The Witch's Brew

"That's her right? The Ice Queen?"

"Yeah... I heard she pushed some poor girl down the stairs on her first day just because she didn't like her expense! It was for staples!"

"Oh yeah, I heard she tried to sleep with Grayson and when he said no, she stripped down in his office. I can't believe he's still so nice to her! He must be an angel."

"I heard she's only still here because she slept with his dad to stay in the company..."

I sighed, absentmindedly tugging my scarf at the outlandish remarks coming from the neighboring cubicle. It was always the same routine when someone new came in and got the cubicle next to me: the office gossips swooped to their side and 'warned' them about me being a coldhearted bitch who would destroy anybody in my way. Usually, the new tenant became terrified and left before even speaking one word to me. Ah, the power of gossip.

"Lynn," a male voice bellowed, followed by the slapping of folders on my desk. I turned my head from the computer and Grayson Everett, the alleged seducee, stood at the end of my cubicle. It was the third time he came to see me today. When I twirled around my chair, Grayson had his signature lazy, one corner tugged up smile on his face and the way he leaned his arm on the top of the wall divider flexed his bulky, well toned arm under his crisp, white button up. He slyly ran his hand through his auburn strands which were tousled and longer on the top of his head while the sides were neatly trimmed but blended well. His cool grey-green eyes slowly scanned me as he parted his full pink lips and said, "Are you almost done with the expense report for the month?"

"Not quite, Mr. Everett. Some people," I paused, "Still haven't gotten their forms in yet. I guess they're too busy gossiping about who's the hottest accountant in the office," I finished, making sure to speak a little louder. I rolled my eyes as I heard shuffling of papers and pitter-patter of feet scurrying away. I smirked on the inside. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind gossip but when it's about me, and they haven't gotten their work done which means I can't get my work done, I've got a problem.

"Well, that's a shame when everybody knows the answer is..." Grayson leaned in, a whiff of his woodsy cologne enticing my nostrils, "obviously Mark." We both looked over at the older gentleman in the cubicle across mine fast asleep, his fingers entwined and resting on his belly. "Don't worry, I won't tell my dad. Snitches get stitches and I heard Mark has a mean punch." Grayson flashed a cute grin showcasing his pearly white teeth. A corner of my mouth barely tugged up but on the inside, I laughed harder than I had at this place in a while.

"Ah, still no reaction from our very gracious Ice Queen. One day I'll break you though. Anyway, are you coming to the Halloween party? I heard it's gonna be a blast. Everyone from the building is going."

"I'm not much of a party person... Plus I think I'll have to stay late," I replied, not looking in his eyes. I wanted to go but parties weren't much of my thing. Well, socializing wasn't much of my thing either, hence the Ice Queen thing. I mean, I tried in the beginning but after bumping into one of the gossip girls and scurrying off without an apology, it was all hell.

I glanced up at Grayson and I swore I saw a little disappointment flash in the green specks of his eyes. I sighed. "Maybe if I get my work done, I'll come for a second or two." As soon as I said it, he perked up a little and slapped the folders he brought. "Great. Make sure to find me. I'll be wearing a devil costume. You know, gotta let those inner demons out once in a while. Also, it's a masquerade so don't forget to wear a mask."

"I'll be the office lady in her work clothes, without a mask," I dryly replied. Fuck, I wanted to say something cute or nice but that's all that came out. Out of sheer embarrassment, I quickly swiveled back to my computer and tucked the short black locks behind my ears before getting back to work. I really liked Grayson. He was the only one who talked to me normally and he never brought up any outrageous rumours. As I closed my eyes before getting back into my work, I caught another whiff of his woodsy cologne and inhaled deeply, trying to keep the scent with me a little longer.

--

At five o'clock everybody began shuffling out of the office while I still tapped away on my computer. They were quick to leave, whispering about the extravagant party that the building owners loved to throw for holidays. Some of the girls discussed what sexy costumes they'd picked out to try and impress Grayson. When everybody filed out, I leaned back and stretched, letting out a long exhale. I welcomed the calmness of the office with nobody around. I loved how quiet it was and how the lights were dimmed half way, making everything look a little cozier.

"Almost done?"

Startled, I whirled around and Grayson was standing in my cubicle again. He had his suit jacket folded on one of his forearms, his tie was loosened and a few buttons undone, letting me glimpse at his smooth, muscular chest. He looked good, really good. "Ah, not yet. Just need a few more numbers. Since you're here, can you quickly look over these for me?"

