The Girl and the Genie Page 5

  “That’s a shame. I really enjoyed having that adorable little guy around.”

  Emily nodded and smiled bitterly to herself as she looked at Mitch and thought about how she could’ve had him turned into a pig, or a slug, or anything else. Jack was right. A slug would’ve been appropriate for Mitch. She found herself detesting him more than ever as she watched the way he sat pretending to be absorbed with what was on TV, all the while sweating over whether she would tell Sally about the nasty and insulting stunt he had pulled. Turning him into a slug would’ve also been the best thing Emily could’ve done for Sally; her friend deserved so much better! But it wasn’t her place to decide this for Sally, or to convince her how rotten the guy was.

  Emily went to the kitchen, spent a minute acting as if she was searching for something inside the refrigerator, then went back to her room. Once the door was closed behind her, she summoned Jack. When he appeared, he raised an eyebrow, curious.

  “Miss Mignon, have you thought of another wish so soon?” he asked. “Or perhaps you would like to change your first wish into something more substantial and worthy of a genie?”

  Emily shook her head. “I need to borrow Winston for a few more minutes,” she said, and then she explained her reason. The genie’s lips tightened as if he had swallowed something bitter.

  “It would be so much easier if you’d simply wish for me to turn him into a bug of some sort. You wouldn’t even need to squash him. You could open a window and let him fly out.”

  “I’m not going to do that,” Emily said.

  “Very well,” Jack said with no effort to hide his disappointment. A second later Winston reappeared with Jack instantaneously disappearing. Emily kneeled down and gave Winston one last hug. “Sorry to have to disturb you like this,” she said. Winston didn’t seem to mind as he panted happily and licked her face, nor several minutes later when Emily led him out of her room and Sally made a big fuss over him. Mitch had left the living room, probably so he could hide out in Sally’s room until Winston was gone. What a coward, Emily thought. Her guess was confirmed when Winston started growling and baring his fangs as he got within a few feet of Sally’s closed bedroom door, and he tried to bull his way toward it.

  “Why do you suppose he’s acting like that?” Sally asked, concerned.

  Emily swallowed back what she wanted to say—that Winston must be smelling a rodent of some sort, and instead muttered something innocuous and pulled the dog away and out of the apartment. When they were heading down the staircase and no one was in sight, Winston disappeared as she had arranged with Jack. She rolled the empty leash up, put it in her pocketbook, and continued on out so she could meet Theodore Anderson at his condo.

  Chapter 6

  Emily was very pleased with the condo on Wooster Street. If Jack had worked a hidden problem into her wish, she couldn’t figure out what it could be. The building was an attractive stone structure that had been fully modernized inside. Wooster Street turned out to be unusual for Manhattan in that it was made up of old bricks instead of pavement, which acted to discourage car traffic—at least to discourage traffic from cars that didn’t want to damage their wheels or alignment. It still would’ve been a quiet apartment even if Wooster carried normal Manhattan traffic since the condo was set back into the building.

  The apartment itself was large and with more amenities than Emily would’ve expected. The furnishings, while maybe more for a single man than a young woman, still had a comfortable and homey feel. The kitchen was modern and more than four times the size of the kitchen that she shared with Sally, and the bathroom was bigger than her current bedroom and had a sunken tub and a small built in sauna.

  The room that she fell in love with was the den. It had a men’s club feel to it with its dark mahogany woods, a plush brownish leather recliner and a working stone fireplace. There was no TV set or stereo in this room, only book cases filled with books and small antique stone carvings. But that was fine. It was a room for unplugging yourself from the modern world, and it would be a perfect place for reading manuscripts.

  Emily found herself liking the owner, Theodore Anderson, as much as she liked the condo. He was in his fifties, and had this very lively and spry quality to him. A man with a warm smile and a twinkle in his eyes. Emily felt comfortable with him from the moment he met her at the door. As he gave her a tour of his condo, his fox terrier, Astor, followed them, and he told Emily how he was a professor of European History and that this opportunity to spend a year in Venice came completely out of the blue.

