Pet Psychic Mysteries Boxset Books 5-8 (Magic Market Mysteries Book 2) by Erin Johnson (reading diary .TXT) 📗

“You know…” Heidi sat back up and spun to face me. “I overheard some of the other consultants talking about the leader of that protest. I think a lot of them knew her—it sounded like she was a pretty active seller here in the Darkmoon for a while.”

I quirked my lips to the side. “You know her name?”

Heidi shook her head. “No… but my upline does.” Her dark eyes widened. “You didn’t hear that from me, though, I don’t want to get in trouble.”

“Pff. Upline—these terms are so corny.” Will shook his head, perusing a magazine.

I frowned as I looked closer. “Is that the Potent Potions catalog?”

He shrugged nonchalantly, though his cheeks flushed red like I’d caught him at something. “I’ve already read all the other magazines we have.”

“Mm-hm.” Oh, snakes, was he buying in, too? I turned back to Heidi. “Can you get me in touch with your upline?”

She dropped her eyes, lost in thought for a moment, then brightened. “She’s having a Potent Potions party tomorrow night at her house.”

“Ugh.” Heaviness settled on me, and I suddenly felt exhausted. “I have to go to another one of these things?”

“Oh, come on.” Heidi leaned her head back on my shoulder. “It’s a party—it’ll be fun.”

Will didn’t look up from the catalog. “Famous last words.”

15

Potent Potions Party

“Hey, hon! Ee! So glad you made it!” Heidi’s upline, a woman named Sue, pulled my friend in first, pelted her cheeks with air kisses, then stretched her arms out to me. The whites showed all around her eyes as she gasped. “And you brought friends!”

Sue pulled me into a tight hug, my arms pinned to my sides, and gave me the air kiss treatment, then rose on her toes to attempt the same with Will. I grinned back at my friend, who had to stoop to get through the door.

“Welcome, welcome!” She squeezed through the entry, past me and Heidi, and led the way into her living room. “Make yourselves at home. The party will start soon.”

She spread her arms wide, gesturing to bowls of chips and platters of finger foods spread out on a clear glass coffee table. Women, old and young, perched on the edge of two white sofas, nibbling snacks and sipping from glasses of wine.

One of them adjusted her seat, and the couch squeaked and groaned under her. I tried to hold back a smirk and didn’t dare chance a look at Will—I’d lose it for sure. It was the telltale sound of a spill protection spell, which made the couch impervious to ruin, but also noisy and incredibly stiff and uncomfortable.

Sue bustled back through the doorway to the kitchen, where a dozen women crowded together around the dining room table and counters. Her home was a typical Darkmoon place—cramped, but cozy, with nice but outdated furniture. I glanced back at Will.

“Still glad you came?”

My friend heaved a heavy sigh and zeroed in on a bottle of red on the coffee table. “Wine. Now.”

I grinned. He’d claimed he was just coming along for laughs, but I had a sneaking suspicion Will had drunk a little of the potion the night before and was at least a bit intrigued. He bustled forward, casting simpering smiles at the ladies on the couch, then poured himself an enormous glass of wine. I hoped I was wrong.

Heidi got pulled into the kitchen to help cut cucumbers, so I drifted over to Will and poured the rest of the wine—which turned out to be a thimbleful—into a clean glass. I shot him a flat look. “Thanks for leaving some for the rest of us.”

He took a swig from his glass and made a face. “Once you taste it, you’ll thank me.”

A lady with short curled hair and a big smile finger waved us over. “You two new?”

I nodded while Will tipped his head back and took a few gulps of wine.

“Well, welcome.” The woman made introductions, and I immediately forgot the names of everyone on the couch, though I nodded politely. “You two both interested in becoming consultants?”

I opened my mouth, but curly hair didn’t wait for me to answer. “I just love it when couples sign up together.” She winked at me. “Husband and wife duos always sell better than singles.” She sniffed at the woman beside her. “Wish I could get my hubby to sign up with me—he’d never agree to be my downline though! Ha!”

The women on the couch giggled, while I shot Will an amused look. He didn’t return it.

“I’m nobody’s downline, m’kay?” He stood with one hip cocked, swirling his glass of red, a distasteful curl to his lip.

The curly-haired woman waved a hand at him. “Oh, it’s not an insult, hon. We’re all somebody’s downline.”

The ladies nodded in agreement, and Will sniffed, his expression softening slightly.

I grinned. “Besides, we’re not togeth—”

He flung an arm out, blocking me, and slid slightly in front of me. “You say couples make more money? How much are we talking?”

I rolled my eyes at his back. Snakes. He’d taken the bait.

I gritted my teeth and muttered at him, “You’re just here for laughs, remember? To hear the ‘drivel,’ as you put it, that they sucker in the gullible with?”

He waved a hand and hissed at me to be quiet. “Don’t be rude, Jolene, it doesn’t hurt to at least hear them out.”

I folded my arms and polished off the rest of my measly glass of wine. I definitely needed more to get through this.

I sidestepped around Will and addressed the curly-haired lady. “So how about that summit yesterday, huh?”

The ladies on the couch all nodded.

“Such a tragedy.”

“I can’t believe Mama Pearl is gone.”

“Yeah, yeah, it was awful.” I waved it off, just wanting to get my information and get out of there. “But I meant those protesters. Can you believe they had the gall?”

A blond on the loveseat clicked her tongue. “So disrespectful.” She leaned forward and looked around at us all.