Grayson strolled over to me and before I could move my chair out of the way, he leaned in and trapped me between his arms. My heartbeat quickened and I sat perfectly straight, my eyes on the monitor. Grayson leaned in close so his face was level with mine as he skimmed the numbers on my screen. He grabbed the mouse and I used up all my courage to concentrate on the click of the mouse as he scrolled down. However, I closed my eyes for a second as the familiar scent of his cologne wafted into my nostrils.

"Lynn?"

I gasped and opened my eyes, surprised when his were a few inches from mine. The greys in his eyes were dark like a brooding storm and the greens were bright like shining emeralds. A soft smile spread across his face. "You okay?"

"Yes." I'm just tired I guess, I wanted to add.

"Oh, okay. Well, it looks like your numbers are perfect as always," Grayson said, standing back up and placing a hand on my back. I flinched at his touch, a little startled at his actions but relaxed as his hand radiated warmth that spread throughout my body. "I'll see you later at the party then." When he turned to leave and his hand lifted from my back, I bit my lip and wished that he'd stay, the imprint of his palm still hot.

I couldn't get Grayson out of my head after that touch. I constantly grazed my back at where his palm was or I stared into space, recreating those beautiful eyes in my mind. A few times, I even caught myself looking up costumes for the party. I decided to go, to stay true to my word, but where would I even go around here to get a last second costume? All the costume shops around here were a bus ride away and they probably didn't have the ones I wanted. I glanced at my pile of work and picked up the last few sheets I had to put in before I was free. Before I punched them in, I went to the bathroom for a well needed break to stretch my legs and try to get Grayson out of my head.

When I got back to my desk, a white shirt box with a black satin bow tied around it and a matching shoebox rested on my keyboard. Confused, I hesitated for a second before approaching it. I scanned the office but nobody was on the floor. How did someone sneak in and leave this here without being detected? The bathrooms were right next to the receptionist's desk and I didn't hear a peep when I was there. Curious, I lifted the top of the box and a white, lacy mask with a few sparkly jewels laid on top of a glittery golden halo and silky white dress. I opened the shoebox and a pair of tall, white heels were nestled in a deep red velvet pillow. My eyebrows knitted together as I pulled out the mask and put it over my eyes. It was a perfect fit. I lifted the dress out and it unfurled to a snow white high-low gown with a sprinkle of gold specks down the bust. The silky material melted between my fingers and I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat, tempted to try it on.

No, I had work to do first. I had to get the rest of the expense report done before I could think about anything else. I set the dress, mask, and halo back in the box and pushed it aside before I sat down and clicked on the program, my eyes bugging out when it opened. I grabbed the mouse and quickly scrolled through the numbers. All of it had been filled out and saved. I rubbed my eyes out of confusion. Maybe I was really tired and this was just a dream? Nervously, I clicked refresh on the page and madly scrolled down again, the numbers still there and all still right. I peeked at the boxes on my right and sighed. I guess it was time to go to the party.

In the bathroom, I shed my work clothes and scarf, stuffing them in my tote bag. I glanced at the strapless dress again and took off my bra as well. I studied my almost naked body in the mirror, the bright lights of the bathroom showing it off. I had a pear shaped body: smaller bust and wider hips and thighs. I knew my small breasts were pretty much a lost cause so I started doing yoga before work to really tone my legs and abs. It really helped slim down my thighs with muscles and lifted my ass to become a bubble butt. I loved the way my body looked but I usually wore bland button up shirts and high-waisted flowy skirts to work after the rumour that I tried to sleep with Grayson went around. I didn't think people looked at me before but after that, they definitely did and it really hindered my work.

I hopped in the dress and zipped it up, the fabric tightening around my body as it went up. Fully zipped, the dress was perfect. It hugged and accentuated my curves and the top of the gown cupped my small breasts and pushed them together for a slit of cleavage. The back of the dress barely hovered over the ground and the front brushed against mid thigh, the soft, satin material caressing my skin. I pulled the front of the dress higher and the pure white colour contrasted the darker, golden hue of my skin.

