From previous chapter...

It was only the guy who thought I was crazy to be trying this kind of stuff out.

"Great, I'll pick it up tonight," I tried to smile.

There I was walking into the Inspirational Eye. Music played above that was soothing. Typical, I thought. Some of the candles were burning and the scent was also calming. I walked up to the same counter where Will had ringed up my items and there he was.

Our eyes met and immediately he broke out into a grin. Did I ever say that I love that grin on him?

"So any dates that have magically appeared," he teased while placing his two hands on the edge of the counter.

I leaned on the other side and smiled back at him. "Not yet," I answered.

"Well, you didn't try the lamps," he pointed to me still smiling. "Maybe they'll light up the romance in your life," he said as his smile widened. I knew he was trying his best not to laugh at me.

I couldn't help but let out a small giggle either. As ridiculous as it sounded I knew that he wasn't really teasing me.

Will put the lamps down on the counter. "Did you have anything else that Johanna recommended?"

"Just some rose or pink colored quartz."

His eyebrows furrowed. "You didn't head to that store I told you about?"

I shook my head. "Couldn't find the time," I shrugged. "But I do need those and I also need some heart shaped pillows," turning around to look at the store I asked, "Do you have any of those?"

My ears heard typing on his computer and then a light clicking noise with his tongue. "Sorry," he replied making me look at him. "I don't have them in stock but I can order it like I did the lamps. It's going to take anywhere from ten to fourteen days though. Can you wait until then?"

As much as I wanted to say no, I didn't. "I guess," I let out a sigh. "I'll just take the two lamps for now."

"Great," he smiled. "You know what? You're going to be my last customer of the night. I can show you to that store down the street, if you want?"

"That's very helpful of you considering that you don't believe in any of this stuff," I smiled.

"Hey," he closed his cash register and started to shut some things off. "If you're going to try it then you might as well go all the way. The last thing you need is me telling you to give up."

Will helped me put the lamps in my SUV and we headed down the way to the store. It wasn't that far, only a couple doors down but the walk was slow. I felt more nervous than I did on my first date back in the eighth grade. It wasn't like he was walking me home from a date. Regardless, I still had those wonderful first date jitters.

"So," I cleared my throat to end the silence, "are you the head manager of Inspirational Eye? I mean you have to be if you can just decide to close up early like that, right?"

"I'm actually the owner," he replied.

"Wow," I let out small laugh as he chuckled. "How is it being the owner?"

"It's a lot of hard work. I've been here for four years. I struggled for the first three but this year I'm doing my best to turn things around," he added.

"You know what you need," I asked. "You need to get some purple to help your prosperity energy flow in your life."

Will started to laugh.

"What? It really does work you know. I got that purple throw pillow from here and placed it in its proper place and found twenty dollars on the street the very next day," I nudged him.

"That could just have been luck or coincidence," he shook his head.

"I don't think so. You can't knock it until you try it and I think you should try it," I said as we stopped to face one another.

He shook his head again and looked a bit away with a small smile on his face. "I don't think that you'll ever catch me doing something like that, being all superstitious and..."

"I think it'll work out. You just have to believe," I bounced on my heels and toes.

Will chuckled and I let out a small laugh. We stood there standing in front of each other and smiling at one another for a while after that. He really did have that wonderful smile. There was a small noise somewhere in the City. Maybe it was a car horn honking in the distance. Whatever it was, it caused us to both look away.

"Well," he rubbed the back of his neck. "This is it," he motioned behind him.

I looked past him to see the store called the Honest Daughter. That was a weird name for it. Either way, I looked back at him to see him searching for something to say. I didn't want him to leave. I actually liked that he was here which was totally weird for me.

"Um," he looked at the door and then back at me, "I could help you find the things that you need. Like I said I've helped a lot of Johanna's clients before and I really want you to see this thing through."

I wanted to jump up and down happily. Perhaps I would even wave pom-poms in the air at the fact that we were going to be spending more time together.

"Thanks," I settled with saying instead of the cheering.

We made our way inside and I expected to find someone like Johanna in here. Instead there was a young woman in here who looked about our age wearing skinny jeans and a loose tank top. Her long hair flowed around her and she smiled warmly when her eyes landed on Will.

"Willy," she practically screeched. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Hey Molly," he nodded to her.

"How's business been?"

"It's holding up. You know how it goes. Despite the economy, it's not so bad. What about you?"

"Things have been really slow for me."

"Well good news," Will turned to me and smiled. "My friend Christina here has a few things to buy and I recommended your store."

"That sounds considerate," she stepped forward and batted her eyelashes at him, "and caring of you, Will. I like that you're so thoughtful about others."

