

Lucky Leprechaun

Chick Lit. Mystery General Audience

Published by Smashwords and Copyright 2012 CJ Hawk

Discover other titles by CJ Hawk at hhtp://www.cjhawk.com

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This is a revised edition of a previously published book in 2011. This version contains added content. This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and strictly fictional. All persons, places or incidences are creative endeavors of the author. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this independent author. Please keep in mind when converting to various ebook formats some typographical errors may occur. If this book is being used as a promotional book at the author's discretion, it may not be republished without the author's permission.

This book is dedicated to the Irish women in my life.

Synopsis

Lucky leprechaun charm, my bootie patootie. This year had been a bomb and not in the sense that someone farted in the room. I am talking nuclear destruction in my life. Last year, about this time a man at a bar gave me this metal lucky charm of a leprechaun and told me it would bring me luck.

Well, if luck is wrecking your uninsured car, losing your job, not a single date all year, and canceled credit cards, then I am one lucky lady.

My first clue should have been a strange man in a bar giving me a lucky charm. My second clue was that he was drunker than a skunk, and I was two sheets with him.

It was almost Saint Patrick's Day in a much warmer region of the United States, a place older people usually flock to escape the cold of winter. A place that, to me, was sunny and warm year round. Which would make just about anyone happy except, I would be alone again on my favorite Irish holiday. Alone, unless you counted the second of the 'two for one' beers in front of me. I already downed the first, long ago. The holiday wasn't too far off, but I was just alone now as I had been all year.

It had been almost one year since last Saint Patrick's Day, and my luck was no closer to being lucky now, as it was then. In fact, it was worse. I am sitting at that very same bar, alone. I had just worked a long and lonely day in the backroom of the human resources department of our local government. I was the well-employed government personnel that found creative ways to say 'you're fired'. Allowing the government to get out of giving the employee severance and future benefits, which would save them boo-coo money. They stated almost proudly budget cuts and all, my ass. Money was still leaking out the port holes of their sinking ship. My upper management's income was ten times that of mine, and I was getting paid a measly portion. Those folks I was finding creative ways to fire, got paid measly portions as well.

It was the new, bad economic, government way of eliminating high-paying jobs without severance, health care benefits and saving them major bucks. Then the government would only rehire someone in the same position for less pay as a contract employee. Yes, I was also in charge of coming up with creative job titles and job descriptions to those new contract positions. It was double duty I suppose, but I was gainfully employed and that was something, wasn't it?

I worked alone in a dark backroom that looked like a storage closet. My job title was unidentified and my co-workers nonexistent. My boss, I had only met once electronically, he would only communicate with me through the e-mail or phone messages. All paperwork from my end was nonexistent, unless you account for the electronic paperwork created on my laptop that never left my office. There were no USB ports or a disk drive on my government issued computer so that I couldn't copy anything from it. To top it all off, I tried to electronically send files to myself. When I tried to email a file I was working on, to my home laptop computer, I got an error message and then went home to find out my laptop had been stolen.

The government had done a great job of hiding who I was and what I did. I rather liked that it made me feel like a secret agent. In my eyes, if no one knew who was behind all this, I was not to blame. I could not feel guilty for something that did not really exist... right?

That was until some other higher up, unknown secret agent shmuck fired me. He even copied several reasons out of my personal handbook of excuses. My passwords were revoked, my information on what I had done in the past and all my great excuses, locked from my existence.

Somehow, at one thirty this afternoon the words, 'Katie McAllister, you are fired', bounced around in my head over and over as some strange man with an official government badge stood in my doorway of my office. Standing next to him were two security guards. They fired me on the basis that my job was no longer of service to the government. Then, what the heck was the new shmuck doing? Oh yeah. My job. I never saw that one coming to bite me in the ass.

Where was all this leading? I had no clue. I knew one thing for sure. I needed a job, a car, better karma and while I was asking, a man would be nice too.

Chapter One

"I'll take your two-fer special on tap." I held up two fingers to the bartender at my favorite haunt, Shamrock Pub and Grill. They had the best dang fried pickles and corn beef sandwiches.

I caught my sad expression in the mirror that lined behind the bar with all the expensive alcohol. I knew those bottles well. My long dark-brown hair was due for a trim, and my green Irish eyes were not smiling. My makeup had all been washed off from the tears I shed as I walked out of the state building. My five foot six-inch stance had shrunken to that of the size of a bug. Squashed bug at that.

The government people that worked at that building looked weird at me, as they had no idea who I was and why I was crying. I knew this. Because every day I came to work at five am before the regular workers were there and snuck out at one pm as most of them were just getting back from lunch. Like I had said, my job was supposed to be nonexistent. My office looked like a storage closet and was locked from the outside, with only a pass key card entry. It was also down a long hallway of a portion of the building no one ever went to but the janitors, and they were always gone before I go there in the morning. And to think I left a cushy cubical office, located at the south state's building. Those three fabric tweed walls never looked so good as they would now.

The bartender set down my light amber beers in front of me, and I smiled at my reflection in the mirror. "Bottom's up!" I said gleefully to no one in particular. It was two in the afternoon, and the bar was pretty, darn empty. By five o'clock, this place will be packed with state government employees.

Little did those fools know that as they were slowly being replaced one by one with cheaper labor in different positions, the government was increasing the amount of employees they were hiring. Making them look as if they were hiring, making their budgets look good, and I put them there. I helped them strategically fire random unknown employees across the board in various jobs from different shifts, to not raise any red flags. Looking back, I found it rather odd how I fell into this whole scheme. I was offered to design a new financial budget for the nonexistent department, under very hush-hush terms. My business and accounting degree got me into the Human Resources Special Division in the first place. My desire to achieve and design something sinister and work alone got me there in the second place. Not such a smart move.

Yep, looking back, I created a lot of bad karma, bad luck, and bad mojo. My time had come.

I mean it was not really my grand scheme. It was the governments. I just took it to the next level to keep any red flags from appearing. They, the secret higher ups, told me that this needed to take place under a whole cloak and dagger type of situation. That if I wanted the lofty bonus, I would follow X, then Y, then Z. So I did.

I can't believe that I left my south office in the high tower of HR, to this. The two levels down in the basement of the capital. I received a map to my new office along with a pass card key. It was eerie at first, and then I kind of thought of it like a video game and went forward to win the prize. Not thinking about all the lives I was devastating.

They gave me a pay bonus with each percentage of cost I saved them. It wasn't huge, more like a point zero, zero, five percent. Maybe add another zero in there. My guilt would never let my accounting brain quite figure it out. My idea was that they fire unknowns, usually disliked employees who held jobs at high enough pay, once they were fired; they would not be missed. Then, I would either reclassify their position and make it a contract employee job, or I would find a way to take half their pay, divide it into two new positions and classify them as temporary jobs. This way, no benefits had to be paid or severance when we fired them later.

I was beginning to think I deserved the lucky year I had. First, my car was blindsided. I was insured, or so I thought. I had sent my check in the mail to my local insurance agent Mr. Big Time State Insurance Company and did not think twice. Luckily, I walked away with only a neck brace and a bottle of pain pills. The day after my accident, I get a call that my insurance had been canceled, right after a police officer showed up at my door to inform me that they reviewed the city cameras. I had run the red light, which caused the other poor person to blind side me.

So I was not only uninsured, without a car, had a permanent head and neck ache while the other person wanted to sue me. Then my check was cashed from Mr. Big Time State Land insurance group, so I called thinking I was covered. Wrong. They told me to expect a check back from them in six to eight weeks. That it was my fault they received the check a day late and that allowed them to cancel me.

Without remembering how, I looked down and realized I drank those two beers.

"I'll take your two-fer special on tap." I held up two fingers to the bartender again. He nodded his head and quickly replaced the two empty beer glasses with two new ones.

"Bottom's up!" I said gleefully to no one in particular, again. This time, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a miniature man working feverishly on a corn beef sandwich as he watched me. I would be damned to say it, but he looked vaguely familiar to the drunken man who gave me the lucky charm about this time last year. Only this time he was several feet shorter. He looked like a leprechaun.

He caught my eyes staring in the mirror, and he held his beer Stein up in a saluting motion, mouthed the words 'cheers' and took a swig. Then he went back to his sandwich, and I went back to wallow in my beer.

"I'll take your two-fer special on tap." I held up two fingers to the bartender again. He nodded his head and quickly replaced the empty beer glass with two new ones. Ever notice how a bartender does that - quickly retrieve the empty one so you might have forgotten that you drank it. This was round four or five. I had not ordered any food, and the beer buzz was kicking in nicely.

"Bottom's up!" I said gleefully to the leprechaun in the corner, now working on a laptop and smiling at me occasionally. Our eyes danced in the reflection of the mirror. It was almost five o'clock and several patrons were filling the room, yet I still had a clear vision of the miniature man. Short people I think they want to be addressed as. However, in my book, they were just people.

My Irish heritage and beliefs had me examining him closely with his red-brown hair and beard, along with his three-piece suit and green tie that put him in the leprechaun category for me.

That, or I was more buzzed then I realized, and I was just happily alcoholically diluted to what I was seeing.

When the shmuck that fired me today, escorted my crying, sobbing, heaving body out of the state capital, he did not realize that I had kept my card key pass to get back in. I had evil thoughts running through my brain how I could sneak in and do some serious damage.

I guess if they were clever enough to fire me, I was sure they were clever enough to change the codes and retire my pass the minute I walked out the door. I slid the card key pass out of my blazer pocket and found the metal lucky charm I had carried with me all year.

"Good luck my ass." I slurred to no one in general, and I slapped both the card key and lucky charm on the bar countertop.

I scanned the bar with narrowed eyes, looking for prospective men. That was another reason my luck sucked so bad this year. I was an average attractive woman. I used to be able to pick a man up in a bar if I was not picked up first. However, after that dang lucky charm, not a single man tried to pick me up, and I could not seem to get a single date.

"Good shuck my task." Slurred from my lips. I meant to say good luck my ass, but it just could not come out correctly. I held up two fingers to the bartender, and he ignored me. I was beyond buzzed; I was drunk.

I pulled out the last credit card I knew had not been canceled on me by accident. There had been some type of computer error, my other two cards had been canceled, and I was to expect them to be reactivated and sent to me in, you guessed it, six to eight weeks.

Since the bartender was ignoring me, and I was officially drunk, I decided to look around. I saw my reflection in the mirror begin to waver as if I was looking in a carnival house mirror. Then I noticed my mouth hanging open, and a large long drool of spit was sliding out in one slippery mess. I about gagged at my own reflection.

Then I saw Mr. Leprechaun man start to pack up his computer into his nice, brown leather detailed bag and I finger waved at him. He waved back with his large hands and stubby fingers and smiled. I swore to myself, as he turned sideways, that he had pointed ears and his eyes sparkled like green emeralds. But then, I was drunk and delusional all the same.

I held up my last remaining good credit card in the air to the bartender, indicating I wanted my check, and I was ready to leave. I think he was prepared to get rid of me and get a new customer in my chair.

Just as swiftly as he swiped the card, checked the card reader and handed back my card, he also handed me a nasty look. "Doesn't work. Got another one?"

"What do you mean it doesn't work?" Instead of trying to be calm and collective, I practically screamed it across the bar with slurred words.

The bartender leaned into me and whispered as his eyes traveled around the bar looking at all the people starring at us. "It won't work mam. It says, it is declined. Do you have another card or cash?" His punctuated words poked holes through me like a hot dagger.

First, he called me mam. I was younger than he was and sexier on my good days, which today was not it. Second, he just told me my only remaining credit card was declined. Not good. The computer error must have made its way to the last credit card company that was willing to loan me money. Third, I did not have cash.

What I did have was a final paycheck coming in the mail to me, from my former employee. I was told to expect it, you guessed it, in six to eight weeks, due to a computer glitch. No severance. No benefits and the only cash to my name, was located in my government-run bank next to the state capital, several blocks from here. Being that it was just past five o'clock, they were closed and the card I just handed him was my debit card. If it did not work here, it definitely was not going to work on the bar's ATM machine.

Therefore, I did what any sensible, college holding degree woman would do in this situation... when they are drunk. I started to cry, big blubbering tears, heaving my body, hands to my face, tears streaming and voice loud enough to make the mirror tremor above the bar.

Chapter Two

Not only did I make the biggest spectacle ever, but also I did it right in front of the man who fired me earlier today. Yes, you guessed it. He had just walked in the door with several state employees, smiling ear to ear then stopped to gawk at me.

Somehow, I heard a quiet soothing voice above my racket, if you can believe that. "Joe. I've got it. Put it on my tab."

His short stubby fingers wrapped around my arm and lifted me up off the floor.

"Miss." He guided me out of the bar.

I tried to hold my head high as I passed the man who ripped my life out from underneath me, but instead, I stumbled several times, running into people as I tried to walk in three-inch heels. I was an attractive sight.

As soon as we got out onto the sidewalk in front of the pub, I held out my hand to thank the man. From the light of afternoon sun, I could see more clearly that he did not have pointy ears but ears with a slight point. He did not have emerald-green eyes but eyes that showed a bright green that sparkled. He looked every bit of normal that I did not look like at that particular moment.

"Thank you. Thank you. Shank too." At least, the first two times I did not sound drunk.

"You are most welcome." He handed me a business card that read: Lucky's Floral Shop. "I'm around the corner on seventh. No need to repay me. However, stop by sometime when you get a chance. Saint Patrick's Day is coming up, and I could use some temporary help for the holiday."

I lightly snickered. I knew Valentine's Day and Mother's Day were big flower giving holidays, but I never thought of Saint Paddy's day as the big flower giving day. In fact, all I thought of it was the day I was snookered on green beer with friends and pee'd green the next two days wondering if that green dye in the beer might not be so good for me. Maybe that was why I looked a little green around the gills.

I laid my slender hand on his shoulder. "That is so sweet of you, but I don't think I'll need a job. Thank you. Thank you. That is so sweet of you, but I don't think I'll need a job. Thank you." I kept repeating words and sentences twice. The cool air and a nice breeze gave me the disillusion that I wasn't drunk. Then he shook his head in disbelief, waved good-bye to me and walked away while he continued to shake his head. As I tried to turn and walk, but I was spun around like a ballerina on her tiptoe, going in a circle. Instead of being graceful, I landed flat on my ass with a crowd of more government workers heading my way.

The next thing I remembered was waking up in my front room, on the floor, watching the ceiling spin. On the other hand, was I the one spinning and the ceiling was still? Either way, my world was in motion, and I was sure it was, in more ways than one.

I quickly tried to access the situation from my front room floor. I was unemployed, somewhat broke, carless, dateless and cashless. As soon as the bank opened tomorrow, I needed to cash out what was left of my last paycheck. At some point, I drifted back out to black, as I didn't wake until early morning.

The bank was my first stop, top priority clear up, and it wasn't looking pretty so far. "What do you mean there are only ten dollars left in the account?" Here I was, standing in my interview suit, opposite of the counter from the bank teller, hoping to God that I didn't look hung over, and I was being told that the nine hundred and some odd dollars left from my last paycheck was gone. Well, all but ten dollars of it. I had no debit card, no lines of credit, and I did not see how ten dollars were going to cut it.

I was due across town for an interview a friend of mine set up, and I did not see how ten bucks was going to get me there. Perhaps on the bus, but I doubt I would make it in time.

"Just give me the ten dollars. And I want a printout of my statement as to where the rest of it went." I flipped open my phone to dial my friend. No service. You have got to be kidding me.

"Mam. You can print out your statement on line."

First, she called me mam, and she was all of 'cougar looking' forty something and I was much, much younger than her. Ok, maybe a decade plus a few years but I was not her 'mam'. Second, the only computer I had was the one that belonged to the government locked away in my old office. Third, my freaking cell phone service just got canceled.

"I need you to do that for me." I smiled smartly and tilted my head with a tense smile.

"All you do is go on-line and..." I cut her off at the quick.

"I don't have a computer. My phone is canceled and you people have eight hundred and some odd dollars of my money missing." I screamed the last part loud enough that the rest of the bank members and employees stopped in their tracks.

"Mam. Can I help you?" A girl who looked all of eighteen stood before me with a professional two-piece suit that looked two sizes too big. As if, she borrowed if from her mother's closet, which she probably did. "I'm the bank manager. Let me take you to my office to assist you. I've got this." She said the last part in a very stern voice, directed to the teller, who was not helping me.

Before she could sit her pretty size zero ass down in her chair, I let it out. "Here's the dealio, I had over nine hundred dollars in my account yesterday and my debit card worked just fine yesterday morning. Then I tried to use my bank card last night, and it was declined along with trying to get my money out today and your cougar teller over there tells me there is only ten bucks. Then..."

Before I could finish she laid a hand on mine, which was on her desk. "Mam. Let's start with your account number."

Why was everyone calling me mam? I wasn't even thirty yet, and I was proud of the fact there was not a wrinkle on my skin or gray hair on my head.

I watched her pull up my account on her screen. She did a lot of button pushing, uh-huhs, ok's, now let see and a final, yelp there we have it.

"So it looks like you withdrew your money yesterday around noon, and there has been a hold on all lines of credit for you. I can print out your activity for you and give you your ten dollars. However, I must close out your account today due to bank policies."

She said is so nice and sincere like she was my grandmother.

"Excuse me?" I didn't say it so nice and sincere. I was standing over her with my eyes bulging out of my head and my hands clinching the edge of her desk, and my face was about two inches from hers. "What did you say?"

She never blinked. The eighteen something wanna be bank manager never blinked. I, on the other hand, hit the floor of her office hard, as two of the bank's security straddled me and zapped me with a stun gun.

By the time I came to, they were dragging me out of the bank with the front of my feet scrapping the ground and snot running out of my nose from the stun gun. I still felt the residual electricity in my body in places I did not think was legal.

I did, however, leave with a scrunch up ten-dollar bill and a two-page print out from the bank stuffed in my pocket, compliments of the cougar teller, the bank manager's mom. Go figure.

I sat on a park bench about two blocks from that bank. I watched people walk in and out happily with their money. I let a plan formulate in my head on how to rob that bank. In the meantime, my stomach was growling and all I could think about was the little bearded man from the bar.

