Chapter 1
Lucky Fujiki had always hated her name.
Whenever she had too much time by herself, like now, waiting at the park for her partner-in-crime and ride-or-die bestie to drop her kids off at school, she thought about it.
Lucky tried to focus on the ducks flapping in the melting pond, the first blooms of spring on the trees, which were pushing forward much too early by the way, and the landscaped grounds.
Nope. No chance. Because if she stared at the ducks too long, they’d get agitated. Or the tree would get struck by lightning. Or the grounds . . . well . . . who knew, really?
She hated her name so much.
Not the Fujiki, she was more than good with that one.
Lucky. What the hell? That was just asking for trouble.
Why couldn’t her mother have named her something traditional like Akira, or Keiko, or even Tatsuo? She had a friend named Keiko who was very successful.
The world didn’t fall apart at the seams whenever Keiko walked by.
That was all Lucky wanted, to be able to move through the world without the fabric of the universe coming undone.
Of course, there was an ancient Japanese proverb that fit her situation nicely: “Shit in one hand and want in the other, and see which one fills up first.”
No, on second thought, that wasn’t Japanese. It was a universal truth. Really, she could want and wish as hard as she could and it wouldn’t change her situation. Although, her mother would argue that point endlessly.
She hated her nickname, too. “Un-Lucky.” Yay her.
Her mother, of course, had told her it would pass, but what did she know? Her name was Fortune, and she’d lived up to it with no problem at all.
Lucky. She spat on the ground.
“Whoa! Friendly fire!”
Lucky looked up to see her best friend, Gwen Borders, holding out a cup of coffee. From the looks of it, a mocha chip caramel latte, hopefully with a shot of blond espresso. And whipped cream with a hearty dusting of cinnamon.
She needed a lot of sugar and caffeine to maintain.
“Sorry, Gwen. Thanks for the fortification.” She accepted the cup gratefully.
“Bemoaning your name again, huh?” Gwen sat down next to her on the park bench.
“Like I do every day.”
Gwen took a drink of her coffee and sighed happily. “I talked to the woman who does my tarot cards about your problem. She said that you’re out of alignment with the universe. So if you could just figure out what’s causing the misalignment, you’ll be good as gold.”
Lucky wrinkled her nose. “What does that even mean?”
Gwen shrugged. “Hell if I know. I just give the woman money. Maybe you should go see her? I could book you some sessions. Then you can ask your questions.”
“You’ve got kids who are going to need a college fund. You don’t need to be spending your money on me and my problems. Especially not on some ‘hippie woo-woo,’ as my godmother likes to say.”
Gwen grinned. “It is absolutely my pleasure to spend all of Jake’s money on frivolous and stupid things. Plus, I get cash every time I pay with his card. It gives me an excuse to take out more money for my little nest egg.”
Lucky scowled. “You know, if it wouldn’t affect you and the monsters, I’d go give him a daily dose of bad luck.” She turned to look at her friend. “I really don’t know how you and the kids are immune to my bad vibes. I’m grateful, but I wish I knew how it worked.”
“So you’d only inflict it on people who deserve it?”
“Yep.” Lucky took another sip of her coffee and luxuriated in the sweet warmth on her tongue.
“Oh, don’t look now, but there’s PTA Nancy.”
Lucky looked around the park and saw a woman go into Gaston’s Tea Shop across the street.
PTA Nancy had been making Gwen’s life miserable, and to be honest, poor Gwen already had enough misery on her plate.
“You know, I think I need to buy some tea for my godmothers.” Lucky stood.
Gwen flashed a half grin. “We shouldn’t. I mean . . .”
“Oh, but we should. She’s awful.”
“Do you think this is considered using your powers for good?” Gwen asked.
“Probably not. I think it’s a good cause, though.” With that, Lucky marched with purpose toward the tea shop, and Gwen followed close behind.