I felt my fist clench slightly. She was hitting on him while I was standing there. I mean he wasn't my boyfriend and I wasn't his girlfriend. We weren't dating. Like he said we were 'friends' and technically I had only met the guy a while ago and yet here I was getting all upset because some girl who had known him longer than me was flirting with him.

"Bring your thoughtful self over here," she patted to a shelf she was working on. "The two of us can catch up while your friend browses."

Will turned back to me. "I actually promised Christina that I would help her. It wouldn't be thoughtful of me if I broke a promise."

I smiled at him and turned to Molly to see that her smile had disappeared. Score one for the easily gullible in Feng Shui and energy flow.

"Of course," she bristled a bit and then walked away slowly. "Well you know where to find me if you need me, Will," she reached out her hand and it ran slowly against the sleeve of his shirt. The entire time she stared at me. It was as if to challenge me.

I quickly linked my arm with that of Will's and pulled him towards the aisle where the gems and other stones were being held. I almost wanted to say that he was walking away with me and not with you, Molly. Instead I glanced up at Will to see him smirking. He looked down at our arms and then back to me as his smile widened. I wasn't sure if he noticed the tension between Molly and I but something told me that he didn't mind one bit that I had linked arms with him.

We found ourselves in the middle of the store where a big tree with lights all around them showed the bins that contained various gems and stones. I picked up a pink one as Will smiled and picked up another.

"This," he held it in between his fingers, "is a rose quartz, otherwise known as the love stone. It is said that this stone helps the person who has it find a strong sense of self-worth thus feeling as if they are in love," he looked over at me. "It is also the symbol for love in marriage."

I smiled and stood close as our arms brushed against each other. "For someone who doesn't believe in this type of stuff, you sure know a lot about it."

"I know facts, remember," he grinned making me blush. "This stone here is known for protection," he picked up a purple stone. "Ancient Egyptians used this to guard against guilty and fearful feelings. It has been worn as a protection from self-deception as well as witchcraft."

"Isn't all of this considered superstition," I asked making a face at him.

"It could be but this is a fact about ancient Egypt," he smiled and so did I. "These," he picked up a few and leaned against the tree as I did the same, "are all the same stone."

"But they're different colors," I replied.

"Each one means something different," his voice got soft. "This is to help create inner strength or self-discipline," Will dropped it into my hand. "This is to help balance one's emotions," another one fell into my hand as we stared at one another. "This is to increase luck in your life," another fell in my hand.

My mind was spinning as we looked at each other intently with small smiles. I was going crazy at how much electricity was passing through us. Will took the last one and held it up before placing it in my hand and then closing my fist around them.

"The last one," I whispered.

"That is to help with outlook and creativity so that you can see the possibility of new opportunities around you," Will grinned.

I could see the possibility in front of me but it subsided quickly. As much as that electricity built up around us, I turned around and just like that it short-circuited.

"I guess I better get a few of those just in case then," I smiled back at him as he nodded shyly.

We checked out all sorts of books and catalogues on other items that were here as Will shared his knowledge with me of 'facts' not superstitions on everything that we came across. There was a wide array of handmade soaps and various oils that he didn't have that we just had to test out.

"You know that you're my first," I let out a small laugh.

"Your first?"

I nodded. "The first guy I ever went shopping with," I glanced at my watch, "for more than an hour and didn't complain. In fact it, it was kind of fun."

"I guess when you own your own store it's not really a big deal. Besides it's not like you were looking for clothes," he nudged me. "I don't see how girls could spend hours on buying items they only wear once."

I inwardly groaned because I was exactly that type of girl.

"Or better yet, what girl has sixty pairs of shoes."

Will shook his head and started to walk towards the front. There was no way I was telling him that I had sixty pairs. Johanna told me to clear out some room in my closet and I did downgrade to forty pairs of shoes but something told me that I still needed to cut that down. In all honesty there were clothes in my closet that I never wore in months. Some I had like Will said, only worn once. I guess there could be more room for energy to flow in my life. I grabbed one of the stones Will dropped in my hand. A slight shiver went through me at remembering when his hand closed around mine. There were possibilities in my life. I just needed to take that chance.

I headed back to the bin to get a couple more stones and then walked to the front. I set everything down on the counter as Molly began to ring me up. The second Will appeared, her scowling face turned into a bright warm happy glow. She definitely had a thing for Will.

"May I have that piece of amethyst behind you, please," I asked trying to get her attention off Will.

Molly let out a short breath and turned around to grab it. She rang it up without saying a word to me and then looked back at Will. "We really need to get together some time, catch up," she offered.

"That would be nice but running the store is a lot of work," Will shrugged. "I'll see if something comes up."

