The image of Nate’s mouth sliding over hers flickered in her vision.

She pushed it aside.

“How’s it going, ladies? Are we ready for the big engagement parties?” Ken asked.

Gen sighed. “I should’ve just hired a planner, but David says it’s best to control all the details to guarantee perfection. The big news is I’ve made the decision to move out of my bungalow.”

Ken noticed how she darted a nervous look at everyone as if afraid of backlash. Kate gave a long whine. “Nooooo! I’m gonna miss you as my neighbor. Who’s going to feed you and supply you with caffeine?”

Gen smiled. “I’ll miss you too, but David thinks it’s the best move. Silly to keep schlepping my stuff back and forth, and his place is so much bigger and near the hospital. I’m thinking of renting it out, though. I don’t want to give it up.”

An image of Nate and Connor floated past her. The idea formed slowly, but in moments had grown to the size of Jack’s beanstalk. Nate really needed his own place in order to cultivate an intimate, serious relationship. Somehow, she needed to convince either Nate or Connor to move out. Maybe she could offer up Gen’s place? With a few updates and masculine furnishings, it could work.

“Umm, Gen, I may know someone who could rent it for a while.”

“Great. I’ll make a copy of the key and just let me know when they want to look at it.”

“Done.”

A few hours passed. She relaxed under the slight buzz of alcohol, good conversation, and some deep belly laughs. Honestly, girlfriends were the best remedy to any of life’s challenges. Who needed men, after all? After the orgasm, it only went south fast.

The noise in the bar grew as a crowd of college students spilled in and began shouting over a beer funnel. Kate sighed. “I’m getting old. Way too loud in here. Call it a night?”

Gen hiccupped. “No, it’s still early. How about we walk to my place? Ken, you can take a few pictures on your phone and show your friend.”

“Sounds like a plan. Let’s go, ladies. Road trip.”

They slipped out of Mugs and hit the street. Even past eleven, the night was full of action. Lights twinkled from the shops, music spilled from the open door of different cafés, from hard rock to soothing classical, depending on the crowd. A full moon hung in the sky, orange and ripe, as if plucked straight from a children’s picture book. Couples held hands and munched on pastries as they strolled through the town, and groups lounged on terraces, smoking cigarettes and drinking wine.

Ken linked her arm with Kate to keep them both from tripping on their high heels. Jane, Arilyn, and Gen giggled and sang some pop song lyrics off-key. They finally reached Gen’s cozy bungalow and streamed into the living room. The space was small, but the clean, simple lines gave it an impression of space. The eggshell walls set off bold splashes of rich ocean blue and dandelion yellow. A large braided rug covered the bare wood floors and led from the open space of the living room to the kitchen, which held a knotty pine table, small island, and breakfast counter. Ken snapped a few photos while Gen uncorked another bottle of wine. Not too girly, and the place held a lot of character, from the crooked steps that led up to an open-air loft/attic, claw-footed tub in the bathroom, and large Cape Cod windows with shutters. Now she just had to convince Nate it was time to break up the brotherhood duo.

Gen handed out glasses. “Hey, Kate, I have those books for you that I borrowed. I kept forgetting to give them back.” She scooted over to the corner bookcase and grabbed a pile. “The one on stuttering was awesome, it really helped me with one of my patients.”

“Oh, good, but you could’ve kept them. I’ve got so many books, they don’t fit in my bookcases any longer,” Kate said.

“David doesn’t want me to bring too much over. Says most of what I have is junk.”

“Okay, no problem.” She scooped up the pile. “Ouch!” She yanked her fingers back and the books clattered to the floor. “Dammit, I got another shock from that thing.”

“What thing?” Ken reached over and slid out a violet colored, fabric book. Small and square, it had the title The Book of Spells stitched on the front.

Kate glowered and rubbed her hand. “I swear the thing is enchanted. I thought you were giving it to Izzy.”

Gen’s face fell. “No. I thought we’d make a joke about it, maybe cast the silly spell together for fun, but we had another fight and she’s not speaking to me. I hope she comes to the engagement party.”

“I’m sorry, sweets. Your sister’s going through a really hard time right now, but she has to find her own way. I’m sure she won’t miss the party. It’ll blow over,” Kate said.

Kennedy cracked open the cover. A musty scent drifted upward. She flipped through the pages. “Holy crap, it’s a real love spell. A chant to Earth Mother. Hysterical.”