“Really, I need to send them a little something. I got a care package last week of cookies. Petty’s peanut butter chocolate chip, Jonquil’s raspberry windmills, and Bluebonnet’s pumpkin cranberry cookies.” Lucky stopped to pull a small baggie out of her purse with two of each cookie inside and handed it to Gwen. “Almost forgot.”
“Your godmothers are the best. They definitely deserve tea.” Gwen nodded as she stuffed a cookie in her mouth.
They went inside Gaston’s Tea Shop and immediately, Lucky was drawn to a fat ladybug teapot. That was definitely going to Petty because she was round, happy, and mostly good luck, too.
“Ope!” Gwen cried, and grabbed her wrist as she reached for it.
When Lucky looked down, she saw that her sleeve had caught on the edge of the glass shelving. One more move and she’d have murdered the display. Gwen untangled her, and Lucky grabbed the teapot.
“Thanks,” she murmured.
“Lucky I was here, huh?” Gwen grinned.
“You think you’re funny.” She hugged the teapot to her chest.
“I know I’m funny. I’m a freaking delight.”
“Gwen Borders, is that you?”
Lucky knew without turning to look that the woman speaking was PTA Nancy.
Gwen’s face contorted into a fake smile. “Nancy. Nice to see you.”
“Is it, though? I had the feeling you’d been avoiding me after you saw me having dinner with Jake. . . .”
Lucky had to fight the urge not to swivel her head around on her shoulders like an owl.
“Since we haven’t spoken since then.”
Gwen waved her off. “You know how it goes. I’ve just been busy. I’m glad Jake wants to help with the Spring Sock Hop. The kids will be so happy he’ll be able to chaperone. He never gets to attend these things. He’s always so busy.”
Gwen hadn’t told Lucky about this.
And maybe Jake had just been discussing the dance, but Lucky had a sense for when people were lying, and that story reeked like hot garbage.
“Ah yes, well, he . . . uh . . .” Nancy coughed. “Volunteered you to bake all the snacks. We were hoping for allergy-free. Can you do vegan, gluten-free, nut-free chocolate chip cookies? That way everyone is covered? We’ll need about three hundred.” Nancy smiled.
“Of course. It’s not a problem.” Gwen’s smile was real this time, and Lucky knew it was because she loved baking, and a challenge. Gwen had grown up in a place where they didn’t have a PTA, didn’t have Spring Sock Hops, and she definitely hadn’t had a mother who baked cookies.
“Anything for our little darlings, right?” Nancy smiled back.
Lucky wanted to puke.
For a hot minute, she considered it. Everyone in town was used to her mishaps and if she happened to spew Technicolor glory all over PTA Nancy, no one would know it had been on purpose.
Of course, that would mean giving up the delicious coffee she just snarfed and Lucky was not about that life.
Instead, she shoved the ladybug teapot at Gwen and launched herself at Nancy.
Not to pummel her face like Lucky wanted to do, or even to ralph in her hair, but to give her a giant hug.
And rub her bad luck all over the woman.
“I’m so glad my niece and nephew have such great people to advocate for them. So. Glad.” She tightened and released the hug with each sentence. Just to make sure the woman was good and covered with Lucky’s definite unluck. Then she stepped back and beamed at her with a bright smile.
“I . . . thank you.” Nancy coughed. “I didn’t know Gwen thought so well of me.”
Gwen got in on the action. “Oh, Nancy. I should do more to show it. You work so hard on all the events and running the PTA. I mean, even though you’re not the president, you always take charge. You get things done.”
Which was all code for the fact PTA Nancy, from the stories Lucky had heard, was a raging shitlord.
“I should really get going.” Nancy shrugged uncomfortably.
A long silence reigned before Nancy coughed and headed to the register.
“That was pretty brilliant. I thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head like one of those pooping animal keychains. You know the ones? Where you squeeze them and their eyes bulge and so goop squishes out of their butts?”
Lucky laughed. “That’s amazing. It’s too bad you didn’t get a video.”