I reached inside my purse and pulled out his card. Lucky's Floral and Gift Shop. Locally owned and operated. Powered by solar. All flowers grown locally and gift food organic. The guy sounded like a poster child for green peace. But hey, he offered a job.

By the time, I found a public restroom to remove my snagged up nylons, I had a better frame of mind. I took off my blazer, removed my heels, threw my snagged nylons in the trash and slung my purse over my shoulder. The shaded cool of the sidewalk made me feel oddly alive as I walked along the street towards Seventh Street, towards Lucky's.

As I turned the corner on seventh, I saw a two-story antique looking old firehouse that I had never really taken notice to before in all my years of working down town, yet I was sure I had walked by this way a time or two. One of the bay doors was open and displays of fresh bunch bouquets of flowers was spilling out. An attractive redhead in a green apron that had the Lucky's logo across the front of it in white embroidery was chatting up two customers.

As I approached closer, I smelled a wonderful smell of cinnamon rolls. I looked feverishly around for a coffee shop for the smell, but there was none. Just a few steps shy of Lucky's and I realized the smell was coming from inside.

The redheads smile acknowledged me as she continued helping her other customers. As soon as I walked in, I was entranced with the smell of the cinnamon rolls, letting my nose try to find the source. Turning myself around to take in the entirety of the shop landed me squarely at the feet of the man from the bar yesterday.

"Lucky? I mean I guess that is your name." Before me, stood the hero from the bar that paid my tab and hopefully my future boss.

With his hand outstretched, he smiled as I thought his eyes sparkled just a bit, and his ears looked a bit pointer today. "Lucky it is. This is my floral shop and how may I be of service to you." He motioned around the place as if he was a game show host.

I could only hope that my lucks a changing.

Chapter Three

Lucky and I settled into his office, which by the way, was a glassed-in gazebo looking thing in the middle of a large flower garden, in the back property of the old firehouse which was Lucky's Floral and Gift Shop. This old firehouse had history behind it, but at the moment it evaded me. What didn't evade me was the fact that we were in, what I would consider, the perfect office. A serene feeling of garden flowers in bright blooms and dirt path under a glass ceiling gave the presence of a fairy land. The glass gazebo office made me feel as if we were in one of those magic snow ball globes, where you shake it up and snow particles float around inside a round glass globe. Only that, we were in a garden and if somebody shook us up, flower petals would float around magically. My inner sanctum felt much more relaxed than it had in a long time, but it slowly came back to reality by the sound of Lucky's voice talking, and I had not been listening, and the smell of those darn cinnamon rolls. He motioned to help myself and continued talking on.

"I grow as many of the flowers I can here, but business is picking up, so I try to stick with local growers. All gourmet food is made right upstairs in our kitchen by a culinary chef." I listened to Lucky talk on and on as I stuffed my face with my third, rather large, cinnamon roll. It was as if I could not stop eating them, and he just offered another one each time I was almost done with the one I was eating.

I took a swig of the gourmet coffee he had in his office and about passed out. It was so rich and smooth with just the right amount of cream and sugar. I just did a lot of head nodding, smiling, and I tossed in a few 'is that so' with enthusiasm.

In just the twenty minutes I was there, I got the jest. Lucky was fired from a government job a year ago. Odd. I wasn't in command of operation fire employees yet so I did not put that blame on myself. He cashed everything in and started the floral shop. His parents were big into growing flowers as a kid and flowers always brought a sense of calm to his life. Which I could easily see; as I looked around at just about every beautiful stemmed flower, I could imagine, growing inside this oversized solarium.

The old firehouse had been in his family for years. Back in nineteen twenty, a part of it burnt down in the back, where his office is now. A new firehouse was erected two blocks away and Lucky's grandpa, who was a fire chief at the time, bought the place and kept it as a keepsake, like boys keep baseball cards and girls keep stuffed animals. Only this was an adult version of keep and a lot more expensive to maintain while just sitting here.

Somewhere down the line, Lucky's family started to turn the place into a livable space, updating the plumbing and wiring with each family members trade they could contribute. When Lucky came to the family with his offer to open the floral and gift shop, they fully supported him. Here he is with a successful business that employs any family member that is interested.

So where did I fall into all of this picture? Why did he choose that drunken day to bale me out and offer me employment? So I asked. "Lucky, why me? I mean it was very chivalry of you to bale me out at the bar, but why offer me a job?"

He grinned from ear to ear causing his green eyes to sparkle and his red hair and beard to look a tad redder. I didn't want to say it but he looked like a freaking leprechaun. "You looked like you could use a break."

That I could. Therefore, I accepted his offer of a job working evenings and weekends. I let him know, I would most likely be gainfully employed by weeks end with my degree and contacts. I let slip my catastrophe of a story about my credit cards, my bank and all I had for the week was the ten in my pocket and no car.

Lucky just patted me on my shoulder, as he walked around his desk to me, and I continued sitting in the chair opposite of his desk. I watched him reach in his pocket and pulled out a key on a Kermit the frog key chain. "I've got a loaner for employees when these things happen."

I thanked him profusely and followed him out back to what use to be an old horse stall turned into a modern-day garage. Inside was the loaner. With my thought's thinking, maybe I should wait to see what I am so thankful for.

There before me, was a eighties green car called the Gremlin, but in mint condition, including a sparkling lime green paint job, chrome wheels and a fuzzy green steering wheel cover to match the fuzzy green seat covers. A Lucky Floral Shop logo detailed in airbrush appeared on each side of the car. A sunflower was attached to the car's antennae with green floral tape. I did not want to be caught dead in this car. My banged up red Honda accord would be less embarrassing to drive except for the fact it wasn't drivable.

"Thanks. I think." The last part squeaked out nervously. Lucky patted my lower back with his strong hand and laughed.

"She's actually nice to drive, the sound system rocks, and she's free. My niece, the redhead out front that you passed coming in, added all the personal touches. That's my ride over there." He pointed to a light lime green car I had never seen before. "It's electric. It doesn't cost me a red-blooded drop to run this baby, no precious oil fields to fight over to drive her. And the solar panels on top of this old barn, keeps her running, as well as the shop."

I was impressed. So much about this man was so big in so many ways in his pint-size body. He was going to make some woman very happy one day. Therefore, I opened my mouth to ask, seeing, as he seemed so willing to answer all my questions. "You married, dating, single?"

"No, yes, no." He chuckled. "My girlfriend delivers flowers. You'll meet her tomorrow when she trains you. You're funny in a cute way." I could say the same about him as I watched his green eyes sparkle from laughter.

An hour later, I pulled up to my apartment and parked in my space with my newly loaned eighties special Gremlin car, customized in green. I was a sight. The paint job really did seem like it sparkled and danced with bright color as it sat in the sunlight. I could have done worse. I could have walked away today with no job, no money and a piss poor attitude on life. Somehow or another, I was beginning to think Lucky really was my good-luck charm.

Glancing at my parking spot, back over my shoulder at the green gremlin car, I thought about how my red Honda Accord was still at the junkyard after the accident. I was hoping to have figured all the insurance mumbo-jumbo by now. However, that did not happen yet.

I slipped the hundred-dollar bill that Lucky gave me out of my pocket as an advance on my salary. I kissed it with my lips over the middle and folded it nicely, then stuck it in my bra next to my C cups. "For good luck." I spoke aloud to no one but myself. Catching a quick glimpse of myself, in the reflection of someone's car. I looked much happier and less hung over than I did at four a.m. this morning.

When I got into my apartment, there were several messages. Some friends inviting me out, and the friend who had a job interview lined up for me today. I did not get it. However, she called to inform it was a good thing I didn't. A gunman came into the building and blew out the computer of the new girl who did. She is in the hospital with psychiatric trauma. The job might be open in two weeks, but they have to wait and see where the new girl's mental abilities stand.

The friend who tried to get me a job, talked my ear off for an hour about all the drama at her law firm's human-resource office. She was ok as she worked the next floor up, but felt the vibrations of the shotgun blast in her feet. The man had literally blown away the computer over an error in his paycheck. The man was fired; the computer was toast and the new girl was a sobbing, crying heaving mess. That I could relate to.

Now that, would have sucked. So maybe the bank incident was not so bad after all. No. It was. I reached in my purse for the bank statement the cougar teller gave me, as I picked up my phone to call my friends back. There was a scribbled note in red off to the side, but I got distracted on the phone, calling friends back. Friends going out that wanted my company, found out about my new job, without asking questions about my old one. I told them I was due back at five p.m. for learning my closing duties at the flower shop from the redhead niece.

When I hung up, I went to my cabinet and poured myself a quick shot of whiskey. Sure, it was only one in the afternoon, but I was feeling the need for a shot of courage. That and my Irish drinking heritage usually allotted me the privilege of handling a nice dose of courage once in a while.

After I let the smooth whiskey funnel its way into my gut, I took a second look at the scribbled note on the bank statement printout.

It was a phone number to an outside service that investigates stolen identity. Now that might make some sense. Somebody stole my identity, but why. It was not as if I had a lot of money, in fact, I had more debt then I made every month, no savings, no real retirement, seeing as I had only worked for the government for three years, six months of that as my undercover job. Who the heck would want to steal my identity? Probably, some fool who just got my last eight hundred and some odd dollars and would now be moving on to the next victim.

This was not going to be a fun mess to clean up. So, for now, I decided I would just sweep it under the rug, drive my borrowed green Gremlin and live off of cash. Rent wasn't due for three more weeks and working at the flower shop I could just live off the cinnamon rolls and gourmet coffee. That and Lucky did have a local farmer deliver organic apples, pears and oranges for his fruit baskets.

I was sure by week's end I would have a job in some respectable HR department, making decent money. I would keep working Lucky's until I was back on my feet. I was sure would be soon enough.

By the time five o'clock had rolled around, I was standing in the main lobby of Lucky's; in my lime-green Lucky's Floral embroidered polo. New perk to the job, I wouldn't have a dry-cleaning bill. Lucky supplied me with three polo shirts to rotate throughout the week. Blue jeans for the bottom half, I had to supply those. Comfortable loafers suggested by Lucky's girlfriend, could be found at a shoe store around the corner.

Speaking of which, Lucky' girlfriend, she would not be someone I had expected. I thought a shorter woman, perhaps closer to Lucky's height, but this five foot six inch model look alike woman was gorgeous. She seemed smart, actually clever with the way she had things organized and detail listed. Her hair was a short spunky cut of deep reddish brown, and her eyes were crystal blue. She fit in the size zero kick my ass, but I'll never be in that category, which I found highly unattainable. Just staying a single digit seemed hard some days and with the way I was slamming back the cinnamon rolls and gourmet coffee, I would be double-digit size in no time.

I watched Stacy, Lucky's girlfriend, work swiftly and efficiently with the evening customer rush. Apparently, Lucky's was hopping at night from four to seven. Folks leaving work, getting flowers to take home, orders being placed and there were quite a few accounts for local hotels and businesses that employees came into see what was in stock.

By nine thirty, my feet and legs were a little sore from all the action my body has not seen lately. It was used to a nine by nine room with a swivel chair and arms. I bended, stretched, walked, picked up and you name it, but I had fun. I was hungry and ready for a quick break before we closed shop and got things ready for the next day.

The smell of something cooking upstairs was terrific. Stacy led me up the back stairway to the kitchen. The gourmet chef number two, the night chef, was baking brownies, bagels and cupcakes. Along with a nice big pot of spaghetti and meatballs, the spaghetti and meatballs were for us, and the local shelter for tomorrow night's meal.

Apparently, Lucky provided a meal every night of the week for the homeless family shelter three blocks away. The baked goods that became, day old so to speak, also went there, or in the bellies of the employees. Apparently, Lucky, fed me 'day old' cinnamon rolls this morning. His day old was better than most freshly baked I had ever eaten.

My mathematical mind wondered how one unique floral and gift basket shop could hire someone to do all this. Simple. Stacy answered for me as if she read my mind.

"Mike here is our night chef." She pointed to a man of average height with brown hair and brown eyes. We head nodded to each other as if to say 'hey'. Then he went back to cooking as he looked extremely busy, and I was overwhelmed with the smells of real food. Not the kind you heat and eat out of the frozen section at the grocery store. Not the kind I was usually accustomed to.

Stacy went on talking, and I jumped into the conversation as she pointed back to Mike again. "He's baking for custom ordered baskets and gourmet trays that we get orders for. In addition, the hotel down the street and the corporate office across the way use us for bakery orders over a grocery store or large chain hub. We are local, and we try to use local ingredients. At first, we didn't get enough orders in for a day chef and night chef, but the two are twin brothers, and they figured out a way to make this all work out. You will meet Matt, Mike's identical twin, when you do a day shift next to see the difference in the work."

She went on to explain the logistics as I polished off a second helping of spaghetti eyeing the brownies. Apparently, both brothers rotate days off so that at least one chef is here every day of the week. Lucky pays well. His family is stocked with baked goods and local produce and of course; we deliver a fresh bouquet of flowers once a week to his grandma. Grandma owns the building, now that grandpa has passed.

As Stacy talked, I soaked in most of what she said, tried to figure out the math numbers of it all and figured for a guy in the first year of a start-up business, he is doing a bang-up job.

Then as if she read my mind, Stacy put a large chocolate frosted brownie on a plate and handed it to me. "We can eat this downstairs while we close out the register and prep the bank deposit."

I liked her a lot, already.

Chapter Four

I woke the next morning feeling, Lucky. Not Lucky in the physical sense. Lucky that my life that had hit a major road bump, was looking up. My cell phone chirped in the middle of the night. I now had service, several text and phone messages. One from the phone company apologizing for their error, and that they would supply me with one month free service if I didn't cancel them. That was a new one, a phone company paying me and begging me not to cancel them, not the other way around.

There was another message from the state employee who fired me. Apparently, I was up for unemployment and left instructions for filing paperwork. The computer glitch was fixed, and my last paycheck would be out by week's end.

However, with my new job, I knew I would not qualify for unemployment. Lucky's was not going to pay me what I use to make by half, but I could get by. Seeing as my cards were canceled, on what I would like to think as an accident, I was not going to pay the balance on them. My car was totaled, so no gas or car insurance to pay and my food budget would be drastically cut, seeing as I would be working night shift and being fed at work.

So, yes, I was definitely feeling Lucky. And I guess, if you wanted to look at it from this angle, it was Lucky that made me feel that way.

I had the day off before I was due in at five again. Last night, by the time we did closing paperwork and cleaning I was done by ten thirty. The new night job was definitely going to cut into my social time with friends, but then again, one more way to save money until I was back on track.

Stacy mentioned I would need to train on a day shift soon. So, until I had to work day shifts I was going to head to the library to get some on-line job search time in. I got wind of a few prospective jobs in the area and was actually looking forward to working two jobs for a while. Any job where I did not get people fired for a living would start racking up bonus points in the karma department, and I was beginning to think I needed a lot of them.

I got to the library to find all the computers taken. Apparently, there were a lot of unemployed people looking for jobs. More than there was three years ago when I got my government job. Somehow, I did not think my last job helped that situation any. I mean I could look at it from the angle that I took one job and created two in most scenarios. However, for the most part, I had nightmares last night about all the people I fired.

It's kind of like when you get off a drug and clean, you realize what it does to your body and mind. Now that I was fired and away from my job, I saw the cruel irony of it all. Because from working HR, I knew exactly what a lot of those higher ups made, and if we just fired them, we could employ a lot of people, with benefits.

I picked up the daily paper from the library's newspaper section and sat in the loanable DVD movie section on a big comfortable couch. My local library had more movies than my local rental business did. I scanned the help-wanted section in the paper, and it was extensively bleak. Even the business opportunity section to own your own business was awful. I started thinking along the lines of, what does it take to become a truck driver, massage therapist or criminal-justice person? I slammed the paper shut. I had a degree in business accounting and management, and I was not going to take this as a sign.

I was told that I was two hours away on the list of getting a computer, so I decided to peruse the DVD movies and maybe take a few home for the week. I caught sight of one of my favorites, with Matt Damon and a secret agent plot. Bingo, sounded suspiciously like my life right now. Then I saw an old classic, Wizard of Oz. I slid the two into my library bag and quickly perused the new book area. I grabbed a new release that I had only a week to read and return, library policy. Seeing as I had some time and sleep was not coming easy, I decided to grab two.

Once I checked out my books and movies, the lights flickered on and off and then a generator kicked on. The computers would be down, seeing as the power just went down. I took it as a sign to head home and relax; hoping that would give me a fresh perspective on the job forefront.

Getting in the green Gremlin to get home got me some interesting looks, but I was getting used to ignoring them. However, the grown man who looked about forty, with his skate board shoes, graphic hat turned sideways, white tee shirt often referred to as a wife beater and loose skateboarding shorts that hung low enough to show his boxers, was one to stare and chuckle. I only chuckled back, mentally of course. I did not want to add any more bad karma to my already karmalistic situation.

There was a message on my answering machine at home from Lucky, which sounded urgent. He had work I could do if I wanted to come in early. I looked at the clock, and it was just shy of noon. My stomach grumbled at the thought of his day-old cinnamon rolls. I picked up the phone and dialed.

Lucky answered with the cheeriest of voices. A bit different from the serious business voice I first heard out of him. All the same, his voice did have a very caring sound to it. "Lucky, It's Katie. I'll come in if I can have coffee and cinnamon roll to eat first." My voice carried a familiar joking laughter in it that I had not heard since I started that old secret agent government job. It felt nice to have it back.

"Done. And hurry. We got slammed with orders, and one of my drivers just quit."

We hung up with not another word. I grabbed my Lucky polo off the couch and slipped it on over my black tank top. I was already in jeans and comfortable tennis shoes so with a twist of my long brown hair into a clip; I was out the door.

No sooner did I pull up and park in the garage slash old horse barn; Lucky handed me the keys to their electric delivery van. It was loaded with a day's worth of driving and delivery.

"No way buster. I was promised coffee and cinnamon rolls first." I laid a hand on Lucky's shoulder as if to hold him back. Instead, he opened the van door, and hand motioned like a hostess. There in the seat was four cinnamon rolls, two apples, a turkey sandwich and two large cups of gourmet coffee. smell the coffee and cinnamon above all the flowers.

"Ok. So who's going with me?"

"No one. I had Stacey put in two cups of go-go juice for good measure. Besides, I can still use you until closing tonight."