  “This is like a dream,” he told her. “I could barely believe it when the call came, and when I was talking later with my friend, Nancy, she mentioned how she had met your mother and how you might be a good person to housesit for me, and so I got your phone number and gave you a call. And here you are.”

  By this time they had ended up in the kitchen, and he was making the two of them cappuccinos. While they drank their cappuccinos, they worked out an arrangement in which Emily would pay per month the same amount she was currently paying in rent. Emily hesitated briefly before bringing up the subject of having a dog into the condo. She explained how a friend of hers had an English Bulldog that she might need to take care of from time to time. Professor Anderson had his fox terrier in his lap at this point, and told her that he was bringing Astor to Italy with him, and that her having a dog in his condo was fine with him. They shook hands then, agreeing to their deal.

  Sally was understanding that night about Emily moving out the way she was.

  “It hasn’t been right the way I foisted Mitch on you.” Sally’s smile became wracked with regret. “I’m sorry, Em. I should’ve handled this better. I’ve been a real louse.”

  Emily kept it brief telling Sally that she understood how things happened the way they did, and that she’d always value their friendship. She avoided saying anything about Mitch.

  Saturday was three days away, and it went by fast with Mitch keeping his distance from her. She had a teary goodbye with Sally, but as she left the apartment for the last time all she felt was relief that she’d never have to deal with Mitch again. Sally was going to sell her furniture for her, so she didn’t bring much with her to her new home—just six boxes filled with clothing and other odds and ends, and of course, her antique chest with her genie’s lamp hidden inside of it. Minutes after settling into her new address, she heard Jack’s voice from within the antique chest. It was badly muffled, but as she dug the lamp from the secret compartment, she could hear him more clearly. He had a favor to ask of her, but he needed her to summon him first. She did, and Jack appeared within a burst of blue smoke, a distressed look tugging at his features. He apologized for the intrusion.

  “It’s Winston,” he said. “The poor guy has been miserable since I’ve gotten him back from you.” The genie’s discomfort appeared palpable as he hovered in front of Emily.

  “Would you like me to take him for a few days?” she asked.

  “It will need to be more than that,” Jack said. He smiled weakly at Emily. “I was afraid this might happen if Winston was given enough of a taste of your world, but it’s more than that. He has formed a strong attachment to you, Miss Mignon. I know this is an imposition, but I hate seeing him pining away for you.” He paused for a moment, then added, “It’s been hard waiting for you to move here to make this request.”

  “I’d be happy to take him,” she said. “I grew quite attached to him myself in the short time I was with him.”

  The smile Jack was trying to force weakened even more. Emily felt a heaviness welling up in her chest as she understood how much this was going to affect Jack since Winston was really the only companionship he had.

  “Don’t feel sad for me, Miss Mignon, please,” he said, his smile nearly breaking her heart. “I’ve had so many dogs and other animals over the centuries, only to lose them to death. That won’t be the case this time. In a way, it is a joyful feeling knowing how happy he’ll be with you.”

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bsp; Emily nodded and fought hard to keep from tearing up. “You can visit him whenever you want,” she said.

  “I can’t,” he said. “I need to be summoned by you.”

  “Then I’ll summon you often. Every day. I promise,” she said.

  “You don’t need to make any promises to me,” he said, somewhat stiffly. “I am in your service, after all.”

  Emily made a face at that. “I’ll be summoning you every day. You can count on it.”

  “Very well, Miss Mignon, that is your prerogative.”

  There was a flash of smoke, and Winston lay on the floor before Emily. He appeared to be moping and his expression was one of misery, but as he sniffed and then looked up at Emily, that changed as he let out an excited yelp and pushed himself quickly to his feet. He nearly tripped as he raced over to Emily. Jack watched this solemnly before asking Emily to take good care of him.

  “He’s a good soul,” the genie said, and then he once more disappeared in a burst of blue smoke.

