Free WILLEM (The Witches of Wimberley Book 1) by Victoria Danann Page B

both a small smile. “Maybe.”
    “So, Simon, we keep hearing that there’s nothing we can do to prepare, no way to get an edge on the competition. That true?”
    He nodded. “That’s true. You’re either it or you’re not.” As soon as he said it, he blanched, eyes going wide like he’d said something he wasn’t supposed to say. He stammered a little, trying to recover. “Look, there’s really nothing to tell. No way to game the outcome if that’s what you’re looking for.”
    “Just tell me one thing. What are we supposed to wear to the thing tomorrow night?”
    He chuckled. “I’ll bet somebody’s already told you it doesn’t matter and I’ll bet you didn’t believe them.”
    Nodding, I said, “Maybe.”
    “Believe it. Wear whatever you want. It won’t matter one way or the other. Winners aren’t chosen because of style. If they were, I certainly wouldn’t be sitting at this table.”
    I held out my hand to shake his. “Thanks, man. Enjoyed the chat.”
    Simon shook my hand. Ivan and I stood up just as people were filing in to be seated for dinner. “Later.”
    As I rounded the end of the table to find a seat, he called after me. “I hope you win!”
    I grinned and gave him a thumbs-up.
    “Since we’re already right in front of the head table, let’s snag two chairs.”
    I nodded. “Back of the class never wins.”
    “Exactly what I was thinking. Lucky you knew that music stuff.”
    “Why? It didn’t get us any new info.”
    “Disagree. I, for one, will feel okay about whatever I wear tomorrow night knowing clothes have nothing to do with winning.” He pulled out a chair. “How’d you know all that stuff anyway?”
    “My dad is an aficionado. He converted the garage into a room that might as well be a guitar museum. He plays, but never got the chance to try to do it professionally. Family came along when he was young. Luckily for us he was more serious about responsibility than heart’s desire.”
    As soon as I’d said that out loud the phrase heart’s desire resonated through my mind like a bone-deep vibration. I’d never thought much about heart’s desire before, but now that it was part of my consciousness, seemed like I couldn’t think of anything else. My dad would have loved to play music for work. Maybe he would have liked to be Simon. I don’t know.
    We were sitting in the two premier seats front and center, like eager geeks in calculus, waiting to see what would happen next. We watched the winners file in, greet each other, and take their seats. Good old Kellan stood at the centermost chair and gave the appearance of someone in charge.
    When everyone was seated, he tapped his glass with a spoon. The noise didn’t die down gradually. Silence was abrupt.
    “Dinner is about to be served, gentlemen. Don’t expect tailor-made menus like what you enjoyed at Orientation. This is local fare, but I expect you’ll like it. Don’t be shy. Eat as much as you want. The witches have made this a calorie-free zone for tonight. No amount of fat, salt, or sugar will have any effect on your girlish figures.”
    Immediately I heard murmurs behind me, guys turning to each other and asking, “Do you think he’s serious? Is it really a calorie-free zone? Can they do that?”
    I turned back toward the dais. Kellan looked down at me sitting right in front of him and winked, which of course left me agonizing over whether that was a good wink or a bad wink and trying to dissect whether or not there was any such thing as a ‘bad wink’. Then I started thinking the wink might have been indicating that the calorie-free thing was a joke. God. I wished he hadn’t winked.
    Kellan continued. “While the food is being passed around, I’m going to kick things off by officially welcoming you to Win a Witch Weekend. I hope you’ve had a chance to look around Wimberley. It’s not New York and we like it that way.” The guys on the dais all clapped and nodded in agreement so, naturally, the