Magic Touch

Chapter 4 - Surprise at the Grocery Store

Kate groaned when she finished her dinner and realized that she was out of dishwasher tablets. While magic was handy for a lot of things, it still took effort and concentration, making it easier to leave certain tasks to the machines. Magic dishwashing was one of Kate's least favorite applications. Each time she tried to it was as if she was sensing the grime down to the molecular level, and it disgusted her in a way few things could. So her trusty dishwashing machine put in a lot of hours.

She stood up with a sigh and flicked her finger to make her place and utensils hover over to the sink. A beckoning gesture brought her coat bobbing obediently toward her and wrapping around her shoulders. Levitation magic came easily to her so she mostly used it without a second thought when she was in private.

The moment she stepped out her door and into the umber brick hallway, or as her mind dubbed it; the doorstep to normality, everything changed. She was nonmagical Kate who had no idea the rumors of witches had any truth to them. Normal, nonmagical Kate who wasn't even interested in discussing the topic of magic because she sneered at the utter nonsense of that notion. There was a strange pain in her chest whenever she did, but she had learned to ignore it.

She made her way down the stairs. Darkness was beginning to fall and the streetlights had turned on. The early spring wind still carried a chill and she drew the coat tightly around herself. Thankfully, her usual grocery store was no more than a few blocks away. The grocery chain's logo glowed above the entrance in big letters and the deals of the week were plastered to the walls. She paid them no mind most of the time, but their bright colors occasionally managed to draw her attention for a brief moment.

She pulled herself away and made her way to the detergent aisle. The wares were stacked in high, narrow shelves, meaning she usually had to weave past a number of people before she could make it to her destination. A familiar-seeming silhouette caught in the corner of her eye. She turned to check and saw the woman she had encountered in the cafeteria earlier the same day. She was craning her neck in front of a shelf stacked with canned goods. Then she turned, but didn't move, looked at a different shelf, and turned back to the canned goods. An empty shopping basket dangled at her side.

Kate decided on a diagnosis of first-time visitor syndrome. A condition of sudden onset. Known triggers; unfamiliar grocery stores, especially tightly packed ones with narrow walkways between the shelves. Symptoms; disorientation, headache, lowered frustration tolerance. Treatment options; repeated exposure, or aid from an experienced shopper.

She put on a smile and walked over, ignoring the small voice that cautioned her against getting privately involved with people.

"Hey. You looked like you could use a little help."

The woman turned around. Her initial expression was one of surprise, but it took only a second before a broad smile filled her face. "Now this is unexpected! I'll gladly take you up on the offer."

Kate felt joy bubbling up inside at the woman's response, but hoped her own face didn't look too flushed. She didn't want to be too obvious about the whole thing. Getting roped into a relationship was not her goal. She was just testing the waters. While she couldn't afford to be found out some people had a relationship where they retained a certain distance. That could actually work in her situation, she reasoned to herself.

"Kate, was it? Could you show me the way to the frozen dinners?"

Ah. This was the awkward part where Kate had to admit that she didn't remember her name.

"And your name was?" Hardly the most eloquent way of putting it. She felt her face heating up with shame.

"I hoped I had made more of an impression." She sighed. "But I suppose it can't have been too bad given that you at least recognized me. It's Rose," the woman smiled. "Could you show me where the frozen dinners are?"

"Yes, yes of course. It's right over here." In her hurry to move past the awkwardness, Kate grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her along. Rose, she repeated to herself in her mind. Like the flower. That should help her remember. She snapped out of her thoughts when she realized that Rose was chuckling next to her.

"My, you're a bold one. Decided to take me up on my offer?"

Kate felt her cheeks heating up once more. "Don't blame me, you started it. I'm fairly sure that gives me license to flirt back." Not that flirting had been the original intent of her gesture, but it worked so she'd take it. "Are you sure you want frozen dinner? There are plenty of restaurants in the area."

"Eating out gets boring when you've been traveling as much as I have lately. It's an odd feeling when you start to crave frozen chicken over freshly made chop suey."

That was right. Rose had stated earlier that she was only visiting, so of course she wouldn't stay long. Kate felt her heart sink, even though the rational part of her brain realized that Rose leaving soon was for the best.

Kate managed to force out a 'yes, of course' and guided Rose around the store until she found all the items she needed. They flirted some more before they parted ways at the exit, but it was only half-hearted on Kate's part. There was no point when Rose was going to be gone in a matter of days anyway.

At least it meant her secret would stay safe, she consoled herself.