Arilyn snorted. “Spells are just imaginative ways of trying to control our future when we feel completely lost and misguided.”

“I dare you to try it,” Ken threw out.

Arilyn looked at her like she’d gone nuts. “What? I don’t need a love spell, I’m perfectly fine in my current relationship. Gen, Jane, and Kate are engaged. You, my dear, are the one who needs to find Mr. Right.”

Jane giggled. “Remember when you were young and you did the Ouija board thing? We always gave triple dog dares to try to conjure up dead celebrities.” She gave a mock shiver. “Those things creep me out. I’m scared of them.”

Gen shrugged. “If I wasn’t engaged I would give it a shot. Go ahead, Ken. I triple dog dare you.”

Ken pushed the book to the side of the table. “I think true love has stolen your brain cells.”

“Oh, come on. We don’t do anything crazy anymore.”

Kate chuckled. “Remember when we smoked that joint from my mom while we watched 9 to 5?”

Arilyn hiccupped. “That was hysterical. Half of the night is one fuzzy, pleasant blur.”

“Hey, you cut me out of that one,” Gen said indignantly.

“You were working,” Kate reminded. “Plus it’s illegal. We can get away with stuff like that—we’re not doctors.”

“Oh. Well, then I get a do-over. Let’s do something tonight.”

Kate laughed. “Like what? Drugs are out, I’m done breaking the law for a while. We’re already drinking. And it’s not like we can streak naked through the streets of Verily.”

“Hmm, that’s not a bad one,” Kennedy muttered.

“Not going to happen.”

“Let’s all do the spell together!” Gen shouted.

Kate pressed her fist to her lips. Closed her eyes. Then whispered, “I did it.”

Ken stared. “Did what?”

“The spell. I completed the love spell.”

“Before Slade?”

Kate nodded. “Yep. Not that I think it has anything to do with me and Slade ending up together, but it was a bit weird. So I’m not doing it again.”

Jane laughed. “I’m not doing it either. I’m head over heels for Tim, and I don’t want to screw it up.”

Gen waved her hand in the air. “I’m happy too, but I’ll do it. Arilyn? Ken? You in?”

“You want to do it here?” Ken asked. “Now?”

“Sure. Read it aloud and tell us what we need.”

Arilyn nibbled on her lower lip. “I don’t know about this. I really don’t believe in the occult or spells or false deities.”

“Come on, A, please? For me?”

Arilyn seemed to notice Gen’s excitement over doing something silly and girly, and finally nodded. “Okay, I’m in.”

“Yes! What do we need to do?”

Kennedy flipped through the pages. “We need two sheets of paper each to make a list of all the qualities we need and want in our soul-mate. We burn one, then go home and slip the other under the mattress.” She paused, reading through the rest of the short book. “Then we chant something to Earth Mother.” She recited the words.

“That doesn’t sound bad,” Arilyn remarked. “Like a blessing and gratitude to the earth. I can do that.”

Gen scrambled off the floor and disappeared down the hall. She returned with a paper, pen, and a tapered candle. “Kate, can you grab a pot from the kitchen?”

Jane laughed. “You guys are crazy.”

Gen distributed the paper and pens. “Now everyone make their lists.”

Kennedy spoke up. “It says not to think too long. Just trust your inner gut and write from the heart.”

She bent her head and wrote the number 1. What did she want in a soul-mate? What did she need? With the pleasant buzz of the margaritas softening her barriers, and the comfort of her friends around her, she didn’t try to rationalize or ponder too hard. She wrote down the qualities of the man she’d always dreamed of in her secret soul. Qualities no man could really possess, of course. But she played fair and didn’t try to get around the instructions. After all, that was the main rule in a girl’s game. Treat the game with respect no matter how silly you may think it is.

After they filled out both sheets of paper, Kate lit the candle and placed it inside the steel pot. “Okay, Ken, read out the chant and we’ll put our papers into the fire.”

She recited the short phrases, and Arilyn and Gen followed. Then the papers caught flame and shriveled to black. Little pieces flew and drifted into the air as the fire burned. Everyone watched in silence until the last of the paper disappeared.

Ken stuck out her little finger. “Pinky promise we all take the second sheet of paper and place it under our mattresses when we get home.”

“Pinky promise,” Arilyn said solemnly.

“Pinky promise,” Gen said.

Ken dropped her hand. They all stared at each other, as if for one second they almost regretted the impulsive, juvenile actions of a love spell.