Starbucks is one of those places you either love or hate.  For Mitch, it was the latter.  His ex-wife had loved Starbucks, loved the fruity drinks and crap coffee.  Mitch had only ever come to Starbucks with Emily and now that she was gone it was weird coming to one alone.  Still he needed to get answers and he might find them here if his guess was right.  Mitch sat down in a stiff chair facing the counter and ignored the chattering noise.  He focused on listening to the names called out by the barista while reading his mobile phone.  

In order to spy on Meg, Mitch had created a fake Facebook account.  Using the account, he had easily befriended the bitch who stole his ex-wife.  Meg’s Facebook page was filled with pictures of her and clients, statistics on fitness, and get fit tips.  He couldn’t help but feel like Meg was a bad caricature of a fitness trainer.   One post stuck out at him, “You are what you eat isn’t a suggestion, it’s a commandment ;)”.   This was typical of the posts for the prior three months on Meg's Facebook page.  The one major change was Emily had begun posting on Meg’s profile page.  She and Meg hadn’t revealed themselves as together…yet.   They were playing it coy, with cute little comments or pictures.  The latest one was a picture of Emily spotting Meg lifting a benchpress that had to weight twice as much as Mitch’s body did!

“Aren’t you going to buy something?”  Mitch turned to the owner of the voice and saw a young woman smiling at down at him.  Mitch shook his head and smiled, “No, just meeting a ‘friend’.”   The barista called out the name he was waiting for “Mei”.  The women who approached to get her coffee froze as her eyes widened.  “You,” Mei hissed,”what are you doing?”   Mitch smiled.  Obviously Mei hadn’t expected him to track her down before their meeting date.  “I’m done being led around by the nose, I’m not going  to your apartment, I’m not waiting for answers.” He crossed his arms, “I can’t afford to wait.” 

Mei reached out and grabbed him by his bicep.  Mitch’s smile vanished.  Mei was slender, like Mitch thought a woman should be.  But she had power in that grip.  She was strong, strong enough that Mitch thought Ming might actually be able to overpower him.   With a good second look he also realized that Mei was bigger than the last time he had seen her at the Magic Shop.  She had grown and was both bigger and taller than Mitch by an inch or two!   Mei gave him a resigned look.  “Fine," she said, "Go.  Grab a seat and keep your voice down.”  Mei released him, turned, and smiled at the barista pulling out a tip from her pocket.  

Mitch settled back down where he had been and waited as Mei tipped the barista.  It had felt good to be the one giving a surprise to a woman for once.  Still that grip had reminded him to take nothing for granted.   Ming took the chair opposite to Mitch and placed her drink down.  She leaned forward and gave him a look that said she was pissed.  “I’m tempted,” she began drumming her fingers against the table, “to tell you to go fuck yourself and walk out of here.”  Mitch felt as if his heart had stopped cold.  He leaned forward and with desperation pleaded with her.  “Please don’t,” he lifted a hand and rubbed his temple, “I need help, bad.  I need to make sense of this, I….I can’t take much more.”   Mei's features shifted from anger to pity.  “I can only imagine.” she said.   “What do you want to know?”  For a second, Mitch hesitated.  Where should he start?  She sensing his uncertainty interjected, “Maybe with Meg?”  Mitch nodded.  

“Meg started at the Magic Shop about six months ago. She quickly learned that what we sell are not cheap tricks and illusions but actual magic.”  Mei paused, as if giving Mitch the opportunity to object.  When he didn’t she raised an eyebrow.  “What, you aren’t going to reject this.  Say something like ‘but that’s impossible magic can’t be real?’”  Mitch gave a rueful smile and shook his head. “It explains everything and I’m not stupid enough to deny what’s right in front of me.”   Mei actually seemed impressed.  “I sensed you weren’t. That stupid I mean.”  Mitch nodded in acknowledgement of the compliment. “Meg and I got to know each other while she worked there.  She is an extremely confused young woman who was bullied for being small when she was growing up.  Meg confided in me she has dreamed of being big her entire life.  The way magic works, usually, is that it utilizes a person’s desire.  Usually magic is limited by the caster’s reason or fuel.  With Meg that oddly hasn’t been the case.”  Mitch frowned and asked why not.  Mei pursed her lips as she thought about how best to describe it.  “Physical magic is the lowest of magical forms.  Meg is changing only her body…”  “And Emily’s!” Mitch interjected.  Ming looked at him, pity on her face.  “Mitch, I don’t know your wife but Meg would be incapable of altering her mind or spirit.  She doesn’t possess the talent.”  Mitch deflated.  Then Emily really did leave him.  For a second he just sat.  Then it happened.  He was done!  He could leave now, knowing he was rejected, right?

“Wrong,” Mitch thought.  Even if he was done, Meg and Emily weren’t.  That realization caused something else to click.  It wasn’t just about him paying them money, was it?  Mitch realized that they didn’t need him to give them his money, they could get without him coming over.  So why was it so important that he bring it over, that he be there?  “Ah,”  Mei said causing him to focus.  “You begin to realize that there is more to this.”  Mitch spoke slowly.  “You said fuel, right?”  Mei nodded.  Mitch continued, “Meg and Emily are eating an awful lot.”  Ming shook her head.  “That is material.  Magic relies on something else.  Blood, sacrifice, passion…”  It was as if the last piece came into place.  The look on Meg’s face as she showed off in front of him.  How aroused they were in front of him.  Mitch interrupted “Humiliation?”   Mei ooked up, “Yes!   Feeding off of another’s breaking spirit would power a spell.”    Meg and Emily needed him in order to continue their spells.  Without Mitch, would their growth stop?  Would it reverse?  Questions, he realized less important than how he could free himself from them.   Before Mitch could ask Mei this, she shifted and looked down at her phone.  “I have to go.  Beware Mitch, many things in this are not what they seem.”  She stood up and put on her coat.  “And magic like this can have unintended consequences, especially with an amateur like Meg.”  Mei left just as Mitch got a text.  “Mitch, need you at the office, this HUGE woman just walked in looking for you!”   "What now," he thought?