With the dress perfectly on, I ran my slender hand through my hair to give it a little bit more life after a day of drab office air. I ruffled up my scalp and the ends of my hair tickled my collar bone. I nestled the halo headband into my hair, a little caught off of the weight of the halo at first but as I turned my head side to side to inspect my makeup, it became invisible. Miraculously, my makeup stayed fine throughout the day. My face was poreless and the highlighter on my high cheekbones and tip of my gently sloping nose popped. My thin layer of black eyeliner with a downward wing never smudged from its place on my monolids and the reddish, orange glittery eyeshadow radiated warm, glowing tones. I reached into my tote and applied another round of pinky nude lipstick to just touch up.

After slipping into the tall heels and taking a few steps to get used to them, I nervously slid on the mask, adjusting it so it sat perfectly on the bridge of my nose. Taking a step back, I looked like a different person hiding behind the mask. From the high heels to the tight dress to even the halo, I no longer looked like a miserable office worker but a confident, sexy angel. The only thing I really recognized was my dark chocolate brown eyes staring at me in the mirror.

After stuffing the rest of my belongings into my bag and dropping it off at my cubicle, I scurried into the elevator and pressed R for rooftop. My heart pounded wildly in my ears and I kept rubbing my hands together as the elevator jolted alive and started going up. A wave of anxiety overcame me as I watched the numbers go up and up and up. What if they knew it was me and refused to talk to me? What they started more rumours? It was fine when I was in the office and I had my work to concentrate on but now, in the open, without anything to distract myself with, I was vulnerable.

Ding.

The elevator doors slowly opened and the pumping music engulfed me. A slight shiver ran down my spine as a small gust of cool air slipped its way into the elevator. I nervously stepped out onto the huge rooftop lowly lit with rows of paper jack-o-lantern string lights. On the left of me a big bowl was filled with plain black masquerade masks and hundreds of masked people all in costumes milled around, drinking, talking, laughing, and lazily watching a horror movie that played on a huge blow up screen. A Halloween themed bar covered in cobwebs, spiders, and bones was nestled in the corner of the roof with two big bartenders dressed as skeletons and to the right of it was a dance floor with flashing LED lights. The building owners really did like to go big for holidays. Party-goers wore costumes from the classic vampires, Frankenstein's monster, werewolves to more contemporary costumes like people from Stranger Things, The Office, and movies. I scanned the crowd for a devil but there wasn't one to be seen.

"Esme!" the voice of one of the office gossips, Tina, called towards my direction. I checked over my shoulders and saw nobody near me. "New girl coming to the party, how bold is that?" she continued, coming to my side with her two cronies, Jessica and Avery. The three of them were dressed as sexy Three Musketeers in short, navy blue, frilly dresses with white accents and flared sleeves. Each of them wore oversized tri cornered hats with feathers sticking out and thigh high suede boots.

"Uhh," I replied, unsure what to do but before I could decide, they launched into talking. "Do you think Lynn will show up tonight?" Tina asked, twisting her hair with her finger and taking tiny sips of her martini.

"I doubt it. She's such a loser she's probably at home eating a whole tub of ice cream by herself," Jessica scoffed, mimicking her.

"Ugh, I can't believe she fucking ratted us out when Grayson was there. That's such a shit thing to do. I bet she just wanted to be alone with him... Like bitch, he already rejected you so stop trying so hard," Tina cackled. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. What the fuck? Didn't they have anything better to do or talk about? The cool air began to feel hot as my ears and cheeks turned red with anger. I tapped my foot to concentrate on anything other than their insufferable words but as I tried to stay calm, my foot kept tapping faster.

"Esme? Are you okay? Why are you so wound up?" Avery asked, touching my arm. I jerked away and glared at them. I was never one for confrontation since my parents warned me never to get in trouble. I had been bullied a little in high school by girls just like them but I ignored it and concentrated on my classes, imagining life once I got out of that hell, but who would have guessed that life after high school was exactly the same. I closed my eyes for a second and sucked in a bit of air before opening my eyes and storming off towards the bar. I needed a drink if I wanted to get through the night.

After weaving through the throng of people, I finally plopped into one of the bar stools, exhausted. I tried to flag down one of the skeleton bartenders but both of them were working at full speed trying to keep up with everybody waving them down and handing them drinks. Eventually after being passed over a couple of times, I dropped my arm and let my head thunk on top of it.

"Rough night?" a beautiful, singsong voice asked. "Even though you look so lovely in the dress."

I rolled my head over and peeked out from my hair. A beautiful woman with long, silky, dark green hair stood in front of me. She wore a tight Victorian dress and black, ornate witch hat that emitted a mysterious air about her. When I sat up, she cocked her head and revealed her black eyes nestled on either side of a big crooked nose. As she blinked at me, her eyes really shone against her sage green skin. When she got my attention, she gave me a small smile that flashed her two fanged canine teeth. Wow, this lady was really committed to her costume.