  Emily kept her word. It turned out Mr. Pish had a soft spot for English Bulldogs, or at least for Winston, so she was allowed to bring him to work with her, and he behaved well enough not to bring any attention to himself. In the evening whenever Emily was alone in the condo she’d summon the genie so that he could spend time with Winston. They wouldn’t say much other than Jack asking whether she was ready to make another wish or how she was finding her new home, but that was okay as she was increasingly finding herself more comfortable with him, and actually enjoying having him around. She would spend her evenings in the den reading manuscripts for work while Winston would either lay contentedly by her feet, or jump on Jack as he hovered in the air as if he were reclining on a sofa. Jack seemed particularly fond of the den, often browsing Professor Anderson’s extensive book collection, and occasionally commenting on the antique artifacts scattered around the room.

  Four days after Emily had moved into the condo, she met Sally for lunch and she immediately knew something was wrong from how tense Sally seemed and the brittle smile that threatened to crumble apart any second. The two of them made uncomfortable small talk until a waitress came over to take their order. Once the waitress left, Sally asked Emily why Winston had acted the way he had. Emily forced a confused look and pretended she didn’t know what her friend was asking her.

  “You know,” Sally said. She lowered her voice so other diners nearby wouldn’t be able to hear her. “The way he got so upset when he passed by my room.” Her eyes shifted momentarily away from Emily’s, and then added, “Winston was growling at Mitch, wasn’t he?”

  Emily nodded, almost imperceptibly.

  “Mitch was the rodent you referred to,” Sally said with a tired laugh. “I thought so at the time you said that. Em, what did Mitch do? Did he hurt your dog? Did he throw something at him or kick him?”

  “No, nothing like that.” It was Emily’s turn to look away as she stared down at her hands which were resting on the table and folded in front of her. “He acted like a jerk, that’s all. Winston was sensitive enough to pick up on it, and I guess he didn’t appreciate it.”

  “How did he act like a jerk?”

  Emily looked up and met her friend’s eyes. “Do I really need to tell you?” she asked.

  “Please, Em. Before he moves his furniture and all the rest of his stuff over and I add his name to the lease, I need to know this, okay?”

  Emily gave another barely perceptible nod and told her friend what had happened, her voice sounding dull and unnatural to her as she did so. Sally sat quietly for a long moment afterward, a tiredness weakening her eyes and mouth. The waitress came back with their coffee, and after she left, Sally asked whether Mitch had lied to her about Emily propositioning him weeks earlier.

  “Of course he lied about that,” Emily said, her cheeks reddening. “Even if I had any interest in him, I never would’ve done something like that to you.”

  “I never believed that was what happened,” Sally said. “I thought maybe you might’ve innocently flirted with him, and he misread it. The whole thing made me incredibly uncomfortable, but I never believed you made a play for him.” She paused, then asked, “He propositioned you, didn’t he?”

  “Yes.”

  “Was it possible he was only joking around and you misinterpreted what he meant?”

  “No, I didn’t misinterpret anything. He made it clear that he wanted us to have sex whenever you were out of the apartment. I’m sorry, Sally. I wanted to tell you, but he beat me to the punch when he lied to you the way he did and I didn’t think you’d believe me. And then I started thinking if I moved out of the apartment he’d settle down and act more like a decent person.”

  “That asshole,” Sally whispered, anger tightening her mouth.

  “Sally, I’m so sorry.”

  Sally shook her head. “Nothing for you to apologize for, Em. I’m the one who needs to be apologizing for subjecting you to him all these months.” She gave Emily a sad smile and added, “I guess love is blind sometimes, huh?”

  “Sometimes it is.”

  “I couldn’t ignore the way Winston acted the other day. When the asshole formerly known as Mitch tried to find out your new address, I had to face facts and couldn’t hide in denial any longer.”

  “You didn’t tell him where I’m living, did you?” Emily asked, alarmed.

