‘A gala at the Kennedy Center with a small party of friends afterward.’ With Vincent for the last time. Knowing Elric was near was speeding up the inevitable. Every man paled beside Elric, but Vincent became invisible. And after tonight, all his power taken, he’d be dispensable, too. Used up. Discarded.
Xan began to feel almost cheerful.
Maxine sneezed again.
‘Maxine, can’t you take something for that?’
‘Allergies,’ Maxine said. ‘I’ve always had ‘em, not the regular kind, the doc can’t figure out what I’m allergic to, but it’s worse in here.’
Magic, Xan realized. I picked the only person in Salem’s Fork who’s allergic to magic. She sighed. ‘Did you have something to tell me, Maxine?’
‘Yes. Did you know that Danny knew Dee in college?’
‘No, he did not.’
‘Well, he said he did,’ Maxine said, as if it were irrefutable.
‘He lied to you, Maxine.’
‘Really?’
‘Men do that. Was there anything else?’
‘Well, he’s not in love with her. I asked, and he said to give him time.’
Xan sat back. ‘You asked. He just got into town this morning, and you asked if he loved her.’ Maxine nodded. ‘I thought-’
‘Don’t think, Maxine. It’s not good for you.’ Xan took a deep breath. ‘Now that you’re here, I have a job for you.’
‘Okay,’ Maxine said. ‘You want me to slip him a love potion? I bet you make a great love po-’
‘Maxine, he’s her True Love. He doesn’t need a love potion. He’s destined to love her. They all are. I cast the spell to find their real loves. It’s fate. It’ll happen. Leave them alone.’
‘Right.’ Maxine nodded. ‘Got it. Still, a love potion. Couldn’t hurt.’
‘Maxine.’
‘Don’t mess with fate. Right.’
‘Someone else is messing with fate,’ Xan said grimly, looking down at the Fortune house. After I expressly told him not to.’ You were supposed to take her powers, not teach her to use them, Elric, you double-crosser.
‘Whoa,’ Maxine said.
‘The bastard never does anything I want him to,’ Xan said, thinking of all the things she’d have liked Elric to do. ‘Oh,’ Maxine said knowingly. ‘A woman scorned.’
‘I beg your pardon,’ Xan said.
‘What a dummy,’ Maxine said, shaking her head. ‘You’d have thought he’d have gone for it. I mean, you’re no spring chicken, but you’ve definitely got it going on.’
‘Maxine, do you want to die a slow, agonizing death?’
‘No.’
Xan waited for a moment, but Maxine seemed to have gotten the point. ‘Lizzie is at home wearing an amethyst pendant. Get it from her and bring it to me.’
‘Amethyst…?’
‘Purple stone pendant. Get it.’
‘Okay.’ Maxine saluted. ‘Uh, Xantippe?’
‘No, you cannot give Danny and Dee a love potion.’
‘What about Mare?’
‘Jude already loves Mare. Go.’
‘What about Crash?’
Xan stared into the see glass, trying to find Elric. ‘Who?’
‘Mare’s old boyfriend. He’s a mechanic who’s living in Italy and he came back to town and proposed to her at the Greasy Fork at lunchtime.’
Xan turned her head slowly to look at Maxine, standing there in her diner uniform with maxine embroidered over her left pocket. She looked a little more full-breasted than usual and a lot more uneasy. ‘At lunchtime?’
‘In front of God and everybody. Mare stood up and announced it.’
And you waited until now to tell me because…?’
‘It was lunchtime,’ Maxine said, outraged. ‘We were busy. And then I forgot. But then Dee and Danny came in for drinks and dinner and I remembered and…’ She faltered. ‘You want me to do anything about Mare?’
‘No,’ Xan said. ‘Stay away from Mare. Stay away from Dee and Danny. Your job is to get the amethyst pendant away from Lizzie and stop by the video store and tell Jude-’
‘The one who looks like Jude Law?’
‘Yes, tell Jude to get to work on Mare, that he’s got competition. I’ll take care of Crunch.’
‘Crash.’
‘Whatever. Get that pendant and warn Jude.’ Maxine turned to go and Xan got a look at her chest in profile. ‘Maxine, what the hell are you wearing?’
‘Push-up bra,’ Maxine said, adjusting her breasts. ‘I’m making all the night waitresses wear them. We’ll get more customers.’
‘It’s a diner, Maxine, not the Salem’s Fork Hooters.’
‘I bet the tips go up.’ Maxine checked her watch. ‘My break’s over. Gotta go.’