I raised an eyebrow in an inquisitive look and smirked. "What's for dinner?"

"Eggplant parmesan, and before you stand there staring at me like it's brussel sprouts, Mike is in the kitchen tonight and this is one of his specialties. We got a free bushel of eggplants from one of our regular organic farmers who has a green house full of off season vegetables. Now, here is a store phone with GPS and all the locations are in the maps ap. Here is the chart of deliveries. Click this ap and the customer can sign with this pen, and you're set. There's about twenty deliveries back there and a few are to the state capital so don't wig out."

As soon as he said state capital, I could not breathe. It was too soon for me to go back into my old stomping ground. It felt like just yesterday that they had canned my ass.

Lucky laid a hand on my arm. "Breathe. It's not so bad. Sometimes when you fall off the horse, the best thing to do is climb right back on."

Easy for him to say. I didn't see me wanting to climb back on that horse anytime soon. Too many emotional reasons are bouncing around in my head at the moment. One being, I was just starting to deal with the guilt I had over the job I used to do so well. Two being, that I was sure that Shmuck man who fired me, was probably sitting in my office right now. Three, heck, I missed my old HR job I had before I took the secret agent closet job. I was good at it and often well praised for the excellent job I did.

My feet felt like lead, and my heart was pounding against my chest like a metal sledgehammer against a nine-inch nail. My palms were sweaty, my head pounded, and I felt like I had a balloon about to burst, in other words, I needed to fart a stress fart, and I had not done that in front of any man. I wasn't about to start with Lucky.

Just then, Lucky ripped the nastiest smelling, loudest fart I had ever heard come from a man. "Excuse me." He said it so daintily.

"Jesus, Lucky. That was bad. What the heck did you eat?" My eyes bulged out at the cinnamon rolls and coffee, thinking the confines of the delivery van was much more enticing now then standing in the aroma of Lucky's farts.

I sat in the van with the door closed, window up, one cinnamon roll down, and two gulps of coffee. The whole time Lucky stood outside of the van, in the garage, laughing at me. I was pretty darn sure I heard him fart two more times. Then I watched him grab his company cell off his clip and dial someone. It was me, seeing as my company phone was ringing, and Lucky's picture was on the caller ID.

"What's up?" I managed out over another bite of cinnamon roll.

"Get a move on. Clocks a ticking. Tick-tock. And Katie, don't worry about those jerks at the state capitol, hold your head up high and walk in there like you own the place. Climb back on that horse. Tick tock."

Then I heard him rip another one through the phone lines. "Sorry. Stress farts. It's been one of those days. I think the left-over bean burrito I had for breakfast should have gone in the trash instead of my belly." I watched his eyes sparkle green, and his hands were rubbing his belly like old man Santa. "Tick tock."

I shut off the phone, smiled and started the delivery van. I figured no time would be a good time to deliver the state capitol flowers. I just needed to get a move on. Then I ripped a huge fart, felt incredibly better, as I started on cinnamon roll number two. Nothing beats a sugar-induced rush to get you moving along.

Chapter Five

I sat parked out front of the capital, in the delivery zone area, for over five minutes. I pretended to be going over a chart, but who was I kidding. I was looking for some mojo, bravado, a freaking nut sack, to go inside. I finally got out, smiled at the security man, and acted busy in the back of the van. I had two deliveries inside that I needed to find. I grabbed both, locked the van with the remote and headed up the stairs. I got to the top and almost let one rip. Instead, I took a deep breath and headed inside to the security front desk.

With the increased terror alert level, they did not have me deliver the flowers to the actual floor. Instead, they signed for them at the security desk then told me someone would take them up.

As I walked out, I felt better. One, because I did not actually have to walk the halls. Two, because, it felt good to walk in there and just get my toes wet, allowing me the ability to move on. Three, I really needed to fart again, and I was not going to do it in public, back to the confines of the delivery van.

So what if I had actually liked my old job, even though I was sure I had way too many negative points in the karma department, before I took the secret agent closet gig, I was good at my job. However, I was really enjoying my new job as a break. I knew I would not be a forever flower delivery person, but the cinnamon rolls and gourmet coffee was a huge benefit. That and who didn't like bringing a little joy into people's lives with a bright bouquet of flowers or a gourmet basket of goodies. The person receiving them, always looked surprised, happy or just plain relieved that somebody, anybody, remembered their birthday.

The next delivery was to a small business that was a pet shop and grooming business. I pulled up to Paws-n-Claws and parked. I looked at the order to pull and went around back to grab the arrangement that looked like a dog's face out of carnations inside a kitten shaped vase. Very cutesy, but hey, Lucky did whatever the customer wanted.

As I went inside to the sound of dogs barking and kittens by the front meowing, I sought out a human being. There, bent behind the counter was a very big man, about six feet five inches tall, and if I wasn't presumptuous to guess, the NFL might have used him a time or two with the football build to his body. A deep but nice 'how may I help you' excited his mouth. Then I read his tag and about fainted. Tank Magraw.

"These are for you. Lucky's floral delivery. Please sign here." I was on autopilot. Because, deep down, I was shacking in my boots, hoping the man would not recognize me. Tank Magraw was one of my earlier fires. I took him out of Transportation Management and told him we didn't need him anymore. I said that the reason his job was being eliminated was an outside contract service would be handling just 'his' workload. That we could shuttle him to waste management for half the pay and no benefits, and he told me, via phone when I called him, that I could dive off the grand canyon into the ever decreasing water supply. He was my first fire that had me in night sweats and staring at my apartment door that night. Wondering if he was going to barge through with an ax and murder me. It wasn't until three a.m. that morning that I realized, there was no way he could figure out who I was or where I lived because I had always gone by a faux name, and my phone number was a blocked government number that was not associated with an office. Security officers always delivered the final blow by escorting employees like Tank off the premises. No one ever caught the line of sight behind the middleman culprit, that being me.

"Why these are lovely. Thank you. I wonder who sent them." I looked perplexed. Of course, he would not recognize me; I did all the firing via email, letter, phone call or security. Tank was phone than security. They were afraid he would lose it. His voice back then held massive anger to match his massive body. Now, it held a voice of man who loved his job and was at peace around all the barking dogs and meowing cats. That had to say something to his nature. Of course, anybody might lose it when they get fired for a no-good reasons, particularly in this economy. It's funny how, thinking back; Tank reacted to how I reacted. He must have had a bad thing or two going on in his life and now; you might think all is right with the world when I felt caught staring at his beaming smile while he held the bouquet. My own firing only brought on a really bad hangover and a new outlook on life, thanks to Lucky.

I watched him look in the bouquet for a card. I quickly spoke up to break the trance of my reminiscing. "There's no card. I was sure there was a card. Let me see what it says on my delivery chart. Ah, yes, Patricia Magraw."

"That sister of mine. Huh, very sweet. Do I tip you or?"

"No sir, my pleasure." Then I could not help myself. I had to know how he was doing. "Business good? You like running this place?" I started to reach into one of the puppy corrals and pet a dog that looked like he could be a double for the creature in the Gremlin movie. Ugly but cute and I wouldn't mind having a dog to talk to at night. Lord knows, my sheets or me, for that matter, have not seen any action in way too long.

Tank smiled with a big set of white teeth against his darkened face and pink lips and let loose a gentle chuckle. "You could say that. I have always wanted my own pet store since I was a little kid. Not too long ago, I got myself canned and well life sometimes makes you just take a look at what you've got, what you've been doing, and you just need to take the leap of faith."

That warmed me up a bit. I still had guilt, but all the same; he seemed happy. "That's nice." So to make myself feel better I had to ask. "Business is good then."

"Business is good. I could use a good bookkeeper seeing as I have been doing the books myself, and I've made a few mistakes."

A hundred-watt light bulb went off in my head. I had guilt to replace. "Actually I have a business accounting and management degree. I just got canned myself. Lucky was kind enough to offer me a job. Hey, what do you say I stop by tomorrow morning and see if we could work something out?"

"That could work. You got references?"

"References and I use to work for the state capitol's HR department."

His laughter filled the room. "So they canned you too, huh. Budget cuts. That's all right, worked out good for me. Say ten am tomorrow?"

"Ten a.m.. See ya." I was out of there like a cloud nine train. I could feel myself feeling especially grateful that I got the chance to meet one of the people behind my evil doings. Just the fact he was doing well, and that I might be able to help in return, made me feel so light and airy. I didn't think any drug could make me feel this good.

Next five stops were residential deliveries. Everyone was home but one. I had instructions to leave it with a neighbor. So, I tried a neighbor to the east, no answer, then a neighbor to the west. My doorbell ringing alerted what sounded like twenty small barking dogs; it was only four cute pugs, which barked as if they meant it.

"Hi, I'm with Lucky's floral delivery. These are for Stella Beck; she's not home, and would you mind signing for them?"

"Sure thing doll." The older woman in her pink house coat was doing all she could to keep the dogs back with one foot and sign on my little electronic chart on the phone with her hand. I slid the phone back in my holster and handed the flowers to her.

"These are beautiful. Too bad she won't be home before they wilt. She's not due back from the Bahamas for another two weeks. Then it's my turn. We watch each other's dogs and houses while we travel."

I turned my head sideways in interest. There was a story here. "How nice that you have each other."

"Yeah, funny thing, we both got fired about the same time from the state's department, and we took to gambling. Not much luck at the casinos but we put our lucky numbers in every week in the lottery, and I'll be damned if we didn't finally win. We're being sensible though. We got us these adorable pugs and now we just take turns traveling with a seniors group when we feel like. Hell of a better payout then the government would have given us. Lucky thing we lost our jobs. We never gambled a day in our lives before that. Didn't want to chance it on our measly income." She chuckled with delight.

"How nice." It was all that could come out of my mouth. Stella Beck did not ring a bell, but a Michelle Beck did. I wondered if she went by Stella. "Have a wonderful day mam, enjoy Stella's flowers."

Then I got back in the delivery van and counted how many deliveries I had left. Just five and it was hitting close to five. I took that as a sign. I looked on the phone map ap for the next delivery, and it was closer back towards Lucky's. A construction site.

On my way there, I could not help but get the impression that something was working itself out here. It was too much of a coincidence to have been hired by Lucky, after being saved by Lucky, to then get an opportunity to meet some of my firees and get my toes wet at the capitol. It was entirely too weird but not impossible.

I had long ago polished off the cinnamon rolls, and the sugar low was taking effect. I opted for the turkey sandwich in the baggie; figuring if there was no mayo on it, then it was safe to eat. I parked in the parking lot of the construction site and ate my sandwich before going in.

I took big bites, chewed fast and swallowed it down with the last sips of cold coffee. I wasn't picky; I would drink it hot or cold.

The construction site was a delivery of edible cookies in a bouquet with various shapes of tool frosted sugar cookies, about forty in all. They looked good, and I wondered if Mike or Matt made them and if so, maybe they had a few mishaps for me to eat. I'd have to remember to put a bug in their ear about leftovers and mishaps, seeing as I was under restricted extracurricular dining out budget.

As I locked the back of the delivery truck, I was quickly greeted by a woman in a hard hat. She handed me a hard hat in green to match my Lucky's polo and told me to head this way.

There was a lot of noise at the construction site, so I had to yell really loud, several times. "I have a delivery for a Mac Truck." Then as we rounded a large, steel pillar, to about twenty guys the noise deceased and all they heard was me screaming 'Mac Truck'. Manly laughter roared throughout the empty building, and slowly a very large man turned and looked at me suspiciously. Then everyone stared at me as I noticed the woman that walked me in was gone.

"I have a cookie delivery for a Mac Truck." Knowing full well, deep down inside, that this might be a joke of some kind or something. My first clue should have been the name. Mac Truck. Really? My second clue was the party like construction hat. It wasn't a real hard hat, more like a kid's one that was green. My third clue should have been all the men turned towards me looking at me like an ice-cold beer on a hot and late Friday night. My last clue was the recipient of the cookies had a look of embarrassment and intrigue all in the same rush of one look. A look that tickled my gut and told me to roll with it.

The something, I was right about. It didn't take me long to figure out what the word 'Mac Truck' meant. However, I was not the one to doing any type of strip tease to the bow-chicka-bow-bow music they had playing. Not that I was not a fuddy-duddy and didn't want to muddle these boy's fun, but somehow or another, there was a major miscommunication about Lucky's edible cookie display.

I walked over as sexy as I knew how. I set the cookie bouquet on the construction managers table filled with blueprints. I took one out of the cookies on a stick from the cookie bouquet and licked it, which caused a huge up roar of encouragement, and then I took a bite as sexy as possible and smiled. I took the green construction hat off, unclipped my hair and as sexy as I could flip my head around in a circle, teasing my fingers through my hair and smiled. As soon as I finished the bite, I hit the off button to the music. "Sorry boys, I'm not the entertainment, just the cookie delivery gal. No getting lucky with Lucky's Floral. There's been a misunderstanding."

Just then, I heard a voice sultry and soft. "Is there a Mac Truck in here?" I turned to a voluptuous blonde in a skimpy outfit, tool belt on her hips and a green construction hat. The men started to hoot and holler, and someone hit the on button to the music. This was my moment to escape.

I was almost back to the delivery van, only half a cookie left as I had eaten the other half already and a large hand stopped me by laying it gently on my shoulder. It was the guy who was supposed to be getting the Mac Truck treatment. "Hey sorry about that." He paused for a moment, looked down at his big feet in his big steel toe work boots and cleared his throat. "Misunderstanding." That word crept out like a mouse out of its hole. He seemed embarrassed for what just happened, yet intrigued with me.

I tilted my head and smiled while swallowing the huge bite of soft crumbly delicious soft sugar cookie in my mouth. "No prob. Hey, go back and get your cookie, Mac Truck." Yes, I had slightly flirted with the man of six-foot stature, dark-brown hair with a bit of curl to the ends, so thick and lush it begged for my fingers to run through it. It was his eyes, however, that kept my pulse quickened and things happening in a happy way to me. They were a cool blue, just inviting me in. The tan of his face told me he worked outdoors a lot and then his laugh caught my breath.

He chuckled and extended his hand. "John O'Malley. Mac Truck is code on someone's birthday."

"I kind of figured that. Whelp. Happy birthday." I practically dove into the delivery truck, as I was sure I had sugar cookie all over myself. I looked in the rear-view mirror. I did. The whole thing was embarrassing yet funny. Mac Truck, aka John O'Malley was way up there past all right in my book; he was downright cutie-patootie material.

Chapter Six

"I hope that eggplant parmesan is good, because I am hungry." I was talking to no one in general as I finally walked in from the backroom with an armful of green shamrock plants. "Where do I put these?"

Stacy was leaning over Lucky's shoulder while he was feverishly working on something on the counter. Lucky was standing on a stool that put him at a regular height behind the counter and they both looked totally engrossed in what they were doing and not too interested in helping me out. So, I set the shamrocks on an empty table and knew that after dinner, it was all about turning this place into one really big shamrock festival. Good ol' Saint Paddy's Day. A day of Irish celebrating and drinking green beer. However, in my case this year, I was told to expect to work my ass off on a double shift.

By the time, I had the dozen or so boxes set out on the floor and around the portable table, I was starving. Ever so thankful for the fact that Lucky cooked dinner for the homeless shelter, and his employees made this job feel like a cakewalk. Which, by the way, when I had peeked my head in the kitchen earlier, Mike had a double fudge, chocolate frosted cake set out on the counter. I was hoping that was for us.

I looked over and noticed Stacy's hand on Lucky's shoulder as she looked down lovingly at him whispering something in his ear, but it seemed more like concern on her face than anything. Lucky, on the other hand, had a serious strain on his face. I started to walk over, and the last part of the statement had me worried. Lucky was answering back to Stacy, and I got 'less than enough time', trailing out of his mouth.

Just as I was almost standing over them, I popped out all cheery. "What's up guys? Anything I can do to help?" Both Lucky and Stacy scrambled to cover up what they were looking at and acted all inconspicuous. "Nope, nothing." They both replied in unison.

I shrugged my shoulders and stared at both of them with a smile. However, deep down, I was a tad worried about the last part of their statement. Could Lucky's business be in trouble, and he only had two weeks to make a go? If that was the case, I was going to need another source of income and quick.

Once again, as if Stacy could read my mind she came around the counter, put her arm around my shoulder and began leading me towards the stairs that led to the kitchen. "Hey, would you mind terribly taking over the books next week during the day? Lucky could use a hand, and he's got some other matters to take care of. If you don't mind we could probably use you for at least sixty hours next week. He'll pay you overtime of course and knowing Lucky, some kind of bonus. What do ya say?"

By the time she finished asking, we had walked into the kitchen, and Mike presented me with the cake like a game-show host. "For you. I heard it was your favorite." Which it was, but I had not told anyone, which was odd. In addition, I could really use that chocolate cake after the weird day I had. Not to mention how well that cake would go with...

Before I could finish my thought, Stacy was pulling out a gallon of local organic milk from the fridge, one percent which tasted as good as whole not organic milk any day of the week. If she wasn't a mind reader, she should be one. I, however, took it all in stride like the rest of my day. Things had been a little weird, and normally I would not be thinking some strange plan is in the works regarding my old job, but the thought would just pop in there from time to time. It was entirely too weird; all that had happened since last year's lucky charm incident at the bar, felt oddly peculiar. It was also entirely too weird, that since I met Lucky, things were turning back around.

"So I heard you had an interesting day. Care to share?" Stacy had the most inquisitive look on her face with her hands under her chin and her doe eyes staring up at me, while she sat at the kitchen table.

"I did." I answered slowly. Because really, I did not touch base with anyone all day about all the weirdness. However, I guess, deep down, I was game to share, seeing as Stacy and I seemed to have bonded quickly and had that mental telepathy thing going on. That, and I was a woman on the verge of talking my lungs out about all that happened. If things were happening to me, I needed to talk about it. And lately, I have not taken the time to reach out to anybody out of fear they would think I had mentally lost it, and these things weren't really happening to me.

I sat at the table and took a quick sip of ice-cold milk. I wanted to start in on my cake, but I figured it could wait a bit. Then Mike slipped two plates of eggplant parmesan in front of us, and the smell was heavenly. I debated between talking, eating dessert first or the delicious smelling dinner in front of me. I wagered then I grabbed my fork swiftly and dug in. Promptly, with a mouth full, thanking Mike for the heavenly food. Then in between bites, I let Stacy in on some of my day. Explaining some of my previous job and how I felt so remorseful once I was fired. Now getting the opportunity to just meet some of the people and see how it worked out for them. I mentioned Tank Magraw and how I planned to help him for a bit tomorrow, perhaps taking on working for him on an as-needed basis.

