Haunting Leigh: A Paranormal Romantic Comedy (Literal Leigh Romance Diaries Book 4) (11 page)

Chapter Twenty Two

The Witches Gala

Finally, it was Halloween and I was beyond excited. I felt like I would bounce out of my skin with joy. I mean really, is there anything cooler than being a real witch on Halloween? Thankfully there were no classes scheduled for the day. And by the way, in case you were wondering, my students’ Halloween art was magically returned to the classroom and hallways.

I spent more time getting myself ready than I had in a long while. This was a ginormous deal for a Halloween loving, paranormal romance reader and writer like myself. Best of all, I was with the man of my dreams and all of my witchy friends. Luna was coming, too, as I understood that all witch-cats were invited. It was five o’clock and we were all ready and waiting at Lindsey’s. Marie was there this time, and I happily gifted the diamond spider brooch that I saved especially for her. She immediately pinned it on her full blown gold gilded Voodoo gown. We were going to rock the shit out of that place.

Marie took charge of our travel arrangements. She whipped her broom around in a circle and the next thing we saw was a long cobblestone street. I’d never been to Salem, but I looked at every travel brochure and website. This didn’t look like the city I saw. This was a Salem of centuries past, yet with some modern conveniences. It was a magical Salem that existed in the same geographic location, but in an alternate dimension. Esmeralda had arranged a stretch limo or carriage you could say, it was pulled by a dozen of Gertie’s beautiful rainbow ponies.

“Welcome to the land of Oz!” Randy exclaimed. “Where’s the little Lollipop Guild munchkins?”

“There’s the red carpet!” I bubbled and squeezed Hunter’s arm. He looked so hot in that vampire tux, it was all I could do not to eat him alive. I honestly wanted to lick every inch of his skin, or at least make love to him right in the carriage. That thought would have to wait as the carriage came to a halt right at the end of the red carpet.

The carpet led up large stone stairs and through huge open doors of a building that looked more like a cathedral than a castle. Ushers in male stripper costume tuxedos took us to our assigned table. Witches of all sorts filled the room. I recognized Elspeth and Bruce Ross from the Scottish castle. Gertie pointed out Wanda the Veterinarian. It seems that Emily’s invitation may have had another mix up thanks to Esmeralda. She ended up on a street corner in Salem, Oregon. Poor Emily.

We enjoyed a feast of every type of food possible. Anything your heart desired was placed in front of you. And oh my God, the desserts were to die for. It was an amazing experience. As we dined a light upbeat music was provided by the ghost band called the Twenty Seven Club. The band was comprised of a vaguely familiar group of rock stars that had gone to the other side.

An elegant gray haired woman took center stage. “May I have your attention, please? Tonight we have the fortune of honoring four new witches that have already gained a name for themselves. Only, it’s not a word I can repeat here in public.” The audience laughed at our expense. I had to admit that our collective follies would likely haunt us for many years to come, so there was no use getting upset about it. “Just kidding. Let’s give a warm welcome to our new witches.”

“That’s you, ladies. You, too, Randy. Go on, get your asses up there.” Marie pushed us to get up on stage. It felt good to be recognized by so many witches and other supernatural beings. I’m not sure what I expected, but the entire moment felt surreal, like I was truly accepted into the magical community, despite all of my magical mayhem. Kelly, Randy, and Lindsey were ecstatic to receive their official brooms and beamed with delight.

The rest of the evening we danced and then danced some more. I also spent a good deal of time networking and getting to know as many witches as possible. We traded cellphone numbers, email addresses, and promised to keep in touch with one another.

Marie approached me happily. She took Luna from my arms and held her close, stroking her long, silky soft black fur. “Have you had her read yet?”

“No. I don’t think so. What is that?”

“Did you have her paws read by a paw-reader?” I shook my head in dismay at the question. “There’s one here. Come on. You really need to find out Luna’s story.” We squeezed into a small booth that had a tiny table with little chairs around it. A crystal ball sat on the center of the table.

“Ah! Leigh, the witch with the magic desk. Please put your cat in the chair.” A small witch said. She looked very old and reminded me of one of those old palm readers you sometimes see depicted in art. She took Luna’s paws and held them. The crystal ball lit up and looked very much like a rainbow was trapped inside of it. “Ah! Oh? Ah hah! Yes. Okay.”

“What is it?” I was dying to know.

“This cat’s spirit has many past lives. I can tell that she has had one human life. Long ago. Hmm..this is interesting.”

“What? What’s interesting?”

“During her human life, centuries ago, she was the lover to an alchemist during the reign of Emperor Rudolf the First. She was a witch. She has been reincarnated as a cat many times, and always a witch’s cat. That’s all I can tell you for now.” She rubbed the fur between Luna’s ears. “By the way, where did you find her?”

“I suppose you could say she found me. It was right after I finished college and moved into my apartment. She was a stray that showed up one day and wouldn’t leave. We’ve been together ever since.” I started to think about the day I found my desk. “Do you think she chose me to be the one to get my magic desk? Or do you think she knew I was going to be the one to find it?”

“It’s hard to say. The only information I got from her is what I told you.” She took Luna’s paw one more time. “Hmm…I can tell that she is happy with you and your husband.”

“Wow! I’m not married, though.”

“Oh? Then you’ll have to wait and see what she means.”

“Is there anything else?”

“Yes. One more thing, stop getting the damn chicken flavored treats.”