  “No, of course not. But you should’ve heard his excuses for wanting to know it. I can’t believe I wasted six months with him. And I can’t believe I lost you as a roommate because of him. But I’m glad you found the place you did. Em, darling, it sounds wonderful.” She gave Emily another sad smile and commented how she didn’t have much of an appetite anymore, and that it would be better for her to head back to work. “How about we do lunch another time?”

  “Sure. And I’ll have you over soon. I promise.”

  Sally nodded weakly and fumbled around in her purse for money to pay for what she had ordered. As she got up to leave, she patted Emily on the shoulder. “The next guy I end up with isn’t going to be an asshole, I promise you that.”

  That night Sally called Emily to tell her that she threw Mitch out. “The asshole was actually crying about how he had given up his apartment months ago and had no place to go. He makes three times what you and I make combined, and he was just freeloading off of us, not once offering to pay any rent. I guess the nights he wasn’t here, he must’ve been hooking up with other girls for the night. What an asshole.”

  Sally’s speech sounded slurred, and Emily asked her if she’d been drinking.

  “Only a few celebratory shots of tequila. Don Pilar Blanco. The good stuff.”

  “Well don’t overdo it, okay?”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t. But it’s not every day you get to remove a two hundred pound asshole from your apartment.”

  Emily had earlier summoned Jack, and he must’ve been able to hear the full conversation, for when Emily got off the phone, he asked her again about whether she’d like to see Mitch turned into an insect or rodent of some sort. “Miss Mignon, it would be for the best,” he told her.

  She shook her head as she flatly dismissed the idea. “If I wanted to wish that my friend met a great guy and the two of them fell madly in love and lived happily for the rest of their lives, would you be able to grant that?”

  “Hmm,” he said.

  “What’s with the hmm?”

  “Are you really asking this for your friend or yourself?”

  Emily felt a hotness in her cheeks and knew she was blushing, which only made her more embarrassed. “I’m asking for Sally,” she insisted.

  “Regardless of who you’d be making that wish for, it would be impossible for me to fulfill it. First, it’s too vague. One person’s great guy could be another person’s nightmare. The concept of living happily for the rest of their lives is also too vague and as a genie I can’t control the future. A wish has to be for a specific act or object. And wishing for someone to fall in love with someon
e else is another impossibility, outside of what any genie can control.”

  “Wait a second. You keep asking me to make a wish so you can turn Mitch into a pig or an insect. You’re able to do that but you can’t make someone fall in love?”

  Jack shrugged. “Turning someone into a pig or an insect is a simple matter of manipulating chemistry and DNA. Love, and really anything within the human spirit is too mysterious for me or any genie to control. The best I could do would be to alter someone’s physiology to secrete more pheromones to make the person more desirable by members of the opposite sex. Of course I can do significantly more than what the best plastic surgeon can accomplish since I can also alter a person’s genetic composition, but even if I’m only being asked to perform the same sort of cosmetic changes as what a surgeon could do my work is much quicker, more precise and with a far shorter recovery time. One second please.”

  The genie disappeared for only a fraction of a second. In fact, it was so quick that Emily wasn’t sure at first that he had gone at all. When he reappeared he told her that he had just observed Emily’s ex-roommate, Sally Palmer, and that he considered her very pretty. “Her eyes are somewhat puffy from crying and her coloring isn’t at its peak from the alcohol she’s been consuming this evening, but taking that into account there’s little I could do to make her more attractive. Men have to be finding her desirable as she is. When I inhaled I was also able to pick up a high level of pheromone secretion from her. It would be a waste of a wish if I were to alter her physically or physiologically.”

  Emily’s insecurities surfaced briefly and she almost asked Jack for an assessment of herself, but was able to keep herself from blurting that out and was glad she did. It would’ve been mortifying if she had asked him that. Instead she hid her disappointment over what the genie had told her—not about him finding Sally very attractive, but about not being able to grant a wish involving two people falling madly in love and living happily ever after, because that was the only wish she desperately desired. She had been trying to build up the courage to make that wish for herself, and it was like a kick in the stomach when Jack told her it was an impossible wish.