Cleric of Desire - Page 73

“I do not suppose you would want this?” I ask, producing my now dormant amulet. It remains duller in shine and color, and while I had considered keeping it, and asked if Jeffrey wanted to, he left the decision to me, and I am not sure I want such a reminder of my cursed years. “I will warn you that it no longer has any power.”

“Oh, that is where you are wrong.” The Owner takes it, inspecting it with an appraiser’s eye. “This is a vessel ripe to be filled. You desire nothing for it? Wish for nothing?” he asks pointedly.

I feel Jeffrey shift behind me. While he knows this place to be more than it seems, I think having an incubus boyfriend is more than enough of the supernatural for him.

And Jeffrey is enough for me.

“I have all I need.”

The Owner peers around me at Jeffrey and smiles. “May that always hold true.” He gives his fingers a flourish, and after what could just as easily be sleight of hand as true magic, the amulet is gone.

With its departure, a relief settles in me that I too hope remains. Always.

“Since you ask for nothing,” The Owner says, “how about coffee? On me.”

“The café is open?” Jeffrey perks up, glancing at the nearby counter, where there is a clear sign that reads CLOSED.

“Unfortunately, no,” The Owner says, “but I took a page from your book.” Another flourish of his fingers produces a gift card for Sage Coffee Shop & Bakery. He hands it to me. “Us neighbors should help each other when we can. I will be sure to send customers your way as well. Oh!” he says when we attempt to leave, looking at Jeffrey again.

“Y-yes?” Jeffrey asks.

“I do hope that diary was useful for you.”

Jeffrey pauses, thinking. He showed me the journal, no longer needing to hide it beneath his pillow. While much of it detailed things I am glad to move on from, it also gave Jeffrey more stories to weave into the tours. “You know, not in the way I thought it would be, but yeah, it was useful. Thanks again.”

“My pleasure.” The Owner tips his hat at us, and we make our exit.

“Coffee and breakfast then?” Jeffrey asks as we cross the street, hand in hand.

“Agreed.”

I take in our small but important street and its many businesses. Our neighbors. Our friends, in most cases. Even Mrs. Sherman at Curves, who I cannot see but know she is likely back in her office, oblivious to how close she came to meeting her end there.

Yes, this is a fine place to live a life.

“Hey, love birds!” a familiar voice draws our attention down the sidewalk just as we are about to enter Sage. It is SJ, hand in hand herself with Cas. “What perfect timing! Guess who took the morning off so I can buy you all coffee?”

“I said I was meeting you later to… hang,” Cas explains, “and she couldn’t resist joining us, even if it meant ditching on Fluid Fashion for a while.”

Later, as Jeffrey informed me, they will not “hang” but will be picking out an engagement ring. I imagine SJ has no idea. The surprise will be joyous, and I am happy for them. Almost as happy as I am for me and Jeffrey.

Although, for us, it was the loss of jewelry that made this real.

“Too bad!” Jeffrey touts back. “We’re buying you coffee.”

I pull out the gift card to wave it in agreement before SJ can protest.

As I hold the door open for our friends, Jeffrey stiffens beside me, hand still in mine. I follow his gaze to across the street, where another hand-in-hand couple is strolling. I do not know them, but Jeffrey seems to. It is a young man with black hair and blue eyes, and his lovely young partner dressed femininely but also somewhat neutral.

They notice Jeffrey as he has noticed them. Clasping my hand a little tighter, he waves at them. They seem pleasantly surprised and wave back. I will have to ask him about them later.

As we enter Sage behind Cas and SJ, I take another moment to bask in the life I have ahead of me. I bask in Jeffrey, my radiant cleric, my beautiful one, who is ravishing as ever today with his hair down, glasses on, light makeup, wearing his new shorts, mixed with sneakers and a T-shirt that hangs off one shoulder, but oversized in a fashionable way, not to hide. Not anymore.

Perhaps I did help save him. I helped save Madame Mattie’s, even if I wasn’t able to do enough for the real Mattie once upon a time. But it is enough to have saved something.

Just like Jeffrey, exactly as I hoped, saved me.

The End