I plucked Luna from the chair and went back out to the ballroom. “You know, Luna, I had no idea when I found you in the streets that you had such an impressive magical pedigree. I’m glad you’re happy with me and Hunter. I can’t imagine you not being with us.” I gave her a gentle little squeeze as I hugged her closer to my chest. I placed a tiny kiss on the top of her fuzzy little head and was rewarded with the sound of her soft purring.

I looked for Hunter, but didn’t see him or anyone else from our table anywhere. After a few minutes of searching, I finally bumped into Randy. “Have you seen Hunter?”

“He’s out on the balcony. Right over there.” He pointed to a pair of deep scarlet curtains. I carried Luna through the curtains and out onto the balcony, scratching her head lightly as we walked. The full moon bathed the area in a beautiful glow. Hunter stood alone and leaned against the railing. I went over to him and he silently took my hand, went down to one knee, and took out a ring from his jacket. I recognized the large diamond as a piece from the Schlitt collection. He had it set into a beautiful platinum band.

“Leigh, I can’t think of a better time to ask you. Here in this magical place on Halloween under the full moon. I want to know if you will marry me and spend your life with me. What do you say?”

My brain was in overdrive and I was nearly to the out of my mind uncontrollable stage. Happy tears streamed down my cheeks. “Fuck yeah!”
Oops
. “I meant. Hunter! Of course I will. Yes!” He stood up and slowly slid the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly and the piece of Schlitt diamond glowed like the moon itself.

This was shaping up to be one hell of a great year after all. I was engaged and soon we’d be moving into the historic Schlitt House. The holidays were right around the corner and I was looking forward to everything that would bring.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melanie James is a USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen books. She grew up in western Pennsylvania before heading off to Chicago seeking new adventures. She found that life in a big city was fun for a while and even met the love of her life there. Melanie quickly tired of hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle and settled down with her one true love in northeast Wisconsin.

Melanie has two kids, three step-kids, a beautiful daughter in-law, and the cutest grandbaby. She also has two dogs and two cats that often make appearances in her books.

She loves to hear from her readers and fans. You can connect with her online:

http://www.authormelaniejames.com

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieJames

Sign up for her newsletter to get all the latest information about new releases and sales. You will also be registered for the monthly giveaway!

http://eepurl.com/TnKn5

If you enjoyed reading Gertie’s Paranormal Plantation, She’d be eternally grateful if you’d let the world know!

Review it.

Tell other readers why you liked the book, or any of her books by leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, or your blogs. Reviews are of the utmost importance when it comes to distributors and retailers. They also help new readers make informed decisions when selecting a new book or author.

Recommend it.

You can help others find this book by recommending it! It’s easy. Just tell them! Seriously! Social media is a great platform to spread the word in reader groups and discussion boards. If you love the books or leave a review, feel free to let her know at
[email protected]
so she can thank you with a personal email. Your support means more than you’ll ever know! Thank you!

Want to know more about Leigh and her gang of magical misfits? Check out the Literal Leigh Romance Diaries.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OYQZR2W

Éveiller Drive

On a sleepy little street, in a quiet little sub-division, hearts were silently breaking. Marriages were crumbling. Couples became victims of the all too common, scheduled-to-the max, stressed out beyond belief, norm of daily living. It seemed as if there simply were not enough hours in the day to set aside time for the closeness that couples needed. Intimacy, the essential ingredient required to have a happy and satisfying marriage was severely lacking.

Each couple entered into marriage thinking life would be easier, with a loving partner at their side. All had believed that love was enough to keep you happy, satisfied, and content. Little did they know, that a good marriage required a lot of hard work and loads of compromise. A happy marriage requires that couples be more than just lovers or bed partners. Both husbands and wives are expected to be a friend, lover, supporter, and confidant. And that, is only the start.

Just when the couples thought they had the hang of it, children came along. Everything changed from that moment on. They loved their children with every breath in their body, like any good parent would. However, they never stopped to consider, how much their lives had changed when kids entered the picture. Their lives no longer revolved around one another. The marriages and the households were no longer about two people. They said goodbye to making love all night and Saturday morning sexcapades, without even realizing it. It just slipped away.

Choices were no longer black and white. Decisions were no longer simple yes or no answers. There were many shades and variations of the gray areas.  Choices were made, and plans for the future revolved around what was best for the growing family. Passion and romance fell to the bottom of the ever-growing list of priorities, and eventually dropped off to the wayside.

The women felt neglected, as did the men. They wondered where they had gone wrong with their spouses, never connecting the events that lead to their dismal states. After all, they worked hard. They were successful. They loved their kids and always put them first. The couples used to be close. Sex consisted of the four fs—fantastic, fun, frequent, and fucking mind boggling. Now, it was nothing more than a frequently overlooked urge. Intimacy had become another chore that needed to be done, or an itch that needed to be scratched. Nothing more—nothing less.

Each couple wishing desperately to go back to the happy, fulfilling marriages they once had, but not knowing how to get there. How could they rekindle the spark that had been lost? Was the spark still there? Wasn’t it normal to lose the passion and heat after years of exclusivity?

Sadly, several of the couples believed that it was far too late to save their marriages. They were one screaming match away from losing their partners forever. None of them wanted to rock the proverbial boat, and pretended all was calm and normal. When in fact, if you peeked behind the closed doors, it was anything but calm and normal. Anger stewed as problems escalated. Words blazed from unchecked tongues and burned deeply. Verbalized anger caused hurt that could not be easily healed. Jealously acted as an accelerator of the suspicion that easily grew in the hearts of weary, exhausted spouses. What had been a fire of love, lust, and passion, turned into a cold, lonely, and dark place.

Welcome to Éveiller Drive.