“I’ve got it on replay in my head right now. Where it’s going to stay forever and ever.”
“You didn’t tell me Jake went out to dinner with her,” Lucky said.
Gwen shrugged. “It is what it is. I don’t care if he’s cheating on me. I just care that it’s with her. And they both think I’m stupid.”
“Any chance you think they were actually working on the sock hop?”
Gwen snorted. “About as likely as winning the lottery.”
“I’m sorry.” Lucky reached for Gwen’s hand and squeezed. “I’ve got a shovel and a tarp if you need me. . . .”
Laughing, Gwen pulled her in for a hug. “Thank you. You always know how to make me laugh.”
Lucky hugged her back, once again grateful that she was immune to whatever black cloud hung over Lucky’s life.
Unless this thing with Jake was somehow her fault....
“No, stop it,” Gwen said.
“What?”
“I know what you’re doing. Jake made his own choices. I made my own choices. Neither of them has anything to do with you.”
Lucky gave her a half smile. “It would kill me if my . . .” Lucky struggled to find the right word. “My curse, for lack of a better word, harmed you and the monsters in any way.”
“Lucky, I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re my best friend. I’ll take having you cursed over not having you at all.” Gwen perked. “Hey, maybe that’s your problem. Maybe you are cursed. You’ve got three godmothers. Maybe they’re fairy godmothers and your mother forgot to invite one of the fairies to your christening and she was pissed and cursed you or something.”
Lucky snorted. “Dude. This isn’t Sleeping Beauty. I’m not that fair of face. I mean, pretty fair, but not fairy-tale princess fair. Or really fair of disposition either, now that I think about it. Weren’t those the fairy gifts? Plus, I was fine until him.”
“Maybe his . . . um . . . moment where he was out of alignment knocked you out of alignment. Maybe if you saw him again?”
“That’s the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me. I don’t wish bad things on him, but oh my God, how do you expect me to look him in the face after that debacle?”
“He was the one who drove his little car into the wrong garage. What do you have to be embarrassed about?”
Lucky looked up at the ceiling. Her face on fire as she still burned with embarrassment from that ill-fated night so many years ago.
“Look, things happen during sex. One time, Jake was—”
“If we could not talk about this anymore, that would be great. I don’t want to imagine Jake having sex.”
“Okay. Fine. Me either, honestly. But . . . maybe you should talk about it. It doesn’t have to be with me, but I’m sure he’s forgotten about it, too.”
“Unlikely.”
“Oh, hey . . . look. Nancy is still trying to check out.”
Lucky watched as Nancy pulled card after card out of her wallet and none of them worked.
They crept forward silently for a closer look.
“Everything okay, Nancy?” Gwen asked.
“There’s been some kind of mistake,” Nancy said. “All of my cards have been declined.”
“Here. Let me help you.” Gwen pulled out one of her credit cards.
“Oh no. I couldn’t ask you to.”
“You’re not asking. I insist. How embarrassing. I’m sure you’d come to my rescue if the situation was reversed. Right?” Gwen said, and handed her card over to the clerk.
Nancy looked down at her phone. “Oh my God. All of my cards are maxed out. There are charges in Hawaii. California. Florida.”
“That sucks,” Lucky said, helpfully.
Nancy grabbed her tea and darted out of the store.
“That sure worked fast. It’s rare that you get to observe karma in action. Usually, it doesn’t hit until long after you don’t care anything about watching it slap the person in the face.”
Lucky shrugged. “Happy to be of service.” Then she looked at the teapot in Gwen’s hands. “Oh, I need this wrapped and shipped,” she said to the clerk.
“Oh, right. You need to get them some tea to go in it, too,” Gwen reminded her.
“The Russian Caravan, I think. Petty likes strong flavors. Maybe some blueberry rose as well.”
“All good choices,” the clerk said, and added them to her order.
Just then, Lucky’s phone rang. She pulled it out of her bag, but the screen was cracked and she couldn’t tell who was calling. Which drove her nuts. She didn’t answer the phone for just anyone. People who called without texting first were savages.