Then it was Stacy's turn. "I was talking about Lucky's stress farts, but hey; you sound like you had a really, interesting day. I don't suppose you can make it in as soon as you are done with Tank?"

She said Tanks name as if she knew him. She did not seem at all surprised by my day and in the pit of my brain, I knew something was up, but I could not put my finger on it.

Then she laid a soft gentle touch of her hand to mine. "Ya know, Katie, sometimes mysterious things work out like this. Like you getting a chance to meet some of the folks you felt remorseful about, but not everyone gets that lucky. Some folk's lives might have been drastically changed, by what you described your job as. I think it is great and all that. That you got to see the positive side. However, I can tell you from experience that there is always a negative to the positive. You know like yin and yang."

I almost chocked on my chocolate cake. I looked down remorsefully at it and realized what she was saying had some truth to it. What if I was given a chance to see some of the good that my old job had and how it affected them. However, this wasn't no fairy tale princess story. Most likely, there were a few folks, which my creative job, might have affected disastrously.

I set my chocolate covered fork down and tried to swallow down the last bite that sat on the tip of my tongue. Instead of gooey chocolate goodness, I felt acid rising up from within my gut. The question I had to ask myself was 'how do I go about figuring out a way to make it all better?'

Then little miss adorable mind reader laid a hand on my arm, and I looked up at her with tears filling my eyelids. "Hey doll face, don't worry. The fact that you feel bad is half the battle. Just know that you got to see some good today. That if you happen to see some bad, then perhaps you can think of a way to make it right. Kind of like, how you were talking about helping this Tank fellow out."

She was right. I couldn't get too down on myself. I was, after all, doing a job. If it wasn't me, they had found to do it, it would most likely have been someone else. I took a quick sip of the last of my milk and figured I would have to eat the cake later.

"Hey Katie, mind helping me take this stuff down to the delivery van for the shelter." Mike hollered over to me with his arms full.

"Sure." Then I looked over at Stacy and once again, as if she read my mind, she answered my next question.

"Why don't you go with Mike tonight to help out at the shelter? They are shorthanded and dinner is getting there late as is. There are some hungry kiddos there. Besides, you know Lucky is a tad stressed, and you never know when we have to evacuate the building. She held up a fresh can of air freshener, summer's breeze scented, squirted out a quick shot like it was a gun in her hand then blew the tip of the can with a wisp of blown air from her mouth like it was a smoking gun.

Mike and I both broke out in laughter so hard that our bellies and shoulders shook along with our heads bobbing side to side in a 'I don't believe it motion'.

Things were lively as it was around here, without Lucky's stress farts. Yet, Stacy was a woman who seemed to be able to handle herself and any oddity that came her way successfully. I admired the way the two of them looked enamored at each other. I realized that what Lucky lacked in height he made up for in human nature and well, nature itself. Those being his farts. And Stacy was right there beside him, making everything fresh as can be.

Chapter Seven

The shelter was an old converted warehouse building that once held a painting business only a few blocks south and east from Lucky's shop. It looked like a normal warehouse, worn down from the outside, slightly dilapidated with weathered paint on the brick walls. If it weren't for the kid's colorings along the base of the windows and the laminated poster board sign on the front door directing us to where we were at, I would have bypassed as any other older building in the area. From the minute, I opened the back door to the kitchen area; I knew that I was going to be in for a surprise on the inside.

The walls were painted in bright colors. Everything looked orderly, and in fashion but several things looked well used and in need of repair or replacement. Mike nudged his elbow into my side and smiled at me as he carried in a tray of day-old bakery items for them to eat in the morning.

Mike's biggest attraction for me was his enthusiasm about cooking for the shelter. And now that he brought me here, I got the sense that this was his giving back moment. The one that everyone can spend a lifetime how they want to give back to society, well this was his project. I listened to the enthusiasm in his voice as he went on talking while unloading food into the kitchen from the back of the truck while I just stood there for a few minutes absorbing in stranger's faces and smiles. "It's a family only shelter. They house only families in one-room units for a few months while folks get back on their feet. Lucky for them, we supply the meals. Budget cuts, and low economic times have hit a lot of shelters like this. Most days, Matt or I try to get the food here by seven for dinner, but either way these folks won't go to sleep hungry." Mike rattled on about the left over baked goods sent there, along with produce that is still good but not good enough to sell in gourmet baskets.

I let him do all the talking and more of the working while I finally decided that keeping busy with work was better than staring, which I had felt myself doing as I looked from face to face, thinking these are average every day people, not at all what I expected.

We kept busy for the next fifteen minutes from the back alley of the shelter heading in and out of a door leading us into the kitchen. As soon as we had the food set out in the serving area, and the double fudge cakes sliced into enough pieces for all the folks staying there we heard a chime. Next thing I knew my heart dropped and my eyes pinched, and I put on the nicest sincerest smile I could for all the families filling the dining hall area.

Mike and I worked fast for the next half hour, side by side. Alongside us was a live-in director for the shelter named Tom, and a few of the adults pitched in to make sure kids got fed; everyone got something to drink, and food was served. Just as we served the last person, Mike turned to me and smiled. "Good job. Makes you feel good doesn't it."

I took in a deep breath and looked around. "Actually, it does. I've never been in a shelter before. If Lucky hadn't come along when he did I might have eventually ended up in one." Deep down, I knew most of my friends would not let that happen, and that I had the choice to move back to live with my family. Nevertheless, I liked it here, and I knew I was going to bounce back.

Then Mike said something that surprised me. "Both Matt and I were foster kids, shifted through homes and shelters, so we've seen it all. When we both decided to go to a culinary art school on grants it only made sense to give back. I worked at a few fine restaurants while Matt worked for the kitchen at the state capital, hosting dignitaries when they were in. Then one day he was fired, and I was miserable at my current job at the time and then Lucky happened along."

I know what you are thinking. I am shitting my pants right now thinking the same damn thing. Lucky was a leprechaun. This whole thing is one big shenanigan for me to see what kind of mistake I had made in the past, and now he was going about it in an odd way of helping me pay penance for my crimes, so to speak. Therefore, I said the only word that came to mind while I tried to swallow the feeling of tar in my throat. "Cool."

I know. Cool. He lays this heavy load on me, and I pull a man stunt of saying a one-word answer. Cool did not convey how I felt. I needed to tread lightly here and really say something awe-inspiring. Instead, I did this. Mike turned to grab some dishes to put in the sink area and started to run soapy water, and I went to him and hugged him super tight from behind. It took him by surprise, and he took a moment then he turned and hugged me back.

"You are an incredible person." I squeezed him tighter and then he pulled back releasing my hug. He smiled at me with sincerity. "Thanks. I needed that. I have had a weird week these past few days."

"Anytime bub. So, what do we do next?"

Mike walked me through a procedure he did every few nights at the shelter. He instructed me that they had other volunteers but Matt or him were always ready at a moment's notice, cancelling their own plans if need be. He also told me how Lucky covered the expense of the food and paid their time to make all the food. I stopped to think about it. I too, was on Lucky's dime while we were here.

As we chatted and cleaned up, I dug deep internally and thought how crazy all this was beginning to make a little sense. I was running into people whose lives I affected with my job of firing them. Matt being one of them. I hoped Mike and Stacy did not put two and two together to figure out I was the one that got Matt fired.

Something was clicking in my head to the tune of Lucky and him smiling earlier today saying 'tick-tock'. It was as if he was on short time, literally. I began to wonder if Lucky the leprechaun had his own penance to pay. I wondered if he was the man at the bar that gave me the lucky or really, unlucky charm. I wondered if he had anything to do with my loss of job, credit cards frozen, emptied bank account and dare I even say the car wreck, where I was sure, my light was green.

Mike interrupted my internal turmoil with a nudge and a finger point to a little girl who had climbed up on a table and was singing her little heart out. She had dark curly hair tight to her head, the biggest brown eyes and a smile that reached from ear to ear. In her smile was some chocolate cake. She was singing about how she loved the chocolate cake. How it was the 'bestest' cake ever. Soon everyone clapped and then her mother grabbed her pint-size daughter off the table and set her back down in her chair. It was the best entertainment I had in a while.

As we were heading back to Lucky's with empty pans and platters, I looked around the neighborhood that the shelter was located, and it seemed mostly business district. I wondered how these people had traveled to the shelter, what brought them there, and how long it would take them to get back on their feet. Then it dawned on me with my accounting degree that I could offer free tax help with tax season just around the corner.

Mike laid a hand on my arm. "Hey, you did great tonight. I have noticed that you are very organized and efficient. You see a job, and you get it done. It was nice working with you tonight. Now it's back to work. I've got a bazillion frosted shamrock cookies to make and decorate, and I bet Lucky and Stacy need your help in the display. It usually takes all night."

Then a thought popped in my head, although self-centered that it might be, I had to ask. "Hey Mike, what do you do with all the misfit cookies? You know the ones that accidentally break or get messed up frosting?"

His hearty laughter filled my ears. "Why? You're asking out of curiosity or because perhaps you want a few?"

"Both." I smiled ear to ear. "I got to have one on the Mac Truck delivery today, and it was good."

"Oh lord, you got a Mac Truck delivery. Normally, Lucky sends that one out to a, uh, service, that handles that delivery."

"Whelp. I was quick to pick up what they thought I was there for. I even played along while I ate a cookie teasing the men. Then I told the men 'sorry, you're not getting lucky with Lucky's'. Then the real entertainment showed up and saved my ass, literally. She showed most of hers fully dressed while I hightailed my ass out of there. It was pretty dang funny."

"That's strange. It's not like Lucky to screw that one up. Any ways, were here. I'll get the stuff upstairs; you go see what Lucky needs from you."

I saluted him with some fingers to my forehead. "Aye-aye captain."

I walked inside to a Lucky pacing back and forth and Stacy on a ladder hanging some shamrock decorations.

"Hey all, I'm back. Looks like you've gotten a lot done. What do you need me to do?"

Lucky turned to me and had a grimace on his face. Then he ripped the loudest fart yet, which stank worse than any I had smelled before. Stacy and I pinched our nose. I took off running for the back garden and propped the door on the way out. Stacy wasn't far behind. We stood out in the back garden greenhouse laughing so hard we shook. I picked up a floral bulb plant that had a wonderful aroma and held it to my nose. Stacy picked up another and did the same.

Lucky came around the corner with a can of air freshener in hand. "Sorry ladies, I only seem to be getting worse. I think I had better knock off for the night. Don't stay too late. I've got the gals coming in early tomorrow to finish up. Katie, can you make it in after your ten am appointment?"

I shook my head yes with my entire face in the fragrant flowering plant. I watched Lucky give Stacy a quick smooch, and he was gone. Then we really started to laugh hard.

Once we made it back inside, the pungent scent of air freshener was almost as bad as Lucky's farts. I went and propped open the front door, and Stacy grabbed a fan to pull the air from inside out. It took a bit, but it helped.

The store was still open for business for another hour, but today was a typical slow day in the evening for them.

Stacy and I worked quickly. She knew her stuff and was good at what she did. We talked idle chitchat, but things were nagging in the back of my head. Typical Stacy fashion, she would answer some of my mental questions before I could verbally ask.

"Don't worry about Lucky. He's got a lot to do in a short amount of time. He always gets an upset stomach when he's stressed. Those farts are the worst I have ever smelled from him. I hope he gets everything done he needs to on time."

So, he was short, pardon the pun, on time. That phrase 'tick-tock' in his voice kept repeating in my head. "Everything ok? Business wise? Can I help by going over some paperwork or something?"

"Business is great. This is just some personal business Lucky needs to take care of. However, paperwork wise, yes. I think tomorrow night I will have you start spending a few hours a night going over some numbers and making sure the reports are accurate for the auditors who are due within the week."

"Sounds great." I didn't want to push Stacy with too many questions. She might think I'm loony with the whole leprechaun business, and I really needed this job right now. The extra hours I was going to put in would keep me out of hot water.

I grabbed the box of skirting and started to apply the frilly kelly-green skirt to the table. I needed to attach the last part under the table, so I got down on all fours and climbed under the table. Just then, a familiar voice came from behind. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

I crawled out from under the green-skirted table with a big smile on my face. I had thought about the man on and off, since we met. I even internalized that perhaps he was someone on my bad karma list, that I had to make right. Either way, I was glad to see him standing before me.

"John O'Malley is it?" I held my hand out to introduce myself. "Katie McAllister. How can we help you?" I looked quickly around the room for Stacy, who was there a second ago, and now she was gone.

"I came by to apologize better, you know for earlier today." His blue eyes sparkled with happiness, and his tanned face seemed to blush. His brown hair was in need of a haircut or my fingers funning through it. The latter sounded better.

"Hey. No biggee. It's your birthday. Guys just playing a standard joke on ya. Hell of company entertainment though." I laughed nervously around him. I looked away and when I looked into his blue eyes and tan face, I noticed a man that was intrigued with me. Now I know I'm not yesterday's leftovers or a pile of lumpy mashed potatoes. Before all this bad luck, a year ago, I was feeling pretty... confident about myself and had no issues in the man department, if you get what I mean. Take me a year forward and lots of bad luck and in desperate need of a hairstyle, I was feeling like, well, average. However, the way John O'Malley's eyes traveled up and down and stopped at my eyes with his smile; I started to feel a bit different about myself. Kind of like the old me. If I didn't know better and hadn't already done it, I would have puffed my chest out a bit, bit my lower lip while playing with my hair. Yup I did.

His voice held a note of entertainment or laughter to my recent attempt at flirting. "Yes and no." He chuckled. "I mean, yes it's my birthday, but no, I usually don't get the, what did you call it, company entertainment. The guys usually pitch in and do that to each other. In fact, I came by to see if I could figure out who paid. I mean, no one knows who ordered it."

"I think I can check that for you. Let's go over to the counter." I was bummed. I was hoping it was me that he was coming by to see.

Just then Stacy appeared, practically out of nowhere, and went to the computer register. "Hello, let me run a check on that for you." She tapped in several keys, then looked up and smiled. "Says here, anonymous, cash paid. Sorry. Katie here was just doing her job."

I wasn't too sure, but I got the impression Stacy was lying. I let that one ride while I turned my attention back to Mr. O'Malley. This time I was standing with my feet crossed and my hands behind my back. I still had the ol' C cups puffed out and my green eyes a batting their lashes.

"Whelp. Again, I am sorry about the misunderstanding. Perhaps..." He paused a really, long time, and I could tell I was holding my breath. Could he possibly say something exciting like, 'hey let's go for a coffee or can I buy you lunch tomorrow', my mind needed to quit while it was ahead.

"You ladies look busy. I'll let you get back to work."

Both Stacy and I let out a heavy breath of air as if we were both holding it in. "Happy birthday." I chimed out. Then I heard a soft polite 'thanks' as he turned and walked his very cute construction backside out of the store.

I turned to Stacy and shrugged my shoulders. She looked more disappointed for me than I did for myself. However, I was no stranger to being asked out, at least not before the curse. In the last year, I got used to being ignored; leaving myself wondering if my above-average looks that had always gotten me a glance, had fallen sub prime.

Either way I had bigger fish to fry. Like helping Tank Magraw, offering my assistance to the shelter, and finding out the status on my car, my credit cards and my bank error. All of these things were going to take up my mental space for a while. However, I would be lying if I didn't say that mind wandered back every now and then to what it might be like to give John O'Malley a Mac Truck.

Chapter Eight

That night I slept deep. It felt like my head hit the pillow, and then my alarm was going off. Crap, I hated when that happened. I knew I slept a full eight hours yet my mind was tricked by thinking it hadn't. I figured Lucky would be ok with me stopping in for coffee before I headed over to Paws-n-Claws to see if I could pay some penance to Tank Magraw.

Last night I struggled with the fact that I should tell these people I meet that I was the creator of their career demise. Then I put myself in their shoes and would figure that most likely no one particular person was to blame, just the bad economy and a tight government budget. Which was a good part of the truth. The bad part was I had done such a great creative job of making all that easier for the government.

I went downstairs to the apartment lobby to check my overstuffed mailbox. Since being fired, I ignored the fact that bills could be in there. I shifted through my mail quickly and saw an envelope from one of my credit-card companies that had canceled me.

The few phone calls I had made got me nowhere but on hold, transferred to the next supposedly manager of operations then back overseas to a foreign sounding person who was trying to sound like they were a local American. Yet somehow the fact that they didn't know who the heck I was referring to when I said 'did you see that wreck last season on the Daytona 500?', which they simply replied. "Yes, yes, terrible automobile accident on auto-mo-bile way. Yes, yes so much auto-mo-biles."

Hello, what red-blooded American did not know the reference to the Daytona 500? I hung up out of anger, knowing full well, I would not get much accomplished with the overseas customer service any ways.

In my hand, along with a lot of junk mail, was a letter, somewhat official looking, from my credit card bureau. Now my hand shook just a bit as I tried to open it. Then I realized I would not be able to have a clear helpful mind today if I did not know what the dang credit card company was saying about my canceled card.

Once I opened it, I began to read a legal looking letter. What it surmounted to was this: they made an error. They had all my credit seized on both of my credit cards. That they were sorry for the inconvenience, and to expect new cards, in you guessed it, six to eight weeks. For the inconvenience, they would like to offer me, an introductory rate on all purchases, for zero percent interest for a year. Well if that didn't beat all.

I felt better that I had faced that demon head on, by opening the letter. Now I had to get to Paws-n-Claws, to make right what I did wrong in the first place.

In the back of the pit of my brain, I rationalized that with every good deed I did, every wrong I tried to correct, things were turning back around. Which gave me thought to the cougar teller mom and her rent a suit daughter, playing manager at the bank. They were overdue for a sincere apology.

As I turned from my mailbox with an epiphany and the largest smile on my face, there stood none other than John O'Malley. Covered from head to foot in what looked like, drying concrete. Every inch of his blue flannel shirt, his yellow hard hat that had the words manager on the side, to the worn thin work jeans and old work boots, had drying concrete on them. The only words that came out of my mouth as my eyes sparkled with humor. "Oh my!"

