken care of.”

“I’m only saying it’s an option,” Esmerelda responded.

“Look. He’s a really great guy. He accepts me for who I am. He’s bonded with Galahad—”

“Who’s Galahad?” Esmerelda asked.

“My broom. Hugo named him.”

“You let him name your broomstick?”

“Yes. He named it before he flew on it.”

Esmerelda nearly dropped the wine bottle onto the stone floor. “He flew on your broom?”

“And fell off and almost died.”

“He almost died ?” Esmerelda buried her head into her free hand. “Alice, you have to stop being this impulsive to anyone who shows the slightest bit of interest in you. We can’t keep doing this.”

Alice’s eyes locked onto the wooden vats elevated above the floor. She paused, thinking about the night a few weeks ago. That fantastic night of sexual pleasure and relief. The night that even now sent a tantalizing chill through her body, right down to her soul. She glanced back at Esmerelda. She prepared for the onslaught that was about to occur. “We made love.”

“You what ?” Esmerelda said with a rising anger.

“Hugo was helping me make wine. He wanted to make some using the old-fashioned stomping technique. He leaned in to kiss me. One thing led to another and—”

“Alice!” Esmerelda pressed her fingers against her forehead.

“I think I lo—” Alice stopped herself from saying the full word. “I really like him.”

“Well, I certainly hope so, kiddo. I hope so,” Esmerelda responded.

Alice dropped her eyes to the ground to hide her disappointment.

“Does he know about the spell?” Esmerelda asked.

Alice focused on her workstation. Her eyes locked on the hidden drawer in the stone wall. “He wouldn’t know what to do with it if he did,” Alice replied.

“Let’s keep it that way,” she said as she shoved the bottle back onto the rack. “If you are going to continue to see him, you’re on your own if anything happens. There is no moving. There is no hiding. There is nothing. I can’t afford it again.”

Alice’s hands trembled. Her lips quivered. She thought back to the night in the backyard. Coming to Hugo’s defense at the Raskin’s market. Hugo inviting her to the festival. Hugo making love to her. How Hugo made her feel like it was okay to be who she was.

I made the right choice.

Alice composed herself, stood tall, shoulders back, chest puffed out. “I’m willing to risk it.”

“I hope you’re right, kiddo,” Esmerelda said. “I hope you’re right, for your sake.”

Later that night, Hugo and Alice gathered in her living room. Max slept in front of the crackling fire. They sat on her red velvet couch; each occasionally took a sip from their wineglass. “You know, watching this on a TV isn’t the same experience,” Hugo said.

“People watch fireplaces on TV?” Alice asked.

“Oh yeah,” Hugo replied. “Big industry. You have different fireplace types. You can have different music playing in the background. Not to mention holiday themes.”

“Where’s the coziness of that fire?”

“It’s all part of the magic,” Hugo said before he took a sip of wine. “That’s magic with a C , by the way.”

“Well, I prefer the real thing.”

Alice took a sip of wine and then placed her glass on the coffee table. She snuggled against Hugo. He placed his arm around her to comfort her. He played with her vibrant purple hair.

“You should let Galahad down here to enjoy this.”

“I keep him up there so people won’t see him.”

“You have this house well-guarded. I think he’ll be okay every once in a while.”

Alice repositioned her head so she could hear the beating of his heart. “I could think about it.”

“Although, I guess a broomstick and a fireplace don’t necessarily go together.” They laughed. “Everything go okay with Ez today?”

There was a pause. Alice closed her eyes. “Why do you like me?”

Hugo took a sip before answering. “Is this another test? I was warned by you… well, your reflection… that there are always tests.”

“No test.” She opened her eyes. Her head slid down his chest as she repositioned herself to lay in his lap. She wanted a better view of his eyes. “I want to know. Why do you like me?”

“Well…” Hugo failed to continue in that moment. “You’re optimistic. Compassionate. You’re fun to be around.”

“It feels like you’re holding back. Tell me.”

“Sexy…”

“That goes without saying.”

Hugo sipped his wine, then set his glass down on the end table. “Honestly?”

She locked onto his eyes. “Always.”

“You accept me with all of my faults. You know I’m broken, and you accept it.”

A tear fell down her face, and Hugo wiped it away.

“Why do you like me?”

She blinked a few times to hold back the tears welling in her eyes. “Because you defend me. I’m broken too, and yet you still accept it. You accept me for who I am, and you don’t use that to your advantage.”

Hugo smiled. “That’s us. Two perfectly broken people.” He bent down and kissed her on the forehead. “So, how do you change the channel on this fireplace?”