Of course, it was most likely one of her godmothers. She took a wild guess.
“Hello, Petty.”
“My sweet little good-luck charm. What are you doing? Are you busy?”
Lucky tried not to snort. Petty behaved as if Lucky didn’t break things everywhere she went. It was rather endearing, honestly, because it seemed like she didn’t actually notice.
To Gwen, she said, “I’m going to take this outside. Can you . . .” She nodded to the teapot.
“Sure.”
Lucky handed her a credit card and stepped outside the shop, barely missing a shitting pigeon flying overhead. That was actually very lucky. Maybe things were about to change.
“I need a favor, darling.”
Lucky wasn’t sure what she could do for Petty, but most likely she was down for whatever shenanigans the old dear had cooked up. “Sure. Anything.”
“Be careful what you agree to, sweet pea.”
How bad could it be?
Of course, this was a question that she’d learned not to ask. Or at least, she’d thought she’d learned that lesson.
“I need you to get married. Well, fake married. On Valentine’s Day.”
“What’s that?” Lucky wasn’t sure she’d heard her correctly.
“You should get your ears cleaned. Maybe you have impacted wax? I’m sure I spoke quite clearly. I need you to get fake married. All of us do. Fairy Godmothers, Inc. is in the pooper. So is Ever After. We need to draw in more tourists. More business. A high-profile wedding will put us on the map.”
Lucky coughed. “Petty.”
“Yes, dear?”
“Are you stoned?”
“Why does everyone keep asking me that? No, and even if I was, it’s a good idea.”
“I . . . no. I mean, me? High-profile? You know how I break things.”
“Yes, but now you’re going to fix it. Trust me. This is exactly what everyone involved needs.”
Lucky consoled herself that even if she agreed, there was no way in hell they were going to find a groom who would fake marry the Master of Disaster.
“Who is the groom?” She laughed when she said it, but a sudden feeling like a wrecking ball smashed into her gut.
She knew before Petty spoke.
But no, it couldn’t be.
They wouldn’t.
He wouldn’t.
“Now, don’t hang up on me.”
Lucky did just that. She hung up on her godmother.
Of course, Petty called right back. Lucky considered not answering, but she knew better.
“No.”
“Darling, yes. And it’s time for the two of you to clear the air. Plus, he’s our best bet. Heart’s Desire Chocolate is the biggest chocolate maker in the world. He uses fair-trade, organic cacao and uses best practices to ensure there’s no slave labor, protects the rain forest, and he’s America’s Sweetheart. The press loves him. It’ll be a fairy-tale romance the public can get behind. And getting married in Ever After is just too perfect.”
Get behind.
Lucky rolled her eyes. Her godmother was either oblivious or being a raging smart-ass. Lucky wasn’t usually sure which, and that was definitely one of Petty’s superpowers.
“I think you’ve forgotten we’re his godmothers, too.”
“Well, that’s just incestuous.”
“Pish posh. How soon can you get here? And you should bring Gwen and the monsters. They’d get a real kick out of Ever After.”
“I’m not doing it, Petunia.” She’d used her full name. Petty had to take her seriously.
“We can do this the hard way or the easy way.” Petty’s tone was sweet, but there was steel under that syrup.
“It’s like you forgot who I am. I have to do everything the hard way.”
“What if I told you this could fix your little problem?”
“I’d say you’re a shrewd tactician.”
“I am. But I also think it’s the key.”
Petty was usually right about most everything, but Lucky didn’t think she could face him. It had been too long and . . .
“Please, Lucky. Jonquil and Bluebonnet and I just don’t know what else to do. We need you both.”
It was the please that got her. Right in the guts.
“Okay, fine.”
“You won’t regret it.”
“I’m already regretting it.”
“See you soon, lovie.”
As soon as she hung up the phone, another pigeon passed overhead.
And this time, he didn’t miss.