Drink Me!

Sophia smiled as she put the finishing touches on the lavish dinner table and stood back to admire her handiwork. The candlelight illuminated everything perfectly, casting the perfect light on the wine glasses. Oh, one of the forks was crooked. She carefully straightened it until everything was perfectly aligned. Rose petals were scattered along the table. The color would compliment the color of the aged red wine. The red wine would then complement the main course. 

“Is everything ready,” a voice called. Sophia turned to find her client, a nice young woman, standing in the doorway in a beautiful outfit. Not that the woman herself wasn’t beautiful. Her blond hair fell in perfect curls, and her blue eyes matched the blue of her dress. It was a humble dress, though, perfect for Ms. Connolly. It just showed how beautiful she was. Even Sophia could see that, though she wasn’t her type. Sophia’s own appearance paled in comparison. Her plain brown hair and casual clothes seemed out of place in Ms. Connolly’s luxurious house, but Sophia didn’t mind. There was someone who found her beautiful and that was enough. 

“Everything is ready, Ms. Connolly,” Sophia replied and looked over her work once again. Yes, everything was perfect. The only thing left was the wine. On her way to the kitchen, she smiled at her client. The woman was desperate enough to seek her services, after all. Once in the kitchen, she carefully uncorked the vintage bottle. With even greater ease, Sophia let a few drops of her potion fall into the glass. Yes, a few drops would do it. 

“Is that it,” Ms. Connolly questioned. 

“Yes, ma’am. This is it. There’s just enough to do the job, but I should warn you that it isn’t guaranteed. The potion only amplifies any feelings he currently possesses. It won’t make him love you.” The woman just nodded as she understood completely, but she knew just how unreliable that was. She had given many love potions away with the same warning. Almost everyone came back with complaints. Sophia was beginning to wonder whether or not her potions actually had any power. 

“He’s here,” Ms. Connolly declared. Sophia nodded toward her customer and passed her the bottle. The woman smiled gratefully as Sophia took off through the back door. She paused, watching the man walk into the house. Just from seeing him, she knew he was a good match. She just hoped Ms. Connolly could make it work. He was carrying flowers, so perhaps he carried feelings for her too. One could hope. 

Carefully, Sophia made her way to the street and walked a few houses down to her ride. He was right where she left him only now he was dozing a bit in the driver seat. With a grin, she knocked on the window loud enough to startle him awake. Though she assumed he hadn’t been asleep long, his hair was a mess, and he had started to drool. It was a minute before his eyes found hers and an even longer minute before he realized he needed to unlock the car. As beautiful as he was, he could be a bit slow at times. 

“How did it go,” he asked. She just shrugged, fingering with one of her braids. 

“Alright, I guess. Everything is set up. The potion is in place. Seems like it will go well.” The hum of the engine muted Chris’s response, but she already knew what he would say. That’s what you said last time, but here’s hoping. Yes, Sophia would admit that her potions weren’t foolproof, but they weren’t guarantees either. They weren’t really even necessary. She had found Chris without a potion. Plenty of others had found their soulmates without a potion. Sophia’s clients just wanted the easy way out and were always upset when it didn’t go their way. It wasn’t the girl’s fault. Sometimes, the potions didn’t work because they weren’t supposed to. 

“So, remind me how this works again,” Chris said. 

“You’ve heard it a thousand times. You just want to see me light up when I talk,” she retorted. He smirked. 

“Can you blame me? You’re adorable when you talk about your magic.” She could have corrected him about the fact that it wasn’t really magic; it was just a random gift. A completely unreliable gift. 

“Well, the potions just open someone’s eyes. They see right away if that person is right for them or not. Most people don’t notice the difference and only the people who drank the same potion experience effects. It doesn’t make people fall in love. It just opens their eyes to see if their relationship is true love or not,” Sophia recited. Chris was right. She always got excited when she talked about her work. It was her life, her mission. To her knowledge, no one else could do what she could. 

“And you swear you didn’t use a potion on me,” Chris joked, and a laugh escaped her. 

“Of course not. I didn’t need a potion to see you.” Her boyfriend just smiled as the car pulled into the driveway of her house. The lights were still on. Her parents had either stayed up waiting for her or simply forgot to turn off the lights. Like a true gentleman, Chris climbed out of the car to walk his lady to the door. He ran his hand through his long black hair like he always did whenever he was at Sophia’s house. How was it that his nervous habit was so adorable? How was it that Sophia got so lucky with Chris? She was always tempted to slip a potion into his drink just to see if they really had true love, but she was too scared. As confident she was in their relationship, a part of her wondered what she would see with that potion in her veins. A part of her thought she’d just see a regular man. A part of her thought he’d just see a regular girl. A part of her thought Chris would leave her, and she’d be left like one of her clients: heartbroken and lost. Still, never once had she done it. When Sophia asked Chris about it, he would just say he didn’t need a potion to see that they were meant to be. 

“Oh, there you are, Sophia. Thank you for bringing her home, Chris,” Mrs. Watson greeted. “Come on inside.” Sophia’s mother ushered both her and Chris into the house. 

“I hope you’re not planning on driving home at this time of night, Chris. We have a spare room ready for you,” Mrs. Watson said as she hurried into the kitchen. Sophia supposed it was a good thing Chris had turned the car off. It didn’t look like her boyfriend would be leaving soon. 

“Where’s your dad,” he whispered. Sophia shrugged, and as if on cue, her father walked in. He was evidently not pleased that Chris might be staying over. He didn’t even try to hide it. 

“I thought I heard you come in, Soph,” Mr. Watson greeted. “Christopher.”