Turns out one very cutie-patootie John O'Malley, lived in my building. He had just had an inevitable accident with the cement machine. I was rushed for time now, and I really wanted to stay and chat, but I knew Tank Magraw deserved my attention first. So with my parting words of 'sorry about the luck', I headed out the glass doors to my chariot that awaited me, the green gremlin.

I wasn't too sure, but I thought I heard Mr. O'Malley say something about 'of all my bad luck lately'. Driving away in the green machine I thought about what I might have heard and wondered if there was another reason we met. Perhaps I fired him. However, I could not reach into any corner of my brain and remember an O'Malley on the list of people I fired.

Which made me realize; I had an incredible memory, and I was starting to remember each and every name. I pulled over to the side of the road. I found a pen and old receipt in my purse and started to write names down. After I reached fifty, I wanted to cry. I decided one day at a time, one-step at a time, and I would get through this. Then a vision of Lucky saying 'tick-tock' popped in my head. I wondered if his time was running short on his agenda of getting things right.

Pulling up to Paws-n-Claws, I realized I never made it by Lucky's for coffee and day-old cinnamon roll. I figured I had gone mornings without eating, that I would be fine.

Tank looked as if he had just opened shop and was walking around the place checking on all the small animals by filling bowls and water dishes.

"Morning, Tank. Remember me? I'd said I would be by to see if I could help." I smiled awkwardly as I began walking around behind him petting all the small animals.

"Sure do. Glad you didn't change your mind. I called Lucky yesterday, and he recommended you. Therefore, I guess we just need to come up with a negotiable price on what you want to be paid. I'm a new business and all, so I have to keep things cheap."

"No problem." I smiled at his smile that looked relieved. I had a feeling that he would be glad to accept my very cheap help. If I made it free, he might suspect something. So I already decided on cheap.

Within an hour, I had set him up on an easier accounting program and showed him how to enter certain data. That today was free, but I would call with what hours I could come by and work. I told him how Lucky needed me for at least sixty this week and next. However, after that, I would be looking for work that is more permanent in my field. I told him that I had no qualms about helping him out on a part-time basis in my off hours. We shook hands and agreed.

As I was about to leave I saw the cutest small white puppy. "Hey Tank, how much is this cute little fellow?"

"Hundred fifty. These are shelter animals, so all proceeds go back to the shelter. I just hope the customer spends their money on all the things they need for the wee ones."

Smart plan, I thought to myself. That and the fact I had a major aversion to puppy mills or people that bought their puppies from them. "Hey Tank. Maybe after I put in enough time and if this little fellow is here, we could negotiate some type of barter for food and supplies. I don't mind paying the shelter fee, but it could be a win-win for both."

As Tank agreed, the little white fellow spoke up with barks and wagging tail. He was entirely too cute, and I had been thinking about getting a dog that could live in my apartment with me.

Back at Lucky's, I gobbled down lemon poppy muffins, which were slightly burnt around the edges. Apparently, Matt was having a bad day with the oven, and he was calling in Mike for replacement. By my third burnt muffin and full cup of coffee, I was ready to go.

I eyed the air freshener on the counter, and Stacy laughed in reply. "Don't worry. Lucky doesn't want to scare off the customers, so he's incognito in the garden or his office."

"Is this a normal thing or does he have some kind of bacteria thing going on?"

Stacy laughed and shook her head no. "He has to get a few things figured out then I think everything will be back to normal." Under her breath, I heard an 'I hope', which got my mind wondering how I fit into all this.

I did not know how all I was about to tell Stacy would help, but I just sensed it would. "So my credit card company sent me an apology letter. I've got a new card on the way. I assume the other credit card company will do the same. And hey, I got Tank Magraw set up on a new easy to use accounting software, and I think him and I are going to work together in exchange for a puppy and supplies. Furthermore, I ran into John O'Malley at my apartment complex this morning. I guess he lives there. So maybe he might ask me out after all. In addition, I would like to take a break later today and ask Tom at the shelter if I can offer free tax filing for the families staying there. Then I'd like to buy the gals at the bank a floral bouquet each, to apologize." When I was done telling her, she looked extremely relieved and excused herself to see Lucky.

A soft hand landed on my shoulder. It was Mary, Lucky's redheaded niece. "I'd be happy to come up with some sort of arrangement for the ladies at the bank. How about you swing back here after the deliveries I just loaded in the van, and you should make it there by closing time?"

"Gee. That would be great."

"Vans loaded. I snuck in two cinnamon rolls, a coffee and a bottle of water along with a plain turkey sandwich on wheat. There is one stop at a local organic farmer to make on your way back once the van is empty, and he will load you up with some fruit and vegetables. It's already on here." She handed me the company cell phone with its handy delivery signing ap and map. I felt organized and ready without even having to do anything. That felt nice.

As I walked through the solarium garden to the delivery van, I saw Stacy comforting Lucky. He looked a little relieved but still stressed. Then I saw Stacy pinch her nose and run out of the glass gazebo shouting, "Aw Lucky, damn it. Get that thing checked would ya."

I couldn't help but smile and wave bye as I opened the door to the garage. Somehow, I knew that my success in correcting my bad doings was going to affect Lucky. I now took it as a mental challenge to make as much right as I could, as quickly as I could.

I spotted an empty notebook in the passenger seat for employee delivery notes. It sat there staring at me as I was about to start up the van. I quickly jotted down a few of my own notes that I needed to make right. Today, was the bank tellers and calling the insurance company. Tomorrow, was finding a lawyer for the man that was suing me and after that, I would make as complete a list of names I had fired that I could remember. Then I was going to try to locate them by the white pages and see if I could somehow make it right. I had to. I felt like time was of the essence here.

Not a one of my deliveries today had to do with people I fired, or so, I could remember. However, each person I met today, made me feel great for cheering them up with my delivery. I was even asked out on a date from a mailroom clerk who was ten years younger. I smiled and told him I was already involved with someone. John O'Malley came to mind, and I was feeling rather presumptuous knowing that he lived in my building, there was a better chance for us to hook up.

By the time I made it to the local organic grower just out of town by fifteen minutes I had a feeling deep in my gut that I was about to meet someone I affected in a bad way.

Chapter Nine

There, on the ten-acre plot of land, was a family working extremely hard, out in their farm. They were weeding and watering the various vegetable plants and flowers. Quite a few of the flowers were already busheled up for Lucky's shop. I noticed the old white ten-gallon paint buckets full of flowers with Lucky's written on the side in sharpie. I also noticed a fifth wheel camper at the end of the property. I was getting the gest that maybe that family lived in there due to the fact a laundry clothes line was full of clothes and there was a lot of disarray around the camper.

"Hey all. You've got some items for Lucky's?"

"That we do." A man stood up from a squatting position, dusting himself off and turned to look at me squarely in the face. A face that I recognized. Why? Because, I remembered his photo, from the governments list of higher ups, that needed to be exposed and fired without too much media. There had been a list of ten, from throughout the state, which I had been told to find a creative way, to hide anything that made the state look bad. That I was to get these ten out of office. It was the first time I realized my job seemed dastardly. The man made several mistakes. The top one was he had been caught in a precarious position with his much younger secretary. Add to that list, he overused his state credit card for personal usage of on-line porn and liquor. So at the time I did not feel bad.

Somehow standing in front of the man, I now did. We quickly packed up the back of the van. As we did this, I would peer out at the three children working in the field wondering why they weren't in school. Then I wondered if they were homeschooled. I also did not see a truck to pull that fifth wheel, so I spoke up with those questions.

It turns out that yes, the kids were homeschooled; his truck was in the shop, seeing as he normally delivers these things to Lucky's. Then I did something so bold I wanted to smack myself. "I use to work for the state capital HR and recently got fired. You look very familiar."

Lightning could have stuck me down for all the electric glares, I felt coming from this man. Then a slight smile cracked his lips. "Hmm, they got you too, huh? Whelp, I did use to work for the state. However, I made some brass mistakes and quite frankly, sometimes, you have to go back to square one to take the next step. I lost my job, my house, our cars, and my pension. The only thing they couldn't take away from me was my grandfather's land and family owned greenhouse. So now we are organic gardeners, and financially we are broken, yet in spirit, we are a mended family."

I about chocked on his holier than though thought to all this. He seemed to be a spiritual man. Maybe he had gotten off path, well actually, he had. That was in all the evidence the state gave me, but now he seemed like he was back on track.

"Say. I did some college research on government grants for local farming projects. How bout in a few weeks, after our busy season, I stop by and give you some of that information. Couldn't help. Might actually feel good to get some money back from the government and this time you could put it to good use."

He gave me the inquisitive one-eyed look for a few seconds then slapped me on the back and said that would be great. I suppose he had to take a moment or two to let that sink in. Nothing is harder for a man then to be knocked down to his knees for a mistake or two then to have to climb his way back up. I should know.

Back at Lucky's, Matt was gone, Mike was there and so was my left-over chocolate cake from last night with a large glass of milk. I gobbled that down quick, gave him a hug, which he returned in favor and my heart ballooned up again. They were great guys and my new good friends, and I was going to miss them when I got a real job back under belt. Maybe Lucky would let me work part-time, preferably around dinnertime.

Then Stacy came around the corner with some papers and answered my thoughts. "Alright kiddo, here's some paperwork to look over. Lucky's on his laptop right now but after dinner I will bring it up, and you can take a look at the spreadsheets. Once this next busy stretch is over, and you are back to looking full-time for a real job, then just know we discussed you working part-time."

Nice. She did it again. I really liked that, but I also was keeping my mental thoughts in check whenever I was around this place.

"I need to deliver those arrangements to the bank before they closed. I'll be back in fifteen tops to eat some dinner." I had smelt the pot roast when I came up and my mouth was watering, however, the cake had taken the edge off.

I pulled up to the bank and saw that it was a tad busy. Payday, I thought to myself. I got the two beautiful arrangements out of the back of the van. Mary really outdone herself with various colors of tulips, greenery and baby's breath in crystal vases. Very classy looking and every ounce of sorry I was feeling.

As I walked in, I tried to hide who I was with the flowers, but the security man recognized me. With one hand on his stun gun and another on my arm, he asked to see the flowers. He asked me some personal questions, rather loudly, in such a way that most of the bank turned and stared at me, so I did the next rational thing.

"This is not a hold up. I'm a previous bank customer who lost it with the teller and manager, and I'm here to say I'm sorry."

Just then the nineteen something bank manager in another one of her mother's dress suits, that was few sizes too big, came out of the office with her mom, the cougar teller. They both looked at me apologetically, and then I motioned to the flowers and told them they were for them. They quickly animated over the flowers with enthusiasm. Then they escorted me back into the young girl's office.

It was there that I told them about being fired and Lucky's Floral giving me a job and how awful I felt about my reaction that day.

"It's funny you should stop by." The cougar teller spoke up. "We were just discussing your case."

The word case made me swallow that tar feeling down my throat. Was the bank suing me, pressing charges or worse, were the mother-daughter duos out to sue me?

The daughter spoke up this time in the most professional voice. "It appears that the money you were trying to withdraw has, how shall I put this, mysteriously been re-deposited in the account by a cash deposit to the bank last night. Lexus thought, perhaps you had a case of stolen identity. I just ran a credit check on you about an hour ago and everything is normal. It's just the oddest thing."

"Who's Lexus?"

"That would be me dear. The woman you screamed 'I'll get you, you cougar teller', just right after Ralph zapped you the first time. The second time you were out cold."

"I did not. Tell me I did not say that. What I meant to say is beautiful teller. Beautiful, cougar, see how they could be mispronounced after several vaults of electricity are surged through your body." I smiled with a tilted lip smirk as my eye began to twitch.

"Seeing how, I had just been fired, wrecked my car a week earlier, just found out my credit cards didn't work, and it has been over a year since a man has asked me out, I must have had my words confused."

They both chimed in. "Oh dear, over a year. You're so pretty." As if they were two cheerleaders with the whole line rehearsed. However, it made me smile that they thought I was pretty.

"Look, if there is anything else I can do to make that comment up to you, please don't hesitate to ask. I feel just awful."

"Oh no dear, these flowers are just perfect. You wouldn't happen to have an extra blank tag card on you. There's a man, I am trying to snag, and I think if I put these at my station with a 'last night was great' comment; he might ask me out." I smiled at Lexus, as I pulled a couple of them out from my satchel that I wore around my waist full of cards and pens.

Lexus cooed over the flowers as it was evident in her voice. "I love tulips. These are beautiful. Sincerely, we are sorry for the misunderstanding. However, the bank still wants to investigate who took the money out in the first place." Next, the daughter spoke up and for the first time I noticed her desk plaque with her name on it. Mercedes Smith. Now these two should be in the car business not the bank business.

"Ladies, if you don't mind, I would like to forget the whole thing. You wouldn't believe me if I told you but this has to do with lucky charms, leprechauns and a whole lot of bad karma that I am paying for."

They both stared at me as if I just told them they just canceled their favorite county housewives show, as if they were devastated. Then they both started to do that cheerleader tee-he giggle. "You're funny. You had us hanging there for a second." Lexus spoke up.

"No really. It would be bad for the bank if any of this got out. So I'm willing to forgive and forget if you two are."

"Group hug." Mercedes chimed in.

Once I snuck out of there I felt as if I had been pinkafied by the cheerleading car squad. However, I was sure everything was slowly working its way back into place.

I needed to call my insurance, but I figured tomorrow morning when I was fresh would be better. Besides the last time I called my insurance office, I was told I could only reach them between the hours of ten am to two pm, Tuesday through Friday. To call the eight hundred number any other time.

The last time I called the eight hundred number, was right after my accident as I was being released from the emergency room. I got an overseas operator who wanted to know if I could still drive my auto-mo-bile home. Pronouncing just like the word was broken up, with the last part of the word sounding like it was a word used for vomit.

Chapter Ten

So here I was, a week since my life got zapped, literally. Lucky's stress farts were getting better, or at least I wasn't around when they happened. My credit-card companies both admitted to fault, and I would be receiving zero percent interest on purchases for a year when I got my new card, which by the sounds of it could be in six to eight weeks. Have none of these places ever heard of express mail.

I arranged times to help the families at the homeless shelter with taxes using the shelter's desktop computer. Tom, the director was more than willing to add me to the list of volunteers to serve dinner and be on call.

Although with the crazy busy week I had, helping Lucky with more hours worked than I would have imagined, helping Tank at Paws-n-Claws, trying to undo any wrong I could think of. I had yet to get down to the last few items on my list. Oddly enough, Lucky had made a comment only a few things left as he walked by me the other day. I stopped and tapped him on the shoulder to tell him I was working on it, instead my tap on his shoulder scared him, and he farted. I ran away with my nose pinched and straight for the air freshener. Just when we all thought, he was over the farting shenanigans; it would pop up, or come out, depending on your perspective.

As for the cutie-patootie John O'Malley, well we saw each other in passing as I pulled up in my green gremlin borrowed car, and he was pulling away in his white construction truck, marked D&B Construction. He shook his head laughing profusely and I finger waved and blew a kiss. Hell, if he was not going to ask me out, then he was not going to ask me out. I got it. I was still cursed.

The insurance company that cashed my check but canceled my insurance was not returning my calls. They did, however, send me a bill stating I owed them for next month's premium. That was classy.

The man whose car hit mine, that was suing me for running a supposedly red light, had his lawyer calling me several times. Because my insurance would not call him back. I left him a message on his office phone at two a.m. in the morning wishing him good luck. I would call him when the insurance returned my calls.

Sales for Saint Patrick Day party floral arrangements were coming in like gangbusters. It was crazy. I hated to think what this place was like at Valentine's Day. The week was not over, and I had put in close to sixty hours. Not to mention the few hours, I helped Tank Magraw and the measly few hours at the shelter. I assured Tom, that after the holiday rush, I would commit more time.

Therefore, I was down to this. Getting my car fixed and insured, trying to get out of being sued and filling out paperwork for the state capital that was sent to me regarding my previous job. Apparently, my division was under investigation. The paperwork assured me I was not under investigation and possibly up for rehire when the investigation was over. However, at this point, I needed to supply as much information as possible. They are going over my old laptops at the moment. The 's' on laptops got me worried. I had only one laptop in the office. The only other laptop was the one stolen after I tried to email myself some government documents. Good thing my web surfing involved cute animal videos or chick flick books.

I sat back in Lucky's luxurious leather chair at his desk, thinking all this through. I was sitting at his desk because he needed me to finish the auditing paperwork for him. That in itself, had him farting less than before. It turned out Lucky was not so good with numbers; it caused him a lot of stress.

I looked out through the glass walls of the gazebo office that was surrounded by an enormous amount of flower and vegetable beds in his greenhouse solarium. I thought about my life, and all that had changed and what had happened.

Then a thought popped in my head about the day my car was wrecked. I was one hundred percent positive that the light was green and a car went ahead before me, before I proceeded into the intersection and got side swiped by the man in the Hummer. Good thing my Honda Accord held its own. I was not going too fast, and neither was the man in the Hummer. I wondered if there was some type of technical glitch in the street cameras of the intersection, and it didn't record my angle of light correctly. The sun was in the eye of the camera.

I dug deep in my purse for the ticket the officer gave me, and I dialed the number. I got a recording, so I punched in my case number and then left a message. I kept it brief and straightforward. "I wondered if, that is if your camera, was inoperable that day as the sun caused it to misread the lights. I'm positive the light was green as another car went before me. I would appreciate a call back." I left Lucky's number at the shop since I practically lived there, and I was always forgetting my cell phone at home, since I had free use of Lucky's.

Just then, Lucky popped into his office. "Hey, doll face, I need you to run a delivery out to my grandmas."

"The... grandmas! The one that owns the firehouse. The one that smacked the mayor upside the head with her purse when he tried to convince her to tear this place down. Heck ya. She's a legend. I heard..."

Before I could finish Lucky cut me off at the quick. "Zip it, nada, don't want to hear it. Tick-tock, times a wasting. Tick-tock."

In the short time, I had worked there, I had heard all kinds of stories about his grandma. The best one being she was capable of cursing someone with bad luck. That could be me.