He was the owner of the store though. Just as easily as he closed it early to help me out tonight, he could have closed it early for a date with Molly. She eyed me out and at that moment I knew she was thinking the same thing. She smiled briefly before stuffing the rest of the items in my bag.

I hope that she didn't stick some unlucky charm in there or put some death gemstone amongst all my love stones. Even though I didn't know much about this stuff like Johanna Reyes, spiritual consultant, it didn't take a genius to figure out that there was something green and jealous emanating off of Molly as she looked at me.

Will walked me out and offered to walk me to my car.

"Actually, can I use your bathroom real quick?"

"Sure," he smiled and unlocked the door to his store.

While he was at the front counter going over some things I rushed towards the back right corner where Johanna said is best to let the wealth energy in your life flow. I placed the amethyst behind an old trunk and hid it there. I wanted to see if it would work wonders for the Inspirational Eye and its owner.

That weekend I decided to meet up with the girls from Peter's wedding.

"Hey," I smiled and sat down as the four of them turned and smiled, greeting me with excited proclamations.

"You'll never guess what happened to me and that gentleman that I met at the wedding," said the woman with a tattoo whom I leaned was named Tori. In fact I learned all their names.

I eagerly looked at her. "No, tell me," I insisted.

"We've been on a few dates and maybe it's too soon but we're engaged," she shouted and showed me the ring on her finger.

"That fast," I took her left hand and looked at the ring. "It works that fast?"

"Well, Max and I knew each other beforehand but he never felt courageous enough to ask me out until recently," Tori smiled. "That is until after I cleared out my life so that the love energy could flow."

"What about you," asked Jeanine. "Have you met anyone? Are you using Johanna's methods?"

I frowned and shook my head.

Jaqueline patted my hand. "These things take time," she assured me.

"They're right," Johanna smiled. "I promise you things will change but you need to keep your mind open and keep that energy flowing."

"I do have another wedding to go to next weekend, maybe he might be there," I said.

We continued to talk over brunch and made plans to see one another the following Sunday and discuss what happened at the third wedding of the Summer. We also made plans to get Tori's wedding going. I was excited that they wanted to involve me. Yes they were a bit older but these girls were fun to be with.

Will had called me to ask if I wanted to pick up another purple throw pillow.

"I ordered the pink heart-shaped ones though," I replied.

"I know and they still didn't come in yet. But I remembered that you only purchased one purple throw pillow the first time you were here and we had another one come in that looked exactly like it," he took a breath. "I know you said things are better in pairs."

I let out a small laugh. "That was really thoughtful of you, Will. I'll be there tonight after I'm done with work."

The music was not the first time to greet me when I walked in the store. Almost immediately our eyes met and a grin was plastered all over on Will's face.

"I'm surprised you were able to see me this quickly, especially with all the dates that you must be juggling," he joked.

I picked up a lamp from the side and tried my best to hide my smile. "The last wedding I went to did have an engaged groomsmen who asked for one last fling before he got married," I shook my head.

"He actually had the gull to say that to you," Will questioned to which I nodded. "Some guys I tell you."

"Another asked if I was wearing a thong. No hi or hello or any other form of a greeting other than to ask me that," I said turning to him.

Will let out a soft chuckle. "Hey, see it is working for you. You had two guys who wanted to get to know you," he smiled.

"Ha, ha," I slightly pushed him until we were at the counter and I was paying for the second purple throw pillow to add to my prosperity energy flow. That was when I noticed something about the store and things behind the counter. "What happened to your store?"

"It's crazy," Will smiled and handed me the package. "The past few days we've been getting a string of new customers coming by."

"Really," I asked.

"I had to ask people to work a couple extra hours with all the demand we've been getting. Items that were on the shelves for weeks or months have been selling like crazy. I got a ton of orders in and all of that was without any of your spiritual essence, energy flow or Feng Shui."

"I'm sure it was," I smiled.

I was dying to drag him over to the chest to show him the rock that I had hidden there. What I didn't understand was how was it that Tori only went on a few dates and Max had proposed to her. I placed a rock in Will's store and he had been making a lot of money the past couple days. It worked so quickly for him and he didn't even believe in this sort of thing. Where in the world was my love energy flow?

"Hey, I was going to close early tonight and check out the Chasm," Will said. "It's a new bar down the street. Did you want to grab a drink there?"

"A bar," I questioned.

"Yeah, it's not as rowdy as the Pit. I shouldn't say that because one of my good friends works there but the Chasm is a bit nicer," Will offered. Was he asking me out? "You can look over a new catalogue and we can talk about anything else you want to buy for your energy flow."

No he wasn't asking me out. He only wanted my business.

"Okay," I said softly, almost wishing that it was a date.