“Nice to see you again, Mr. Watson,” he replied. Sophia smiled. This happened every time and considering how long she and Chris had been together, she thought her dad would be over it. For two years, this was how they greeted each other. 

“I’ll go help Mom with dinner,” she declared. “Play nice, guys.” She didn’t see their reactions, but she could guess. Chris would keep running his hand through his hair while Mr. Watson would just turn on some sports channel. Chris didn’t particularly enjoy watching sports, she knew, but for her father’s sake, he suffered in silence. Whether or not Mr. Watson had picked up on it, no one was certain. All Sophia knew was that she’d give him a coffee date or two to make up for it. 

The next couple of months were normal. Sophia got a few clients, made a few potions, and went out on a few dates. For her nineteenth birthday, Chris and her parents had a little party with Mrs. Watson’s signature lasagna on the table. Oh, how lucky Sophia was. 

One day, the doorbell rang, and Sophia, being the only one in the house at the time, rushed to answer it. Imagine her surprise when she saw Ms. Connolly standing at the door. The woman was clearly distraught with her makeup and tears running down her face. Sophia led the woman to the living room and handed her a box of tissues. The poor thing couldn’t even speak for a few minutes, during which Sophia tried to puzzle out what was going on. Had Ms. Connolly come to chew her out, scream about how the potion hadn’t worked? Perhaps the man broke up with her, and she was looking for a solution for the heartbreak. 

When Ms. Connolly finally collected herself, the first thing she did was look Sophia in the eye. 

“I need your help,” she said simply. “I need your advice.”

“My advice,” Sophia scoffed. 

“Arthur has been spending a lot of time at his office. We’ve moved in together, you know. He’s staying at my place, but I hardly see him. I don’t know what to do.” Sophia blinked. If she didn’t know Ms. Connolly very well, she would have found the whole situation laughable, but she didn’t. Even before Sophia had finished the complex love potion, Ms. Connolly had invited her and Chris to go out for coffee. She had occasionally called Sophia to ask how she was doing, not just how the potion was coming along. Sophia had been making potions since she was 16, experimenting a few years before that. She’d sold them as soon as she was able and as soon as people started buying. Once word spread, though, there were plenty of customers in need of her particular skill set. Most teenagers had a part-time job as a cashier or working in a restaurant. Sophia was making potions for almost $50 each. 

“I knew he was busy, but now that he’s at my house, I notice it more. Then, yesterday, he says that he wants us to take a break,” she continued and sniffled. “What am I supposed to do?” For a moment, Sophia just stared. What was Ms. Connolly supposed to do? What was Sophia supposed to tell her? Then, she got an idea. 

“Where does your husband work,” she asked. 

“He’s a lawyer working at Jacobson Law Firm.” Sophia grinned. It was perfect. She grabbed her phone and dialed the right number. Then she dialed a few others for good measure. After working in the love business for so long, she had found a few worthy contacts. 

“I’ve arranged a trip for the two of you this weekend,” she declared. 

“But, he has work,” Ms. Connolly protested. 

“Not to worry. Everything is taken care of.” Sophia had never seen Ms. Connolly look happier. Her eyes got all bright, and she seemed to glow. 

“Oh, thank you so much,” she cried before hurrying out. Sophia couldn’t blame her. It was exciting after all. She and Chris hadn’t gone out on their own much, but her parents sometimes did. They were always much happier after time to themselves. Sophia just hoped Ms. Connolly ad Arthur would feel the same. 

For years, Sophia didn’t hear from Ms. Connolly. It wasn’t that out of the ordinary. After Sophia gave them the potion, they usually stayed away. Either they didn’t trust her services or they no longer needed them. Usually, it was the former, but Sophia hoped Ms. Connolly was part of the latter. 

When Sophia was 21, a woman knocked at her door. More specifically, she knocked on the shed in the back that she used as her office. It was a new edition but a necessary one now that it was her full-time business. These days she was shipping potions to all parts of the world, making quite a bit of money off it. She had had so many cases over the years that she almost didn’t know who the woman was. 

“Do you remember me,” the woman asked. “You knew me as Ms. Connolly.” It took Sophia a moment to place her face and her voice. 

“Yes, of course. Ms. Connolly, it’s been a minute,” Sophia exclaimed and opened the door wider for her to come in. There was a small sitting room for her clients, so she sat Sophia down there. 

“Would you like anything to drink? I have a coffee and tea maker,” Sophia asked. Ms. Connolly just shook her head. “Do you need another potion? Did the last one not work in the end?”

“I actually came here to thank you, Sophia Watson, and to tell you that my name is now Jennifer Mitchell.” That’s when Sophia noticed the ring on her finger. 

“Oh, my gosh. Congratulations!” Ms. Connolly, uh, Mss. Mitchell handed her a picture from her wedding. 

“It’s all thanks to you, Sophia. Your advice, your assistance, made all of it possible.” Sophia bit her lip and looked down at the picture in her hands. How rare it was to see two people so happy. 

“That was all I wanted to say,” Mrs. Mitchell finished and stood to leave. 

“You’re the only one, you know,” Sophia whispered. At the sound of her voice, Mrs. Mitchell turned. 

“What was that?”

“I said you’re the only one of my clients who’s ever gotten a happy ending, and it had nothing to do with my potion. It had everything to do with your hard work. You didn’t give up on your love,” Sophia declared. She started to give the wedding photo back, but Mrs. Mitchell shook her head. 

“You keep it as a thank you,” she insisted and left. Sophia was left in her office surrounded by half-finished love potions and only one success story out of them. She supposed that love really did exist.