She also could determine a man's fate by his actions. There was even a story told by Mike, that he heard she could turn a man into a leprechaun. Which quickly got everyone staring at Lucky; however, no one said a word.

Now this was all rumors, but I had a sick feeling that she was the answer to Lucky's prayers and mine. That she was the one that had the curse put on me and for the some-odd reasons Lucky was trying like heck to get a curse reversed off him, which had something to do with me. Or maybe, Lucky cursed me and his grandma cursed him. This whole cursing thing could run in the family so I had better just stay of both of their good sides.

Crazy isn't it. I mean. If I could hear myself think, I would think 'looney bin', right? However, since it is my life, and everything was normal until last Saint Patrick's day and the drunk guy, which did look like a taller version of Lucky gave me the 'lucky charm', which I left at the bar the day Lucky bailed me out not but a few long days ago.

I followed the map to Lucky's grandma. It was a huge mansion on the edge of town with a security gate. I was to deliver the fresh shamrock display arrangements along with the shamrock cookies and a basket of gourmet goodies. Lucky knew how to treat his grandma right, or just plain suck up for whatever wrong he might have done by delivering the goodies.

I pressed the button at the gate and was let in. I began to wonder how much this grandma had as far as money, power, authority, magical powers and more magical powers. Like - would I leave here looking like a leprechaun?

Instead, two men in suits stood by the front door and then let me in. Another man in a suit led me down a hall to what was like a sitting room for a cup of tea. I was asked to set all the stuff on the sideboard and take a seat.

I did as I was told, and then I put my hands on my knees as they shook like a jumping jellybeans out of nervousness. I heard a chime from a clock and turned from the sound. There stood an elderly lady, at least in her eighties, with a full head of silver-gray hair, sparkling blue eyes and the palest skin, I had seen in a long time.

I stood to offer my hand as she approached me. "Katie McAllister. Lucky's new employee. How do you do mam?" She took my hand in her fragile one, and then she laid a kiss on my cheek.

"My, oh my, Lucky sure has a way of catching the good ones. Tell me dear. Has Lucky been treating you good?"

Her smile was sincere, but I still felt like I was dealing with the Irish Mafia. The three men now stood at each corner of the room with their hands folded behind their backs and their looks blank. I nervously scanned the room and smiled. "Yes. Very well in deed. In fact, if it weren't for Lucky, I think I would have had quite a mess on my hands."

"Is that so? Tell me more."

So I did. I sat in that room while the men in the corners took turns, serving us tea, gourmet goodies from the basket Lucky sent or refreshing the tea we had just drunk. It was all too surreal. Now Lucky's grandma had a way about her, luring you in with the right questions at the right time. Within the hour, she had my entire sordid details of the last year of my life including the time I met a man at the bar, which looked like Lucky, and received the ever so unlucky charm, then right up to the time the Lucky I know now, bailed my drunk ass out.

Lucky's grandma laughed vicariously for a long moment. "Well, dear. You don't happen to have that lucky charm on you, do you?"

"No mam. I don't. I'm pretty darn sure I left it at the bar that day Lucky and I met."

"Are you sure? You said so yourself that you had a wee bit too much to drink. You know us Irish woman and our whiskey." She winked her eye at me and smiled. Then she nodded her head to one of the men in the corner, and he disappeared.

"Nope. Pretty darn sure I left it there, but hey, in case I do find it. What should I do with it?"

"Oh silly girl, I don't know. Perhaps toss it in the wishing well at the fountain over in the park off main, the one with the firefighter statue. You know my dear; that fountain was built after my late great husband. He was the captain of that very firehouse before it got burnt down." Well, she could not have been more direct with her answer. At this moment, I was sure of the man who left the room was locating that lucky, not so lucky charm, and putting it somewhere I could find it.

I laughed lightly to her direct response. I stood up and acknowledged how busy we were back at the shop, and that I should go help Lucky. She stood at the same time, but this time, I went to her, held her hand, and kissed her cheek. "Thank you so much for a lovely time. I really enjoyed the tea. Perhaps Lucky will let me visit you more often; that is, unless you would rather have Lucky himself?"

What she said next, made me realize that Lucky's penance was to pay back to his grandma. "That grandson of mine and his shenanigans. He has to straighten himself out before I let him set foot in here. It is a good thing he found you darling. I think you are good for him. He seems to be on track so far. Nevertheless, if he does not hurry himself up, he might not get the chance. He's always waiting until the last minute to get things done."

As I drove away from the Irish Mafia grandma house, I was certain that all due things come its course. I was on my way to correcting my errors, as I twirled the old lucky, unlucky charm, between my fingers. Knowing exactly where I was heading next and what I had left to do. I was sure, that as soon as I did those things, my luck would be turned around. As far as Lucky, I was not too sure what all he had to do to help me, but I knew just where to start, Stacy.

Chapter Eleven

So here I was, at the only fountain off main, at the city park. The sun was setting, and I was standing there on the edge of the huge water fountain of a firefighter. The concrete edge was at least two feet wide, so I felt safe, as I walked along the edge of it circling the fountain.

I felt melancholic as I walked around the fountain. Thinking of all that had happened to me in the last year and the few things left, I had to take care of. Overall, I felt I was back on track, and that as soon as I tossed the charm into the fountain, I was home free, at least free from the continuing bad luck.

As far as my new life, I was happy at Lucky's floral. I could see how easy I could work there and start a freelance accounting business. However, I really missed the calm and serenity of my old job, at least the old job before my secret closet job. I liked the holidays off, and lord knows the government observes more holidays than normal folks do. I liked the four o'clock quitting time in my old job. The closet job hours were too hard to adjust to. I had a few friends in that other building that were always gangbusters for the happy hour at my Irish pub, the very same one that Lucky bailed me out. The very same one that a taller version of Lucky tried unsuccessfully to pick me up, you know, like ask me out on a date almost a year ago.

It all started to clear up for me at that fountain. I remembered vividly on two occasions when he asked me out on a date, and I turned him down. He just was not my type. I remembered bumping into him on Saint Paddy's Day a year ago, half out of my younkers, and he tried one last time, which I turned him down. I just ignored his gibberish and the lucky charm he pressed into my hand, that I had accepted gladly as I was drunk.

So here I was, with all this information flooding back to me like a freight train on super speed. As clear as day, I could see exactly what I needed to do next. Something told me that I needed to do it all before this Saint Paddy's Day in two days or Lucky might be a leprechaun forever.

I laid a kiss upon the charm and thought great magical thoughts that this all leads to a happy ending for all, and just as I was about to toss it in, a voice behind me scared me half out of my wits. "Hey."

Splash. Right into the water fountain I fell as I was turning to see who was yelling 'hey' at me. The coolness of the fountain was actually refreshing after the hot day we just had. I slowly rose up from the two feet of water with a ton of change around my feet to stand there sopping wet in front of my cutie-patootie.

"Hey, yourself." I smiled wickedly and looked down at my wet Lucky's uniform polo, jeans and comfortable shoes, my daily standard. However, in my empty hand was no longer the lucky charm. I hoped that it had landed in the fountain as per instructions.

The smile on one John O'Malley's face made me believe it was already happening. "Oops." He laughed. "Sorry to scare you, I just." He did not finish his sentence, instead he looked down at his work boots and back up with his devilish smile. He had a really, nice smile and blue eyes that sparkled, but I think I have mentioned the killer eyes.

I stepped out of the fountain and shook his hand then joked. "Katie McAllister. In case, you forgot. Hey, what's a girl got to do to take a free shower in this town, eh?" I laughed at my nervousness. I was not usually nervous around men, but this one; I was. That was a sign.

There was a moment of awkward silence then I cleared my throat. "Just making an early Saint Paddy's wish at the fountain. Whelp. I got to run back to work. The next few days are crazy, and then I need to find a new accounting job." I did not know why I added the last part, but I knew it could not help to mention to just about every person I met that I was looking for a job in this economy.

"Really." He sounded entertained.

"Really, what?" I was not sure what he was stating the 'really' part to, the wish or the job.

"The wish. What did you wish for?" By now, his eyes were really sparkling along with his deep dimples. He seemed thoroughly entertained by me.

"Peace, harmony and all that good stuff." This time it was my turn to look down at my wet comfortable shoes. I decided to sit on the ledge of the fountain and take them off. Wring out my wet socks and walk barefoot back to the delivery van, but before I could get up, he sat down next to me.

"What kind of job are you looking for? Our accounts manager just quit on us. Couldn't take the guys and the uh hmm." He cleared his throat and smiled. "Mac Truck."

"Yeah?" I remembered him mentioning that before, and I told him that if it was still around in a week or so that I would come in to apply. However, as I sat next to my cutie patootie thinking, working for a man who made my insides do flip-flops and my dreams do dastardly things, might not be my best idea. I started to giggle at my own internal mish mash. My giggle only got John's curiosity peeked up.

"Sorry. I'm not laughing that she quit. I'm laughing that, well, the code, Mac Truck. But hey, yeah I might be interested. I've got in over sixty hours this week with Lucky, and he needs me the next two doubles. I've got a freelance accounting job I picked up, and I'm promised the shelter down the way from Lucky's that I would kick in some serious hours doing taxes for the homeless families after this Paddy rush. Then there's the chance the state might hire me back. Big mess up in firing me, not that I did anything. More, uh, budget cuts. But look, if the jobs still open next week, I wouldn't mind applying for it. That is if it pays well. Although, I wouldn't mind still working for Lucky's. There are a lot of perks."

I felt rather winded after all that. I had rambled on about all the same things I think I rambled on before about. I wondered if anything I had said before to him actually came out, or if I thought, I had said it all before. I told you I felt nervous around the man. I think I was scaring the shit out of him. He had this one raised eyebrow thing going on with a slight squint. Could be the sun as it was starting to set and was aiming right at his crystal blues. But all the same, he was quiet for a moment.

He finally broke the silence with a joke. "Feel better after your shower?"

"Much." I tossed that out there, as I continued looking back at him, then looking straight ahead, then to him and back straight again. His light laughter made me feel good. However, I needed to get back to work. "Whelp. I really, need to be getting back to work. See ya around John O'Malley." I said the last part as sexy and flirtatiously as I could. Because I wanted to have the man ask me out on a date, and if he didn't maybe he would hire me. I know, not the best way to apply for a job. However, I was starting to feel like my old self again. Best of all, the smile that I left on his face, said it all, he was liking me. I was back baby; I was back in the saddle again.

I phoned in to Lucky's and asked Stacy if she minded if I swung by my place for a change of dry clothes. I gave her a dismissed explanation about getting all my clothes soaking wet. Then I told her I was on my way in and had some good news. She told me she would meet me in the garage.

As I pulled in to the garage, Stacy stood there waiting, looking distressed. "How was it? At Lucky's grandmas? I haven't met her yet but as soon as this is all over, Lucky wants to take me there to meet her. I've heard stories, ya know."

I laid a hand on her shoulder and looked her straight in the eyes. "The woman is a magical witch. Scary I tell you. Flat out nerve wracking. I was sweating so bad; my clothes are soaked."

She raised one eyebrow looking at me in disbelief. The thing is I suck as a liar. I was already smirking and laughing on the last part of my sentence.

"Actually Stacy, she's a pussy cat. Although I bet she could be a lion when need be. Very sweet and angelic looking, old and frail but tough as nails. We totally connected right away. I enjoyed her company. The thing is I get it, all of it. Everything that is happening and what I need to do and what Lucky needs to do, so he won't be a leprechaun that farts anymore."

The look of relief on her face was my answer. "So, go tell Lucky and I will take those." I grabbed the paperwork she had in hand. "I will go change and finish up some of that paperwork that needs to be done by tomorrow. Oh and tell Lucky the charm is officially in the fountain."

Stacy let out the biggest sigh of relief I think I ever heard. "Right." She said it so fast. "I'm going to go tell Lucky and when it's all over can we pretend none of this ever happened?"

"You bet." Which I meant, because I did not even think my future children or grandchildren would ever believe me on this. I was still having a hard time putting it into perspective myself.

Chapter Twelve

I told Lucky I needed a fresh night's sleep, and I would be in bright and early to get the last of the work done. The auditor was not due until noon, and I only had about an hour worth of work left to do. However, that was like eight hours of work in Lucky's world. I was fast and efficient at what I did. Lucky, well he was lucky to get anything done correctly at all.

I drove the gremlin home and parked it right next to a particular white work truck. It was not that I was stalking him. It was the only parking spot left in the lot. Someone must be having a party because usually there was plenty of parking.

I headed upstairs after I checked my mailbox. On the way up the elevator, I was happy to open an express envelope that held one of my credit cards. There was a document from my car insurance. It was my new insurance card showing I had coverage. The next letter I opened was from the insurance stating my lack of coverage due to lack of payment. Now didn't that beat all. Grr. They still had not sent back the check of mine that they cashed.

I had no idea what floor my cutie-patootie lived on, but I did know that he lived here and the chance of us running into each other again was good. I was still a bit of a mess as I stared at my reflection in the mirror of the elevator, but I felt like my cute self was back. It was my smile. It was back, and it felt natural to smile at the world again.

The ding of the elevator chimed to my floor and I got off with my mail, now holding it against my chest. I looked down the hall, the opposite way of mine, just in case he lived on my floor. Nope. Not a soul in sight. Just the faint smells of dinners cooked hours ago.

Once in my apartment, I dropped my mail on the kitchen table and headed for the shower. I took the fastest shower ever. Ever since working for Lucky, I was more conscious about my electrical and water usage. It was almost freaky. However, showering in the dark was not an option, so I had that light on. The rest of my apartment was now completely dark as the sun was totally set.

I flipped on the light in my front room then went back and flipped off the bathroom light. This electric conscious stuff was going to be work, and it was a bit nerve wracking.

I had on my light robe seeing as I had not run the air conditioner in my place all day while I was gone, and the apartment was stifling hot. I dunked all my Lucky polo's in the sink with some soap to soak and went into my room to get dressed in shorts and a tank top.

I combed through my wet hair and slicked on some moisturizer to my face. Not that it needed it as the night air was holding so much humidity, I was sure it was going to rain.

I ran my polo shirts through water and wrung them out. It would most likely be easier to shoot down to the apartment's laundry room and wash a load of three polos, but ever since working at Lucky's... Well you get the drift. So, I took the polo's out to my fire escape and set them out to dry. I had grabbed a pop and a strip of crackers from the cabinet and sat down outside under the dark night air, to just sit for a moment.

I had a lot happen today, this week, this year. I was almost done with my list of things to do. I still needed my car back, but with my credit card, I would just get it sent to an auto body shop for repair and pay for it myself. It wasn't even really that bad. It was surprising the hummer did not do more damage. It was as if the man was doing a rolling stop through the intersection, which is quite possible. That would explain the minor damage.

As far as making it up to all the folks I fired, I had to handle that one day at a time, one person at a time, as I ran into them. I was confident that Lucky's grandma was good with me. I was not going to turn into a leprechaun like Lucky; I hoped.

Lucky, on the other hand, I think his time was ticking. I was sure my success was part of it for him. I wondered if all the do-good stuff, like organic gardening, solar-powered business, electric car, food for the homeless shelter, had something to do with the fact he pissed off his grandma and was doing these things to correct it all. However, that was not my business, and she was most likely set in her ways.

I would make a point of talking to Stacy tomorrow, if there was time, to see if there was anything else, I could do. Otherwise, he was on his own. From the sounds of it, he waited until the last minute to get things right.

A few light raindrops misted on my face as I looked up at the stars. I grabbed my polos off the metal rail, headed inside, and locked my bedroom window. It was fast approaching my bedtime, and I was looking forward to falling asleep to the sound of rain.

That night I slept with dreams of fairies flying around, waving wands. Magical wizards, that looked like Lucky's grandma talking in Gaelic. I remembered the feel of the lucky charm, or unlucky charm, in my hand as it slipped from my fingers while I fell into the fountain. Then I remembered the sparkling blue of my cutie-patooties eyes and the way his dimples dug deep on his cheeks as he smiled.

I also remembered the double shot of rum with my Coke and realized that was the cause of my funny dreams.

Morning came too soon. It always does when you have to get up early and don't want to, versus when you want to sleep in and can't. I could not sleep in, and I wanted to. The sound of the alarm was not going away as I kept hitting the snooze button. I quickly realized that the buzzer was for my apartment from the security door at the front of the building.

I jumped out of bed and ran my fingers through my hair. I took a quick check to make sure my tank top and shorts were appropriate. The digital clock by the bed read eight ten in the morning. I needed to be at Lucky's no later than nine, more for his sake then mine.

I pressed the receiver button. "Who is it?" I wanted to add at this dang early hour but hey, I was feeling nice.

"Officer Reilly. I got your message the other day. I did some checking. You might want to come down here." His voice sounded nice, not like, 'lady, I'm going to arrest you or haul you off to jail' nice but in a business way. In addition, I read the tone of his voice with some sort of 'I'm sorry' behind it. It could be wishful thinking on my part, but I was sure I was innocent.

"Just a minute." I rushed around the apartment. My Lucky polos were still wet, so I found a green tank top, pair of jeans and Irish pub ball cap. I slipped my hair in the cap and took two swipes of mascara over my lashes, a brush or two of blush and a quick lip smacker of lip-gloss. I was good. Thank God for natural beauty.

I slid my feet into a pair of tennis shoes and bolted out the door with the gremlin keys in one hand and my cell phone, for a change, in the other. I had personal calls today that I wanted returned, and I did not want to miss the calls.

I ran down the stairs instead of waiting for the super slow elevator in the morning. Four flights later, my breath was heavy and my legs burned a tad. Not going to the gym in the last year just caught up with me.

As I ran out the front door, I felt like I was zapped with the stun gun all over again. However, this time, in a good way. There, on the back of a tow truck, was my shiny red Honda Accord, all fixed up and repaired. It even looked as if it got a wax job, and the wheels and tires were sparkling in the morning sun.

Next to the truck was the officer who gave me the ticket after the accident was investigated. He handed me my keys and some legal papers and nodded. I glanced over the papers and apparently; the traffic light did have a glitch that morning. No one but the city was at fault. The city repaired the damage and would like me to sign a waiver that I wouldn't sue them.

Now I know what you're thinking, sue them. Those rotten bastards, making you take a job that caused you to be mean and cruel to people, firing you from that job that you did so well. Knowing, one of those secret government people stole your laptop. You outta slam it to them. That is what you are thinking. Now, what I was thinking was completely different.