"Yeah, a rough year in fact," I muttered.

"What's wrong now, sweetie?" she asked as she leaned on the counter, ignoring the two bartenders who danced around her. She propped herself up with her elbows as she batted her long, luscious eyelashes at me some more. "Well, I'm a hopeless accountant at a company where basically everybody hates me. I have no friends and no boyfriend either," I replied with a long sigh. The witch giggled again and whispered something underneath her breath while shaking her head.

"That sounds terribly lonely, dear... And you worked so hard so you could come to the party. Say, since it's Halloween, why don't I help you out a little bit more and whip you up a drink to drown your troubles away... All I need to know is your deepest desire."

A little laugh escaped from my mouth. "That's a weird request. I'll just take whatever's cheapest."

"Oh, come on, Lynn," she cooed, leaning on the table, "All I want to do is help you." The witch reached over and her green hand caressed my jaw, the pointed black fingernails just grazing my skin. I tried to pull away at first but something about her made me stay and as I stared into the deep, endless pools of her eyes, I became mesmerized. My lips parted as hers curled into another fangy smile and I whispered, "I... I... Want to speak my mind."

The spell was broken as the witch quickly let go of my jaw and reached underneath the counter, producing a smooth, sleek miniature black cauldron with fog steaming out of the top. She placed it in my hands and the warm fumes of the drink wafted into my nostrils. I looked down at the drink and underneath the fog, a bright green liquid gurgled and popped. It didn't look very appetizing.

"Drink it and your deepest desires will be fulfilled," she singsonged. As if my body was obeying her command, my arms lifted the drink to my lips and my hands tilted it, the fluorescent green liquid sliding into my mouth. To my surprise, the liquid was cool, thin and easy to swallow. It tasted like sweet green apples with a hint of caramel, definitely not what I was expecting. When I finished, I placed the cauldron back on the bar and the witch was nowhere in sight. I leaned over and turned my head both ways but she was gone as quick as she came.

I stood up as my eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. I didn't feel any different than before... maybe a little more miserable since I was still sober. Giving up on getting a drink from the busy bartenders, I slid my way through the crowd again, not really knowing where to go.

As I stumbled along, a thick pressure like a rope, pulled my chest towards the elevator again. My heart began to thump wildly again as I saw the girls from earlier still near it. They were draped over some masked men from a different company trying to work their charm. As I tried to turn away, my body refused to listen and I continued to step one foot in front of the other towards them. When I got closer, I noticed that there was something unusual around them: a sprinkle of sage green dust danced around them. I rubbed my eyes and when I focused on them again, the sprinkle of dust was still there. What the fuck was going on.

"Esme! Where did you go?" Tina chirped, breaking the conversation with the guy without a warning. She sidled up to me and wrapped her arm around mine. Avery and Jessica followed suit, breaking off their conversations as well and joining us.

"Have you seen Grayson yet? I've been trying to spot him all night and I haven't," Tina sighed, visibly frustrated. I shook my head no. "I think Jessica saw Lynn at the bar... She said that she was talking to herself," Tina giggled. "As if that's a surprise."

Suddenly, something inside me snapped.

"Oh Tina, were you born out of an asshole because all you ever have to say is shit!" my voice blurted, sliding my arm out of her heartless grasp. My eyes bugged out of their sockets as my mouth continued. "Ever since I've been here you've felt so threatened by me that you've come up with all these fucking lies about me and I'm fucking sick of it!" Tina's jaw dropped when I finished and my jaw dropped as well. I wanted to say sorry but my mouth wouldn't let me. Fueled by my bubbling anger, I turned my attention to Jessica and Avery. "And you two fucking idiots...I'm surprised you even got a job at the company because sometimes I think you two are brainless! Like all you ever do is follow Tina! Can't you two think for yourselves once in a while?" Jessica and Avery averted my gaze as they stared at their shoes and folded their arms tightly across their chests. "All three of you have made my life a living hell and I'm so fucking sick of it now... If you ever, ever, say anything else about me, it won't be pretty." As I finished my rant, I heaved a sigh of relief. A huge weight was lifted from my shoulders and I felt good... No, great. I glare at them as the green dust from earlier exploded into the dark night. I could feel the eyes of the other partygoers on us as a hush fell across the roof.