Vrooms, Brooms, & Heirlooms: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Witchy Business Mysteries Book 1) by Maddy Savanna

Author:Maddy Savanna [Savanna, Maddy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2022-02-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter eleven

Anything Goes

Nothing could’ve prepared me for the explosion of satin and frills and floral perfume marching through my apartment door at seven o’clock sharp. The Anything Goes were five women ranging in age from twenties to fifties. They wore matching dresses in different pastel colors. As I held open the door for them, they ignored me and my false smile. I hadn’t even invited them in.

“Victoria Fox, I presume,” the one with the pastel purple dress said.

“That’s me.” Slowly, I closed the door, forcing myself not to flee through it first. I even locked it so I’d stay put. Recently, though, locking this door was a struggle. The lock practically ripped off my fingers to get it to engage. I groaned as it finally slid into place.

The Anything Goes frowned at the noise and at my apartment. Their magic radiated from them and shrank the living room to the size of a coffin. The one with the purple dress traced her finger over The Place To Put Things I Don’t Want To Think About Today, otherwise known as the kitchen table where my grimoire and college application lay. She flicked the thick layer of dust on her skin with a disgusted grimace.

“I’m Aster Perkins, High Priestess of the AGs,” she said. “This is Poinsettia, Abrus, Oleander, and Drosera.”

Each of the witch’s heads bobbed in turn at the introduction, just like the deadly plants and flowers they were named after. The air evaporated from my lungs. What kind of magic did these witches do?

“This isn’t the entire coven, but it will be enough for you.” She sniffed. “What is that smell?”

“Um, my familiar made a triple layer strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting.” He’d gone out of his way to score points for me, though right now, he was nowhere to be found. I pointed at the impressive beauty of a dessert on the kitchen countertop, but no one even looked in that direction.

“No, the other smell,” Aster said, her whole face scrunched like she’d eaten something sour.

Was it my apartment? Me? But I’d put on an extra layer of deodorant just for them.

“It smells like…” She sniffed again. “Car.”

“Oh, that must be my shop downstairs.” When they all looked at me with blank expressions, I tried to clarify. “Sunray’s Auto Shop. I’m a mechanic.”

Aster’s jaw dropped. “How awful.”

An angry flush burned up my neck to my cheeks. “Not if you have a car that’s broken down.”

“I don’t,” she snipped.

Well. Okay, then.

“Aren’t you going to invite us to sit?” Pastel Pink asked. Was that Oleander or Poinsettia? I couldn’t remember.

“Ew,” Pastel Yellow muttered. She made a face at the couch and chairs and held her hands to her chest as though something might fly up and crunch on her.

My flush raced to the tips of my ears, and I gritted my teeth. My apartment wasn’t that bad. “Please. Take a seat wherever you like.”

They did, their satin dresses sighing as one. I plunked down on the window seat a little too hard, sending up a large dust mote.

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