When the officer spoke up, he did so with an authoritative voice yet a tad of embarrassment. "If you sign this, you are fully aware that you cannot sue the state. If you do not sign it, I have to take your car back to the repair shop, where you can pay for the repairs in full. However, I have to warn you. The state will tie you up in court, which will cost you more." He said it so nice and straight forward as if there was no other option but to sign. Which really, there wasn't. I did not want the mess of court. I just wanted my car back and charges dropped.

"Got a pen?"

That was that. I signed. The tow truck lowered my car off the back of it, and I got in and drove my car around the block. Then I found a nice safe place to park under a streetlight and locked it up.

I was somewhat attached to the eighties green gremlin. It got me through a lot in the last few days. I figured I would drive it into work today and then catch a ride home with someone else or a cab.

Just as I was pulling away from the parking spot, out walked John O'Malley. I hand rolled down the window to the gremlin as I pulled up next to where he was standing. "Good Morning. Happy almost Saint Paddy's day." That was geeky girl on my part, but it was tomorrow, and I didn't know if I would see my cutie-patootie.

"Good morning. I caught the entertainment this morning. You got your car back, so why are you driving this thing?"

I laughed like a little school girl. Again, I was nervous around this man. He did things to me to make me act silly. I got a hold of myself and tried to smile sexy, while looking up at him, batting my eyelashes. "This is the last hoo-rah! I'm going to drive her into work, park her in the garage and catch a cab home."

"What time are you done tonight?" Ok, was he asking so he could offer a ride, asking because he was just curious, or asking because he was going to swing by and offer to buy me a coffee?

"Hard to say. Lucky wanted a double today. I have some paperwork to prepare for his auditor who is coming in, and deliveries should be crazy all day then I promised to help serve the corn beef and cabbage dinner to the shelter. I should be back at Lucky's around nine at the latest. I'll probably do closing duties and prep for the big day tomorrow." Ok. That was a lot to spill out. I was not even sure if I breathed a breath in between any of those words. I talked so fast you would have to be a Talladega fan just to keep up with me.

"Ok..." He said it in a long drawn-out way that did not give me any inclination as to what he meant.

Before I knew it, we were waving good-bye with that awkward feeling that I was sure he was going to ask me out then he didn't. I did, however, see him kick the tire on his truck as I drove away and glanced back in the gremlin's rearview mirror at him. Mostly just to catch a look of his ass. Instead, I realized, that I was a little overbearing with my nervousness around him, and he was really, shy. Therefore, I had not lost my cute touch after all.

Note to self, next time just make myself available. However, he could be my future boss if that opening was still there, day-after tomorrow.

Back at Lucky's floral you would have thought pandemonium broke out. No one knew where Lucky was. Stacy and Mary were running around as if the sky was falling, Mike and Matt were both in pulling double duty as well. They were both on phones calling around looking for Lucky. I walked in, observed the commotion, and then spoke out above everyone. "Did anyone call grandma?"

I knew I did not need to explain which grandma. The room fell silent. The twin's hung up their phones, and every single face in the room froze.

"Look guys. I know what is going on here. At least, I think I know what is going on. However, I should be good on my part except for maybe the insurance on my car, but I will figure that out today while delivering. What we need to do is find out exactly what Lucky needs to do. Stacy. I'm assuming you know. Do you care to share?"

The room was silent; Stacy had a look of guilt, and shit, I'm scared on her face. "The thing is Katie; Lucky has always been a procrastinator. Lucky's time is almost up. He's got until tomorrow at midnight. And his list of things to get done is long."

Alright, so everyone in the room was on the same page. I was not crazy after all in thinking up the whole leprechaun business.

I went into action. This was always my good side. See a challenge, take it, organize it, run it, mold it, whatever it took to get the job done. Which was why I was so good at the secret agent job and why all of a sudden; I realized they had selected me.

The store was due to open in an hour, and we had done just about all we could for the rush. I took a quick look at everyone and asked. "Do you trust me?"

In unison, they all cheered. "Yes!" Well at least to my ears it felt like cheering.

So, here comes my Talladega race car mouth. "Mike you stay in the kitchen and on top of the gourmet orders, Matt you are doing all the food deliveries, load the van and take it, the tank is full. Mary you man the shop. Stacy, you stay here, go over Lucky's list, and keep looking for Lucky. Sweetie, you are going to possibly... maybe, sorry, but you have to go to grandmas. Don't worry the magic zap she induces you to; it won't hurt much." Her face cringed, and I broke out in laughter. That helped to lighten the mood.

"Mary and Stacy, load the gremlin with as many deliveries as possible. I will make deliveries in the green beast today and take care of my insurance. I will get the deliveries done in time to be back to do the shelter dinner. I can handle that one by myself, as I am sure the twins have plenty of baking to do for tomorrow. I will work on the auditor's spreadsheets for the next hour while you girls load the gremlin. That should take care of that. Is there anything I am missing? Besides Lucky?"

"There is one thing left on your list, but I can't tell you. Lucky said you would have to figure it out for yourself. He said you were smart, really smart. In fact, he said and listen carefully, 'I'd bet my lucky charms she'll remember the first time she saw him', end quote. I cannot tell you or that will break Lucky's spell in a bad way, like stay a tad short way. However, telling you exactly what he said should help."

She looked at me with shrugged shoulders and a squint, like she was making a wish really hard.

I on the other hand, could not quite figure out what that quote meant, but I knew I would by days end.

"Don't worry guys. I will figure it out. Hey, while you're loading the gremlin, see if there are any more Lucky Floral polos. Alright on three, let's break to 'go team'."

"Go team!" We all screamed at the top of our lungs.

I breezed through the last of the spreadsheets for the auditor. Mary had the gremlin packed in every available floor space. The deliveries on the phone, two coffees and a bag of goodies in a cardboard box, nestled next to some flowers in the passenger seat.

The day was already warm, so I figured I would just run the air conditioner on high so that the flowers would not wilt.

The traffic on main was unbearable. There were rescue vehicles, an ambulance, and all sorts of commotion. So, I took a turn down an alley way that led me by the construction site. Hopeful for a glimpse of six feet two courage, you bet. Just the site of the man made me happy, but nervous.

The site looked busy. I saw a couple of people in a line outside of the construction office holding what looked like papers, but no John. I was sure those were interviewees, and he was inside interviewing them. I, on the other hand, knew I would most likely not get the job, and I would just have to work with the prospect of girlfriend when things simmered down.

I checked in periodically into the shop and still no Lucky. Grandma hadn't seen him either, but she didn't sound worried. Stacy, on the other hand, sounded frantic. With Saint Paddy's just a day away, everyone and their brother was in there looking for a silly green hat or tee-shirt to wear. Then they were buying up all the green frosted shamrock cookies, which was good. Not to mention the amount of green dyed carnations that was flying out the door. I was sure if she knew where Lucky was it would be half the battle.

The day was more than half over, and Tank had another delivery from his sister. This time it was a lucky bamboo plant for Saint Paddy's. It turns out, Tank had some Irish blood in his family. I pulled up and parked and there in the window was a loose puppy. My puppy. He was barking like crazy and wagging his tail as I walked inside. He was in a puppy corral against the window.

"Well hey there stranger." I reached in and scratched him behind his little white ears. He looked to be part Chihuahua and part some other small white dog. Totally adorable. I stood up and looked around for Tank. He was back in the supply room.

"How's it going? Your sisters got another delivery for you." I showed him the plant, and he smiled from ear to ear.

"It's going good. I've got a box of dog clothes in green back here somewhere. I put one on a dog this morning in the window, and he was gone in a second. I've got an ad that hits today and so far so good. Say, we are pretty close to breaking even with some supplies; you got money to take that cute feller home?"

I didn't. Lucky hadn't paid me yet. I did have my credit card and bank money, but I didn't have my wallet on me. That was back at my apartment. I did, however, still have the hundred-dollar bill that Lucky gave me, and it was always on me. Like a lucky charm, I guess. Today it was on the inside of my shoe.

"All I've got on me is a hundred cash. I'd hate to ask you to hold him, but I would greatly appreciate it." I knew Tank would but I didn't want to assume too much.

"Actually, I was hoping you would come by today and take him. I've got some new puppies coming in later, and I am getting tight on room. Shelter dropped the fee to hundred just to get some of the animals moving."

I pulled the hundred out of my shoe, and Tank gave me a silly grin. I shrugged my shoulders and smiled. "Lucky charm, literally. Lucky gave me the hundred to get by, and you know the whole horrid story. So any ways, I just could not get myself to use it, and I really have not had to. So..." I handed him the hundred-dollar bill after I unfolded it. Tank grabbed it as if his fingers were tweezers. It was a bit moist as my feet had been a tad sweaty today. But hey, a hundred-dollar bill sweaty is just as good as a hundred-dollar bill dry, right?

"You've got a deal. Can he ride with you back to the shop now? That load of dogs is due any minute."

I suppose he could. I had a few deliveries left, but I would swing by the shop and have him stay in the garage until I was done. "Let's load me up quick with all I will need to start and can I borrow that puppy corral?"

"You can have it. We sell them. You and I can sit down next week and work on quarterly taxes and call it even?"

"Deal." Tank and I had found a way to work together well when I came to help him. I only needed to spend an hour or two going over his accounts and making sure he was all set. His taxes, on the other hand; he had been paying someone else to do. So I think we both got some kind of relief out of the situation. Each time I helped Tank, I felt better about myself, and that was worth a paycheck any day.

With the puppy corral strapped to the gremlin, my little guy in white, in a fabric dog carrier and supplies to get me through the week, we were on our way back to Lucky's.

I took the same detour back by the construction site just in hopes of seeing my cutie-patootie. Lucky for me, he was outside talking to a prospective employee. He looked engrossed in conversation, and I slowed just enough to get a peek at him. Honestly, I was not stalking, just looking.

Then he turned his head just right, and it hit me, literally. A huge old bird poop landed on my windshield, and I could not see out my windshield. Seeing that, as soon as I used my wipers, the old white gooey stuff spread across the window and blocked my view. I put the gremlin in park and sprayed the washer fluid several times, as I used the wipers. About ten tries and it was mostly gone.

By the time I was done, I turned to see John heading up the metal stairs to the mobile construction office. The way he was looking at the papers in his hand and shaking his head side to side caught me off guard. Lucky's quote came to mind.

A year ago, last Saint Paddy's Day, John was the man at the bar that I was sure that was about to ask me out, mind you, I was pretty tipsy. Instead, he watched me tell the tall Lucky off and watched him give me the lucky charm. The next thing I remember I was in my apartment nursing a killer hangover.

It was the way he was looking at the papers. He was the man at the bar that was looking down towards some papers most of the night and would glance up at me. I had gotten the vibe and was sure he was going to ask me out.

It all made sense. I wondered if he recognized me. For such a tall authoritative man around his men, he sure was shy around me, but I guess I knew that all along. Why I had not recognized it before was beyond me? It was as if, as soon as I met Lucky's grandma, got the lucky charm back, and put it in the fountain, everything was clearer for me.

I was blocks away from the shop and sitting at a red light. Just then, my new cute little adorable puppy just ripped the loudest, nastiest fart. I turned to him as my eyes watered and gagged out. "Lucky?"

The dog could not have barked or wagged his tail harder. Lucky the leprechaun had temporarily taken place in my new puppy. Holy poop.

Chapter Thirteen

I barreled into the shop as fast as I could, holding the puppy in one hand and shouting, "I found Lucky!"

Everyone turned to me, including the customers who were packed in the store. I felt foolish, because no way in hell was I going to tell everyone that the puppy was Lucky in front of all the customers. "Just trust me. Gotta run. Don't let this puppy out of the garden."

A little old lady turned to another old lady in a shamrock hat. "Did she just shout 'I got lucky?' Maybe she should keep that to herself. Makes me feel bad. It was nineteen eighty the last time I got lucky. Women shouldn't brag about that sort of thing." She went on discussing what she misunderstood from me rather loudly. Everyone else went about their business, but I saw the relief in Mike, Mary and Stacy's eyes.

As I set Lucky up with food and water in the corner of the garden along with his puppy corral set up half-assed, I squatted down and had a talk with my boss.

"Dude, we were worried. Look, I just figured out who John O'Malley is." Lucky barked his head off, wagged his tail, and tried like heck to knock down the corral. "I think I am all squared away. I mean I don't know what it is that I am supposed to do with John, but I'm pretty sure he's into me. Stacy said you had a few things left to do. I don't know how you are going to go about doing that as a puppy. Which, by the way, when this is all over I still want my puppy. I think I'll name him Lucky." That got a howl out of Lucky and a relief laugh out of me.

Stacy popped her head in. "Where's Lucky?"

"You are looking at him." I pointed to my puppy. "But hey, when he's back to himself, I still want my puppy." Lucky barked, and Stacy turned green and looked like she wanted to puke.

I left Lucky in the corral and went to the front of the store. I whispered to Mike where Lucky was. He bursted out laughing, and the whole store looked at us again. The little old lady spoke up again. "Well la-te-da, look at her. She just got lucky and she's right back at it again."

I asked Mike to finish my deliveries, so I could stay here and strategize with Stacy and Mary. I really felt like time was a ticking. That maybe we had to get it all right by tomorrow at midnight. Don't ask me how I knew, but I just knew that time was ticking, tick-tock.

Mike took off in the gremlin. Matt came back for more deliveries for the hotels and bars for tomorrow's bash's. Mary worked a floor of twenty customers at a time while Stacy and I took turns running the register. Any lull in customers and she was running back to Lucky. Each time she came back; she looked depressed.

For all of five minutes, the entire store was empty; Mike had finished, Matt was back, and we all stood there staring at Lucky in the middle of the front of the store. He got out of the corral.

"What's next?" Stacy finally spoke up.

"I think I have to have a date with John." Lucky did nothing but stare, then he farted. We all pinched our noses, and Matt ran for the air freshener.

I looked down at Lucky with my nose pinched, while holding my shirt over my mouth breathing in and out through the cotton of the shirt helped. "Lucky, does John need to kiss me?"

Lucky jumped up with his little white paws on my legs and barked like crazy while his tail wagged. Next thing I knew Stacy bent down and kissed him on the head, and he got a puppy woody. There was no doubt at that moment, that between the fart and woody, it was Lucky.

"God, Lucky put that away." Stacy laughed.

"Do you have to tell him that a lot?" Mike joked.

"He was always trying to show us his as kids." Mary chimed in.

It felt good to have everyone laugh for a second. I bent down and looked Lucky in the face. "Dude, I'll get John to kiss me, don't worry. However, one thing left on my list that I can think of is insurance. I'm still haggling with the Big Time State Land insurance company. They've cashed my check, but sent a cancellation notice. They've sent a new coverage card and then a letter requesting payment. No one will return my calls."

"Oh. That's what that was. I think I know. Follow me." Stacy took off for the office with Lucky under her arm. I was sure he got excited again as his face was right next to her chest. I followed her in quickly as she was practically running. Behind me, I heard the chime of the front door go three times. Which meant, three customers walked in, within a short time. Busy time was not over, but the lull in customers was a definite reprieve.

Stacy handed me a folder of papers. It was from the insurance company. Lucky had cleared up the mess and paid my premium for the year, but he had to open a new account under his name as the primary from the business. Thus, the confusion as to coverage, so I was currently covered under a new policy with Lucky's Floral. Just not under my old account. He had been working on clearing that up for me yesterday.

Lucky was on the ground by now sniffing around, so we let him out into the garden to take care of business. Stacy turned to me in disbelief. "The change to a leprechaun was bad enough, but this, a puppy. If he changes back, I do not know what I will do. He was going to propose to me before all this happened. He went to his grandma's for his mom's old wedding ring and came back a leprechaun and no ring. Katie, I don't know how much more of this I can handle."

Just then Lucky came in, started to whimper, and was licking her ankle. Stacy started to laugh lightly against the few tears that had fallen down her cheek. I scratched Lucky behind the ears. "Hey Lucky, after I kiss John am I good? One bark yes."

"Roof."

"Do you still have something you need to do?"

"Roof."

"Do you, and don't look at me funny when I ask this, but I get you only have until midnight tomorrow night?"

"Roof."

"Oh Lucky." Stacy nuzzled my dog, her Lucky. Hopefully, back to my puppy named Lucky when it was all over. I could only hope grandma would turn him back to himself.

"Look guys. We still have a busy night ahead of us. However, Stacy you really are not much help up front, as you keep making mistakes. I will put a call into a few friends to come help with deliveries for tonight and tomorrow. Trust me, these are good folks, and they could use the cash. Let's get Mike and Matt back into the kitchen so that we have plenty of baked goods for tomorrow. I will call Tom at the shelter and let him know we cannot help serve, but we will get the food there. I'm going to call your grandma..." Before I could finish Lucky barked twice. That meant no.

"Alright. I won't call grandma. That is unless it is almost midnight, and you can't finish what you need to finish." I got one bark. Stacy looked at me still in disbelief. I spoke up first. "I know. Not a soul would believe us, unless they were actually in our shoes. However, here we are."

She looked down at Lucky and kissed his head as she was holding him now. He started to lick her face like crazy.

"I'm going to leave you two love birds alone. Stacy, just try to help Lucky. I've got the rest under control. I think John's going to swing by tonight to offer me a ride. If not, I will do everything, I can tomorrow to get him to kiss me. Deal?"

One bark from Lucky. One head shake yes from Stacy.

The plan was going good. Mike and Matt just cleaned up the kitchen. Food was delivered to shelter along with green frosted cupcakes for the kiddos and shamrock necklaces I bought out of my own pocket.

It was five minutes to closing time, and I was watching the clock like crazy. Every second felt like a minute, every minute an hour. John had not popped in yet, and I was sure he was going to stop by. Stacy was gone all afternoon with Lucky. She said between one and two barks, she got the gest, and they would be in by tomorrow morning after the bank opened.

Mary was lying down in the garden with her feet up on Matt's legs, and he was massaging her feet. I sensed there was something there. Cute.

Mike was helping to close out the register to my right. I did not want to close out the other one until the sign was turned to closed, because if I did, it never failed. In would walk one last customer.

The clock said one minute until closing. I looked longingly at Mike and blew out a puff of air. "He's not coming." Maybe I didn't have me hot stuff back after all.

"Well if he doesn't, he's a fool. Check you out. You're about the cutest thing I've seen in a long time. I mean Stacy's cute and Lucky was, well lucky to catch her. Mary's nice, but I'm not into redheads. You and your adorable eyes that can light up a room, right next to your smile and the way you wear your hair some days. It is as if you could crawl out of bed cute. When this is all over, if John doesn't make his move." He motioned to himself with two thumbs to his chest.

"You're sweet." I laid a kiss on my hand and then set my hand on his face. Mike grabbed me up for a big bear hug, and I giggled out in laughter. My giggle cut out the door chime. The next thing I knew John was standing there and a soft 'excuse me, I guess I was wrong', while clearing his throat.

I pushed Mike away like a bratty brother. "Oh heck, Mikes like a brother. I was hoping you'd come back." I took off the Lucky green apron I was wearing and draped it across the counter. "Mike you got closing. I'm beat and this man here is going to take me out for coffee and a desert."

Mike nodded his head with a smile and went about doing the closing work. John stood there with a look of disbelief.

I hooked my arm into his and guided him out of the door. Once outside, I looked over at him and smiled. "Where to?"

"I don't know." He was quiet.

"I know just the place. Stay right here." I ran back in. I grabbed two coffees from the gourmet coffee urn. I tossed in some cream and sugar and grabbed two cinnamon rolls. I know what you are thinking. I'm addicted.

I came out with two coffees and a bag of the rolls and told him I would tell him where to drive.

Five minutes later, we were at the fountain. The lights in the water, lighting upwards to the statue, was beautiful. We had found a spot that made us seem as if it was only us. We both took a few bites of the rolls and sips of the coffee.

I noticed right away John was not in his work attire, but a nice pair of khaki's and a pressed shirt. My heart went pitter-patter. "You look nice." I spoke up first.

He cleared his throat. "You always look good. Even in the green gremlin, which would make any person, not look sexy."

Yep, you guessed it. He just told me I was sexy. It was like giving candy to a kid. I felt my mojo back the second I tossed the charm in the fountain.

"You're pretty darn handsome yourself. That construction get-up is hot." He blushed. "But tonight you clean up even better." He was looking down at his feet smiling, and his face was a darker shade of red. I glanced over into the fountain, and the charm caught my eye in the wavering water. Even though I was nervous myself, the site of the charm gave me courage.

"John." He looked up at me, and I kissed him. Nothing sleazy, but a nice quick peck on the lips. He smiled. However, I was sure of two things. He wanted to kiss me back harder, but he was still shy around me. Probably just like the reaction I got around him, all butterflies and jitters. I put my hand on my bouncing knee, and he looked at it.

"I get nervous around you. In fact, just the other day I realized where I saw you first."

His eyes lit up, and he looked at me with a straight face. "You do? I mean you remember me?"

"Yup. Saint Paddy's last year, I was two sheets to the wind, and you were just as shy then as you are now. It must have taken a lot of guts for you to come by tonight." I laid my hand on his, and he enclosed his fingers in mine. He looked at our hands holding each other then he looked up at me.

"Yeah. I mean, wow. You remembered me. You were pretty blitzed, but in a really sexy cute way. I had been trying for hours to work up the courage, then that guy sat down next to you, and by the time he pissed you off, you took off. I wanted to go after you just then, but then that guy tripped me, and I fell and hit my head." He showed me a nasty scar on his upper-right eyebrow. I leaned up and kissed it. "My hero."

He let his hand slide around behind my neck, and he pulled me in for a very gentle kiss. It was like the moon got brighter, the sky clearer and everything quieter for a moment.

I spoke up first. "Funny we never ran into each other before the uh, Mac Truck, incident."

"Yeah. After I fell that night, I got up and chewed the guy out. He spoke some kind of gibberish and tossed this at me." He held up another unlucky charm. I trembled. John had to know and toss the charm in the fountain.

He went on to tell me about his bad luck streak. He lost his job from a big construction job, wrecked his truck on a fishing trip, and lost most of his savings on a gambling stint that he had hoped would save his house. So, he lost his house he built. Then a couple of months ago, he got this new job, which he likes better. It came with a construction truck, so those were two birds with one stone, he had said. Then he moved out of his buddy's basement into our apartment complex. He had seen me a few times but just could not get up the nerve.

What I told him next did not come easy. "John. You have to trust me; there is some magical fate at play here. You need to make a wish that you forgive that guy and wish everyone health and happiness and toss that unlucky charm into the fountain."

He looked at the charm he had pulled out of his pocket and smiled. "You know at first; I tossed the thing in my coin jar. Then after my run of bad luck and I was down to using that change to eat, I found the charm. My luck started to turn around so I thought it was lucky."

"It's not. You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I got the same charm, from the same guy, and I had my own streak of very similar bad luck."

He looked at me as if I was crazy. My heart pounded fast. I was afraid I would lose him. I really liked him and I knew the whole thing screamed 'looney bin', but I felt he had to know.

As sexy and sweet as I could, I kissed his hand and looked deep into his eyes. "Toss it in John. Toss it in and think happiness and forgiveness."

This time he kissed me a bit deeper and when we let our lips pulled away, we both tossed it in together.

"Now, tell me." He wanted to know.

"If I tell you, you must promise not to think me crazy." I said it with a wee bit of leprechaun voice in me. "Then when all this is over tomorrow night at midnight, you can confront the man who caused all this trouble. Lucky, my boss."

"The short little guy at Lucky's Floral. The guy at the bar was taller and skinnier." Then, as if, it dawned on him. "Oh shit."

"Oh shit is right."

Chapter Fourteen

After a long night of talking and a long kiss good night, I woke the next morning with John at my front door ready to drive me to work. After our long talk, he decided that he needed to help me out today.

As we pulled up to the shop, the lights were all off and everything looked deserted. "We open in an hour, and it is going to be one crazy day. Are you ready for this?"

"Yep." His deep dimple smile said it all. He was hooked on me, and I was thrilled. He was just my type of man. We both liked fishing and the Daytona 500. Best of all, he thought I was sexy even driving the green gremlin with bird poop all over my windshield. He saw me.

As we entered, the store all seemed quiet. "Guys!" I hollered out, then nothing. We headed towards the solarium. "Guys?"

"Back here." Stacy hollered out. "We've lost Lucky."

They all turned and looked at John and me holding hands. The only one that was not thrilled was Mike. I sensed he had a thing, but I wasn't into him that way.

"Here's the dealio. John knows. He tossed his unlucky charm in last night at the fountain." Stacy blew out a huge puff of air. She must have known. "Where'd you lose Lucky?"

"We made it to the bank. I dressed him up and put him in a cute puppy purse, and I acted all Hollywood actress on the bank about my safety deposit box and how it was unlucky for me to open it without my dog. Lucky had me added last week at the bank, but I wasn't sure why. Then I had to ask the number, and he barked once for yes and twice for no. Then..." John interrupted Stacy.

"Ok. Now you folks want to tell me that the man at the bar, who was turned into a leprechaun, was now a puppy?"

We all turned to him with straight faces and in unison. "Yes!"

"Then what Stacy?"

She looked like she could cry. "So after what felt like hours, we got the safe open and in there was an adorable green basket full of gold coins. I set Lucky down and held them in my fingers for a minute. It was nice." Her eyes lit up with sparkles thinking about holding a handful of gold coins at today's market value. It was like letting a girl try on a full carat diamond ring.

"Ok. What happened?"

"Well, then through single double barks I got the gest that Lucky needed to hold the basket in his mouth. I bent down and put the basket of gold coins on the floor, by the time I put the safe away and came back he was gone. The bank manager said he saw my dog take off down the street. I could just cry and scream. I think he's chosen the gold coins over me." She did start to cry. I dropped Johns hand and went to comfort her.

"Don't be silly Stacy, he loves you. Maybe he has to four-leg it up to grandma's place and pay the crime. Was there anything left that you could think of?" She looked at John.

"It has something to do with John, but he didn't say. And I can't say but there is one more thing to do with you. He has until midnight. So I guess we'll just wait and see."

One would think as busy of a day as we had ahead of us; we would all be getting a move on. However, for a few moments it was as if no one cared, so I rallied the troops. "Guys, we've got a huge day ahead of us. John is going to stay and help. He can do deliveries or run a register, whatever. I have two friends in by ten, so they can do deliveries as well. Before we know it Lucky will be back and looking normal, and the day will go fast." Or so, I hoped. I was just glad that out of all this mess, I got John. That is, if he could stand to be around all the kookiness.

As everyone dispersed to get started on our day, I watched John look around the solarium for a moment. It was such an out of place thing in the backside of a firehouse. "You know I read about the fire, and I knew the firehouse was conformed to fit Lucky's Floral but I've never been back here to check this out. It's actually pretty cool."

I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "It's been a ride John. I'm just glad the road led me to you to make it all worth it."

Then he kissed me. We stood inside an indoor garden full of flowers with the early morning sun starting to peek in through the east window, shining sideways on us. The kiss in itself was great but the moment was burned in my memory as magical. Nothing could distract us but the sound of a single 'roof'.

We both looked down and between our feet, was a basket of gold, and one very dirty white puppy. We both bent down and looked at the puppy, not quite sure what we were seeing. "Lucky?" I spoke up first.

He roofed and farted at the same time. I quickly pinched my nose, and John laughed. "I'm around guys all day that pull that, it doesn't bother me."

With my nose still pinched, I picked up the basket of gold. "Lucky who is this for?" He jumped up on me and barked once. I looked to John with a raised eyebrow and smiled. "Luck looks like it's changing."

I looked back to Lucky. "Dude, you and I should be squared away, but you've got something you need to do with John. We're not sure what it is." Lucky barked and danced around in circles then took off the way he came in, through the small hole in the solarium. "I guess, go follow him." I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't know what else to do.

"Will do." Then he quickly pecked me on the lips and took off out the back door to follow Lucky.

I went back to the front room to a couple of very busy employees. The doors had not opened yet, but they looked to be running around efficiently getting stuff in place. "Guys! I found Lucky."

Again in unison. "Where? Where is he?"

I held up the gold and Stacy almost fainted. "Here's the thing. He deposited this basket between John and I's feet, while kissing. Then he jumped on me and barked when I asked who it was for." I looked to Stacy, and she shook her head yes. "Then I asked what he had left to do with John, and he barked in circles and took off through that small hole in the solarium. John and I figured he had to go chase him down."

We all stood there looking at each other like it was so surreal. I don't know if a one of us knew what to do next or how we could help. Then Mary spoke up.

"What are you going to do with the gold? Especially in today's market?" Both Mike and Matt looked interested but Stacy seemed sad.

"Whelp." I took four gold coins out and gave each one. Then I held two more up and stated 'one for me and one for John'. Then I looked in the basket, and it seemed to be about ten left. "I've got a great idea for the rest."

I cleared my throat and motioned everyone to come closer. "May I take a moment to quote a famous Irish saying." Everyone bowed their heads. "May you be rich in blessings, poor in misfortune, slow to make enemies, quick to make friends. But rich or poor, slow or quick, may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward."

We all raised our coins together. "Here! Here!" I slipped the two coins in my pocket, knowing John will be thrilled to get his later.

Then before we knew it John came barreling through the door with a very muddy Lucky in tow. "I caught him. He took me to a new truck. He barked his head off, and it was unlocked. So I opened it and..." Stacy interrupted John, by taking Lucky from him and holding him close to her chest.

"It's done. Lucky did everything. So I guess we just wait." Lucky barked twice which we all knew meant no. "But Lucky you bought John a truck. That was the last thing on your list."

We all looked at each other and shrugged. I turned to John. "Is it nice?"

"Better than nice. My old one had a torn leather seat. This bad boy is loaded. Thanks Lucky." He scratched my puppy behind the ears. Lucky barked once.

Stacy set him down. Then she sat on the floor with her head between her knees and elbows hanging around her legs. I felt bad for her. She wanted her old Lucky back. I couldn't blame her. I wanted my puppy.

While Lucky went and sat in front of Stacy facing us, we all looked down at him.

I couldn't help myself. "Alright everybody. Think of anything that you might think could help and Lucky you answer with one bark yes; two barks no. Got it?"

"Roof."

I started first. "Do we need to go to the fountain?" Two barks. "Do you have anyone else that you need to set straight?" Two barks. Then Mike spoke up. "Does it have to do with the shelter?" Two barks. Matt spoke up. "Does it have to do with Stacy?" One bark. We were making progress. Mary spoke up. "Did you ever ask Stacy to marry you?" Two barks. So, she asked another. "Do you need to ask Stacy to marry you?" One bark. Eureka.

Stacy lifted her head and smiled. "Do I need to take you to grandmas for the ring?" One bark. She scooped him up with the biggest smile on her face. "Alright buster, but after grandmas, you are going to propose to me right. I want dinner and wine and a romantic place, and you on a knee in your regular size asking me; you got it?" One bark. She kissed him between the ears while his tongue was trying to reach out and kiss her back.

Stacy bolted out of there with Lucky under her arm, and I hollered out to her. "I still want my puppy when this is over." Then John nudged with his elbow and smiled. "If that puppy doesn't come back, I'll get you one." We kissed quickly.

Mike interrupted our kiss clapping his hands loudly above his head. "Alright folks, we open in two minutes, and several people have already walked by. Doors open, sidewalk signs out, registers manned. Matt, you and John on the first set of deliveries. Mary and Katie on floor and I have some baking to get done for special orders this morning. Chop-chop."

John gave me one more, quick kiss and was off with Matt towards the garage. I got busy with Mary up front. It didn't take but fifteen minutes and ten customers for Mike to come next to me and open the other register. First, he whispered in my ear between customers. "If he doesn't do right by you, then I will."

I pinched him and smiled at the same time. "Hey, what was that for?"

I laughed and held up the green smock. He did not have any green on.

The rest of the day went on just about like that. You could imagine the chaos that consumed the store on Saint Patrick's Day. At the end of the day, it was like the whole year of bad luck never happened. Everything seemed to be in order, for the most part.

It's funny how things work themselves out though. I got my puppy back, and Stacy and Lucky were engaged that very night. The old sized Lucky and John became the best of friends.

John and I were taking it slow. We had been on a few dates, and things were going fantastic but we both agreed with him as my boss that we needed to do this right. I still worked a few nights and occasional weekends for Lucky, just part-time. I loved the food and the employees.

John and I carried our new lucky gold coins with us everywhere, along with Lucky, our puppy. I retold him that Saint Paddy's night: after a long busy day, while we sat at the fountain to cool our aching feet, what Irish saying I told everyone else with the coin.

He told me he was bummed he missed it, so I had to tell him again with both our coins in the air, while walking around the fountain.

My new little puppy, Lucky, goes with me everywhere. Well almost everywhere. He comes to work with me at the construction site; he stays in the garden when I work at Lucky's, and he stays the night at John's when I do.

As far as the guy who wanted to sue me. He got a letter from the state as well, but he had an outstanding warrant, they were willing to let go if he didn't sue the city. I was sure Officer Reilly was as convincing with him as he was with me.

Lucky and Stacy had a summer wedding planned, and Matt and Mary were thinking August. Mike hooked up with my friend who tried to get me that first job interview I missed. She was one of the friends, I had called to come work for some cash that day. They hit it off big time. I don't think Mike ever took a second look at me. Well maybe, once in a while, but it was more in a fun coworker kind of way.

So here we were, what felt like a lifetime away, at the same fountain, on a really hot day and the sun was starting to set. I was walking along the edge of the fountain eating an ice cream cone that John had bought me while dipping one bare foot in at a time. John was holding the leash attached to Lucky, who had curled up in a ball at his feet.

"Hey Katie. Can I ask you something?" He took a lick of his cone and smiled up at me. "What did you do with all the other gold coins?"

I looked down at him and smiled. "I gave them to the shelter."

He lowered his head and shook it side to side and when he looked up at me with that deep dimple smile, I was sure I knew what was coming next.

He lowered himself to one knee, looking around the fountain and back at me. I looked around and realized we were the only ones at the fountain now. Which, I was sure was a comfortable thing for him, seeing as I knew he was about to ask me to marry him. He looked up into my eyes, and I jumped off the fountain edge. I pulled him up for a kiss, but before I let my lips touch his, I barked once really loud, which caused us to both giggle and kiss at the same time. He pulled back in question. "Do you really mean it?"

"I do." I pulled him up on the edge of the fountain and held him at arm's length. I held my gold coin up in the air and recited an old Irish saying to my future husband. "There are four things you must never do: lie, steal, cheat or drink. But!" I shouted, and he smiled. I was sure he heard this one before.

In unison, we said the rest. "But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love, if you must steal, steal away from bad company, if you must cheat, cheat death, and if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away." Then we kissed. I felt like everything was in place except for one thing. I tossed a silver dollar, which I found the other day, into the fountain while making a wish for us. It just felt right.

One week later, John had our gold coins melted down and made into two matching wedding bands with some leftover cash to boot. Now we both had our lucky charms with us always.

The End

Author CJ Hawk

Fiction - Adult Romance - Chick Lit. - Women's Fiction - Mystery

Ah, if only life were like frosted cupcakes. Gooey sweet frosting with satisfying cake, bite after bite, day after day. Life is meant to be magical or laughed at. Yes, life is a lesson, blah...blah... blah...but magical makes more mojo. Just look to a rainbow and search out your 'pot of gold' and things will start to look better.

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Legal mumbo jumbo: This is a fictional story with no reference to real people or places. Any similar names are strictly coincidental and have been created in the authors mind purely for fun or reference. Every character created is from the author's imagination; every place created or name of a place is to give the reader a mental image of where the story takes place. If the story lists an actual city or state, all information in the story is purely reference or to give the reader a mental idea of the location but does not in any way dictate the true nature of that area. Any reference in a story by this author that could be seen as prejudice, is not a true semblance of the author's ideals, it is strictly to create a character in the story and allows the reader an idea of how that character might think or feel. Basically \- it's fiction folks so let's not get too serious.

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COMING SOON!!!

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If you like I CAN DO STUPID ALL BY MYSELF - then you'll like this chick lit goofy go round that lands her in the lap of one really HOT man while finding ways to muddle up the rest of her life.

